not with a bang, but a giggle

Tonight, I ended 2014 with a roomful of strangers, with a few acquaintances scattered about.
What fun!
I was at one of my favorite places in Daytona Beach, the Cinematique, for an evening of entertainment - and dinner! - for only a couple of Jacksons. Very nice! The night began with an opening hour of free wine and beer, with noshes at hand. I sipped two glasses of Cabernet while nibbling on cheese, chips & salsa, and olives - yum!
Then Random Acts of Insanity arrived for their first set! I had caught the last half of their improv last night when I had arrived to town and was thrilled to get more of the zaniness! Andrew Ramos (the lead instigator of frivolity) and Menos were the only ones tonight had in common with last night. Both have voice talents which allow them to seamlessly riff between their own and those of Christopher Walken, Marlon Brando, Jimmy Stewart, and Robert Deniro - fun! They were joined by George, Scott, and JG tonight for quite a few games, including Fractured Fairy Tales, Forward/Reverse, Ding, Two-headed Date, Party Guests, and others. Each of the guys took turns being the emcee and several of them were called upon to be "girls", as in the day of Shakespeare.
Seriously fun!
I made sure to participate by calling out suggestions for game themes, items or words to be included, accents to be used - oh, yes, just as if I were home at an Odd Lot show! About half the audience had never been to an improv show, but by RAI's post-dinner set, everyone was chiming in. Good!
The dinner, a buffet between sets, was catered by an Ormond Beach group, DB Pickles. Big bowl of crispy salad, baked chicken breasts in gravy, roasted red potatoes, and garlicky green beans - quite tasty! Of course I had seconds! Then, for dessert, fabulous chocolate macaroons and red velvet cupcakes, along with an assortment of cookies for cRuNCH!
I was glad the fellows weren't tasked with entertaining us during the dinner. Rather, the dinner was sandwiched between the two hour-long sets of improv, allowing full enjoyment of all aspects of each.
The final game ended just a few minutes before midnight, allowing all guests the time to receive a glass of champagne and get their party favors in hands or atop heads. (I wore my sparkly pink and silver headband-cum-tiara, so I was set from the get-go!)
Then the grand countdown! 10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
There were even fireworks, courtesy of the city, visible from our perch on Beach Street!
Nicely done, y'all!

one last time, brother mine!

To my youngest brother,
This will be the LAST TIME I write to you... this year. Ha ha ha!
Yesterday I received your Christmas Day letter. I'm so glad you received the goodies! I know how nice it is to have some new things sometimes, even if they look exactly like the old ones. There's something about the feel of new stuff - you know? So, new towel, new hat, new warm shirt... little things, but new.
Not a whole lot going on here with me. I really haven't made any plans for tonight. Can you believe it? Lots of options, but I'm just not excited about any of them. I guess that when I hear the right one, maybe I'll jump on it - but, so far, nothing. Trust me, if I end up staying home, by myself, that will be just fine, too. Maybe I'll catch up on some of my blogging or do some preparation work for school... Hah! I doubt that last one!
I'm looking forward to 2014 and some nice changes. I especially like that you're going to be a much better brother - fabulous! I am being absolutely serious. It's hard for folks to do the right thing, to make the good choices, because the temptation to go the other way is so easy. No one ever said anything worth doing, or worth having, is easy. A little hard work makes it all worthwhile.
with so much love!

unwritten postscript: Most of the reason I would rather stay home is the problem with my car. Every time I have left the house lately, I've had to get a push start from strangers to get back home. Very fortunate to drive a stick shift, or that wouldn't be an option. And I have had a lot of practice with popping the clutch to get started and have successfully done it once by myself. How cool is that? Still, a sufficient incline is not often available and I very much dislike having to ask strangers for help. Especially if the day is rainy. Right? So, better to stay home.

i can't drive... 55!!!

