Florida vacation- Stormy skies

It rained almost daily when I was in Florida on vacation a few weeks ago. For some reason, storms don't seems so bad when watched them roll in over the water. I know that ironic and maybe even moronic. I'm happy it was just mild storms or even just rainy.

amazing sky over the ocean before the rain- amazing cloud cover!

another balcony view of the storm rolling in before the clouds turned dark

Sitting in a restaurant called Conchey Joe's, located on an inlet, on a covered patio while it rained

Still at Conchey Joe's after the rain stopped

Storm over a pier

Wish I were still in Florida,
Maggie

Florida vacation memories

School started yesterday and I wish I was still in Florida!

Birds on a  pier

Old guy fishing on a jetty

Man riding his bike on the beach at sunrise

misty morning

Pelican on the water

beach flower on a cloudy day

waves at low tide

Beach memories,
Mags

Sunset

Florida vacation- morning view

This is what the ocean looks like as I stand on the balcony (5th floor) at 7am. So grey, with the sun just up.... I love it!

Florida vacation- moon on the ocean

Since Photographer is a photographer I'm learning to use my new Canon rebel and tonight was the perfect time for a lesson. The moon was full, there were clouds and a moon reflection on the ocean. Here is the result of my labours with my camera!

Oh yeah.... yeah.... I took those. Yeah, it was me.

Moonbeams and sweet dreams!
Maggie

Florida- the condo!!!!

We're here!!!!!! We arrived today!!!!!!

After unloading the car, "opening" the condo, unpacking, grocery shopping, having dinner out and then pouring drinks, I'm sitting on the balcony relaxing, listening to the ocean waves.... bliss!

view of the beach from the condo balcony- me facing northeast

view of the beach from the condo balcony, me taking the picture facing southeast

Beachy kisses,
Mags

Florida vacation- Orlando stop over

We had a 1.5 day stop in Orlando so Photographer could attend a conference. While she did that, I hung out in the hotel and read and watched tv. Not real exciting, I know, but RELAXING was the key for me!

 This is where I slept and watched tv and where I sat to read...

 I sat here to read and write letters...

View of Orlando from my hotel room window.

Leaving tomorrow for the beach condo tomorrow!!!

Mags
(PS and no I did nothing Disney related!)

Florida vacation- on the road

I'm going with Photographer to her folk's condo on a beach in Florida (ocean side of the great sunshine state). We left today. I'll be back sometime next week... I don't even want to think about it. I'm getting outta here for a week-ish! Yay me!

We left at 6 am and arrived in Orlando at 1am. We rock. We drove straight through, listening to music, talking, laughing and stopping to pee a lot.

 Olympic torch thingy in Atlanta, Georgia, a city we drove through.

View of Atlanta through the car window. We managed to hit the city at 5pm rush hour traffic. It was a delight! I did keep Photographer entertained with my constant GONE WITH THE WIND  ("I don know nuttin' 'bout dirvin' in no rush hour traffic!") references and commentary. And sprinkled in many DESIGNING WOMEN comments.

 The great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee...

More Smokies!

And I have no idea what happened to my photos of Indianapolis, Lousiville or Nashville... guess i can take care of that on the return trip!

Sunblock-y kisses,
Mags

I want more summer vacation

I'm so not ready to go back to school. We such a short break from school, just barely three weeks. I know, I know, I've gone on and on about how great year around school is and I am officially recanting that testimony. I was full oh phooey.

My problem is this: I've never really taken the summer off before even when I had it off. I've either taught summer school or waited tables or did some other part time work to make ends meet. I've never really just been off. (Off my rocker, maybe, but never on vacation)

This July, since it was so short of a vacation, I just decided to not do anything except be a bum.

And you know what I learned from this experience? Summer vacations are awesome! Being a bum (with a tiny paycheck) is even awesome-r!

When I grow up and am a real teacher I am not going to work in the summer. I'm going to be a lady of leisure and continue this layabout gig. It's the best one I've ever had.

Wow!
Mags

Is it work? Is it a vacation? I can't tell the difference!

Not only am I having a super cool week working with the kids at journalism camp, I'm also having a great time in this college town. It's a wonderful atmosphere and I just love the culture.

There are tons of amazing little shops all over the place. I'm not shopping so much as just wondering in and out of all these cute little places. I love the options and variety. I can find just about everything and then stuff I never thought of before. I love all the New Age stores, in person esty shops, vintage shops and tons of bookstores.

