Jess's Big Day

I know it is long overdue but here are the pictures from Jess's Bachellorette weekend here in Florida. We decided to take her somewhere new for her celebration of taking the leap into marriage. Fort Lauderdale was our destination and it proved to be perfect. The weather was incredible and the beach beautiful. We came prepared with all the fare necessary to thoroughly embarrass her including the dare cards and t-shirt. I am fairly certain we got most of the shirt crossed off and met some incredibly interesting individuals. Pictures certainly say more than words, so let me post just a few of the best. Thanks to all the ladies who helped make Jess's weekend so much fun.

Look who is getting so big!

Well, I cannot let a time pass where I could talk about my adorable little nephew. These are some recent pictures of Nicholas with his Mommy and Daddy. Oh, and before I forget, if you don't know already, Jimmy and Linda are getting ready to be parents again come November. Congratulations!!! Nicholas will get to be the big brother. And lets hope he will be a different big brother than his Daddy was. Wink, Wink....no punching baby bro or sis in the nose the day they come home from the hospital! I think he is going to be great!
So, check this kid out. Could he be any cuter!?! Those eyelashes are just to die for! He is looking more and more like both Mom and Dad, but there is no denying he has got plenty of Mirenda in him. I think we have got some seriously strong genes. I am not sure if you can tell in these shots, but he is teething now and has got a few teeth already. Jimmy says that he just cries and cries, which makes me feel so bad because poor little guy can't do anything about it. Everytime I call though, I never hear him crying. In fact, all I hear are laughs, giggles and curious new words coming from Nick. He just seems to be getting more and more personality now that he has hit the 1 year mark, HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICKY! I cannot wait to see him in July! Alright got to get back to work....Peace.

Let's head South!