Woohoo! Sammy Hagar can't drive me now!
hahaha!
Today has been a very nice start to my new year. The peace Guy accompanied me to the Jepson for a new art exhibit I had been waiting to see. I had attended the talk by the artist, Sarah Frost, on April 25, prior to going to the chemistry nerd trivia.
I had time to briefly explore her exhibit, "Arsenal", prior to her lecture on that Thursday a month earlier. I had read of it in the Winter issue of the quarterly magazine I receive as a member of the museum and had eagerly anticipated seeing what she would do with the space the Jepson had allotted for her work. My brief encounter with the white paper weaponry displayed in the small area had left me with one thought: I want to see this with the peace Guy.
So, when he had asked what I wanted to do on my birthday, I told him: see that particular exhibit with him and have lunch at RolyPoly. I also told him what I had done last year for my birthday; he had given me a look that I am still not sure I want to understand. (At least he understood not to say "poor dear" or such as that. It was my birthday and my choice of how to celebrate it. I wanted to do so alone and that is exactly what I did. Well, mostly. I had deliberately asked for one of my "trip to Italy" travelmates to be my waiter for dinner; he was marvelous, as I had known he would be, keeping an eye on me and making light, fun conversation along the way, leaving me feeling perfectly spoiled by the time my meal was done. Thanks, Nate!)
Being the loving person he is, the peace Guy agreed that we would do what I wanted to do, but he would buy my lunch. Good! Perfect! Fine with me!
(smile!)
And it was a very good day! We had gone to the Jepson and both slowly walked along both sides of the towering triangular display of starkly white weapons, hung at varying heights on nylon strings. Knowing the guns of all types were made of paper was not consoling, especially as I had told him these were working models, capable of firing paper munitions. Nor was the thought of these weapons having sprung from the minds of young boys of any consolation. Thank God the display was in a fairly small room or it would have been too overpowering.
Afterward, we went in search of shiny objects, as it were. Shiny objects with elaborate markings would be a good counterpoint to the the exhibit we had just left. "Silver from the Rizza Collection" was perfect! Old, solid, heavy - definitely what we needed! He told me stories about similar pieces in his family and we took our time admiring the many emobssed and engraved serving pieces and servingware.
By the time we were done, it was time to get some lunch! Off to the cool sandwich shop where I had dined last year on Thanksgiving Turkey! This time, I chose the Greek Turkey and he had the Thai Hot Tuna... but we ended up eating half of the other's wrap, so we had the best of both worlds. Yum!
Then I drove him to work, as his car was still in the shop. I returned home and thanked each of my fb birthday well-wishers. I know, I probably could have done a status update for a blanket "thank you" to all. But, that is not me. I wanted to make sure each of them received a personal thank you from me for taking the time to acknowledge my special day.
Then I headed downtown! I had been invited to trivia at a place I had not yet been for gaming. I had mistakenly thought the place served food; nope, they used to, but no one liked it. So, they had a policy that if you wanted to eat there, you were welcome to bring your own dinner. Not having any with me, I went in search of some.
I settled in at a Scottish restaurant just down the street from the trivia site. Nice! I wouldn't have far to backtrack after my meal! Even better: I had not yet dined at Molly MacPherson's, so this would be a new experience!
I had the special of the evening, a variation on fish and chips. The blackened tilapia was quite nicely grilled and quite attractive against the steamed green of the broccoli. New potatoes, boiled and parsleyed, and a doughy biscuit were fine staples to round out the meal. Very good! Truth to tell, though, the bagpipe music was getting to be grating by the time I finished my meal, so I probably won't return. Maybe I just needed some beer-muffs?
(smile!)
Then back to the Irish (foodless) pub for trivia with folks from Liquor Posse! This was a different game than I had played elsewhere with them, but I liked the variation. Rather than have each team present separate answer slips for each question, each team would submit a single answer sheet containing all of their responses to the queries. The TJ (trivia jock, a'ite?) would then grade the responses and then let each team know their standings. This game, too, had only three rounds, rather than four. But the thing I really liked was this: the last question of each round was a music question! He would play a song snippet, then you would have to tell him who sang it and what the title was. I had arrived about half-way through the second round; when he got to the last question and played his little piece of it, I knew immediately what it was! Def Leppard's "Too Late for Love"! Woohoo!
And the beauty was this: no one else in our group - which was about eight or nine people - even had a clue. They wrote it down because I was so convincing, even going so far as to sing some of the song for them.
And I was right! Woohoo!!!
Then, for the music question in the third round, I knew immediately that one, too! Diana Ross this time, singing about being "Upside Down"! I tell you, that was a big dance tune back in the day!
The group again took my word for it and submitted their playsheet. I had to leave to pick up the peach Guy from work, but I heard the next day that I "really know my music!" and they had won that round. Yeah!!!
Nice birthday!

family, friends, tequila!

What a blue sky day for an afternoon of baseball!
The weather was quite nice, too: low 80's, with a bit of cool breeze to keep you from feeling too hot. It was family day at the ballpark, so all kids received a ticket for a free slice of pizza and soda. Nice! Of course, there were plenty of other treats to tempt the kids, but at least part of the wallet could take a break!
I had invited my stepmom and her two grandsons (my helf-nephews, if you're keeping track of such things) to accompany me to the game and was really looking forward to seeing them. Life has been incredibly hard for them lately, but we won't talk about that here. Suffice it to say that life was improving, she had contacted me to suggest we get together some Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon and I had seized, with both hands, the opportunity afforded me. A chance to visit with her AND my low country nephews AND share a Gnats' game with them? You betcha! And what a wonderful surprise that my younger half-brother could join us, too! As my stepmom said, we had Daddy's first-born (me) and youngest (Mike the mechanic) sharing time together - rather rare, I tell ya.
I had then invited other family members to join us for the outing. My middle little brother I had thought for sure would be there, but was not. My eldest little brother and his wife weren't able to make it, either, which was understandable, given the short notice and the fact that they have a teenaged son on their hands. And my middle bother's son had a barbeque to attend with his girlfriend at her folks' house (so that relationship seems to be moving along nicely for him!), so I'll have to visit with him some other time.
But my first niece came! She and my stepmom got to share pictures of kids and get a little caught up. They even talked about the burger joint in Bluffton that we all have now been to and swap favorite toppings! A little while later, her two foster kids were able to join us, then we all had three innings of free baseball! When the game did come to an end, the four kids all ran the bases, a special treat offered by the ball club on these Sunday game days. Cool beans! The kids thought it was fabulous to get to play on the same field as the Gnats and we got a kick out of watching their smiling faces rounding the bases. SUCH a fun day for all of us!
Then we all said our goodbyes, but first made plans for the 15th, a Saturday game followed by fireworks. Woohoo!
I returned home and was joined shortly by the peace Guy and the librarian. She and I took off for dinner at a new place, Blowin' Smoke Southern Cantina, as neither of us wanted to cook or clean dishes. Yeah! It was even a new-to-me dining experience! We only had to wait a short while, then snagged a table inside. Actually, I say "inside", and technically it was, but that's just because the walls had been rolled up to enjoy the breeze. Nice, right?
She had driven, so I decided to have a cocktail: the Signature Honey Jalapeno margarita. I know - sounds just crazy enough to be good, right? It was, too! And if my phone had not died on me right after reaching the ballpark, I would have been able to take a photo of it for this space (as well as all the missed shots of family at the game). No worries, I'm sure I'll be returning here in the near future. (And I have an upcoming game in two weeks for new family pics, so all is right with the world!)
I dined on the Caribbean Stewed Chicken Plate - GOOD choice! The shredded meat was jerked and topped with pineapple salsa - so very moist and tasty! The Roasted Corn Salad was palate-cleansing and simple, being mostly fresh corn with finely diced fresh tomato. The Black Beans were a bit bland, but I used them in my self-made tacos with the chicken and they worked quite nicely there!
I had a nice visit with the librarian and we were able to chat about things in her life. She is the same age as my first niece, so I usually enjoy her company. She mostly needed someone to give her an ear and a reality check; the tequila and I obliged.
Overall, a very nice day of un-birthday or pre-birthday or whatever it is I finally decide to call all of this.
Yep, life is GOOD.