Speaking of bookstores, I went into one that has the biggest collection of newspapers and periodicals for sale of anywhere I've ever been. There were papers in at least 12 different languages plus papers from all the major North American markets. There were periodicals for every topic under the sun, appealing to everything. The collection of books- and this wasn't a used book store- ran from best seller and popular to rare and eclectic. I explored for hours there. It also had all sorts of fun and quirky novelty gifts for the reader and the artist. I bought a Monet coloring book, and almost bought a book of pin up girl paper dolls (but I wasn't sure what to do with it other than just owning it because it was amazingly cool).

The choices of places to eat is also amazing. It's very much a "bar" culture but in the middle of all of that are some great places to eat. I've had some of the best food ever this week- diet be damned. I've had English fish and chips at an Irish pub, arroz con pollo at a Mexican place, and some wonderful gyros at a Greek place. I ate a fabulous vegetarian bagel at a local place where bagels are made fresh (and boiled) 3 times daily, on site, with homemade schmears. I still want to eat Indian or Thai before I head home.

And the culture is everywhere. There are tons of free galleries and museums. There are poetry readings and author readings. There's all type of classes like yoga or belly dancing or Pilates. The music that plays in shops and restaurants is as diverse at the people and food options. And people talk about politics and books and just all these wonderfully intellectual ideas. (I spend time eavesdropping on fellow diners and shoppers)

Campus is amazing. It's historic and majestic. It just feels like I'm surrounded by history and can feel brains and intellect just ooozing from the building and people, practically. I like the history in the buildings. I love the nooks and cranies.

Tis a lovely working vacation!
Mags

Random Stuff on a Tuesday

Got my hair trimmed because it's grown so quickly. My stylist was just chatting away with me and she ran the clippers over the back of my hair and suddenly stopped and realized we 'didn't do that last time' but it was a little late for that now. My hair is REALLY short now. Yikes! More Gennifer Goodwyn short than Katie Holmes short.

And speaking of Katie Homes, does anyone else think "it's about damn time" that she divorces Tom Cruise and gets away from his mind control whako-ness?

And speaking of clippers, my household is in an uproar looking for Daddy-O's hair clippers. Mac uses them to give himself a haircut last week and Daddy-O helped him. Mac said Daddy-O took the clippers back and Daddy-O thought he gave the clippers to Mac. We've turned the house upsidedown looking for those suckers in all the obvious places and some not.

Does anyone else just LOVE Subway?

Is anyone else going to watch the new show on CBS this fall called Sherlock?

Does anyone else just love hotel sex?

I'd love to learn how to use Pinterest. Still can't figure that sucker out.

I've been thinking it would be cool if I could operate a Mac Book laptop.

Daddy-O and I went to a Kroger Market Place which is a cool twist on the super store idea but BETTER. It has furniture and home stuff. We found a "painting" on canvas in the lobby and after I finally found a clerk and made her scan it, we found it was $30. This thing usually retails for $80, and it's about 4x5 feet and totally cool. I grabbed it and had them hold it at the cusstomer service desk; hey, with that discount it HAD to be bought!!!!

It seems the new trend in the area I live is to now NOT find out the gender of the baby. I know all these pregnant women, or women who've very recently had babies, and no one is finding out the boy or girl answer. And just a few years ago, everyone was finding out the gender as soon as it was possible. Interesting. I don't care either way, but I think trends are interesting.

I want to have a Bernese Mountain Dog instead of a baby. Naming it will be just as fun!

I don't care what anyone says; Charlie Sheen is just hot and still sexy.

Today was a super busy day at work. Since we have tomorrow until Monday off for the 4th holiday, and then I'm going to be at a conference from Monday thru Thursday and then we have our July Recess until the last day of July, I won't be back at school for a MONTH! Go me! however, this does mean I had about a million things to do today. I made a to-do list and crossed off every single item! And for the first time EVER, I have to say that every single library book was returned!!!!!!!! I didn't have to go to the kids' res halls or do locker searches. Kids brought them back. YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This weather sucks and I hate it. The heat is killing me. And it's only early July; it's going to be a very long, hot, miserable summer.

My phone is telling me I have very little storage data left. I thought I'd delete stuff and there's all this Sprint shit I can't get rid of but I never use it like the football and NASCAR app. Nor do I Facebook and I can't delete it either. It's taking up valuable space and it just pisses me off that because it's part of the "phone company's promo" stuff, I can't remove them.

