What I'm Doing in Daytona Beach

you know i have cancer, right?

2009-04-26T19:07:00.003-05:00

So those of you who have been following me for a while will remember that every year at this time, I go up to Connecticut to participate in a charity race. I walk in the MMRF Race for Research as a member of the Pop's Posse team. Pops is my uncle Paul. He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma five years ago - a plasma cancer that develops in the bone marrow and interferes with bone health, prevents normal blood clotting, and leads to overworked and failing kidneys.

Ironically, when I came home from last year's race, I was diagnosed with cervical cancer. (If you haven't already, you can read all about it on my cancer blog.) But now, less than one year later, I have been declared free of active cancers. Less than one year. And barring any unforeseen complications, my oncologists are confident that I will remain cancer free for a good long while. Maybe even the rest of my life.

But multiple myeloma is different. There is no cure. Remissions happen, but don't last. There are a limited number of therapies, and the more types of treatments a patient uses, the fewer options they have. And the treatments can often have devastating side effects.

Pops isn't the only person I know that has been affected by this cancer. My lifelong best friend Kimberly's mother was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2002. Earlier this month, she lost her battle. This year, I will be racing in her memory.

Please support my efforts by visiting http://321cure.themmrf.org/goto/bonez and making a donation. Any donation. Big. Small. Whatever. Just something. Because if enough people give enough somethings, SOMEDAY someone might be able to say "last year I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, but now I'm OK."

Linda's Racing for Pops

2008-05-01T12:00:00.001-05:00

Cantering for the Cure

Me and my Mom at the
2007 MMRF Race for Research

Why We Race…
Multiple myeloma is a type of blood cancer that affects more than 50,000 Americans. It develops in the bone marrow, causing normal plasma cells to transform into malignant cells. Those cells interfere with normal bone growth and health, increase the risk of infection, prevent normal blood clotting, and lead to overworked and failing kidneys.

The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation is an international nonprofit foundation driven by a single purpose: to accelerate the search for a cure for multiple myeloma. Drug companies have typically not been interested in developing drugs for myeloma, preferring to focus on diseases that affect large numbers of people, for which treatments are most profitable. But scientists at the MMRF track myeloma research at academic institutions around the world and choose projects that are most likely to lead to new therapies for patients, and are thus the best candidates for funding. Once funded, researchers are required to meet strict deadlines for demonstrating progress.

Why I’m Fighting for a Cure…
Multiple myeloma became a part of my life in 2002 when my best friend’s mother Lin was diagnosed. At that time, the prognosis was bleak: no cure, no remission, few extreme treatments, and a life expectancy of 6 months to 1 year. Two years later, multiple myeloma became a bigger part of my life when my uncle Paul was diagnosed. By that time, treatment options had increased and diagnoses were being made in earlier stages, which resulted in longer life expectancies. Both Lin and Paul have undergone intense treatments that left them both wonderfully in remission. Without research made possible by funding from the MMRF, those treatment options would not have been available to them, and they would both be facing much harsher realities.

Why You Should Help…
93% of every dollar raised by the MMRF goes straight to research. That means that $.93 of every dollar you donate will directly fund those research projects that are most likely to result in an effective treatment and, one day, a cure. Please give what you can to help others like Lin and Paul have brighter futures.

Thank you for supporting me in my Race for Research!

good news everyone...

2007-08-09T20:34:00.000-05:00

I'm sending you all on a highly controversial mission!

No, wait, that's a cartoon! But I have good news of my own - are you ready?

I...

Got...

A PROMOTION AND A NEW OFFICE!!!!!!!!

Hooray! Woo-hooooo! clap clap clap

First the promotion: I am now the Special Projects Manager at PACE Center for Girls (a step up from the Special Projects Coordinator I was a week ago). Basically, it's the same as what I was doing with a dash of extra responsibility and just a pinch of additional duties. Oh, and I get to manage the receptionist (who I first have to hire - ugh!). And - best of all - I get to be as anal retentive as my beating heart desires AND THEY WILL LOVE ME FOR IT!!!!! MWAAH-HAAAAAHH-HAAAAAAAHHHHHHH

And then there's the office, which actually came before the promotion. I used to be on the second floor of our main building, but now I've moved across the courtyard to a ground floor office (yippee - no stairs!). Plus, for the first time since...well, since ever, I have an office with a window. Scratch that. I don't have A window, I have two windows! All the other offices have one, but mine has two. Damn right, I'm special!

Here is a little tour:

This is the view from the hallway...

This is me sitting at my desk, working very hard...

This is my already cluttered desk...

