I wanted to write a post this morning but ran out of time. Too busy! I'll write about the Botox treatment I got last night. Pictures too.

Happy Friday!

Update
The day took a brighter turn. Emily decided to sleep in and clothes shop some other time. I went to the pool, read the newspaper and swam 20 laps. There's really nothing like being immersed in water. Nice cool water. I came home, showered, woke up Emily (2:00) and made pizza. We ate, then went to Kohl's for shoes. I brought out all the Nike runners in her size and the ones she picked were on sale for $40 and I had a 15% off coupon! No drama and really cute shoes. Then we drove to a park and she ran while I hung out. When we got home we worked together cleaning the kitchen floor. She and her friend had some kind of soap fight yesterday. Still a kid, huh? Her dad will be here soon to take her for her physical for field hockey, and I'm leaving to shop for a tea kettle before my meeting. I just knew my mood would change.

And Karen, Rip's is on 301, right near my family's home. Have you ever been there?

Does anyone read "the latest from Blogger buzz"? I don't, but there's probably some good stuff in there. Just a thought.

I wonder why I woke up in a bad mood? I know it has to do with family stuff, but there's nothing new going on. Maybe the thought of school shopping? Just expectations in general? Disappointments? Combinations of all, probably. Instead of getting right out of bed this morning I turned on the Today show. Before I knew it, all thoughts of a walk were gone, like if I don't do it right away it's too late. Thankfully I changed my mind at 8:45, realizing it's a beautiful morning and there's no time limit. I didn't love the walk, but loved the music and being outside. I'm still feeling dumpy, though, but I'll snap out of it. I always do. If Emily continues to sleep and I stay out here on my porch, I might just go to the pool when it opens in an hour and swim. That will get me going since it's been in the 60's at night and the water will be cold.

Yesterday was another easy day at work. I did the hair of my childhood friend Stella, who's regular client. We only see each other at the salon. We talked about old times. I had completely forgotten that we used to work at the Sears Catalog store together when we were high school seniors. We also worked as waitresses at a restaurant called Rip's. We worked the breakfast shift. We met some Marines from Quantico that were staying at the adjoining motel for a shooting event and wound up dating them for a while. She and her guy were a real couple; Bob and I were just kind of thrown together because of them, but I really liked him. He and Stella still stay in touch. It was nice to take a trip down memory lane with her. Later in the afternoon I did color and cuts on my neighbor Kelly and her daughter. Again, social time. I love my job.

So, the plan for today is to take Emily shopping for running shoes and then American Eagle for jeans and tops. I was going to say there will be arguments, but there won't. I'm not going to argue, but I can't say I'm optimistic about our time together. My new mantra is 'thick skin Cheryl. I have to be at my salon at 6:00 tonight for a meeting. We have a new staff member, a Physician's Assistant, who will be doing injectable cosmetic procedures in the salon. Tonight is a meet and greet, and a demo and, by the way, I'm going to be a 'model'. I'll let you know about how that goes. If there's anytime between shopping and the meeting, I'm going to see Bonnie. Busy.

I stopped by Happyone's house after having dinner with a friend last night. Called her from her sidewalk to say, hi, I came by to see your sunflowers. They really are enormous, not only in height, but in the size of the flowers. I've never seen anything like that. I also got to meet Kenny. He's as wonderful as I imagined. They are a very happy couple.

Sitting out here on the porch I've seen many butterflies, songbirds and hummingbirds. I just got a whiff of a fragrant flower. I wonder which one? Not a lot are in bloom right now...butterfly bushes, false sunflower, zinnias, daisies, tall phlox, vincas, wax begonias, impatience, tickweed, sedum, gerbera dasies and stella d'oro lilies. I guess that sounds like a lot. I cut down all my yarrow and columbine, so there's some huge gaps. I might buy some annuals to fill in. A gardening friend pointed out that there's still a lot of time till the first frost. With school starting, I tend to think that summer's over.

How did this post get so long, especially when it's about not much?