Mags

Teacher whine

All along I've said it doesn't matter if we don't have the summers off at our school. We went to year around classes and this is the first summer we've gone. I've been a big proponent at school, in public and even here on my blog about why this isn't a big deal and teachers should get over it, and just adjust like the rest of the working world who don't get a paid 3 month break.

Okay- I am wrong. I am so wrong. I hate that i have to get up in the mornings and go to work when my teacher friends can stay home and play. I hate it. I want to stay home and play! Oh yeah, I know I always worked in the summers but I knew I had the option to MOT work if I didn't want to. It sucks! I was wrong wrong wrong!

Maybe it's mental for me? My body is programmed to have time off and now that I don't I find it hard to get up in the morning and hard to sleep at night. I dread going to work. I don't necessarily dread my job but I dread the getting up and going through the motions.

I want to stay home and play. I'd craft and quilt and read read read!

Drat, I want my summers off, unlike the rest of the non- teaching world. Blah me!

Mags

Could it be any more relaxing?

Wednesday's agenda:
Drank Starbucks
Made homemade chicken salad for lunch
Sat at Starbucks, reading for a few hours
Took a nap
Took a walk
Texted friends and fam
Visited a new library
Ate a steak dinner
Watched TV

Thursday's Agenda:
Drank Starbucks
Ate breakfast at the diner
Took a nap
Shopped at a vintage clothing store: got 3 shirts, 2 jackets, 1 sweater, 1 dress for $36
Ate homemade chicken salad for lunch
Read another book
Texted friends and fam
Went for a walk
Visited a small, privately owned books store
Went to an open mic poetry night
Ate fantastic BBQ for supper
Watched tv

What got accomplished on the agendas? EVERYTHING!!!!

Mags

Great Family Day, too!

Spent the day in the capital city with Daddy-O and two of my cousins from the southern part of the State.

It cracks me up that we met and hung out at a Barnes and Noble for a few hours, sitting in the cafe, chatting and doing book stuff. I got Daddy-O an early birthday gift- a Nook Color and we all 4 played with it there at the store so if he had problems or questions, we were there to take care of it ASAP.

We also ate a fab lunch at Red Robin and laughed and talked more.

It was a fun day with some family. I love these cousins and it was nice to just relax with them

Another great vacay day!

Mags

Hiatus due to a much needed break

Going on a vacay so I have no idea how much I'll be blogging this week while I'm on spring break! But never fear, I will BE BACK! (<--- say that in your best Arnold voice!)

Mags

Spring Break Books and other vacay plans& dreams

So spring break starts on Friday!!! This is the big perk of education. That being said... what am I going to do with a week off? Well since I never have any money, I shall dedicate myself to the pursuit of fine literature. Or I'll read a bunch of stuff I have in my TBR stack that in no way, shape nor form is declared "fine" nor "literature" but I'm going to read it nonetheless.

Though... a brief aside... since I haven't been teaching for several years I feel rather shabby about the fact that i neglect reading anything considered to be a classic. Since I had to teach classics I was always reading such along with my personal selection of material but now I just read anything that suits my fancy and of late, that runs toward the... well... the beach reads, if you will. Cotton candy for the brain. something delicious and fun and that I can devour in hours or even a day. The running joke in my family is that no one reads what I like because I read "smart intellectual analytical" books, either of the fiction or non-fiction variety. But lately that hasn't been true at all, and the trend will continue through my Spring break. After all, I should read beach reads even if I won't be at the beach, right? I can PRETEND!

So the Spring Break line up of reading is Kill Alex Cross (Patterson, James- like I need to even put his name here?), Defending Jacob (William Landay), Home Front (Kristen Hannah), The Night Circus (Erin Morgenstern) and Explosive 18 (Evanovich). If time allows I'll finish my Pat Conroy's My Reading Life. This should take care of all the books I have from various libraries and will then let me dedicate my reading time to stuff on my Nook- either that I bought or that I checked out as a library ebook.

I have plans to have a girlie day with my friend Lilith and another one with XRayGirl, and a family day with some cousins. That's it, other than reading.

Unless a windfall comes my way, that is. If so, then I'm temporarily ditching the books and heading to Memphis- Elvis is calling my name.

Mags

Let the school year commence

I'm back at school. Today. Right now!!! (okay, if you're reading this after 3:45pm EST then I'm not there, but I was otherwise!) Today and tomorrow are teacher days and we have students on Wednesday and Thursday. We are now officially starting year- round school. We also now no longer have school on Fridays. This week is a 2 day with student week.

