Goodbye, Florida

Today, my three-week retreat in southwest Florida is coming to an end....

I leave with mixed feelings...on one hand, I am sad to leave. I love my house here in Fort Myers. I love the layout; I love the view out my back window; and I love, love, love the feeling I have while I’m here...a feeling of zen and peaceful serenity that is hard to say goodbye to.

On the other hand, I’ve been alone (for the most part) - and I miss my family back home in Kansas City. I miss my hubby; I miss my kids; and I especially miss my kitty cats, as much as they drive me crazy sometimes.

My life in each of these two houses is as different as it can be...my life in Florida: quiet. Not busy. Peaceful. My life in Kansas City: busy. Busy. Busy. Errands. Chores. Appointments.

In some ways, my life reflects the Zodiac sign that I was born under: Gemini. Sign of the twins. Dual existence. And in my case, so, so true - two separate lives, with different agendas, different friends, different everything....

I’m fortunate that I can balance these two sides of my life, and I’m not complaining...just reflecting.

So...goodbye, SWFL...and hello, KCMO.

I’ll be back.

Don't Give Up On Me, Baby

Wowza.

Here it is…the middle of summer…and life has been moving at BLAZING speed lately.


We went to Europe.

We came back from Europe.

We went to Florida.

We haven't come back from Florida - yet - but will one of these days.

I've been running. Still.

I've been going to baseball games. Still.

And I have an upcoming 10-day adventure to Orlando.


I REALLY want to write of our amazing adventures in Europe, but right now, I'm trying to go through the 5,936 photos that I took.

Seriously.

I took THAT many.


Because, really, just ONE photo of the Eiffel Tower, for instance, isn't enough. I MUST HAVE 436 PHOTOS OF THE EIFFEL TOWER.

With a 'selfie' thrown in for good measure.



Complete with a creepy photo bomber.


I know some of you are anxious for the adventures to begin, and you're probably thinking, "Oh photos, schmotos…who needs pictures??!! Just get to the amazing, hilarious, educational and informative stories of all the places you visited, already."


Um, I will. Get to it, that is.

Pinky promise.

Stay with me, and don't give up on me.

It's coming.

This 'n That Thursday

Some ramblings….



*I love flowers. I especially love THESE flowers that Hubby gave me for my birthday. Aren't the colors just out of this world? If I wanted to be grumpy…which I don't, by the way…but if I DID…how could ANYONE be grumpy with flowers like these in your kitchen??!!



*When I was 16 years old, it took me not once, not twice - but THREE attempts to pass my Driver's License test. (Apparently, I "rolled" through a stop sign on my first try, and "didn't yield" on a left turn on my second try. I protested these infractions, but to no avail. Oh well.)

It was deja vu here in Florida, when it took not once, not twice, but THREE attempts to get our automobiles licensed recently. The first time, we didn't have the original titles with us, and the second attempt, we failed to bring a lien release for one of the cars. GAH. There's nothing I love better than making multiple trips up to the DMV office in Southwest Florida. Imagine our excitement when we finally, FINALLY, got the cars registered. For the silver Mazda, we chose a pretty blue & silver plate with a ferocious shark:



For the Mustang, we chose a colorful "Endless Summer" design with a surfer dude, as we thought that befitting the spirit of our little convertible:



Yay, us! The Florida DMV offices may be a pain in the butt, but they make up for it by offering such pretty choices for our license plates!



*Who knew that Florida basically gets as hot as the surface of the sun in the summer?? I've been attempting to keep up my half-marathon training by running outside, but when you combine the Floridian heat with the ungodly humidity, it's become a suicide mission every time I lace up. Not to mention, the mosquitoes rub their antennae together in glee when they see me coming, as apparently my blood must be better than chocolate to the little bloodsuckers. Gah.

Not to mention - there are cougars and bears and snakes running amok in Southwestern Florida, so I took this photo before a recent run so that Hubby could use it for a "Missing" poster in case I was attacked and dragged off into the swamps by a wild animal. Hey. You never know.



*When Hubby heard me whine complain moan calmly discuss my running problem, he kindly went out and purchased a treadmill for me, in honor of my birthday. To say I am now a happy girl is an understatement - as I can run in the bliss of air-conditioning, as I laugh at the disappointed mosquitoes.


