Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Hey

Hey peeps,

Guess who started exercising today? Me. Again, you say? Yup. How long will it last, you say? Umm who knows. I always start off gung ho and than if I sprain something or have to stop, I will gradually quit. Hopefully, not this time....I know, I know, time will tell.

However, I have partners now, yup!!! Me!!! AND hold your breathe....a group of girls (women). My mom will be so proud of me. I have never been the one with a whole bunch of giggling girls, I got a long with the men folk a lot better. I didn't have time for the back biting, he said, she said shiznick!! I know what a man wants, he ain't getting it, but at least his cards are on the table. Women?!? Should I say more. Y'all feel me out there.

Anywho, some ladies in my Homeowners Association sent out a email on the listserv and asked did anyone want to start running in the morning 5:30 to be exact and this morning 4 women in their early 30's got up in the early a.m. and speed walked around the neighborhood. Excellent.

Tomorrow, we will do some type of program where we walk one minute and run three minutes or something like that. I will let you know how that goes, or better yet if you don't hear from me in a week or two send our a search team.

Knitting: I know, I need to put up pictures of the clap, I have put starsky to the side because I am completing my spa gift for my secret summer pal. I am doing the eye mask.

Until we meet again.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Blessings: What a difference a year makes...

I am truly blessed. Last year around this time, I went on a much needed vacation to the mountains with the husband and we stayed at Wintergreen Resorts a beautiful place (so much so we went back for hubby bday). We enjoyed ourselves (**blushing, smiling** oh boy!)...until we got home. The condo was flooded and we couldn't stay there because the floor needed to be replaced and there were other problems (drama). Our landlord was okay, he assured us that he will fix everything and all that, we had to throw away our dining room table and chairs, sofa and more items that could be replaced. It took a month to get the floor and other items fixed - why - because the landlord is cheap and he wanted to do it his self.

We moved in with the MIL and to be honest we had a damn good time, but during this time I felt soooo very out of control. She loved the company because she just lost her husband a year ago so she was happy to have movement in the house. Again, we had space, food and good company however, it was not home. I couldn't walk around buttnaked, and I damn sure was not going to do the do in her house (a sistah was seriously stressed).

I went from having a romantic weekend to my life being turned upside down. Literally. Thanks goodness we have been planning to buy our first home for a couple years and we were waiting until January 2007 to start looking for homes. We figured the market would go back to being a buyers market by than. Well, we had to move that plan up, because there was no way I was NOT going to have control over my life again.

Also, during this time we did not have a car. Since we live in the city we did not need one, we used public transportation and if we went out of the city (always) we used his uncle and aunt's car who lived in the houses across from us, about a block away (thank goodness for family). So, we were not in a rush to own one. Well, guess what? We needed a car now because his mom lived in Maryland and it was too far for us to use public transportation, it would have taken too long to take the kids to their summer camp, and going to work. We sprent crazy money on renting cars, except when I got deals (thanks Priceline). We couldn't use credit during this time because we were trying to get the house.

I am thankful that we had a place to lay our heads and for family. Believe it or not I am also thankful for the experience because I would have waited and may have missed out on our home.

Anyway, one year later. We have our home and our car !!! I (we) are truly blessed.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Let's Catch UP!!

Hey peeps,

What's up?? I have so much to tell you - so, here goes.

Vacation: Myrtle Beach was great. I hope to put up pictures later.

To begin with, I lost my voice and could not talk for the first few days. It was hard not to talk, but thank goodness for insurance, called Kaiser and they gave me the hookup. So, we arrived to our condo and it was beautiful, except it was on the 3rd floor, which meant we had to carry everything (and ourselves) up 43 stairs (yes, I counted and yes I hid.. hell that's what you have kids for). But, it was worth it. It was a 3 bdrm 2 bath loft condo. Really nice. A nice screened in porch (have to have when I go down South, the mosquitoes and all the other flying creatures don't play), indoor/outdoor pool and jacuzzi and private access to the beach. A really nice place.

We enjoyed ourselves in South Cakalaki, we did so many things. Let me start off by saying that Ripley's has a monopoly at Myrtle Beach. We went to the Ripley's Haunted Adventure, 3D Thrill Ride and the Aquarium. I did not do the Haunted House (uh...doc said I need to rest my voice), so I stayed outside. They did another haunted house, Nightmare Haunted House, a block away from the Ripley one and everyone said that one was much scarier. I was not going in that even if I could talk. Why do you say? They had a damn warning sign up: Asthma, heart problems, all types of stuff. Not gonna do it...no sir!! Laser tag was fun it was my first time and I sucked, I think they were trying to trade me to the other team, but who cares. We also went to a alligator park Alligator Adventure. Boring, but okay. we got to see the alligator eat and I saw the ugliest - yet prettiest thing. A albino alligator - all white or yellowish, the skin, teeth and eyes. Have to see it. We watched them feed the alligators which was the best part. Oh, and we saw this ugly thing called a bearcat. I personally think bears (not that I would hug one) and cats are cute, but this thing was not. We only went to this place because the other family wanted to go, my kids said hell to the naw (not really, they wouldn't have any teeth), so they stayed home. They were smart, BORING.

The hubby and my godsister husband went to the driving range to hit a couple golf balls or whatever they do. We went to to the beach (twice). Sand it not user friendly to black hair, especially when your hair is braided.

The fourth was great, one of the ladies at the pool told us that the best place to see fire works was on our back porch so we stayed their and she was right. I am glad we listened to her.

Oh, and we definitely went shopping. Actually, I think we went shopping 50% of the time we were there. I got a new bag (love her), but I will tell you more about that later when I can take pics of the new addition to the family.

The food was great. Me and my godsister did not cook while we were on vacation. We ate out and we found this great seafood buffet. Calabash. One word. Delicious. Everything. I am a big time food critic and I shocked everyone when I said I loved the place. I mean, it was just awesome. The other places we ate at where chains and nothing out of the ordinary to write about. But, I definitely got my tea, anytime I go down South, I have to get my tea. My mom makes great tea and so do I, but it is hard to find great ice tea at home.

Okay, I told you that the husband got a Navigation system, well my godsister husband got one too and they are really ridiculous with it. They have the exact same one, they didn't know it but they do. So, while we were driving down south they were given two different ways to go (oh BTW, this is not our first time going to Myrtle Beach, so hubby knows how to get there, but he still use the GPS read previous post about the nonsense). They were calling each other on the phone, your going the wrong way, no your system is wrong, this system is wrong. Needless to say we ladies had to tell them, one of you go first and the other one follows PERIOD no matter what the ding dang system says. The system is not GOD, there are many ways to skin a cat, so there are many ways to drive to Myrtle Beach and your system is just giving you different ways. Tired, can you tell I am not impressed with the GPS system... good, I am not, give me a damn map and I can work it out!!!

No knit news. I did not knit on vacation, I left my socks. gosh darn. However, I did cast on for Ene's scarf.

Overall this was a great vacation. Our families get along well, so it was great company, food and a nice place to rest our head. It was also great because the kids are much older (a tear sliding down) and they may not want to hang around everyone (you know how teenagers are), hopefully not. To sum it all.

Price of Trip:
Condo rental: Price just right, especially when you are splitting it with another family
Transportation: Just gas, Thanks VW, the Passat V6 was great on the road.
Attractions: Too damn much for memories for a life time, they are still talking about the haunted house.
GPS: The men using their GPS system and it acting up TOO FLUCKING FUNNY
Total: The smile on my family face and seeing the Washington Monument on the return trip home........ P R I C E L E S S

So, we came, we saweth, and we left.