It's difficult to blog...

When I've spent all week thinking, LOL! I'm serious. Usually as the day progresses stuff happens that I want to blog about or I see something or think of something and I file it away for when I sit down to blog but I've been so busy learning and working this week, codes codes and more codes that I haven't had the time to think about what I'm going to say so when I come on here, I draw a blank. Not that I'm complaining, I've been having fun working on everything I've been working on but it's time consuming.

Of course I always make time to take my naps, LOL. But that's because I get so involved in what I'm doing I'm not getting to bed til 2 or 3am, I have to take a nap! The good thing is, I have had time to watch Nip/Tuck while working, LOL. I am halfway through season 3 and I am so addicted. Bo, are there anymore seasons out?

I've tried to read before bed but Julian and his ass have been calling my name, LOL. I do have to say, I was super anxious to start Safe Harbor so I've been reading it a little before I crash but I am sad to say, it's not floating my boat. I am on the 4th chapter. If any of you have read it, please tell me it gets better. The following paragraph will be a spoiler for the book so do not read if you do not want to know. This is my problem so far:

SPOILER FOR SAFE HARBOR
I have been greatly anticipating the moment Jonas found out how shy Hannah was and about her panic attacks. I've had books to wait for this. I wanted it to be such a powerful moment, so he could know what an asshole he's been to her and it turns out he figured it out and that was it. Exsqueeze me?!?!?! Talk about anti-climatic! Did any of you feel this way? I was prepared for this moment to make me cry, instead it pissed me off, LOL.
END OF SPOILER

A year ago today I was in Europe celebrating Nes' birthday with her. To celebrate and commemorate it we went and got our belly buttons pierced. Nothing like getting pierced by a guy with green hair, LOL. It was by far the best summer of my life. Staying up all night, eating, karaoking, traveling, going to the beach, laying on your deck, it was all fantastic. Even the road trip that I slept thru was great, we got there fast, LOL. It was just wonderful being with you. I hope that this year brings you much happiness, you deserve it and I love you. You are definitely the sister of my heart (good thing my sisters don't read this, LOL).

Thank goodness for guest bloggers...

I've been working the last few days trying to hit a deadline but I have a lot to learn so I'm not going to make the deadline and can take a break to blog, LOL. No more killing myself. Yes, pick your jaw up off of the floor (Nes!) I do earn my keep, LOL.

I have a question for you. Why is it the people who hit on you are not the people who you are attracted to? I walked out o a restaurant the other day and this guy said hello to me and called me an asian queen. I was like, duh, of course I am, LOL. He was totally hitting on me but he so was not my type. Then I was at the post office, my home away from home and this guy stops me and asks my name and shakes my hand. While still holding my hand captive he asks him I'm married, I say no but I have a boyfriend, LOL. He still didn't give up my hand and I had to physically take it back. I thanked him for the compliment (he was going on about how sad he was that I was taken and blah blah blah) said a girl can never have too many of them and left. Now I don't mind being hit on, don't get me wrong. But why is it, the guys I'm attracted to never are so ballsy? That's what I want to know, LOL. Are they not as desperate? LMAO!

I was reading the last in the Raintree series the other night but I just didn't like it anywhere near as much as I liked the previous books so I read about half of it and skipped to the end, LOL. I don't think I'll pick it up again. I just didn't like the heroine. Her daughter is in danger yet she thinks she can handle it. too cocky but not in the good way, LOL. Plus that means I can read Safe Harbor by Christine Feehan now, LOL. I laid down to read last night but since it was already 2am I didn't get very far.

Yesterday I drove up to Chattanooga to see Linda W. It was great to see her, it had been much too long. She wanted to do some sight seeing while there but I'm not big on sight seeing plus I didn't have time so we just met for lunch. It was wonderful. My drives to Karen made the drive there easier but after lunch it was a little tougher to drive back. Luckily, it was close to Nancy's lunch time so she kept me company. Ever since she got a bluetooth headset she's been all about talking on the phone. I can't get my bluetooth til August :(.

So I grabbed a broom from the laundry room yesterday to sweep and let me tell you, it took a fraction of the amount of time it takes me to vacuum. I think I may sweep from now on. Yes, I'm avoiding taking my vacuum cleaner apart. I know one day I will have to vacuum again but not today, LOL!

OK, I'm hungry, time to go forage for food, LOL.

A new discovery!

Leiha is busy working tonight so her emergency blogger is here to save the day! Leiha told me about this new store that is carrying Sarah Jessica Parker's new clothing line. Not only that but their clothes come in my size and nothing is over 20.00! She checked to see if there was one in Atlanta, but alas the closest one to her is in Athens... I might have to encourage her to take that trip. She also found out they were opening a brand new store in the same mall as my Borders - the grand old Everett Mall. OK it is not grand... but it is old and a mall.

Leiha and I were talking about it today and since I had to stop at the mall to pick up a book I told her I would do some reconnaissance work today. Hence:

THE ODE TO STEVE & BARRY'S
I walked in and was really enjoying the Sarah Jessica Parker line - t-shirts, shorts, tanks, bras, jammies, flip flops.... and as promised all the clothes came in my size and were under (most way under) $20. I had settled on two t-shirts to try when I noticed a bunch of people taking the elevator... OH NO... there was a second floor with way more stuff!!! Jeans (that did not look like ass) for $14.95, denim jackets for $16, chinos for $15 - more t-shirts, tanks, swimsuits....You get the picture - everything a girl needs. I was expecting everything to be $19.99 since they advertise under $20 and was very pleasantly surprised. Here is my booty - keep in mind I quit shopping because I thought I had spent too much money.... (I am sorry there are not more pictures but my stupid Kodak program froze up 4 times and I finally yelled uncle).2 pair of work out pants - the black ones were $10.98 and the pink ones (my favorites) were $3.99

Cute pink t-shirt $7.98 Purple scoop neck t-shirt (my favorite for working out so you stay cool) $7.98 Adorable pink skirt - it has 2 layers of pink cotton fabric and will be perfect for summer, kind of like a peasant skirt. I have to have someone look at me in it though, I might just look like a giant pink balloon - hopefully with a cute white top it will be fine. $3.99 Yes - you read all those prices right, I made it out of the store with 2 shirts, 2 work out pants, and a skirt for just pennies under 35.00!!! This could be an addiction, my only saving grace is I am trying to hold off buying new clothes till I am closer to my goal weight... or my clothes start to fall off (tee-hee).

Nancy B

Wow!

We had some pretty crazy thunderstorms here today, the worst part was it was during my nap time so I was pulled out of a deep sleep a couple of times but you know me, I'm not one to give up on my nap that easily and would go back to sleep, LOL. It's a good thing it rained though, there was some crap on my car, it looked like someone spilled a soda on there, it was weird. I was almost tempted to wash it but decided to let mother nature take care of it for me, good call on my part, LOL.

