Old Friends

Last night we headed up to the Smooth Jazz stations free Jazz on the Beach program at the Crowne Plaza hotel. It was a hot day...but there was a nice breeze and out on the back deck by the ocean it was quite nice. Jazz was great Dan/Dave(?) I wasn't paying attention to him...just the music and included in the band was his son who turned 16 last night. He was great on the saxophone. My brother David is almost ALWAYS there...and he was there last night. Actually...David should be one of the PR guys...since half the people I see there tell me my brother told them they should go.haha As we were finding a parking spot...we noticed a guy walking and lo and behold it was our friend Mike Koller....that I have not seen in at least 15 years! I couldn't believe it. We have invited him to various get togethers over the years...but he has been laying low. Apparently has been through a nasty divorce :( and that's been tough to get over. His mother passed away just a few months ago..... and I thought I would see him around town then...but did not. (I was unable to attend the funeral...we were out of town) So...it was a pleasure to finally see him and get a chance to catch up. He lived just up the road from us growing up and surfed, etc with John and my brother David over the years. Mike was always kind of quiet...but it was fun to talk about old times and hear what was happening with him. (he's a lawyer in Ormond Beach). Stayed out longer than intended...met up with a few other friends there and we all went for a bite to eat at ....where else....LongDoggers. (me with John, Mike, Ron and David and then who should arrive but my other brother Mark.) We had fun. I didn't get home THAT late...but I was yawning a little this morning. (extra cup of coffee took care of that. haha) Storytime was fun...butterfly and caterpillar stories.......and a cute little craft and one of *Ellison Die Butterfly shapes made out of old greeting cards and braille books*my favorite stories on video..."The Caterpillar and the Polliwog". ("when I grow up....I'm going to turn into something else.....") (I love it) Next week we will finish up our summertime programs with a little party and 3 programs in the afternoons (M-T & TH) It will be a fun/busy week. Monday we get to have a little party with out teen volunteers...Ice cream from Ben & Jerry's! I can't wait! (bring on that New York Super Fudge Chunk!). Okay...I have been putting off my bike ride for fear of a rainstorm...but it's moving off to the west...so I guess it's time for me to MOVE myself off this chair and get going!
*PS Ellen...if you are reading this....Hank is coming to FL Jan 3rd or so.....you should try to hop down for a visit. Wouldn't that be fun!?!

The times they are a changin

Well the local paper had a big story on the front page todayyesterday ,I guess
titled Li brary jobs, hours face cuts...and then went on to talk about how 48 positions are most likely going to be cut. There are 17 libraries in the county....so it will be spread out...but a smaller side column notes that the hardest hit libraries include Mims-Scotsmoor 51-32 hrs open, Martin Luther King 50 to 32, MELBOURNE BEACH 60 to 44 Palm Bay 54 to 40, South Mainland 54 to 40, and Merritt Island 64 to 51. We all knew this was coming...but now the reality is about to happen. Final decisions will be made and changes go into effect in October. One by one we are being taken aside and told what our individual status will be.....glad I'm not the boss......that's never an easy thing to do.
I have been told that I will remain...at the same rate and same # of hours........but instead of 16hrs in Children's and 4 at Circ desk...it will be the opposite. I will still get to do my Thursday Storytime...and I am really happy for that......and will fill in for Ms. Di as needed. That's probably part of the reason I still have a job.......I can do Circ, Reference and Children's.....not everyone is able/willing to do that. Do I like to do those other jobs as much........no. So I am giving myself a few days to sulkfeel sad about this....and then I am going to have to move on.
But I feel a bit like an Art teacher who has been told...you still get to teach...just not Art....if that helps you to understand how I feel. I know other people are LOSING their jobs...and I should be grateful...and I am...but it still makes me sad?unhappy? all of the above? Another little kink in this whole plan is that the staff will be cut as of Sept. 30?/ (last pay period) but the number of hours the libraries will be open doesn't change until the 15th or so of October......so everyone is going to be scrambling. to cover all the hours with reduced staff.....and what really makes me sad is that happens to be when we had a little trip planned to go up to join my sister Martha( & Tony) at Amelia Island while they are over from Hawaii. I put a request in 2 months ago...and was told it was too early to know what was going to happen.....now I know why. The thing is I get to see my sister 2 times a year...we try to go skiing in the winter/spring...and she usually makes a point to get over to the mainland at least one other time. I don't know if I will be able to deal with it if I am turned down for the time off....and I just really don't want to think about that option right now.
Last night I was feeling a bit overwhelmed.......I have realized in the last couple of years at work...new director...lots of changes....that I am not as open to change as I thought I was. I am pretty easy going.. but I had a nice little routine going and I liked my job. Slowly it seemed like things I felt were important weren't what other people thought were important.....like my Outreach programs. To see the kids who don't get to come into the Library regularly get excited about me coming to read to them...and then telling their parents that they Want to go to the Library...is exciting to me. That's what my job is all about!....and I guess that's what's most frustrating to me.......losing the opportunity to do things like that. SO...I was a little downhearted last night and John could tell....and he surprised me this morning with a card in my bag.....
"What a wonderful world it would be....if everyone were as nice as you. Thank you"
He wrote that I was one of a kind and that even if things aren't always the way we WANT them to be...we can still be positive about change and make it make US more positive. (along with some other nice things)
Anyway...I felt like I was in a Hallmark commercial....I teared up and everything...and it did make me feel better and it was very thoughtful......
I'm still worried about changes that are coming....different hours/days/tasks....and the fact that Tuesday morning when I am at the desk...I am watching the clock to see when I can go back to the other office......and it's sad that I won't be able to do that anymore ......so I am hoping when I work at circ ALL the time...the little things that throw me off now....won't be so intimidating when I do them all the time...not just once every few weeks. So I will be writing about this....bear with me. Wish me luck!