*Because we were "kid-less" on this mini-vacation, Hubby and I indulged in some serious fine dining in the evenings…embarking on some culinary adventures that stretched our taste buds, besides stretching our waistlines:


The famous "Swedge Salad" at the Blue Coyote Supper Club...A fresh crisp wedge of iceberg lettuce topped with house-made bleu cheese, diced tomato and applewood smoked bacon. Nom. Nom. Nom.



Some sort of delicious dessert Hubby devoured at the Kenwood Lane Grille…it was poisoned with gluten, so I couldn't eat it. Drat. Drat. Drat.



The loaded chips at CRaVE restaurant…deliciously messy….



The Flourless Chocolate Cake at the Kenwood Lane Grille…so good, I got it TWICE this week. And I didn't share. So there.


*While dining out, it's nice to have a son back home in Kansas City who can answer - via text - all questions we have regarding diets and such. I'm not sure how Hubby and I got into a debate on whether cavemen ate potatoes and carrots - the two glasses of wine I'd had probably contributed a little to that - but it soon became very important for us to find out, and so we turned to Brainy Brad:



So to those who think our dinner conversation may be boring…well…um…okay, never mind. Moving on.


*Daughter, who is finishing up her third week in her college summer class (even though she's only 14 - gah!), decided that it was imperative for me to know about an anime convention coming in Kansas City this summer. Aren't children wonderful? I can learn about cavemen & potatoes from one kid, and anime from another, all via text:




Gotta love em.

Peace.

My Most Idiotic Act Ever

You've seen them…those people that are so stupid, so idiotic, caught doing something that is even BEYOND moronic, usually not ending well….

Often times, these stories make their way to the news, usually because the person was SO dumb, SO idiotic - that their act of stupidity resulted (unfortunately) in their death - or at the minimum, injuries. And we are left shaking our heads, wondering, "How could they have been so stupid???!!" And we mentally pat ourselves on our backs, thinking to ourselves, "Thank God that I'M not that stupid…I would NEVER do something so dumb."

Well.

True confession.

I was that stupid idiot last week.

And looking back, I'm left shaking my head, wondering, "How could I have been so STUPID??!! I KNOW better!!!"

Let's back up.

Several days ago, I made a brief solo trip to Orlando, Florida - with the intention of spending a few days at the always-magical (and always-crowded) Walt Disney World. Having a Florida-resident annual pass, I always justify my trips to the House of the Mouse as "saving money" (????), although having seen my credit card statement after these sojourns, I'm not sure how that's true…but it sounds good, right?

So…my first day, I arrive at one of the theme parks at around noon...and due to my somewhat late arrival (any time after 9:00 am is considered "late" in Theme Park World), I'm directed to park my car in Row 46 of the parking lot. Which means I'm 46 rows away from the front entrance…yeah. Basically, the equivalent of a 10k - or six miles. I'm facing a long hike through the sea of cars in order to reach the gates.

Joy.

If my long trek wasn't daunting enough, the skies have now opened, and there is a TORRENTIAL rainstorm raging, where cats, dogs, - heck, even small children - are falling from the skies. It's raining so hard, and so heavy - that I can't see more than 10" in front of my face.

I'm prepared, though.

A little bit of rain isn't going to keep me from getting my adrenaline rush from a roller coaster - so, donning a poncho, I quickly hop out of my car and began trekking the 150 miles towards the front entrance.

And then it happened.

A quick flash - and then a crack of thunder so LOUD, that I about did a number in my shorts.

Oh, joy. Lightning. I hate lightning. I especially hate lightning in Florida, the Lightning Capital of the World.

I kept walking, though.

And it happened again.

Closer this time.

In fact, the lightning was SOOOO close, that I looked around to see if anyone else was as concerned about this as I was.

And that's when I realized the very scary, and very sobering, fact that I WAS THE ONLY PERSON IN THE PARKING LOT.

Yup. I was truly solo.

Everyone arriving after me was staying safely huddled in their cars for shelter…and all parking lot attendants had hopped on a fast-moving golf cart and had quickly evacuated the parking lot.

I WAS THE ONLY IDIOT BY MYSELF IN A RAGING LIGHTNING STORM DIRECTLY OVERHEAD…and I was now, unequivocally, the tallest object in the parking lot.

