When I Grow Up...

I wonder if kids today dream of becoming a reality star when they grow up.  I remember wanting to be a a truck driver (thanks to BJ & The Bear), an astronomer and a cook in my own restaurant.  Today it seems like the easiest way to riches is to be a reality star.  Kim Kardashian made $6M for doing what???  Audrina Patridge made $3.5M.  Even The Situation made $2M.  The reality star of the moment makes more in one year than most people make in their lifetime.  Something is wrong here.  I have not seen this 16 and Pregnant thing, but I hope kids (and adults) don't start doing stupid life changing things just to try to become a reality star.  Oops, Balloon Boy's dad already did.

What did you want to be when you were a kid?

I Can't Stay Away

Due to overwhelming demand (LOL), I'm ready to come back and share all the thoughts in my head!  I'm also working on a new design for this site so in about six weeks hopefully it will be much better looking and finally stop changing. 

So...what do you want to know???  Let me know or I'll just start rambling...

Choices

As I'm sure you have all noticed, I haven't been blogging much lately.  Things are just very very busy right now in my life and blogging (along with some other things) have gone to the bottom of the list.  I've also found it hard to do more than 1 blog so I'm going to focus for a while on Postcards from Patrice so make sure to bookmark it and check back there often!   I've had 3 trips in the last two months so I have a bunch of things to write about over there.  I even got my first ever request from someone who wants to advertise!!!  Not sure how to do that yet though.  I have so many things on my mind lately that I want to do, but just don't have time to do all of them so One Size Does NOT Fit All is officially back on hiatus.   

My Brush with the D List

On my recent trip to Vegas, I didn't have any true celebrity sightings, but I did have a couple brushes with the D list...although if there were an E list, that might be a better classification for these people.

While at the Ghost Bar we saw a camera crew shooting some people dancing.  I didn't think much of it at first.  Then we noticed there was one particular person they seemed to be following.  He didn't look familiar at all and was too small to be an athlete.  They were filming him talking to three girls which made us wonder if it was a reality show.  When he walked away from them, I commented to my friend that it couldn't be a TV show or the girls would need to sign a waiver.  About 10 seconds after I said that a man with a clipboard came up to them and had them sign some paperwork.  One of my friends asked someone working there what they were filming and they said, "The Real World".  We later saw them filming another scene with a guy and girl sitting on a a couch trying to look all serious.  It just looked really fake to have all this music and dancing going on and then these bright lights on two people having "serious" conversation.

Another night I was gambling at the MGM at a fun table where we were all talking.  The usual questions went around....where are you staying, where are you from, and what do you do for a living.  One guy stated he was an actor living in LA and another person said to him, somewhat sarcastically, "how is that going for you?".  Actor man said it was going well so the other guy asked if we'd seem him in anything to which he replied he was in a Goodyear commercial and would be a recurring character on the upcoming season of Friday Night Lights.  That last part got my attention!  Not that I was so intrigued by him, but I love that show so I quizzed him on what his character would be doing and then also asked all sorts of questions about the cast.  If anyone is watching the new season, he plays Derek, Julie's TA at college.  He was the only quiet one at the blackjack table and didn't really want to talk to us so I asked my questions and then let it go. 

So that's it...my brush with the D list.  My friend on the other hand, was chosen to be a participant in the David Copperfield show and he made her disappear from the stage!

Stay tuned...

I'll be back soon!  Just crazy busy with work lately...budget season is upon us.  I also had a great trip to Vegas a couple weeks ago and my dad was here visiting last weekend.  I bought a new camera that is super small and easy to carry around so I've been taking more pictures lately to include here so please don't give up on me! 

Leavin' On a Jet Plane

I admit it, I've been neglecting my blogs. I haven't had time to do anything but work lately, barely even sleep. I am proud to say that I can still put out a good work product at 4am. The storm has passed and soon I will be in one of my favorite places...Vegas!!! My ears are still not functioning properly so I'm hoping the plane ride is not too painful. My back problem has also gotten worse. Not only is there a bulging disc, but the disc is also torn. This makes sitting or standing for too long painful. I have to be really really careful with my back...I'm not even supposed to vacuum, but that means my house hasn't been vacuumed. All my new shoes are feeling abandoned as well and the only flat shoes I have are keds and flip flops so I have not been wearing my new clothes either.

Hopefully I'll win the mega millions jack pot and then I'll have a lot more time to blog.

More Vegas Dresses...and Shoes

Retailers should be happy whenever I travel since I seem to think I need new clothes and shoes for each trip.  Here are some more Vegas dresses I've bought.  Some will need to be returned, but I have decided which yet.  I ordered the grey/silver one below in black, but it is back ordered.  I already have a black sequin skirt so it might be redundant. 

I usually wear all black in Vegas, or jeans and a black shirt.  I'm trying to expand my wardrobe horizons a bit and wear some color...or at least not all black.

This dress is so not something I would normally wear, but thought I'd try it out and I happen to LOVE it!  It's actually very flattering on me, I think.  My chest doesn't stick out like the model's though.

I don't think black or silver shoes would look good with this so I'm thinking maybe these pink shoes.

Or maybe one of these red pairs, although the second pair poses a challenge given the height and platform.

I love red so I also got this red dress that is the same style as the silver/grey dress and the black one on order.  I'll only keep one so it will be hard to decide.

OK, so I did get another black dress.  This hasn't arrived yet so I don't know if it looks good on me or not yet.

I also got this black ruffle skirt, but don't have a top to go with it.

And...I don't have a picture of it, but another dress that is ruffles like the skirt above, but in a white tank dress.  I don't know if it's fancy enough looking for night, but I'll bring it anyway since since it only cost $19 and I already cut the tags off.

So what do you think?  What should I wear???

Almost Fabulous

I saw this dress and fell in love with it to wear in Vegas.  It was back ordered, so I waited and waited for it to arrive.  It finally came on Friday!  But then I opened the bag, and it's not quite as pictured.  The top is grey...I thought it would be white.  I can't decide if I like it enough yet or not.  It would be so cute with a white top.  I guess it does look grey in this picture, now that I look at it, but it much more grey in person.

On the Road Again

The next three months are going to be really busy, but fun.  Here's what I have going on.

1. Busy busy at work
2. Vegas with friends
3. The Friday after I get back from Vegas, my dad arrives to visit for a few days
4. Chris and I are going to Savannah, Bluffton, and Charleston from the Saturday before T-Day to T-Day morning
5. Chris' parents arrive the night before T-Day to spend T-Day thru that Sunday with us
6. The Friday after that I'm going to NY to do all things Christmas...Rockefeller Center tree, ice skating, Rockettes and looking at the Macy's windows
7. California for Christmas

Phew, that's it for now!