summer sunsets

A couple more scenes from my front porch recently. One night............

And another night................

Hole in One!

John got back last night from a golf tournament at the Mission Inn Resort Club http://http//www.missioninnresort.com/ in Howey-in-the-Hills. (about 35 miles NW of Orlando). John and Mark McNally get in the Intersil tournament every year(for the last 5-6 years) along with friend Bill Dalton (who works for Intersil)

Well this year not only did John and his golf partner ,also named John win the tournament....but John got a Hole-in-One on the second hole on Saturday!( This is the second time John has gotten a hole in one...last one was about 5 years ago at the Habitat Golf Course in Valkaria) Not too bad!

It's only ****dollars!

Do you have any annoying local businesses with goofy commercials on TV where you live? We have plenty here that's for sure. The car dealers seem the worst most desperate.....dragging out their dogs, grandkids, you name it. One guy in Brevard/Orlando area does a whole series of commercials with himself in triplicate....with his name underneath saying" ____ ____ Owners". I am still trying to figure that out....I could see if he did it once or twice as a joke....but this has been going on for several years......I just don't get it. Another company we all know and love.....to imitate is Appliance Direct.......constantly running a 10 insert number here
day only deal......with some lady who has been wearing the same green.....or yellow plaid dress for the last 3 or more years. Apparently she's not selling enough appliances! Then there's the Mattress Barn guy who does his commercial with a cartoon character of himself alongside him.......again...it was cute....but for year after year after year??????
We have the lawyer lady who is out to impress us by standing next to a big motorcycle in her office......but she is starting to get on my nerves, partly because she is on every other minute.....
or rather BECAUSE she seems to be on every other minute...
The worst offenders lately are the ones with the cute I guess children pitching their wares. We have the one little girl.who is kind of cute that started out as soon as she could talk...trying to help her grandfather sell cars. He recently passed away...but now she's on with her father. I don't really have a problem with that....they seem to be having fun together and she gets to wear all her cute little dresses, etc...but again these commercials are on over and over and over again...until you really don't care to see them again!
However they must be working because some new commercials along the same line recently popped up....a friend tile distributor recently got his three kids in on the act....sort of a cross between the girl on the car commercial and the Appliance Direct lady......which unfortunately is more annoying than anything. And then this morning...I saw the best one of all.....a car salesman with a ventriloquist dummy making the sales pitch. you can't be serious! My first thought was he was poking fun at the other people having their kids pitch the products....since the puppet was dressed kind of like the little girl( in her cowboy get-up) on the car commercials. at least I got a laugh out of that one.... and can just imagine what Jenifer would say about it....(Jen would've been 46 years old today....we miss you Jenifer!)...

In case your wondering....I really don't sit and watch TV all day...just the local weather/news in the morning before work.....and my one or two shows a night during the week. What will they come up with next??

Just call me Imelda

Shoes......lots of shoes...............................but I'm nowhere near the category of Imelda Marcos .

I really do wear all of these!

