Let's Talk "Adventure"...

Shall we???

Someone once told me that I shouldn't feel upset about leaving a place that I loved... that I should look at moving to a new place as an "adventure".  Having moved around the world (literally) and knowing that when I move it's always a *new start*, I don't really look forward to moving.  Just the logistics are a pain-in-the-ass... not to mention a lack of friends and having absolutely no support system.

Let me tell you about my little "adventure" that started yesterday morning.  I took the hubs to the airport because he's going to be gone for a good part of this month (August).  On my way home, I decided to stop at the brand new Subway and pick up a turkey sub (added bacon, no lettuce, no mayo, just a lot of veg and light on the oil and vinegar).  I took the foot-long home and ate half, wrapping the other half up for later that evening.

About two hours later (around 3:00 PM or so), my stomach starts to feel crampy.  I bolt for the bathroom and blow chunks - all of the sandwich that I just ate.  ZOMG.  It's wretched.  And I keep vomiting.  I throw up until there's nothing left but bile.  And I keep throwing up.  I can't drive to the ER because I'm running a fever and can't stop dry-heaving and shaking.  My husband is not here and I realize that I don't know a fucking soul except for my real estate agent.  She's got three kids - I can't call her to drive me to the ER.  There's no cabs that run this late.  If I want to go to the ER, well... I'm going to have to call an ambulance.

So... I call the RN-Emergency nurse that comes with my health care provider.  She and I go through everything (with my dry-heaving every two minutes or so - really pleasant conversation!!) that I ate and what kind of food poisoning that I might have... and she introduced me to staphylococcus aureus.  Meat that is not left cold enough, or cross-contaminated with eggs or bad mayo.  Vomiting and symptoms last for 24 - 72 hours.  Yeah, it's a winner.  Luckily, after throwing up for well over 20 hours, I'm able to keep water and popsicles down - without throwing up (right now).  And I'm not done with it yet - I may have to still go to the hospital.  Luckily, my realtor is willing to take me late this afternoon if I keep barfing.

I want to say "thank you" to my friends who kept checking on me (the husband is working in a white noise environment and has had his cell phone locked up, so no calling him) and making sure that I was okay, even if they were hundreds of miles away.  Thanks to the nurse that I spoke with and the kind people at the Health Department.  Luckily, I'm in good health so I probably won't have to deal with this much longer - and fingers crossed that I won't have to go to the ER.

I also want to say a bright and lively "FUCK YOU" to the asshole* who wouldn't listen to me when I was trying to explain about having a SUPPORT SYSTEM after I moved.  That this is not so much an "adventure" as a lifestyle change and that I would be on my own (literally and figuratively).  If I had ended up with a different form of food poisoning, it could've been much, much worse.  And what makes me want to throw up (just on principle) is that there is not one person that I could've called to take care of my dog.  Take your "adventure" and shove it straight up your smug ass - because if you think this shit is fun, you're fucking delusional.

*Why don't I have any friends??  Why can't I keep them??  

How about shit like this???  And, no, I'm not going to apologize.

You know who you are.

Time. Hunting Down The Perfect...

House.

I'm back to looking at houses.  Which means, yes, we'll be buying our THIRD fucking house.  And the budget I have (compared to the other two combined) is ginormous.  Seriously.  And I have time - which is a rich thing to have as a buyer.  I will have the ability to put in multiple bids AND eventually decide on what I would like.  The husband travels so much that this house will be mine, for the most part... so I've got to be comfortable in it while he's gone.  Choggie has aged and sometimes doesn't hear the knock on the door or the ringing of the bell.  :0((

Simple list....

