by Sarah | Jul 16, 2015 | All About Denver, All About Family, All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, All of Us, Disney, Make-A-Wish, Redefining Perfect
For 90% of our visit to Orlando last year, we were blessed beyond belief weather-wise. Despite Orlando’s proclivity for random rain showers, we weren’t rained on once. We took ponchos with us every day, and blessedly never had to use them.
We did, however, have to use our jeans and jackets–but that’s another story for another time.
Our first full day in Orlando was spent at Universal, most of it in the Islands of Adventure. The weather was the most perfect we could have hoped for. Sunny, but not hot or too humid. We were comfortable in shorts and tee’s, hiking through the park didn’t overtax us.
Still, about two hours in, we spotted the first water ride. It was one of the white water rafts, where we knew we’d get…a little wet. Molly was opposed to getting wet, but we convinced her it wouldn’t be so bad…(are we bad to be such liars 😉 )
Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge Rat Barge was the winner for our first water ride. They offered ponchos, but we scoffed saying ponchos were for chumps. I think my exact words were, “Who goes on a water ride and wears a poncho?”
For a good portion of the ride, our side of the boat escaped the worst of the impact of the water and we thought we were safe–but no one is safe on the barge. By the end we came off dripping.
Soaked.
Right down to the bone.
Of course, when you get off any water ride, Universal has these dryers in place. People dryers.
We stared at them, and down at our soaked clothes, and back at the dryers. We debated for a long time as people were using the set we were considering.
After much debate ad hemming and hawing, we decided to go ahead and use them. Two and three of us at a time, at $5 a pop, we hopped in. Dried off, mostly and went about our business.
Further down the line we came to the flume ride, Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls. This one had a HUGE drop that excited Kennedy to no end. Molly and Denver? Not so much…they wanted to beg off the ride, so we let them. Erik and I thought “Well, we just dried off, but surely we can’t get as wet on this ride as we did on the barge.”
Oh were we wrong.
The ride is long, you keep thinking the big drop is coming, but it doesn’t. You get soaked along the way by spraying water, twists and turns, and evil people on the bridge spraying water guns at you. By the time you get to the drop, you know what’s coming. We were sitting near the front so we were way more soaked the some further back.
We got off lamenting the wasted $$ at the drying pods, and totally ignored the pods at the end of this ride and went about our day preferring to let the sun and light breeze dry us.
So needless to say by the time we made it to the Jurassic Park River Adventure we were still damp and figured we couldn’t lose. Once again, Molly and Denver said “Nope” to the flume ride and positioned themselves near the end of the ride to see us emerging.
Wouldn’t you know–when we got off that ride, we were drier than Denver and Molly? Those two buffoons decided it was GREAT fun to stand in the splash zone at the end of the ride and get flat-out doused by every flume that came over the edge.
So, needless to say our first day at the parks was our wettest day (especially since we ended up missing on one particular ride at Disney, which is, as I said, another story for another day).
But it sure was fun.
Waterlogged in Florida isn’t such a bad thing, after all.
by Sarah | Jul 15, 2015 | All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, I'm A Writer, Redefining Perfect, Wordy Wednesday
This piece is actually one I wrote a few years back for a 100 word challenge.
The prompt for this challenge was “Consumed”.
It only seemed natural that I would write about…well, writing.
*~*
When the story creeps deep into your psyche.
When the words flow forth like beer from the tap.
when the characters whisper in your ear, or scream in your head. Demanding to be heard. For you to share the story they have to tell.
When they occupy your every thought. Seep into your dreams. Fill your spare moments with ideas and counterpoints.
That is your drug.
The high of the perfect scene. The funniest line that sent you laughing after it spilled from your keyboard. The tears shed at shared loss or pain.
You are addicted.
You are consumed.
*~*
I’ve been digging through old files and finding things I wrote ages ago. I’m having fun digging these old pieces out, so you’ll probably see a few more pieces in coming months.
by Sarah | Jul 14, 2015 | All About Me, Blogging Life, Redefining Perfect, Top Ten Tuesday
My birthday is coming up.
Actually, my birthday is THIS Saturday. What? Where in heck did this year go?
Last year I had a pretty darn good birthday. Come to think of it, the past few years have been pretty good all around.
This year I know I won’t get everything on my list – I might only get one, but I have a feeling it will still be a good one (with the exception of having to work on my birthday…that sort of sucks).
1. Tattoo #2 – On my 35th birthday I got my first tattoo. I wish this year I could get #2. I have several in mind and it’s all a $ issue as to what comes next and when.
2. Purple Hair – Something else I got a few years back. I had purple streaks in my hair. I want them back something fierce. This may just be one thing I actually get. 🙂
3. Lagoonafire – Yup, this is a Monster High doll. Both my girls have her, but I want her for my personal shelf.
4. Harry Potter Bracelet – A lovely little bracelet I’ve been eying at Amazon. It’s a pretty, and subtle, way to wear my HP love.