Check out that 80's style white formica - at non-profits, sometimes you have to take what you get :-)

And this is what I see while sitting in my chair...
Notice the very cool Harry Potter note pad that my friend and co-worker Tracey gave me (no, I'm not a geek)...

To get an idea of what conditions I'd been working in for the past year, check out this pic. It was small and dark and not very cheerful. Quite a difference!

I've even added plants and a fish.

This is Blooberry Stroodle. He's not featured in the pictures of my office because I just got him this afternoon. But he's on the file cabinet under the window, next to the plant.

I've also added two more plants since the picture - one on the bookcase and the other near the phone on the desk. If you close your eyes and imagine potted fittonia like this, you'll get the idea.

So that's my big news. Maybe someone reading this (ahem) has good news of her own (ahem ahem) and will be inspired to update her very very very outdated blog (ahem) with her good news. (Ahem)

Coming up: SHOES

what i'm doing on june 10

2007-05-13T07:25:00.000-05:00

This summer, I will be competing... No, no that's not the right word. Racing? Definitely not. Participating? Yes, but not descriptive enough. Ah, I've got it...

This summer, I will be dragging my sorry self up and down some hills and trying not to expire in the process in the annual MMRF RACE for RESEARCH in New Canaan, CT along with the rest of the Pop's Posse team. You of vivid imagination can picture me, there at the back of the pack, panting, cramping, compaining, whining, hurting, crying, begging to be carried. That was me last year. And last year, I had been "training" for a few months prior by walking 2-3 miles a day. This year, I haven't had any training, unless you count the 20 foot walk from my couch to my kitchen. And with the RACE less than a month away, I don't foresee any great miracle of fitness happening for me. Let me put it to you this way: my 80-something year old uncle could do the 5K circuit twice before I'll cross that finish line.

But the point isn't how long it will take me to cross the finish line. The point is that I will cross it. And why will I do this? I will do this because the MMRF RACE for RESEARCH is a cause that I believe in. MMRF is the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, an organization that raises awareness and funds research to fight and one day cure multiple myeloma. Ten years ago, I had never heard of this disease. When my best friend Kim's mother was diagnosed with it, I looked it up on the internet. At that time, there was a bleak outlook for those with this cancer; difficult to diagnose, there was no cure, no remission, few treatments, and a life expectency averaging 6 months to 1 year after diagnosis. A few years later, my uncle Paul (a.k.a. Pop) was diagnosed. By then, the number of treatments had increased and diagnoses were coming in earlier stages of the disease, which led to exponentially longer life expectencies. Both Kim's mom and my uncle Paul underwent intense (although very different) treatments, and are now both in remission.

This would not be possible without the MMRF. Although the American Cancer Society funds a diverse array of cancer research, less than 1% has gone toward myeloma. In contrast, the MMRF has channeled 92% of every dollar raised toward the most cutting-edge myeloma research worldwide. So far, that has totalled over $60 million funding 51 laboratories. But there is so much more they can do. The treatments available today are not cures, and they all have drastic side-effects including neuropathy and diabetes that do not go away when the treatment stops.

So I'm asking - please click this link to Pop's Posse Fundraising Central and donate a buck or two or twenty or however much you can to this worthwhile cause. It'll make a difference. And it'll make you feel good! And it will make me work that much harder to get myself up and down those blasted hills and across that finish line!

Danke schön!

"i got smashed this weekend"

2007-02-25T17:16:00.000-05:00

said the old ugly Nissan.

First I paid $1 to hit the bugger two times. My first hit took out the driver's side view mirror.

My second whack dented the left front fender.

Man, that felt great!!!

A little later, I paid another $1 but this time, I got to hit it as many times as I could in 60 seconds. I went to town - check out the videos:
Part 1
Part 2

Just imagine how much more satisfying it would have been if it was a Saturn...

nevermind cocoa puffs....

2007-01-13T12:15:00.000-05:00

....we're cuckoo for cuckoo clocks!

[if this reference made no sense to you, check this out]

We love 'em! We're crazy about 'em! We have 'em all over!

This one is all by himself (for now) in the reading area. watch video

These two are by the front door. They don't have a cuckoo, but they have an equally amusing bouncing lady and a bird that ticks back and forth! watch video

These three hang near our couch. The one on the right only cuckoos, but the other two also have a music box, and the men on the one on the left drink beer. The center one has an angry man that slams the door shut after the music box plays. watch video
I know, I know. The video ends before the door slams :(
I will have to try again...

If you sit in the center of our living room and close your eyes, it is like being enveloped in a giant irregular heartbeat!

cheshire-o-lantern

2006-10-30T07:20:00.000-05:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Here is my pumpkin for 2006.