• House has to be over 1800 SQF.
• House has to have a garage (single is good, double is better).
• House has to have a minimum of three bedrooms, three + den, or three + family room.  Husby and I want our separate offices AND a guest room always prepared for people.  Yeah, Tito.  I know.  I'm fucking crazy and you'd "never risk it".  STFU.  And, yes.  I was "talking to you."  Want to prove something???  Send her down.  Go build something or take your own vacation.
• House has to have a good kitchen - no exceptions.  Exceptions will be made if the house is below budget; therefore, making the renovations happen within the budget.
• Skylights.  They are big-huge-awesome here.  I'd love to have more than the two in each bath.
• Screened-in porch.  Useless in June, July, and August... yet worth their weight in gold during the other not-so-hot months.  I'm already planning on sleepy furniture!!
• I'm good with late '70s to early '80s retro.
• Would love an in-ground pool.  This is probably not ever happening because the husband doesn't like them.  A bitch can hope, right???  :P

If the flooring sucks -

We'll replace it (hardwoods, tile, whatever)

If the wall color blows -

We'll repaint it.  All in one long weekend, hopefully.

Landscaping - plenty o' companies.

Appliances I hate - changed out.  I'm missing having a Jenn-Aire stove.  NEEDED.

That's it for now.  My list probably looks like it belongs to a spoiled child, but I don't care.  I want this house to be "it" for us (at least 5 years).  

Under Pressure.

Life. Good Stuff.

The journey to Baltimore-DC area was a crazy one.  My niece's wedding was really great, intimate, well-thought-out, and everything from the dress to the flowers, and all the food was fabulous.  The "destination resort" we stayed at was not disappointing at all.  The hot tub in the room was huge and could've fit four people - the bathroom was very spa-like.  All glass shower, beautiful tiles, and everything well thought out.  Huge king-sized bed, awesome pillows, light down comforter, excellent views, and it was also very "please don't bring your child(ren) here" discouraging.  Not cots, no cribs, no family rooms.  Only adults in the pool.  For my child-free ass, that was a HAPPY PLACE.

Unfortunately, the rental car sucked.  We were assigned a 2015 Jeep Compass... wow.  The dead have more options and move faster..  The engine was too small and the body was too heavy.  It couldn't get out of it's own way.  Trying to get on to | 495 and it was just pathetic.  It could also be that I really don't care for an SUV (it's like a cheesy station-wagon on steroids) and find that most people who drive them, can't.  Let's not even discuss parking.

And... I also scored my first speeding ticket in over 7 years.  Fucker clocked me at 41 MPH in a 35 MPH zone.  Ticket cost??  $130.  NO SHIT.  The Super Trooper managed to tell me that the "State of Florida won't be informing your insurance company as long as you pay the court your ticket."  What a fucking racket!!  My husband keeps picking on my not being able to drive 41 MPH.  This is such a non-win, it wasn't even funny.

For the good news...  the house hunt starts tomorrow.  We received all of our paperwork back from USAA and we've been all pre-approved.  I've already been saving interesting houses from realtor[dot]com and my budget is very generous (to say the least).  I also have a budget for immediate renovations before we move in... for instance, hardwood flooring (except for the bedrooms - because I want carpet), tile in the kitchen and baths, new hardware (if I don't like what's in there), countertops, and cabinet resurfacing.  So, I'm not really worried about the cosmetic stuff with the house - I just want to find the best house that fits our lifestyle.  And, yes... having a dedicated guest bedroom and bath is at the top of the list (I'm so dangerous and all... expecting people to come and visit me - hahahahahaaaaaa).  :D  I'd also like a soaking tub in the master bath, but if it doesn't have it (and maybe has a jacuzzi outside or something), I can live.

My biopsy also came back... it's negative!!!

And I have another job interview tomorrow... which may take me a whole lot closer to the Audi TT that I want to get after we buy our house.

PCB /to/ NOLA /to/ Biloxi and back /to/ PCB.

An epic amount of travel for three whole days... but I'm not complaining.  Had to get my biopsy done on in NOLA on Wednesday afternoon (1:00 PM - but I left PCB at 6:15 AM that morning), then ran some errands (picked up a couple of cases of Abita Beer, gumbo file, cajun spices, a small bag of red beans, and some petit fours), grabbed a rotisserie chicken and NOLA-style potato salad (for dinner).  I also provided some pre-mixed cocktails, Long Island Iced Tea (Cuervo Skinny) which were not at all disappointing!!  I wish I took a picture of it - because it was delicious and not the shit-tastic mess I was thinking it would be - at all.  Yum!!  L and I had our cocktails and front-porched it (my most favorite evening thing to do in my old 'hood).