red chimney in the Garden

Today's birthday celebration was a luncheon in a new place. No, wait, that's not quite true. The building itself is not any different than it was the last time I dined there, but the name and ownership had changed. Once, it was Muther's Old Timey Bar-b-que; now it is called The Red Chimney and has gone by that name, and these owners, for five years. Hard to believe that much time has passed!
I had the pork rib sandwich special of the day. I found out the sandwich was full of the meat taken off the ribs - no bones! It came with a drink (I had unsweet tea mixed with lemonade) and one side. I chose the green beans and added some fries. Then, just as I was closing out my order, the cherry winked at me. I swear, it did! And that's when I SAW the pineapple upside-down cake slices, mixed in with the lemon pound cake and some chocolate thing. Pineapple upside-down cake. So, I would not be dining alone after all!
I took my time with the lunch, tasting the four house barbeque sauces, chewing each bite thoroughly and savoring the flavors. The folks who ran the place didn't try to rush me, allowing me to dine on my own time. I didn't realize until I was leaving that the place was supposed to have closed at 2 PM. When I finally was sated, even going so far as to get a "to go" box for my slice of cake, the time was about a quarter of three. Oops! But the man who was clearly the owner was quite pleased that I was so obviously enjoying the meal that he had settled in on the porch with some friends to just wait for me to finish. Very nice!
The meal had been too much to allow room for dessert, so I waited for a while to enjoy the cake. A good move on my part! Topped with carmelized, crushed pineapple, and that lone, winking, maraschino cherry, the cake was rich and very satisfying to both my palate and my soul.
Glad you could join me, Sam.

I finished up the evening with the Sand Gnats, on as pretty a night as one could hope for! I was joined by two of my favorite men, the inimitable Mr. Willie and my middle brother, on a warm summer's night with a light, cooling breeze and a clear sky. Ah, very nice, indeed! And my boys of summer won the game, too! Such joy!
Such a balm to my soul to watch as the sky darkened to a deep blue and met the dark green waves of the trees below. The beauty of that sight always reminds me to breathe again, to calm my outlook, and to remind me that life is about these small moments spent with those I love.

lunchtime adventures!

I decided to NOT have lunch at one of the fastfood joints near the exit, so I had wandered toward Kingsland's downtown in search of something different, something new to me.
Found it!
The Lunchbox is a brand-spankin'-new eatery! I think it had only been open for two weeks when I stumbled upon it. A small place, it serves Southern cuisine for breakfast and lunch. They hope to open for dinner, but hey, first some revenue needs to come in, a'ite?
I had tasty corn nuggets, sweet enough they could have doubled as dessert, easily. Pop a dollop of ice cream on them and that would be a scrumptious end of any meal!
The fried shrimp lunch special was my choice, with green beans and mac-n-cheese as my sides. Yeah, I know, but I had my lactase with me on this visit, so I was good. I'm very glad to have had that enzyme handy, too. It would have been a shame to miss out on that creamy, cheesy, pasta!
I had arrived at the tail end of their lunch period, but you would have never guessed it from the way they treated me. I was allowed to have a leisurely meal, chatting with the waitress about Virginia and Williamsburg and Yorktown, her one-time stomping grounds. We also chatted about Savannah and Saint Augustine, two of her favorite places to visit these days.
Closing time was listed as 2 PM. I left almost an hour after that and they had allowed other diners to come in while I was still eating. I guess that was just a "suggested" closing time.
I think I'll wander back in this direction again sometime. The laid-back, casual atmosphere is a welcome break from dusty, hot roads!

dinosaurs, dinosaurs, dinosaurs!

