And we are off… I’m looking forward to birthday cake

Off to the airport for a weekend of awesome food, shopping, friends, CAKE!, cold, and hopefully snow (according to the weather gods, snow is in the horizon, coming to us by Sunday, pictures of us playing in the snow are sure to follow – tacky much?).

We still do not have much of itinerary but I’m sure we will come up with something fabulous to do.  The NYboys are all well connected in the city.

Today, Thirty-something (because if I gave out her age, she will skin me alive)  years ago,my little sister came into the world, according to my mom, very demanding and her own special way (she was a breach birth).  She has not change one bit, she is still very demanding (of herself and others), always wants to do it her way and she has the biggest heart that I know of.  She will not show it to you, with my sister you would always see the tough exterior.  Those that are lucky to be call her friends, are the ones that took the time to really get to know her, to cut away at that exterior to get to the soft side of her (not everyone has the ability to see that).

Our relationship has not always been one of the best.  We had our ups and downs and being older and wiser does not necessarily help.  But, for the last year or so we have gotten closer, (ok, maybe being older and wiser has helped after all) to the point that we can be in the same room and actually like each other (big improvement).  And to me that has been a great gift…and one that I plan to treasure.  I guess I needed to take the time to cut away at the exterior, and realized that they were always a soft side inside.

So happy birthday sis!  Remember to share the cake.

2 down, 2 more to go

in 2 days time … I will be here:

I’m taking the sis there to celebrate her birthday which will take place this coming Friday. We are meeting up with the NYBoys, the BFF and hopefully we will NOT freeze our asses off.

I been to NYC numerous time (its one of my favorite cities to travel to) and I’m really looking forward to this trip, mainly because I never been to NYC during the holidays (see POLITICALLY CORRECTNESS)… and everyone raves about it… calling it magical.

Let’s hope its not magically cold (yes, I worry about the cold, because it makes one miserable, trust me)

While we don’t have anything planned in concrete, we are probably going to hit the “spots” to take those “hi, I been to NYC” see me pictures. I promise that I will try to take as many as I can before my fingers fall off from the COLD.

But, THEN! we have tickets for this and we are all really looking forward to it. I love their shows, and I never really been disappointed in all the ones that I have attended… I still have to eventually get my ass over to Vegas in order to see this one, then this one and lets not forget this one.

And while I know it will make it “colder”, I’m longing for a bit of snow… and not the kind that goes on a cone.

Addited

Because I just did not have enough of Ikea in Miami…last week
I needed to continue my addited nature and have to visit the Ikea in Orlando.

Today

Because you know, I need stuff.

For the closet

I’m so full of crap

Slowly but surely….then I got hit with an HDTV

Remember the operation-cleaning-closet-sweep? Did not happen until today, which is 2 days off my intended date…oh wait, make that 3 days, since its Saturday and I have NOT finish it yet.

Ok.. 1/2 of it its finished, the office work-clothes half.

The other half? No.so.much.  I got a bit side tracked.

No, I did not sit in front of my TV to watch DiscoveryHD or the Food Network in High Def because there is nothing more awesome than seeing the wrinkles on Paula Dean face as she eats the piece of apple pie…Who ever thought we could actually watch non-HD TV?  I mean she trumps the “trying it on, and either a) putting it away, b) does not fit, it goes in the donation bag activity any time.

But, back to the side tracked event… which went a bit like this:

While operation-cleaning-closet-sweep, cell rings:

Me: Hello?
The Mother:  Hey, what are you doing?
Me:  Cleaning closet
TM:  I thought you had done that, like 4 days ago?
Me: uh, yeah.. well no, started today, an I’m going to finish today.
TM:  So, you are kinda busy?
Me:  Sort off, why?
TM:  I decided to get the HDTV we saw the other day… want to come?
Me:  Sure! (inside my head – SHIT, the CLOSET!) what time?
TM:  We can be there in 1/2 hour.
Me:  Can I get Lunch? (there is nothing to eat at my house right now)
TM:  Yeah, we can do lunch.
Me:  I will be ready (SHIT, the closet… )

Why is it the TV always wins?

and of course a free lunch bought by the mother.

Closet blues or baking frenzy?

Everyone have a happy turkey day!

And while most of you folks sit in a table to gooble up all that food, I’m going to open my closet doors, and get to the major cleaning that needs to be done in there.  Wish me luck, since I will probably be at it for hours.

Then, if I feel like it… I will bake.

Not a bad plan for this thanksgiving. Hopefully I will not run astray and get it done.  If not, then well, I have 3 more days to get to it.

Unless I continue to just bake.

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Miami

The reason why I moved away from Miami was that I just could not handle the crowds of people that were flocking the city, because that meant crowns and traffic and a bunch of other stuff that a city has to deal with when its suddenly hit with an inflow of people from … EVERYWHERE.

When your daily routine was coordinated around the traffic patters of the city, I knew I was done for. So I moved to a much smaller town, which drove me nuts until I came to my senses and moved to Tampa, which is a cross between a town wanting to be a city very, very bad.  Sort of like the city that “did not want to grow up”.

But, back to Miami…  I do love it, and in some rare (notice the RARE) occasions I still miss it, not all of it but parts of it.  I love that you  find a perfect Café con Leche in pretty much every corner of the city.  Or a great empanada, the ways that it’s suppose to be made.  That my favorite thrift shop can be counted in providing me with that great find of Armani pants at the bargain price of $9.95, because you know… there is a LABEL on the pants and it’s lined on the INSIDE!  And of course the friends that I still have there.