Oh crap.

I'm freaked out now. I totally feel like one of those poor targets in a video game, with the laser beam of death pointed right at them. Part of my brain starts thinking, "Will I feel tingly before I'm struck? Will my hair stand on end? Will I see a green flash?" And then the other part of my brain starts thinking, "You IDIOT. You need to get out of this. NOW!!!!"

So…which way to go? Do I go back to my car? Or do I trudge ahead to the park entrance, hoping to find shelter? I was at the point in my hike that I was literally half-way between my car and the gates - so either choice, I was basically screwed.

Deciding to make a run to the gates, every few seconds a tremendous flash, followed by a crashing BOOM, had me jumping and holding my breath and sending up quick prayers, saying, "Oh, please, oh please, don't let me get hit!!!!"

Fortunately, I made it.

However, that evening, I discovered that a hotel - less than 1/2 mile from where I was making my run for it - was struck by lightning during this storm, resulting in loss of electricity and an evacuation of the guests.

I was truly a stupid idiot - for not hunkering down in my car and waiting for the storm to pass.

Ironically, today begins Lightning Awareness Week…and already, seven people have been killed this year by lightning in the U.S. I was fortunate that I wasn't the eighth - all because I was anxious to see a Mouse.

Gah.

Anyway. Be safe, peeps. Take lightning serious. Know what to do if caught outdoors - and don't be an idiot, like yours truly.

Peace.

Legends Never Die

Sometimes in life, when you least expect it, something so amazing happens that it will become the stuff of future family lore…the story that gets told around the family dinners and passed on to future generations. You all know what I'm talking about, as I am sure that EVERY family has such stories and tales…usually, the tale gets bigger and bigger every time it's told, exaggerated beyond belief, until eventually it becomes legend.

Such is the story that unfolded on Monday of this week, while we we were innocently attending a baseball game here in Fort Myers. Minding our own business, really, not realizing that a memory was about to be made that will never be forgotten. Oh, I'm sure it will get "stretched" a bit in the future…it will get bigger and bigger as it's retold…and that's okay. Because we were there, and we saw it happen.

To set the scene…Hubby and I, along with our two youngest, headed over to Jet Blue Park, the Spring Training home of the 2013 World Series Champions, the Boston Red Sox. We try to attend a Red Sox game every March when we visit Fort Myers for Spring Break, and this year was no exception - except that about 20,000 other people ALL had the same idea, being that the Red Sox are the defending World Champions and everyone else wants to jump on their bandwagon.


In case you had a brain fart and FORGOT who won the 2013 World Series, there were plenty of reminders everywhere at the ballpark...


Several months ago, I had managed to snag some halfway-decent tickets to Monday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays…our seats were down the right-field line, about three rows back from the field. We arrived at the game about two hours before game time…which is God-awfully early, I agree, but necessary during a Spring Training game, when fans will begin streaming in THREE hours before game time.

Spring Training is very laid back…the players are much more at ease, especially when mingling with the fans. They'll usually take more time to interact with the crowd, giving out autographs, photos, and baseball tips. We decided we would just chill out before the game, soaking in the sun, the laid-back atmosphere, and the beauty of the ballpark. Jet Blue Park is only about two years old, and is a state of the art facility. It's called "Fenway South" - as it's a replica of Fenway Park, up in Boston….


In case you had a brain fart and FORGOT that Jet Blue Park is known as "Fenway South", there were reminders everywhere at the ballpark…they seem to be pretty good at these reminders, it appears….


There's even a replica of the Green Monster out in left field:


It's pretty awesome…last year, we sat on top of that…but it was a little high for me...


We spent some time initially exploring the area that has a tribute to some of Boston's greatest players, as well as a tribute to Jackie Robinson:


Carl "Yaz" Yastrzemski…played his entire 23-year career with the Red Sox…one of my favorite players of all time...



Jackie Robinson…truly a legend, and someone I wish I had been able to see play…



We eventually made our way into the stadium and found our seats…it was nice just chilling out, listening to some great music on the loudspeakers, and watching the Tampa Bay Rays take batting practice. Sitting where we were, it soon became very evident that an awful lot of balls were being smacked into the section of seats right beside us…there was a group of young men hanging out in this section with their baseball gloves, all eager to scoop up a foul ball as a free souvenir. After watching this for a few minutes, I leaned over to our son, Taylor, and daughter, Mikayla, and casually said, "Hey! You guys should be over there - you might catch something, too!"

