Miscellaneous Stuff

I had oral surgery on Monday and boy did that suck later. Having it done wasn't that bad but later on it sure did hurt. My jaw still hurts too!

Went to a neat krewe party on Saturday night and I sure would love to have their back porch area. Screened in pool, bar, television, tons of furniture, bathroom and right on the waterfront. Love to have an area like that to relax in. Maybe one day.

Still working on a new site which I just linked to. It's not done but I have been having fun doing another site. I was going to start on the editor position with the krewe but it'll be after the first of the year like originally since my oral surgery got in the way.

I forgot to mention on the trip when I talked about the rocking of the ship that it was so bad they couldn't have the dancers perform the first night. The cruise director said it was too dangerous for them. That's how bad it was. Now with that said, we had an awesome trip I'm just saying that the weather on the ride down wasn't that great. They even closed the decks near the balconies. If things work out we want to book another and I'd love to go back to Mexico but we're thinking not only Cozumel but Belize and some other places too this time. I want to see the huge ruins. We only saw a small one in Cozumel. We'll see how it goes though. We have plenty of time to decide that.

That's about it other than I am freezing! It's 51 outside. I miss the warm nights but at least it's nice in the daytime. Oh, I am reading:
Here's the Story by Maureen McCormick
Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical Rent by Anthony Rapp
Just After Sunset by Stephen King
Cross by James Patterson
They're all good. I have so many more books to start and can't wait.

After Christmas

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. We had a great one! Tonight we had a krewe party at someone's house and we had a very nice time. I start next week as the editor of the newsletter and have to get with them on that. The weather here is perfect (for you folks out of the area). Right now it's 2:30 am and it's still 70. The only bad part is the fog. We've had the worst fog lately. I'll take it over the cold though.

Pictures are done

They are in no particular order.


Bahamas Cruise 2008

Blitz pulled a Marley

I think by now you all know which twin is the troublemaker. Tonight we had to go out for a while and when we got home we heard a dog barking in the bedroom. We knew we'd put them all outside when we left. Have you all seen the Marley and Me trailer where he bursts through the screen door? If you haven't I just linked it above. That's what Blitz did. He burst through the screen in the bedroom. They were these expensive screens that block the sun but you know what? It's rather funny so we had to laugh. Go watch the trailer, it makes me tear up though since, well if you've read the book...

Fun Day at Sea and then home

Wednesday was fun day at sea which means we just sail back really slow. We saw a few of the shows which I always love and three comedy shows. I also won at trivia again but all I got was some Carnival playing cards. LOL

Sometime during the night I had a nightmare and yelled, "I'm drowning, I can't reach it" and woke Rich up. Too funny.

We arrived in Port Canaveral on Thursday morning and had to wait until around 9 to leave but as always, got right through customs. They didn't even look at our declaration or search anything. Had our baggage taken out for us to load in the truck, stopped at Petco since we don't have one here (loved it) and ate a small breakfast at McDonalds. Drove home and that took about 6 hours.

Some miscellaneous stuff:

The televisions feed out of Denver and I saw one of my customer's commercials on there. (small world)

There was a girl on board who sounded like Minnie Mouse. She was hilarious. Later Wed night she was really drunk and kept trying to get everyone to dance with her. I thought one lady was gonna fight her because she kept hitting on her husband.

I got sun while on board. There's just something cool about getting a tan a week before Christmas.

We came home and the weather was/is perfect. It's 73 outside right now.

Will post pictures as soon as I have time.

Nassau finally

Tuesday we finally got to Nassau. (btw, I'll post a link to pictures once we have them ready)

I love Nassau! I love the straw market, I love Atlantis, I love the beaches. First we went shopping since they close a little earlier. I take that back, first we saw a Starbucks (they have 6 there now) and then went shopping. We got 2 Rolexes, a Breitling watch, a Dolce and Gabanna purse and a pair of Dolce and Gabanna sunglasses. I still have my Rolex from when we went in 2005 and yes, it still works great. I was thrilled with my purchases. I would have gotten more purses but seriously, I don't use mine often enough to keep buying more and more.