5. An Amazon Gift Card – Any size’ll do. Seriously, I’ll take them all.
6. MH Boo York Luna Mothews – What can I say? I’m a sucker for a Monster High doll. Any will do, but this is one I’m totally digging. I love her.
7. Half Price Book Gift Card – This store is my ultimate weakness. Oh my, if I had even more reasons to add to my shelves? Um, yes please.
8. My new 2016 Planner – It takes a few weeks to get in anyway…and I’m already looking forward to getting my new planner for next year. Plum Paper is my favorite. 🙂
9. A New Mattress – I know, it’s stupidly sensible…but mine is old and it hurts my back to sleep in it. I need something much much better.
10. MH Freak du Chic Gooliope Jellington – Last one on the list…but again, she’s so pretty.
And that’s it. I’m pretty simple this year…I can’t even think of an honorable mention unless it’s other Monster High dolls. Books and dolls make me happy. 🙂 Hair would make me thrilled. The Tattoo would make me estatic.
by Sarah | Jul 12, 2015 | All About Home, All About Me, Blogging Life, Holidays, Photography, Redefining Perfect, Snapshot Sunday
The past two weeks have been absolutely insane between Eagling up for Denver, me working more hours than usual, and odder days than I usually do, and 4th of July.
Long story short–my camera sat on the shelf.
However, the week wasn’t a total wash. My cell phone got some action throughout the week…so it’s not a huge outpouring, but at least I didn’t ignore my pictures all together. 🙂
Week – 6/28/15 – 7/4/15
Me, hours before the Eagle Ceremony with my Mother’s Scout pins.
Some beautiful roses in my favorite color, a gift from my new Eagle Scout.
The first blooms finally erupted on my Rose of Sharon.
This guy popped up on the neighbor’s door frame.
Of course, it wouldn’t be the 4th of July without some of the requisite fireworks photos.
And that’s it for this week! More to come next week…considering I get my camera back out 😀
by Sarah | Jul 11, 2015 | All About Me, Crap, Random, Redefining Perfect, Story of Me
Some years ago I had my dream job working at Barnes & Noble. I wasn’t a bookseller, I worked in the cafe–but I got all the benefits. A great discount, free stripped books, and a great lot of like-minded people to work with. Plus, being surrounded by shelves of books 40+ hours a week? Um, yes please.
I have many colorful stories from the time I worked there. Fascinating people I worked with. How many of us hailed from the same place (another state entirely). The odd customers, the good customers. That was where I worked when I had my son. It was literally the place I learned I was pregnant. I was with those people when Princess Diana died. I went out with them, they gave me my baby shower, and one of them was my labor coach.
Of all the stories I have to share, the oddest by far was the story of, well let’s call him Al. *
Admittedly, at first, I didn’t like Al much. He came in from out of nowhere and took my job from me. My manager, and good friend, was leaving the store and I was pushing to take her job as Cafe Manager. Al swooped in with his tales of culinary school, and being 10 years older than me, the store manager hired him on the spot for cafe manager.
So, clearly, I wasn’t too happy to meet him.
Over time he won me, and the whole staff, over. He was jovial, friendly, hilarious, and his wife was sweet and friendly. She worked down the street at Hollywood Video as their manager. The couple had two huge beasts of dogs that were slobbery-kisses sweet.
On weekends, week nights, whenever we closed together we’d all go out and hang out at one of the local restaurants/bars. Our most frequent haunt was the restaurant right next door, who would leave the bar open just for us booksellers.
Three months into his tenure as our manager, an odd thing happened.
He disappeared.
One day he didn’t show up for work. I, as assistant, was called in.
Two more days of me pulling double shifts later, a couple of police officers walked into the store and asked for the manager.
Turns out Al and his wife were far more interesting than we’d thought.
Skilled con artists with warrants in 12 states. In the three months she’d been at Hollywood Video, she’d embezzled almost $10,000.
We were all floored.
Shocked.
Stunned.
We thought we knew him. We’d hung out with them. We’d thought they were our friends.
And none of us ever saw him again.
To this day I don’t know if they were ever caught, or where they went to.
It was a huge eye-opener for me on how a person can truly deceive you.
I still try to be as trusting as possible, but this story has never truly left me.
And likely never will.
*Name has been changed due to my memory slipping in my old age…honestly don’t remember the guys name…
by Sarah | Jul 10, 2015 | All About Kennedy, All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Friday Feels, Redefining Perfect
On a regular basis, Kennedy asks to brush my hair. I’m always happy to let her, of course. Having my hair brushed is one of the most relaxing things – ever.
On one of these occasions, Erik & I were chatting. I can’t remember the exact subject matter, just that it was a quiet conversation about everyday things.
In the course of the conversation I replied with, “Well, I used to be good, anyway.”
Kennedy, in all seriousness, leaned forward. She patted my head gently, and looked me dead in the eye. “That’s because you’re getting old.”
Needless to say, my husband (9 years my senior, thank you) busted out in laughter on the couch, and Kennedy ended up the target of the tickle monster.
Kids.
Oy.
Of course, when you get off any water ride, Universal has these dryers in place. People dryers.