I didn't really think they would take me up on this…as both are somewhat shy and hesitant…but seeing that the stadium was still pretty empty, and that no one would mind if they moved over a section to scoop up errant foul balls, they soon got to their feet and moved over to the next section. Apparently, Hubby had missed my suggestion, as he soon realized the kids had gone, and seeing where they'd went, he voiced his concerns:

Hubby, in shock: "Wait, what??!! What the heck are the kids doing over there???!!!"

Me: "They're going to try to catch a foul ball."

Hubby, in disbelief: "EEK! MIKAYLA is going to catch a foul ball???!!! Hardly - she's more likely to break her neck!!!!"

Which is somewhat true. She IS a bit of a Klutz…and not exactly athletic, AT ALL. She's more likely to catch a cold, actually, than catch a baseball. But, still…

Me: "Oh, leave her alone. Let her have some fun. Besides, it's not like she'll catch anything. Taylor's over there, too, and he'll make sure to catch anything before it can do any damage to her."

Which is true. Taylor played baseball for many, many years, including playing on the varsity team at high school. And he's 6'5" tall. If a ball was anywhere CLOSE to hitting Mikayla, Taylor can reach over with his long arm and defend her nose or her face. He's got quite a stretch.

Not quite happy with this, Hubby studies the scene a few minutes longer, and notices that Taylor is in Row 1, along with 10 other young men about his age, up against the barrier between the seats and the field…while Mikayla is standing a few rows behind Taylor….

Hubby: "Why is Mikayla standing so far back???!! Why isn't she with everyone else, in the first row??"

Me: "Well, she's waiting for the bounce. Besides, this is GOOD that she's not in the first row. It's less likely she'll get smacked with a ball in her face, because Taylor will snatch anything that's even close to her, with her being behind him."

This is true. At least logically, this sounded very true. Little did I know that this was NOT going to happen.

Sure enough.

No sooner had I said that, when we heard a crack of the bat…and saw a screaming line drive heading right towards us…or at least the next section over.

Hubby and I immediately sat up straight, and I remember saying out loud, "Uh oh. Here we go."

As we watched the ball sail over our heads, heading towards the kids, I was holding my breath. What would happen? Would Mikayla's nose get smashed with a baseball, giving her a 4th broken nose??? Which would mean I would NEVER hear the end of it from Hubby??!! Or would Taylor reach up with his incredible height and save the day???

As the ball arc'd downwards towards the group of eager young men, all straining to jump up and catch it, one of them must have tipped it - so it sailed over their heads, took a bounce right by Mikayla, who then shot out one hand and grabbed the ball. On it's first bounce. She was off balance as she grabbed it, and tilted alarmingly over, appearing to almost topple over the seats, but she caught herself…and quickly righted herself, holding the ball up triumphantly with one arm...

…as the group of young men in Row #1 - including her brother - looked at her in disbelief...

…as the small crowd sitting in various sections close to this section gave her a round of applause - the young 14-year old girl, beating out the 20-year old men, the majority of whom had on GLOVES, mind you, in the hunt for the souvenir…

…and as her parents watched in a state of shock, mixed with a huge swelling of pride.

THAT'S OUR GIRL!!!!!!! I wanted to shout, and blast over the loudspeakers.

THAT'S OUR GIRL, AND I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST BASEBALL SHE'S EVER CAUGHT IN HER LIFE!!!!!



Well. The smile on Mikayla's face was pretty much permanently plastered there the rest of the afternoon…it got even better when she gathered up the courage and had Tampa Bay shortstop Sean Rodriguez autograph her ball.

Such is the stuff of lore…the day that our daughter caught a ball at the baseball game.

Beating out men…with gloves. Beating out her 6'5" brother.

And not breaking her neck in the process.

Priceless.

As American As Baseball, Root Beer, Puppies and Naps

There is a reason that baseball rolls around every year when it does…during the spring…when promises of warmth, sunshine and flowers coincides with promises of batting championships and league pennants and World Series rings.