Yesterday, due to me being me I got a room at the W hotel. My friend couldn't keep their reservation and it was already paid for, score! I was totaly excited to lounge by the pool and work on my non-existent tan. Yes, I was bringing my skimpiest bikini, I didn't know anyone there, LOL. Too bad they had a private party going on so I couldn't use the pool! The nerve! I was so irritated. They said they would shuttle me over to the Westin to use their pool but that's not what I wanted. I didn't want it to become an ordeal to lay by the pool. So I did what anyone else would do in my situation, ok, just me, I took a nap, LOL. Let me tell you, it was such a wonderful nap that I had to pull myself out of it. I slept for 2 hours, it was awesome!

Not for Dao who was waiting for me to wake up to come join me for dinner, LOL. We went to this place called Garrison's. I ordered prime rib. I wanted rare, that's how I make sure I get medium rare but he said if I ordered medium rare it would be. It was not. It was overcooked so I sent it back and they still sent out one that was medium well. I will stick to my rare guns for now on. Afterwards we played around in my room and then Dao took off.

I spent the rest of the evening sprawled out watching Nip/Tuck on the flat screen. That was fun since I had been getting a kink in my next from watching it on my puter, LOL. I caved and ate the pringles from the mini-bar. $6 pringles! I figured since the room was free I could splurge but you know I totally drank tap water when I ran out of bottled water, I'm not made of money!

The weird thing was I slept like crap that night. I was looking forward to more heavenly bed action. That was a bummer! Oh well, I'll make up for it tonight. OK, going to watch another ep of Nip/Tuck before I crawl into bed and read the last book in the Raintree Trilogy. I'm about 5 chapters in and really enoying it.

Take a tour of my yard with me

Your guest blogger Nancy B :)

Last weekend I was lucky enough to do a drive by visit to Aimee. She is one busy chick. The only sad part was that I was only able to stay for about 45 minutes - Not nearly enough time! Her greenhouse was full of beautiful flowers, and customers kept wandering through as my parents walked around exclaiming about how beautiful all her plants were. They were VERY impressed - And Aimee - I should let you know they are planning to come over next spring with the camper and load up... I will warn you before they surprise you!

Aimee being the generous gal she is sent me home with plants for both of the planters on my deck and front porch. Here is how beautiful they all look. Jake says thank you for the long spiky plants, he thinks they are his personal play toys - I hope I can keep him out of the pots long enough for the other plants to grow! The poor inpatients just need a few weeks and they will be as full and lush as the other 2 containers. I will keep you posted on them.How gorgeous are the nasturtiums? They are one of my most favorite flowers - you can eat both the flowers and the leaves - they taste a little bitey. When I was a kid, dad would throw them in our salads -Dad made the woman working with Aimee taste them LOL.

While I am on a roll I thought I would show you some other pretty stuff in the yard... Roses, Delphiniums, and Apples. (I also have plum trees but they arent that pretty for photos yet.) Please note in the background the lawn is mowed - I found out mowing the lawn is so much easier now that I have been working out!
Well... that is latest tour of my yard. Remember everyone, the door is always open at my house - you all are welcome any time... I will even supply they gardening tools!

Well, this is either a late post...

or an early one, LOL. I can't believe it's already 6pm. I guess times flies when you get in at 4am, LOL. BAM's sister Debbie came down from where she lived (an hour north) to go to Swinging Richard's with me and it's a good thing she did. BAM couldn't make it, Franklin had to work and Tim who was supposed to call never did! I did see him later on at the club, he says he erased the message with my # on it and couldn't get ahold of Franklin. Good thing Debbie came through!

We had a grand old time at the gay old bar (that's for you Rachael, LOL). Of course, Debbie needed a couple of drinks to loosen up but even before the drinks kicked in we were having a great time. It's just a fun place to hang. It's funny how many people I recognize now. At least I was able to give D the 411 on everyone. The cover was $15 instead of $10 since it was gay pride and they had so many dancers in but they said it was only for this weekend, which is good. That extra 5 is half a lapdance! We got there a little before 10 and stayed to pretty close to closing. The night flew by! I guess when there are 48 naked men to look at you lose track of time, LOL.

Afterwards I was starving. I was on the way to the Waffle House when I decided the Tofu House would be a better option! 24 hour Korean food, yum! I was so ravenous. Do you ever get so hungry that no matter how much you eat you still feel like you are starving? That's how I was. I knew I should be full but wasn't. When we came home I ate a banana too and still was hungry. I just made myself go to sleep and ignore my stomach.

When D and I got up, about 11am we were hungry still. I suggested the Waffle house since we didn't make it the night before but she was in the mood for pizza, even better, LOL. Sure, I looked like ass when I picked up the pizza but at least I brushed my teeth first.

Today I've been lounging around and doing laundry so I'm not a total slug. One load every 3 or 4 hours, LOL. Hope that you all are enjoying your weekend. I'll be relaxing and maybe do a little cleaning but don't hold me to that. I think I should watch the Nip?Tuck dvds I borrowed from Bo this weekend. The perfect way to recover from a night on the town!

Vacuuming sucks!

When your vacuum doesn't suck. I woke up from my nap I decided it was time to vacuum. I had rug furballs all over the place. First thing I did was grab a vacuum bag. I noticed the last time I vacuumed it wasn't really working too well. I sat down to change bags and noticed a thing in the front that said change the bag when it was red, it was green so I was like, cool, don't have to change the bag. I proceed to vacuum and vaccuum and vacuum barely picking up anything. When the leaves of my ficus can't be picked up using the wand tool I know something is wrong. I open the vaccum and the bag is full to bursting. The leaves can't even fit in the bag! So I change the bag out, unfortunately, I bougt the wrong bag but I make it fit, LOL. So I continue to vacuum but I it still was not suctioning up anything. I was working up a sweat vacuming the same spot. Unfortunately, I don't own a broom because I felt like all I was doing was pushing everythign around. Finally I got so fed up I just used my swiffer to push it out the door but I didn't get to vacuum my bathroom which really needs it because that is where the majority of the shedding happens. So I swiffered the bathroom which means I pushed around the hair, LOL. I think I'm going to buy a broom for now, I don't want to buy a new vacuum. I will of course have to buy a vacuum eventually but it's not a high priority *G*.

I was going to order delivery today because yes, I'm just that lazy, LOL but then I remembered I had shrimp in the freezer and I was able to scrounge up some pasta so I sauteed that up with some peas and lima beans that were buried behind the ice in my freezer. Whew, another day without a trip to the grocery store, score!

I will have to leave tomorrow. I have books to mail, I'm running out of water, shampoo and toilet paper and most importantly, it's payday and I need to go deposit my check, LOL. I may get ambitious and buy some food while I'm out and about but let's not hold our breaths.

I have to say...

booksignings are exhausting! I am totally pooped and I had a good nap before Brenda got here. She left work early and got here shortly after 4. The signing was at 7 but they were scheduled to give out tickets for the line at 5pm. We sat around for a few minutes chatting and then went to the bookstore, we got there 10 minutes after 5 and were customers # 152 & 153, hello, they started giving out tickets at 4, how rude! After we got our books and tickets we went to dinner at a Bistro next door. Our waiter was a bit of a sourpuss. Needless to say, his tip reflected that, LOL.

I had a lobster and shrimp pasta with a wedge salad and Brenda had a salad with chicken and we split an artichoke spinach dip.
That was my fave part of the meal. I ate so much of that and my salad I didn't eat much pasta but that means leftovers for tomorrow, woo hoo!

