Well folks, this is it. In about 2 hours my flight will take off and I'll no longer be a Florida Chick. I've thought long and hard about this, because as little as I update, I still like to think that my blog keeps me in touch with friends around the country...but it's hard to find a new name. I've gone through "Confessions of a Great Lakes Girl," and "Confessions of a Midwest Mama," but despite all of my trash talking about Florida, I just can't get past being the original Florida Chick.
It's late, and my bags are packed, but I thought I'd take just a moment to share with you a few last things that I actually like South Florida, so here they are;
1. Honking drivers. True, it's always annoying when someone honks the horn at you when the light has only been green for .01 seconds; however, it is nice when you can lay on the horn when someone else is the one causing the traffic back-up and no one thinks twice about it. It's the one time in life when you can be mean to someone and get away with it.
2. Ridiculously long red lights. This is probably why people honk their horns when the light turns green in the first place, but to be honest, as a non-texting driver, it is kind of nice to be able to carry on a 5 minute text conversation while waiting for the light to change.
3. Rude customer service. Yes, it might take 15 minutes to order coffee at the McDonald's drive through, but really, there is no where else you can tell someone off about their bad service and have them turn a blind eye because they are so used to it...and when it's the drive through, you know they can't spit in your food because you're already holding the bag.
4. Terrible health care. By the time you've sent all of your insurance documentation to the doctor's office, been cleared by the INS, the IRS and the Department of Homeland Security, it still takes about an hour and a half in the waiting room to see a doctor that you've made an appointment with the week before. The upside is that by the time all of this has happened, your flu symptoms have passed and you can skip the appointment altogether, saving a $25.00 copay to spend on something more fun.
5. Cockroaches. Actually, there is no upside.
And that my friends is what Florida is all about. Well, that and friends, family, flip flops and tank tops. Beaches, pool parties, and really expensive real estate. Great football, mediocre baseball, Presidente beer, and great seafood. The truth is, I'm really a Florida Chick at heart. Don't get me wrong, I love the Mid-west. I love knowing my neighbors, low crime rates, and lazy traffic. I love barbeques, and small-town parades. But a part of me will always be a flip flop kind of girl. I haven't yet bought a pair of close-toed shoes...and I'm going to put that off as long as possible. I'll wear sundresses and tank tops all summer, and enjoy the fall when the leaves start to turn...I know that home is definitely where the heart is...and yes, that is up north...but a heart carries with it all of the love that it has been given, and so much of that has come from Florida - land of Gators, Hurricanes, and yes, even cockroaches. Florida, you've been wonderful, and therefore, despite my travels or my destinations, I will always remain a Florida Chick.
With lots of love, from, well...me.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Shear Genius...ish
I've been watching a little too much Shear Genius on Bravo, so much in fact that when I made an appointment for a haircut at a place I had never been before, I automatically envisioned a cool chrome studio salon complete with cherry leather barber chairs. My vision was complete when I found out that Gino would be doing my hair. How cool is the name Gino?! I could just visualize a true hair artist with tattoos up and down his arms, tight jeans, and a boyfriend at home. To top it all off, my haircut, thanks to a spafinder.com gift card was going to be free, believe me, there is not much that I appreciate more in life than a beauty treatment that's free.
I'm sure you can imagine my surprise when I couldn't find the salon and the receptionist who I had to call for more clear directions tole me in her thick brooklyn-smoker accent, "it's across from the CVS...next to the Kwik Stop." Next to the Kwik Stop? Who puts a salon next to the Kwik Stop? However, I found the Kwik Stop...and the salon...and was quickly buzzed in through the intercom...apparently the salon had to put up security measures so frequenters of the Kwik Stop couldn't just wander in. Eileen, with her Brooklyn crackle was very nice and directed me to a seat next to a pile of magazines to wait for Gino. I was slightly surprised to see a hair magazine with Debra Messing circa Will and Grace years along with Juliana Margulies circa ER years on the cover...until I realized that the most updated magazine in the building was from 2002, hmmm....
Still none of this fazed me...until Gino walked in. He was about sixty with a thick Italian accent, a floral print shirt, balding head, thick glasses, and a gold chain. He definitely did not have cool tattoos...or a boyfriend at home...and he was ready to cut my hair. Now most of you might think that I, being a true Dominican would make an excuse to forgo the haircut. See Dominican's are notorious for being picky about their beauty treatments. Most of my aunts (and don't get me started on my mom) get a weekly blow-dry, monthly cut and color, facial, mani-pedi, eyebrows, and additional necessary waxing whenever needed. However, also being a true Dutch girl (yes, by marriage...but that counts too) I wasn't about to pass up on a free haircut...so, I followed Gino, potbelly, gold-chains, and all into the salon chair.
Ok, so Gino, despite his appearance, was a true hair genius. I mean he did go on and on about how great it was to cut hair in the 70s when the big Farrah Fawcett waves, and dainty Dorothy Hamill bob were popular, but overall, he laughed frequently, shared details with me about his wife and 5 kids, and even did a great scissor technique that he learned in New York back when the shag-cut was at the height of fashion. Overall it was a great experience, Eileen only had to shoo away one Kwik Stop customer who was hanging around the front door, and I actually found a People magazine from 2007 back by the shampoo sink. Most of all, I left feeling great...I mean really, where else can you get a haircut and beef jerky all in the same parking lot...and the good news? I still have a $12.00 credit on my spafinder card...maybe next week I'll get my eyebrows done...
Lots of love from a very stylish Florida Chick
I'm sure you can imagine my surprise when I couldn't find the salon and the receptionist who I had to call for more clear directions tole me in her thick brooklyn-smoker accent, "it's across from the CVS...next to the Kwik Stop." Next to the Kwik Stop? Who puts a salon next to the Kwik Stop? However, I found the Kwik Stop...and the salon...and was quickly buzzed in through the intercom...apparently the salon had to put up security measures so frequenters of the Kwik Stop couldn't just wander in. Eileen, with her Brooklyn crackle was very nice and directed me to a seat next to a pile of magazines to wait for Gino. I was slightly surprised to see a hair magazine with Debra Messing circa Will and Grace years along with Juliana Margulies circa ER years on the cover...until I realized that the most updated magazine in the building was from 2002, hmmm....
Still none of this fazed me...until Gino walked in. He was about sixty with a thick Italian accent, a floral print shirt, balding head, thick glasses, and a gold chain. He definitely did not have cool tattoos...or a boyfriend at home...and he was ready to cut my hair. Now most of you might think that I, being a true Dominican would make an excuse to forgo the haircut. See Dominican's are notorious for being picky about their beauty treatments. Most of my aunts (and don't get me started on my mom) get a weekly blow-dry, monthly cut and color, facial, mani-pedi, eyebrows, and additional necessary waxing whenever needed. However, also being a true Dutch girl (yes, by marriage...but that counts too) I wasn't about to pass up on a free haircut...so, I followed Gino, potbelly, gold-chains, and all into the salon chair.
Ok, so Gino, despite his appearance, was a true hair genius. I mean he did go on and on about how great it was to cut hair in the 70s when the big Farrah Fawcett waves, and dainty Dorothy Hamill bob were popular, but overall, he laughed frequently, shared details with me about his wife and 5 kids, and even did a great scissor technique that he learned in New York back when the shag-cut was at the height of fashion. Overall it was a great experience, Eileen only had to shoo away one Kwik Stop customer who was hanging around the front door, and I actually found a People magazine from 2007 back by the shampoo sink. Most of all, I left feeling great...I mean really, where else can you get a haircut and beef jerky all in the same parking lot...and the good news? I still have a $12.00 credit on my spafinder card...maybe next week I'll get my eyebrows done...
Sunday, March 28, 2010
A Report Card of Biblical Proportions
When I was Kindergarten we had naptime, and play-in-the-house time, and letter people time...so you can imagine my surprise when on his report card this year Carson came home with actual grades. Ok, so Kindergarten teachers aren't as callous as to give As and Bs, but they do give Es and Ss - Excellents and Satisfactories. Apparently, however, they also give Ns...for "not acceptable" or "not cool" or "not as good as the other students"...because that's what Carson came home with last week, an N, in Bible.
I realize that school today is more structured and deliberate than when I was in Kindergarten. Coloring and puzzles are secondary to the actual reading and writing that is done in the classroom. Spelling tests have taken the place of letter people, and math problems are actually taught using written numbers...not just red, blue and yellow plastic teddy bears. Unfortunately, the rigors of Kindergarten assume that parents are available to help their children to succeed in today's classroom, and unfortunately Carson was born into a family that finds the intricacies of The Bachelor more important than the intricacies of Kindergarten studies...he has found this to be devastating.
Carson came home last week distraught about the N that he got in Bible...apparently he hasn't been learning his weekly Bible verse. I have to say that at first I thought it was fairly funny that he got an N on his report card, until I realized how upset he actually was. Unlike Chris and I who view Kindergarten grades as slightly humorous, Carson was devastated that his perfect GPA was ruined by my inability to tear myself away from reality TV to help him with his homework. In a moment of weakness, I gave him a huge hug and let him know that the big black N on his report card was actually my fault, not his and that I would try to do better in the future. I didn't think much about it until later when he was talking to Chris about school. "Dad," he said, "I got an N in Bible, but it's OK, it's mom's fault."
I suppose that's the truth of it though, as mom's we tend to carry the weight of our children's burdens...today its an N in Bible, tomorrow it'll be the missed homerun opportunity because I was yelling too loud or the girl that broke up with him because I was stalking her on Facebook...and in the future, well I suppose that's what therapist are for...
Love from a an "N" level Florida Chick
I realize that school today is more structured and deliberate than when I was in Kindergarten. Coloring and puzzles are secondary to the actual reading and writing that is done in the classroom. Spelling tests have taken the place of letter people, and math problems are actually taught using written numbers...not just red, blue and yellow plastic teddy bears. Unfortunately, the rigors of Kindergarten assume that parents are available to help their children to succeed in today's classroom, and unfortunately Carson was born into a family that finds the intricacies of The Bachelor more important than the intricacies of Kindergarten studies...he has found this to be devastating.