Minky Update

Minky is very much enjoying the cooler fall weather and stays out much later than I'd like him to.  He hasn't brought home anymore critters yet, which I'm happy about.  I'm not sure if he hasn't caught anything else or if he's taking his winnings somewhere else since Chris takes them away when he brings them in the house.  For all I know, there is a pile of chipmunks under the deck.  I always knew Minky was a hunter, but now he's defending his territory as well.  I saw him go after another cat in our yard tonight.  He came back just fine though and got a drink, then back outside to continue his work.

It's That Time of the Year

Budget time. Which means I'm crazy busy at work and things in my personal life tend to go crazy at the same time. I'm going to be slammed at work all the way leading up to my next Vegas trip in about a week and a half. I'm not really sure how all the work is going to get done, but it always does.  I can't wait to get on that plane...

Fall Has...Fallen?

I like the saying "spring has sprung", but what does fall do?  Whatever it does, it did it.  Fall has arrived.  The cool air actually feels good.  Now it's raining and I'm enjoying the sound of it.  Soon the leaves will be falling and it will be dark before coming home from work.  It's time to wear sweaters and boots and jacket, and put away the shorts, tank tops and bug spray.

Vegas Shoes!

My new found love affair with shoes continues.  Check out my new Vegas shoes.  Now I just need to figure out how to walk in them.

Biscuitfest

Who knew there was such a thing?  This might be better than National Donut Day.

# 1 Procrastinator

To say I procrastinate is an under statement.  A month or two ago something cracked my windshield and the crack keeps extending.  It's right in the center and doesn't bother me so I haven't bothered getting fixed.  Problem is, the fine Commonwealth of Virginia requires something called a safety inspection to be done each year and I know it won't pass with the cracked windshield.  My current safety sticker expires tomorrow, as does my car registration and I still have to get it smog tested.  The same place that does the safety inspection does the smog testing so I need the windshield before the safety/smog gets done.  To make things worse, these tests are mostly done at gas stations and you have to sit in your car and wait in line and the lines get really long at the end of the month.  I just set up a place to come fix the windshield here at work and then I'll be spending the rest of my day at the gas station, then the DMV to pay the registration.  Oh, and we are supposed to have a tropical storm/depression come through here tomorrow as well.  Great planning on my part, but I only have myself to blame.

 

Biscuits & Salad

My appetite has been really weird lately.  I'm happy to say I do have an appetite again after being so sick and nauseous for most of the winter and summer.  I went for a while where I didn't want to eat meat.  Now all I want to eat is salad with low fat ranch dressing (extra croutons) and biscuits with butter and honey.  For one day over the weekend I really wanted to some meat, but then once it was on my plate, I didn't want anymore.  Not really sure what each day will bring, but I need to go to the store and get some more biscuits.

Get that Boy a Bell

Grasshopper Slayer has become a full blown critter killer.  As I was getting ready this morning, C came up to tell me Minky was standing outside the door with a chipmunk in his mouth.  This made me so sad.  I like the critters in the yard and never wanted him to kill anything.  I couldn't go downstairs until the ordeal was over because I didn't want to see the poor little chipmunk.  C told me he took it from Minky, made sure it wasn't just playing dead, and then disposed of it.  Minky is going to get a bell on his collar if this happens again.

Postcards from Patrice

I am pleased to present to you my new blog...Postcards from Patrice.  Please take a look and tell me what you think!  This blog will be all about my travels, both old and new.  First up is a series of posts about my honeymoon/wedding in Australia.

A big thanks to Jessica from The Frilly Coconut for the design.  She was incredibly patient with me as we worked through the design.


http://www.postcardsfrompatrice.blogspot.com/

Back to Yoga

I signed up for the fall session of yoga and it started last night.  I fell out of going when my brother had his problems, then I was travelling and then I got sick and had surgery.  It felt good to go again and could tell my body needed a good stretching out.  A friend of mine who had a severe version of what's wrong with my back said yoga is the only thing that helped her so I'm going to try to keep up with it.  No head stands yet though.

Fall TV Season

I'm excited for the new TV season, but it seems like the new shows I want to watch are all on at the same time or at a time where I'm already taping something else. Last night I had to choose if I wanted Gossip Girl or the new show Lone Star taped so C could watch Monday Night Football (at least his team was playing). I couldn't have 2 things taping because that meant he couldn't watch anything. Our other TV's in the house are out of commission for various reasons, but I don't really watch TV in other rooms anyway.

Shows I currently watch:
Gossip Girl
The Biggest Loser
Cougar Town
Modern Family
Friday Night Lights
Survivor
Weeds
The Big C

New shows I want to try out:
Lone Star
No Ordinary Family
Outsourced
Mike & Molly

What are you watching this fall?  Anything else I should be watching?

Splurge!

I just recently got really into shoes.  I used to wear either my black shoes or my brown shoes each day.  In the winter, black boots or brown boots.  My old shoes looked really bad with my new outfits so I'm working on building up my shoe collection.  Now I'm getting compliments on my clothes and my shoes!   I have shiny pointy toe blue pumps and really high round toe grey suede pumps (my favorite!).  I still need to find some black shoes though.

I normally don't spend a lot on shoes, but I saw these fabulous Kate Spade shoes on Zappos (which I love for their fast shipping and free shipping both ways), and had to have them.  They don't quite fit right so I ordered another size and some of those inserts to prevent the foot from sliding forward.  I really hope I can get them to fit right.

A Day of Results

So today was a day for test results. 

1. The back pain, leg/butt pain and numbness in my feet and legs being being caused by a bulging disc in my back and the disc also has a tear.  I have to be careful now not to herniate it.
2. Last week a Dr. randomly felt a lump on my thyroid so I had an ultrasound on it.  Test showed I have a goiter. 

I've taken all this pretty well and didn't let it get me down.

Deadbeat Club

I was shopping at Bed, Bath & Beyond today looking for new hangers and trying to get the most out of my 20% off everything coupon.  Not just 1 item, everything!  Funny how this is what gets me excited these days.  Anyway, they were playing some great music, including this song below, Deadbeat Club by the B-52's.  It reminded me of all the good times I had in college just hanging out with my friends.  It's made me kind of nostalgic and missing hanging out with friends as much as we used to now that everybody is married, has jobs and most have kids. 