Then we headed over to linen n things since we still had time to kill. I didn't need anything, that is, until I saw the corkscrews. I do need a corkscrew. I don't drink a lot of wine but it's still embarrassing when someone brings over some wine and I need to use my swiss army knife to open it, LOL. And since I was buying that I also picked up a stopper for champagne since I like to buy sparkling wine but don't usually drink more then a glass. Then we happened upon a clearance section, I bought some hand towels for 50 cents (so what if they are xmas themed, I'll be using them year round, LOL) and I found my favorite score of the night, a candle holder that holds 14 tea lights that was the perfect length for my coffee table all for the low low price of $1! SCORE! Of course, then I spent $5 on tea lights, LOL.

After we dropped our goodies off at the car we went back to the bookstore to wait to get our books sign, and wait, and wait some more, LOL. The signing started at 7pm and we didn't get out until 8:30pm and she didn't even do a talk (which I was happy about). She doesn't sign much more then her name but hey, I got the pic! My tatas look fab, of course! Now I'm home and ready to take a bubble bath and crawl into bed and read for a bit while poor Brenda has to make the trek back home. Oh well, she's a huge fan so she was happy, LOL.

Not much happening today...

I did give myself a mani/pedi, you know how that aways makes me feel better. When my toes are looking good, I'm looking good. Then Dao and I went out to eat for a late lunch/early dinner. I really do need to get myself to the grocery store soon. All I bought yesterday were grapes and water (I was in a hurry) so before Dao and I went to eat I had grapes and a Special K bar, LOL. Part of the reason I can survive (barely) without shopping is that D and I go one place for the Bun and then we go next door, where our friend Christine works for food for later, LOL. I love her food because it tastes like home cooking. Stuff my mom would make. Today I got a duck noodle soup with bamboo to go. I love bamboo and my mom used to cook the hell out of it but I just haven't figured out how to. Good thing Christine has, LOL. So at least I know tomorrow I have one or two meals to look forward to.

I just finished reading CJ Barry's Unmasked. I am not usually a big fan of futuristics but I really enjoyed this. Apparently she also writes contemporaries as Samantha Graves so I will have to check it out. If anyone else has read her as SG, I'd love to hear what you think. Not that I should be buying new books, LOL.

Today I downloaded some new songs. I like the new Enrique Iglesias song Do You Know What it Feels Like? I also downloaded the Escape Song by Rupert Holmes, Umbrella by Rihanna, Promiscuous Girl by Nelly Furtado, Hey there Delilah by Plain White T's, How to Save a Life by the Fray and Irreplaceable by Beyonce. I'm very excited tomorrow to hit the road and listen to my new tunes. I may even be generous to Nancy and send her a couple, LOL.

And the winner is....

Ann! She will be getting the signed Janet Evanovich. Good thing Brenda emailed me this weekend. I thought the signing was tomorrow, I would have been waiting awhile for her to show up, LOL.

Today I babysat for my friend. He's 11 months old and so much fun. The most awesome thing was, when it was time to put him to bed he wasn't even fussy. It was his bedtime so I took him upstairs and he laid right down, grabbed his blanket and went to sleep. I was so impressed! Now I see the benefits of a schedule. I don't even have a sleep schedule for myself and I pay the price, LOL.

On the way home I decided to stop to get a case of water. My friend had mentioned it looked like it was going to rain, well I should have listened. When I came out it was pouring down rain and I had to carry my case of water and my grapes. Needless to say, I got drenched. Franklin drove up while I was unlocking my door and he was like, I'm sorry for you, since I was soaking wet and wearing white shorts, LOL. Have I mentioned how much I hate the rainstorms around here?

I'm watching the interview with Princes William and Harry and those two young men are really good looking and well spoken. It's fun watching their interaction with each other. I can't believe it's been almost 10 years since Priness Diana died. I remember waking up and it was all over the tv and I didn't really believe it. I found it incredibly sad, mainly for her two children. It looks like she laid a great foundation with them and I'm happy that Charles stepped up as a dad.

BTW, my friends gave me a $20 gift card for ice cream as a thank you for babysitting! I see a banana split or three in my future, LOL.

I'm hungry and I'm tired!

But here I am blogging, LOL. It feels like today was an action packed day. I met Dao for lunch. We were going to go to this Mexican restaurant for tacos but they were closed so we ended up going to a place called the West Egg or something like that. I wasn't really in the mood for breakfast so I got the salad trio which consisted of a curry chicken salad, a basil tuna salad and a deviled egg salad with lavash bread. It was pretty good, not great but good. We had fun chit chatting and enjoying lunch. I really enjoyed Dao's eggs benedict. They had a salmon benedict that I would get next time. When I came back it was time for my nap, LOL.

Unfortunately I was only able to nap for half an hour, I was in that asleep/awake stage when Nancy called me. She was willing to get off of the phone to let me sleep more but I was ok with talking or else I wouldn't have answered. Then I got up and did some stuff on the computer and before you know it it was time for me to get ready for BJs. I hadn't been there since Barb was here in Feb. I love this bar. I really would like to go there more often. I just like to spend money while I'm there, which is why I don't go often.

I went with Franklin and of course, the bartenders remember me a well as a dancer or two, LOL. They were teasing me for not being in there for awhile. The reason we went was there was a bachelor auction tonight. Woo hoo! Of course the first order of business is to find out which dancers are straight, LOL. The guy running it was kind enough to let me know. The one guy I liked, who was straight, Franklin's friend relly liked and wanted to bid on so I told him I wouldn't bid. It's not like I needed it or anything but it's hard not to get caught up in things. But I practiced self control. I told Tim that since I couldn't bid I would get a dance with Tony. He thought that was a fair deal. Tony was a dancer from out of town who normally dances at Swinging Dick's but they are closed on Sundays, hence him being at BJs. I don't remember him from SD but they have so many it's hard to keep track, LOL. The lap dance was a lot of fun. I caught him before he left. Then another of the straight dancers wanted a dance but I said i dont' think so, then he said it would only be $5 (it's normally $20 there) so I was like ok, LOL. Then his friend wanted to join so I said I'd have a dance with him too for $5, LOL. It was a lot of fun, EG! For most of the night I was the only chick in the place, there was another girl there but she wasn't there that long. Michael, the bartender Barb and I had so much fun with wasn't working but he was there, he told me to let him know when my birthday was and he would dress in drag for me, what a sweetie!

Franklin and I had a blast but F hates it when I eat at the bar so I didn't have dinner. I'm hungry and tired and I have no food, LOL. But of course before I hit the sheets I had to come blog, can't let my Mannions down. I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend. BTW, next week is gay pride, I'm heading to SD, I hear they're bringing in extra dancers, woot woot, LOL.

Guest Blogger Part Deux!

Since the Adventures of Being Me, keep Leiha so busy, she has graciously turned over her Sunday posts to Nancine and myself. OK, who are we kidding, she just wants more NAP TIME! LOL!! But we will indulge her anyway! DISCLAIMER: While the rest will entail some food and drink descriptions, I apologize for not having any pictures! I need to learn fast on how to put them up before Leiha kicks me off the guest spot!!!