Carson came home last week distraught about the N that he got in Bible...apparently he hasn't been learning his weekly Bible verse. I have to say that at first I thought it was fairly funny that he got an N on his report card, until I realized how upset he actually was. Unlike Chris and I who view Kindergarten grades as slightly humorous, Carson was devastated that his perfect GPA was ruined by my inability to tear myself away from reality TV to help him with his homework. In a moment of weakness, I gave him a huge hug and let him know that the big black N on his report card was actually my fault, not his and that I would try to do better in the future. I didn't think much about it until later when he was talking to Chris about school. "Dad," he said, "I got an N in Bible, but it's OK, it's mom's fault."
I suppose that's the truth of it though, as mom's we tend to carry the weight of our children's burdens...today its an N in Bible, tomorrow it'll be the missed homerun opportunity because I was yelling too loud or the girl that broke up with him because I was stalking her on Facebook...and in the future, well I suppose that's what therapist are for...
Love from a an "N" level Florida Chick
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Thou Shalt Not Steal...Especially if you Don't Need To!
Yesterday Chris's Blackberry was stolen. He stopped at the gas station at the corner near his work and left it on the counter. By the time he pulled out of the gas station, realized he had left it, turned around and came back, someone had already taken it. My first thought, infinitely optimistic as I am, was whether he might have actually left it somewhere else, or could it have been accidentally pushed behind a roll of Lotto tickets on the counter - unfortunately not, the gas station clerk checked the video camera, and sure enough the guy in line behind Chris was caught on tape picking it up, looking at it for a minute and then slipping it into his pocket...seriously? Who does this?
It's somewhat violating to know that something of yours has been taken, and it was interesting to note how differently our family took the news. Kaitlyn's first reaction was to note that this would never have happened in Michigan. I had to agree, but admitted that it's possible that in Michigan her dad might not be heading to work in the morning either. I suppose it's a little give and take, get things stolen but have a job, worth it? Still not sure.
Carson, only the other hand was wondering if we would be able to see the store video on the news. Down here in SoFla, gas station and convenience store videos are on the news almost nightly due to the high number of shootings and robberies. He was convinced that the black and white video of the convenience store shooting on channel 10 news this morning was the same one that would show his dad's phone being stolen...fortunately not.
My biggest issue was just the inconvenience of Chris not having a phone...until I realized exactly what was on there. Not only were there names and phone numbers, but it occured to me that there are some very distinct photos from the Victoria's Secret dressing room that I sent to Chris when I was in Chicago...hmmm, it seemed like a good idea at the time, now, not so much - suddenly, it's not just the phone that I hope doesn't end up on Craig's List...
Anyway, it would be nice to think that maybe the person who took it was someone who was really down on their luck and really needed a phone, someone who needed to urgently call a family member to pay their last respects, or call in a pledge to a local phone-a-thon benefitting a really good cause. Of course, it's kind of hard to assume the best in people when they take your stuff without even a second thought, and also because the video tape happened to catch the theif as he drove off without a care in the world...in his Mercedes-Benz.
Lots of love from the Florida Chick
It's somewhat violating to know that something of yours has been taken, and it was interesting to note how differently our family took the news. Kaitlyn's first reaction was to note that this would never have happened in Michigan. I had to agree, but admitted that it's possible that in Michigan her dad might not be heading to work in the morning either. I suppose it's a little give and take, get things stolen but have a job, worth it? Still not sure.
Carson, only the other hand was wondering if we would be able to see the store video on the news. Down here in SoFla, gas station and convenience store videos are on the news almost nightly due to the high number of shootings and robberies. He was convinced that the black and white video of the convenience store shooting on channel 10 news this morning was the same one that would show his dad's phone being stolen...fortunately not.
My biggest issue was just the inconvenience of Chris not having a phone...until I realized exactly what was on there. Not only were there names and phone numbers, but it occured to me that there are some very distinct photos from the Victoria's Secret dressing room that I sent to Chris when I was in Chicago...hmmm, it seemed like a good idea at the time, now, not so much - suddenly, it's not just the phone that I hope doesn't end up on Craig's List...
Anyway, it would be nice to think that maybe the person who took it was someone who was really down on their luck and really needed a phone, someone who needed to urgently call a family member to pay their last respects, or call in a pledge to a local phone-a-thon benefitting a really good cause. Of course, it's kind of hard to assume the best in people when they take your stuff without even a second thought, and also because the video tape happened to catch the theif as he drove off without a care in the world...in his Mercedes-Benz.
Lots of love from the Florida Chick
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
All the Single Ladies...(All the Single Ladies)
As much as a fan as I am of Beyonce, I'm not sure that she thought through the whole 'Single Ladies' song all that well. Ok, maybe I'm a bit jaded after almost 13 years of marriage...but after watching The Bachelor last night, I'm thinking "no wonder he didn't put a ring on it."
I haven't really watched the Bachelor since Trista chose Ryan over Charlie and instead have slummed it slightly with The Bachelor's less classy cousin "Rock of Love." The thing about Rock of Love is that from the beginning you know what to expect...lots of fake blonde hair (and other...stuff), lots of trash talk, lots of booze, and some tattoos and pole dances thrown in for fun. So you can imagine my surprise when within the first 5 minutes of meeting this season's "good guy" bachelor, one of the contestants says, "you can land your plane on my landing strip anytime." Ummm...anyone else a little uncomfortable?
Even better than that was the woman who brought the bachelor a sweet little airplane...that was a treasured toy of her son's...who just happens to want to be a pilot...and who apparently can't wait for him to come home with his mom to be his new daddy...yes, she said that...I think she's also the same girl that dressed up as a flight attendant...but it could have been someone else.
But really, the highlight of the night for me was when the girl told the Bachelor to lay on the floor (which he did) and put his legs up (which he did) and then proceeded to put her belly on his feet and play airplane...yes, the game you play with your toddler. I'm not sure what was more disturbing, the fact that she suggested airplane or the fact that the bachelor went along with it. Food for thought...if you have to play airplane with your potential boyfriend in order to attract him, you're possibly not ready for a serious relationship...but that's just me and my jaded point of view.
The good news is, if for some reason The Bachelor doesn't work out for these girls, I'm sure Rock of Love will eventually have another season in which they can land their airplane wherever they would like on Brett Michaels...and if that doesn't pan out, there's another new option...Conveyor Belt of Love...because every woman wants their future husband to slide past them like this week's groceries. In the end, I must say that the one thing reality dating T.V. has done for me is made me grateful for my marriage...the one place where I don't have to try to win my husband's love by playing airplane...or dressing up like a flight attendant...unless I want to...hmmm...
With lots of love from a bachelor-scarred Florida Chick.
I haven't really watched the Bachelor since Trista chose Ryan over Charlie and instead have slummed it slightly with The Bachelor's less classy cousin "Rock of Love." The thing about Rock of Love is that from the beginning you know what to expect...lots of fake blonde hair (and other...stuff), lots of trash talk, lots of booze, and some tattoos and pole dances thrown in for fun. So you can imagine my surprise when within the first 5 minutes of meeting this season's "good guy" bachelor, one of the contestants says, "you can land your plane on my landing strip anytime." Ummm...anyone else a little uncomfortable?
Even better than that was the woman who brought the bachelor a sweet little airplane...that was a treasured toy of her son's...who just happens to want to be a pilot...and who apparently can't wait for him to come home with his mom to be his new daddy...yes, she said that...I think she's also the same girl that dressed up as a flight attendant...but it could have been someone else.
But really, the highlight of the night for me was when the girl told the Bachelor to lay on the floor (which he did) and put his legs up (which he did) and then proceeded to put her belly on his feet and play airplane...yes, the game you play with your toddler. I'm not sure what was more disturbing, the fact that she suggested airplane or the fact that the bachelor went along with it. Food for thought...if you have to play airplane with your potential boyfriend in order to attract him, you're possibly not ready for a serious relationship...but that's just me and my jaded point of view.
The good news is, if for some reason The Bachelor doesn't work out for these girls, I'm sure Rock of Love will eventually have another season in which they can land their airplane wherever they would like on Brett Michaels...and if that doesn't pan out, there's another new option...Conveyor Belt of Love...because every woman wants their future husband to slide past them like this week's groceries. In the end, I must say that the one thing reality dating T.V. has done for me is made me grateful for my marriage...the one place where I don't have to try to win my husband's love by playing airplane...or dressing up like a flight attendant...unless I want to...hmmm...
With lots of love from a bachelor-scarred Florida Chick.
Monday, January 4, 2010
You Have Now Reached Customer Service Hell. Welcome.
I'm completely convinced that somewhere just south of the Palm Beach/Broward County line there is a sign that reads "You have now reached customer service hell. Welcome." Seriously, aside from the beaches and the crime, it's the one thing that South Florida is best known for. It's fairly common to have a fast food worker that won't make eye contact with you, and forget telling anyone that they made a mistake on the order. I have been glared at multiple times like it was my fault there were only four nuggets in the six piece meal.
Unfortunately, it's not just fast food chains that suffer from bad surface, after this weekend at Aventura Mall, I wanted to call the store manager and go ballistic about the completely rude salesperson at Express...and then I realized, she was the manager. Of course. You have to realize that Aventura is not just a mall. It's like the gourmet restaurant of malls. You won't find a Claires or a Charlotte Russe, but you will find a Betsey Johnson that sells one-of-a-kind $700 sundresses, a Michael Kors, a Bloomingdales, and a Macy's. There is a Gamestop now that I think about it, but it's at the same end as JC Penney and PacSun...the cheap end of the mall.
So this weekend I went shopping at Express with my mom. To me express is like Starbucks, a little pricey but totally worth it, and I could spend hours just basking in its aroma. And since it was after Christmas, I had lots of giftcards to use (thank you friends and family) which is annoying since apparently no one wanted to sell me anything. Seriously, the girl manning the dressing room was completely annoyed when I asked her if I could try some clothes on. She barely looked at me before unlocking the door and walking away...she didn't even tell me her name! And then when I needed a new size (smaller - yay!) and hung my jeans over the door in the universal sign of 'hi I need a new size,' I ended up waiting so long that I had to send Kaitlyn around the store searching for what I needed.