The bleakness of winter is, for the most part, behind us…and the boys of summer dust off their bats, rosin up their gloves, and take the fields, as anxious as the fans to dive headfirst into a new season….

After arriving in beautiful and sunny Fort Myers yesterday afternoon, we couldn't wait to don our own baseball hats and head off to our first Spring Training game today - a match-up between the Minnesota Twins and the Philadelphia Phillies.

Am I fan of either team?

Heck, no.

But, I AM a fan of baseball…so it was actually rather relaxing to head to a game and not worry about who was going to win.

We arrived at the ballpark about two hours before game time, thinking this would allow us to beat the crowds. Oh, silly us. We forget how passionate Spring Training fans are…upon arrival, it became apparent that not even a FOUR-hour head start would have helped.

Outside Hammond Stadium, my son and daughter pose for their traditional pic:



It's traditional, because these two kids have posed like this outside baseball stadiums for years and years. Instinct, I guess.


One of the joys of Spring Training is the intimacy…the players are up-close and personable, including batting practice. We were able to walk right up and enjoy the Twins taking a few swings:



This is actually right outside the stadium, on a separate field…but it's something you would NEVER find in a major-league ballpark during the regular season.


After watching some of the guys take some swings, we meandered into the stadium, where we quickly found our seats. We were ten rows behind the Phillies' dugout, and we had an awesome view of their batting practice, as well:




Since we had some time to kill before the game, Daughter and I did a selfie:




But, wait a minute…there's a problem. A "good" selfie (but really, IS there such a thing? I digress, however) should include the background of where you're at, so you'll remember the event. We had not taken our selfie with the ballpark in the back - so we decided to take another one. We had just stood up to take it when an elderly gentleman behind us asked if he could help us and take the picture for us. Not wanting to seem rude, we shrugged and handed him our camera. I thought it was hysterically funny when I got home and discovered he'd held his finger down on the camera shutter forever, so we came home with a TON of photos:



That's just some of them. I think there were three more pages of photos. Gah.

They weren't too bad, but my baseball hat cast a rather dark shadow on my face…which could actually be a good thing. Hee hee.




Son and Hubby take their batting practice a bit more serious…no "selfies" for them - they were intently watching the field:




Soon, it was time for the National Anthem. A little girl, who couldn't have been more than 10 years old, walked out on the field with a microphone, began singing the anthem, and proceeded to KNOCK IT OUT OF THE PARK. Seriously, her voice sounded like a 35-year old operatic singer - the crowd was blown away and gave her a resounding standing ovation that lasted a few minutes. What a moment.

Then, Play Ball!




It soon became very evident that this was going to be a pitcher's duel…with little-to-no offense. By the fourth inning, I think there was a total of three hits. Gah. I hate scoreless games. I like a bit of action. I want to see singles and doubles and homers and stolen bases. Instead, all we saw were outs.

Speaking of action, every now and then a breeze would kick up, as evidenced by the flags in left field:



Hey. After air-conditioning, swimming pools and sunscreen, breezes are the fourth-best invention EVER in the state of Florida. We learn to appreciate them, especially while baking in the sun in the grandstands of a baseball park. Because, sure enough, it began to get even hotter, and I discovered this unwelcome sight:



Ack. No breeze. A Floridian's worst nightmare. Perhaps a cold drink is needed.


I do have to admit that the World's Best Root Beer can be found at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers. We discovered this little gem when we first began coming to these games a few years back - and it may or may not be the reason we keep coming back to the Twins games:



I've seriously never found a better Root Beer - it's cold, refreshing and just the right sweetness…and it's gluten-free, to boot, as it proudly says right on the lid. Woot!


All good things must come to an end…the game ended in a 1-1 tie (and yes, ties are allowed in Spring Training), so we jumped in the car and decided to pay a surprise visit to my parents. And the fact that we timed our visit perfectly with dinner was a pure coincidence. Really.

It's a good day when you see your son passed out on Grandma's floor, with their dog, Snickers, cuddled up next to him with her favorite toy:



Seriously. How cute is that? Baseball…puppies…naps…does life get any better???!!

Peace.

Happy Birthday, Mom!!!

Happy birthday to my wonderful Mother, who turns 72 years young today!!!

