Happy Birthday Gavin!

My how time flies! Yes, it was 1 year ago today that my beautiful grandson Gavin Riley Scott was born. I swear it seems like only yesterday. But oh my how he's grown.
He talks to me on the phone...well, kind of. Mostly I talk to him and sing his favorite song to him. I hear he is walking on his own and has a small vocabulary including, "da, da" and "no, no". As well, he has no time for baby food anymore...he likes "real" food, especially pasta.
Mom and I will be driving down to Lakeland tomorrow for his birthday party. I can't wait. Check the blog next week for details and pictures.
In the words of my favorite Empress: "Have a great weekend! I know I will!"

Oh How I Will Miss the "Ville"

As most of you know by now, mom and I will be leaving Gainesville, for good this time, on July 17th. As excited as I am about moving to Indian Harbour Beach, I am sad to be leaving the town I know so well. I grew up here...I've raised 2 children here (well, on and off...between here and Lakeland). So many wonderful memories:
Gainesville High School (Go 'Canes), Frisch's Big Boy, Burrito Brothers, Holiday Inn, muddin' in the JP, THE SWAMP on Saturday afternoons in the Fall, AGH, Shands (spent too much time there) long lasting friendships, Mark, David, Marty K., Vicki, my first boyfriend (Glenn), my first heartbreak (Glenn), Pizza Hut, my first apartment, graduating from UF (25 years after graduating high school) Lillians, The Spring Arts Festival, SIMED (really?), Kenney, Suzanne, Dr. Bill, Ron, SAGE (really?), Hilly, Angie, Mark, Javi, Youth Soccer, Sandi and Ray, GAINESVILLE GREEN, beer runs, head shops, Dubs (Tom Petty), Sister Hazel, The O'Dome, 13th and University, Paynes Prairie, Gainesville Health and Fitness (really?) Brookwood Terrace, Georgetown, the little house on 5th Avenue (The Rock), Danny's, the old library, Century Tower, GPA building (now known as Turlington Hall), the Hub, Stephen's first bike ride, Brett's first goal in soccer...and so many others.
What I will miss the most, the very most, is waking up on a Saturday morning in the Fall, going to Publix and everyone in the store is wearing the same colors....orange and blue.
It's great to be a Florida Gator...and it's great to have lived in "The Ville"

Another Saturday Night...

Hmph.....

Nothing to Say, Really!?

Work is keeping me from blogging. There. I have something to blame for my lack of writing. That, coupled with the fact that there is really nothing exciting to write about.
Quick update: Princess Laura is out of the hospital and in a rehab center working hard on her recovery. She is a strong woman and I know she will get through this in no time.
You can tell summer has arrived in Florida: everyday at 4:00 pm the sky gets black as night. By 5:30 (the time I leave for home from work) the thunderstorm has settled in. It's gone by 7:00. One can practically set their watch by the weather here.
I watched a show Friday night about Farrah Fawcett and her struggle with cancer. Then I got a feeling I haven't felt in a very long time: survivor's guilt. Why is the disease and treatment killing her, yet I get to live? She's been to Germany 4 times for treatments with specialists in that field of cancer. I had it rough: 8 rounds of chemo (as opposed to the standard 4) every 2 weeks and 72 rounds of radiation (as opposed to the standard 25); I had radiation twice a day...8:00 am and then back to the hospital at 4:30 pm (You have to allow at least 6 hours between treatments). And here I am; healthy, post-menapausal, but healthy. And I think I take it for granted alot of the time. How is it that cancer kills some but not others?
TMI for a blog, maybe.
Ok, enough of the downer stuff...have a good week. And make sure to tell the one's you love how you feel about them.

Have A Glass With Me!!

I used my new blender today. I made myself a "fruity drink" like they have on the cruises. The drink was awesome. So awesome, I had another one. I drank both of them out of my favorite cruise line's glass (Not the glass in this picture). All that was missing was the orange wedge and the umbrella. Of course it would have been nice to have been sipping these drinks while aboard a cruise ship in the middle of the Caribbean, but hey, I did what I could.
It's been a long week. I wish I could tell you that Laura is doing well, but I can't do that yet. I can tell you that she is hanging tough and I know she will pull through all this, it will just take a lot of time and patience. So I raise my "special" glass in honor of Laura, who will one day read this, laugh hysterically, and then chew me out for having wasted so much space and words on her.
Many of you have asked about my job. I really would rather not talk about it. I'm making money and that's a good thing. And so, I raise my glass again.
Next weekend, mom and I will be going to Cocoa Beach to visit friends and then to Orlando to meet up with my brother who is flying in for a long weekend from Cali. (I raise my glass in honor of Marc flying here safely). Then we will go to Lakeland and visit with Stephen, Casey, Brett and Gavin. (I raise my glass in honor of my grandson) I am really looking forward to next weekend.
The weather here has been quite lovely lately. Highs in the upper 80's with a nice breeze. (I raise my glass in honor of the fact I live in Florida) I'm hoping to sit out and get some sun tomorrow.
And now my glass is empty. (Now I know how Lori feels when we all say EVIL). And because I know Laura will be alright, my brother will get here safely, I am spending next weekend with my family, I am making money, and the weather is nice...I must go and get a re-fill.
Join me, won't you? We'll raise a glass to anything you want!

Princess Laura

Remember a few posts ago I said I like to use this blog as a catharsis? Well I need a catharsis today. I just found out 1 of my best friends, Princess Laura was in a terrible car accident. She has a broken hip and a broken vertebrae in her neck.
My first impulse was to book the first flight out of Gainesville and get to her in New Jersey. Scratch that, no money and no time off from my new job. Send flowers? That just doesn't seem to be enough for me. Laura has become such big part of my life...I feel I need to do more!!
She is so funny. She has an unusual attraction to piano bar boys and dancing poles. She loves to cruise as much as I do, if not more. She says I am half of her brain, as we both think alike in so many ways. We talk on the phone (which we both hate) about the silliness of boys, how to survive the world of IT (she does better than I; she's a Unix freak), and most of the time my neurosis of everything that matters. Oh, did I mention she's a HUGE Donald Duck fan?
I guess in the end, all I can do is call her often and let her know I am here. And pray. She would love that.

postscript: It has been 3 hours since I wrote this post. Being the Jewish woman that I am, I did the only thing I could do as I wait to hear word of my friend: I cleaned. I washed the car, gave Max a bath, mopped the entire house and vacuumed all the rugs. Laura....get well soon!! I'm running out of things to clean! :)

Yom Hashoah

And so tonight, the people of the Jewish faith light a candle to remember the 6 million that died. And we shall never forget. For if we forget, it can happen again.