To top it all off, as we were checking out the girl in charge of directing people to the right cashier (seriously, wouldn't it be more helpful to get behind a register yourself?) yelled at my mom. Here's a transcript:
Girl: This is the line for purchases, you have a return
Mom: Ok?
Girl: (shouting) Esta es la linea para...
Mom: I speak English, you don't need to yell at me in Spanish
Girl: Well, I told you three times where to go
Mom: I'm sorry, I didn't hear you correctly
Girl: I'm sorry you didn't hear me...but I told you THREE times. (Seriously...who's this rude??)
Ok, so there's a little bit of bitterness in me because on top of all this, I am embarrassed to admit that at the beginning of December I applied at Express as holiday help. I had to apply online - apparently that's how they do it these days, and I had to take this online personality test and answer questions like "with 5 being strongly agree and 1 being strongly disagree answer the following question: I am a much harder worker than anyone else that I know." Seriously, how do I know? But apparently if you answer 3 for every single question, you don't get the job - which is embarrassing because now that I've seen who works there, I'm wondering how badly I had to fail the personality test in order to not get the job...seriously...I have a college degree...what's wrong with these people!! I suppose it's all for the best, I didn't really want to work over the holiday anyway...but the discount would've been nice...
Lots of love (with very little to no bitterness) from the Florida Chick
Unfortunately, it's not just fast food chains that suffer from bad surface, after this weekend at Aventura Mall, I wanted to call the store manager and go ballistic about the completely rude salesperson at Express...and then I realized, she was the manager. Of course. You have to realize that Aventura is not just a mall. It's like the gourmet restaurant of malls. You won't find a Claires or a Charlotte Russe, but you will find a Betsey Johnson that sells one-of-a-kind $700 sundresses, a Michael Kors, a Bloomingdales, and a Macy's. There is a Gamestop now that I think about it, but it's at the same end as JC Penney and PacSun...the cheap end of the mall.
So this weekend I went shopping at Express with my mom. To me express is like Starbucks, a little pricey but totally worth it, and I could spend hours just basking in its aroma. And since it was after Christmas, I had lots of giftcards to use (thank you friends and family) which is annoying since apparently no one wanted to sell me anything. Seriously, the girl manning the dressing room was completely annoyed when I asked her if I could try some clothes on. She barely looked at me before unlocking the door and walking away...she didn't even tell me her name! And then when I needed a new size (smaller - yay!) and hung my jeans over the door in the universal sign of 'hi I need a new size,' I ended up waiting so long that I had to send Kaitlyn around the store searching for what I needed.
To top it all off, as we were checking out the girl in charge of directing people to the right cashier (seriously, wouldn't it be more helpful to get behind a register yourself?) yelled at my mom. Here's a transcript:
Girl: This is the line for purchases, you have a return
Mom: Ok?
Girl: (shouting) Esta es la linea para...
Mom: I speak English, you don't need to yell at me in Spanish
Girl: Well, I told you three times where to go
Mom: I'm sorry, I didn't hear you correctly
Girl: I'm sorry you didn't hear me...but I told you THREE times. (Seriously...who's this rude??)
Ok, so there's a little bit of bitterness in me because on top of all this, I am embarrassed to admit that at the beginning of December I applied at Express as holiday help. I had to apply online - apparently that's how they do it these days, and I had to take this online personality test and answer questions like "with 5 being strongly agree and 1 being strongly disagree answer the following question: I am a much harder worker than anyone else that I know." Seriously, how do I know? But apparently if you answer 3 for every single question, you don't get the job - which is embarrassing because now that I've seen who works there, I'm wondering how badly I had to fail the personality test in order to not get the job...seriously...I have a college degree...what's wrong with these people!! I suppose it's all for the best, I didn't really want to work over the holiday anyway...but the discount would've been nice...
Lots of love (with very little to no bitterness) from the Florida Chick
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Freezing my arse off
I'm convinced that 50 degrees in South Florida is worse than 50 degrees anywhere else in the world (ok, it's probably worse in a few places) but seriously 50 in Michigan is almost balmy, it's possibly sweater weather, but you can actually get away with wearing shorts if it's sunny. Down here in SoFla, 50 degrees is the temperature in which people pull out their parkas and down comforters, you will see scarves, mittens, and in a few cases a ski mask (but that could also be someone just holding up the corner liquor store.)
I suppose the difference has something do with preparation. See down here in the south, we are prepared year round for 80 and 90 degree weather. We have stockpiles of tank tops, flip flops and Corona. When the weather dips, we panic. We pull out anything remotely close to warm weather clothing including boots and hats and tend to wear them all at the same time. Unfortunately for me, when I moved from Michigan I assumed that all of my cold weather experiences were behind me, the best I can do is a hoodie...a thin one.
South Florida houses are also unprepared for these dips in temperature. We have no heat in our house, which generally seems economical, but right now just seems really annoying. We also have no carpet, and due to the flood two weeks ago, we no longer have any rugs either, meaning that our entire house is laid with 50 degree terrazzo floors - think walking on cold cement. I did have a pair of slippers, but they too went the way of the dumpster after the flood, so I have resorted to wearing a pair of borrowed boots around the house in order to keep my feet from getting frostbite.
Ok, so I know you northerners are rolling your eyes and will probably write to tell me about your 7 degree weather, but really, let's face it, you knew it was coming, it always does. On the bright side, for all of you who get completely irritated when I boast about the wonderful weather is down here while you are suffering your first snow storm, feel free to laugh, knowing that since our bed only has a duvet cover (no comforter inside of it - why? it just makes us sweat) tonight Chris and I will be fighting over the Chicago Bears throw blanket and might just possibly resort to stealing Kaitlyn's snuggie in order to stay warm.
With warmth and love from the Florida Chick
I suppose the difference has something do with preparation. See down here in the south, we are prepared year round for 80 and 90 degree weather. We have stockpiles of tank tops, flip flops and Corona. When the weather dips, we panic. We pull out anything remotely close to warm weather clothing including boots and hats and tend to wear them all at the same time. Unfortunately for me, when I moved from Michigan I assumed that all of my cold weather experiences were behind me, the best I can do is a hoodie...a thin one.
South Florida houses are also unprepared for these dips in temperature. We have no heat in our house, which generally seems economical, but right now just seems really annoying. We also have no carpet, and due to the flood two weeks ago, we no longer have any rugs either, meaning that our entire house is laid with 50 degree terrazzo floors - think walking on cold cement. I did have a pair of slippers, but they too went the way of the dumpster after the flood, so I have resorted to wearing a pair of borrowed boots around the house in order to keep my feet from getting frostbite.
Ok, so I know you northerners are rolling your eyes and will probably write to tell me about your 7 degree weather, but really, let's face it, you knew it was coming, it always does. On the bright side, for all of you who get completely irritated when I boast about the wonderful weather is down here while you are suffering your first snow storm, feel free to laugh, knowing that since our bed only has a duvet cover (no comforter inside of it - why? it just makes us sweat) tonight Chris and I will be fighting over the Chicago Bears throw blanket and might just possibly resort to stealing Kaitlyn's snuggie in order to stay warm.
With warmth and love from the Florida Chick
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Lessons Learned in 2009
So, I haven't learned a ton over the last 365 days, but I have learned a few things, and I thought I would share them with you...
Lesson #1 - Doing something for 14 days does not make it a habit.
If doing something for 14 days turned that thing into a habit, I would currently be a very thin, caffeine-free author. Instead, I am a somewhat thin, coffee-drinking, sometimes-writer with a guilt complex. Seriously. I really did try to stick to Jillian's 30-day shred, but once I hit 14 days, I was completely exhausted from doing mountain climbers and jump-twists and remembered that those last 5 lbs. really aren't that important to me...I also remembered how much I like a cup of coffee with thick, sugary cream and decided that 14 days was enough to go without. I suppose it's the writing that has me feeling a little guilty, but that's the nice thing about writing...you can always pick up where you left off...today for example.
Lesson #2 - Winning Isn't Everything...Neccessarily
Last year I lost half of my cheerleading squad to graduation, the half that was really, really talented. When I had try-outs this year I had a slight panic attack, not a big one, just a slight one...but still. And then there was cheerleading camp. If I'm being honest, I will tell you that I cried myself to sleep every night. Now I know that some of you reading this are cheerleading parents and I want you to know that I'm definitely not talking about your daughter...probably. Anyway when the season officially started I was sure that I would have a meltdown, but Chris gently reminded me to get over myself and change my focus - I think he said something like, "this is Middle School, get a grip." But anyway, it worked, and I realized that maybe, somewhere along the way I had lost sight of what was important. That winning and talent weren't everything, but having fun and trying hard were good too...sort of. So anyway, we decided to have fun; to laugh more, to take time out to talk about, well, girl-stuff, and to serve others instead of focusing on ourselves...and then, all of a sudden, the funniest thing happened...my cheerleaders became, well, awesome. The more I let go of my expectations of them, the harder they worked and the stronger they grew. Somehow, this group of girls that had given me panic attacks, worked their rear ends off enough to win a regional championship....now, if I can just remember all of this throughout the second half of the season...
Lesson #3 - No matter how much traveling is involved, it's completely worth it to be with friends.
In early December I headed to Chicago to spend a long weekend with some of my absolute best girlfriends in the whole wide world. This is a trip that involved 5 hours on a plane for me, 5 hours in a car for Krista and Danelle (seriously, 5 hours to Chicago, you know that wasn't planned) 3 hours on a train for Monica, 10 hours of walking through the 15 degree streets of Chi town, an accidental 2 hour train ride into, through, and back through Chicago, 1 hour on the bus, and a 30 minute car ride in the wrong direction to get me to the airport before spending our respective times in planes, trains and automobiles to get home. Regardless, this was without question the best girl weekend of my life. I have never laughed as hard, danced as much (and that is saying a lot), and relaxed as well as I did with my girls. We drooled over Jacob and Caribou Coffee, laughed about almost ending up at a bowling alley with the desk clerk, and chilled out while watching Dan in Real Life from the middle to the end and then from the beginning to the middle. What I realized is that best friends are best friends, no matter the distance. There are no other girls I would have enjoyed that weekend with so much, and despite the traveling, both in the right direction and the wrong, wouldn't change one single thing...except for maybe that last lemon drop.
