Owner: Inspiration Alley URL:http://www.fldawn.typepad.com Join Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2007 21:58:18 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: A place for my life, my family, my friends, my travels, and all my creative pursuits - my view of life in general plus a little scrapbooking and rubberstamping with events, layouts, cards, and classes taken. Site statistics:Click here
Happy Birthday Mom ! 2007-10-12 11:03:00 Just wanted to wish my mom (yes, she checks in here every so often to see what I'm up to) a fantastic birthday!
I won't be there to share it with her because I am heading out to Sebring for Creepover. This will be my first time - Usually Creepover is the last weekend of October, but due to a scheduling problem it's this weekend which works just fine for me. A few of the regulars won't be able to attend because it 's the same weekend as CKU, but I'm looking forward to another creative weekend.
This year, it's at the Kennilworth Lodge in Sebring Florida which is just about a 2 and a half hour drive for me, and it is a quiet traffic free drive up 27 for me. (My favorite drive I might add).
I'll check in soon! Read more:Happy
, Birthday
, Happy Birthday
Women's Murder Club 2007-10-05 22:12:00 I just saw that there is a new series called the Women
s Murder Club based on the books by James Patterson. I've read all the books and love the series, so I am looking forward to seeing the TV show. I'm heading to Creepover this weekend, so I will have TiVo take care of recording it for me. I'm expecting that it should be good because James Patterson is involved with the show some. I'll let you know what I think.
WOW - FPL with fast service 2007-11-02 14:13:23 We came home last night (2AM) to find a problem with our electricity. One of the lines coming into the house was dropping voltage so depending on which switch or plug we used, the lights would dim, and we had no use of the stuff on the 220 lines like the garage door openers. Of course, the fridge was on the "bad" side, so everything in the fridge was warm, and the freezer was half defrosted. We ran an extention and switched the fridge to a "good" plug.
So hubby determined the problem, and we called FPL (it's now 3:15AM) and I just thought they'd come out this morning - but about 20 minutes later the FPL truck pulled up. The problem was at the pole and he was going to schedule a crew to come back. Again, I thought that they'd be back sometime today but when hubby and I awoke this morning all was fixed and running fine. I was amazed at how quickly they came out and took care of things.
Now, I have to spend tomorrow throwing out
Quiet Halloween 2007-11-01 14:06:00 We had a quiet Halloween
at home. Only 2 kids came by to Trick-Or_Treat - Kindof sad that it's not like it used to be. I remember going door to door as a kid and coming home with a pillowcase filled with candy. We'd dump it out on the table and my mother and grandmother would separate it all out. We'd get to eat some of course, but the rest would last for weeks as afterschool snacks.
I have talked to some friends in other areas which said Halloween is still big - I guess that in the Miami area it's just not so anymore. Read more:Quiet
Challenge Blog Starts Nov 1st 2007-10-31 11:36:56 Happy Halloween !
The new Challenge
Blog will begin November 1st - the first challenge will be up at just after midnight, so please drop by and play along. I hope to see you there.
Hope you all have a wonderful Halloween
Windy Weather 2007-10-30 19:24:00 WOW - it is so windy here. Theres a storm in the gulf (Noel) but thats not what's causing it. It seems that the two fronts are converging and causing all the wind. It's not raining much, which is a good thing. We're of couse watching Tropical Storm Noel because he will probably go just off the coast of Florida which will cause some rainy windy weather but hopefully not much else.
You open a door and if the wind catches it, it gets pulled open and it's also kindof hard to get a cigarrette lit (oh don't worry I'm managing). The next couple of days the weather should be getting progressively worse until the storm is north of us - it's supposed to stay well off shore but we'll still see some of the bands of weather. They say Tomorrow more wind, and then Thursday the rain will pick up.
Since it's not a hurricane, I can deal with the wind and rain portion. Read more:Windy
New Monthly Car Show 2007-10-29 01:15:00 We went to a new car show this evening. This one is the 4th Saturday of the month (there's one every weekend at a different location) at the Tamiami Airport. It just started up last month, so this is the 2nd month.
