Just running a little behind

Okay...I just haven't been in the mood to write anything...I've thought about it...but then usually went for a walk or bike ride instead...haha. Or...read a book.(currently have two going one non-fiction - Midnight Rising :John Brown and the Raid That Sparked the Civil War by one of my favorite authors...Tony Horwitz. I like his writing style and always have enjoyed civil war history. So far so good.
 Also, on a lighter note...The Innocents by Francesca Segal.  I like the way the author describes her characters. It's about a young Jewish couple in London, recently engaged. The descriptions sort of remind me of the way Maeve Binchy writes.
Paragraphs like this one:"The marriage of a Jewish son is a bittersweet prospect.There is relief, always, that he has navigated the tantalizing and plentiful assemblies of non-Jewish women to whom the children of Diaspora are inevitably exposed: the moment he enters secondary school there is the constant anxiety that a blue-eyed Christina or Mary will lure him away from the tribe." I think I like this because two of my sisters (a brown-eyed Ellen and a blue-eyed Jenifer managed to do just that...haha)and I can't tell you how many times Brenna has met guys...who think Brenna is one of the "tribe"...hahah we laugh every time.
Lisa and I went out to lunch on the 11th with our friend Karen...to celebrate her birthday and to give her a little break from her time helping her mom and her sister Laura. Karen has been spending a lot of time at her mom's and a few hours away from the house was a nice break for her. we were happy things have gotten better enough for her to feel comfortable taking a little time off. We enjoyed reminiscing about old times on Oak Ridge Drive. We all moved there within a year of one another back in 1967......believe it or not. We moved into our house the summer before I started 7th grade at Hoover Jr High...and the three of us began Jr High together. (and if I'm wrong on that date...it was sometime close to that...haha)
We enjoyed soup and sandwiches at the Nomad Cafe in Melbourne. Tasty...Brenna discovered this place before she left town...and when Lisa suggested it...I was all for it. Delicious....definitely worth a trip.
Now...it's about time for bed....after lots of exciting football games today...The Gators are off to a great start!

Come On Man...you're better than that...

Anyone who knows me...knows that when something is bothering me I just have to get it off my chest and then I can let it go. If I find myself thinking about it over and aver again...I just need to say what I think. I DO try to think it through first...and say how I feel without being overly critical, nasty, etc. That said...something's been bothering me and I figured I can say what I think here...and no one has to listen to me rant... but I can say what I think haha.
The other day we were watching football with some friends. Someone mentioned having seen Air Force One up at Patrick Air Force Base. (President Obama was speaking at FIT in Melbourne). This comment prompted a brief political discussion...which I stayed out of..(it was tough...haha). I didn't hear all the comments...I didn't really listen because I knew I did not agree with them  and I didn't want to get into it. At one point I did hear John say (kind of sharply) "Hey. Watch it". I didn't pay much attention.
Later that evening he told me one of the guys (who will remain anonymous) made some kind of comment about Obama that included the "N" word. I'm sure John was GLAD I didn't hear that...because he knows me well enough to know I would have spoken up(....and I am happy to know that he did.)
I thought about it and I think I was more disappointed than anything. Come On...it's 2012! You should know better! This wasn't some dumb redneck making the comment...but it might as well have been. Making racial slurs is never appropriate....if you don't like the president because you don't like his policies...fine...I get that.. (believe me I was depressed for  the 8 years while George Bush was in office...I CRIED when he got re elected).but to act as if his race has anything to do with it is just stupid.
 It really honestly makes me sad to think peoplle still don't get it....how you treat people, the things you do are what counts...not what you look like....or what religion you are.  Be smart enough to know unless people get along and work together...nothing is ever going to get done.
 Making stupid or racist  comments doesn't make you funny; in my eyes they make you look ignorant.
Be better than that...be smarter than that...Come on man!

Tebow Time again

 Football is back...and so was the gang at LongDoggers. Now that Tim Tebow is playing for the Jets some of  his local fans are having a harder time rooting for him...because the Jets are big rivals of the Miami Dolphins. No Miami fan is going to cheer for the Jets...hahah I am not a Miami fan...so I change cheer all I want. It just so happens that the Jets have held their training camp in Cortland, NY this season and two years ago. Since my Brother-in-law is president of SUNY-Cortland...he was very involved in the negotiations/arrangements. It is great for the school and the community to have the team train there. One of the  perks for Ellen and Erik has been meeting some of  the players & their families, the coaches, even the owner. They have attended a couple of games...(with box seats) and from conversations with my sister...it's all been a lot of fun. When we heard Tebow was going to be part of the team...we called Ellen to try and get some t-shirts during the training camp. We got one for Al...which he hung in the restaurant...and a couple for our friend Tom

who actually is a Jets fan. He wore his shirt today. If you watched the game...you know the Jets  won...and Tebow didn't get too much playing time...but we cheered him on when he got in...haha It should be a fun season.