Lesson #4 - If a 465 lb. man can run a marathon...well, you finish the sentence.
This year I watched Danny on The Biggest Loser run a marathon and lose 1/2 of himself. It was amazing! I cried ridiculously as his partner Liz helped him cross the finish line, and I realized that if he could believe in the need to change his life enough to lose over 200 lbs, the only excuse I had for not doing what I believed in was, well...not wanting to get off of my ass. Seriously. I mean, ok, he had Jillian screaming in his ear and $250,000 on the line, but still, even $250,000 can't motivate some people when the going gets tough, and to tell you the truth I'm probably one of them. Regardless, I'm going to try. I mean, I'm not going to lose any weight, seriously, I'm way too lazy for that. And I probably won't eat well or give up coffee, or take time to relax, or exercise...but maybe I'll finish writing a book, or finally pay off my student loan, or run a 5k...actually, scratch that, I don't really want to run a 5K...In the end, it's all about what you really believe in...that and having people to pull you across the finish line, and I'm just lucky enough to have those people cheering me on.
With lots of love and dreams for a blessed 2010...
Florida Chick
Lesson #1 - Doing something for 14 days does not make it a habit.
If doing something for 14 days turned that thing into a habit, I would currently be a very thin, caffeine-free author. Instead, I am a somewhat thin, coffee-drinking, sometimes-writer with a guilt complex. Seriously. I really did try to stick to Jillian's 30-day shred, but once I hit 14 days, I was completely exhausted from doing mountain climbers and jump-twists and remembered that those last 5 lbs. really aren't that important to me...I also remembered how much I like a cup of coffee with thick, sugary cream and decided that 14 days was enough to go without. I suppose it's the writing that has me feeling a little guilty, but that's the nice thing about writing...you can always pick up where you left off...today for example.
Lesson #2 - Winning Isn't Everything...Neccessarily
Last year I lost half of my cheerleading squad to graduation, the half that was really, really talented. When I had try-outs this year I had a slight panic attack, not a big one, just a slight one...but still. And then there was cheerleading camp. If I'm being honest, I will tell you that I cried myself to sleep every night. Now I know that some of you reading this are cheerleading parents and I want you to know that I'm definitely not talking about your daughter...probably. Anyway when the season officially started I was sure that I would have a meltdown, but Chris gently reminded me to get over myself and change my focus - I think he said something like, "this is Middle School, get a grip." But anyway, it worked, and I realized that maybe, somewhere along the way I had lost sight of what was important. That winning and talent weren't everything, but having fun and trying hard were good too...sort of. So anyway, we decided to have fun; to laugh more, to take time out to talk about, well, girl-stuff, and to serve others instead of focusing on ourselves...and then, all of a sudden, the funniest thing happened...my cheerleaders became, well, awesome. The more I let go of my expectations of them, the harder they worked and the stronger they grew. Somehow, this group of girls that had given me panic attacks, worked their rear ends off enough to win a regional championship....now, if I can just remember all of this throughout the second half of the season...
Lesson #3 - No matter how much traveling is involved, it's completely worth it to be with friends.
In early December I headed to Chicago to spend a long weekend with some of my absolute best girlfriends in the whole wide world. This is a trip that involved 5 hours on a plane for me, 5 hours in a car for Krista and Danelle (seriously, 5 hours to Chicago, you know that wasn't planned) 3 hours on a train for Monica, 10 hours of walking through the 15 degree streets of Chi town, an accidental 2 hour train ride into, through, and back through Chicago, 1 hour on the bus, and a 30 minute car ride in the wrong direction to get me to the airport before spending our respective times in planes, trains and automobiles to get home. Regardless, this was without question the best girl weekend of my life. I have never laughed as hard, danced as much (and that is saying a lot), and relaxed as well as I did with my girls. We drooled over Jacob and Caribou Coffee, laughed about almost ending up at a bowling alley with the desk clerk, and chilled out while watching Dan in Real Life from the middle to the end and then from the beginning to the middle. What I realized is that best friends are best friends, no matter the distance. There are no other girls I would have enjoyed that weekend with so much, and despite the traveling, both in the right direction and the wrong, wouldn't change one single thing...except for maybe that last lemon drop.
Lesson #4 - If a 465 lb. man can run a marathon...well, you finish the sentence.
This year I watched Danny on The Biggest Loser run a marathon and lose 1/2 of himself. It was amazing! I cried ridiculously as his partner Liz helped him cross the finish line, and I realized that if he could believe in the need to change his life enough to lose over 200 lbs, the only excuse I had for not doing what I believed in was, well...not wanting to get off of my ass. Seriously. I mean, ok, he had Jillian screaming in his ear and $250,000 on the line, but still, even $250,000 can't motivate some people when the going gets tough, and to tell you the truth I'm probably one of them. Regardless, I'm going to try. I mean, I'm not going to lose any weight, seriously, I'm way too lazy for that. And I probably won't eat well or give up coffee, or take time to relax, or exercise...but maybe I'll finish writing a book, or finally pay off my student loan, or run a 5k...actually, scratch that, I don't really want to run a 5K...In the end, it's all about what you really believe in...that and having people to pull you across the finish line, and I'm just lucky enough to have those people cheering me on.
With lots of love and dreams for a blessed 2010...
Florida Chick
Monday, January 5, 2009
Florida Chick Sneaks Out
Yesterday we got a new computer (you can read about it at floridachick 365). It was really exciting, but the truth is, we have no place to put a new computer – or more accurately, we have no place to set a new computer. We finally got rid of our 15-year old college dorm desk (I’m still surprised someone took it from the curb), and all of our extra furniture is…well, still up north – yes, still…even after 2 years. So we decided to stop in at one of those big retail furniture stores that you see on T.V. You know the store, there is one like it in every town in America. They’re the ones that have a new sale every other day: a“New Year’s Sale,” a “Day After New Year’s Sale” or an “It’s Friday – hooray Sale.” So that’s where we stopped.
I know you know what’s coming…the salesman rushed toward us the minute we walked in the door. I’m not positive, but I think he may have tripped the other salesman in an effort to reach us first. He introduced himself as Larry, and, as we were the only ones in the store, he followed us like a ravenous wolf – no joke. Actually, after about 3 minutes of us ignoring him, he reminded us that his name was Larry and sat himself down on one of the plush couches in the middle of the store – an open area with a 360 degree view of the showroom and watched eagle-eyed as we searched for a desk.
It only took another 2 minutes or so for us to figure out that we were not going to be able to find our desk here - apparently the “hooray it’s some famous person’s birthday sale” meant that 50% off only included furniture that was at one time heinously priced at $3500 and was now a less heinous $1750. We decided to check Target instead. Getting out of the store would be the hard part, however. Larry was perched dead center with a roving eye on us no matter where we went. So Chris and I made a plan, I wish I was exaggerating…but I’m not, we hid in the interior design center and mapped an escape. We walked through the dining area – hiding behind high-backed chairs and through the living center by using two or three plastic ficus as camouflage. About five feet from the doorway, there was no hiding – so we dead sprinted to the door, ran through the parking lot, jumped in the car and headed home before Larry could chase after us.
So here we are, one day later with a computer perched precariously on a tiny baker’s rack-turned computer desk moved unglamorously into our family room. It’s pretty unattractive but I suppose it will work until we actually make it to Target, but I do wonder… maybe Larry could’ve gotten us a good deal… I suppose I could call him, I think we have 3 or 4 of his business cards in a pocket somewhere.
Lots of Love from a desperately-in-need-of-a-new-desk Florida Chick
I know you know what’s coming…the salesman rushed toward us the minute we walked in the door. I’m not positive, but I think he may have tripped the other salesman in an effort to reach us first. He introduced himself as Larry, and, as we were the only ones in the store, he followed us like a ravenous wolf – no joke. Actually, after about 3 minutes of us ignoring him, he reminded us that his name was Larry and sat himself down on one of the plush couches in the middle of the store – an open area with a 360 degree view of the showroom and watched eagle-eyed as we searched for a desk.
It only took another 2 minutes or so for us to figure out that we were not going to be able to find our desk here - apparently the “hooray it’s some famous person’s birthday sale” meant that 50% off only included furniture that was at one time heinously priced at $3500 and was now a less heinous $1750. We decided to check Target instead. Getting out of the store would be the hard part, however. Larry was perched dead center with a roving eye on us no matter where we went. So Chris and I made a plan, I wish I was exaggerating…but I’m not, we hid in the interior design center and mapped an escape. We walked through the dining area – hiding behind high-backed chairs and through the living center by using two or three plastic ficus as camouflage. About five feet from the doorway, there was no hiding – so we dead sprinted to the door, ran through the parking lot, jumped in the car and headed home before Larry could chase after us.
So here we are, one day later with a computer perched precariously on a tiny baker’s rack-turned computer desk moved unglamorously into our family room. It’s pretty unattractive but I suppose it will work until we actually make it to Target, but I do wonder… maybe Larry could’ve gotten us a good deal… I suppose I could call him, I think we have 3 or 4 of his business cards in a pocket somewhere.
Lots of Love from a desperately-in-need-of-a-new-desk Florida Chick
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Florida Chick Makes a Non-Resolution
So, I've finally learned my lesson, after 30-some years I've given up making New Year's resolutions. The problem with resolutions for me is that usually by January 3rd I've lost the paper on which I've written my list, and by the 8th I've lost all desire to actually follow through with whatever was on the paper. I've realized that it's easier for me to not make resolutions so that I'm never disappointed when I don't reach the goal. For example, I know I have those 5 nagging lbs. that have parked themselves on my rear, but if I don't resolve to lose them, I won't feel guilty about not putting down the bag of lime-flavored tostitoes that are sitting on my lap, it's a win-win situation.
The other problem with resolutions is that all of the experts agree that it will take 14 days for any activity in my life to become a habit. If I resolve to work-out daily, and keep the commitment for two weeks, by day 14 I'll have created a new habit for myself that will just naturally be hard to break - a sure fire New Year's success. My problem, however, is that I have a much shorter attention span than 14 days. My limit for new activities is generally about 3 days, and after that I've moved on to the next big thing...which, I can guarantee never involves anything having to do with running, eating lettuce, or reading Russian classics (a one-time resolution) and more likely involves indulging in Dove dark chocolate, watching Lifetime movies, and reading any series of chick-lit novels (think Sophie Kinsella) - now those are things I could commit to for 14-days straight!