It was odd to carve it without a certain nephew and niece covering me in the guts :(
But it turned out good and the seeds will be yummy!

Hope you have more treats than tricks!

such a mother!

2006-09-04T18:07:00.000-05:00

My mom came to visit this weekend, but she is not the mother the title of this blog refers to. She stayed overnight here in Daytona Beach, and then we headed over for a stay with the Crescent City Gang.

And there I found this beautiful mother - a female wolf spider with her itty bitty babies. No, she's not furry, those are her babies!

My fingers in the upper left of this pic give an idea of how big she was - I'd say about 3-ish inches from the tips of her front legs to the tips of her back legs.

Female wolf spiders can carry hundreds of babies around on their abdomens for one or two weeks (after first carrying around the egg sac). She does this to give them protection, but it is also a means for dispersal.

For all you moms out there, imagine having to carry around your offspring until they could go out into the world on their own! Sheesh!

woman found beaten in satisfactory condition

2006-08-26T06:55:00.000-05:00

A headline in today's Daytona Beach News-Journal reads "Woman Found Beaten in Satisfactory Condition" - hmmmmmm, what exactly does that imply?

I haven't blogged in over a month, so here's a quick recap of the highlights:

Went for lunch at Down the Hatch in Ponce Inlet, ordered the biggest Sierra Mist they had, and this is what they brought me!

Took a ghost walking tour in July with John's sister. Tour guide had an enormous chip on her ample shoulder, and we learned as much about eminent domain as we did the spooky history of downtown Daytona Beach. What we didn't see were ghosts.

Took Gretel for a ride up A1A north of St. Augustine one afternoon. Saw some beautiful unspoiled Florida, as well as some quaintly developed areas. And a castle, though we aren't sure what the story is on that. We went back up that way again today to meet with a VW club and have lunch.

Took a quick trip down south to see my fam. Had a great, but short, weekend in which I saw "Monster House" (v. good), bargained for goods during a way-too-long stop at a Cingular store, got my car serviced, contemplated eating a candied oyster (didn't), and painted pottery. All in all, an excellent weekend. It's always nice to see everyone.

Met some strange and some nice people at the New Smyrna Beach 10th Anniversary Classic Car Cruise.

Did some IT work for the Crescent City Gang. Happy to have my grandmother back in town. She has a digital camera now, so maybe I'll teach her how to blog! Also had a few fun days with cousins while they were part of the CCG.

So that's it, those are the highlights. In between was alot of work and TV and reading and such. Tonight I'm off to see Rollins Band in Orlando. Tomorrow, weather permitting, is another shuttle launch. [It was delayed...] And next weekend my mom is coming for a visit!

I'll leave off with a special picture for a special friend. André, this one is for you (please click the little pic for full effect).

And for those of you keeping up with these things, the quiz answer from last month is Atomic Tangerine

Tschüs!

a launch, a new cat, an office, and a quiz

2006-07-04T15:05:00.000-05:00

Happy Fourth of July!

John & I got to see an AWESOME fireworks show when the Space Shuttle Discovery launched at 2:38 this afternoon. Standing in our front yard, we caught sight of it a few seconds after launch, and followed it until the rocket boosters separated. Simply amazing!

Earlier, we planted pentas in our front flower-box and added rosemary to our herb garden. On the back patio, we added a citronella plant and a catnip plant. We're hoping that the catnip will not entice new ones, just keep the current ones happy. And
speaking of new ones, let me introduce the newest member of the Cat Ranch - Hester Prynne. She came to us just about 2 weeks ago, and is now a fully established resident.

As promised, here is a glimpse of my new office. I'm looking forward to filling in the blank wall space as my time there increases, but here's
what I have so far.

And this is the stairwell I have to climb to get to my office, and the window I look out of on my way up. Very old-school - literally!!!

Put on your thinking caps - it's quiz time!!! The question is:
What color am I?
Here are some clues...
Sunday, at approx. 9:30 a.m., I slathered on Bull Frog Gel SPF 36. Shortly thereafter, I made my way to the ocean, where I swam and boogie-boarded until approx. 1:30 p.m.
What color Crayola® crayon do I now most resemble?

Answer next week!

all work and no play - isn't it great!!!

2006-06-24T08:29:00.000-05:00

I never thought I'd say these words, but boy is it good to be working!!!

I have been hired by PACE Center for Girls, an alternative school that offers 12-18 year olds an option other than dropping out.

I am the MIS person there, doing all sorts of data management, IT support and "other duties as assigned." After my first week, I can say with a smile that I really like it there so far. The staff has been very friendly and welcoming, and I'm really digging the 'girl-power' vibe. I have my own office on the second floor, which I have already redecorated to include some of my personal touches :)

The school is an historic landmark, and was originally the segregated Ormond Colored School.