Allergy Girl

So I'm apparently all inflamed inside my head still which is supposedly the reason my ears are still all messed up.  The inflammation could be from the surgery or I've been wondering lately if I have allergies.  I don't get sneezing and itchy watery eyes though.  My ENT agreed that allergy testing should be done (on top of back being on the cortisone nose spray).  Guess what?  I'm allergic to EVERYTHING they tested for.  Grass was really bad, then trees, weeds (ragweed and plantain?), mold, dust, dust mites and who knows what else swelled up too.  I'm only a little allergic to cats and dogs.  They say I need to work on controlling my environment, especially the bedroom, for the mold and dust/dust mites and no kitties sleeping in the bedroom (which they don't).  I've also started the allergy shots.  I wonder if this is the missing link to some of my problems??? I tend to feel better when I go out of town, except for the last trip to Vegas. I first started having sinus issues about 2 or 3 years after moving to this area and they said allergies usually develop in a new area between 2 months and 3 years so I was on schedule.  The shots are no quick fix though. 

Brandon Does Bette

Here is Brandon Flowers from The Killers doing a cover of Kim Carnes' Bette Davis Eyes. Love it!

Coming Soon...

My new blog, Postcards from Patrice, should be ready soon...I hope!  I have a few posts all ready to go and I'm just waiting on getting the design finalized.  I really wish I knew how to do graphic design so I could do these things myself.  I think I am not the designer's favorite customer because I need to see something to know if I'll like it and then tweak, then look again...and the cycle continues.  If only I could do it myself it would go a lot faster.

So for those of you who like to read about travel, I'm going to write about my new trips as well as old ones.  First up with be a series of posts on my best vacation ever...Australia!

Best Photoshop

Grasshopper Slayer

The situation with Minky going outside is going well so far.  I realize it only takes one time for something to go wrong though.  He usually only goes out after his dinner or a little bit during the day on the weekends.  A lot of the time he is outside he is just sitting on the table on the deck.  I'm good with that since he's outside and getting fresh air, but is out of harms way.  Minky is a hunter and wants so badly to catch something...especially a squirrel.  I like the idea of him having fun chasing things, but don't want him to actually catch anything since I like all the critters in the yard.  Unfortunately I saw him catch a grasshopper last night...I had to look away while he was eating it. 

P's New Clothes

Now that I have all these new clothes, it's taking me longer to get ready in the morning as I try to pick out an outfit.  It would probably help if I hung everything up where I can see it.  Everything is still in the bags so I go searching through them each morning.  I started cleaning out my closet to make room for them, but I just got overwhelmed and am having a hard time taking much out, even things I haven't worn for years or that don't fit me.  Also, I'm finding that my new clothes are making my old shoes look horrible!

My Monday outfit wasn't too exciting...new pants with an old shirt.  Tuesday I wore my favorite of the outfits, tan pants, a bright pink blouse and a denim blazer.  I was waiting and hoping for a complement, and it finally came late in the day in the ladies room.  Wednesday was all new but just black pants and a "nice" t-shirt.  Thursday was another completely new outfit and a co-worker said, "love love love the outfit" while gesturing with her hand up and down at me.  Yeah!  Friday was a repeat of the black pants with an old top.  So I got 2 complements at work and another from a salesperson while I was out shopping one night, but I don't really count that one. 

Now I'm trying to get my guts up to wear a skirt and sleeveless blouse to work next week since it's going to get hot again. I haven't worn a skirt to work since I lived in CA and I always wore pantyhose back then. I wore skirts most days in CA.  My current place of employment isn't a pantyhose kind of place, and I have no desire to wear them either.  I might need to go get a spray tan before wearing this outfit.

A couple of you have asked for pictures.  I tried doing the picture in the mirror thing, but it didn't turn out well.  I'll try to figure something else out.

Worst TV Performance EVER

How did this even make it on TV???  Real Housewife of New Jersey, Danielle, is trying to sing...and not succeeding.

 

Operation New Wardrobe

Operation New Wardrobe was in full swing this weekend.  I shopped both Saturday and Sunday to the point of being exhausted.  My husband had no sympathy for me.  It was both mentally and physically tiring for me for some reason.  It felt like work and wasn't much fun.  He said I need to get out of my comfort zone so I was trying on all sorts of things to see what would work.  I have bags and bags of new stuff sitting in the living room and I'm afraid to see what it looks like in my mirror at home and if I still like it all.  Now the big question...what am I going wear to work on Monday???

Skinny Mirrors

I am in the need of practically an entire new wardrobe, especially for work.  I used to dress a lot nicer back in CA, but the company I work for here is quite causal.  I've now been there for six years and I've been getting more and more casual.  I remember my first week when I dressed nice for Monday through Thursday, then wore jeans on Friday.  The person who was training me, who wore jeans and a sweatshirt every day (I'm not this bad), told me, "you can wear jeans every day you know".   I didn't take her seriously at first, but now looking back, I miss dressing nicer. 

The Happiness Project is a book about a woman spending one year doing things to try to make herself happier.  Not that she is unhappy, but she wants to improve things.  She spent each month for a different subject and one of them was about cleaning out the clutter.  One thing she did was clean out her closet and it inspired me to want to do the same.  My closet is stuffed with clothes...most that I don't wear.  It's time to clean it out and make room for a new wardrobe!

Now my challenge is finding clothes I like.  I've been terribly uninspired most of the time when I go into stores.  Now that I have my new attitude of dressing nicer at work (although not too formal since I wouldn't fit in), maybe I'll find some things I like.  I went to Ann Taylor Loft a couple nights ago.  I usually like their clothes, but they don't tend to look good on my body.  I decided to just start trying things on and see what works and for some reason almost everything I tried on was too big and I had to get smaller sizes.  Once I had clothes that fit, I was surprised how good everything was looking and how skinny I looked!  I have lost a few pounds recently, but I looked even thinner than I thought.  I ended up buying a pair of slacks, a skirt and a shirt.  When I got home I tried them on again...but they didn't look so good.  I've convinced I was the victim of a "skinny mirror".  I still like the clothes, and they do fit, I just don't look the way I thought I did in them.  I think the store was trying to play to my ego...the clothes run big so I feel good buying a smaller size and then the mirror are likely tilted to make me look thinner.  It's a great feeling in the store, but then a downer when I see myself at home.  I guess it's better than those dreaded 3 way mirrors at Bloomingdale's that make everything about me (including my hair) look horrid.

Have you ever been the victim of a skinny (or fat) mirror!

The Hunger Games

Imagine that each state had to give up one boy and one girl each year to fight in the ultimate reality show where only one comes out alive.  Oh and everyone else if forced to watch it on TV.  Welcome to The Hunger Games.