So I've figured out that the only possible solution is to make a non-resolution for 2009. Instead of setting 1 goal to reach by Dec. 31, 2009, I'm going to set 1 goal to reach every single day of 2009. That's 1 new thing every day for the next 365 days with no commitment, no 14-day habits, and no guilt for not running a marathon before next Christmas or not learning a new language, because let's face it, no-carb for a year - not gonna happen, no-carb for a day - very much a possibility. My non-resolution is just 1 new thing every day for the next 365 days. 365 new activities, foods, events, recipes, thoughts, or ideas - and even better, you get to join me on this journey. I'm going to see how far I can get and document it for as long as I can at floridachick365.blogspot.com. It's ambitious I know, and in actuality I do realize that it is entirely possible that I might only try 3 new things before giving up and grabbing the latest mindless fluff novel and reading it for 14 days straight - then again, 14 days isn't that long - maybe it'll just become a habit after all...
Hope you'll check it out and follow along...with lots of love and best wishes for 2009 from an overly ambitious Florida Chick
The other problem with resolutions is that all of the experts agree that it will take 14 days for any activity in my life to become a habit. If I resolve to work-out daily, and keep the commitment for two weeks, by day 14 I'll have created a new habit for myself that will just naturally be hard to break - a sure fire New Year's success. My problem, however, is that I have a much shorter attention span than 14 days. My limit for new activities is generally about 3 days, and after that I've moved on to the next big thing...which, I can guarantee never involves anything having to do with running, eating lettuce, or reading Russian classics (a one-time resolution) and more likely involves indulging in Dove dark chocolate, watching Lifetime movies, and reading any series of chick-lit novels (think Sophie Kinsella) - now those are things I could commit to for 14-days straight!
So I've figured out that the only possible solution is to make a non-resolution for 2009. Instead of setting 1 goal to reach by Dec. 31, 2009, I'm going to set 1 goal to reach every single day of 2009. That's 1 new thing every day for the next 365 days with no commitment, no 14-day habits, and no guilt for not running a marathon before next Christmas or not learning a new language, because let's face it, no-carb for a year - not gonna happen, no-carb for a day - very much a possibility. My non-resolution is just 1 new thing every day for the next 365 days. 365 new activities, foods, events, recipes, thoughts, or ideas - and even better, you get to join me on this journey. I'm going to see how far I can get and document it for as long as I can at floridachick365.blogspot.com. It's ambitious I know, and in actuality I do realize that it is entirely possible that I might only try 3 new things before giving up and grabbing the latest mindless fluff novel and reading it for 14 days straight - then again, 14 days isn't that long - maybe it'll just become a habit after all...
Hope you'll check it out and follow along...with lots of love and best wishes for 2009 from an overly ambitious Florida Chick
Monday, December 29, 2008
Florida Chick Looks Back
2008 has definitely been a year filled with ups and downs. As it comes to a close, I thought I'd take a minute to share a couple of my favorite moments:
1. The Hannah Montana concert. I have to admit, it was incredibly fun to sing "GNO" at the top of my lungs, even if I was the only person over the age of 30 who knew all of the words.
2. The anniversary weekend spent in a Villa in Fort Lauderdale, which Chris won at the annual school auction by blocking the bidding sheet from view both by holding mindless conversations with other parents who might possibly outbid us, and by loudly declaring, "this looks like a crappy hotel, who would actually want to stay here for a weekend!" A technique that we will be employing once again this year.
3. Snorkling with my Michigan girlfriends in Key Largo. A trip that was supposed to take us 30 minutes, but which in actuality took us 3 hours and 30 minutes including an unplanned tour of Miami International Airport's arrival and departure gates. Seriously, someone needs to put better signs on the Turnpike.
4. Taking 2nd place at our very first cheerleading competition. This was another trip that took 3 hours longer than planned, and which included a viewing of the space shuttle launch, a dark and dusty road straight out of a horror movie, and a free breakfast - really, what more can you ask for.
5. Having "the talk" with Kaitlyn. It included an enormous amount of giggling (on her part), and groaning (on my part), as well as some well thought out answers to questions that might scar her forever. Nevertheless, a favorite moment for sure.
6. Michael Phelps.
In the end, amidst economics, and politics, spiraling home values, and unforseen losses, it's been a wonderful year just because I've been able to share it with my friends and family...because I've been able to spend it with you.
Blessings on a great 2009, and lots of love from the Florida Chick
1. The Hannah Montana concert. I have to admit, it was incredibly fun to sing "GNO" at the top of my lungs, even if I was the only person over the age of 30 who knew all of the words.
2. The anniversary weekend spent in a Villa in Fort Lauderdale, which Chris won at the annual school auction by blocking the bidding sheet from view both by holding mindless conversations with other parents who might possibly outbid us, and by loudly declaring, "this looks like a crappy hotel, who would actually want to stay here for a weekend!" A technique that we will be employing once again this year.
3. Snorkling with my Michigan girlfriends in Key Largo. A trip that was supposed to take us 30 minutes, but which in actuality took us 3 hours and 30 minutes including an unplanned tour of Miami International Airport's arrival and departure gates. Seriously, someone needs to put better signs on the Turnpike.
4. Taking 2nd place at our very first cheerleading competition. This was another trip that took 3 hours longer than planned, and which included a viewing of the space shuttle launch, a dark and dusty road straight out of a horror movie, and a free breakfast - really, what more can you ask for.
5. Having "the talk" with Kaitlyn. It included an enormous amount of giggling (on her part), and groaning (on my part), as well as some well thought out answers to questions that might scar her forever. Nevertheless, a favorite moment for sure.
6. Michael Phelps.
In the end, amidst economics, and politics, spiraling home values, and unforseen losses, it's been a wonderful year just because I've been able to share it with my friends and family...because I've been able to spend it with you.
Blessings on a great 2009, and lots of love from the Florida Chick
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Florida Chick Wears a Polo
Last week I wore a polo shirt to school. Well, not actually a Polo shirt …but, you know, a polo shirt – with short sleeves and a collar. The kind that Ralph Lauren made famous with a little stitched horse. Mine didn’t have a stitched horse but it did have a school logo – it was nice… the kind of shirt you wear to work on casual day with khakis and loafers, the problem is – I don’t wear khakis…or loafers. So today, on a day that I thought I’d bring school spirit to my students by wearing this polo…with khakis (c’mon, of course I didn’t wear loafers – I wore heels) instead, I brought laughter.
Apparently there is protocol for teachers that wear polos. It’s like the holiday sweater or the jean jumper, certain teachers wear them, but none under the age of 52 and only a few over. It’s an outfit that screams…”hi, I’m a teacher, now go write an essay.” To date, I’ve never been this teacher. I wear heels with everything including jeans (they make me taller than all of my students…and they make me look thin), I wear faux fur vests, and every once in a while a Hannah Montana puff-sleeved shirt. So, needless to say, on the day of the school-spirit polo, I was greeted with several once- overs, quite a few “did the school actually make you wear thats?” various raised eyebrows, and one lunch detention (seriously, you cannot say to a teacher “you look weird” without getting a lunch detention…you just can’t.) It was a banner day in my classroom in which I realized that regardless of how old I get or how much authority I have, it is still awkward to be the “uncool” person in Middle School.
I’ve tried to make up for it for it since then. The next day my heels were extra high and my jewelry was extra trendy. I said things in class like “whatev” and I talked about Twilight as if it weren’t the tackiest trend in literature since Sweet Valley High (oh, c’mon…you know it’s true). I belted out Christmas carols in class and traded in a grammar worksheet for a fun partner activity…all in an effort to regain my status as a non-polo wearing, semi-cool faculty member…and I thought I had done a good job, I thought the whole error in fashion judgment had been erased from the list of transgressions…until one of my co-workers (yes co-workers, not students) said to me with a smirk, “so Mrs. V., nice shirt yesterday.” You’ve got to be kidding me - it was a polo! It’s not like I showed up to school in a robe and fuzzy slippers! But that was it, my status as trend-setting teacher is officially gone, and apparently it’s been replaced with the title of “teacher who is only slightly cooler than one who shows up in a denim jumper” …and with my status officially gone, I’ve realized that there is just one thing left to do…I mean honestly, I might as well at least enjoy myself this holiday season – so Christmas sweater, here I come!
Apparently there is protocol for teachers that wear polos. It’s like the holiday sweater or the jean jumper, certain teachers wear them, but none under the age of 52 and only a few over. It’s an outfit that screams…”hi, I’m a teacher, now go write an essay.” To date, I’ve never been this teacher. I wear heels with everything including jeans (they make me taller than all of my students…and they make me look thin), I wear faux fur vests, and every once in a while a Hannah Montana puff-sleeved shirt. So, needless to say, on the day of the school-spirit polo, I was greeted with several once- overs, quite a few “did the school actually make you wear thats?” various raised eyebrows, and one lunch detention (seriously, you cannot say to a teacher “you look weird” without getting a lunch detention…you just can’t.) It was a banner day in my classroom in which I realized that regardless of how old I get or how much authority I have, it is still awkward to be the “uncool” person in Middle School.
I’ve tried to make up for it for it since then. The next day my heels were extra high and my jewelry was extra trendy. I said things in class like “whatev” and I talked about Twilight as if it weren’t the tackiest trend in literature since Sweet Valley High (oh, c’mon…you know it’s true). I belted out Christmas carols in class and traded in a grammar worksheet for a fun partner activity…all in an effort to regain my status as a non-polo wearing, semi-cool faculty member…and I thought I had done a good job, I thought the whole error in fashion judgment had been erased from the list of transgressions…until one of my co-workers (yes co-workers, not students) said to me with a smirk, “so Mrs. V., nice shirt yesterday.” You’ve got to be kidding me - it was a polo! It’s not like I showed up to school in a robe and fuzzy slippers! But that was it, my status as trend-setting teacher is officially gone, and apparently it’s been replaced with the title of “teacher who is only slightly cooler than one who shows up in a denim jumper” …and with my status officially gone, I’ve realized that there is just one thing left to do…I mean honestly, I might as well at least enjoy myself this holiday season – so Christmas sweater, here I come!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Florida Chick Makes a Threat
In general, I have to say that I have pretty good kids - I know that I'm biased...you don't have to email me and press the issue - but, that being said, aside from the whole "voting-for-the-opposite-candidate" debaucle, I have to say that my kids are pretty well-adjusted, polite, funny, and low ratio of mistake-to-success kind of kids... except for this past week.