Next time, I hope to have pictures of the interior, including the aforementioned office.

BTW, if you would like to read more about PACE or the historical features of the school, click the blue links above...

catching up on the last week...

2006-06-18T14:40:00.000-05:00

Today is a rainy, dismal Sunday in Daytona Beach. Don't get me wrong, we NEED this rain. I am good and tired of hearing about brush fires and subsequent road closures, so RAIN IS GOOD. But. It would've been nice to take a drive in the Beetle up the coast a bit, for lunch and to see the sights... Oh well, another day.

It is hard to believe but when I woke up just one week ago, it was about 50°. Mind you, I was in Connecticut participating in the MMRF
Race for Research. A proud member of Pop's Posse, I was tired by the time I completed the 5k, but the weather had improved dramatically and it was sunny and warm and beautiful. The team raised over $8500 and had 29 people and a dog walking in support of Pops - my uncle Paul.

Later that evening, I flew for a somber visit to Welland, Ontario, for the funeral of my dad's only brother. It was a quick turnaround - we were back to CT the next day - and it was a less-than-ideal circumstance, but it was very nice to see that side of my family. I think of them often and wish that Ontario and Florida were just a little closer together...

Then I was home. I had been offered a job before I left for CT - I accepted - but now I had to clear the background check. This is not a problem (no matter what you might think is hiding in my closet) so I was anxious to get started. But here I am, almost a week later, and I have not stepped foot into the building. Seems the Florida Dept of Juvenile Justice is dragging its feet and we are still awaiting results. Though I am assured it has absolutely NOTHING to do with me personally. We hope...

Yesterday, I woke up early and took a walk on the beach (though, I must admit, not TO the beach). I came across a lone shoe, a black stiletto sandal, discarded on the sand without its mate. I wondered about the circumstances of how it got there, and in the midst of my pondering, stumbled upon what appeared to be a (removed) silicon breast implant. I wondered, could this belong to the owner of the shoe? And where is the rest of this unfortunate woman? Soon, I found another implant. And then another! The beach was riddled with them! DUH - they weren't implants at all! They were moon jellyfish!

Later that morning, the Central Florida VW Club held a picnic for both members and non-members. We drove the Beetle over and sat in the sun. And mingled with other local enthusiasts while sitting in the sun. And ate while sitting in the sun. Did I mention we sat in the sun? As you can imagine, our faces are a wee bit red today! Maybe it's kinda good that I don't have to report for duty tomorrow...

And then today, I woke up early to take a walk. At almost the 1-mile mark, I was attacked by a male Red Winged Blackbird. Unbeknownst to me, there must have been a nest in a palm tree on the bank of the river, because before I knew it, this little guy was screeching and dive-bombing me! Crazy! A bit further down the path and I found the bunnies that I thought had disappeared. There were four of them nibbling on the grass and clover and whatever else they could find. See John? I knew you didn't eat them all along!

And now I'm here, in the house watching World Cup matches, annoyed by the rain, but also glad for it. Just a lazy, lazy Sunday.

hanging around

2006-05-27T13:59:00.000-05:00

I've been walking in the mornings, and this is one of the bunnies that I pass on my route. I don't know for sure what it is doing there - Is it wild? Was it an Easter present that ran away? Who knows! What I do know is that there are three of them, and they are all a bit camera-shy.

The other morning we went fishing and this pelican was hanging around the dock.

At a different dock I caught this bluefish. Notice the scenic condo construction going on in the background. Ah, progress...

At home, we have this beautiful herb garden where we grow green AND purple basil, thyme, sage, mint, & marigolds. We hope to add parsley and cilantro soon.

"Snakes.... Why did it have to be snakes?" Indiana Jones better stay away from our house! This black racer was hiding out under John's car. From the looks of him, he has been hiding under alot of cars - the last third of him looked as if it had been run over and then healed. He couldn't slither so well on the concrete, but in the grass he had no problems.

And here is Minnie doing one of her two favorite activities: napping. Her other favorite activity is catching/ maiming lizards. Thankfully, we have no pictures of that.

fishing/pier

2006-05-23T21:02:00.000-05:00

This afternoon, John and I did a little fishing at the boardwalk under the bridge(s). Those of you that have been reading all along will remember this boardwalk from an earlier post, the one with the mysterious sweatshirt in the garbage.

I caught nothing, but John hooked this delightful little toadfish.

For dinner, we went down to the pier that we drove under a few days ago and ate at Crabby Joe's. A quaint little establishment with good
food and a between-the-floorboards view of the ocean.