This week I had the pleasure of dining with Pamela Clare, the author of Hard Evidence and Surrender (and others) while she was attending a journalism conference in Portland! Our original plan had been to have Nancy & Aimee down to join us, but due to circumstances out of their control, they were unable to, so I got her all to myself! Now where to go??? I love many of the restaurants in Portland and it is a great "foodie" city! So I narrowed down to a few favorites and let Pamela make the final choice! Between the combination of cuisine (Peruvian) that she had never had and my favorite cocktail, "The Sexy Woman", Andina was the winner!

While waiting for our table, we went to their wine cellar and both of us had the flight of 2 roses & a Gruet Sparkling from New Mexico! It was so fun to chat with her one on one and find out about writing, inspiration and the horrors of editing!

When we got up to our table, the Sexy Woman was the first order of business, It is a specialty cocktail made with their own habanero infused vodka, passionfruit puree and a little lime, served up in a sugar-rimmed martini glass! It is a sweet taste with a very spicy kick and absolutely delicious! Many of you out there who have visited me have tried this drink!!

We then ordered dinner which included, the special soup that blended so well everything from sweet potato and green bean purees to sauteed onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and bacon for a great flavor! The Pamela had the Bistecca, Peruvian style steak with chimichurri sauce and a fresh corn tamale! I had the Causa Morada, which is a smoked trout mousse between layers of Peruvian purple potatoes with Avocado and olives! It is a gorgeous presentation (insert imaginative picture here)! Unfortunately we left no room for the trio of creme brulees!

What a wonderful opportunity to get to know Pamela better. Leiha & Su be ready for RWA. I think she's ready to Party! I really respect people who can achieve their dream goals! Good luck to her on her RITA nomination! It was fun to share more about the city I live in! Come back anytime Pamela! Lot's more to see & do! She did get to experience a weather variety!

I hope that you are all having a wonderful Father's Day! I need to get back to the kitchen for my family's dinner! See you in a couple of weeks!

Are you a fan of Janet Evanovich?

BAM and I are going to a booksigning for Lean Mean Thirteen. I'm not a big reader of hers, I listened to Twelve Sharp on my ipod but that's it. I'm going because Brenda is a big fan. So I thought, since I'm going to be there I should have a contest for my Mannions. You all are so spoiled, LOL. So everyone who posts to this post before Sunday midnight my time has a chance to win a personalized copy of Lean Mean Thirteen. If you don't read her but want to post to my post let me know so I don't enter you into the contest. I'd prefer a fan to win the book. And if you're a lurker, please feel free to enter, yes, I'm going to draw you out, LOL. I will announce the winner on Mon night.

I did something today I so know I shouldn't have done. What is it? I bought a Gerber Daisy plant. Why did I buy it? They always die on me but I couldn't resist. It was only $3 and it was so pretty, It looked small in it's tiny little pot but I re-potted it (to try to give it as long a lifespan as possible, LOL) and now it already looks a lot bigger. I figured I'd share a pic of it while it's still in its glory. I will let you know when the funeral is, LOL.

I watched the daytime emmys tonight. I have been watching soaps for as long as I can remember. Some winners I really wanted to win, Genie Frances and Maura West and some I didn't because I was rooting for other people but looking at the people who were nominated it really is hard to choose the winner. Daytime takes a lot of hits but I think they have some of the most fantastic actors around, when they laugh, I laugh and when they cry, I cry. Vanessa Marcil was a way better actress on GH then she is on Las Vegas. It was fun watching the show which was 2 hours, had categories I cared about and ended on time. Today was also Bob Barker's last show. I haven't watched the Price is Right in years but it was a staple as was he. It was great to see him honored. He really was a great host.

Stranded at the mall...

feeling like a fool, what will they say? Monday at school... Thank goodness I don't have to o to school on Monday, LOL. So today I did what I said I was going to do and walked to the mall. I wore my yoga pants because I didn't want my thighs to chafe and because my ass looks fantastic in them (I am not exagerating, LOL) and a tank top so I could work on my tan because it was so nice out. I also had my sparkling clean brand new tennis shoes. Off I went to the mall, I picked up what I wanted to get, went to Urban and tried on some dresses that did not do fabulous things for my body, in fact they were nowhere near close to fabulous, LOL and then sat and had chicken salad and pasta at the Corner Bakery. Then I head outside and see that it's pouring down rain. It's like a bucket of water was being poured on Atlanta. Well crap! I called Franklin but he didn't answer. I thought he was napping. Then I went into Macy's to try and find an umbrella but no go. Then I thought, if I walk in the rain my shoes will get dirty and they're BRAND NEW! So I called Shannon, knowing she was still at work and she was so then I decided I needed to call a cab. I don't mind getting wet but not my sneaks! As I walked out to see if there were any cabs I noticed that the rain has let off, I didn't know for how long but decided to make a run for it, or rather a walk for it because you so know I'm not running. I stopped halfway home to pick up some toilet paper at the drug store and thougt about buying an umbrella but they were $15! Hell no! I decided to chance it and kept walking, LOL. Luckily it didn't rain before I got home but I was nervous. Just when I got home is when I noticed I had missed a call from Franklin. He was panicked that I was stranded, how sweet. I called him back and told him I was home and he was like I am so sorry! As if he has anything to be sorry about. I love Franklin! Of course, Shannon brought me a big pan of leftover spaghetti so I love her too, LOL.

BTW, unless you're a smoking hot guy, what do you think catcalls or honking your horn is going to get you? Certainly not my number! It was the fabulous ass pants, LOL. And a smoking hottie doesn't need to do catcalls cause he's hot!

I've been meaning to tell you, if you don't have a passport now is the time. Next year it's going to become more of a pain to get one, the laws are changing and a passport will be more necessary then ever before. You'll need one for Canada and Mexico too. As it is, the passport agency is already getting behind because so many people are getting them. You may not be able to travel in the near future but passports are good for 10 years. I know it sucks to pay for one but the price will never go down and it's just going to get more difficult to get one. Yes Nancy, I'm talking to you too, get on it chick! OK, that is my public service announcement for today.

Alright alright!

Nes has been nagging me to break in my new shoes so I will walk to the mall today. There, I said it so it means I will do it!

Sorry I didn't blog last night, I was tired, LOL. Yesterday I went to the post office to visit with my co-workers and to get a bunch of things mailed off. I have had the boxes sitting here since Mon, what can I say, it takes me awhile to get motivated. My landlord called and he lost my rent check (he's a big stoner). You know I gave him tons of shit. He was like, you don't know how much I didn't want to make this call, LOL. Anyway, I thought that would motivate me to get to the post office sooner but nope, I just slapped a stamp on it and waited for the mailman to get here *G*. I sent a box of books to Nancy as well as a goody box. Yes, I got rid of the toys I didn't want. She's spoiled! Then I had to send off pics from our vacation to Su and books on tape that I borrowed from Barb back to her. My place looks so much cleaner now. Well, it would look even cleaner if I vacuumed, it's been awhile, LOL.