Now, I blame this on their father and the fact that he's traipsing around London and calling us "chaps" on the phone - it's ridiculous, I think he even said "cheerio" today before hanging up - mind you, he's only been gone four days, but apparantly it only takes that long for one to become a true Londoner...as long as he doesn't expect fish and chips when he gets back...
Anyway, the kids...now, it's nothing major, just your garden variety excessive whining and picking on each other - the kind that seems 582 times exaggerated when you've been home alone with them for almost a week...and tonight I'd had enough. I have to say that I really didn't time it right, I suppose I could have controlled myself for another day or two, but today, I lost it a little, and honestly, I did the worst thing imaginable...I threatened to take away Christmas. I mean really, what parent does this? What parent threatens Christmas? The T.V., the computer, even the cell phone or friends - but Christmas? really? And to top it all off, we were standing in front of Santa's workshop ready to hand him his letters, ready to sit on his lap and pour out our soul. And then it happened - the last straw - and mother of the year that I am...I say, in a very calm and quiet voice, the one that each child knows as the serious mom voice, "if you continue with this behavior, you will not get to celebrate Christmas this year."
Ok, so I blew it. I did what every mother vows never to do...I said the first words that came out of my mouth before thinking them over. Honestly, I would never cancel Christmas...it's just not an option. But instead of being reasonable, rational...I blurt it out, and instead of sounding responsible...I sound ridiculous. The thing is, to my kids, I wasn't ridiculous - they believed me, which might actually be worse. Now, not only am I ridiculous...now I've become the Grinch...ouch.
Oh, the joys of parenting. Of working through issues and teaching values. Of building dreams and building lives. It's the best job in the world...but it's the hardest - and at the end of the day we all know that someday our kids will be in therapy with a psychiatrist who asks them about their childhood...and honestly, no one wants them telling their therapist that mom took Christmas away as a punishment for acting up in the line at Santa's Workshop. Actually, no one wants them telling their therapist anything but how wonderful their mother was and how she shaped them into the wonderful doctor/lawyer/philanthropist that they now are...on the other hand, I did get two giant hugs before bed tonight and I think they may have forgotten about the whole "threat" thing...or maybe not, but in that case, I may have found the best way to guarantee that they are on Santa's "good list" - at least for the next 22 days, and that, really isn't all that bad.
Lots of Love from a completely ridiculous Florida Chick!
Now, I blame this on their father and the fact that he's traipsing around London and calling us "chaps" on the phone - it's ridiculous, I think he even said "cheerio" today before hanging up - mind you, he's only been gone four days, but apparantly it only takes that long for one to become a true Londoner...as long as he doesn't expect fish and chips when he gets back...
Anyway, the kids...now, it's nothing major, just your garden variety excessive whining and picking on each other - the kind that seems 582 times exaggerated when you've been home alone with them for almost a week...and tonight I'd had enough. I have to say that I really didn't time it right, I suppose I could have controlled myself for another day or two, but today, I lost it a little, and honestly, I did the worst thing imaginable...I threatened to take away Christmas. I mean really, what parent does this? What parent threatens Christmas? The T.V., the computer, even the cell phone or friends - but Christmas? really? And to top it all off, we were standing in front of Santa's workshop ready to hand him his letters, ready to sit on his lap and pour out our soul. And then it happened - the last straw - and mother of the year that I am...I say, in a very calm and quiet voice, the one that each child knows as the serious mom voice, "if you continue with this behavior, you will not get to celebrate Christmas this year."
Ok, so I blew it. I did what every mother vows never to do...I said the first words that came out of my mouth before thinking them over. Honestly, I would never cancel Christmas...it's just not an option. But instead of being reasonable, rational...I blurt it out, and instead of sounding responsible...I sound ridiculous. The thing is, to my kids, I wasn't ridiculous - they believed me, which might actually be worse. Now, not only am I ridiculous...now I've become the Grinch...ouch.
Oh, the joys of parenting. Of working through issues and teaching values. Of building dreams and building lives. It's the best job in the world...but it's the hardest - and at the end of the day we all know that someday our kids will be in therapy with a psychiatrist who asks them about their childhood...and honestly, no one wants them telling their therapist that mom took Christmas away as a punishment for acting up in the line at Santa's Workshop. Actually, no one wants them telling their therapist anything but how wonderful their mother was and how she shaped them into the wonderful doctor/lawyer/philanthropist that they now are...on the other hand, I did get two giant hugs before bed tonight and I think they may have forgotten about the whole "threat" thing...or maybe not, but in that case, I may have found the best way to guarantee that they are on Santa's "good list" - at least for the next 22 days, and that, really isn't all that bad.
Lots of Love from a completely ridiculous Florida Chick!
Monday, December 1, 2008
Florida Chick Celebrates the Season
There is something terribly wrong about celebrating the holidays in 80 degree weather. Don't get me wrong, I love the sunshine...hate the snow - but listening to Josh Groban croon "O Holy Night" while drinking a pina colada on the beach...that's a little much.
Ok, ok, so there's not actually a pina colada - but there is a beach, and flip flops, and tank tops, and air conditioning. I still order a pumpkin spice latte everytime I pass Starbucks...but there is just something not quite right about having to roll down the window while I enjoy it so that I don't break out into a sweat from the heat. This year, instead of driving slowly on the way home from Thanksgiving dinner so as not to go sliding off of the road because of black ice, we were forced to drive home slowly because of traffic on I-95. And even though we decorated the tree this year with carols playing sweetly in the background, I struggled to get a good picture of the kids because of the glare of the sun streaming in through the patio doors.
Now, snow has never been on my list of things that I miss about living in Michigan, but I have to say that every once in a while I'd love to slip on a sweater, heat up a mug of apple cider and watch the snowflakes flutter down while I listen to Christmas carols. I'd like to bundle up under a blanket, build a crackling fire, watch a football game, and enjoy the sparkle of the tree lights as they reflect off of the icicles hanging from the eaves. And then...as I continue daydreaming about all of the amazing Christmas memories that could be, I realize that although I don't have hot cocoa, or cozy blankets, or a fire in the fireplace (actually, I don't have a fireplace at all) I can still curl up with a good book while Josh Groban serenades me in the background, I can hang lights, and light candles, bake cookies (with the A/C on of course, so the kitchen doesn't get too hot), and when all else fails, I can throw on a tank top and flip flops, take a picture in front of the palm tree in the yard strung with Christmas lights, and send it to all my friends who had to shovel out their driveways before leaving for work this morning - because really, if I can't enjoy a little holiday weather, I might as well at least enjoy the fact that while my Northern friends are busy shoveling, scraping and bundling up, I'll be heading to the beach this weekend for the Candy Cane Parade, with a jewel toned pedicure and a new pair of flip flops to show it off...now that's a happy holiday!
With lots of love from a very merry Florida Chick!
Ok, ok, so there's not actually a pina colada - but there is a beach, and flip flops, and tank tops, and air conditioning. I still order a pumpkin spice latte everytime I pass Starbucks...but there is just something not quite right about having to roll down the window while I enjoy it so that I don't break out into a sweat from the heat. This year, instead of driving slowly on the way home from Thanksgiving dinner so as not to go sliding off of the road because of black ice, we were forced to drive home slowly because of traffic on I-95. And even though we decorated the tree this year with carols playing sweetly in the background, I struggled to get a good picture of the kids because of the glare of the sun streaming in through the patio doors.
Now, snow has never been on my list of things that I miss about living in Michigan, but I have to say that every once in a while I'd love to slip on a sweater, heat up a mug of apple cider and watch the snowflakes flutter down while I listen to Christmas carols. I'd like to bundle up under a blanket, build a crackling fire, watch a football game, and enjoy the sparkle of the tree lights as they reflect off of the icicles hanging from the eaves. And then...as I continue daydreaming about all of the amazing Christmas memories that could be, I realize that although I don't have hot cocoa, or cozy blankets, or a fire in the fireplace (actually, I don't have a fireplace at all) I can still curl up with a good book while Josh Groban serenades me in the background, I can hang lights, and light candles, bake cookies (with the A/C on of course, so the kitchen doesn't get too hot), and when all else fails, I can throw on a tank top and flip flops, take a picture in front of the palm tree in the yard strung with Christmas lights, and send it to all my friends who had to shovel out their driveways before leaving for work this morning - because really, if I can't enjoy a little holiday weather, I might as well at least enjoy the fact that while my Northern friends are busy shoveling, scraping and bundling up, I'll be heading to the beach this weekend for the Candy Cane Parade, with a jewel toned pedicure and a new pair of flip flops to show it off...now that's a happy holiday!
With lots of love from a very merry Florida Chick!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Florida Chick's Day Off
So, I'm not about to say that days off are overrated, but it's 2:30 in the afternoon and here is a sample of my day by the numbers:
14 - times I've been on Facebook (although I only changed my status once because I didn't want anyone to know I'd been on that much.
24 - times the kids have asked for friends to come over and I've responded "no hablo ingles."
6 - times I've stood up, walked around the house and sat back down.
1/2 - pages that I've read of the book that I've been dying to read on my day off.
88 - number of unnecessary leftover halloween candies that I've eaten while staring at a blank T.V.
13 - houses I've chosen from realtor.com and craigslist that I absolutely MUST look at this afternoon.
8 - number of people that I've texted in the last hour about how bored I am.
5 million - times I reminded myself that I'm supposed to be relaxing and enjoying myself, sigh.
15 - days until Thanksgiving Break!
Lots of Love (and Happy Veteran's Day) from the Florida Chick!
14 - times I've been on Facebook (although I only changed my status once because I didn't want anyone to know I'd been on that much.