After dinner, we took a long walk on the short pier and found this helpful sign:

John suggested that they might offer further assistance by pulling up some planks and exposing some rusty nails.

We spoke to some fishermen that weren't having any luck and
watched a school of bulbous Cannonball Jellyfish swim by.

This beautiful sunset told us it was time to call it a day. That and the TV was a-calling.

what a beach!

2006-05-22T07:22:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I swam in the ocean!

(that's me waving)

It was a beautiful day - scorching hot, but with the breeze we hardly noticed.

John packed us a lunch and we took die Käfer for a picnic.

If you had been looking at this web cam at just the right time, you would've seen us drive right under the Sunglow Fishing Pier in South Daytona Beach. Our friend Stefan was looking - check it out!

That was my first ocean swim since I moved here. And I loved it! The water was clear and cool, there was no seaweed, the surf wasn't too rough. It was just perfect!

And how's this for service - the ice-cream truck comes right to you!

We left just in the nick of time - the tide was coming in and we didn't want to get stuck (again!).

But what a nice afternoon!

hootie and the...

2006-05-17T21:16:00.000-05:00

but on the bright side...

2006-05-07T08:44:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a beautiful day. Such a beautiful day that we decided to go have a picnic lunch on the beach. John got the Beetle ready, and I made the sandwiches. We packed up the cooler and off we went. [Check out the beach cam.]

We had been sitting on the beach about 15 minutes when we started seeing dolphins swimming by. These pics don't do justice to how many there were and how close to shore. It's just really hard to snap that picture at just the right moment - and get it to focus...

And then, from nowhere, a downpour!!! We quickly got everything packed into the car and drove to the access road. But when we got there, we found an SUV spinning its tires in the soft-sand-turned-mud. If an SUV couldn't get off the beach, than neither could we! Eventually, we were able to go through, and by the time we got home, the rain had of course stopped.

But on the bright side, we got to have a picnic on the beach without getting all sunburnt :)

***

This morning, after my early morning walk, I decided to make myself an omelette for breakfast. I used the last two eggs in the house (both whites, but only one yolk), sauted onion and garlic, yellow rice, diced tomato, salsa verde, shredded cheddar, and half a dollop of lite sour cream. With a side of dry wheat toast. And the last of the orange juice. I took it all outside to eat, while John did some yardwork.

About halfway through, I tried to push my chair back so that I could say something to John, but the back legs got caught up and the chair started to tip back. I was falling! I flailed my arms and legs, and tried to grab onto something to stop myself, knocking over my glass of orange juice and flinging the remaining half omelette and toast onto the table, which, counter to everything my Mom taught me, I had not cleaned first.

My beautiful breakfast was ruined! If I hadn't been so upset, you would have a nice pic of the whole fiasco to look at. But you'll just have to use your imagination...

But on the bright side, I had eaten enough that I'm not still hungry AND I only ingested half the fat and cholesterol of a whole omelette :)

wolfy

2006-05-06T08:30:00.000-05:00

No, we don't have a new pet!

The only nice thing I can say about this is that it was outside and...

The only two nice things I can say about this is that it was outside and it was dead and...

The only three nice things I can say about this is that it was outside and it was dead and it is non-venomous even if it was alive.

But holy heebie-geebies, batman!

bob

2006-05-02T18:40:00.000-05:00

This is Bob.

Bob has no tail.

Bob has also been hanging out in our backyard lately. Though we don't encourage it, we don't chase him out either.

He comes over to visit the little kitten, and he'll chase her and pounce on her and she'll hiss but then they'll flop down and take a nap.

We think he comes from next door. They have four dogs - a yellow lab, a rottweiler, and two chows. No wonder he likes our yard better!!!

what duck

2006-04-29T19:15:00.000-05:00

Some of you have asked "what duck?" mentioned in the 'fluffy babies' post from yesterday.

The Duck was a female Muskovie that laid eggs outside of my apartment door in Ft Lauderdale in February 2005. I think initially there were 5 or 6. She sat on them and sat on them and sat on them, but they didn't hatch. By the end of March, there was no doubt that they were dead. They had changed colors, and we were a bit afraid that they would begin to smell. Each time we walked past her nest, we would say "they're dead!" But she didn't give up.

In June, she was still sitting, only by then there were only 3 left. By September, there were 2. Sometimes, she got up to go eat. And some of those times, a male Muskovie duck would come and stand guard, hissing at anyone who would walk by. Hello? They're dead!

And then, on October 24, came Hurricane Wilma. Sometime during the storm, she laid 8 more eggs - now she was back up to 10, with 2 left over from February. February! She had been sitting on them for 8 months.