This is an incredible book that I can't imagine anyone not liking!  I bought it for my husband when we went to Mexico to make sure he would stay entertained since he doesn't sit still well and all he wanted to do each day was get under the palapa so he could keep reading it.  Perfect!!!  Once he was done he kept telling me to read it.  I read another book first but once I started The Hunger Games, I did not want to put it down.  It pulls you in right away and keeps it up all the way through.  I won't tell you too much, but trust me that you WILL like this book. 

The Hunger Games is the first book in a trilogy.  The second book, Catching Fire, was a good book, but not as good as The Hunger Games.  The final book, Mockingjay, comes out next week and I've already pre-ordered it on Amazon.

Wheel of Torture

My mom loved watching Wheel of Fortune.  My brothers and I affectionately called it Wheel of Torture...I'm not sure why since I liked the show.  I remember the days where they had to use the money they won to buy horribly over priced prizes like the games for $50 or the giraffe statue for $250 since they had to use up all the money.  Luckily now they get to keep the money.  I just watched an episode and decided this is a game show that I could actually do so I signed up to be a contestant on their web site!  Haha!!!!  I can't imagine anything will come of this, but it was fun to do on a whim.

Teenage Dream

I'm really liking Katy Perry lately.  Waking Up in Vegas, California Gurls and now Teenage Dream which is different from her other hits, but I like it!  I also think she's really pretty with the less make up look in this video.  I can tell the video was filmed in Santa Barbara, where Katy grew up and I went to college, so it brings back fond memories for me as well.

Watch the video here:
Teenage Dream by Katy Perry

Let Suri Have Friends Already

Suri Cruise doesn't have any friends.  She spends all her time with her mom and her dolls.  Now they say Suri, 4, is going to be home schooled!!!!  Let this little girl try to be normal and play with other kids.  People say she acts too much like an adult for her age, and it's not surprising since it's only adults she spends time with. If not, eventually she is going to let loose and do whatever she wants.  I'd hate to see her be the next "celebrity" addict. 

New Weeds

The next season of Weeds starts up tomorrow!  I love this show and as you know I watched the first 5 seasons recently on Netflix.  Now I need to sign up for Showtime to get the new season.  If you want to watch it, I recommend watching the old seasons first to get caught up.  I think they can be watched for free on the Showtime's web site because it has evolved quite a bit from how it started.  It went from being funny and quirky to dark and serious.  From what I have read, this season is expected to get back to being funny again, but we'll see.  They have been able to keep the story moving and interesting for 5 seasons so I trust the 6th will be good as well.

Bloggers Block

I have bloggers block.  I just don't have much interesting to say lately.  I don't want to be all Debbie Downer with my health problems and I can't think of what else to write about.  Can you believe I was having a pretty good day today with how I felt...until while I was out on my walk, some green round hard thing fell out of a tree and hit me on the head!  What are the odds of this???  The trees are really tall and it was like a rock falling on my head.  So now I have a bump and a headache...and anxiety that it did some damage to me and will make my headaches worse again.  Anyway...so to cure my bloggers block, what do I do???  Start planning a new blog!  I know you've heard this before with Beaches & Bananas which has only 2 posts.  Now get ready for Postcards from Patrice, unless I decide to change the name.  Maybe I will actually post to that one.  I think I like the process of creating blogs rather than actually doing the writing.

Bad TV

The first two days after my surgery I basically just rested on the couch in the living room.  It was also my bedroom post-op since I needed to be elevated and it was easier to do this on the couch.  After two days in the living room, I was done with it and then spent the next two days in the family room watching TV.  There's not much on TV in the middle of the day in the middle of summer so I am ashamed to tell you what I watched!  It didn't take a lot to entertain me for those two days so I will admit to watching Kloe and Kourtney Take Miami.  I even got into it!  Now I like reality TV, but I have always thought of the Kardashian shows as dribble...and they are, but I actually wanted to know what happened next.  Would Kourtney and Scott reconcile?  Would Kloe come back?  Who would take care of Scott after his surgery?  I even felt bad for Scott since he had surgery (in a drunken rage he hit a mirror) and nobody would drive him home or stay with him.  It would have sucked to not have C there for me in the time after my surgery.  Starting on Friday I was feeling up to doing more and was sick of the family room so I  moved onto the deck.  On Sunday I watched the newest episode of K&K Take Miami and couldn't believe how bored I was!  Good thing that phase is over. 

The Worst is Over

I do believe I've come out the other side.  The surgery is done and I'm feeling somewhat myself again.  I don't have a lot of energy, my nose and face are sore and am I'm congested like I have a cold, but overall I can't complain.  My sinuses were opened up and my deviated septum was straightened.

Monday morning I woke up and was nervous.  I cried and hugged C at home and he told me to "pull it together".   Not really what I wanted to hear, but what I needed to hear.  After that I was all optimism and good spirits.  I even did a little Rocky impersonation before putting on my gown to show I was ready.  The surgery was done in a "surgery center" next to a main hospital so this place moved along pretty quickly since no emergencies went through it.  After being asked about 14 times if I could be pregnant (even though I had a blood test done) and if I had anything to eat or drink, I put on my gown, had a bunch of drugs put into my IV and was on my way to the OR.  They didn't even pause for me to say goodbye to C...I yelled over my shoulder, but he didn't hear me.  Anesthesia is very interesting to me, as they wheeled me to the OR I was asked if I was sleepy yet (no) and then I'm in the OR on another table with people putting something under my arms.  Next thing I know I'm in the recovery room.  I'm so happy they left my glasses on until I was sleeping and put them back on me before I woke up.  I was nauseous and shivering and my nose hurt, which they took care of and then I was put in a reclining chair and wheeled to a recovery area where they brought C to see me.  The last 2 hours of my life didn't exist to me.  From when we left home to being back home was about 4.5 hours.

The recovery process has been a little different each day.  I didn't have an appetite for a couple days and narcotics keep me awake so my eating and sleeping habits have been weird.  My nose bled the first day so I had a stylish piece of gauze taped under my nose.  I felt surprising well when I got home, although I later realized it was from the concoction of drugs put in my IV.  It took some trial and error to get the pain meds right at home.  Nothing totally cut the pain, but kept it mild most of the time.  Once the anesthesia and pain meds worked their way through my system and I switched to just Tylenol, I have felt better.  I don't have a lot of energy and I'm really congested.  I had splints in my nose that made me really congested with nowhere for it to go, and that was miserable, but those splints were taken out today.  They hurt coming out, but they also hurt being inside my nose too.  Dr. asked if I wanted to see them...nope, no thank you.  He said some people want to see them and even take them home.  The sinus part of the surgery doesn't cause too much pain.  The deviated septum is what causes a longer recovery.  The inside of my nose was basically cut apart an then re-sowed together.  Oh and I had to sleep sitting as upright as possible which was hard for me because it's bad for my neck and causes more neck pain and headaches.  I've been sleeping on the couch since I had a ramp of pillows to push me upward.  The Dr. told me today I can try sleeping in a normal position as long as I don't bleed.  All the things I need to do (or not do) is about avoiding bleeding.   No hot showers, no hot foods, no bending/lifting/hanging my head down, no exercise.  Bleeding is bad. 