Let’s just say when opportunity presents itself; you cannot look a gift horse in the mouth. Enough clichés for you? Anywho, Marcia, Nina and I headed down to Key West this past weekend. It was a truly on-a-whim type trip since Marcia had to work down there. She asked if we would come along, and like I said before a free trip down to the Keys, who can refuse such a thing?! Let me just start off by prefacing that this was an awesome, relaxing trip that I wish could have been longer. I feel like I have so much going on, and on my mind that time for me and for fun is so few and far between. Thank goodness for Marcia and thank you Marcia.
Ok, so where to begin….there are so many pictures that you should almost let them tell the story and have people ask questions. But I will give the good details. Friday night we got there after the long drive, which wasn’t surprisingly bad; I actually enjoyed it. But then again I love car trips. I just felt bad Marcia had to do all the driving because it was her company car. Anywho, we decided to head down to the Conch Republic Seafood place right in the old restaurant district because the hotel recommended it and they gave us 2-for-1 drink coupons. Again, can you refuse? I didn’t think so. Well, we probably should have. The food was, eh and pricier than we wanted, plus we order spinach dip and instead of something like tortilla chips to dip in it they gave us packaged crackers! Can you believe that? For the price they were asking you would think you would get more for your money. Guess not, but the atmosphere was wonderful and Marcia did get to have her Mojito (and no, Nina, it is not a gay drink).
Off we go to Duval, but we lost Nina shortly thereafter because she wasn’t feeling well :-( So, Marcia and I are off to find trouble. And if you have ever been down to the Keys you know trouble is not that hard to find. Crazy people and cute boys are all over the place but there certainly seemed to be an over abundance of 23 year olds all over the place. Not exactly ideal but fun to mess with. They are just not that bright. But we did meet some nice people and had some good conversations. We met the bachelor and his friends (one of whom was guy who grew up in Melbourne), the cute Caribbean guy who sold us the cozies, and a Matthew McConaughey look-a-like. As the evening went on it was looking like I was losing Marcia. Friday was her night to go nuts since she had to drive back on Sunday, and she did get a lot loopy! Apparently she gave out her card to someone who we couldn’t even really remember meeting at first and they ended up calling us to invite us on a Sunset cruise. Weird, right? But we think we figured out who they were….maybe ;-) Oh, and we did meet the nice little geek that Marcia swears is my kind of guy. Too funny! The night ended, like most drunken nights with pizza and a cab ride home. Unfortunately, those two together don’t always work out alright. First off, the pizza guy ended up giving us 4 slices, when I only ordered 2. Ok, fine, we are hungry but carry them around to hail a cab after you have had a few doesn’t always work out so well. Needless to say I ended up launching on onto the sidewalk. On the cab ride home, Marcia ended up dropping her pizza (or at least part of it) on the floor of the cab but I am pretty sure I ended up with some of it under my leg. As if that weren’t bad enough, those cabbies cannot drive worth a crap and we took a turn a little fast and well, there goes an almost completely full cup of diet coke! We tried to play it cool but you know we weren’t. But it was all the more hilarious.
Saturday, as we recovered, we wanted nothing more than to just chill and relax. And oh man, was that pool at the hotel made for that. We sunned ourselves most of the day, had a drink, and just relaxed. Awesome. Unfortunately, Marcia had to go work around 3 so we lost her for a little bit. Nina and I decided to rent one of those little cars people ride in down there just because it looked like too much fun. The guy gave us a good deal so we couldn’t refuse. Man, that thing was hilarious and I think riding down in Duval we got our picture taken more than we took ourselves. And of course when Marcia got back from Marathon we had to give her a ride. I just have to say before I forget that I had lunch that day with chickens! That is right, the birds! I didn’t know it until we were already there but I did eat with birds. Yuck! But then the baby chicks came out and they made it a little better. We did end up going to Mallory Square for the sunset, of course, and that night it was dinner at Hard Rock, which was excellent (mmm…veggie burger), and then off to find some more trouble. Walking around was proving that there seemed to be a more diverse crowd that night but you know the young crazy ones still found us. We met some boys from Ft. Meyers I think, and one was drunk out his mind, while the other we are questioning his sexuality. They were amusing enough though. Another crazy person we met came in the form of an uber asshole. We go into the Bull to redeem some more 2-for-1 coupons and use the restroom. When we come out we take a seat at a table. Well, a few minutes (yes I said minutes) later some jerk off comes up and tells us it is his table and we have to get up. Um, sorry dude, bar etiquette would dictate there was no place holder, like a purse or jacket there, so the table is fair game. Now, it was a big table and we could have easily shared it with him and his woman but no he has to start being a complete idiot and literally start threatening Marcia. No for real, he was pushing her and tell her he was going to beat her ass if we didn’t get out of their seats. Um, wow, right? As this progresses and really looks to be getting out of hand I proceed to go and get a bouncer to have this guy kicked out. Well, the bouncers were useless and did nothing except find us a new table. Not about the table dude, just thought you wouldn’t want psychos like this in your bar. I must admit I was very shocked they did nothing. Well, revenge is sweet and stole the psycho guys cozie before we left the bar (Marcia dared me to….it was before we knew it was his) and took pictures with it all night. What a jerk! Not everyone there was like that though and we met some amusing guys at Irish Kevin’s right after (and they agreed that guy should have been kicked out) and had a good time for the rest of the night. Nina even gave her number to the bouncer! All, in all a good trip but much too quick. I know I am missing some good stories and laughs here but the girls know what is up. I think some of the pictures speak for themselves so feel free to comment on what tools we are.
Peace out.

I Love Easter!

Well, who doesn't?! I love ham, and candy and all the other good stuff that goes along with it. So, I had Mom, Gary, Jill, Rene' and Marcia over for a lovely Easter dinner celebration. It was chock full of good wine and good food. Jill made carrot cake and cheesecake...Gary was in heaven. Marcia made the best white peach sangria! It was sensational. Mom made little Easter baskets for all the girls and Jill made out with Chopper. You know a typical holiday! Enjoy some pictures!

Happy Easter!

Just wanted to wish everyone a great holiday and

Happy Easter!!!