When I moved away at the end of January, she was still there sitting on those eggs!

Mrs. Duck - THEY'RE DEAD!!!!!!

heavy petting

2006-04-29T19:07:00.000-05:00

Well, let me tell you, the flood gates have opened!

John & I broke through the kitty's skittishness yesterday evening & showed her how wonderful a good old-fashioned scratching can be.

And she LOVED it! Couldn't get enough of it! Kept flopping down and purring and coming back for more!

Such a cutie!

fluffy babies

2006-04-28T13:27:00.000-05:00

Isn't she CUTE???

NO - we didn't get a new kitten! But this one has been skulking around our backyard for about a week now. She's very sweet - not so tame that we can pet her [yet], but tame enough that we can go sit near her and she won't run away.

And did I mention that she's cute?

Also cute is Buddy, the newest addition to the Crescent City Gang.

I got to spend Wednesday with him (and the other gang members), and he is just the sweetest poodle :)

Look at that punim!

And then there are the new Virginians. I can't vouch for their sweetness factor, but they are darn cute!

All these sweet babies are making me think about The Duck - I wonder if she's sitting on any babies this spring...

a good friday at silver springs

2006-04-15T08:26:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I spent the day at Silver Springs with my sister Julie and her family. We went on glass bottom boats over the springs and down the river; we took a jeep 'safari' adventure through the woods; we saw bears and alligators and snakes and bats. But the best part of all was...

...feeding the giraffes!!!

There were two giraffes and we got to hand feed them! They were so so so so so cute - and they had lllllooooonnnnnggggg blue tongues that stretched way out to reach the crackers we were holding.

I have never been up close to giraffes before. They were slow-moving and gentle and curious. They also smelled really really bad. According to Chemical and Engineering News, this awful smell may repel insects, including ticks, as well as attracting mates; it is also more pleasant to humans the farther the human is from the giraffe.

But for me, one look in those eyes and I just didn't care about the smell. And neither did my compan-ions.

This is one animal encounter I won't soon forget!

sandpipers & bumper cars

2006-04-11T15:29:00.000-05:00

This morning, I took a walk to the beach. It was high tide, so no cars were allowed. And the surf was really rough, so there weren't very many people in the water. But the rough waves were making all this foam, and when they broke on shore, if the wind blew just right, the foam would stay on the sand. It looked like someone had put dish soap in the water.

While walking, I was watching the little kids digging in the sand, and I thought back to when I was a kid and had come to Daytona Beach the first time. I don't remember much - I was only 6 or 7. My aunts had come from Canada, so my family drove up from Fort Lauderdale to see them.

The things I remember most vividly are the sandpipers - little tiny birds that ran so fast it looked almost like a cartoon blur of legs. When I see them now, it always takes me back to that time, except now I'm afraid the little birds will trip or break a leg. Amazing how much more neurotic I get with each passing year.

The other things I remember from that first trip to Daytona Beach are the bumper cars. I can see them in my mind, watching them go around and around and crash into one another, but I can't actually remember riding them. What I do remember is the game that my big sister Diane and I made up about riding them - and crashing into old ladies. I don't know that we ever DID crash into any elderly women, but we had fun pretending!

It is funny how I've come back to this place. The beach here is so much more inviting and calming than in South Florida; and the real & perceived memories from my childhood make it that much more of a comfort. It seemed like a fluke that John and I ended up here, but when I'm walking on the beach, it feels like this is where I'm meant to be.

Now, if only I could sort out that job thing.....

a cornucopia of trivialities

2006-03-25T15:20:00.000-05:00

Some days, I feel like a great big no-job havin' garden slug.

"So I'm with this girl last night, and we're pretty hot and heavy, and then she says she just wants to cuddle. Dude, do I look like I want to cuddle?!?"

"Dude, you're a total loser! You need to do like me - these chicks really dig the migrant worker stripper look I've got going on."

What a glorious display of modern inter-racial wildlife dating.

Sniff... Sniff... Something stinks! Did I remember my deodorant this morning?

just a little bit

makeover

2006-03-10T16:48:00.000-05:00

Having a fab time here in sunny South Florida. Here for a week to babysit for my niece & nephew while their parents are cruising Barbados.

I got a pedicure and a haircut (obviously not my face, but my actual hair).

Then, I had an appointment at Nicole Salon,

(the owner)

where for just $1 I had my hair washed and styled, a manicure, and my face painted.

Unfortunately, I don't know what brand of face paint my aesthetician used, but it didn't come with removal instructions! So I was left with a face full of fuscia lines!!!!