Did I tell you Franklin gave me his coffee table? It's been in my storage room forever. I decided I needed one because when I have company they don't have anywhere to put their drinks and when Lina is here we have to sit our plates of food on the floor. I wasn't going to have one because I didn't want to cover up my rug but it doesn't really cover it. Yes, I have a table and stools where we could sit but that's more formal and we're informal friends. Now I really really want a new couch. Since I'm not going to Australia I really really want a new couch so that will be what I'm getting this summer. Once I get a new couch I'll post pics for you.

Nancy wants me to download a song to send to her but I don't know the name of it, it's that one that goes, if you like pina coladas, getting caugt in the rain, if you're not into health foods, if you have half a brain.... Do you know the title? Also, since I have to download music anyway what new songs are you listening to? I have no idea what's out there. I heard this song Delilah something I want to download and I think Nelly Furtado has a song I want but don't know the name of, LOL. I need some more recommends. I like to do my downloads all at once. Libby I downloaded that song Big Girl (you are beautiful) by Mika that you had on your blog, Nancy and I both love it.

naptus interuptus...

Shannon caled during my nap just to tell me we weren't going to work out, d'oh! So what could have been a nice long nap became a short one and I couldn't get back to sleep, bummer!

Dao and I went to lunch today, Vietnamese, as usual, LOL. I woke up early, after staying up late so I wasn't feeling it when she called so I turned her down and then of course, when I finally woke up all the way and realized I had no food I changed my mind, LOL. BTW, I stayed up late finishing up the latest Loretta Chase, I think the title is Almost a Lady and it's the last Carsington son. I really enjoyed it. Had some moment that really moved me and brought me to tears. My one complaint is I would have liked a moment between all of the brothers.

You are going to say make up your mind damn it but Su and I will now be going to RWA. That's the good news. The bad news is, we won't be making it to Australia this year:(. I looked at my finances and realized I would just be stretching myself too thin and worried about money while I was there instead of being able to enjoy the trip as much as I would like. OK, I would still have a great time there but it just wasn't the smartest move in the world to make. So now that I'm not saving for Australia I can afford Dallas and don't worry, I'm not going to change my mind again, Su and I bought our tickets today, woo hoo! Now I need to find out which authors will be there so I can stalk them. Last year my cam was broken, you know how painful that was for me. So many missed opportunities between me and my authors. Hmmmm, I think I need to buy a new memory chip, LOL. Now I need to read some of those books I snagged last year so I can talk to the authors about them. I want to read Bonnie Vanak, she was so cool and we got a booklet of hers and I just never got around to buying it and it looks hot, Linnea Sinclair, she used to post at RBL and she won a RITA for this book and CJ Barry, another RBL and totally sweet then I'll look at some of the other 50 books I have to read, LOL.

here are my pics...

I came home from Shannon's tonight at 11:30pm with no interest in taking pics of my dresses but I hate to let my Mannions down so here they are. They look better on. I was looking for dresses I could just throw on and go out the door and these are perfect! I love them and want more, LOL.

Here are my new, as yet, unused tennies. I plan on breaking them in soon. Nancy has motivated me with her awesome weight loss!

I went to Twist on Sunday night. I had called Dao but she didn't answer so I decided to go by myself, I hadn't had much to eat all day and it was their $10 all you can eat tapas night so for that deal I'm more then willing to eat alone, LOL but Dao called while I was there so I had her come join me. We had a great time and I decided to take a pic of what I had for my $10. I had him not bring the montadito platter which is a baguette with different toppings. So that was another option. I don't remember what the first dish was called but it had a beef stew taste to it over whipped potatoes. Muy tasty.



I only ate 2 potstickers, I'm not a big fan of them, I prefer mine steamed if I eat them. I had seconds of the salad and the sushi. It was a fun spur of the moment dinner for Dao and I and then we went to Borders to hang out flipping through magazines.

Tonight Shannon called and wanted to cook dinner. Who am I to not support her in her endeavors. She made spaghetti, yum! I didn't really do much else today but yet it flew by. Anyone else have that feeling?

Heavy news...

Hi Ho Everybody - This is your friendly guest blogger Nancy (or Nancine depending on the day).You know I have been going against my nature and going to the gym. I have worked up to 40 minutes of cardio a day (6 days a week)- I do just under a 10 minute mile. Yeah - me, who would have guessed?? I do weights every other day, and one day a week my trainer lets his masochistic tendancies loose on me. After he tortures me he'll asked "Are you ok?" He is a sick, sick man... And Yeah - I like him.

Today I got on the special "trainer" scale and (insert drumroll here) I have lost 20 pounds since the first of May. (and all you healthy girls, don't worry - it is evening out to about 2 lbs a week now) It was a relief, because I haven't really seen a difference in my clothes. I guess that would mean all the clothes I was wearing were to tight! LOL, I of course now notice that they fit better, they don't lie, your mind is your most important organ.

My feet are healing up from all my new shoes, I am so excited because I can't wait to wear my new Anne Klein's... I think in honor of my new shoes I will get a pedicure this week. I don't want Leiha accusing me of having ugly feet.

My schedule has been so wacky at Borders lately. This week I only work Friday night (and I have Saturday off because I will be in Spokane) so I have decided in honor of not working I will cook tomorrow. I haven't decided what yet. If the weather stays cool I think I will make my Chicken Taco Chili - it is super easy, low in calories and high in protein. If it warms up (keep your fingers crossed) I don't know what I will make. I might attempt to make the mango avacado salsa I made with Linda... unless someone else has a healthy, yummie summer specialty??? I would love any suggestons - trust me I need all the help in the kitchen I can get!

I am craving...

that suno ice dessert from Friday. It's a good thing it take a half an hour to get there so I'm not going to go there regularly.

Yesterday I walked to Nordstrom's. I knew the supersale was dangerous and it was! The excellent news is I was able to find a new pair of New Balance walking shoes for $60! I didn't look at the shoes other then athletic ones, ok, I looked but I didn't look seriousely because I knew I didn't need anymore shoes! I also bought 3 casual dresses, ones I can just throw on when I am out running errands. I realized I needed more. So I had to buy some, another worthy purchase then I decided to pop into the lingerie section and there was a sale on spanx like tanks and decided I needed all of the extra help I could get, LOL. I had the salesladies put them all in the same bag so I could consolidate. A bad plan. My bag handle broke so I had to carry my purchases in my arms on the way home, what a pain! Good thing I was so happy with my purchases!

Franklin and I had plans to go to Swinging Dick's last night but he ended up working an exhausting 12 hour day at work so no man meat for me:( Instead I went to Shannon's to hang with them.

I also read the sequel to Linda Howard's Raintree Inferno, written by Linda Winstead Jones, can't remember the name but I really enjoyed it. I was worried since I had never read any of her books but it was fun and am looking forward to the final installment in this series.

By popular demand, here is the recipe for my cucumber salad, a summer staple!

Rinse, Peel if necessary, and thinly slice 1 English cucumber. I use regular or pickling cucumbers.