It was a great first day back to work. A good combination of clients and services. Easy. I bought a bunch of yellow gerbera daisies for my work station. When I got to work I found that my 2 week old bouquet of alstroemeria looked brand new. (I copied this picture from the web) I knew they were long-lasting, but not this long! I brought the daisies home.


I've been sitting on the couch since getting home from work, reading today's newspaper and watching the Olympics. Now I'm pooped! That's what happens when I sit still. I'm off to bed.

Just time for a quickie. I had a great night's sleep. Such a treat for the first day back to work. I woke up early and got ready for work. It was my first time putting make-up on in 11 days. I almost forgot how much better I like that look! I grocery shopped at Super Walmart and Sam's, watered the garden, made lunch, and am almost ready to leave the house. I'll stop by Trader Joe's to get my Tuesday bouquet of fresh flowers on my way to work. Nothing like jumping back in. How will I feel when I get off work at 7:00? That remains to be seen.

Happy Tuesday friends!

Random this and that
I've spent most of the day sitting on my deck or my porch. Me! Can you believe that? It's a brilliantly beautiful day. It's 74 degrees with the humidity at 41%. That's unheard of in these parts in August. I'm enjoying every minute of it.

Elizabeth has posted a contest on her Crusty Beef blog. Go check it out, OK? If you're smarter than me you'll enter. Ha!

The hummingbirds have been out in force today. I watched a set of black capped chickadees try to use the hummingbird feeders. It didn't work.


I love these birds: tufted titmouse. I don't know the plural. They hang around my feeders.


While driving near Tabor City, SC, I saw a type of pine tree that I've never seen before. The needles were so long and grew in big fluffy clumps. It reminded me of a book I read a few years ago. The book really focused on a certain kind of pine that is native to GA and southern regions and is almost extinct. I loved the book and couldn't remember the title. I called my library to see if they could help me find it. I talked about what I remembered: a family that owned a small home in the middle of a junkyard in GA, with a childhood spent playing in and around the junk. And about these pine trees. Low and behold, the librarian found it. Ecology of a Cracker Childhood by Janisse Ray. I was going to include a link to a review of this book, but there's so many, and if you love books about the south and memoirs, I think you might love this one. I did some research and the author has a second book in which she continues her story. I put a hold on it.

I went for a short walk this morning, since I'd been away from it for a week. I swam half my laps last night for the same reason. If only I hadn't bought that second bag of jelly beans on Saturday. They're 20 oz each! I have a bunch on my lap right now, as I type. When these are gone, I'm done. At least with the big bags.

The butterflies have been out in abundance today too. I don't remember seeing so many before I left for my vacation. It might also have to do with how much time I've been out today.

Those green bags I mentioned in the last post? Here's the link to the official website. I bought mine at Bed Bath and Beyond. I also bought the Melita coffee brewer there for $2.99.

I told you this post was going to be random!

I think I'm going to get on some long pants and a long-sleeved top and do some work in my garden. It's the perfect day for that.

Ladeda!

There's no place like home, except when you're on vacation

So, the vacay is over. The long trip home was hellish, but hey, it was worth it. I'm settled back in. Everything's put away, clothes cleaned, laps swam. It was a beautiful day for a drive. The sky was so blue and the clouds so brilliantly white and fluffy. I kept remarking on them, but none of my companions were interested. *sigh* It only took 3 hours to drive home, and that was with stops. I'm glad we stayed over in Colonial Heights/Petersburg, VA. An interesting place. I mentioned we were on the bad side of town. We drove through the historic part, which was amazing. I'd love to spend a day or two there with a guide. Apparently it's an important Civil War location, and maybe where Pocohantas is from? I did some reading, but not enough. We drove to the 'developed' part of town. Every big box store you can imagine, plus the mall. We didn't go into any of it. We had dinner at 5 Guys, and brought back a hotdog and fries for my mom. Then we all watched the Olympics. I called the desk to complain about the very loud people in the room above us. There were kids running in the room. I don't expect silence, but it was bad. The creepy manager got them quiet after the second call, and we all slept fine.