I only had to wash my face about 1000 times, and the lines just disappeared like magic :)

welcome bikers

2006-03-03T19:12:00.000-05:00

Today marks the beginning of Bike Week 2006. I know this not because of the increased number of motorcycles that I'm now sharing the roads with, and not because of the Harley Momma's in Publix and Target in their leather chaps, but because of the ubiquitous "Welcome Bikers" signs that appear all over town.

Which got me wondering...

During Race Week, they hang "Welcome Race Fans" signs...

and during Bike Week, they hang "Welcome Bikers" signs...

What signs will they hang during Black College Reunion Weekend?

???

i claim this bridge in the name of all couch potatoes

2006-03-03T08:11:00.000-05:00

Perhaps I didn't set my goal high enough...
Perhaps I underestimated my stamina...
Perhaps I exaggerated how hard it would be...

Because yesterday, I walked over the Seabreeze Bridge! And I didn't stop there, oh no! I walked TO the beach, and DOWN the beach...

and UNDER the pier, and DOWN the beach some more (just over 5 miles in total). It took me a little more than 2 hours - once I hit the beach, I slowed down quite a bit to enjoy myself :)

It was a beautiful day - almost 80° with a nice breeze. As I stood in the ice-cold water, I realized something:

I NEED A PEDICURE.

Not as much as I need a job, but still.

On the south side of the pier, I was able to walk to a sand bar without getting my shorts (or cel phone or camera) wet.

It was very cool - and very cold - to be out that far and only up to my ankles in water.

And now, this morning, I read in the news paper that there were more right whales in Daytona Beach. And I missed them :(

a walk in central park

2006-02-27T18:53:00.000-05:00

Today, I stumbled across Central Park, a 150-acre park in Ormond Beach. In it, I found the G.F. Althouse Trail that goes along the banks of several different ponds & through the woods. It was very beautiful!

Along the way, I found this rare specimen of the J.Lo tree - isn't it voluptuous!

In fashion news, I discovered the "look" of Volusia County! All you divas out there will soon find yourselves wearing sequins, shrugs, miniskirts, and fluffy pom-pom boots!

And this is an SUV from West Virginia that was painted like a jigsaw puzzle with only one piece filled in.

lousy interview; good dinner

2006-02-24T20:30:00.000-05:00

Well, I have been a bit lazy the past few days. No walks, no bike rides. But in my defense, it has been yucky rainy weather, so it was not conducive to outside activity.

I had a second interview for a job this morning. It went well until the issue of salary came up. What really cheesed me off was that the salary they 'offered' me was 2/3 of the salary I said I needed during the first interview. Why waste my time and theirs? I'm less upset about not getting the job than I am about the pointlessness of it all.

But the day got exponentially better. This afternoon, my mom, sister, niece, nephew, and grandmother came for a visit. My mom & grandmother had seen the house before, but not my sister or her children. It was so nice to see them, and even nicer to enjoy a homecooked meal together (lasagna). I look forward to future houseguests! Especially now that I have a home large enough to fit everyone!

This weekend I hope the weather will be nice enough for me to get outside and partake of an activity. I don't care what activity, just something to keep me going in the right direction (read: off the couch)! Ok everyone, send thoughts of good weather my way! (1-2-3-GO!!!)

my first daytona bike ride - about 5 miles

2006-02-22T20:36:00.000-05:00

Let it be said that John is nothing if not ambitious! For our first bike outing in Daytona Beach, he decided to lead me over the Oakridge bridge to the beach! Yes, this is the bridge that I have vowed to walk over within a month. We rode over it! Going up was hard - John's gears were slipping (time for a new bike) and I was just pooped! But the real thrill (read: scary part) was going down! I felt as if I was going 1,000 mph! I was surprised to have any brakes left!

Once over, we rode on the sand for a bit past the pier and took some video that I wish I could post here. It was a beautiful day!

Of course, we had to ride back over the bridge to the mainland side - ARGH!!! But we made it and it was fine and hopefully we'll do it again soon!

It may not look that way from the picture, but this was quite a hill! Especially for a couple of South-Florida-flatlanders!

The view from the top was beautiful :) The bridge off in the distance is the Int'l Speedway Blvd bridge. Directly in front of us is the marina.

It was foggy but sunny today. It looks as if this parasailer is just floating in nothing!

And tonight, I'm 5-miles and 2-bridges worth of sore!

the loop

2006-02-21T20:04:00.000-05:00

John had the day off today, so we took a drive around The Loop, a scenic route in north Volusia county through forest and marshland.

One of the first things we encountered was the ruins of an old sugar and rum processing factory.