24 - times the kids have asked for friends to come over and I've responded "no hablo ingles."
6 - times I've stood up, walked around the house and sat back down.
1/2 - pages that I've read of the book that I've been dying to read on my day off.
88 - number of unnecessary leftover halloween candies that I've eaten while staring at a blank T.V.
13 - houses I've chosen from realtor.com and craigslist that I absolutely MUST look at this afternoon.
8 - number of people that I've texted in the last hour about how bored I am.
5 million - times I reminded myself that I'm supposed to be relaxing and enjoying myself, sigh.
15 - days until Thanksgiving Break!
Lots of Love (and Happy Veteran's Day) from the Florida Chick!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Florida Chick Gets Political
So...I have a presidential candidate sign in my yard...and it's not even the candidate I'm voting for. Seriously, what happens to people during an election year? We turn completely crazy and yell at the people we love...and call them idiots because they don't agree with our political views...or is that just my family? Honestly, the only politically sane person that I know at the moment is my husband who rolls his eyes and shrugs regardless of the candidate being talked about...at this moment I still don't know who he's voting for...I think he secretly likes them both.
Not so my daughter...yes, she'll be nine in a month...but she has very strong political views. Don't most kids tend to adopt their parent's political views? Doesn't every little girl want to be just like her mom? What happened in my home? Where did I go wrong? How did I end up with a child that brings home a yard sign for the candidate she knows I'm voting against and top it all off with(seriously, this almost stopped my heart) "and I also don't believe in Global Warming." You don't believe in Global Warming??? Whose child is this? I mean, she practically grew up inside a recycling bin...what's wrong with her?
I guess this is what politics is all about, right? It's democracy at it's best. It's giving each and every one of us (whether 32 or 8 years old) the chance to share our voice and let our opinion be heard. It's the chance to stand up and say "let's fix the economy, save our schools, and for goodness sake - let's recycle people!" It's also the chance to say "I don't believe in Global Warming" and stand secure in the knowledge that in this great country you have the right to believe it (even if your mother says you're wrong.)
More than that, it's the opportunity for us to love each other through our differences. To recognize that we really all want the same thing, even if we have different ideas about how to get there. And finally, it's an opportunity to teach our kids that they have the right to voice their opinions, to tell us when they think we're wrong, and to step up and try to change the world...and if all it takes on my part is letting the most independent, strong-willed eight year old in the country put a yard sign up - even though I cringe every time I see it - I'm glad to do it...and maybe one day, when she's the President of the United States, she'll finally see that I was right all along...or maybe not.
Lots of Love from a ready-for-election-day Florida Chick!
Not so my daughter...yes, she'll be nine in a month...but she has very strong political views. Don't most kids tend to adopt their parent's political views? Doesn't every little girl want to be just like her mom? What happened in my home? Where did I go wrong? How did I end up with a child that brings home a yard sign for the candidate she knows I'm voting against and top it all off with(seriously, this almost stopped my heart) "and I also don't believe in Global Warming." You don't believe in Global Warming??? Whose child is this? I mean, she practically grew up inside a recycling bin...what's wrong with her?
I guess this is what politics is all about, right? It's democracy at it's best. It's giving each and every one of us (whether 32 or 8 years old) the chance to share our voice and let our opinion be heard. It's the chance to stand up and say "let's fix the economy, save our schools, and for goodness sake - let's recycle people!" It's also the chance to say "I don't believe in Global Warming" and stand secure in the knowledge that in this great country you have the right to believe it (even if your mother says you're wrong.)
More than that, it's the opportunity for us to love each other through our differences. To recognize that we really all want the same thing, even if we have different ideas about how to get there. And finally, it's an opportunity to teach our kids that they have the right to voice their opinions, to tell us when they think we're wrong, and to step up and try to change the world...and if all it takes on my part is letting the most independent, strong-willed eight year old in the country put a yard sign up - even though I cringe every time I see it - I'm glad to do it...and maybe one day, when she's the President of the United States, she'll finally see that I was right all along...or maybe not.
Lots of Love from a ready-for-election-day Florida Chick!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Florida Chick's moment of genius
It used to be that my moments of genius could be measured by an award recieved or an amount of recognition given. It might have been a great gymnastics score, a 4.0 gpa, or the number of students who had passed a test...today, however, my moment of genius was less momentus yet equally important...it was the day that I remembered to take the chicken out of the freezer before work, marinate it, and prep the salad all so I could walk in the door at 5:45 and not wonder what's for dinner...it was glorious!
I was so excited as I walked in the door - no cereal for dinner tonight. No mac'n cheese with hotdogs (believe me, occasionally you can add hotdogs and convince your familiy it is a "casserole"), no breakfast as dinner (which, is really just an excuse to use the 'just add water' pancake mix in the back of your pantry), it was a full-blown, sit-down, planned meal in which any working mother could take pride. Don't get me wrong, I love to cook, I just seem to not be organized enough to plan ahead and be prepared during the school year. Walking into a pre-planned meal was a moment that would erase certain memories of the day which include announcing to a classroom of middle schoolers that if they didn't feel like listening I certainly didn't feel like teaching, after which I sat at my desk, picked up a book, and left them to figure out their homework on their own (not one of my better moments). It is notable to add that as I pulled the marinated chicken out of the fridge at 5:45, I fleetingly realized how much smaller chicken thighs are than chicken breasts -and as I sauteed the spinach, garlic and tomatoes, I realized that an entire bag of spinach shrinks down to fit into a shot glass. I refused to be fully concerned, however, until I began filling up dinner plates. One for Kaitlyn, one for Carson, one for Chris...
Yup, that's it, my moment of genius came to an end as I realized that my well intentioned meal was going to fall short...I, perfectionist extraordinaire, did not have enough food for my family dinner. To be honest, Chris fought with me to give me the last plate of food, but I was not about to lose an opportunity to play the martyr...if I couldn't enjoy the well-planned meal, the least I could do was earn everyone's pity. Which I did - the evening prayer went like this..."dear God, thank you for this food...and please help mom to eat something...amen." Worried that I had caused my children to think I suffered some sort of anorexia, I made a turkey sandwich and watched my family as they enjoyed the meal that I had so geniously remembered to prepare.
The story doesn't end there, however, sitting at the table, I realized that I had had another moment of genius, just two days ago I had picked up a bottle of Pinot Grigio that would go well with my turkey sandwich. I was feeling hopeful again until I took out the bottle...and the wine opener...and realized that my wine came with a twist off cap...a TWIST OFF CAP...sigh...but despite the twist off, (don't tell my wine conossieur parents) it did go well with the turkey sandwich...I suppose all I can do now is plan for tomorrow, I think I'll plan for pancakes...
Lots of love from a slightly hungry Florida Chick
I was so excited as I walked in the door - no cereal for dinner tonight. No mac'n cheese with hotdogs (believe me, occasionally you can add hotdogs and convince your familiy it is a "casserole"), no breakfast as dinner (which, is really just an excuse to use the 'just add water' pancake mix in the back of your pantry), it was a full-blown, sit-down, planned meal in which any working mother could take pride. Don't get me wrong, I love to cook, I just seem to not be organized enough to plan ahead and be prepared during the school year. Walking into a pre-planned meal was a moment that would erase certain memories of the day which include announcing to a classroom of middle schoolers that if they didn't feel like listening I certainly didn't feel like teaching, after which I sat at my desk, picked up a book, and left them to figure out their homework on their own (not one of my better moments). It is notable to add that as I pulled the marinated chicken out of the fridge at 5:45, I fleetingly realized how much smaller chicken thighs are than chicken breasts -and as I sauteed the spinach, garlic and tomatoes, I realized that an entire bag of spinach shrinks down to fit into a shot glass. I refused to be fully concerned, however, until I began filling up dinner plates. One for Kaitlyn, one for Carson, one for Chris...
Yup, that's it, my moment of genius came to an end as I realized that my well intentioned meal was going to fall short...I, perfectionist extraordinaire, did not have enough food for my family dinner. To be honest, Chris fought with me to give me the last plate of food, but I was not about to lose an opportunity to play the martyr...if I couldn't enjoy the well-planned meal, the least I could do was earn everyone's pity. Which I did - the evening prayer went like this..."dear God, thank you for this food...and please help mom to eat something...amen." Worried that I had caused my children to think I suffered some sort of anorexia, I made a turkey sandwich and watched my family as they enjoyed the meal that I had so geniously remembered to prepare.
The story doesn't end there, however, sitting at the table, I realized that I had had another moment of genius, just two days ago I had picked up a bottle of Pinot Grigio that would go well with my turkey sandwich. I was feeling hopeful again until I took out the bottle...and the wine opener...and realized that my wine came with a twist off cap...a TWIST OFF CAP...sigh...but despite the twist off, (don't tell my wine conossieur parents) it did go well with the turkey sandwich...I suppose all I can do now is plan for tomorrow, I think I'll plan for pancakes...
Lots of love from a slightly hungry Florida Chick
Monday, August 18, 2008
Florida Chick Catches Olympic Fever
I don't know about you, but I have spent the past week in an olympic-sized black hole. I have been completely consumed by every single event and have tried to watch NBC, MSNBC, USA, CNN, and UNIVISION simultaneously in order to not miss any big moments that I might hear about from someone else. I have sobbed uncontrollably over Michael Phelps, Dara Torres, the entire American gymnastics team, the Jamaican runners, the Latvian men's beach volleyball team, and the African swimmer who had never seen an olympic-sized swimming pool until his first heat at the games. I have ignored my children, my husband, and multiple phone calls to watch every possible olympic event...and although I did make it to Bible study this week, it was completely hard to concentrate because I knew someone was in the pool winning a medal.
The olympics has also made me a little nostalgiac for my younger days as an athlete...no matter that the current sprinters cross the finish line in the amount of time that it would take me to set up my starting block, or that the gymnasts throw tricks that are so amazing they are named after themselves...there is something magical about the olympics that makes me think, "you know, I could probably do that..." and with the encouragement of the 33 year old gymnast who won the silver on the vault last night, I have come up with 4 sports that I think I might be able to work on in the next four years in order to earn a spot at the 2012 games in London, here goes...