I didn't have any bruising, but my nose was a bit swollen.  Not so much that it looked weird, but if you knew me, you'd know it was a little big.  It made it hard for me to talk coherently and C could barely understand me.  I had to cut food into little pieces to get it in since it was hard to open my mouth wide.  After getting the splints out to day and my nose cleaned out, this is much better now.

Now I just need to take it easy.  Doc says the first week will be the worst.  I'm not sure how long until I'm deemed "recovered", but Doc tells me to be patient because there is a lot of swelling. 

I'll be happy to sleep in my bed tonite.   THANK YOU to everyone who sent well wishes or gifts...I really appreciate the support, even though I wasn't in the mood to talk in the last few days to tell you myself.

Going Under

My surgery is on Monday morning so it might be quiet here for a little while.  Hopefully I'll recover quickly and will be here writing all about it within two to three days.  Doc says it will take about a week for me to feel like myself again so I'm off work the entire week to rest.  From what I've read, the hardest parts of the recovery will be that I won't be able to breathe through my nose and I need to sleep sitting up, preferably in a recliner, but we don't have one so pillows will be arranged to hold me up.  I admit I'm nervous since this is my first ever surgery (unless you count wisdom teeth coming out).

American Idol Judges...Who's In and Who's Out???

Randy, J.Lo and Stephen?

I haven't watched American Idol in years. I think I watched the first 2 or 3 seasons and then got bored with it, and that was before Paula got all kooky. I didn't like all the "theme" weeks and wish they would let them sing whatever they wanted to sing to show us who they were.

Anyway, I'm recently fascinated by the shake up of the judges mainly because I think So You Think You Can Dance benefited from changing up their judges. There's been lots of rumors, and this may not be final, but sounds like Randy is staying (boooo) and J.Lo and Stephen Tyler are in to round out the judging panel. No more Ellen or Kara...which I have no comment on because I haven't watched since they were added.

I might actually watch an episode again to see if I like it again. What do you think of these changes?

A Very Special...Locked Up Abroad

I'm a big fan of Locked Up Abroad.  I always root for the person, even though they are doing illegal things, and hope the don't get caught, even though I know they will...since the name of the show is Locked Up Abroad.  I was so excited when I saw a new season was starting a few weeks ago, but the feel of the shows this season are a little different.

First, they spend a lot more time on the story of how they got into the situation and caught and very little time on what it was like to be in the prison.

Second, everybody seems to be learning life lessons, saying they came out of it a better person and learned things they needed to learn, blah blah blah. 

Now it feels like every episode should start with a very special episode...

Wordless Wednesday: One Million Dollars

Only in the South

Over 900 news laws went into effect on July 1 here in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  Here are a few I felt the need to comment on.

CONCEALED WEAPONS. People with a concealed weapon permit can carry a concealed weapon into a restaurant or bar but cannot drink. Previously, people who wanted to carry a weapon into a restaurant or bar had to "open carry," keeping the weapon exposed.

Who is going to know if a person with a concealed weapon is drinking unless the weapon is no longer concealed???

ASSISTED LIVING AND ALCOHOL. Assisted living facilities will now be able to serve alcoholic beverages. Residents of assisted living facilities will also be able to keep alcohol in their rooms legally for the first time.

Now this one I agree with.  People shouldn't be denied alcohol just because they are older or need assistance.  They should also be able to serve drinks to their guests!

DRINKING WHILE DRIVING A SCHOOL BUS.  Any person who possesses or consumes an alcoholic beverage while operating a school bus is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Seriously???  This just became a law?  The kids in my neighborhood are not allowed to walk to school and have to take the bus because they have to cross 1 major street, but up until now the driver could have a bloody mary on the way to school?

Wasted Sparkles

My ears are still hurting and a CT scan shows I have a complete blockage in one of my sinuses, which the Dr. recommends having surgery to open and drain it.  Oh and while he's in there he wants to fix my deviated septum.  This was all pretty heart breaking to hear.  I got this news last week and am really mad about it since I truly believe this is all due to the sinus rinse I did (because the Dr. told me to).  Now here I am with ears that constantly hurt and I get dizzy/nauseous all the time. 

I decided to go on the Vegas trip and have a good time since the surgery will not be fun and it will take a little while for me to recover.  The Dr. said I could have pain during the flight, but that there is no risk of bursting an ear drum or doing any damage.  My plan was to go and have a great time, then come home to deal with the surgery.  Well...I made it to Vegas, but came home the next day.  I just wasn't myself the day I arrived.  I had an very early flight and had taken lots of medicine to avoid my ears hurting during the flight.  I was really tired all day, but at least I wasn't dizzy.  I waited until dinner time to have any alcohol since I didn't want it to mix with the medicine, but it appears even this was a bad idea.  As soon as I started drinking, I got dizzy.  At one point I felt as though I was falling back in my bar stool, when in fact I wasn't moving at all.  I didn't let on though since I didn't want anyone to worry about me.  Then we got to dinner and I knew I was in trouble.  Just being in a restaurant made me nauseous and it was even worse when the food came.  I couldn't eat anything.  I got down about two bites of soup and one bite of rice.  I took the nausea medicine to help my stomach, but still couldn't eat and was still dizzy.  I tried my best to fake feeling better, but knew I was bringing down the mood at dinner since I was just sitting there looking and feeling horrible.  After dinner I was still dizzy, but not nauseous.  I did get in some good gambling time in the afternoon and after dinner.  I learned a couple new games too.  I lost money at the new games, but won it all back pretty quickly once I got to the blackjack table.  Once I won my money back it was time for bed.  The next morning I woke up with a horrible headache and was dizzy.  I really didn't want to have another day and night trying to hide how I was really feeling so I decided to go home.  This all just made me really sad because through all the medical problems I've had over the last two years, somehow my body holds it together for me to have fun on vacation...but not this time.  I cried all morning just over being so sad that not only I have not felt well for going on two years, due to one thing after another, but now my favorite thing, traveling, has been taken from me as well. 