I had not consciously planned an afternoon with ancient creatures, but what a treat from my subconscious mind!
I had arrived at Downtown Disney in search of a cool place to pass some time during the humid afternoon. The cinema had a film starting at the right time, one I had not yet seen, so in I went. "The Croods" was such a fabulous story!!! I had not expected to be so touched, but I was, ending up sobbing in the darkness as the end credits rolled and all the families there made their way out. Fortunately, I was sitting off to the side and way down front, so no one really noticed me sobbing. I think.
Anyway, I had a chance to read the end credits and found out that John Cleese had helped write the story. Very nice! I do so love his sense of humor and several of the bits in the movie had struck me as rather British-veined. I guess that was because they were! I especially liked the Belt on the boy, the Belt that would, at key moments, dramatically say: "da da DAH!!!" Very funny!
But the part that got me choked up was near the end. The teenaged daughter had been at odds with her dad the whole time, fighting him about going outside the cave, fighting him about seeking new things, fighting him about ... well, the usual stuff that teens fight about with parents. Then, just when they seem to be working things out, he dies. And there she is, on the cliff, blowing into a conch shell in mourning, being joined by her family all doing the same death keen.
Very poignant scene. Really got to me.
So, like I said, I stayed in the cinema, reading most of the credits and watching the extra little animated bits and getting myself under control. It helped greatly that everyone else had left, so I didn't feel self-conscious about crying at an animated movie. It also helped that someone I really liked had a hand in writing the story.

So, afterward, I had hoped to ride the hot-air balloon. Be a Character in Flight with the lovely, talented Tinkerbell! Alas, 'twas not to be. Storm warnings had grounded the balloon for the rest of the afternoon and evening.
No floating amidst the clouds with my favorite fairy on this day.
I had a Wetzel dog while I wandered about, taking pictures of the tethered balloon. That was a VERY good hot dog! I highly recommend it! Juicy, flavorful, and wrapped in pretzel dough! I didn't even bother putting mustard on it and it was GOOD.
I then meandered about the area, taking in the sights, people watching. You know, the usual things one does when simply passing time. I bopped into the LEGO store, too, which is a definitely fun place. You can even play with some of the toys while you're there!

Eventually, though, I decided to have an early dinner at T-Rex. Beat the crowd, you know? Because this place isn't your ordinary eatery. Oh, no! It's practically a museum, filled with animatronic entertainment!

As I dined, I sat beside the beast at the top of this post, a beast which would graze and roar and sometimes look right at me! The ocean scene lay to my other side while dining. Isn't it so very lovely?

This was not my first time in this so-called Prehistoric Family Adventure, but it was my first time eating there. The bird and I had roamed among the beasts on our visit to Orlando two - or was it three? - years earlier. On that visit, suppertime was in full swing and the place had a VERY long line of waiting diners. No way we were going to add to that line! How lovely to have finally had the chance to sink my teeth into the Pangaea Pasta while sipping a Raptor Rita and being serenaded by a triceratops. Fabulous fun for kids of all ages - including 55!

moonfish

Yesterday I celebrated the nearing of completion of the 55th year of my life by selecting this new dining experience, making it also part of my new year's resolution. What better restaurant than one which specializes in seafood? And such a beautiful name, too!
Moonfish is located in the southwest portion of Orlando, the Buena Vista area, so it was quite near my vacation site. With my $50 gift card firmly in hand, I went in search of fabulous dining and FOUND IT! The dining room was already full, but there were several cozy tables in the lounge and I selected a two-seater near a window. Nice! It was also at the far wall of that area, allowing me to leisurely scan the walls and enjoy the artwork scattered there.
The waitress must have sensed that this was a special evening for me and she was spectacular! Attentive, but not smothering, generous and helpful without any smidgen of patronizing - she was perfect for my extended-birthday celebration! Oh, did I like the cheese-garlic butter bread? How about another loaf? Isn't that szechuan vinaigrette the best dressing? Spicy, but not overly so on that bed of beautiful greens with beets and meaty tomato. Yes, quite a good, unique dressing!
But what really seemed to get her attention was my order of the Chef's Mixed Grill. That marked me as a serious diner, unafraid of higher prices and willing to place my trust fully in the chef's hands. The dish was described as "Chef’s selection of two fish oak grilled and served with Thai Style Stuffed Shrimp & Scallops" and was priced in the mid thirties. I hoped one of the two fish choices would be the corvina listed on the night's menu, but I have a one-eyed chef friend who I trust with food choices and decided to extend that trust on this occasion.
Ah, well met, my dear, well met! Expectations boldly exceeded! Not only had the chef selected the corvina, without me even prompting the waitress for him to do so, but there was also an enticing bit of salmon gracing the plate! Such a lovely aroma, too!

The broiled shrimp and scallops were smothered with breadcrumbs and lump crab meat - ooooooohhhh! My, my, my! Chunky hunks of broiled zucchini, yellow squash, and carrot added a splash of muted color and sweet flavor to the far side of the plate. All in all, it was almost too pretty to eat! A bowl of steamed white rice was the final addition to the dish, a palate cleanser, so to speak. Divine food, fit for the angels!
I ended up making three meals of that night's repast. This morning, I dined on the rest of the bread and the filet of corvina for my breakfast, and lovely it was! Then, this evening, I finished off the rice, covered with the remaining scallops and crabmeat, and accompanied by the rest of the broiled vegetables. Now, I am sated once more and grateful for the chef's choices for me.
Thank you very much!

rollin' rollin' rollin' RAWHIDE!

Hoorah! Another supercool odometer reading!
I was returning from my bff's house, where I'd had the definite honor of watching her talented daughter dance SIX TIMES in Saturday's recital. Woohoo!!! I loved every minute of it!
I also was treated to an early birthday celebration (maybe more on that another time) and what was surely the best Mother's Day that I've had since 2000.
Seriously.
Back to the story at hand!
When I realized that my odometer was about to hit a triple repeat of today's date, I acted quickly to make it memorable! To be cruising down a major highway, or veer off onto a side road and follow where it led? Well, lemme tell ya, ol' Robert Frost would be quite proud of me for choosing the path less traveled. Sure he would have!