In a bowl mix a cucumber with 1 teaspoon of salt, let stand for 45 minutes. Rinse and drain; squeeze excess liquid from the cucumber and returned to the rinsed bowl

Add
2 tablespoons white vinegar

1 tablespoon of sesame oil

1 tablespoon of sugar

salt & pepper to taste (I don't salt because it still has a salty taste from the earlier salt)

1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seed for garnish

I like to toss in red onion and sometimes I'll add some cilantro. A great summer salad perfect forBBQs. Actually I made it for Thanksgiving too because it is light enough to balance the heaviness of everything else. The dressing is also great for a steak salad.

Going to bed at 5:30am is...

a bad thing, LOL. I was up all night and well into the morning reading LKH's newest. Once the action got going I couldn't put it down. I'm lucky that I work from home so I don't have an alarm clock, I'm unlucky that I have a body clock. My body let me sleep an extra whole hour so I got 3 1/2 hours sleep, woe is me, LOL.

First off, I have to say, this picture does break my heart. How can you look at it and not be sad? But, I AM happy that Paris is back in jail. Her comment when the judgement came down was "no fair". I'm sorry but why would it not be fair? What is not fair to her is the fact that she is not being treated like the Queen she thought she was. She has to do the time. I highly doubt she will do anywhere close to the days she was assigned for but 3 days was ridiculous. AND for some reason 3 days counts as 5 anyway and her time at home counts. As for the sheriff he had a press conference and this is what he had to say:

Baca cited jail crowding and what he described as Hilton's "severe medical problems" in his decision. Baca says Hilton received a more severe sentence than the usual penalty for such a crime, but he said he would not try to overrule the judge's decision again.

Excuse me! If the jail is so overcrowded why is she in a cell by herself? Don't they have a medical facility in the jail? That's where other sick inmates go AND it's not his decision to overrule the judge! If he thought the sentencing was harsh, tough sh*t! His job is to enforce the law and the judge specifically said no home detention. I hope they bring the smackdown on him!

Alright, enough of that BS, I just wanted to follow up on my post from yesterday. Today my plan with Brenda was to eat Vietnamese for lunch, go shopping and then eat Korean buffet for dinner. She had some egg rolls which are WAY better then any chinese egg rolls you've ever had (they are filled with meat, not cabbage) and then we ordered a big bowl of pho and a bowl of Bun (pork and shrimp vermicelli). Now when I say a big bowl, that would not be considered an understatement. We didn't do justice to the soup even splitting it and then we had our bun which she loved. We had enough leftovers for her to bring home to Mr BAM to try. We knew if we couldn't finish our lunch there's no way we could do the korean buffet so we altered our plans. I had just read the other day about an asian dessert place with a shaved ice dessert that just happens to be right next to the Super H mart! If we were going to eat Korean later on we needed precious stomach room but since we were not, on to dessert we went!

I thought this was the korean dessert I had when I lived in LA but it was slightly different. That had ice cream and whipped cream and a different kind of ice and when it all melted together it got even better but this one was fun too. The shaved ice was very creamy, like a mix between ice and ice cream and then they put all kinds of toppings on it, we went with the traditional korean style but they also have a bunch of other choices (like orea cookies) and covered with sweetened condensed milk.An even closer look at this tasty goodness. It's loaded with fresh fruit and red bean and various other tasty treats. It was a delicious light treat that we could not come close to finishing but we certainly tried! BTW, they also do crepes and they look awesome! They shape the crepe like a cone and stuff it with ice cream and whatever else you want! I will be trying those too and will of course, let you know about it. I wanted to take more pics while there so you could see the process but my batteries were running out.

After our wonderful dessert off we went to Super H to load up on produce and other stuff, Brenda was totally excited to get the fresh squid, she's going to make calimari, I can't wait to find out how it turns out. Orginially we thought about going to IKEA since she had never been but it was in downtown and getting close to rush hour so we went to the bookstore instead where she went crazy, LOL. I of course, had to show her my name in Jenna's new book which she had to buy of course! Dang, I forgot to sign it! I'll have to do that the next time I go to her house, LOL.

It's summertime so you know what that means? It's cucumber salad time! I made some last weekend and ate it for days, I love it with everything. I've already made a batch tonight, it reminds me of my summer with Nes. I'm bummed I'm not eating my salad side by side with her! I think Nes needs to come stay with me for a month. Just something to think about:)

Waking up from my nap at 8:40pm...

is not a bad thing is it? I drove today which means I get home late and then Nes and I were catching up on chat and by the time we were done it was about 7:20pm. I know it was way too late to nap but I was tired, the head hurt kind of tired (which happens when I don't take my nap, my body is trained, LOL). I can power through the nap phase but I figured why? I honestly thought I would only nap for half an hour, well, that was not the case, it was a wonderful nap but I wonder why it's midnight and I'm not that tired, LOL. It just means I get to stay up later reading LKH. So far so good on the book. I look forward to hearing what other people think.

Wow, I just read that Isaiah Washington was fired from Grey's Anatomy. He played Dr Burke and was the one who was making racist comments. I have to say kudos to ABC and the show. Yes he has apologized but then he turned around and mentioned it at an awards show and apparently has a pattern of bad behaviour. I know I am the person who said they went too far with firing Don Imus but Don didn't intentionally say racist comments and like I said, Isaiah has a rep for bad behaviour. I do think stars should be just as accountable as we are, not more but not less either. I was ok with not firing him right away, there are storylines that must be played out but I am happy that he is no longer on the show. That being said, it's not like I would have revolted or made a big fuss if he stayed on the show but I do admit, my enjoyment of the character wasn't as much as it once was.

I'm sure you all have heard by now that Paris was released from jail and confined to her home. I'm sorry but the two just don't compare. She could have a party there every night of the 40 days she's confined to her home! What kind of punishment is that? She can eat gourmet every night and sleep on fabulous sheets on a fabulous bed! I have heard that she has to go back to court because the judge who made the decision said that home monitoring was not an option when he made the sentencing. It was the sheriff who released her so now they want to charge him with contempt of court, how awesome would it be if both of them went to jail?!?! I think with the public outcry something will be happening. Like I said, don't treat her worse, just don't treat her better.

I heard that Los Angeles is finally going to start looking at the clubs that have been serving Lindsay Lohan! Hello, she's been going to these clubs for years but now that there are pics of her passed out they decide to do something about it? That drives me crazy! She could have hurt someone long ago with her drinking and driving

LOL, this should have been a rant and rave! Too bad it's already written. Tomorrow I'm meeting up with BAM for some feasting, that will definitely be a rave. She's hooked on the Korean buffet! She's my kind of woman, LOL.

I am a reality tv addict!

It is summertime which means not a lot of tv for me to watch. But I have been able to find a few gems. The guilty pleasure is Hell's Kitchen. Not quite the quality of Top Chef (battle of season 1 and season 2 top chefs is on tonight, woo hoo) but still fun to watch. I don't think the chef is a total dick, he's more along the lines of Simon on Amercan Idol. Of course he yells a lot more and the season premiere was chockful of tears but it was bad when the fat asian man was crying purely do to the pressure of being there. Has he not seen the show? I normally root for the women but they were bitches! It'll be interesting to see what happens, will they implode?