My new coffee maker

Thanks to Bon, my Gevalia coffee machine is in the basement, replaced by this tiny Melita single-cup coffee brewer sitting atop my favorite coffee mug. Bon brought one of these to the beach with us, and it brewed the perfect cup of coffee. I was hooked. If only I'd known they came in red... Now I'll need a tea kettle to boil my water. Back to Bed Bath and Beyond. Oh, btw, I followed Mo's advice and bought the Green Bags for fruit and veggies from BB&B. They work perfectly! I'll be buying the ones for bread and cold cuts next.

So, one more day off, then it's catch-up time at work. I'm gonna be working my butt off to make up for my time off. That's OK...I'm good at working hard.

Well, it's about time for the US gymnastic team to do their thing, so I'm signing off for now. Till the next time...

Wah, wah, wah. Traffic on 95 S was horrible. Sometimes it moved at 80 mph, but for the most part it hovered at 30, or 5 or 20 or a standstill. Wah, wah, wah. We're only about 3 hours from my parent's house, but who knows how long that would really take. 5 hours? 6? So, we're in Colonial Heights, VA in a Knights Inn bordering on the bad part of town. I got two rooms...one with a king for the girls, and two doubles for Mom and me. Remember I said I'd never sleep with her again? The manager told us where to stay away from and that he'd keep an eye on the girl's room. I told Emily not to leave at all without me there. We'll be fine. They want to go to the mall and the movies. I'm too tired. I want to drive to the historic part of town with lots of neat shops in converted warehouses. They think that will be utterly boring. We're going to drive over just to see. Mom's snoring in bed as I type at 7:00. I'd be happy watching TV. Stay tuned.

I'm so glad I watched the opening ceremony of the Olympics. I wouldn't have realized the date otherwise. I would have been bummed.
08/08/08

It's a quiet night at the condo. I'm here, alone. Well, my mom is sleeping. Kelly and Natalie are out shopping. Emily and Leah are sitting out by the elevator with boys. I'm just out of the shower...at 9 at night. I stayed out on the beach till 6:30. It was heavenly. I've been listening to Nickel Creek and Keane on my mp3. Great music. I fell asleep with my chair reclined all the way, under the umbrella at the water's edge. So peaceful! Here's what I was doing just before I had to shut my eyes:


I finally finished a magazine. Woopee! So much for all my reading material.

There's some kind of bird that picks in the wet surf for little clams and sand crabs. It looks like an ugly black bird, not your usual tern or other beach bird. I tried my best to get some good shots, but didn't do very well. Everytime I got a little close they flew away.
Walking the surf line

Found it!

Got it!


I can't believe tomorrow is our last full day here. The week went by too quickly. There were so many things I wanted to do, but doing nothing at all prevailed. Tomorrow I want to walk the beach to the left of our condo and check out some of the other condos. I want to go back to the big condo complex a few buildings to the right of ours to hear a singer that performs at their outdoor bar. I want to go to the local fish store and buy fresh shrimp for dinner. And I want to do nothing at all. I'm going to need an early start.

I couldn't stop staring at her boobs

We went to Legends in Concert in Surfside Beach last night. Summer, you can skip this one. Yes, it was entertaining. The impersonators: Buddy Holly, The Blues Brothers, George Strait, Dolly Parton and, of course, Elvis. The music was suited for a much older crowd. My mother loved it! It was a good night out, but not as good as the other live entertainment we've seen the other years we've been here. Dolly was very enhanced, and, I thought, an almost clone of the real thing. It was fascinating to watch her. All the entertainers nailed their performances. When the show was over Mom and I walked by the stage to meet the performers. When we got to Elvis, he was posed with a tourist for a picture. My mother grabbed his other arm. I tried to pry it off, saying, MOM! they're trying to take a picture. Get your hand off. She just wouldn't! So, they took a picture with her hand on his arm. Then I took this picture:


Does she look happy or what? As we were walking away she told me that when we first got to Elvis she lost her balance and was holding on to him to hold her up. OH! That explained the death grip. Too funny! The guy had a great voice but does not look like The King.