I even had lunch at a restaurant that was brand new to me, satisfying my 2013 Resolution yet again. Sah-weet! The little place was called Pepper Jack's Deli and Grill, a homey-looking place in Portal, and the chicken tenders were quite tasty and moist! The location was good, too - right across from the high school and even sporting the school's colors and mascot. Nice!
The only down side was the detour added about three hours to my trip. Yikes! How so? Well, at some point, I must have wandered to the north, because I ended up near Statesboro before I caught the error in my internal compass. Ah, well, the weather was great, I had no time table to keep, and the car still had plenty of gas. No worries!

you've got to wake up every morning, with a smile on your face

... and show the world/ all the love in your heart." - Carole King
That was one of the first songs I did in karaoke, but it's been in my life since I was a teen. Her album, "Tapestry," was one of the first six albums I owned, and it was played over and over on my little GE Wildcat Turntable. Picture that, if you would!
This weekend has been a most excellent beginning of my birthday celebration! I had thought I was going up to the northwestern corner of the state to finally, finally, get to see my preppy Goth girl dance, up front and personal instead of just on video. I did get to see her dance, but the weekend was SO much more than that. Thanks, BFF! <3 Let's start with Friday, shall we? We shall. After a rather uneventful drive up, I arrived to find that there was to be a rehearsal that evening. Off we went! The Goth girl danced a little bit, but mostly it was the little kids doing the practicing. After almost three hours of sittin' and watchin' other folks' kids, we were ready to go and hungry for dinner. Hey, it was already after 9 PM! China Panda to the rescue! I had the House Special Chow Mei Fun - yummy! One more restaurant to satisfy my 2013 resolution!
The next morning, we were up early - for me! - so we could arrive on time for the recital. This recital was in honor of the Tenth Anniversary of the dance school, so, rather than be held in its usual location, this site had been obtained to accomodate the extra folks expected for the nine-hour celebration. No, no, not nine straight hours of dance! My goodness, the kids would collapse, not to mention the parents! The recital was divided into three presentations, each about two hours long, with about 90 minutes between each.
Fortunately, the Goth girl's dances were all in the first presentation! She was in six dances, too! For five of them, she was part of a group, with that group swelling from just three others to containing all of the students of the dance school. My favorite, of course, was her solo dance to "Crystallize" - so graceful, so smooth, so very beautiful! Here's an example of two dancers for that lovely tune:


The rest of the day was spent noshing on Georgia caviar, watching "Oblivion" with my BFF and sharing tears during it, and then... BIRTHDAY SURPRISE!!! Woohoo! My BFF, the Goth girl, and the girl's boyfriend chimed in to sing me "Happy birthday!" as a huge beach bag of goodies came my way!!! Wow!!!

A bubble-wielding sword! A bottle of silver tequila, bedecked with ocean-hued glass beads! A beach towel dragon to stay close to my side and ward off undertoads! Witch's brew soap! And even suncreen!


The next day, I had the best Mother's Day that I've had in over a decade, as we rose early and went to the Georgia Renaissance Festival. Ah, such merriment we had! The Tortuga Twins! The Mud Show! Ded Bob! The porkchop on a stick! The steak on a stick! The corn on the cob on a stick! The fantabulous bread pudding made from glazed donuts! And, of course, the jousting and the knights and the horses!!! Oh, my, my, my!!!
Now, for some TIVO'ed episodes of "Big Bang Theory" with the Goth girl, then to bed.
(YAWN!)
What a glorious birthday weekend... two and a half weeks early!

resolution

I do hereby resolve to try at least one new restaurant a month for this year.
Seriously.
No sense in statements which are against my nature.
From now on, each new calendar year will be greeted only with fun resolutions that I have every intention of keeping.
So far, I think I'm off to a great start! Two of my friends have offered to check out new places with me and a third has asked for reviews of those places where I choose to dine. Nice!
One note, to myself and others: "new" is here taken to mean "new to me". The restaurant itself may be one which has been open for years, but if I have not yet darkened its doorway, then it's eligible. This certainly broadens the range of eateries for my dining, as I don't know that I could rely on at least one new establishment opening to the public every month of 2013. But, I must say there are plenty of places I simply have not tried, either due to habit or expense or location.
That said, new franchises of old restaurants do not qualify as "new" for purposes of this resolution. As franchises are duty-bound to adhere to the recipes of the original, then it should be reasonable to expect the same menu, regardless of the location of the diner.
So, there you have it.
And I'll keep you posted...

the evening of the first day

We visited the Festival of Lights this evening, the final night to do so. When I say "we", I refer to my first niece and her two little ones.
Although this was the second trip for each of us to enjoy the seasonal display, this was a much different experience. I had gone with my bfe, early in the season: December 12th, a chilly, rainy evening. She and the children had gone about a week later, on a very cold, very blustery night, with other family and friends in tow.
This first night of the new year was perfect. Slightly cool, warranting light jackets, but clear and calm. The cruise of our vehicle on the darkened racetrack allowed us ample time to "ooh" and "ahh" and snap photos to aid our memories. How nice to be able to stop along the way and roll down the window without fear of a wintery gust of freezing air or blowing rain!