(Looking down my street from the awesomeness of the front porch!!)

The Vee-Dubs was glad to be back in her old neighborhood, too.  I still have the NOLA inspection sticker on the front (even though my license plate is from Florida now).  Since N & L rent out my old house, I street-park now... no more fancy for me!!

(There she is... back where she should be... minor dents and all!!)

After all the excitement of Wednesday night, I reluctantly packed the car on Thursday morning - but it wasn't as dreary as I was expecting.  I headed to Mississippi to pick up one of my very good friends and treat her to a night out (did someone just say "Girl's Night"??  Oh, yesssssssss!!!).  We booked a room at the IP Casino in Biloxi, which is a casino, resort, spa, pool on the 11th floor, and excellent room service.  This is our second visit and it was just as fun as the first time around!!  I had brought some "Hurricane" pouch drinks from New Orleans, and we started with those...

(You know, because I just came in from NOLA - we had to toast the city in our own way!!)

Then, we went exploring around the casino, checking out the pool, taking various elevators (all which seemed slightly shaky and a bit dodgy) and came across this gem (can't say that either one of us was really interested in attending this concert - for fuck's sake, I thought she was dead or in a loony bin - but apparently is still doing the B-level casino concert bit)....

(She's had so much plastic surgery, if she sits near a campfire, she'll either go up in flames or simply fucking melt!!)

Yeah, you read that right.  Liza - in the plasti-flesh.  We had such a good giggle over all that - it was hilarious.  I think that a good portion of the Q-tips may have hit up the box office, though.  The elevators going up there were full!!  

We headed back up to our room, to open our big ol' box o' Franzia (Sunset Blush - the boxed-bagged wine that never stops) and proceeded to have a fabulous time watching "National Lampoon's Vacation" and catching up on all the cray-cray shit that's been going on in our lives.  This, of course, is way better than drinking and texting or Skyping... and we took advantage of it - staying up fairly late (well, really late), ordering room service.  In the morning, we ordered room service and got pancakes with a bourbon-apple sauce to spread on them.  It was a great evening!!!

And guess what?????  I didn't get *dangerous*!!  I could have, you know.  I had alcohol, ice, and a cheaply serrated "knife" that I'm pretty sure (had I been sober enough), I could've ground into a shank.  That never happened.  The proof???  Right here...

(It would've taken me half a week in a prison hole in order to make THAT a killing weapon.  Sorry, C.!!  I did my best to appease the peanut gallery, but I guess I failed miserably at that.  Le sigh.)

So, we check out of the casino this morning, and I was back on my way to PCB.  Got home before the husband did, emptied out the car, and then we went out to one of our favorite seafood shacks.  I don't have a lot of pressing stuff to do this weekend, and the boob hurts a bit, but I'm sure I can just hack it off if it becomes a bother.  

And if you're feeling adventurous or need some kind of entertainment....  play THIS.  It's Dangerous!!!

Two Weeks of Travel.

After a very quiet Fourth of July (and it was quiet - living in the 'burbs ensures that), I now have a busy two weeks coming up.  On Wednesday morning, I'll be heading back to New Orleans.  My visit is two-fold... I'll be getting a needle biopsy done and then a new audio system put in my car (part of my 40th birthday gift).  I'm getting a touch-screen system with all the bluetooth stuff for my iPod, iPad, and iPhone that will automatically sync.  That makes me so happy!!  Also, I can watch movies if I want, also (or at least my passengers can).  This almost makes up for the needle biopsy and very short trip to NOLA.

However, on the way home from NOLA, I'll be picking up a very good friend and we're planning on having a Girl's Night Out at the IP Casino in Biloxi!!!  Pool, poolside service, room service, and of course our favorite box o' wine will make this a memorable stay!!  I can't wait to catch up and just hang out with one of my close friends for a night.  No husbands, no kids, no dog, no cats... nothing but some relaxation and fun.  I don't even care if I get a sunburn!!  :0))  I'm hoping my friend can catch some good pics with her camera and that the weather holds so that we can enjoy an excellent sunset.  I'm so fucking EXCITED!!!

