Tuesday, May 30, 2006

No matter which way you ride, it's uphill and against the wind. (First Law of Bicycling)

I bought a new car. A minivan, actually. I've had it exactly ten days. The kids and I are totally in love with this vehicle.

Don't get me wrong. I loved my Way-Cool Truck. At heart, I'm a pickup girl and I always will be. But the kids were getting a little big to ride in the jumpseats (especially my 6' tall son!). Anytime we went anywhere, they were cramped and uncomfortable. And since the truck only seated four, there wasn't ever any room for their friends to come along on our trips to the beach or the park, or anywhere else we went. So basically, we had just outgrown the truck.

If that wasn't reason enough to trade-in the truck, the repairs bills made it a necessity. When I found myself putting the monthly repair bill into the budget, I knew it was time to make a change. I needed to get something reliable, that wouldn't be breaking down all the time.

Hence, the new van.

And it really is a wonderful vehicle, with all the fancy whistles and bells that I could possibly want: auto A/C, bucket leather seats, a 5-disc CD player, memorized seat positioning, a VCR player for the back passengers (okay, a DVD would have been better but we're still impressed), a horn that works (although this one I probably would have been better off without)...
I once drove my friend's Cadillac, and driving this van gives me the same feeling of luxury. And best of all, no more repair bills.

This morning, on the way to the gym, it put-putted to a stop. The repair shop is running diagnostics, but they're hopeful that I can have it back tomorrow. SIGH. Life just doesn't get any better.

Saturday, May 27, 2006

If you wish to grow thinner, diminish your dinner. (Henry Sambrooke Leigh)

A Piece of Meat
2 bonus points if the meat is cooked and ready to eat
3 bonus points if it will feed more than one person
This is my lunch today: a homemade turkey/apple sausage with sweet potato chips and a cauliflower and carrot salad. I won't get any bonus points for this piece of meat being able to feed more than one person. It barely feeds me! I started a diet this week, and it's been very difficult to get a "meat" picture. On the other hand, I'm doing really well with the diet. I'm hoping to have my weight under control by the end of the year.

Friday, May 19, 2006

Brookston's Photo Scavenger Hunt


An all green photograph
1 bonus point if the only color in the photo is green
2 bonus points if there are at least three shades of green

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Friday, May 12, 2006

Make a Bridge

A BRIDGE
1 bonus pt. if the water or land below the bridge is visible.
2 bonus pts. if a ship or other vehicle is passing beneath the bridge.

I needed a bridge, and my daughter offered to help. It's good to be flexible when looking for a scavenger item...

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

There is a time to say nothing, and there is a time to say something, but there is not time to say everything. (Hugo of Fleury)


Cari's home from New York. (Insert mental image of me doing a happy dance here.) I picked her up from the airport last night. It was late, but I did get a little bit of time with her. It seems so strange to be the parent of a college student -- neither of us is quite sure how the role of "parent" should be played out. But I'm just thrilled to have my baby back home, even if she's not a baby anymore.

I'm also walking around very proud of myself for my mechanical abilities. My turn signal was out, and I changed the bulb all by myself. Well, by myself with the help of several strangers in the auto supply parking lot. (It was almost like a joke: How many people does it take to change a Ford's lightbulb? Only I'm not sure what the punch line is, cause I lost track of the number!)

All together, it was a very good day. The type that leaves you still smiling the next morning.

Friday, May 05, 2006

While we are postponing, life speeds by. (Seneca)


Brookston's Photo Scavenger Hunt
A FOUNTAIN
1 bonus point if the fountain is outside
1 bonus point if the fountain is lighted


I can't believe that it's already Friday. I don't know what happens to my week. I start out each morning with the best of intentions, listing out the things I plan to accomplish that day in my Daytimer. But at the end of the day, my list is still intact and I'm left wondering what it was I did all day.

This fountain picture was taken while Mom and I were at Cocoa Beach this past weekend. I really wanted to do a picture of the fountains on Clematis Street -- I love that fountain! -- but I never made it downtown.
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Tuesday, May 02, 2006

It's not true that life is one damn thing after another; it is one damn thing over and over. (Edna St. Vincent Milay)


I've got nothing really exciting to talk about today. I don't even have a new photo for today. I took this one when mom and I went strawberry picking back in March. I really need to work on getting some excitement in my life. Or at least keep my eyes open so that I don't miss the possibilities of the day. Posted by Picasa

Monday, May 01, 2006

As I get older, I've learned to listen to people rather than accuse them of things. (Po Bronson)


Yesterday I was given notice that my parking space was being reassigned. Instead of being in front of the entrance, I'm now across the parking lot. According to them, I should be happy I even have a parking space. Initially they weren't going to give me one, since the paperwork hadn't been completed on time. The fact that they sent the paperwork to the owner and I was never told anything about it didn't matter to them. Naturally, I spent the day extremely aggravated at our HOA board.

I wasn't the only person upset today. Neighbors who normally only nod to each other in the halls could be seen having long discussions regarding the situation. There's nothing like a common complaint to bring a group of people together. And the parking changes were definitely something to complain about. There really wasn't any reason for the board to be doing this. ("Maybe they just want the good parking spaces for themselves.")

When I picked up my new parking decal, I had the chance to talk with a couple members of the board. Surprisingly, they weren't just being horrible. It seems that they were changing the parking in an effort to make it fair to everyone. People in the third building, which had been the last units to be sold, had been stuck with parking spaces on the far side of the first two buildings. So residents of building 3 had to walk across the entire length of the property while residents of building 1 parked in the spaces surrounding building 3. The reassignment actually makes the parking fair for everyone by assigning each building's residents the spaces nearest their building.

I can't help thinking that a lot of the problems and complaints could have been avoided with a little communication. Maybe the next time I get upset at something someone is doing, I'll try taking a moment to ask them why they're doing it first.

Maybe.
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