The infield was best for all of us! No soggy ground, no bone-chilling wind, and the lights were on - yeah! The children could walk at their leisurely pace, drinking in the many sights, and we could as well. Oh, look! Those children are riding a camel! Over there! There's a pony pulling a carriage! And bonfires! Yeah!

First stop: the petting area, of course! No alpaca this time, but the two camels were riding herd on the menagerie of sheep, goats, and a Shetland pony. My niece and I took turns distracting the camels with food, so the children could get in close to the smaller animals for touches and feeding. Fun! I even threw handfuls of food into the enclosure, so the more timid sheep and pygmy goats would have some goodies to forage. The children enjoyed petting the pony, the braver sheep, the warm-horned yak, the many types of goats, and even the huge camels. So many different types of fur and horns!

Then we all washed our hands and made s'mores. That's right: s'mores! The concession stand not only had hot chocolate and warm cider, but the family pack of s'more fixin's. That meant 4 marshmallows and enough graham crackers and chocolate to complete the melty, crunchy goodness. Yum! Oh, and long toasting sticks, too. We taught the children to toast marshmallows, but they didn't really get the concept of s'more-making. That's okay, we all had a good time there by the fire!

Afterward, we went to the tent with the endangered animals. Lions, and tigers, and red-bottomed baboons, oh my! The big cats were sleeping, nestled around each other, but the baboon was alert and pacing, barking out orders on occasion. Fierce!

The parrots were squawking! The lemurs were luring us with their big eyes! And one of the four spider monkeys was entertaining himself, and us, but swinging back and forth on the jungle gym of bars in their cage. I even managed to snap a few photos of him in motion!

I don't know which of the four he was. Peter? Parker? Davy? Jones? Whichever, he was the only one with a waistbelt, so perhaps he is the celebrity who worked with Steve Carrell. Maybe!
We closed down the festival. We were the last to leave, and no one was even trying to hustle us out, they were allowing us to fully enjoy the experience and our company. But the lights of the displays on the racetrack had all been extinguished, save those few bidding us a "good night to all!" as we steered toward the exit... and straight on 'til morning.

new year's day!

Today is the first day of my new AD year! Last night, I had celebrated by attending a party in a nearby town. I had never been to such a party as this; a new adventure! I had called the hostess to make sure my presence would be welcomed (an emphatic YES!) and to get directions, then logged her phone number in "just in case." And off I went!
I had resolved not to drink alcohol there, even though my hostess graciously invited me to stay overnight. This Saturday, today, would be my last day at the DBR and I wanted to spend a leisurely day at my suite by the sea. No worries! The hostess had lots of sodas and juices and waters, and I was not the only abstainer.
And such a wonderful party it was! Lots of camaraderie, lots of playing pool, lots of dancing! And we were each and everyone of us there to have a good time! Even better! I met some folks I've now "friended" and look forward to seeing them again in the near future. The hostess has these parties every third Friday of a month, so I will have ample opportunity to share the company of these partiers again. Maybe not in January, maybe so, but definitely sometime in the coming year!
What kind of party? Well, let's just say it was a nudist party with a twist.
Once upon a time, while I was at school in Florida, I was dating a nudist - and I found I had an affinity for the lifestyle. It's quite freeing to just be in your own skin. There was a private lake that his club had access to and we would be there about once a month for a day in the sun, sans clothing. Very casual, very relaxing.
Well, last night's party was definitely clothing optional. If only a warm stretch of water had been around! But, instead, there were warmed wax massages - and THAT was AMAZING. Seriously. A M A Z I N G! And the gentleman giving those massages was so very talented with his touch and the wax had a calming eucalyptus scent and the temperature was the same as for thermatherapy (about 17 degrees warmer than body temperautre). Soooooo verrryyy relaxing, and warm, and left me feeling absolutely cherished. What a fabulous way to end a year!
And now, today, I am having a last, leisurely day by the Atlantic Ocean. After getting in after 3 AM, I woke seven hours later, refreshed and still smiling from the night before. Ahhhh! Time to start finishing off the refrigerated foods, so lots of cantaloupe and blueberries and scrambled eggs to attend my coffee. Yum! Then to wash my few clothes - just one load, mix it all together! Done!
Later, I went to Ocean Walk for a movie ("This is 40"), complete with popcorn and soda, of course. That's "lunch", thank you!

Then I strolled the beach. A nice long walk on the beach and, oddly, my first since my arrival. Far too chilly to actually get in the water, but still quite warm in the afternoon sun. And a very mixed bag of folks on the beach. Some, like me, all bundled up against the chill wind. Others in wetsuits for surfing the meager waves. And some, definitely not from around here, clad in T-shirts and shorts, dipping in and out of the water.
Now, it's time to settle in for the evening, as I have an early start tomorrow. Saute the zucchini and onions and squash with some grilled chicken... add a little penne... yum! Bye for now, y'all!