I had a great outfit on Friday night...very Vegasy and not something I can wear anywhere else.  Sequin skirt, shoes with rhinestones and a sequin purse.  All wasted sparkles.

Once Again...I Will Follow

All four of my long time readers know the story of the U2 tickets.  Long story short...I have 2 pairs of (quite expensive) U2 tickets for Angel Stadium in California.  I live in Virgina.  The plan was to visit the parents and see the U2 concert.  The original date earlier this year was canceled because Bono had to have emergency back surgery.  I'm happy to hear he has recovered nicely and the tour has been rescheduled...for June 2011.  It actually turned out pretty well because the concert is on a Friday so we could fly out that day and plan to spend the weekend with our parents.  After all my complaining about not getting a refund...now Ticketmaster and StubHub (where I bought the tickets) are both willing to buy back the tickets from me.  At least now I know I can get my money back for one set (although I can't decide which seats I want) rather than trying to sell them.  Now the big question...do I sell the tickets or go???  I only have until August to decide if I want them to buy them back.  Who am I kidding...we all know I'm going to fly my husband and I across the country for a concert.

Ring A Ding Ding

Thursday will mark the 4 week mark that I have been sick.  It started with a really bad cold or flu, then turned into a sinus infection that just won't go away.  I'm also dizzy and nauseous and my ears hurt.  I can take medicine to help with the nausea...not sure if it's caused by all the meds or the pressure on my ears making them hurt and ring.  I've been to the Dr. 4 times now.  I am overall feeling better though where I finally have energy to do things again, but there is still pain/pressure in my face & ears and I still have the dizzy/nauseous thing.  I feel I lost a big part of the summer due to feeling so horrible.  Work has been a struggle since nobody else does my work if I'm sick, I still need to do it all.  I've even been drinking apple cider vinegar because I read on the internet that it is a natural remedy for sinus infections.  Today the doctor declared me "thoroughly sanitized" from all 3 different antibiotics I've taken over the past two weeks and now it is time to move on to a CT scan of my sinuses and then see an ENT.  I'm planning on going on a "tag along" trip to Vegas next Friday (a group of people I know from CA are going and I asked if I could tag along...) and there is no way I can fly with how my ears feel right now.  I need relief otherwise I can't go! Any suggestions (other than a sinus rinse because that is what started my ear problem)???

Doggy Donuts

I've been working on dog treats again and finally made some "donuts" worthy to give the test dogs.  We'll see tomorrow how they liked them.

Mouse Ears

We used to go to Disneyland about once or twice a year when I was a kid.  My parents rarely bought us souvenirs, but one time I did get a pair of mouse ears with my name embroidered on the back.  I was so excited!

My nieces recently spent four days at Disneyland while visiting Grandpa. I love how the two older girls want to be all cute and pretty and the little one has a chipmunk hat...that totally fits her personality!

Who’s the Crazy Lady Yelling for Her Cat???

Oh wait…that’s me.

So we’ve been letting Minky go outside in the daylight when we are home. He’s a much happier cat now, but I do still worry about him. Normally he doesn’t stay out too long and likes to come and go. On Saturday evening he was outside and we wanted to go out to dinner so we couldn’t leave until Minky was back inside because it was going to be dark by the time we got back. I went out on the deck and yelled really loudly, “MINKY MOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Since there are not fences between the houses, my neighbor looks over at me like I’m a crazy lady. I didn’t know he was out there, but too late, I already looked like a fool. So then I yelled over that I was just looking for my cat. His mean dog starting barking and I saw Minky. Oh no! Minky has to go through their yard and by the dog (who was on their deck) to get home. I yelled over to ask neighbor guy if the dog was on a leash and he said he can’t get out. Then Minky comes running full speed with his fur all poofy down the lawn toward me. I’m cheering him on and patting on my legs for him to come to me. I’ve never seen him run full speed for so far. It was the Minky 50 yard dash. I was so proud of him for running to me. All this happened so fast but seemed like it was in slow motion as I was watching Minky run to me and hoping the dog didn’t jump the gate on the neighbor’s deck. Then Minky came in the house and had his attitude back like nothing was wrong. I wonder how long he was out there trying to figure out how to get past the dog.

Dog Treats...But No Dog?

A while back I asked readers to let me know if they had any questions or topics for me to write about.  I only got two questions from one reader, so here goes.

Question:
Since you are making dog treats, do you want to get a dog?

Answer:
Yes!  I love dogs and I do want one, but it's not going to happen for a few reasons.

1. My husband doesn't want a dog. 

2. We have a small yard with no fence (fences are not allowed in our neighborhood) so this means the dog could only go outside when we walked it and the idea of walking a dog early in the morning and late at night is not something I would want to do every day.  There are no street lights around here so it is pitch black in the morning and at night.  Not to mention that most of the year the weather really sucks with heat/humidity and thunderstorms in the summer and snow and cold in the winter. 

3. We are gone from the house for an average of 11 to 12 hours a day during the week.

4. A dog would give Manny (one of my cats) a kitty heart attack.

Numbers 2 and 3 mean that the dog would spend a lot of time by itself stuck inside the house which I do not think would be a nice thing to do to an animal.  I've been working on my products for the dog treat business lately, but I will continue to have to use friends/coworkers dogs as the taste testers.

Sunday Stealing: The Oh My! Meme, Part One

This is from the Sunday Stealing meme a week or two ago.  I shortened it because the original was way too long.

1. The phone rings; who don't you want it to be?
Anyone with bad news about any of my family members.  I'm still worried about someone.

2. When shopping at the grocery store, do you return your cart?
The county I live in doesn't actually let you bring carts into the lot, you have to bring your car up...so I usually shop in the next county over or carry everything to the car.  But given the chance...yes, I return the cart.

3. What was the last compliment that someone gave you?
The immigration lady at the airport told me my passport picture was good.

4. Do you play the lottery?
Only when it gets up over $200M.

5. If abandoned alone in the wilderness, who would you want with you?
MacGyver

6. When was the last time that you lied?
I can't remember (or just now...)

7. Name a song that could make you cry?
Amazing Grace.  It was the song played at my mom's funeral.

8. Are you pleased with your education?
Yep.  I'm glad I went to college before it got so competitive and expensive.  California has excellent public universities.

9. If your house was on fire, what thing would be the first thing you grabbed?
Husband, cats, photo albums

10. Do you think more about the past, present or future?
Future for sure.  I have big plans.  Not likely I will execute on any of them though.