These aren't too bad because they have wedge soles....a little easier on the foot.

some favorites.....but the red ones have NO support and cute only goes so far! (brown ones actually have a small heel)

Now I'll be the first to admit...I have more than my fair share of shoes....but I don't think I have that many more than a lot of people I know. I work with a couple of ladies who LOVE shoes and have lots of colors and styles...probably way more expensive than the ones I buy too! Others however do kind of look at me when I show up with the green shoes that match my sweater set perfectly...but if they only knew. The green shoes almost ALWAYS wind up on the clearance rack/catalog...because who REALLY needs green shoes! So I try them on early.....then just keep watching and waiting until they are just about begging you to buy the darn things.

*some bargains...almost all of these were on sale

John meanwhile keeps calling me Imelda Marcos and tells me I really don't need to ever buy another pair of shoes ever again In all fairness he did have to pack them all up two different times...once when we moved and he couldn't believe I could have that many and the second time when the hurricanes compromised the roof and water was coming in......and since there was time I kept adding to my list of things that I might need him and our friend Mike R. to retrieve from the closet before they got ruined.(we evacuated...he did not) We were talking about that one time and Mike told me he agreed with John....he thought I had way too many shoes....... adding that he knew this for a fact,,,because he had helped move them all. I just changed the subject! hahaha

*note the pink sale labels!

*red pen and big 17...as in $

I have the standards...for work , dress up etc....and lots of sandals and flip flops. One pair of boots for winter all 2 weeks of it here in FL . John doesn't understand why you could possibly need more than one pair of say...black shoes...one should do it. Well....if I HAD to make one pair work I could...but since I don't HAVE to...if I just happen to run across another cute pair.....usually on the sale or clearance rack...well....that's another story. and sometimes....since I do have options...certain styles go better with certain dresses/skirts/pants. I have paid full price for some of these shoes....but in most cases, unless I NEED a pair for a certain occasion....I just buy them as I go along. These days my heel has been bothering me....Plantar Fasciitis....and in desperation recently after yet another day of SORE and TIRED feet....I went in a specialty shoe store and paid full price for a pair that I knew would match just about anything and could be dressed up or down as needed. I didn't even LOOK at prices while I tried shoes on...because I didn't want to leave without a pair of shoes...so I found a pair and tried to smile as I paid the price. Hey when you figure how often you are going to be wearing them...the cost isn't that unreasonable...but I'm glad I don't do that everyday! From that store I went next door to Beall's for some new Teva sandals....for walking the dog and around the house, etc......because they gave me releif the last time my heel bothered me. So...with any luck I'll be back to wearing all those cute little sandals with no arch support...or the little heels again soon. Vanity only goes so far... and these days I need COMFORT! (Born, Clark's, Nuture, Naot...etc). Happy trails! hahaa

Chunk-a-Change Dolphin / Wahoo Tournament

21 boats entered

1st place -$9000.00

2nd place - $4000.00

3rd place- $1050.00

familiar names among the sponsors

Queen snapper

Check out that BLUE water!

This past Saturday was the 4th annual Corey's Bagel's Chunk-a-Change tournament. John fished with Mitch and Josh Y........unfortunately they didn't catch any prize winning fish. They caught some grouper and snapper and they did manage to avoid the lightning and thunderstorms that rolled in right around the time of the official weigh-in. Word has it that our friend Mike Roy came in 3rd.....he won about $1050.00 with the 12 lb dolphin they caught. Glad to hear it! Things were pretty quiet out on the water...but all it took was one good one to win it all..... The winners got $9000.00 for their 42 lb wahoo. Not bad for a day of fishing.

Office update

A few weeks ago I wrote about the organized chaos in the office where I work. Sometimes it drives me crazy...but I try to go with the flow. The thing is I never know when my boss is going to decide to "tidy up"...and so even when I arrive at work and things have been put back/away/whatever.....it's not necessarily better. Last Saturday I got to work and found this! Ah...Friday must've been slow...D had time to straighten up....too bad it took me 10-15 minutes to figure out where things were NOW! sometimes you just can't win! Table was now visible...but where did she put the tape?, etc. Oh well....it kept me busy........



Decorations
"stored" up on the ceiling...
luckily I'm short....I just need
the step stool to get them down as needed.

Old Office Depot boxes hold construction paper scraps to be used for small parts of projects...like eyes, noses, etc.

Out in the Youth services part of the library.................................a display
celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Moon Launch and landing....a big part of life on "the Space Coast". Next week we are doing stories and songs about space.....and painting Glow-in the-Dark t-shirts.