letter

Today, I received the letter I had written at the Bowl Burning Ceremony last year. I had wondered what had happened to it, as I had thought it was to be returned to me around Thanksgiving. I knew there were some of my forecasted changes which had not occurred, so I was expecting to read those parts and either grin or grimace. And so I did.
But, surprisingly, there were other parts which I had forgotten. I had written of how much I had enjoyed going to Las Vegas with Paul and Cathy and how much I closer I now felt to Cathy. True!
I had written of going to Myrtle Beach with my bird and how much I had enjoyed that experience. True! I had also written of my feelings for him and I was a bit surprised at what I had said. I'll certainly have to give that more thought.
The biggest change I had forecast apparently got lost along the way. I was going to straighten up the house and have folks over more often. More dinners, more get-togethers, game nights and such. Never happened. Hmmm. THAT definitely SHOULD happen... and I'm going to see that it does.
One of the good things I did last year was get a lot of STUFF out of the house. eBay has been quite helpful with that, even paying for my airfare to San Francisco and home from Las Vegas. I think my total items vamoosed is more than 200, which is definitely an accomplishment.
I even cleared out enough that I have an actual GUEST ROOM, which has been successfully used by friends and family. AND, when my bird flew here to nest, I not only helped him locate some furniture for his new nest, but I also supplied him with a chest of drawers. An EMPTY chest of drawers - that's right, I had managed to empty out four drawers full of STUFF. Again, rather impressive doings, as my tendency is more toward pack rat than neatnik.
So, in retrospect, I have done rather well at accomplishing most of the goals set forth in my letter to myself. Now, to invite folks over more often... definitely doable!
And I would follow the advice of Erma Bombeck, one smart cookie! "IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER
I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
I would have talked less and listened more.
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.
I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.
I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.
I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.
Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."
There would have been more "I love you's."
More "I'm sorry's."
But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute...look at it and really see it .. live it and never give it back."
Good advice for a new year!

here we go now (Mama's gonna worry)

Life is getting better. Slowly, but getting better.
Today, I went to the jail, in search of my driver's license. You see, when I had gone there on Sunday to visit my youngest brother, I had surrendered my license, as is the requirement for such visits. When I departed, I had retrieved what I believed to be my license... but I found out yesterday that it was most definitely NOT mine. Oh, no!
As I tend to stay a bit befuddled, post-surgery, I could not think of where it might be. Had I actually given it to a waitress and she had returned the wrong license to me? Was that at the beach? In Bluffton on Sunday? WHEN???
Then, last night, just as I was drifting into slumber, the thought materialized: Check the jail. But of course! That was the last place I KNEW I had my license. When I had left, there was a shift change or something going on and the new person must have given me the wrong license. Fine, I would go there first thing and check it out.
And so I did. And there it was. And I didn't need to spend half a day, and more money, at the Department of Motor Vehicles to get a replacement. Whew! (I had turned in the license I had erroneously received to DMV and hopefully they will send it to its rightful owner.)
With license newly restored, I felt safe to drive again. Off I went to the beach to take care of my parking citation. I had hoped the City of Tybee might credit the fine amount toward the cost of a parking permit, but, no. Nonetheless, I went ahead and purchased the permit anyway. I'm glad I did! Now, I can tool on down to Tybee anytime I want, stay however long I want, park in any lot I want, with no fear of a parking fine until after January 31st of 2012.
You bet I'm going to do just that, too.

dagnabbit

What a start to a new year. Truly.
Today the American Legion Post to which I belong was having a fundraiser for nursing scholarships at the beach. I've never been to this function and, as my bird had to work, I decided that would be a quite lovely way to begin my year: at the beach, doing good for others.
So, after breakfast, and a couple of episodes of The Twilight Zone, off I went. And a beautiful blue sky day it was! Warm, too, needing only a light jacket to ward off the cold-tinged breeze. Ah, yes!
But I had the directions wrong. Somehow, I thought the function was to be near the pier and pavilion, so that's where I went. The parking meter refused to accept my credit card, but I noticed someone else having the same problem and decided to go ahead and seek out my Post.
And things just started falling apart. I walked up and down the pier, looking for the Legionnaires. No success. I decided to go visit the marine science center at the foot of the pier. It was closed. So, I headed back to the car, only to find the parking police had beat me there and left me a $35 citation. WHAT?! For lack of a $3 slip of paper I was being hit up with a fine that was more than tenfold that amount?? No, no, no, I was going to wait by the parking police vehicle, right there in the parking lot, until he returned and I could show him the meter that refused my credit card and led to this mistaken fine.
And I waited. And waited. Apparently, he had just started his rounds and had a lot of other vehicles to cite, as I waited almost exactly an hour for his return. And even so, I very nearly missed him. The speed with which he approached and entered his vehicle was amazing. Nonetheless, I stepped quickly in front of the vehicle and to the driver's side door. He came out to speak with me and I started with my complaint about the meter and my card. He countered with no one else had said anything about a broken meter, at which point I pulled out my card and pointed out the offending meter and asked him to see if HE could get the machine to give me a parking slip. Taking my card, in a trice he had the machine do that very thing! He could tell from my face that I was completely taken aback, so he said he would adjust the charge of my citation. Numbly, I gave it to him and he scribbled on it. (I'm still unclear whether he took $20 off or whether the charge is now $20.) Then I repeated that I had come to the beach in the first place for the American Legion fundraiser and he says "That's at the other end of the beach. It's almost over now."
And that's when I lost control and the tears rolled down my cheeks. What a terrible start to the new year! I had missed the fundraiser and the chance to get to know some of my fellow legionnaires better. I had missed my chance to start the new year helping others. I had missed it ALL... AND I had been penalized, to boot. I was inconsolable. But I was also determined to utilize the parking slip I had just received. I had until 5:26 PM before I HAD to move my car and , by golly, I was not moving it before then! Dagnabbit!
And so I stayed. The day was losing its warmth and the wind was picking up, but I persisted, blotting my tears with the sleeve of my jacket. I wanted to sit in the sun and look at the ocean and listen to the waves. But, no. Both swings were occupied. So I leaned on the lifeguard station and waited. And wept and waited and rocked myself. And eventually the sound of the lifeblood of this planet got through to me and calmed me. And eventually the young people in one swing left and I was able to sit there and rock myself.
After about fifteen minutes of that, I was cold and calm and ready to get warm. I drifted into Fannie's, remembering the hoppin' john from two years ago - or was it only last year? There, I received the nurturing I needed to turn the day around. Hot coffee, fresh chips and salsa. Crayons on the table to leave my mark. Hoppin' john, with greens and a warm doughy biscuit. And a waitress who kept showing up at the right time, with a kind word, a warm smile, a touch up of coffee. Ahhhh.
And all was again right, or at least right enough, for this first day of 2011.
The time was 5:21 PM as I pulled out of the lot. Time to spare.