Last month, there were some logistics problems - the restaurant sponsoring the show could not keep up with the food and drink orders, and it rained. This month, I was surprised to see that they made some positive changes - they set up BBQs for hot dogs and hamburgers, they had several locations with coolers selling soda and beer, and had ladies walking around selling the beer from coolers (the guys loved this). They also were serving free wine to the ladies. On the weather side, we had a short shower but it was over quick and stayed clear for the rest of the night.
We had a great time, then went out to Longhorn for dinner (mistake). We normally have great service at Longhorn, but tonight they were super busy which put them Read more:Monthly
, Car Show
New Book 2007-10-25 20:54:00 I've finished a couple of more books by Harlan Coban and am getting closer to my goal of 50 books for the 50 book challenge. I'm now well into my next read which is Kill The Messenger by Tami Hoag. I'm behind pace for the challenge, but I've been spending more time at scrapping retreats then home - I usually bring a book with me, but never crack it open because I'm too busy socializing.
This however, is my "reading season" if you will. I read, when I'm standing in line at the stores, and when I'm waiting for stores to open, and I have a weekend car show coming up, so I'll have time to read there as well. Right now, I'm not sure if I'll reach the 50 book goal, but I won't quit. Whatever I reach this year, will be the goal I try to exceed next year.
Womens Murder Club (part 2) 2007-10-23 22:45:00 So, I watched the second episode of the show, and I did like it a little better. I'll probably keep watching for awhile to see if it holds my attention. The underlying story of the ongoing case is interesting. I do like the actors chosen to play the characters. I think I'll warm up to it so I'll still give it a little time - it just seems more forced then the other shows I watch (Closer, Life, L&O, etc). Overall it was better, but I'm still not sure if I'll hang in there.
New Challenge Blogs for Scrapbookers 2007-10-22 21:56:00 This is a new blog I came across with challenges to help you journal.
It's called Journaling Junkie. The first challenge has just been posted so if you want to follow along it's a great time to start. I know I can use the prompt to encourage more journaling.
There's another one starting up called Global Perspectives which has members from all over the globe participating in challenges - the person Representing the USA is a guy (how cool is that - the minority) named Josh - his blog is here and there are some of his layouts on the blog. Looks like it will be fun to follow.
I've added the links to the challenge section in the right panel. Have Fun!
and I guess I could also add that I'll be starting up my own Challenge
Blog with the help of Jules so check the site, share the link, and play along. Read more:Blogs
The Stars At Night .... 2007-11-08 08:48:00 Are Big and Bright .... Deep in the Heart of Texas --
I always think of this when I'm scheduled to go to the Texas office. It brings back memories of PeeWee Hermans Big Adventure. Yes ... it's true, I'm off again to the Round Rock facility. I'll be leaving next week and will probably be traveling there monthly. Not my favorite place to go (well, not Texas itself really, but the traveling for work part). It would be different if I was going for fun, but for work it's tough. I get up early, work all day, then go to dinner and talk about work, then to bed to start over again.
I also have to plan my Christmas shopping around my work travel schedule. I think I'll be ordering more from online sources. Read more:Night
Challenge Blog News 2007-11-06 08:44:00 The challenge blog is up and people are posting their projects. I love seeing everyone's work. I think that this will be lots of fun once it really starts rolling. It will also force me to do some more scrapping - I've been bad lately, have been fooling around more on the internet than actually producing pages or projects. I think once I get in my last CTMH order that will encourage me - always works better when you have something new to play with. Read more:Challenge
Holiday Party 2007-12-02 13:42:00 Yesterday was our holiday party for work.
This is a picture of a dance train (or conga line) where they were getting everyone up on the dance floor.
and here's one of me that my husband took...