Unfortunately, all that pales to the rudeness, the crowns and the simple fact that Miami has become one big nasty place to visit, even while you are there on vacation.

It took the city only one day to reminded me, why I had left in the first place.

My mother and I decided that we had time to kill before we made our appointment so we stopped at the new Ikea store that just open up.  Now, as most of you know… I LOVE Ikea… I could live in that store, the only reason I have not gone bankrupt is because they have affordable stuff, the kind that you can buy, and looks good, and last and it’s not going to break your bank account.

Now the Ikea store has been open for over a month, and while there seem to be a huge following on the openings of these stores, we figure that enougth time had pass to let that grand opening comodity die.

I knew it was bad when….

We could not park at the actual store parking lot… no we had to drive 2 miles north of the store, were you could park and ride a trolley back down the street and get dropped off.

Upon entering the store 2 people actually pushed their way around me to get a shopping cart… now this would not have been so bad if I would had been reaching for the last shopping cart, but when there are about 50 carts in front of you, this is just plain rude.  I’m still waiting for the apology on the shove.

The line in the restaurant was insane, so much so, that I had to ask one of the representatives if they were still giving away free food or something.  Her response “no, no giveaway, guess they like our food” – yeah, guess so.

When using the bathroom, discovering that they were OUT of TP and people were using paper towel and 5 of the stalls were blocked.. Not a pretty sight (or smell). 

I lasted 30 minutes before I busted out of there.

We did go back the next day, since according to the information desk “if you come during the weekday, it will not be so crowded but (and she said this last part in a whisper all top-secret like) you need to come in early”

But by then the whole enjoyment was washed away from me. 

Not its not an alligator crossing

When you travel in Florida there are 2 major interstates that will take you to Miami.  I-75 which runs on the west side of the state and then I-95 which runs on the east side.  If you take I-75, you then have to take Alligator Alley which runs west to east (Naples to Fort Lauderdale).

Now for the most part this is a calm piece of interstate, boring as hell… since there is not much to see, its a 2 lane highway and its divided by the middle medium, which its made off dead grass.  To the sides you have swamps… with fences, because god forbid this turns into an alligator crossing and the traffic will actually have to STOP to let them pass.

So here we are … making great time, even after we stopped for breakfast.  We were able to leave early enough so as not to catch the traffic in the Fort Myers to Naples leg of the trip.  So we were pretty much cruising along expecting to be in Miami within the hour.

Then we hit the entrance to Alligator Ally… were the trafic came to a complete stop.  Not forward, not side to side, but a COMPLETE Stop.

It could only mean something.  An accident and a bad one at that.  Like typical floridians, we speculated on what was going on… in the meantime, while sitting there not doing a thing, with the car engine off – (THE GAS is costing to much!)  You observed your fellow highway companions.

it ain’t pretty.

To the white BMW in front of us at the traffic jam in Alligator Alley:  No, its NOT ok to be a monkey and jump on the top of your car to see what the “stand-still” of traffic was… dude if you live in Florida you know that the only thing that makes traffic stop is a major accident (and /oralligators) and not a pretty one.

To the black Lexus SUV to the left of us, in the same traffic jam.  Its NOT ok to take of your shoes, socks and then proceed to sit on the drivers side of your car with your feet sticking out of the window… can we all say icky?  And why is your girlfriend taking a picture???? Tourist!

To the Rescue Team:  Please, please work slower, if we have to sit in a stand-still traffic jam, the least you can do is give us a peek of the better plarts of the accident.

To the Florida Highway Commissioners:  Explain why the toll has gone up a whole dollar now?  Its the same road and I’m pretty sure you will need a doctor’s visit\

To the guy in the black lexus who cut me off between 103rd street and 135th… Up yours too buddy!

Roadtrip!

On my way to sunny Miami.  For 3 days, some of the highlights which I looking forward to:

Meeting long lost friends

IKEA

Banking

Traffic Jams

Rude people

Great cafe con Leche

Los Ranchos 

I will be taking the iPod Touch, and the MacBook, hopefully there will be enough crazy to keep you and myself entertained for those 3 days.

Wireless

Post is coming directly from my new iPod Touch…

Hi world… :::waiving:::

“Touch, touch”… :::Apple’s commercial music playing on the head::::

Stuck at the Doctors office who decided to make us wait 3 hours…going to go over and make a scene, because a) I can and b) 3 HOURS…  Do I need to tell  type you more?

“Touch, touch”…. man it works the way its suppose too… God, I love the R&D at Apple computer.

Things that make me happy

Great fall weather.. the kind that bring a sunny day, with a nice cool breeze.

My hammock, which seriously will come out of its dark place to hang outside for me to lounge and read away my troubles.

Eating a Junior Frosty while debating politics.

Stolen kisses, the kind that you know are totally unexpected and take you by complete surprise.

Hugs, the ones that just engulf you making you fell all protective.

Laughter with friends.

The People magazine on my mailbox every week.

Vacations (NYC here we come!)

The purring of my cats.

Cupcakes.

Bubble baths, the kind that you come out looking like a raisin.

Having secrets.