We were then going to go on the submarine excursion we'd booked. It goes underwater so you can see the reefs and fish crystal clear but guess what...the submarine had mechanical difficulties and we had to get a refund on our deposit. Last time we were going on the glass bottom boats they had bad weather so we missed out again. Instead we took a taxi tour of the island all by ourselves. We got a great deal too because most charged $20 per person IF you could get 12-14 people. If we went alone it was $60. This guy offered us a two hour tour alone for just $50 total.

We went by this Sheik's house that is like 2 blocks long, a few more celebrity houses, Atlantis, the beaches, markets, the Queen's Staircase, etc. He was super nice and gave a great tour and we didn't have to share it with anyone.

We did a little more shopping, getting some t-shirts and stuff and then used their WiFi hot spot to check e-mail. Got back on the boat since main street closes after dark anyway. I forgot that on the timeshare thing the first day we also got free lunch which was an authentic Bahamian lunch of grilled chicken, slaw and rice. I'm not a huge fan of Bahamian food but it was good. I've had the conch too and it tastes like oysters to me. More to come later. :)

Monday - Port Lucaya (Freeport Bahamas)

Monday we arrived in Port Lucaya which is Freeport, Bahamas. What is neat is that they have pink sand on their beaches. It's white with tiny pink sand in it from the shells. We brought some home since we have a collection from places we've visited.

This stock photo doesn't truly show how beautiful it is. Anyway, we did some shopping and they had one of those timeshare tours where you get a bunch of free stuff if you go. Since we do the majority of our sightseeing and shopping in Nassau we decided we'd do it.

We could have actually got a timeshare there. The per month fee with no money down was totally affordable. However, we didn't want to make a 10 year commitment on something that serious. But for $143 a month it could have been ours. We could have gotten free excursions or massages if we'd had time but we got 3 bottles of rum and 4 t-shirts just for hanging out there an hour.

Just like last time there were very expensive fish swimming right in their marinas. Fish we'd have to pay top dollar for to put in our fish tanks. The tour girl (who was gorgeous) said they liked fried chicken and would come up to the dock to eat it. By the way, she bought my Ed Hardy necklace off of me since I had originally got a couple extra to sell on eBay. LOL Oddly, we found no Ed Hardy knockoffs in The Bahamas at all.

Here's some neat trivia...gas in The Bahamas just went down to $3.60 per gallon and since everything is imported from Florida, milk is $6.79 per gallon.

Day two-we set sail

Sunday morning we checked out of our hotel, ate at Cracker Barrel again and headed for the port. Getting on the ship was no problem whatsoever and our luggage we had checked in was even at our room in no time at all. In the past we have had to wait for hours.

We set sail at 4:00 PM and got to see the dolphins again but this time they played beside the ship instead of in front of it. We went to our dinner at 8:30 but before that they had a meeting on shore excursions. Those are usually pretty fun and given by the cruise director. He's the same one we had before and from Wales. Well, never sit in the front row of anything on a ship. He asked who had a capers (that's the cruise itinerary for each day) and I had one. He pulled me on stage and I had to walk out like a model, etc. This totally makes up for the hairy chest contest R entered last year. Worse, they show all these shows in the rooms so it was looped every 20 mins or so which means not only did the audience see it, so did everyone in their rooms. For the rest of the cruise I had people coming up saying they'd seen me on stage. Even our dinner mates said...oh you were on stage! LOL

We saw another small show later and went to the disco and Michealangelos which is another music bar. The band in Michealangelos were awesome. They're called Blood Power and you can find them on YouTube. They're from the Phillipines and do cover songs like Guns N Roses, Pink Floyd, Journey, etc. Awesome stuff!


The worst part of the trip was that we hit some high winds so the ship was rocking so bad that people were getting sick. I've never seen one rock that bad. I lost my sea sickness patch so I had to get some of the seasickness pills from the purser's desk but those helped out a lot.