Read more:Holiday
, Party
Challenge Blog 2007-12-01 22:34:00 The new challenge is up on the Outlaw Paper Artists Blog. Go check it out. Read more:Challenge
Christmas Techniques 2007-12-01 00:58:00 Starting Today Tim's Blog is doing the "12 days of Christmas
Techniques". I'll be stopping by daily because I've taken classes with Tim and if he's teaching techniques all the instructions will be included. The first tag is just stunning, complete with step by step instructions. I wish I had all the supplies so I could play along.
The Money Shot 2007-11-24 22:32:00 as my husband calls it.
Every year, we take a picture of the car we attend in with one of the Daytona Speedway turns showing in the background.
Read more:Money
Turkey Rod Run Is Coming 2007-11-19 19:17:00 This is the time of year I look forward to. The annual Thanksgiving event called the Turkey
Rod Run in Daytona. Well, I like the cars just fine, but for me the best part is that we stay with a friend who has a condo right on daytona beach. I can sit on his patio and read, and smoke, and stare out to sea. Weather is supposed to be in the 60s, so it will be beautiful. The last couple of years it been lows in the 30s, so I'm happy to see 60s and 70s.
Hubby is getting the '66 GTO ready - this is the one we brought back from New Mexico a couple of years ago. He's actually took some time off last week to work on getting it ready. He did an swap making it a 4 speed instead of an automatic.
I sure am looking forward to some R & R.
Texas Travels 2007-11-17 20:11:00 I've been in Texas
for a few days now and flew home the 17th. Here's some pics of the clouds out the airplane window. I usually sit in the aisle, but the plane was so full I had a window seat. I was trying to take a picture because there was a shadow of the plane in the clouds below, but I couldn't get the shot, so I leave you with just some cool cloud pics.
Read more:Travels
Christmas Shopping and Lottery Tickets 2007-12-20 17:27:42 There's really just two people left on my Christmas
list - and they are the hardest to know what to get for them.
One of them is my mother ... what do you get a women who has enough discretionary funds to buy what she wants when she wants it, says "I can't think of anything I want" when you ask what to get, and in the next breath says "don't get me any gift cards, I still have some left from last year." Sheesh! I do have one idea (sorry, can't post it here, since mom checks the blog occaisionally), so I'm heading out to do a little more shopping tonight.
On the upside ... all the gifts I have to ship have been sent out - so that's an improvement for me. In years past, I'm shipping Priority on Dec 23rd so it arrives on Christmas eve. Since Christmas and New Years fall on a Tuesday, I'm taking Christmas Eve, and New Years Eve off from work. I hate when a holiday falls in the middle of the week like that (work a day, off a Read more:Shopping
, Tickets
, Lottery
, Christmas Shopping
Travel Woes 2007-12-18 10:10:18 So ... last time I went to Texas, I had about 20 minutes between flights. I arrived in Miami and wasn't expecting my luggage but it made it. This time ... I had an hour and a half layover in Dallas and when I arrived in Ft. Lauderdale my luggage didn't.
I was tired and frustrated and had been on the road since about 7AM and the last thing I wanted to hear was that I had no luggage. They did finally find it around midnight, and they wanted to deliver it within the next 4 hours (yeah right ... like I was going to stay up for that). I arranged for them to deliver it to work on Monday, so all is right with the world again.
Now ... it's not that there was anything special in the suitcase - mainly clothes - but it was almost all of the warm clothes I own, since we don't see many cold days down here.
The trip to Texas was good and we accomplished much - still some problems to address, so I expect that I'll be traveling back again. I'm not sure if I'll b Read more:Travel
Texas Food and Weather 2007-12-14 18:23:00 So my boss (who used to live in Texas
) and the employees at the Texas facility, have been taking me out to different restaurants here. The first night we went to Antonios and had authentic homemade tamales. They were delicious.
