The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley

Picture of the Day for February 18, 2019. FINALLY made it to the Harry Potter theme park at Universal Studios Florida. It was everything I hoped it would be!

A Trip to the Kennedy Space Center

Picture of the Day for February 17, 2019. Spent the day at the Kennedy Space Center.

First Stop: Listened to Al Worden (Command Module Pilot for Apollo 15) speak at the daily Astronaut Encounter. He gave an engaging talk. You'd never know he was in his late-80s.

Regardless of which astronaut happens to be the featured speaker, I love going to the Astronaut Encounter speeches just to watch this intro to the event which shows an inspiring quote by Teddy Roosevelt accompanied by dramatic music. Gets me every time.

Second Stop: Getting an autograph from Al Worden. I've met him literally a thousand-billion times at various space events. I wanted to see if there would be a glimmer of recognition when I stepped up to the desk. Zero recognition. Oh well...

Third Stop: Visiting the Atlantis shuttle exhibit building. I never fail to be moved by the display of pieces of the wreckage from the Challenger and Colombia shuttle disasters.

I love how the underside of a space shuttle looks like snake skin.

Jetty Beach at Port Canaveral

Picture of the Day for February16, 2019. I'm back at the Space Coast in Florida - one of my favorite places on the planet. I visited the Jetty Park & Pier at Port Canaveral for the first time. Walked the entire length of the pier at the end of which was a rocky roost for a flock of pelicans. 

Reading Marathon

Picture of the Day for February 15, 2019. I'm in the middle of the equivalent of binge watching a Netflix series. In this case, I'm binge reading the 11-book Lexi Carmichael series by Julie Moffett. I know her older sister, Sandy Parks (also an author) from the annual Sleuthfest mystery writing convention I attend in Florida. I get a kick out of the Lexi Carmichael books. The title character is a 25-year-old computer nerd with awkward social skills who ends up with a hunky, mysterious boyfriend and the two of them, along with their friends, get involved in international intrigue. They are fun books and a nice escape from reality.

Valentine's Day Box Competition

Picture of the Day for February 14, 2019. When my office announced a Valentine's Day box competition, I thought to myself- I'm sooooo going to win this. My competitive streak emerged full force. And, I was totally right! I did win the competition with my unicorn box. Yay! My prize was an orchid was fun since I've always wanted one. On a non-competitive note, it was nice to do something creative and crafty. I don't get much of an opportunity to do so with my corporate job that keeps me busy day and night. 

Leaky Ceiling Saga

Picture of the Day for February 13, 2019. Oh joy- I replaced my ceiling to the tune of $12K last year to find my ceiling is still leaking. The roofing company came right out and discovered the low brick ledge by the chimney was cracked. Technically, that wasn't part of the roof, but they sealed the crack without a charge to me. Phew. At least that's one leak plugged. It's been leak central at my house.

Irony

Picture of they Day for February 12, 2019. Notice how this "strength" keychain has a large chunk that has been chipped away. Irony at its finest. 

75th Wedding Anniversary

Picture of the Day for February 11, 2019. I posted this picture before, but it's worth repeating especially since today marks my parents' 75th wedding anniversary. I sure do miss them, but their absence has been the new normal for almost 10 years. It's almost like they didn't exist as the years go on and certain memories fade slowly but inexorably. Yet, on the other hand, their presence is indelible - to the house I live in and our ongoing family traditions and the fact I look exactly like my father and my mother's recipes that are cherished. It's an interesting dichotomy. 

Monster Shrimp Salad

Picture of the Day for February 10, 2019. This was dinner tonight - the monster-sized shrimp salad that ate New York! 

Jay King/Mind Finds = No Willpower

Picture of the Day for February 9, 2019. Jay King travels all over the world finding interesting gem stones which his team of jewelers turn into beautiful jewelry that is sold on his "Mine Finds" show on HSN. As a turquoise fanatic, I'm especially susceptible to his turquoise jewelry. I knew he was going to be on HSN tonight and here is how my internal dialogue went:

Start of Show: I'll just watch for a minute. I will NOT purchase anything.

1/2 Hour Later: I'm enjoying seeing the beautiful gemstones, but I'm still committed to not purchasing anything.

45 Minutes Later. This is great! I'm not being tempted.

1 Hour Later. Oh rats. I totally caved and bought a turquoise necklace. 

Note to self - do not watch Jay King's Mine Finds show on HSN!

Bruised Knee

Picture of the Day for February 8, 2019. Remember that REALLY big snowstorm I mentioned a couple of days ago? Well, the smooth marble floor of my office lobby and melted snow tracked inside turned out to be a very bad combination. I slipped on the wet floor in a spectacular fashion and ended up landing hard on my knee and then my behind. Logistically, I'm not sure how that landing sequence happened, but it did - in the presence of very alarmed witnesses. I've got a wicked, wicked bruise on my knee. This picture doesn't begin to do it justice. 

Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea

Picture of the Day for February 7, 2019. My niece recommended Harney & Sons hot cinnamon spice to my sister who recommended it to me whereupon I ordered it from Amazon - the ultimate source of shopping instant gratification. I'd have to say, based on the condition of the box, that this was not Amazon's finest shipping hour. 

Snow Day

Picture of the Day for February 6, 2019. It snowed today. A LOT. To the point that schools and my office were shut down. I braved the weather anyway to get to work since I've got a big project going out the door on Friday. Sadly, gone are the days when a snow day means time off work or school. 