Day one

Our day started good. We arrived at the hotel, which was very nice! We went ahead and ate at Cracker Barrel right next door before going to our room since the restaurant was closing at 10:00 PM and we had arrived at about 9:30 PM. (we lose an hour from our city once we pass Tallahassee). Dinner was good. Went back to our room and I decided to shave my legs with a new razor. Huge mistake. Let's just say by the time I stopped the bleeding because I nicked myself, it looked like someone had been murdered in the bathroom. I cleaned it up of course but R wanted to make sure they saw me when we checked out the next day. LOL Okay, so this part isn't that exciting but I'm doing this in days so as not to bore everyone with a huge post.

We're home

We're home and I have much to share but it'll be at least tomorrow before I decide to write anything.

I R Here

We're finally in Port Canaveral. The hotel Suzy got us is gorgeous. We got a late start since I goofed off before I got ready to go and the drive was a little over 6 hours. We just ate dinner at Cracker Barrel. If we get arrested it's cause we blew threw a toll booth since we didn't have correct change. Who puts a toll booth up without a human in it? At least the car in front of us did the same thing since no one had any coins. We're spent them at the last 4 toll booths. It's in the 60's here which is great since it's in the 40's at home. We sail out tomorrow at 4 pm. I'm fixing to watch some SNL and chill a while. I'm ready to go but I wish we were going to Nassau first instead of Freeport. I am ready to do some shopping! See you all Thurs!

We're outta here

We're all packed and ready to head out tomorrow. I'll so miss my doggies and pets. But, this time on Sunday we'll be in the middle of the ocean so that's pretty cool. I can't wait to go although I don't care for the drive down or back home. I love road trips but just the short ones. I like being there then being home. I wish I could wiggle my nose and make that happen. Or maybe a handy time machine! Yeah, that's it! Anyway, I won't miss the cold weather. It's 38 outside right now and this is freaking Florida. Watch it totally snow or something while we're gone. I mean, it did just snow in New Orleans so it could happen, it has before. We'll be back Thursday. We have someone housesitting in case there are any robbers reading and we have a security system and dogs! So there! See you all soon!!

A great deal and a not so great deal

I had to go to The Vitamin Shoppe since we were almost out of the vitamins we get and that adrenal fatigue fighter. They had the once a day whole foods vitamins in a different brand that is normally $87.99. That was not a typo. Anyway, it expires in Jan (which is plenty of time for both of us to take them all) so they were 75% off and we got them for $22. I also had a $10 coupon so those and the other stuff came to $112 at first then after all was said and done we paid $40.77. You can't beat that. I love deals like that!

Now for the screw me. Since fuel went up the cruise lines are all charging up to $10 per person per day as a fuel surcharge. I called Carnival since fuel has dropped and their rules are that fuel has to be under $70 per barrel for 25 consecutive days for the price to change. Guess what? Due to hurricane Ike, they are dropping the fuel surcharge as of the 17th of Dec. Guess what? We get back HOME that day! I was pissed. The manager said most people are mad but the corporate president won't let them change a thing and all we can do is write and complain. That's $72 which isn't a lot in the grand scheme of things but $72 would pay for our fountain cards or be a nice credit in the stores on board.

New site!

Yay, I have a new site I'll be doing. It's not even started yet but the owner is dropping by tomorrow to put down a deposit and show me what is needed. This comes at a great time too since it's the end of the year and Christmas and the finances will be a blessing. :)

Sierra Adventure Gear

Sierra Adventure Gear has everything you need for the adventurous person in your life. From camping tools to outdoor navigation, you’ll find whatever you need for an outdoor adventure.

Two men who love the outdoors and know exactly what type of equipment people are looking for formed Sierra Adventure Gear. They’ve traveled all over the world from California’s deserts to the Artic and they want to share with their customers how exciting, yet safe outdoor life can be.

Not only can you find everything you need for an exciting excursion, you also get great prices and free shipping on orders over $75. You can’t beat that deal! Browse the many different brands they carry on their site. Trusted brands such as Brunten, Columbia, Leatherman, MagLight and Victorinox are just a small portion of the many brands of equipment that is offered on their site. The site is easy to navigate and prices are listed with each item so there are no surprises when you click to add something to your shopping cart. They also offer a handy customer service form for you to fill out if you have any questions and they ask that you feel free to share your outdoor adventures with them.