I've been sleeping like a log here; till almost 8:00 every morning. That's been wonderful. I wake up and put on my bathing suit, then set up the two umbrellas and chairs on the beach. I come up and make my mom breakfast, have my coffee, etc., then go down. I stay in my bathing suit till it's time to come in for the day. I have no clue how I can spend so many hours on the beach, but can't wait to do it again. I just went out on the balcony to take a picture of the beach. Our umbrellas are the ones closest to the water in the center of the picture.


This is low tide. As the day goes on we'll move our umbrellas and chairs further and further out. My shoulders actually hurt from screwing in the anchor that holds the umbrellas.

I haven't done any walking or exercising of any kind, and I don't feel guilty. So there.

Well, it's time to get to work. Yeah, right...I'm on vacation! I do have to get my mom in her bathing suit and down to the pool. Then I'm out of here.

Are you tired of my vacation yet?


Have jelly beans, will travel. My addiction. That and coffee. And yellow rafts.


The beach was covered in shells today for the first time


Very pretty but hard to walk on

I didn't see any, but apparently there were jelly fish in the ocean today and a lot of people got stung. I'm glad I got a lot of ocean time in, unaware and unscathed. I stayed out after finding out. We spent a lot of time in the pool. It really was hot! We walked down the beach to a big resort and tried out their pool and lazy river. It was nice, but our pool is just fine. We came in earlier than usual. Kelly is out with my mom right now. Mom really wanted a pedicure with the blue polish. When they get back we'll go to Sticky Fingers for dinner, then to see the live show, Legends in Concert. Should be a fun night out.

There was such a nice breeze that the temp really wasn't an issue. At least not down at the beach. We drove over to check out the fancy pool. I dipped my finger in the water and it was salty. Strange, but much better than chlorine. The pool was big, but there wasn't much else special about it and there were only a few umbrellas for shade so we decided to skip it. So, another day at the beach. Time is flying and I want it to stop! Another lazy day of riding the waves, laying in the shallow surf, and sitting on my beach chair. I don't think I even read one page of my magazine! Too busy doing nothing.

The lifeguard was just OK


One more picture of my feet, but check out that ocean


My 'portable' beach set-up


I'm getting way too dark. I use #30 sunblock, and stay under an umbrella every moment I'm not in the water. The problem is that I'm in the water so much.

I came in at 5:00 to make dinner. Didn't want to, but it was time for me to be responsible. Made the girls chicken strips, mozzarella sticks and corn. Not very colorful, but tasty. Kelly took the girls out shopping while I made the adult's meal: Salsa chicken with rice. I covered everything in foil and went back down to the beach till 7:30. It was so wonderful! Such a peaceful time to be out on the beach. We had a late dinner, and I've been enjoying my first stay home night.

And now, I'm ready for bed. I need to rest up for tomorrow!

It's after 10 AM and I'm not down at the beach. I feel so lazy. Not! I did plant the umbrellas in the sand. The beach chairs weren't in the car, where we've been storing the stuff, so I didn't put them out. It's supposed to be hot, hot, hot here for the next two days. Triple digit hot. The condo has indoor and outdoor pools, so we can refresh there. Our friend is staying in a golf resort community about 5 miles away and it has the largest fresh/saltwater pool in SC. I have no clue what that means but it's a gigantic pool and looks amazing in the pictures. We want to go there today.

So, it's just been lazy here. Out on the beach in the morning. Two umbrellas and a bunch of beach chairs. Our rafts. Spending so much time in the water on the rafts. I don't think I've read more than a few magazine pages. Listening to my mp3 player with a sly smile on my face. The girls have been doing their own things. Walking, tanning (try as I might to get them to stop that), flirting big time. I've set my mom up at the outdoor pool which has an overhanging roof area of shade. She gets a kick out of asking strong young men to help her get into her chair when she needs help. Kelly and I have gotten her down to the beach the last two days. We didn't know that would be possible. Yesterday we had her in a low beach chair with the tide rolling over her legs and my chair umbrella shading her face. She was so happy! She kept saying how great it would be to have a strong man help us. I keep telling her all she needs is the strong women she's got! Right? I left my camera upstairs so no pics from the day. It was a great day on the beach.