Next week, on Friday, husby and I will be flying up to Washington D.C. for a wedding.  One of my very favorite nieces is getting married and we've decided to make a mini-vacation out of it.  We're staying at an upscale hotel (with a double-person jacuzzi in the room), 24-hour room service, fluffy towels, robes, and poolside access.  We only have to be at the wedding on Saturday night (and that is at La Ferme Restaurant - and it looks so delicious!!) and the rest of the time is our own.  I'm looking at other dining options and maybe going to the aquarium in Baltimore.  Hell, we might just be lazy and pampered... either way, it's a getaway.

I'm still undecided as to whether or not I'll be going to St Louis in August.  Husby is going to be there for over two weeks, and I could fly in and crash at his hotel with him, easy peasy.  Just don't know if I want to deal with traveling that soon again or not.  Next summer, we have a month long trip to Germany (going to both Ramstein and Landstuhl) and there's also a trip to Japan coming up in the early spring.  I look forward to going back to Germany (although I'm pretty sure I'll be spending most weekends in France) and I've never been to Japan, so that should be interesting.

And in between all those things??  House buying, painting, flooring, and moving.  Let's not bring all that up right now.  I want to ride on this good mood for a while!!

Friends-Drinking-Franzia-Saturday.

This might sound weird.  And maybe it is... but for some of you who don't have friends close by, it'll make sense and it may appeal to you.  Who knows?  For me??  It's better than wine-ing it up on your own, only to drunk dial someone who may not appreciate your consideration post-midnight.

I drink and message with one of my good friends.  It's a planned event.  Really.  Repeat after me:  "This is a planned event".  There's only a couple of steps involved and then, voila!!  Are you interested??  Follow these directions:

1. Find one of your good friends who may be in the same predicament as you.  They could be in a new area (with no friends to hang out with), in an area where drinking is frowned upon (the debbil you say!!), friends that don't drink (my idea of horror), or maybe they are home with the kids or family or in-laws and such (and therefore; they NEED to drink).  Make contact.  Set a date and time.
2. Determine what you're going to drink.  Tonight, I enjoyed a cool 3-litre box of Franzia's Famous "Sunset Blush" - on sale for $8.00 at my local Winn-Dick-Me (AKA "Winn Dixie").  My drinking buddy's husby picked her up the same thing.  
3. At set time, start messaging, texting, Skyping, or whatever.  Get silly and funny and take pictures and laugh.  Get snockered.  Enjoy each other's company.  Do the Girl's Night thing from miles and miles away.  Best of all... hang out with someone you adore and don't be lonely.  

Start the fun with this:

You're merely $8.00 to fun with one of your besties online!!!

Then, just start sending pics to each other.  I took a pic of my favorite wine slurping cup... a Dr Seuss holographic tumbler, along with my favorite movie character, The Dude (from 'The Big Lebowski') and a finger puppet of Dali.  This is what I sent (because my Sunset Blush Buddy gave me The Dude early for my birthday):

So, it's a little dark... but can you FEEL the happy????  I can!!!

I'm not going to bore you with the rest of our conversation, but I enjoyed my time with her immensely.  Of course, it's not going to be as awesome as hanging out in person with someone... but if you're wanting company and you're on your own, this is a pretty good solution.  It's been a great night!!

Road Tripping. New Orleans. Popping In.

***Sorry about picture sizes... they are a bit blurry***

I left on Saturday to head back to New Orleans.  Sadly, I don't think that I expected the reaction I had... once I drove into the city proper, I cried.  The Super Dome, the Smoothie Center, the Crescent City Connection, the mighty Mississippi River, and of course, my old "barn" of a house (L & N live there now, so it's like having family living in a multiple-generation home).  

***The sign on |10 directing me to the Westbank (AKA "The Bestbank")

Of course, we front-porched it.  That was after going to eat at this excellent hibachi and sushi restaurant in Metairie...  Shogun.  My host and hostess (S & L) have been going there for 17 years, and let me tell you, that restaurant did NOT disappoint.  A large hot sake, soup, salad (ginger dressing to die for), special hibachi rice, spicy noodles, and I had the seafood combination (lobster, sea scallops, and shrimp).  Veggies included zucchini, onions, mushrooms, and sprouts... the mushrooms were my favorite (they just absorbed all the sauces and spices).  Nothing was bad.  Highly recommend and I'll do a Yelp review tomorrow.  