Big news

Big news from Hawaii this week! Megan and Marcus arrived at Martha and Tony's on the 3rd, and Marcus asked Megan to marry him later that night. So...this means Brenna and I get to start planning a party! hahaha
No date is set...they're going to enjoy their trip to Hawaii and then make plans after they get back home. And I have to admit...I was more excited then I expected to be...... but then again....how can you not get excited about looking forward and planning a celebration like that!

Come on man!

I always enjoy ESPN's Come On Man segment...because they're fun (and true!) Well...I've decided I need my own way to rant about things that annoy me...for instance...............
The other day I was riding my bike and noticed a guy working on someone's lawn. He was finishing up with the leaf blower. The yard looked fine...but I noticed two plastic bottles in the grass....that he was working around. This means he moved them out of the way to mow the grass...then moved them to clean up....BUT HE NEVER PICKED THE damn things up and threw them away! Come on man!( Two seconds or less of his time to pick them up and throw them away.....instead he worked around them and they are probably still there!)
Speaking of going around things...I always see papers lying  in driveways...you know the free ones that take about 2 minutes to read . People don't want them and I guess they figure they are protesting by not picking them up...but all they are doing is adding to the run-off that ends up in the Indian River. They move their recycle bins out once a week...sometimes right next to the paper...but do they pick it up and toss it in....................................you know the answer...haha...otherwise I wouldn't be ranting...haha
But seriously...that drives me CRAZY! Sometimes I just I just want to knock on the door and say "Pick it up! Throw it away! It's just not that difficult.

weekend end wrap-up

 This has been a long week. It started with Hurricane Isaac heading towards the west coast of Florida. Since it was veering ... west, we didn't think it would cause too many problems for us...and we were happy. However we ended up getting a LOT of rain. At one point when I was driving to work in a torrential downpour..(.the kind where you can't see anything and you just pray the other drivers on the road aren't going to do anything stupid ) I was wondering what the heck was going on. I expected we would have some rain...but not that much! I looked at the radar (after I dashed into work, trying not to get completely drenched)and saw the skies were clear over Tampa...but the entire coast of Brevard County was covered in heavy clouds and rain. (a thick red line on the radar)...and it rained all afternoon, evening, night. Thunder, lightning and lots of rain. It made for a loooooooooong day.  (Kiena was one unhappy little dog) Things picked up a little on Tuesday; it  was Ron's 40th birthday...and John has been waiting for 5 years to get him with a pie...after Ron got John on his 50th). we all got together at Longdoggers. The plan was for Al to surprise Ron when he least expected it. John in the meantime had a loaded super soaker  ready to spray him with after he got pied.

Turns out Al was off on a run...so "Webby" did the dirty work. It was a little weak...but he got him.

John sprayed him with the water...and finally felt like he had gotten  his "revenge"

The rest of the week was pretty uneventful...but it seemed long. we had rain off and on for a couple of days and then things finally cleared up. Thursday the sun was out all day. Yeah!I had an appt. scheduled for Friday (since I was off)...but had to reschedule...and actually I was relieved. Instead I spent the day catching up on things around the house and cleaning up.

 Tonight we went out to Devon's house to help him celebrate his 44th birthday. He just put in this summer kitchen out by his pool. Very nice. It has been really hot and humid...but tonight it wasn't so bad. It was very pleasant out by the pool. There were about 12 kids jumping and swimming in the pool...they were having a blast. (and there was not one incident...no fighting or complaining)

 There were fruit slushies (above), hotdogs and hamburgers for the kids, fried  (fresh) fish, grilled steak, swordfish and shrimp and scallops on skewers. Also plenty of salads, vegetables and dip, fruit and dip and cake of course! (There were actually about 4 people there celebrating birthdays...Devon, his nephew, two other friends and Ron (again..haha) No one left there hungry...that's for sure! I didn't know that many people there...but met a few new people and did see some old friends. One of them was a girl I used to buy Tupperware from...haven't seen her in over 15 years...so that was fun.

 

                       Devon was happy because his team won last night! (and they looked good!)

                  We got home before sunset......and saw these nice red and blue skies.