Easy Books in this section...and you can see some of D's flower decorations

and part of our Children's area.

We had a craft program on Monday....the kids made a mobile....they turned out pretty cute.

better than I thought and then along with our usual Toddler Time, LapTime and Storytime programs...we had another visit from Jiggleman. He is scheduled for a total of 3 visits to our library in hopes of spreading the crowds out and giving everyone a chance to see him, Well...we didn't expect as many as we got (close to 200)...they were calling from Suntree (30-40 minutes away (in traffic) and Palm Bay 30-40 minutes away in the other direction......it's just crazy! I left at 12:30pm... so D was on her own.....she was a little surprised....now we are wondering how many we will get when he comes for the grand finale of our summer programs............we'll have to wait and see.

weekend visitors

Last week was a Looooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggggggg
week...I don't know exactly why it felt so long...but it did. We were looking forward to a visit from my sister Elizabeth. she was coming to town for her class reunion.

Elizabeth & I at Meg O'Malleys on Friday afternoon

View of the beach from Liz's room

Looking west from her room you could see the river

after the rain...a rainbow over the ocean

Mark, Lynn,David, Elizabeth & Anne John took the pictures.

Mark borrowed John's cheapo glasses...Mark has big eyes...these glasses were like a magnifying glass on his eyes! Like the goofy glasses my Dad used to joke around with.

We didn't plan this very well did we? haha white t-shirts against the white walls......oh well Elizabeth's flight was a little late getting in Friday...so our lunch turned to a late lunch/early dinner....but it was just as good. My brother David joined us too. After we ate we had to make a trip to Publix for a creme filled donut...we hoped...but no luck...so we HAD to buy a small cake instead...with creme frosting! Elizabeth attended her activities for a few hours and then she & I went to City Tropics for a bite to eat and a drink. we had fun catching up and I enjoyed all the stories about her classmates. apparently there was one "girl" who seemed to remember Elizabeth and (our neighbor) Alison...however neither Liz or Alison remembered her........oh well. They were talking about work or something and Elizabeth was talking about her days when she worked in the Crime Lab ( as a forensic scientist) in Norfolk, VA. The same girl's husband asked if the lab was like the labs on the TV shows...to which Elizabeth said..."No. it's not dimly lit and the staff isn't so glamorous"...then said classmates husband said."Well, you're pretty glamorous". Elizabeth said she just pretended like she didn't hear him and changed the subject. haha

The next night he asked told her he had looked her up in his wife's yearbook...and he wondered if she was one of those cool girls in high school with her name on her car. HA....maybe on her bike! None of us had a car in high school!

Saturday we both got up and she took a walk on the beach and worked out...I slowly got going and then took a bike ride and walked the dog. We went for lunch at where else.......Longdoggers...you can't come to Indialantic without going there! we spent the afternoon sitting on her balcony (sort of...pretty small...but it worked) watching the people down at the pool and the beach...and watching the rainstorms pass by south of us. There were a couple of weddings going on at the hotel...so we had to check everyone out! we sipped on some sparkling wine, talked and relaxed until it was time for her to get ready for the gathering. She went for a couple of hours, then called Paul and I and we all met at Ichabod's a little restaurant/bar just up from me...down from her hotel. We had a lot of good laughs and enjoyed sitting outside until about 12:30. (I don't usually go out that late any more!...but we had fun)

Sunday, John joined us for a movie and then the three of us met David, Mark & Lynn for dinner at Villa Palma..(.where David is a regular) (He saw several friends in there in addition to knowing the whole staff.)So it was a nice relaxing weekend...we talked and laughed a lot...too bad the rest of the crew couldn't join us! Monday morning we met Mark for breakfast at The Blueberry Muffin (where Elizabeth & Jenifer worked once upon a time along with another good friend Lynn T) and then it wasn't long before we were off to the airport! Now I am looking forward to our next visitors.....Martha and Tony are coming in October........ and you never know who might turn up in the meantime!

