Category Archives: vacation

South Florida Living

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If you have ever visited one of the many communities in South Florida, this will not surprise you. The level of detail is astounding.

You have to believe that this was not written in the spirit of prevention. I would like to know how many poor people got locked in there before this very detailed set of directions was drafted.

I keep envisioning the condo association from Seinfeld spending the better portion of a month drafting this sucker.

The scary thing about this is that I am surely the most likely person to get locked in there. In fact, this was the third time I had thrown out the garbage and the only reason I noticed the sign was because my dad told me to take my cell phone.

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Filed under absurdities, carry a camera, family, humor, signage, travel, Uncategorized, vacation

Why the Pope Quit

the-boys-colliseum

My son is studying abroad this semester in Spain.

Last weekend he went to visit a bunch of his HS and college friends in Rome.

The following day the Pope resigned. This hasn’t happened in almost 600 years…

Just saying.

 

 

 

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Filed under danny, travel, vacation

Twitter Parenting

For those of you who don’t know me, I am somewhat of a social media obsessed 50-something mom that jumps on most trends before her college aged kids because… well because frankly I am way cooler than they are. (says me)

Tonight, as I was wrapping up work around 10:45 because I have no life am trying to take some time off while my kids are home. I did a quick check in on twitter because I am addicted you never know what groundbreaking news or info you will find there.

Right there in the middle of my stream was my sweet adorable daughter, one of the last living breathing souls left in Madison, WI. She has not broken her record for having a final on December 23rd – the LAST day of finals – four years running! This is what she had to say.

This cracked me up as we are the family of the HEAVY tag when we fly. So shoot us, we like to have options.

I thought I would ease her mind and tweeted back:

For those unfamiliar with twitter, the # is called a hashtag. You use a hashtag at the end of a tweet to designate a topic. When a lot of people tweet with the same topic, that topic ‘trends’ or becomes the most popular thing people are talking about on twitter. At this moment the top trending topic is #howtopissyourgirloff. So I am thinking that it is not far-fetched to think that one of my hashtags could catch on.

Ok, maybe not #schmanboy.

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Filed under absurdities, college, conversations, family, humor, Jana, moms, twitter, vacation, wisconsin

Time to Cry Tuesday – Checking Out

I admit it. I am a connection junkie. I have a blackberry, a blog, accounts on facebook, foursquare, twitter and countless other ridiculous places I won’t admit. I post, share, ponder, like, friend, tweet, IM, BBM, text, and in my retro way I am known to send an occasional traditional snail mail thank-you note when old-fashioned sincerity is in order.

But this weekend I worked pretty hard at checking out. Nestled comfortably in the heart of the 6 million acre Adirondack Park, I stayed in a sleepy little town called… no, not Petticoat Junction. But pretty damn close. It is called North Creek. And it is a bustling metropolis compared to the town we were there to really visit, which is called Minerva.

Minerva… 12851. 28N. Say those three things to anyone who has been lucky enough to spend their summers at the sleep away camps in that town and a glazed look will come over their eyes. The air smells so sweet, the sky is that extra shade of blue, the lake tastes like nothing on this earth. The stillness of its mornings and the majesty of its sunsets are amongst the most beautiful experiences on earth.

But the true gift of this little jewel on earth is found in its lack of cell service. Yes, you read that correctly. I was thrilled to be technically untethered for a few days. And although North Creek prides itself in its relatively new hot spots, I can honestly say I tried my best to keep away from them as much as possible while I was in town. Sure I threw up some shots on facebook and even checked in on foursquare once just to see if there were venues that were listed, but for the most part…

I checked out.

And kids, I have to tell you, it didn’t suck. Somehow being there and letting go made me remember who I am on some level. Or perhaps it was who I want to be.

Again.

Haven’t had enough of me yet? You can also read me at 50-Something Moms Blog. For photo enthusiasts, visit Leaving the zip code, photos from outside the comfort zone.

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Filed under camp, facebook, technology, Time to Cry Tuesdays, twitter, vacation

Time to Cry Tuesday – Summer

Life is hard.

Summer makes it less hard.

Sharing it with your good friends makes it downright worth living.

Throw in some beach, some pool, the best food, more laughs than I can remember and a sunset to die for.  And hosts that actually had earl grey, honey and ginger ale in the house for Gary, remembered how I took  my coffee after only serving it to me once and  I realize that I have no idea what ever made me think that life was hard in the first place.

A thank you bigger than we could ever express to the ‘Full Nelson’ for a fabulous 4th of July that truly felt like a vacation.

Toto, we are surely not in the basement anymore.

Haven’t had enough of me yet? You can also read me at 50-Something Moms Blog. For photo enthusiasts, visit Leaving the zip code, photos from outside the comfort zone.H

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A whole different species

This weekend finds us on the beach in East Hampton. It was a perfect 10 beach day and when I first said that this morning I was talking about the weather. Later in the day that comment took on new meaning.

Somewhere around 4 o’clock a band of beautiful people found their way in front of us and I had all sorts of fun taking pics of my friends with these incredible specimens in the background. To protect the old and perverted innocent I am only sharing a fairly anonymous shot. There are others that are so hysterical I will probably have to make them into screen savers for days when I need a good laugh.

And ladies, since I don’t want you to feel left out, here is one for you:

Ouch!

The comment of the day came from Sandy N:

“It’s like they are from a whole diffferent species.”

Indeed.