Driving through the forest, you are shaded by a canopy of live oak - a glimpse of what Florida looked like before being overrun by Northerners!

What a beautiful peaceful place!

Of course, I can't completely get away from the wierdness that civilization brings to nature. I don't yet understand why, but I seem to be stumbling across a wide array of used latex gloves. This one appears to be giving us The Finger :)

John offered this explanation: they are left behind by paramedics. And as "proof" of his theory - nearby we found remnants of crime scene tape. Hmmmmmmm.

If you would like to see The Loop you may not want to waste any time - soon it will be developed (you can read all about it at SaveTheLoop.org).

a walk to my childhood street - almost 3 miles

2006-02-20T18:04:00.000-05:00

Today I had some things to mail - packages that are too big to put in the mailbox with the flag up. Since it was a nice day, I thought I'd walk to the post office a few blocks away and then continue on a bit. I stuffed everything into my backpack and headed out, only to remember that it's President's Day and the post office is closed!

So instead I walked to the street I lived on as a child - Walker Street. Except that was in Connecticut and this was in Daytona Beach. But the local walk felt almost New England-y because there were leaves on the ground and it smelled like fall. Of course, in New England today it would have been WAY too cold to go walking in a t-shirt ;)

It was very dangerous for me to be outside today!!! But I'm a daredevil, so I kept going!

This is a very rare handprint from the Holly Hill Gnome - notice the red aura around the fingers.

And how lucky is this! The board across the top reads "Home of the Holly Hill Gnomes." I don't need to tell you how exciting it is to see this!

When I came upon this crudely tied wire at the end of a long pier, I wasn't sure if I had stumbled upon another mysterious crime scene. Also near the pier: many used rubber gloves and a crack addict. Coincidence? You tell me!

And here is the Seabreeze bridge, which I was under during yesterday's walk. This is my Everest! You are all witnesses: by this time next month (20-March-2006), I will be walking over that bridge without even breaking a sweat!

Be sure to check back for updates and progress!!!

a walk at noon - just over 2 miles

2006-02-19T13:59:00.000-05:00

This afternoon, I decided it was time to get off my couch and get outside. It was 60°, very overcast, and a bit windy. I took a 50-minute walk down to the bridges.

Holly Hill is a city just to the north of Daytona Beach. When we were first looking for homes up here, we were told by those in-the-know to stay away from Holly Hill. "Avoid it like the plague," they said. It is... how can I say this politely... the bad part of town. BUT, we live in the unofficial historical section of Holly Hill, east of US-1. It's very nice, and not at all scary:)

Here's a view from under the bridges. One in each direction, connecting the beach area to the mainland. My goal is to eventually walk over these bridges all the way to the beach and back. But we must start small...

Under the bridges are a little boardwalk and pier, but getting to them reminded me of a crime scene. There are nice sidewalks near the road. Then you come to a sign that says "Boardwalk and Pier funded by" blah blah blah. But then there's just rocks and sand and it looks like an empty lot; once you cross that, there's the boardwalk and pier. While I was crossing the lot, there was a car parked off to the side. At first, I didn't think anyone was in it, but then I saw a woman in the front passenger seat. No driver, just a passenger. I thought he must be fishing, but no, there wasn't anyone else there but her and me.

What I did find was this sweatshirt in the trashcan at the end of the pier. I wondered for a moment if this belonged to the driver of the car and that maybe the woman threw him in the water because he had turned abusive...

...after drinking all these beers. But she stayed in the car for a bit to compose herself and think of a story to explain his disap- pearance.

The man, of course, was swept away by the swift current, and will wash ashore somewhere down south.

But then again, maybe she was just sitting there taking a nap waiting for the Daytona 500 to commence.

Next time, I hope it will be a bit sunnier so that I can take some pictures that aren't quite so dreary...

more about the whales

2006-02-15T10:13:00.000-05:00

I read in a Daytona Beach News-Journal article that for "2 1/2 months the right whales migrate from New England to give birth in Florida's warm waters. Only 325 or so right whales are left in the North Atlantic, and seeing one is a rare privilege" :)

How did I get so lucky?!?

a pair of right whales

2006-02-14T21:14:00.000-05:00

Today I saw the coolest thing: a right whale and her calf swimming a few hundred yards off shore. I have never seen whales in their natural habitat, and even though they were far away and these aren't the best pictures, it was simply awesome!

They were swimming south - I took these on Ormond Beach right around SR-40. There was a man there that had been following them since about 9:00 this morning. He said that this is part of their territory, and they may go as far south as New Smyrna Beach.

I took alot of videos, but the fluke wasn't visible in any of them.

This was truly one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. Not a bad Valentine's Day!!!