Grabbed lunch with L on the go... she had a ton of errands to run, and guess what??  I did, too!!  Husby is in St Louis for the rest of the week, and I kept getting texts.  So... Abita Beer party pack, Cafe du Monde chicory coffee, sweet and salty honeyed cashews, Richard's fresh green pepper (read "spicy") smoked sausage, NOLA potato salad, and comic book store items.  And... delicious soaps from a soap maker that's local.  They smell almost like a fresh French milled soap, but the price was right and I picked myself up some and picked out two additional for a VERY good friend of mine.  I didn't find a tee-shirt that struck my fancy at the comic place, so I ended up getting the new "Fight Club 2" comic.  Honestly, I could go wild in Crescent City Comics... they had some of the best graphic novels ever and I could've blown a whole lot of money in there.

For dinner on Sunday, S made homemade ricotta and Italian sausage raviolis with a sauce to DIE FOR.  Deliciously excellent.  :0))  I need to pick up on some of his tips and tricks and start using my Kitchen Aid professional mixer far more often.  Seriously!!  Plus, it's relatively easy but looks FABULOUS when finished.  

**Disclaimer:  I did not take food porn pics.  Apologies.** 

Monday was nothing but appointments.  I've been deemed healthy by my internist.  YAY!!!  Met a friend for lunch (between appointments) and went to Manhattan Jack - she was craving bagels with lox.  I pouted, because I was too late for an everything bagel that I wanted (sold out) and they stopped making their Monte Cristo sandwiches (one of my utter and absolutely favorite nom-nom-nom foods).  Haven't found a replacement since they took theirs off the menu.  Definitely can't find them here in Florida, so....  boo!!

Spent an uneventful night because I was planning on stopping at Rouses AGAIN and I was wiped out by all the go-go-geaux!!!  pace that we went with all weekend.  So, I ended up leaving NOLA around noon-ish on Tuesday, but there was a great reason.... I could spend some down time with Cat!!!!!

I was, indeed, able to stop in her area on the way home... bearing gifts of candy cashews AND peanut-brittle type peanuts.  She shocked me by giving me my birthday gift early...  it is THE DUDE from the 'Big Lebowski'.  Check it out!!

She knows me and put a lot of thought into it.  :D

Her husband, M, found me two of my obsoleted favorite cartoon shows... 'The Oblongs' and 'Moral Orel' and burned them to disk for me.  HAPPINESS!!  So, with that awesomeness, I'm going to sign off for now.  Thank you so much, Cat!!!  Treasured forever!!!  x0x0

Not Giving A Fuck. And... Giving A Fuck.

There are certain things that I have just quit caring about.  I don't think that I really gave too much of a fuck to begin with (it's in my nature), but some things in life just are not worth worrying about.  At this point, I just don't want to be bothered with:

• How some people feel.  Too bad, so sad.  Go find someone to shrink your head.  I'm not it.
• How some people attempt to make me feel.  Quit.  Go guilt some other person.  Go away.
• Behaving much like an adult.  Being the grown-up in a situation sucks. 
• Having to keep my atomic pie-hole shut.  Because that's what the adults do.  See???
• Being baited.
• Not putting people in the middle of shit.  Leaving things alone.
• Gamma*, don't go away mad.  Gamma*, just go away.