11. What was the last adult magazine that you have read?
Adult magazine?  Does Caribbean Travel & Life count?

12. Where is your dream house located?
On the beach in Monarch Bay, Dana Point, CA or my more realistic goal is Laguna Niguel, CA

13. Have you tried bourbon? If yes, what type?
Yes, my parents used to give me sips when I was a kid if I couldn't sleep or had a cough (mom made cough syrup out of honey and bourbon).  These were the good old days.

14. Have you ever seen a male or female stripper?
Both in one place actually for a friend's bachelorette party in Vegas.

15. When was the last time you were at TGI Fridays?
Only once years ago...everything in the place was sticky and I haven't been back.

16. What was your favorite job?
Selling beer on top of the hill during concerts at the Santa Barbara Bowl while I was in college.

High School Reunions

Seems like quite a few people I know right now are attending their 15 or 20 year high school reunions...something I have no desire to do.  Other than on Facebook, I think there is only 1 person (who is a loyal blog reader!) that I keep in touch with from high school.  And I don't think Facebook really counts.  Either way, I don't think I would remember very many people if I were to go to a reunion.  I wonder why so many people I know do want to go to their reunions, but I don't?  Maybe this is because high school wasn't the happiest time for me?  I don't have many fond memories of high school and was happy when it was over.  That first day of summer after I graduated I left most of high school completely behind me right away, except for a few friends.  I do like knowing what people are doing or what they look like now.  Facebook is good for that, but no reunion for me.  

Did you or are you planning on going to a reunion?  What made you decide either way. 

Rules to Live By

I just read an article in Entrepreneur magazine that gave some rules for having business meetings in bars.  Some I agreed with, some I didn't, but it got me thinking about the rules I live by.

1. Never have your picture taken with a drink in your hand...unless it's champagne.

2. Don't eat or drink anything blue.  It's not natural and gives me a stomach ache. 

3. When it comes to clothing, a size too big is better than a size too small.

4. A polite "no thank you" to an invitation you do not want to accept is better than telling a lie to get out of it.

5. When uncertain, over dress rather then under dress for an occasion.

6. Quality wins over quantity when it comes to friends. 

7. Life is too busy to spend time with people who are disrespectful.

8. Be extra kind to pedestrians and animals.

9. Food and drinks should be plentiful when having a dinner party...better to have too much than too little.

10. Don't get drunk in front of co-workers...not even at the company party.

11. Don't pack luggage any heavier than you can carry. 

12. Never ask someone to taste something to see if it is bad.

13. Questioning whether food has gone bad or not? When in doubt, throw it out.

What are some of the rules you live by?

Donkey Towel Fight

Things I Miss About Being a Kid in the Summer

1. Not wearing shoes.  I'd walk everywhere without shoes on.  The first couple times each summer meant blisters on my bottom of my feet, but after that I was good.

2. Spending my allowance buying candy from the liquor store.

3. Being able to watch all the Dodger games on TV, even the day games.

4. Spending $0.25 to take the bus 4 miles the beach.

5. Getting really tan without even trying.

6. All the neighbors on the street setting off fireworks at the same time on the 4th of July and my dad handing out sparklers to all the kids.

7. Staying at my best friend's house for 3 or 4 days at a time.

8. Running thru the sprinklers in the back yard with my dog.

9. Planting flowers and strawberries in the front yard with my dad.

10. Pool parties with our family friends.  My mom would always make potato salad, baked beans and deviled eggs.  The other mom would make teriyaki chicken wings and a funny jello mold thing.

What are your favorite childhood summer memories?

Oh Miley

I haven't been reading the gossip blogs as much lately since I really just don't care anymore, but I stayed home from work sick today and was bored after I got all caught up on my TV shows.  Two different sites had stories about Miley Cyrus.

First, I see on People.com that Miley has a "dramatic new do".  Well, anyone can tell she just had her extensions taken out, but ok...call it dramatic if you want.  The story then goes on to say how she wants a more "mature" look.  I think she looks way older than 17 in this picture, but she sounds 35 as well, so the two go together.

















Then I go to TMZ and see this picture.  I initially thought it was some random club go-er in Vegas or something, but then saw the headline saying Miley's outfit "Rated NC-17".















I can't quite figure out what look she's going for here?  I wouldn't call it "more mature".  What do you think?

Now This...Is A Balcony

Here is a shot from the balcony we had on our trip to Mexico. It had a jacuzzi tub, a couch and a table, all overlooking the beach and ocean. It was perfect!

The Palapa Shot

Here's the requisite palapa shot from our trip to Mexico.  I prefer the beach to the pool so I spent my days sitting under a palapa, drinking "smoothies", and swimming in the ocean.

So...Do You Like It???

What do you think of the new layout???  I've been looking for something new for a while and liked this because it was nice and simple.  Note that it doesn't show up correctly in IE6 (which is what I have to use at work). If you see anything blue on the sides, please let me know...that means something is missing.  I'm still tweaking a little, but we'll go with this for now.

Thursday Night Music Club: Sheryl & Colbie

My husband (C) and I went to the Sheryl Crow concert last night. I like her, but am not a super huge fan, but C wanted to go and it was pretty fun. I recognized only her radio hits, but didn't realize how many she had! She also looks amazing, for any age, but especially 48 years old. She looks like she weighs only about 90 pounds and I'm not sure how she got around so well in the high heels she was wearing.

Colbie Caillat was the opener. I can't stand that "Bubbly" song, but she was ok otherwise. She has a long way to go with her voice and stage presence before she can be a star though. She had lots of people on stage too....way too many guitars for a some soft rock and her back up singer sang most of the time with her. I didn't know much about her before seeing her, but thought she was kind of an indie/hippy type girl from Canada for some reason. After seeing her, and reading about her on Wikipedia, I think that is just what she wants people to think (except for the Canada part), but isn't who she is. Turns out she's from Malibu and her dad produced a couple Fleetwood Mac records back in the 70's. Most people want to become singers to get to Malibu, but she started there.

So the show was all good, but our fellow fans were really annoying! C referred to them as militant.

For example during the opening act...

The lady in front of me and two seats over actually "shooshed" me because I was talking to C. She claimed she could, "hear every word I was saying." Seriously? Do you have dog ears? C's response when I told him was, "Well, then she should be laughing because we're hilarious!"

Then later on during Sheryl Crow...

The crowd was pretty tame and I was happy people were sitting during most of it. Sheryl did finally get the crowd standing up for a while, but C and I chose to stay sitting most of the time. I am sick, had cortisone injected into the joints of my neck a few days ago and have a pinched nerve in my back. Please leave me alone people...but no...they insisted on telling us to stand up. At one point we did stand up and the woman next to me wanted me to dance and said, "You are never too old to dance." Seriously??? We were a good 10 years younger than most people there and you're referring to me a old? It's been a long time since I felt young at a concert like this, but I don't need menopausal women telling me to dance. I don't mean that as an insult, but they kept talking about their hot flashes.