One of my favorite comedians is Kathy Griffin, she used to talk on my fave radio program all of the time in LA and I love how much she loves pop culture and makes fun of it. She says the things everyone else is thinking and some things we weren't. Her show My Life on the D List just started. Unfortunately, I do not have Bravo but fortunately they are showing it on bravo's website. She's a riot. http://video.bravotv.com/player/?id=103294 I hope that they air Top Chef online but I doubt it. I'll be going to Shannon's to watch it otherwise.

Shannon said tonight, I can't believe you love the cooking reality shows when I don't like to cook. I had to explain the fact that I love food, LOL.

This one is a short one. I went to bed so late last night I didn't get to get much reading in. I was going to read for a bit when I woke up but then I found out Kathy's show was online and there went my reading time.

This and that...

Sunday I decided I needed a new light fixture in my living room. The lamps I have are cute but don't cast off enough light (black shade, I wonder why?) and they take up a lot of space on my little end tables so if I'm using a big water bottle there's no room because of the lampshade. So off I went to IKEA. I wanted a hanging lamp because I have a hook over the table from when I had a hanging plant that unfortunately bit the dust relatively quickly, LOL. So I might as well utilize the hook I shoved into the ceiling. This is the lamp I decided to get.It was between this and another lamp but I thought this would give me plenty of light. You know I love IKEA but I hate putting their shit together. Yes, the lamp had to be put together and it wasn't til I got it all put together and hung that I found out one of the light fixtures didn't work. It was actually too long for the space I wanted to use it in but would have kept it cause I'm lazy if the fixture worked, well it did keep blowing my outlet but that could have been cause of the broken fixture, LOL. It took me a few more hours to be motivated enough to go back to IKEA! I know, twice in one day was amazing! I did take a nap first and a couple of hours after my nap I dragged my ass back. So I went with choice #2. Which looks better and was cheaper! The worst part was I had to put it together! I had to snap in each of those leaves and it took me awhile to figure it out but damn it, I did! So now I have much more light in my living room so I'm happy and I got the Franklin gay seal of approval.

Sat night I noticed a big old stain in my ceiling. I was like, did I just not notice it? Of course not! I had been hearing a drip but couldn't find it, that would be because it's in my ceiling and nothing was hitting the floor. So Sun I go ask my neighbors if they recently had a leak or do they have one now? They weren't in but their housekeeper was and we didn't see anything so I called the landlord and he didn't answer. I left him a message. When I came back from IKEA (the first time) the housekeeper came over and said he was looking around and it looked like the leak was from their a/c and the owner would look at it and get back with me. He doesn't. So on Mon I email my landlord and tell him the stain is growing and I'm worried about rot. It smells totally musty in my place, ugh! He finally calls me back, he didn't call me on Sunday because he said it's Sunday afternoon what could I do? This is why I called the plumber myself! What a jackoff! Anyway, he said he was handling it, calling the upstairs landlord (I live in condos so they're owned by different people) and the condo board, etc. Good, I wasn't planning on doing shit. Finally they had someone in today to fix the a/c and this stain is now about 4 feet across and 2 feet wide on my ceiling and looks gross. Now we have to wait for it to dry out before they can paint it. Let's hope the ceiling didn't rot. There are parts that bubbled but hey, I told the landlord about it.

BTW, the Nordstrom's semi-annual sale for women and children begins tomorrow (Wed). Even though I'm poor I'm totally going, LOL.

Rosie, rumor has it that CBS will be bringing back Jericho for 8 eps mid-season to wrap everything up, the fan outcry was so vocal so that's cool for fans of the show.

I decided I can't let Nancy show me up with all of her working out and crap. That and the fact I totally pigged out on my cruise (was there any doubt that was going to happen?) meant I have to start getting off of my lazy ass. Yesterday I went walking. The good news is, my joints are fine, I wore different shoes and no hip problems, the bad news is, I wore short shorts and my thighs totally chafed! I was trying to work on my tan while walking, I guess I'll just work on the upper body tan, LOL. And today I went to workout with my neighbor Shannon! It was rough, neither of us wanted to go but we made ourselves go which is a good thing we did.

While there, working up a sweat Shannon was reading the paper and asked me what vampire books I read and I look over and I see there's a story on LKH. I was like oh yeah, I read her and her new one is coming out this week. Then she says she's at Barnes and Noble and I was like yeah, she's huge, she'll be sold everywhere. Duh, no, she's doing a signing at BN! What?!?! I had no idea! The signing started at 6pm and it was 8:15pm when I found out about it. Shannon drove and I didn't have my purse so I couldn't even leave. By the time I got home it was after 9pm but I decided to call the bookstore to see if she was still there, I know she has a large following and she was! The guy told me to hurry so in my sweaty clothes (you know I sweat) I rushed off. Now I enjoy LKH's books but Nancy loves them which is the only reason why I rushed out the door. I am a little irritated with the guy I talked to on the phone since he had me rush and there were still plenty of people waiting to get their books signed. Oh well, at least I got my books. I talked to the people in front of me and turns out there are a lot of authors that they have not read, including KMM! So I wrote down a ton of authors for them to try. I am bummed I missed her talk but she was really sweet and I told her a Nancy fan story that had her laughing. Of course I had to get a picture of us. I took out my pony tail while in line and put on some lipstick but I was still sweaty. I told her not to touch me, I didn't want to gross her out, LOL. She wears shades if you take pics with the flash and since I'm all about getting the best quality possible I went with the flash, LOL. It was a thrill to meet LKH and so totally unexpected it made it even more fun. It's already late but you know I have to at least read a couple of chapters before I go to bed, LOL.

Final thoughts...

on my cruise. I have to say, I had a wonderful time on the cruise. I don't think you ever have to worry about being bored but then again, I like to nap and read books, LOL. But they do make a big effort to keep cruisers entertained, there was a band playing on the lido deck where people lay out, there was a little putt putt golf course at the very top, can't imagine doing that with the wind, LOL. They had a running track (yeah right), a casino, activities and clubs for kids. They have a cameraman taking pics at dinners and when you embark and disembark (we didn't buy any of these pics, not our best, LOL), there's a casino, comedy shows, a dance club, piano bar and of course the night club.

They also do things like turn down service and leaving chocolates on our bed and even more cool, we get new towel animals greeting us each night.


They even had a class to teach people how to do this themselves. Of course, I was probably in bed during that class, LOL.

I would totally go on a cruise again. It's as busy or relaxing as you want it to be. The costs of drinks adds up but they do allow you to bring on a bottle of wine or champagne a person which we did. Of course, others sneak on booze in water bottles, I snuck in water bottles filled with water, LOL. They do sell liqour on board much cheaper then they sell in the stores here but they box it up and hold it so you pay for their drinks. You can buy a soda card for $20 for all the soda you want but the dining rooms have juice and water for free. The juice made great mixers and when my rum punch was too sweet I added lemonade, yum!

That's it for my cruising adventures. Now that I live so close to Miami I see many more cruises in my future, LOL.

Since it was raining...

when we left Cozumel we ended up going through a storm. It was a rough night and since I had spent the day drinking tequila it was rough on my belly as well. I was feeling a little natious but not too bad, thank goodness! I was worried I wouldn't be able to sleep with all of the rocking going on, we were at the tail section so we felt everything! Luckily, I have a cast iron stomach and as for my sleep worries, well, nothing to worry about. I think I fell asleep within a minute, LOL.