Now, here are the things that I do care very much about.  And some of the things that I care about might be a bit materialistic, but it is what it is.  :0))

• My friends.  J, C, CLV, AS, CS, KLD, JS, JB, LF, and (Mom)RL... thank you all for being there for me continuously.  Even though everyone is weathering their own storms at times, I have never hesitated to pick up the phone and call any of you.  And vice-versa.  Most of you have been there for me since before I graduated high school (some have come along in recent years), but even over a span of time, I can pick up the phone and call... and you're there. 
• My derby family.  From Shreveport, to New Orleans, and now in Florida... all of you are truly amazing and brilliant women.  Polly and Shootzie (Shreveport) - it was so good to see you both and hang out for a couple of nights.  Minute Maid, Holly, Darko, Marie LaFreaux, Strangler, and Amity... you made me part of the NOLA derby scene and I miss you all.  Can't wait to go back and see you bull run!!!
• Awesome friends and neighbors, S&L, who were gracious and wonderful to all the friends I introduced to the NOLA way of life... and who made sure we were there for Christmas Eve, NYE, and all the crawfish boils... working out doggie day care and helping out with letting me crash over there when our AC went out one weekend (and letting me stay while I finished up with our house).  L&N live in our old house and I can't wait to see them, either.  L is one of the sweetest people I've ever met and I'm so proud and happy to be her friend.
• Choggie.  I love her so much and she's the sweetest, most loveable pup-dog ever.  I'm thankful for every day that she's with us (she's 12 and has had some health problems as of late) and I make sure that I do something for her every single day that makes her happy.  Note:  I can't catch a squirrel, so that's out.  But chew-eez and belly rubs and walks are not.  :0))
• My husband.  Everyone who knows who we are understands.  Nothing more to be said - except I love him more than anything.
• The opportunities that will be happening over the next year.  Travel to interesting places across the United States, Europe, and Japan.  Possibly some road trips to see extended family and friends who live nearby and further away.  Looking forward to catching up with Nikki Talley and Jason Sharp... two of my favorite musicians (they're touring now - Google!!).
• Having people come to visit me.  :0))  This makes me really, really dangerously happy.  I enjoy company and introducing them to where I live.  Oh, I get a bit excited, but I don't juggle with butcher knives or anything.  Instead, I use the knives to get appetizers ready, cut veggies, make cheese trays, and sliced fruit prepared.  Wine and beer and sweet malt beverages are chilled, the guest room and bath prepared, and a fun visit is guaranteed. 

I guess that's all for now.  I think I had to vent the bad before I could post the good.  Thanks for reading.  Send comments if you'd like.  x0x0

*Gamma - Google (Urban Dictionary is quite interesting on the subject also).

A List: Stream Of Consciousness.

Just some of my thoughts this morning (I'm not a morning person) - some of these are just utterly random, others more specific, but none are really lingering:

• Why did I opt to take the Vee Dubs in so damned early for her checkup appointment?
• Wait!!  The dude driving the shuttle van looks like Usher!!  Sounds like Usher!! 
• When did Usher go broke??  Should I call TMZ??  Maybe the local news??
• At home without a car.  I don't like this feeling when I live in the 'burbs.
• The Duggar family are a bunch of savages.  Gag-inducing.
• Christians are being persecuted??  So few lions nowadays.
• Come on, Maury.  You have the most ghetto show on TV now.
• Is Maury worse than that teen knocked-up show on MTV?? 
• That would make a good poll.  Really.  Probably better than the presidential race.
• Chog-Dog wants part of my "healthy breakfast" of leftover pizza.  The drool!!
• One of my friends is joking about my being **dangerous** on FB.
• I'm to the point where I just laugh at where this statement originated.  If there's one thing I'll remember, it'll be just how over-the-top drama Gamma boy can be.  No longer my problem!!
• And I picture myself on the Muppet Show. 
• What kind of conversion plugs do they use in Japan??
• Should I do laundry now or later??  The husby leaves on Sunday.  Later, then.
• How long will it take to break in my white Chucks??  Too white!!
• I can't wait for my Mac (iMac Daddy) to be back home.
• Where is my package tracking number?? 
• Wedding in DC.  Dress.  Get jewelry cleaned.
• I HAVE NO SALON HERE.  Fuck.
• Iron Man is my favorite Avenger.  He drives my dream Audi.
• He can keep the suit.  I'll keep the car.
• I can't find my baby potted Groot.  I can't find all the funky stuff that belongs on my desk.
• B picked me up the first Groot comic yesterday.
• Time to step away from this and try and be productive.

...which means, take a nap until the Volkswagen Service Department calls and sends Usher to pick me up.  Which sounds so racy.  But, it really isn't.