Lets play catchup

Well, I knwo it has been a while but I figured I should at least make an attempt at trying to keep up with this. Nina and Jess might get awfully upset if they don't hear about what is going on. So where to begin....how about a few highlights here and there. Lately, it has been wicked busy and it just doesn't seem to stop. I seriously need a vaction. So, my dad came to visit, which was great but man, is the man exhausting sometimes. We actaully got a lot of house stuff taken care of that needed to be done. I got a new laminate floor in my bedroom, a new fridge and dad "supervised" painting the kitchen. We ate out a lot and just enjoyed the great weather. The girls and I took him to Grills up at the port for dinner one night and we all had a good time. The best part too was that Jess was able to make a surprise visit into town to do the job fair at FIT. She is so good, getting the company to put her up in a sweet beachside hotel with an ocean view, just so she could see her friends! That little stinker. I just wish she could have stayed longer.

Now onto St. Patrick's Day. It was actually a pretty crazy day and week leading up to that. Nina and I had finished painting the kitchen and the dining room. I have to take some pics of that so everyone can see. ANywho, it came out great but seemed to take forever. And let me give credit where credit is due. Nina is a GENIUS. Yes, I said it a genius because she did come up with the concept for the red kitchen. And I do love it. So, after painting and slaving away we wanted to have some fun. Well, dowtown melbourne and Meg O'Malleys, a local bar there, put on a street fair for St. Patty's. Nina, Marcia and I thought we would hit that then Main Street Pub after but the line to get into the street fair was insane. We decide to sit up on the balcony of Main Street and make fun of all the characters. I wish I got more pictures of them but we had enough trouble trying to control our laughter. It was insanely crowded but a good time none the less. And we did wear out green!

Lately, I am not even sure what I have been doing it seems. But I have had a great couple of weekends. Marcia recieved a little paper guy, named Flat Stanley, that her nephew sent to her because he thought she could use the company. How cute right?! Anywho, if you have never heard of Flat Stanley here is his story. The project was started in 1995 by Dale Hubert, a third-grade Canadian schoolteacher. It is meant to facilitate letter-writing by schoolchildren to each other as they document what Flat Stanley has done with them. It has morphed into sending him to relatives and friends of the kids who have cool jobs or live in cool places, even people who take neat trips. Flat Stanley has even been to space and the Oscars! You take Stanley with you everywhere and keep a journal and take some pictures to document. The kids then learn about the places and people Flat Stanley got to experience. Marcia was a little worried about what to do with him but I assured her it would be a lot of fun. We took him to meet the manatees, see the beach and he even visited the space center. We had too much fun and got to go all over the place. We went to Vero Beach, Sebastian, Cocoa Beach Pier and Tampa. Stanley was a great project and got us out and about in probably some of the best weather we had. Check out Stanley's Wikipedia site for some cool videos, like Stanley visits Hollywood. Hilarious!

Lets see what else.....well, last night we went to see Pirates of Penzance Pirates of Penzance at the King Center in Melbourne. It was a really fun show and I think the actors did a great job of keeping the audience laughing. I just wish the orchestral pit was larger so the music could fill the large auditorium better. Not to mention the sound system in there did nothing to compliment the great operetta voices of the cast. It made it a bit piercing at times. Ok, so why don't I complain a little more, huh? But overall it was an entertaining show and if you haven't seen it or the movie, and you like musicals, then I highly recommend it.

Alright, I had better sign off or now. I know I didn't cover hardly anything but I am getting the looks from the tools I work with. Which means I had better get back to work. Until next time...peace out.

It's Fat Tuesday....Throw me something, Mister!

