tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57906754520093550782024-02-20T13:54:08.047-05:00Nancy's World:Thoughts Along The GulfGulfGalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05439976270397483508noreply@blogger.comBlogger187125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790675452009355078.post-11174074259434589672010-11-25T08:54:00.012-05:002010-11-25T09:17:56.751-05:00Turkey Talk<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrwsQBVeVXTYsAoStCG83cWe3_3ipwiBDKbW_8o7xZY32qVU8ZLKIBMA5LJuzPLY5sl9lbRQBXQZwbGQ9VDr-Cc8-oWICR1ws-zPfB3uNHcSpX_zKJrVxV4KQdFhuiMBSnYZuVVRq-2iM0/s1600/paul+penguin+reduced.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 302px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrwsQBVeVXTYsAoStCG83cWe3_3ipwiBDKbW_8o7xZY32qVU8ZLKIBMA5LJuzPLY5sl9lbRQBXQZwbGQ9VDr-Cc8-oWICR1ws-zPfB3uNHcSpX_zKJrVxV4KQdFhuiMBSnYZuVVRq-2iM0/s320/paul+penguin+reduced.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543490903025386722" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAiwbj9hwcSbF7YUQLzsJXxse0bgNYiAjKGi0OcGXkUA6UNYp2_kT1jIZceuEch-6ig6u4Kw855eQj8RWRo0eh87cYhXXkpGlLj7xDfw06BqgtHymytbKz5LHXCSpdkHrXlRxT4klDxpMo/s1600/me+and+jen+Martini.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAiwbj9hwcSbF7YUQLzsJXxse0bgNYiAjKGi0OcGXkUA6UNYp2_kT1jIZceuEch-6ig6u4Kw855eQj8RWRo0eh87cYhXXkpGlLj7xDfw06BqgtHymytbKz5LHXCSpdkHrXlRxT4klDxpMo/s400/me+and+jen+Martini.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543489147339743282" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7P5JkTNUN8NxFcVU_7SmqhPi18aZm4u7bK9uCGrA-6MCfulCF5EqzldF3YGesd8MmUyUMctD8J2sY0cY6OHv9jQvzefMv0zvWksTgPNTB5gP8fTBh9ehA4WqL4ymeDdtxufUTIsImcask/s1600/img015.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7P5JkTNUN8NxFcVU_7SmqhPi18aZm4u7bK9uCGrA-6MCfulCF5EqzldF3YGesd8MmUyUMctD8J2sY0cY6OHv9jQvzefMv0zvWksTgPNTB5gP8fTBh9ehA4WqL4ymeDdtxufUTIsImcask/s400/img015.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543488432089137266" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ZOIgFfCWsO0qbgCzRkS38Gd-ObsBi-YgsQ3HEZ_8JxbnuFOe5Nhg4oscKifI93HJvyGFtX99FCr8z4FESbxMF5NWz9nYtJjeUJzpKVjxgPrjwinizMAPTd9BcKArkDRQVui6U9DwB1Zn/s1600/Whitey+duck.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 373px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ZOIgFfCWsO0qbgCzRkS38Gd-ObsBi-YgsQ3HEZ_8JxbnuFOe5Nhg4oscKifI93HJvyGFtX99FCr8z4FESbxMF5NWz9nYtJjeUJzpKVjxgPrjwinizMAPTd9BcKArkDRQVui6U9DwB1Zn/s400/Whitey+duck.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543487251951758690" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidgaNvlEx3Zidulx2dklF8-2iqNGgZ85fjlQjBJK7mHiPV6El10QQI2fLvsXO14uTvMx2HHkqwVXjzA3zgPt2hdh9tkfvOD6GLCVsOI4TiTWdGgsURst43FX1SpUfUk3jl1OtOqyrPJir7/s1600/Cruiser+Speak.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidgaNvlEx3Zidulx2dklF8-2iqNGgZ85fjlQjBJK7mHiPV6El10QQI2fLvsXO14uTvMx2HHkqwVXjzA3zgPt2hdh9tkfvOD6GLCVsOI4TiTWdGgsURst43FX1SpUfUk3jl1OtOqyrPJir7/s400/Cruiser+Speak.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543487008486708050" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Thanksgiving is a time to be truly thankful</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">for family--and many things--particularly </span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">for not being a turkey!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">My daughter took one look at the turkey in<br />the refrigerator and said “It’s a little small, isn’t it?”</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Anything larger than 10 lbs. and I’d need to</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">throw out an entire shelf of food.<br />I’m stacking butter and dip, jams and mango<br />salsa as it is…</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">I was informed that most people eat<br />Thanksgiving dinner around 1:00.</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">The pilgrims in my family began cooking<br />the turkey around 4:00 p.m.<br />I think my ancestors came over on a<br />different vessel--later in the day, too.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">I’m a descendant of Zachary Taylor, the</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> 12th</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">President. I’m not sure what time he had </span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">his Thanksgiving dinner…he looked well fed though.</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Back to turkey day.</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">..</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">I’m definitely thankful that I’m walking </span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">without my leg cast.</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">My family is the joy of my life,</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">And I’m blessed with friends--both near and far.</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">I’m thankful for all my readers in cyberspace, too.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Last of all, I hope our resident ducks, Cruiser </span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">and Whitey will come around soon. </span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">They’ve been missing since Sept., no doubt </span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">living it up in warmer climes.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving--</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">and to those who don’t celebrate the holiday,<br />have a great day!