Haven’t had enough of me yet? You can also read me at 50-Something Moms Blog. For photo enthusiasts, visit Leaving the zip code, photos from outside the comfort zone.

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Filed under body image, carry a camera, vacation

Transvestites, Loehmanns and the Plate Glass Window

For those who do not know, I am in Florida visiting my parents. Hold on to your hats, ladies and gentelman, I am in the the land of Del Boca Del Vista Del Mar Del… vodka please!

If you have never been to the east coast of Florida (west of 95) then think Seinfeld’s parents.

First, my mom made sure I took a sweater because ‘the restaurants down here are freezing’. Um, Mah, I am a menopausal women. Yeh, well, 85 in the restaurant, hands down.

Right about now you are wondering about the transvestites, right? Ok, so we met my Aunt Arlene Whose Not My Aunt and Bert who we never called Uncle Bert and he has finally gotten over being bummed out about that for dinner. (neither of them is a transvestite, hold on, I am getting to it). Growing up she was like my second mom. She and my mother have been best friends since they were girls and she is truly family. We have not seen eachother in a couple of years and tonight she did not disappoint.

Somehow we talked about how they used to take me to Loehmanns when I was little and how freaky the communal dressing room was with all those ladies of different shapes and sizes with the pantyhose and no underwear and the makeup nets on their faces. (I know, a visual to scar any young girl, may explain my severe aversion to pantyhose)

Next they started to talk about when they would go to the Bronx Loehmanns – the Long Island woman’s mecca of fashion bargains. This was a major trip, mind you. They would pack a lunch! They called it ‘doing battle’. Well, it seems Arlene took one such trip without my mom and wouldn’t you know as she came out of the elevator first she saw, “you know that actress that just lost all the weight on Jenny Craig”. “Oh”, I said, “Valerie Bertanelli”. Yes that was it. And right after she gave her a little high sign of a wave, who should come  off the elevator but…

a pack of transvestites.

“What?”, I asked.

“Oh, yes”, she said, ” they come for the ball gowns.”

Who knew?

Then she went on to tell me about a group of transvetites in Forida who would drive a car through the plateglass window of a high-end boutique in Delray to steal the fancy gowns. The woman moved her store and they found her again so she finally closed shop.

And who knew Arl was such an expert on transvestites.

Haven’t had enough of me yet? You can also read me at 50-Something Moms Blog. For photo enthusiasts, visit Leaving the zip code, photos from outside the comfort zone.

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Filed under absurdities, aging parents, humor, moms, vacation

Time to Cry Tuesday – Balance

I know, I know. This is a the longest I have been away from the blogosphere. I needed to cleanse, I suppose.

And cleanse I did. With a fine balance of caffeine and alcohol; laughter and tears; dear old friends and happily some dear new ones.

Ah, girls weekend. Who does not love the sound of that? Even when the ‘girls’ are turning 50 (or 46/47 – some are never really sure of their own age). Another weekend away with 9 women to celebrate the birthday of one very special friend.

We came from 3 stages of her life; childhood, young professional and current. Some crossed categories, others crossed the country, all showed up for the love of one friend that makes each and every one of us feel as if we are the most important person in her life. She is the problem solver. The go-to girl. The no-issue-is-too-big-or-too-small-larger-than-life-let’s-solve -this-baby-for-ya type woman that all of us would throw ourselves in front of a train for. Or a pitcher of bloodies, anyway.

Seriously, this is the woman who you call with anything from a health scare to a stubborn cleaning problem.

Throw in a the most beautiful venue on earth (W Hotel in Miami – more on this during the week) a beach, a pool, 80 degree weather and the most amazing hostess on earth and there is not one of us who is isn’t sitting at work today thinking, ‘why the hell did I come home?’

There is something about friendships like these that give you balance when the whole world tilts to the side. They stand you up, dust you off and make you laugh till you cry and cry till you laugh. Eye make-up did not stand a shot this week. As she so eloquently put it today: “Nothing like a little time away from home to forget all the problems and refuel with some good times.”

Life is hard. Period.

Friends make it not so hard. Period (again).

Only I could keep writing after saying ‘period’.

Thank you to all the amazing women who I shared this weekend with and thank you, as well, for pointing out that most of my wardrobe, in fact, looks like my black bathrobe (more on that tomorrow).

Love you all!

Haven’t had enough of me yet? You can also read me at 50-Something Moms Blog. For photo enthusiasts, visit Leaving the zip code, photos from outside the comfort zone.

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Filed under friendship, Time to Cry Tuesdays, vacation

Get…

alife

And I am going to do just that.

Off on an adventure. Stay tuned.

Haven’t had enough of me yet? You can also read me at 50-Something Moms Blog. For photo enthusiasts, visit Leaving the zip code, photos from outside the comfort zone.

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Snow Bird…

snow-bird-sex-drive

Snow Bird.

Sex Drive.

Sex Drive.

I believe the missing license plate in that sequence would be:

Cialis*

I found the juxtaposition of these quite funny. Even funnier, the fact that Sex Drive had to be repeated. Was it for reasons of hearing, eyesight or poor memory?

*if you have an erection for more than 4 hours, call your doctor (favorite disclaimer/tagline of all times).

Haven’t had enough of me yet? You can also read me at 50-Something Moms Blog. For photo enthusiasts, visitLeaving the zip code, photos from outside the comfort zone.

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Filed under absurdities, carry a camera, health, humor, photography, places of interest, products, signage, vacation