Happy Day-After Thanksgiving Day

Fun was had by all for our thaanksgiving day celebration. We had food coming out our gills. You know though, I love all the sides and snaks better than the actually "turkey" or "ham". "Uncle" Tony and baby Victoria came, and great grandpa and ma, and jim and liz and misty. Sophia had a blast with Tony and Victoria. But by the end she was exhusted.

Today was my annual Black Friday garage sale and I was sold out again, only made 100 bucks this year though, apparently I didn't have enough old people crap. But 100 bucks is a 100 bucks. more x-mas gift money to spend...The tradition may end next year unless I have more stuff to sell, people don't stop when you don't stuff.

I am going to enjoy the remainder of my 5 day weekend and just RELAX (minus the laundry i must do...shit)

Renessance Fair

Sunday, the family took a trip to the Sarasota Renessance Fair. It was super duper fun. Saw some great acts and music. The human chess was funny. The French Queen was hilarious. The smoked turkeys legs were yummy. Even Sophia loved them. Ouer knight died in the joustig match. Sean got a cool ninja sword to add to his collection. Sophia got a cute little wax dragon and I got a peasant skirt to complete my renessance peasent girl outfit. It was great family fun, can't wait until next November...don't forget to bring you cash though...cha ching!!

Thoughs of the Day

I am feeling very uncreative blog-wise but thought I's write something. No doubt you all know the dems have taken back the senate and the house of reps. Though I am relieved the evil republicans have been ousted, I look back and can't get too excited. It is a cycle and I don't understand why people don't realize it and want a better change. For his first two years, Clinton and the dems had complete power and stuff got down, then reps took the Senate and stuff got harder to get done. Then the republican won complete control and stuff got done again (not good stuff mind you) now the dems took back half control and nothing will get done. In two years a democrate will win the presidency and stuff will get down again...hopefully good stuff. Same ol' Same ol' How can one get excited over this. Now is a great time for change, nothing could be as bad as what we've been through with Bush maybe it is finally time for a new party shake things up...hey how about Hillary C.

Other thoughts,
Schools and teaching. So you all know how I feel about my job and the policies that have come into play. The schoold system is in a sorry state of affairs. As anEnglish teacher I see the substance of English being filtered out as complete focus on standardized testing takes over. Among the countless days of testing and testing for testing, I am being told by higher ups I need to be teaching students daily and year round how to pass their state standardized test. I should be using mostly non fiction text as that is what most people use in the "real world" (new term for citizens who have no culture). I should be teaching the "tricks" to passing FCAT writes and reading. And when not doing that I should be using Kaplan lesson plans to strengthen the skills they need help in to again pass FCAT. Plus now, there is talk of killing Junior and Senior honors English (more literature based) infavor of regular (basic) or AP (grammar and analytical writing skills). Schools are killing the culture in our society. We have students who have no imagination, can't think and create things for themselves. I see it in the students who take drama and newspaper, these kids can't think outside boxes, can't create or develop individual art.

Our society won't die because of terrorists, it will die due to lack of creativity, change, challenges, and culture. We may be alive, but we won't be living like it.

VOTE OR BE A LAME-O

Tomorrow is the big day...voting day, the one day all year your voice actually makes a difference.

Even though I would hope everyone out there would wake up and smell the shit the Republicans have be throwing at us for 6 years...but even more then that... I hope all you out there take the 3 minutes it takes to fill out the ballot and do your civic duty (cuz I know you're all trying to get out of jury duty) and MAKE YOUR VOTE HEARD!!!

AHHHHH Love

On the Boardwalk

Happy Days

Cricky!!!

Dolphin Rider

Marry-go-Round

Petting the Giraffe

Beach Fun

Jacksonville Recommendations

Where to Stay: Sea Turtle Inn (ocean front hotel with great ocean front balcony rooms) The hotel has a pretty fancy (and pricey) restaurant, but you can eat right on the deck on the beach listening to the waves. The food is wonderful, however they waitstaff is HORRIBLE, tip accordingly. I recommend the Cheese Blintzes.

Food: Mezza Luna Resturante...only a half-a block south (you can see it from the hotel)...the best Italian food I've had in Florida and equally wonderful atmosphere. I didn't have the pizza, but if the smell of the wood burning stove is any indication it must be Delicious.

Stuff for Kids: If you get tired of gazing out at the marvelous beach views and splashing in the waves, then try these ideas...our kid loved them.
MOSH (Museum of Science and History)
Jacksonville Zoo
Regency Square Mall (has a great play area for little kids and you can let them run around and tucker out).

My Last Hurrah

This past Friday was my 29th birthday. Only one last year in my twenties, then I bein the downward spiral into oldfogeyness. I have o make this my best year yet!

For my birthday, my family and I went to Jacksonville (FL). We had a fantasic time even if it was cool and windy. We stayed at the Sea Turtle Inn. It was right on the beach and right at the end of Atlantic Ave were all the great food and shops are. Our first Night was spent playing in the waves with Sophia. I absolutely love watching her laugh hysterically at the waves. I never see more happier than at the beach. We then had pizza at AL's Pizza (yummy).

The next day we spent the morning at MOSH (museum of science and history). Sophia was hit or miss on some of the displays. She really liked the dinosaur and animals. I thought the "grossology" special was super fun, many of the loud bodily noises scared her. We had lunch at Qudoba (a k-zoo tradition, long missed). Then we spent the rest of the afternoon getting in some shopping at "real" stores. Then we went to Mesa Luna (half a block from the hotel). The atmosphere was great. It smelled cozy with the wood burning stove for the pizza. The food was amazing. I think it is my new favorite restaurant (move over Angelina's...Mesa Luna has better atmoshpere). Since it was my birthday dinner Sean ordered this $45 dollar bottle of red Italian wine. They brought out fresh baked artisian bread w oil and balsamic vineger. They had some of the best calamari (garnished with fried lemon slices!). For dinner I had my grandfather's favorite, gnocchi. I had it with a very creamy Alfredo sauce that had been cooked with my meat choice (more calamari...yummy), so the sauce had a seafood twinge. The meal was huge and the gnocchi was perfect. Hint: get the appetiser size.

Our last day in Jacksonville was equally fun. We spend the morning relaxing and playing on the beach (the sun had finally come back out). After a sad farewell to the Sea Turtle Inn and the beach, we drove to the Jacksonville Zoo. It had a great layout and many of the displays were amazing and creative. My baby girl got to pet a giraffe and made a huge mess in the restaurant. After the zoo we were exhausted and decided to drive home.

And now we're using my new turn-table w/ USB cord to record my record collection to my computer, because some artists need to be heard on vinyl.

My vow for this year to because of crazy, outrageous things. 29 is going out with a bang!!!