She's in Florida right now…enjoying the sunshine and warmth and easy living…I don't think there's a day that's gone by recently where she hasn't called me and said, "Thank you SO much for introducing us to Fort Myers!" - because, as you know, I am first and foremost an EXPERT on all-things Florida and Fort Myers-related. I'm starting to think that wintering in sunny southern Florida is going to extend her life by another twenty years…which could be pretty awesome.

She's always been a pretty cool mom. She taught us early on to be strong…to be independent…and to go after life with gusto and passion. She set the bar pretty high while we were growing up, and my siblings and I learned pretty quickly that we did NOT want to disappoint Mom…either with our actions, our grades, or our words. We were given the tools to make our own decisions, and we were also given the grace to learn from our mistakes, and deal with the consequences, which I think is a fantastic lesson to pass on to all of our children.

Mom's always had a way of making people feel comfortable, and I like to think that she's passed that down to me. She has always been gracious to everyone visiting her home - young and old - and she has a knack of putting people at ease. I remember never being embarrassed at bringing my friends home from school to introduce them to my folks, as my folks were "cool."

She's not perfect…she drives me CRAZY with her incessant need to constantly move furniture around, even in my OWN home…but I guess that's what makes her human and lovable. She also seems to have a strange and weird obsession, bordering on "hoarding", of earrings. I don't think I've ever seen her wear the same pair twice. It's rather interesting, as my daughter seems to have inherited every trait that my mother possesses…making me somewhat of a "sandwich" between the two generations. This could be a bad thing, if I didn't love my Mom so much…or my daughter, for that matter.

Anyways, happy birthday, Mom! We are looking forward to flying down to Florida this weekend to see you and Dad, and to enjoy that gluten-free dinner you're preparing for us Saturday night. Maybe we'll pick up some ice cream from the Love Boat, and we'll make a belated birthday party of it.

We love you - and miss you!

Kilts and Tattoos

What an interesting day.

Of course, the past week has been rather…interesting.

Every morning, my siblings and I head to the hospital, where we don a gown and gloves in order to visit my Dad for a few hours. While in ICU, only two at a time can visit, so we've had to take turns. We have assignments…those of us IN Dad's room are assigned to not only visit with him, but also take notes when the various doctors, nurses and other specialists pop in with their findings and orders. Those of us NOT in Dad's room - but in the ICU waiting room - are assigned to discuss what all of the various findings and orders actually mean…and how they affect Dad and his prognosis.

It's amazing how we love to play "Monday Morning Doctor" - or "Back Seat Physician"…but with NONE of us having any medical schooling, we have certainly come up with some amazing diagnoses on our own. Scary, for sure.

The hospital imposes "Quiet Time" in the ICU for several hours each day, so afternoons have been spent trying to have some measure of relaxation and de-stressing while we're visiting Ft. Myers. Today, along with our aunt, we headed to downtown Ft. Myers for the Caloosahatchie Celtic Festival - where we rocked out for a few hours in the beautiful sunshine to some tribal Celtic bands.

The headline band, Albannach, is one that I've seen perform before - while in Estes Park last September. They're ah-maz-ing to listen to - the drums and the bagpipes stirring the soul. This was my initial view of the stage:



Well. This will never do. Through some strategic maneuvering, I managed to get a little closer:



That's better.

An added bonus…not only did I enjoy the band, but I enjoyed this guy's hair:



It was really fascinating when this guy was dancing and bopping his head…I would have videotaped it, but that might have been a bit creepy.


Check out one of the guys in the band - he's pretty cute:



Men in kilts. Yum.

I think my aunt was enjoying it - she says she LOVES Celtic music. Personally, I think she also loves men in kilts.




After the festival, my brother went to help my Mom with some errands, and sister and I were driving down the road when we passed a tattoo parlor. Being the type of girls that always think things through before making rash decisions, this was the conversation in the car:

Sister: Hey, a tattoo parlor! We should get one.

Me: Really?

Sister: Yeah! Why not?

Me: Okay.

So, I turned the car around, and before I knew it, I'm getting "Karma" inked my neck, while Sister gets "Courage" on her foot:


Ouch.







Sisterly bonding…fun times. Imagine what trouble we could get into if we were, like, SPONTANEOUS, or something.

Peace.