Number 1 - Shooting. Okay, I haven't actually seen this sport on TV, but I'm assuming you take a gun and shoot it at a target. Now personally, I am opposed to guns and am kind of afraid that if I had one I would accidentally shoot my big toe off - but with practice....
Number 2 - Speed walking. I'm not really a runner but I think that speed walking might be, well, more my speed. This is a sport that I have watched and as far as I can tell, the goal is to wear short shorts and walk a marathon route while stepping heel-toe and moving your hips back and forth - a definite possibility.
Number 3 - Fencing. Currently the U.S. has the number 1,2, and 3 fencers in the world, but I think this might be the possible sport to break into. The goal is to touch your opponent with your pokey-thing before they touch you. With enough practice I think I could become a pretty good poke and ducker. The only thing is the uniforms...I'm not crazy about the uniforms.
Number 4 - Tae Kwon Do. This is definitely the best bet, I have multiple Power Ranger DVD's in my house that have already given me amazing skills. Seriously, I'm pretty confident that I can take down multiple alien-like creatures from the planet Zordon...a human from the Ukraine shouldn't be that hard.
So, there is only one week of olympic awesomeness left, so please don't be offended if I don't answer your phone call in the middle of a synchronized swimming routine...it's not personal and actually, I need to start scoping out my competition. Seriously - I'm ready, I'm fired up...and currently I'm eating a bag of lime tostitos, no seriously...the whole bag. But no worries, I'll start training tomorrow...or at least the next time I put on the Power Rangers movie...and after I finish these chips...and the other bag that's in the pantry...enjoy the games!
Lots of Love from a not as athletic as she used to be Florida Chick!
The olympics has also made me a little nostalgiac for my younger days as an athlete...no matter that the current sprinters cross the finish line in the amount of time that it would take me to set up my starting block, or that the gymnasts throw tricks that are so amazing they are named after themselves...there is something magical about the olympics that makes me think, "you know, I could probably do that..." and with the encouragement of the 33 year old gymnast who won the silver on the vault last night, I have come up with 4 sports that I think I might be able to work on in the next four years in order to earn a spot at the 2012 games in London, here goes...
Number 1 - Shooting. Okay, I haven't actually seen this sport on TV, but I'm assuming you take a gun and shoot it at a target. Now personally, I am opposed to guns and am kind of afraid that if I had one I would accidentally shoot my big toe off - but with practice....
Number 2 - Speed walking. I'm not really a runner but I think that speed walking might be, well, more my speed. This is a sport that I have watched and as far as I can tell, the goal is to wear short shorts and walk a marathon route while stepping heel-toe and moving your hips back and forth - a definite possibility.
Number 3 - Fencing. Currently the U.S. has the number 1,2, and 3 fencers in the world, but I think this might be the possible sport to break into. The goal is to touch your opponent with your pokey-thing before they touch you. With enough practice I think I could become a pretty good poke and ducker. The only thing is the uniforms...I'm not crazy about the uniforms.
Number 4 - Tae Kwon Do. This is definitely the best bet, I have multiple Power Ranger DVD's in my house that have already given me amazing skills. Seriously, I'm pretty confident that I can take down multiple alien-like creatures from the planet Zordon...a human from the Ukraine shouldn't be that hard.
So, there is only one week of olympic awesomeness left, so please don't be offended if I don't answer your phone call in the middle of a synchronized swimming routine...it's not personal and actually, I need to start scoping out my competition. Seriously - I'm ready, I'm fired up...and currently I'm eating a bag of lime tostitos, no seriously...the whole bag. But no worries, I'll start training tomorrow...or at least the next time I put on the Power Rangers movie...and after I finish these chips...and the other bag that's in the pantry...enjoy the games!
Lots of Love from a not as athletic as she used to be Florida Chick!
Friday, July 25, 2008
Florida Chick in Michigan
So I'm wearing a sweatshirt. It's the end of July - the heart of summer - and I'm wearing a black velour hoodie just to keep warm...this is definitely not South Florida. I realized it last night when I took the kids for ice cream and it didn't drip down their arm in a sticky mess...and when I had to turn the air off in the car because the kids were shivering...and when we slept with the windows open and had to all snuggle tightly together to stay warm. It's like Dorothy when she sees the Oompa Loompas and announces "Toto...we're not in Kansas anymore" (actually I've never seen the entire movie, but I'm told this is what happens - and, okay Oompa Loompas are from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) but honestly, it's much the same...we're definitely not in Fort Lauderdale.
It's funny the things that you begin to accept as normal once to adjust to the pace of a new surrounding. For example, we were sitting at a stoplight yesterday, second in line, when it turned green. The car in front of me didn't notice the color change so Kaitlyn looks at me and says, "Mom, honk the horn - this guys just sitting there," which he was. But even more surprising than the fact that my daughter was ready to honk the horn at this poor guy, was the fact that not one person in line was yelling out their car window or honking their horn at him. Now, we were all complaining to ourselves about this idiot who wasn't moving...but not one person threatened to shoot him for dozing off at a red light...something that has become part of everyday life down south...it's probably the heat - 100 degree weather could make anyone crazy.
I have to say that the cooler weather and calmer pace of West Michigan has many advantages (including not feeling panicky at the stoplight) for example, my hair looks fantastic! I flat ironed it yesterday and it has kept its sleek and smooth shape...no frizzy curls that sneak up on you because of the humidity index of 96. And there are coffee shops on every corner...this is a huge blessing to me because down south my only choices are the ridiculously expensive (but so worth it) Starbucks or the cheaper (and slightly bitter) Dunkin Donuts which has the scary drive through where I always worry that I might get mugged.
As different as my two hometowns are, I'm glad to have two places where I love to be, and to top it all off regardless of where I am, I'm less than a mile from the beach. So that's today's plan, brush my nice flat hair, take my time at thh stoplights and hit the beach...although, today I will be hitting it with a blanket and sweatshirt as well as a mug of off-brand coffee, and off course parkas and mittens for the kids!
Lots of Love from a slightly chilly Florida Chick
It's funny the things that you begin to accept as normal once to adjust to the pace of a new surrounding. For example, we were sitting at a stoplight yesterday, second in line, when it turned green. The car in front of me didn't notice the color change so Kaitlyn looks at me and says, "Mom, honk the horn - this guys just sitting there," which he was. But even more surprising than the fact that my daughter was ready to honk the horn at this poor guy, was the fact that not one person in line was yelling out their car window or honking their horn at him. Now, we were all complaining to ourselves about this idiot who wasn't moving...but not one person threatened to shoot him for dozing off at a red light...something that has become part of everyday life down south...it's probably the heat - 100 degree weather could make anyone crazy.
I have to say that the cooler weather and calmer pace of West Michigan has many advantages (including not feeling panicky at the stoplight) for example, my hair looks fantastic! I flat ironed it yesterday and it has kept its sleek and smooth shape...no frizzy curls that sneak up on you because of the humidity index of 96. And there are coffee shops on every corner...this is a huge blessing to me because down south my only choices are the ridiculously expensive (but so worth it) Starbucks or the cheaper (and slightly bitter) Dunkin Donuts which has the scary drive through where I always worry that I might get mugged.
As different as my two hometowns are, I'm glad to have two places where I love to be, and to top it all off regardless of where I am, I'm less than a mile from the beach. So that's today's plan, brush my nice flat hair, take my time at thh stoplights and hit the beach...although, today I will be hitting it with a blanket and sweatshirt as well as a mug of off-brand coffee, and off course parkas and mittens for the kids!
Lots of Love from a slightly chilly Florida Chick
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Florida Chick Embraces Nature
So, I'm not really an outdoors person. Actually, that's an understatement...I just really don't like the outdoors period. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love the environment - as in please recycle and use re-usable grocery bags, and conserve energy in whatever way possible - but loving the environment is completely different from loving the outdoors...which I don't. In fact, I have two major fears in life, the dark, which I think is probably pretty legitimate, and grass, which I know is irrational...but even as I write about it I get a little panicky thinking about walking barefoot through my backyard, seriously, ask my friends...
All that being said, I feel that it is rather ironic that Chris and I have settled down in South Florida. Living down here in July is somewhat like living in the rainforests of Belize...not that I've visited the rainforests of Belize (actually, are there rainforests in Belize?) Anyway, you get the picture - it's hot and steamy. Multiple times a week we find a slug or a toad stuck to our glass doors, and I think that currently there is an infestation of gnats because everytime I go running with Kaitlyn, I seem to run through this black cloud of tiny, flying parasites that get into my eyes and stick to the sweat on my collarbone...seriously, and this is at six in the morning when it's only 92 degrees and 90 percent humidity.
To top it all off, I think it might be critter breeding season. Everytime I open my front door there seem to be 5 billion geckos that go running in all directions...I have no doubt they are making thereselves comfortable in one of the corners of my home. They are gray and green and yellow and all shapes in sizes...and I swear that each day there are more than the day before. Not to be outdone, there now seems to be a family (meaning brothers, sisters, cousins, and grandkids) of giant yellow grasshoppers who are living on our patio. I have never seen anything like these completely disgusting insects but here they are, hopping 8 feet in the air all over the backyard. They are 3 inches long and have managed to eat a majority of my bougain villea...they are not my friends.
Finally, you will be glad to hear that there are now 3 giant iguanas on our school playground instead of two. Usually, since this is summer, it wouldn't be a problem, but since I'm teaching summer camp, I get to hang out with them multiple times a week. Everyone insists that giant iguanas are more afraid of humans than we are of them, but I'm not convinced...and even if they are afraid, they're ugly and I just don't like them.
So here I am...the girl who thinks a great sunny Saturday should be spent curled up indoors with a good book or chick flick, living down in the South Florida rainforest and sharing my home with geckos, gnats and grasshoppers, and sharing my workspace with giant iguanas. My resolve to stay indoors and off of the grass has been strengthed knowing that each of these animals crawls through the lawn and uses it as a toilet and I guess my only comfort is knowing that by going green I am embracing all elements of this great planet...that, and the fact that I have air conditioning, thank goodness!!
Oh, and just so you know that I'm not exaggerating I've included a picture of one of my grasshopper friends...
Lots of Love from the Florida Chick
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