I expected to find my driveway shoveled by the time I got home, but it was such a blow-out storm my snow shoveling service hadn't arrived yet. I was just glad I was able to get my car a few feet off the street and into the driveway for the night. 

Really Big Hair

Picture of the Day for February 5, 2019. Ha! You can't say that I don't have big hair. One advantage of having all this hair is all the things I can do with it (i.e., Cousin It) to embarrass family and friends in public. 

Magical Tree

Picture of the Day for February 4, 2019. Came home tonight and found an S. McNeill original painting in my mailbox. So delighted! She's my pre-teen great-niece who has always been creative and is turning into quite the artist. Her paintings are very much in demand in the family and I didn't think I would be getting one so soon. What a fun surprise!

Oxycise Resurgence

Picture of the Day for February 3, 2019. An exercise program popular in the 1990s has made a resurgence on Facebook. I joined their Facebook group and also dug out my 20-year-old book. You can order a subscription to the site where you have access to streaming exercise videos which have been updated so you don't feel like you're in a time warp. I may check it out.

Proud to be Related

Picture of the Day for February 2, 2019. My sister Robynne celebrated her birthday a day early with a family breakfast and then a trip to her favorite antique store. My brother-in-law Will and nephew Rob are pictured here trying on outrageous hats at the store. I'm so proud to be related to them...

Parking Issues

Picture of the Day for February 1, 2019. I'm a pretty good driver (aside from having a bit of a lead foot). I'm also good at navigating if I'm in an unfamiliar city. But when it comes to parking, I'm a little challenged. Somehow, through parking mishaps, I always have bent license plates. I don't see this on other cars. Why? How?

Throwing a Wrench in the Lunch Plans

Picture of the Day for January 31, 2019. Every Thursday, if I'm in town or there no other unforeseen complications, I meet my two sisters for lunch. I have a huge work project going out the door tomorrow and there was no way I could carve out any time away from the office today. I let my sisters know I was throwing a wrench in the plans and my sister Paula responded with content-appropriate emojis that totally cracked me up. Paula and technology are not friends, but she has wholeheartedly embraced communicating via emojis. 

Getting Organized

Picture of the Day for January 30, 2019. I normally let my mail stack up and deal with it twice a month when I pay bills. I'm trying to make paying bills and keeping track of my finances/correspondence a little less onerous so I started using this folder. When I bring in my mail, I open everything, throw away the junk, and file the items that need to be addressed, paid, or filed. Seems to be working so far! Now, to organize every other aspect of my disorganized life... 😀

Handicap Parking Spot Deadbeat

Picture of the Day for January 29, 2019. Uh oh. I pulled into a parking spot this evening near the restaurant where I was having dinner and didn't realize until I came back to my car that I was in a handicap parking spot. Eek! I'm not "that person" who wantonly parks wherever she damn well pleases. To be fair, the parking lot was not well lit, the spot was in a weird location well away from the front door, and the handicap marking was pretty faint. 

Frosting Recipe

Picture of the Day for January 28, 2019. A friend of mine, Jen, was killed in 2017 in a horrific car accident. She was more than an acquaintance, but not in my close circle of friends. I still think about her though from time to time. And occasionally I check her Facebook page to see what friends have posted there since her death. Her husband will post on their anniversary or mention how their small children are doing without her. Friends and coworkers will post reminiscences. This picture is one of those reminiscences. Jen was a pastry chef and one of her friends had been bugging Jen for her famous buttercream frosting recipe. After Jen's death, the friend found the handwritten recipe which unbeknownst to her had been tucked into her suitcase. That was a sweet surprise for the friend. I need to give this recipe a try.

YouTube Junkie

Picture of the Day for January 27, 2019. I've become obsessed with YouTube lately. I don't actually sit and watch the videos, but I listen to them while I'm getting ready for work in the morning or when I'm driving home from work or when I'm trying to fall asleep at night. I especially like the thrill of clicking on the home page and seeing what random/weird videos have been curated for me to see. 

This is just one more example of how the digital age is impacting us. No more contemplative silence for me. Instead, I need to know what 5 text messages will drive my man wild or what the new age gurus have to say about the state of metaphysics or how to use body language to increase my presence at work! The list goes on!

Good Words of Advice

Picture of the Day for January 26, 2019. Spent some time today clearing out old, unneeded files from my work laptop's hard drive. Came across this quote I didn't remember saving. Excellent words of advice for someone (me) who tries not to, but occasionally indulges in unproductive bouts of regret at poor decisions and paths not taken in my life. 

Old Friends and a Wedding

Picture of the Day for January 25, 2019. Was able to attend the wedding reception of the younger sister, Carrie, of a dear friend of mine, Sharla, up in Ogden, Utah. Haven't seen Sharla in nearly ten years and it's been even longer than that for Carrie since both have moved on to different locales. In the years since I've seen Sharla, she's developed a serious health issue that severely limits her activity. She had been resting on a couch during the reception, but when she saw me and our mutual friend, Suzanne, walk in the door, she jumped up and ran over to us. Sharla didn't know we were going to attend, so our appearance was a total surprise. It was good for the soul to see Sharla and reconnect with her. It's also good for the soul to have someone so excited to see you. Makes you think you must be doing something right. That, and the fact I'm blessed with my relationships with friends and family. 

Forgot to get a picture of Sharla and her husband/kids, but I did capture a photo of the bride and groom at the end of the evening as they walked through a line of well-wishers brandishing sparklers.