Blitz thinks it's summer

Today it was pretty nice weather. It got somewhere in the 60's or so and we had the doors open to let the fresh air in. Blitz comes running in soaked to the bone and there's a trail of water from the pool, down the deck to the deck that leads to the house. I can't believe he jumped in the pool in the middle of what I call winter. Even if the temperature was nice the water is still freezing cold!

History Rocks

I'm not a huge history buff unless it's about Nazi Germany or Jonestown but we accidentally found this show tonight on History Channel and it's awesome. All of the events are pop ups with just songs from that era. Like the Jonestown Massacre had Don't Fear the Reaper and the Jimmy Hoffa story had Taking Care of Business. It was awesome. We found out there's more than what we just watched of the 70's tonight. There's also the 60's and 80's. We'll have to check out the schedule and make sure to watch it. Here's a video from the 70's to check out if anyone is interested so you can see how it works. It was all super interesting. I didn't know that the Concorde flies faster than the earth rotates so if you travel from the US to London you get there sooner than you left. How cool!

Yay

A great deal & a great dinner

Yesterday coming back from my dentist appointment we noticed a store that had a sofa and loveseat set out so you could see it. Ours has really been needing a forever home by the road so we figured if it was an ungodly cheap amount we'd get it. We stopped to look at it and lo and behold it was the exact amount I'd decided we should pay. Let's just say it was about a fifth of what we paid for our set years ago. '

We asked Chris and Jasmine if they wouldn't mind sharing their truck to bring it home and they came over and helped take the old one out and bring in the new ones. So, we took them to dinner because I don't think all four of us have ever done that and it was high time.

We went to the Baja Grill and it was outstanding. We expected it to be more casual but it was one of the most beautiful restaurants inside. Lots of art deco and Christmas trees. The food was awesome so I definitely want to go back sometime and try their 38 hour marinated ribeye.

So, it was an excellent night tonight, we had fun and the sofa and loveseat and great.

Great idea

Tonight we stopped by Mellow Mushroom to have dinner and they were packed. I mean, PACKED. I asked our server why and she told me how they were in between trivia games. What a great idea. Trivia night was slam packed busy and of course everyone ordered food. The winners of each round of trivia got a $25 gift certificate. We stayed and played and did pretty well but one family was really dominating the whole thing. I'm so competitive that it annoyed me that we didn't win. I always win trivia games on the cruises and at Christmas parties. Oh well. What I did get to do is drop off a ton of pens since each person had to write their answers down. Free advertising!

Just one more week

Just one more week of school left in this semester. I still have two tests and then I'm done till sometime in January. It sure did pass by fast but it helped that I had pneumonia because I was out a lot. I have an A in one class and the other class well, not an A but I'll pass it at least. LOL

Help a military family

Sears has a wonderful program called Sears Heroes at Home Wish Registry. What this does is allows you to make a difference to the many members of the military that may need help this holiday season. Not only is your contribution a wonderful holiday idea, you’re giving a hero the help they need. Sears originally created this program through joint efforts with non-profit organizations but this year anyone can help as well. On their site is a handy place you can contribute. So far there has been over 681,879 contributions and there are over 30,583 military families that need your help. You can easily read about the various families and see who is being helped with your donation.

Donations made are turned into gift cards that are given out to the families equally. On the site is also a spot showing the most wished for items such as children’s shoes and clothes, which seems to be the most popular. These gift cards can help provide these items to deserving families with your help. You can even read stories from selected families and see their wish list and how much they need help this season. Why not take a moment to check the site out and help fulfill someone’s needs this holiday season? You can donate any amount you choose and every dollar counts.

Friends are nice

We had a great gift from a friend today. Our cruise is 12/14 and she got us a room at the Fairfield at the Kennedy Space Center for free. She does conventions and has points so she got the deal for us. The rooms there go for $119 per night so this was a wonderful savings for us, especially with the awful economy right now. Thank you very much, Suzy!