Thursday was our day at sea and the plan was to lay out. Well, the gods were against us because as soon as we finally made it on deck it started to rain, that would explain why all of the lounge chairs were available, LOL. We did make it to 80s trivia which was lame (mainly because we lost, LOL). They only asked 15 questions. We got 10 correct. The winner had 13 correct answers.

We blew off Renzo the night before, again so we were not looking forward to seeing him in the dining room but we had to go, it was our last night and we had to see our boys. We were running late and they were so happy to see us when we walked in. You know we had fun with each other. Each night at dinner the waitstaff would sing a song or one night they danced a congo. Herold and Sudan were leading the dance and you know we were the first ones to join the congo. Unfortunately, that was the day we had all of the tequila. We went around the dining room 3 rimes and I was totally exhausted by the time the song was done, LOL. It was totally fun though and it was always fun watching the boys sing. Just another reason why it's a fun ship.
We had a couple of apple martinis at dinner and then we stopped at the piano bar. It was lame, the guy spent more time talking then singing. One apple martini there and it was back to see Music Asia. It was more full this time which is cool. We want Music Asia to get good word of mouth which they must have. Lots of people dancing. We sat at the bar and waved to the band when we came in. So we're there for a few and Su decides it's shot time, ugh! They didn't have the good stuff so we drank something or another, LOL. Then I wanted to dance but Su would only dance if I agreed to do another shot. I really wanted to dance. But we agreed after a couple of songs we would do another. Renzo had come over from the club next door to pick up some drinks so he bought us some shots so we ended up drinking 2 more shots of tequila and later on that night when we went to his club he made us 2 more of his specialty drinks. I can't believe I didn't have a hangover!

We had so much fun dancing with the band. I was taking pics while they were playing and they were hamming it up.



Of course they weren't the only hams, LOL. Between sets a couple of the band members came over to chat with us. They were such nice guys and totally humble. We told them they had to make a cd so we could buy it. Then we moved over to chat with Boy Cruz (the older bass player) and we were telling him how he was our favorite, especially when he started singing Hotel California. Then the drummer came over, we called him Steve Perry. It was cool because we already had our comment cards filled out so we showed them that we had already written them up. While we were chatting they invited me to come onstage and sing a song. I tried to tell them to take Vivi, she could really sing but when they went up she was talking to the music director so up I went. I told them I would sing back-up, even though I was standing center stage with a mic already in my hand (these guys move fast). Then they wanted to know what I wanted to sing. I drew a big blank since they mostly sing rock songs. Then they asked me if I knew Dancing Queen, hello? Do I know Dancing Queen? LMAO! So I sang onstage with my very own band! Unfortunately, Su was too busy rocking out to my version of it to take my pic. She says my mic wasn't on but I could hear myself over the instruments so I knew it was. As if that wasn't awesome enough, one of the last songs they sang was Hotel California and they dedicated it to Coco! It was so cool and when Boy started singing we bowed down to him which totally tickled him. It was a wonderful way to end our trip. Of course, we went up and grabbed some pizza before we headed to bed. We had to get up early to disembark and it was 2am, you know I was going to be hurting in the mornin but it was so worth it!

Food, glorious food!!!

Rachael pointed out there were not enough food pics for her for which my response was, I am going to make a slideshow of the food pics I took. I am always thinking of my mannions. So without further ado, here are the pics of some of the food we ate. Not all of it, sometimes I forgot to bring my cam with me to a meal and as you can see, sometimes we started eating before we remembered to take pics, LOL. I couldn't remember the name of everything but you'll get the gist and yes, I love my meat bleeding, LOL.

I will be back tomorrow to let you know about my stint on stage *G*.

Cozumel!!!

Our big plans for Cozumel were to lie on the beach and work on our tans. Well, we were on the beach, LOL. It was totally overcast when we pulled in but Su said it would burn off, it didn't. But at least we were there for a little while before the rain started! We did an all inclusive excursion going to the beach with drinks and food included. If it wasn't for the rain it would have been a perfect day. We had a great server named Mario who would bring us drinks before we even finished our first one.You know we loved him, LOL!

The water was fantastic. I don't know if you all know it but I can't swim so I only go out as far as I can walk and stil breath so Su went and got me a raft to play on. While I floated around (I tried to kick my way places but ended up not moving, at least I didn't go backwards!) Su decided to conquer the iceberg. This is so you can see how far out it is. Su had to swim out to it then she had to climb up it before sliding down the smooth side. She said a guy got a great show since her boob kept popping out as she climbed, dang it, I missed it, I was too far away, LOL. She had to rest at the top she was so tired. Then she had to swim to me when she came down, I tried to paddle to her but like I said, I was kicking but not moving, LOL. She had wanted me to do the iceberg with her but there's no way, not with that drop, LOL. I told her next time we needed Nancy there to play in the water with her, I was content to just float.

After awhile we hit the buffet, it was mexican, big surprise, LOL. It was yummy but no guac, what's up with that? When we got back it had started to rain so we put our things by the bar to keep them dry and went back into the water. Now that it was raining no one was in it. Actually we decided to do the paddle boats so the worker who was huddled under the snack bar with the other workers came running over to help us, he also had his cell phone out and was taking our pictures. I told him it better not end up on the internet, LOL. You could totally tell the others had dared him. Then he turned around and got embarrassed when I said he could take a pic of my ass. He didn't know who he was dealing with, LOL. The only rules were to stay inside the bouys and to stay away from the iceberg and trampoline. Let me say, paddling with a full stomach, rain and a few drinks in you makes it much harder then you would expect. Of course the first thing we do is run into the buoys. I panic and stop paddling and Vivi points out that we can't get out if we stop paddling. Of course it takes awhile for us to get out of there and we hear the lifeguard beeping us but we don't look at them, we're too busy trying to get out, as we laugh the whole time, LOL. We only did one circuit in the paddleboat, it was too much work. Since it was raining most everyone else was out of the water so we grabbed rafts and headed to the trampoline. We only had a few minutes to play there before we heard some drunk boys coming our way so off we went. After they left the trampoline Su wanted to go back on but I thought that was too obvious, LOL. After awhile of floating (btw, the water was warm) we decided to take a cab to the ship early since the bus wasn't coming for 2 more hours. Before we left though we went to go talk to Mario at the bar and the next thing you know we are doing shots. We had planned on doing some for Barb anyway but this stuff was awful!


Then as soon as we were done Su looks at me and says, "one more?" Sucker that I am I agree! After we said our good-byes we headed out.

Our taxi driver was sweet. The plan was to head directly to the ship but we got distracted and the next thing you know, we're sitting in Carlo's and Charlies having 3 more shots of tequila! I don't know, do you think the drinks got to us?
Finally, we decided to leave before we got into too much trouble, LOL. We had a couple of hours to recover before dinner time. So we may not have worked too much on our tan (I did get some sun) but we had a wonderful time in Cozumel!

PS: I added pictures to the previous posts.