Twice my mother has put on my glasses instead of hers and worried that something bad was happening with her vision. She wanted me to write that.

I took my two girls out shopping last night. I'm so done with that. Soul, you can relate, right?

This morning I made Val's Texas Caviar and a big batch of my tuna salad. I'll be making the dinner tonight, I think it's called Chicken Salsa. I'm running to the store for chicken nuggets for the girls.

That's my story for now. I'm sorry I'm so far behind on reading and posting. I hope all is well in your worlds.

Blue has become very popular

Try this in 83 degree water. Heavenly.


Kelly walking my mom down to the water

My umbrella set up, first thing in the morning

Our condo taken from the beach


Having a great time. That said, it's time for the beach.

love em&leah (:

I got the apple and whipped cream topped pancakes. Yum! I don't think I walked enough to burn off those calories. At least I got the kid-sized portion.

We went to DeWayne's after breakfast and Em, Leah and I bought new Vera Bradley purses. Mine just holds a few things...camera, cell, and credit cards. Great for traveling. We drove in earnest from there, and arrived at the beach about 10 minutes after Kelly and her daughter Natalie pulled in. The girls rushed to the beach while we adults put all the stuff away.

The view from our balcony


Kelly and the girls went out for errands, Mom took a nap, and I headed out to the beach. It was really humid and windy, but I managed to read a whole People magazine. It's a tough life. We're all in now, it's storming outside, and the adults are getting ready for bed. Oh, and I have 4 bars of Internet service! Great news for an addict like me.

I will never sleep with my mother again. It was bad enough that I had all that coffee. The girls stayed up late with my laptop. I tried to get them to go to sleep, and finally they powered down. I had my earplugs in, with the AC unit blasting out plenty of white noise. Then my mother's restless leg syndrome kicked in. I swear she jerked every 5-10 seconds. I coulda cried. I was banging on my head I was so utterly frustrated. Waaah! Finally, somehow and sometime in the wee hours I fell asleep. I got up at 7:00, put on my walking clothes and left the motel for a 40 minute frustration fixer. When I got back I told my mom about the night and how it wasn't her fault. I also told her I'd never ever sleep with her again.

It's almost time to wake the sleepy-headed girls. We'll go for breakfast at Cracker Barrel, a real treat. I hate stopping at them on the road because it takes so long to get seated and then eat, but we have lots of time before check in at Myrtle, so time won't be an object. I'm going to have the peach and whipped cream topped pancakes. Hey, I'm on vacation. We'll go to some outlets, then be back on the road. I'm pretty sure it's a little over 3 hours till our destination. Not counting stops. I'm ready for a latte now.

Surprise! Our economy motel has wireless. Woohoo. I can't believe I'm gonna have to share a full size bed with my mother. Waaah :(/ I have a hard enough time sleeping alone. The room has 2 full size beds and is roomy but dirty. I pulled the bed away from the wall to find a plug and it doesn't look like it's been vacuumed in about 50 years. I am so glad I brought my own pillow. Oh wait...I have my camera. Let me take a few pics.



And the girls...

They're painting their toes Teal blue while texting/IM'ing and doing whatever. You know my bare legs are not touching that carpet!


The drive down was fine. Lots of stopping. Coffee at home, Border's and Starbucks. Will I sleep tonight? The hotel is right by a huge outlet center. Mom and I ate at Outback while the girls ate at Dairy Queen. Then we browsed the outlets. I'm really not a shopper and the car is packed to the gills. No one bought anything. Yet. I think I'm going to drive to the outlets when I wake up and do my walking. That's all the plans I have for now. We could have driven to Myrtle Beach tomorrow, our check-in day, but it's hard for my mom to be in the car for so long, and it's nice to not have the first day be a driving day.

I'm gonna see if I can go to sleep. I'm a little skeptical. TT Y'all later!

We're off!