The next afternoon we went to Rudy's which is a BBQ joint. This is BBQ like I've never had before. You order by the portion of the pound - beef, pork, chicken, turkey. I had turkey and brisket. They weight it up and serve it on butcher paper in a basket/tray like thing with some sliced white bread. You take it to the eating area (picnic benches) and enjoy. Very delicious - I would have to say it was the best BBQ I'd ever had. I almost forgot two things ... Rudy's is at a gas station, and the other cool thing is they have a hand washing machine. You stick your hands in the holes of the machine and it sprays perfect temperature warm soapy water, then plain water and then you dry with a paper t
Dental Woes 2007-12-08 22:12:00 So I started the day out with a visit to my dentist - just wanting him to do a look/see because I'm having some sensitivity. I'm thinking cavity - but noooo ... no cavities for me ... I have to have a cracked tooth. So now that means ... a crown at the very least and a root canal and crown at the most. Either way ... it is expensive, and we don't have dental insurance.
It always happens that way ... just when I'm thinking I'm getting caught up on bills, some significant and unavoidable expense crops up to set me back again. So now ... I will be his last appointment of the new year and he will set in the temporary crown - if it solves the problem and I don't have pain, then the nerve has not been compromised and I'll just need the permanent crown, but if I have pain, then it's a root canal before they set the permanent crown. I've been through this too many time before.
After the dentist appointment, I headed to work and cleaned up my desk a little since I'm flying out
Shopping like a Crazy Women 2007-12-06 13:45:00 Christmas is one of my most favorite holidays, and I love Christmas shopping. This year, I've been doing most of my shopping online, and am loving it. My perspective is ... the added cost of shipping is offset by the cost I would have incurred in time - time standing in lines, time trying to find a parking place. I can't wait to see what my office looks like when I return from my Texas trip. I think all my orders will be coming in during that week.
Lets see, I've got Target, Bealls, Amazon, Hay House, Camping Outlet, Women
Within, Macy's all on order and all will be here next week. I even ordered for my Christmas Pick at work from online, so it would be here in time.
Speaking of Christmas picks ... my husbands pick was one of the guys in the shop, and on his wishlist (we fill out a little list of ideas for small gifts) was underwear - knit tight trunk briefs to be exact. My husband was like "I am not buying underwear for another guy" and "this is just wrong". I didn't wan Read more:Shopping
, Crazy
Texas on My Mind 2007-12-04 13:08:00 Well it's confirmed, I'll be heading back to Texas
on the 10th of December. This time I'll be there for a week, plus stay the Saturday for their Holiday Party, and return on Sunday. This time I'll be traveling with my boss. I'm sortof looking forward to it, especially since I'm staying the extra day to attend their party. The party is at a pool hall (not one of those dark and seedy ones, I'm told, but a more yuppie one) so it should be fun. Well ... I've got to start making my travel arrangements. So I'll talk to you later.
Christmas Tradition 2007-12-25 03:20:35 It's all over but the wrapping! I was actually done with my shopping Saturday, but today was going to do some grocery shopping since I had the time. However, when I arrived at Publix there was no parking - cars were parked out near the street, so I said forget it and headed for home.
For me, it's a tradition ... wrapping presents all night long while watching "A Christmas
Story" repeat over and over again. Tonight, I was a little farther ahead than usual, but I still left all of hubbys things to wrap. My house even smells like Christmas since I've been burning a Balsam and Cedar Yankee Candle.
I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas! I check in later and let you know what Santa brought me. Read more:Tradition
Colonoscopy 2008-03-11 08:25:00 So as we age it's a fact of life that doctors want you to get a Colonoscopy done. Mine wanted me to get one last year about this time, and it has taken me quite awhile to come to terms...
GoodReads.com 2008-03-10 09:17:00 Found a new site for keeping track of the books I've read - it's GoodReads. You enter which books you've read, and can even add reviews on them. I've entered all the books I read last year, and have started...
Sick as a Dog 2008-03-09 21:59:12 I'm not sure how that phrase originated, but I'm going to use it. I started feeling sick last night at the car show, with some sneezing we left early and I went to bed. Today I woke up stuffed up,...
A little TV Talk 2008-03-08 11:27:00 Some of you may know that I am a Reality TV junkie and Linda has jump started me on this topic since she posted about BigBrother and Survivor on her blog the other day. I am loving Big Brother and... Read more:little
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