happy birthday!!!

What a fabulous month I have had! I feel so very loved, and so very blessed, and so very fortunate to have the people I have, and have had, in my life. I could not be who I am today without all of them.
I have been to Beaufort, Bluffton, Charleston, Tybee Island, San Francisco, Yosemite National Park, Las Vegas, and Myrtle Beach. I am blessed to be in the company of a bird that likes flying off hither and yon about as much as I do... maybe even more so!
What a wonderful beginning of my new year!

here we go!

I am so very excited! This past weekend was a fabulous start to my New Year, filled with fun times with friends old and new. On one of the social sites I use - facebook, if you must know - I had beau coup wishes for a happy birthday, with quite a few from unexpected sources. Nice! I had gone to work on my special day, as I am quite a trouper and I was needed there, but I did get off a bit earlier than usual, allowing me to get up to my BFF's place in Hiram in time for a mojito before dinner. Very nice! Then she and I and the family all piled in to the car and off we went in search of cake. Big, monster, artery-chokin' hunks of cake, at a place known as Pasta Bella. I selected Lemon Meringue Pie, with a five-inch, beautifully sculpted, perfectly browned meringue topping on a three-inch layer of lemon curd. YUMMMM. Oh, did I mention the candle? Yes, boys and girls, there was a pink candle valiantly blazing atop the dreamy drifts of whipped egg whites, as well as a trio singing "happy birthday, dear customer" as the lovely treat was gently placed before me. My BFF had given me a lovely "aquarium" picture, a three-dimensional still life with fish, so to speak. I intend to place it in my Ocean Room, on the wall near the computer, so I can enjoy the new view as I converse here and elsewhere. She told me she had thought of my personal aquarium, my bedroom, as the location for the new art, but I would rather have it where I can look at it often through open eyes, not eyelids.
The next day, off we went to the trade fair at Centennial Park, where my BFF was to hawk her wares: beautiful purses, with pockets inside for essentials. Great fabrics, nice textures, several different styles of The Perfect Bag (at etsy.com). (Yes, I am QUITE shamelessly promoting her enterprise!) I even found a rather unique necklace for my little black dress: a strand of gray and black beads, closed with two sterling dragonflies on the side. Not only is it an unusual piece, but it also appeals to my asymmetry bent. I'll have to create an occasion to try it out... oh, wait, I can wear it at the Celebration of Daddy's Life scheduled for Sunday! Oh, nice! I think Daddy would definitely have approved!
Saturday night, one of my BFF's friends had a low country boil, with a twist. They use crayfish, with a few crab legs for good measure, instead of shrimp, and they season it with fire. No, truly, They say they're using Louisiana spices, but I have it on good authority - my entry and exit orifices - that it's fire. Even the corn on the cob and the new potatoes were so spicy as to be nearly inedible by normal people. Fortunately, none of them were present and we all ate our fill, followed by a trifle created by my BFF in honor of my birthday. A non-dairy concoction with cherries, chocolate-laced whipped "cream", and angel food cake, topped with Bing cherries.
Wait just a darn minute! I know what you're thinking. "That's twice she's mentioned her birthday and not said anything about HER eating cake. What's up with that?" Well, quite frankly, I think I'm done with cake for a while, after having a certain type of cake lay siege on my mind for better than two weeks. So, pie, trifle, cobbler, bread pudding, even brownies, but no cake, please. The angel food cake in the trifle doesn't count, as it's not whole, but torn into little pieces. So, there!
On Sunday, my bird from Charleston flew on down and we had dinner and a movie. Actually, we had slunch (too late for lunch, too early for supper) at one of my favorites (Chili's - their tilapia is so very tasty!), then the movie. "Star Trek" for the second time, this time paying more attention to the character Ayel, played by Clifton Collins, Jr. He was also in "Sunshine Cleaning", as a completely (COMPLETELY) different character. I had wanted to see "Star Trek" again, especially for the sword fight (!) and the view of Earth from space. The viewing was that much nicer with my bird by my side!
And the whole weekend, my brain was feverishly trying to work up concepts for my novel-writing experience. Oh, how about this one? Hmmm, how to flesh it out past just a few pages? Whose voice should be telling the tale? Should there be only the one point of view? How about a series of stories, woven together? That sounds like fun, but how to get the characters to meet? Where to have the tale set? When is the action and what is the action and why??? So, Monday evening I began my journey into the Southern Cross world, having finally settled on an opening gambit... and found, after the first few lines, that I had diverged from my original concept into one that felt more natural, more me. I'll be quite interested to see where this adventure leads!