Next up on our summert concert series...Willie Nelson!

Cold vs. Flu

I woke up yesterday feeling like crud. My throat felt like there was golf ball in it and I just felt awful. This wasn't a huge surprise since my lymph nodes have been sore off and and since before my last trip. It was just a little surprising how quickly it came on. I still don't know the difference between a cold and the flu. Either way you put it...I'm sick. I miss the days when being sick meant lying around on the couch in my pajamas eating popsicles, missing school and getting a new toy. Instead, today I spent an hour in the morning trying to peel myself out of bed to shower and get to work.

Intimidation - Minky Look Alike

SYTYCD

So You Think You Can Dance, one of my favorite shows, is back for the summer season! I love how when the dancers get put through to the next round and get all excited...and do a little dance. You can tell they are true dancers if they dance when they get excited. There are changes being made to how the contest works this season...I'm happy to see Mia Michaels as a full time judge, but don't like the idea of each contestant dancing with an "all star". I feel like the all start can help carry the routine and the people may vote based on the all star dancing rather than the contestant. Either way, I love the show though. I'm still a little behind on watching so I don't know who the 10 ten are yet...so don't spoil it for me!

Where Does the Time Go?

Time seems to just fly by lately. I can't believe it's been two weeks since I've posted here. One week of that I was on vacation with very little internet access. We had a great time in Mexico. The resort was really nice and I liked having the drinks be all inclusive, but the food wasn't very good. They tried too hard to make it "gourmet". I can't even remember what else I did the week before leaving, but I know I was busy! Beaches & Bananas has had no progress. My dog treat business has had no progress. What have I been doing??? Well, besides work, house cleaning, laundry, errands and 4 medical appointment per week? I did have a very painful treatment done on my neck today. I really hope it helps given how badly it hurt. Not to be a downer, but I also appear to have some kind of pinched nerve in my back. I've been having weird symptoms for a couple months and it's finally showed up in my back (and butt, and legs, and feet). I talked to the spine specialist today and am booked to be examined on July 1 so it's going to be a while before they know anything since she said I'll need and MRI.

They Grow Up So Fast!

My beautiful nieces!

Happy June 1st

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend. I was pretty productive over the weekend, but not doing what I had planned. Friday, both C and I got off early and we went to the nursery and planted plants/flowers in pots for the deck. Saturday was rainy so I returned a bunch of stuff to the mall and shopped for new clothes. Sunday I spent all day on my newest obsession/project...making a photo book from the pictures from our trip. I spent hours and hours on this and I actually got it done! Here it is. I want to get it printed and bring it to CA this weekend to show our parents. I thought it would be more fun to show them that way rather than looking at a computer screen. It's odd for me to start and finish a project in such a short time (if you count from Thursday night to Monday night short). Monday was more photo book and painting the trim on the front door because it got destroyed when we took the storm door off. In between all that there were some drinks on the deck and lots of chores around the house. We also watched Avatar...what a waste of 3 hours. Overall, a productive weekend, but I didn't work on Beaches & Bananas at all!!! It's doesn't have enough content yet to launch so that is still TBD. What did you do this holiday weekend???

Wordless Wednesday: Jenga Anyone?

Tinkering

One of my biggest flaws is that I over analyze/think things to the point where I don't actually finish things. I completely over complicate things. Current victim...Beaches & Bananas. I have been tinkering with this thing for months. It's almost done and I'm giving myself a deadline for the format and first set of posts. It will be a launched on June 1 (yes, 2010). That gives me the three day weekend to finish it up and I hope it's a good time to send it to friends so they can read it the first day back from Memorial Day to start off the summer right.

Postponed

U2's entire North American tour has been postponed until sometime in 2011. Dang, that's a long time away. I'm hoping they give refunds on tickets and then I'll just try to buy tickets again should the timing work out to try to go whenever it is rescheduled.

Goodbye Lost!

The series finale last night of Lost gave me goose bumps many times throughout the 2.5 hour show and left me weepy at the end. Rarely does a show come through with a good finale, but this was excellent! It was the send off that they deserved and I've been thinking about it since last night. Now that's a good show that keeps someone thinking about it almost 24 hours later. Somehow I feel content and almost happy for how they left since they all seemed so happy. Not what I expected at all!

Get Well Bono

Bono had emergency back surgery today. My upcoming trip to California was based on seeing U2 on June 6th. Looks like that's not going to happen now. I'm disappointed, but hope he gets better soon. He apparently hurt his back preparing for the tour. It's set to kick off on June 3 and that date has also been officially postponed. My show on June 6 has not been discussed yet, but I can't imagine he would be ready for it. It's unlikely I will be able to make it back to CA if it were to get rescheduled. I just hope I can sell the 2 sets of tickets I have because there is a lot of money tied up in them.

Fate

Do you believe in fate? I didn't, but I think I do now.

The resort we stayed at in St. John is not like many others. It is located on 170 acres of national park land and has 7 beaches. It's so naturally beautiful and peaceful. There are donkeys, deer and mongooses roaming the property. The rooms are in small clusters scattered over the property and are all pretty much the same in size and quality, but the locations differ and that determines the price. There are rooms with no view, ocean view, right on the beach or on a cliff over looking the water. The first time we were there two years ago we stayed in room 57 which is on a cliff over looking the water. This time we decided to save some money and go with ocean view, which is set back a little from the water. We loved room 57, but decided it wasn't worth the extra money since we don't spend a lot of time in the room. I knew which set of rooms I wanted to be in, which was 50 to 53. When I checked in I was told we would be in room 52, exactly where I requested. As I was signing the forms a woman came to the desk saying her father really wanted room 52 because it was the room he honeymooned in and the room he has been getting for 29 years. I looked up and said I'd give up room 52 if I was given something better. Turns out her dad was assigned room 57!!! Room 57 is in a much better location, but he didn't want it because he has always had 52. The dad and 3 adult children were all traveling together...no mom/wife though so it seemed to be very sentimental to him to get room 52. We asked if we could just switch! The desk people acted like this was a big deal, made some phone calls and then said we could do it! The man and his daughter were so happy and kept thanking me, which really wasn't necessary since we got the exact room we really wanted (and for the lower price). I don't tend to have this kind of luck. My husband and I talked about it as we were sitting on the balony enjoying the view and decided it had to be fate.

As an aside...one day walking back to our room two donkeys decided to fight over a towel. Rough life these guys have!