I can't believe my summer vacation is over. I'm working on "blogger appreciation gifts" and don't have them all done yet (but be watching your mail!). I have a stack of books not read. I have two quilts not finished. I have recipes not tried. Ugh. The list goes on and on.

I'm going to be really good at being retired.

But on the good side, I do love my job so it will be good to get back into a routine and to see the kids. I have some magic up my sleeve for the library and I have a nice, long, fun list of things I want to do this month with the kids. Well, the next few months, anyway! So, it's not really all about complaining about the end of summer,

I prefer to think of it as being in mourning. I have on my favorite black t-shirt...

Mags

Work starts sooner rather than the much desired later

Because I have a child going to college in 23 days and because I'm financially desperate, I've agreed to fill in for a person at this weekend at my weekend receptionist job, both Friday and Saturday nights. On my last weekend of my entire summer vacation. Yes, I'm a glutton. I have no one to blame but myself. But it's filling in for a great guy who I have a sort of an "old man" (He's around 74 but is AWESOME!) crush on so I would cover for him anytime. And he covered for me about a million times last school year so I could go to everything Mac. But it all happened in about 7 phone calls.

This has been an interesting week. No one from school nor front desk have called me all month long for anything. But not this week! This week I've had one work call after another. Is it because my vacay is winding down so I just need to adapt and people are beyond caring? I just thought it was funny that it seemed like everyone "respected" my vacation until the last week when I was consumed by a plethora of calls.

My principal called me with a few things. This coming year we're going to have 2 male PE teachers, and no female ones. I guess one of my new "responsibilities" is that I'll have locker room duty for three periods a day. It means I'll have to stand outside the locker room and be ready to go in to break up fights or anything else that might be inappropriate.

On the good side, he did say that he's found a stipend for me since I'm doing an art group since our art department was cut entirely. And our company's grant writer called me and asked me what I wanted for the art group as far as supplies and she's going to write a grant for it. That's awesome! Oh, and back to the principal, he asked me if I wanted to direct the school play this coming year and if I say yes, then I will also get a stipend.

Another work phone call informed me that I missed my TB test so I have to get to the county health nurse to do it before Aug. 5. This was about 3 phone calls, and counting.

Finally, I had another strange job offer. We have students who don't live on our campus but they go to our school. These kids don't have an assigned adult to monitor them during lunch. I'm hired for that gig, and I'll make about $15 a day to walk these kids to lunch, eat at the same table with them, and then sit with them until the bell. I know all these kids and they're pretty awesome.

Looks like work looms but with that is going to come some good money-making opportunities!

Mags

The end is near

I have 4 days of summer vacation left.

I'm so NOT ready to go back yet. I LOVE my job but I LOVE summer vacay.

I'm selfish, I know. I think it's because I know it will be the last time I have a break this long. I'm going to start hitting the resume/ job hunting thing again, hard. I need to make $30k or more, and get some benefits. And anything job-wise in the real world does not let a person have a month of vacation.

Ugh, back to school Aug. 1.

Yea.

Pouting,
Maggie

What I'm doing on my summer vacation

My vacation is going along nicely.... I've loved having all this time off. I think I could enjoy being retired, other than the fact you need money and place to live and stuff like that. I want to enjoy being retired, not be homeless. Well, whatever, I DO LOVE my vacation.

I've been quite the slug.

Well, sort of. I do like sleeping in. But I've read lots of books on my list and I like being able to just sit and sip ice tea and read to my heart's content. I've hung out with Curley, Daddy-O, Mac and Booknut. I've scrapbooked. I've cooked dinner. I went to a concert and done some shopping. I've gone out to eat. I've rummage saled. I've just basically done whatever I've wanted, which is awesome.

Today the plan is to run some errands, bake some banana bread this afternoon, and go to the county fair later this morning. Time permitting I want to see about getting Mac his own cell phone; this sharing thing is NOT working.

Next week, I'm teaching a photography workshop 2 hours a day, and next weekend is mine to weekend receptionist. I also still want to finish Fab Finn's baby quilt and see the new (and LAST) Harry Potter movie in IMAX-3 D (Mac and I have plans to do that, as well as have a decadent dessert at a chocolatier shoppe). I want to hang with Lilith, and also scrap book some more. This might also be "movie week" because I want to see Larry Crown and Monte Carlo, and I promised Mac I'd watch Cars 2 with him. I also am going to get some of Mac's college stuff together, shop for sheets and towels and dorm stuff.

I do love me some vacay!

Maggie