Where to begin…..well, it really was a spur of the moment decision to drive to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. You see, Nina and some of her boat friends were getting off the boat and thought it would be awesome to spend a few extra days in NO to celebrate the debauchery that is Mardi Gras. On a budget, how could I refuse to not join them. Let me just say everyone should visit New Orleans at some point in time. There is such a city pride that runs through every person, business and street that is almost infectious. Of course it has been heightened since Katrina but it is always there. They really do love their city and the people who visit it. We all felt the Happy Mardi Gras vibe as soon as we stepped out on the streets. Nina came off the boat with Anders, Maggie and Mouse (Mellissa) in tow and ready for a good time. When Rene’ and I had gotten there the kids had already done some shopping and all I wanted was a nap. However, as soon as that nap was over I was ready to hit Bourbon Street!
We decided to watch one of the Krewes parades (Babylon to be exact) that was coming by on Canal Street so we could stock up on our bead arsenal. It was awesome. I mean who doesn’t love a good parade. They threw all sorts of beads and trinkets which we all gobbled up like they were gold. The reverberations of “Throw me something, Mister!” were heard all up and down the street. After the parade, it was time for a drink and some balcony bead catching. I would like to state first and foremost I did not show anyone anything, so don’t even think it ;-) We met a guy named Pear (yea, I know) at the parade who was traveling the world and decided to make a stop at Mardi Gras. Must be nice right. Well, Rene’ figured out how he is able to do this….we all were buying each other rounds of beers and Mr. Pear left without buying us any!!! I see his plan. Anywho, the bar we went to first was called the Saloon and it was the best place. A lounge area and a rowdy area, complete with mechanical bull! We basically started and ended there every night we went out. Ok, this is beginning to sound like an itinerary. I am going to give the highlights. Thursday night was continued fun with throwing and catching of beads and meeting interesting people. We did call it an early evening (midnight or so) in preparation for the following night. Nina, Rene’ and I did get to visit the Aquarium there. Rene’ had heard it was incredible and well I am always down for stuff like that. It was fun, because well, we can always make something fun, but not as cool as we had all hoped. The sea otters were so cute though. I think I want one now. Maggie was trying to leave on Friday to get home to her boyfriend but couldn’t get a flight out. Which turned out to be a good thing. She had never been to Pat O’Briens piano bar and we introduced her to Hurricanes. She was sufficiently snockered by 4pm. She was hilarious. She couldn’t get over the fact that she was sloshed and it was still daylight. Silly girl. Rene’ and I also decided to order Bloody Marys at Pat’s because they said they were voted best in the city. I mean, with advertising like that how can you refuse. I forgot how much I loved them! I am hooked again and may have to enjoy one a little more often. Friday night on Bourbon was definitely more insane and tons more crowded. After all it is Mardi Gras weekend and now the locals are off too. We started back at the Saloon which proved interesting. Met some nice guys there and they provided entertainment for a while. Moving on down the street we caught more beads and braved the enormous crowd. Man, it is just insanity and you should wear a crash helmet going down the street because you could get a concussion from the beads being tossed. The streets were littered with strands of broken beads and it made for some very slippery walking while you are trying not to lose the girls you are with, oh and hold you beer too! Some guys threw Rene’ and I some really good beads from their balcony and I caught mine but some jerk (tall jerk) grabbed Rene’s right out from her and then took off. We charged after him but he was just a little prick and his friends were crude. We were pissed. I mean it was just such poor form. It is all supposed to be fun man! Aside from the occasional wiener, a great night was had by all!
The last day we were there both Nina and Maggie had flights out to home. Maggie to Kentucky and Nina to Kansas. Rene’ and I said our goodbyes to them and checked out of the hotel. The trip wasn’t over yet because we had tickets to see Cowboy Mouth at the House of Blues. Well, for anyone who knows me knows how much I love Cowboy Mouth and an opportunity to see them in there home town was one I couldn’t pass up. We figured we would park the car again and amuse ourselves until 10pm when CM went on. Yea, well we strolled by the HOB to make sure we knew where the venue was and found out the band wasn’t going on until midnight! Yikes! We were planning on leaving after the concert for our 10 hour drive back to Florida. Oh, we had a long day and a lot of coffee in front of us. We did do a sufficient job keeping busy though. We did some shopping, stood on a long line for the famous Muffelatta, and had another Bloody Mary. Once Cowboy Mouth came to the stage, my energy was instantly restored! They are such great performers live and they sang all the good songs. Definitely worth the wait but man was I hating them on the drive home. So tired! That was really a silly idea but like I said earlier, this was a quick budgeted trip and it all worked out in the end. It was a great trip and kudos to Nina for the terrific idea! Check out all the picks. Oh, don’t forget people….today is Fat Tuesday, so get all your indulging in now!