Theater fun at the Library

This afternoon we had lots of fun with the Atlantic Coast Theater group at our Library.http://www.atlantic-coast-theatre.com/

The kids and adults all enjoyed a charming performance of "Chicken Little- An Appalachian Musical Jamboree". The husband and wife team sings, dances, plays all sorts of musical instruments... in the show today that included an assortment of banjo, mandolin, "bonemonica"(harmonica in a big dog bone ...played by "Doggy Woggy" )and washboard. The audience...ages 2 to 7o plus all really liked it. we've had them once a summer for the last three years....and last years performance of "Rockin Red Ridin Hood" brought back memories of the summer or 1969?70?. We lived on a cul-de-sac with 17 houses and over 50 kids! And of those 50.....there were 10-11 girls within a year or two of my age, ( we had a blast! ). My sister Martha and I, Dixie, Lisa and Rene( and maybe Patti and Karen) decided to raise a little money and have some fun at the same time. We decided to put on a play "Little Red Riding Hood" and charge all the little kids 25c ...which also included popcorn. What a deal! We had it all set up in Dixie's backyard/back porch. I don't remember who played Little Red Riding Hood...but it must've been Dixie or Rene...because Martha was the "Big Bad Wolf" and Lisa and I were doing a" commercial" before the play. ...basically to make the whole thing last longer! haha The commercial was from a class project we had done in English class, My Dad wrotehelped me write this crazy commercial about "Exlaxo Detergent"(....it makes those stains GO! GO! GO!) It involved a Salesman...(yours truly) and the homemaker (Lisa). The salesman(basically an older version of Billy Mays...that my Dad dreamed up) demonstrated how all these stains "he" smeared on a white t-shirt would be gone in no time...with just 6 cups of Exlaxo Detergent. We popped the shirt into our cardboard washing machine and took it out and "Voila" the stains were gone.....and there were 6 holes in the shirt...hahaha.
So...back to the play.......Lisa and I sit down at a little table and chairs and promptly spill some detergent on the table and start giggling. (I've mentioned before I am a bit of a troublemaker that way...once I start laughing.......I can't stop) At one point we were laughing so hard we couldn't even say our lines! Luckily the laughing was infectious and everyone else was laughing too! We finally managed to get through our lines and it was time for the main event! If you are close to my age you probably remember a hit song at the time by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs (watch it here on YOU Tube)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XmuhDymN-U ."Hey there Little Red Riding Hood...you sure are looking good.......etc.
Well...in our little play my sister Martha (now a COO of a hospital by the way) was the BIG BAD WOLF. She was dressed in a black leotard and tights....some sort of ears and tail and she had a (I believe) ukulele...for a guitar. Her part consisted of jumping out from behind a tree to serenade Little Red Riding Hood with the Sam and the Sham and the Pharaohs song! All was going according to the plans until the Perlmutter's dog "Sam" (a black Lab) decide to get in on the fun! Apparently Sam spotted Martha aka "The Big Bad Wolf" and was feeling amorous and he started chasing her around the yard. Picture it now...Martha wearing her leotard, tights, tail and toting a ukulele running from the dog "whose thing was out" (as the crowd was gleefully shouting) with Lisa and I on the side laughing till we were crying....I don't even know what happened to Little Red Riding Hood! hahahaha. Well so much for our grand performance...but the neighborhood kids all agreed it was worth the 25c! to eat popcorn and watch Sam chasing Martha around the yard!
Ah we had good fun back then! Rest assured the group today was much more professional than our little troupe...but we sure had fun!

It's a Party!

Where there's cake............there's a party. Longdoggers celebrated their 12th Anniversary with the Annual Employee & Friends party. Since the anniversary coincides with the 4th of July......they had the holiday bash at Paradise Beach Park.

Fun necklaces and decorations on the table and tasty cupcakes.

It was a nice day at the beach. Hot...but if you got in the right spot there was a nice breeze.

The pavilion was packed full of employees, families and friends of the restaurants. (Indialantic, Post Road, Satellite Beach and Palm Bay)

Fun games and lots of prizes for the kiddos.

John stylin!

Games on the beach. Employees from the different sites competed against each other in Sack Races, Hula Hoop, Dodgeball and The Balloon Toss.

Good catch!





Friends and family looking on...

A little friend who will be 1 Year Old on Tuesday the 7th!

John with Courtney and Brittany.....in between competitions. (they both work at Indialantic)

The Girls!

John and Scotty

There were prizes, Italian Ice, Balloon animals/hats and Face/body painting for the kids. They loved it! Painter was pretty good!

E & J having some Mango flavored Italian Ice!

They also had a band, lots of good food, beer, soda, water...a local American Idol hopeful (tryouts in Orlando this week)sang the National Anthem to start the day off......it was fun.

*don't you love the "ants" on the cupcakes. Too cute!