</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><br />Gobble… </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" ><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"></span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS: http://gulfgal-nancysworld.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss</div>GulfGalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05439976270397483508noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790675452009355078.post-26064994055659750662010-10-31T09:18:00.027-04:002010-10-31T14:28:57.229-04:00Step Into My Web...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJn5ktBVtMz2lm5stsKtNjcvLiTpr66Kyw2keuhO4PfFEvT5EeqOimZ0tkmS3drZEwU7xjM4zqdV-RxQou0BD12dw8CkvFjfIMnLdX-sDVILH07jwGaDs595Ac3Og_pCXBIZJl4ik6QLwv/s1600/witchy+mom.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 312px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJn5ktBVtMz2lm5stsKtNjcvLiTpr66Kyw2keuhO4PfFEvT5EeqOimZ0tkmS3drZEwU7xjM4zqdV-RxQou0BD12dw8CkvFjfIMnLdX-sDVILH07jwGaDs595Ac3Og_pCXBIZJl4ik6QLwv/s400/witchy+mom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534246224269873490" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghEqbDLlMJTW9MMwsgkZCI7g3ARgO2gtg5eHG-crSif0C4zz1Ug77GeCPNhKbHRDzUSY93pT12AFB8ytPc9sC34_YPsBPfj9EVl3CllLGV29-U47O5t-pWRVOAVb6Ea5ivjsN3YDQMzM4T/s1600/Paul++Jen+Halloween.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 294px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghEqbDLlMJTW9MMwsgkZCI7g3ARgO2gtg5eHG-crSif0C4zz1Ug77GeCPNhKbHRDzUSY93pT12AFB8ytPc9sC34_YPsBPfj9EVl3CllLGV29-U47O5t-pWRVOAVb6Ea5ivjsN3YDQMzM4T/s400/Paul++Jen+Halloween.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534242523749840338" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrfBj_MxycTnOZ2XAY_bn5MuXjcaWOpoCZMKrU6oX4rhxGZeoqAiU-0Tk_MNiEeyGfEQyXyYTyn0U2qYyQwP0cCQ9yqN_PgVDJusoFhRmy15t1_wnhgye_-VcKjC0Xo0XdxoKA6-bqzGvc/s1600/stitched+mom+and+dad.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 51px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrfBj_MxycTnOZ2XAY_bn5MuXjcaWOpoCZMKrU6oX4rhxGZeoqAiU-0Tk_MNiEeyGfEQyXyYTyn0U2qYyQwP0cCQ9yqN_PgVDJusoFhRmy15t1_wnhgye_-VcKjC0Xo0XdxoKA6-bqzGvc/s400/stitched+mom+and+dad.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534278379249970834" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" >Hello, my dearies!</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" >Welcome to the Witchin’ Kitchen where</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" > I<br />will brew up tales of Hollow’s Night of Yore.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" >Many harvest moons ago, there lived a<br />family</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" > of four in the beach city of<br />Santa Monica, where</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" > the foghorn bellowed<br />and the dense fog swirled</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">in ghostly waves</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" >,<br />bathing the city in an eerie glow.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" >Halloween was spooky in our neighborhood.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" >Houses all stacked like dominoes lined the<br />unlit street,</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" > with narrow passageways<br />between the houses.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" >I was convinced a witch lived in one of the<br />houses</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" > along the walkway. Her pointy nose and<br />glaring</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" > eyes always peered through the parted<br />lace curtains</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" > at the window anytime I walked by.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" >Mom loved Halloween.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" >She wore her huge black witch’s hat, and tied<br />a</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" > sheet around her.<br />Raisins dotted her face like old, gnarled warts.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" >Michael was a pirate and I, a witch--what else?</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" >I’m not sure if my Halloween bucket got pirated</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" >and pillaged by Michael as I stealthily tried to</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" >hide my treats.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" >Years later, we were living in the hot San<br />Fernando</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" > Valley where thoughts of Halloween<br />were brewing yet again.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" >We decorated the house with ‘pumpkin tumbleweeds’.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" >Mom had her warty, powdered face and dad had a</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" >few surprises of his own.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" >When the grandkids came over Halloween night,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" >he told them to go to the closet.</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">..</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" >Suddenly, the kids were screaming--dad had<br />his prosthetic</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" > leg propped up in the corner with<br />an old shoe attached.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" >That always gave dad a laugh.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" >As I later had my own family, I strung cobwebs,<br />hung</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" > skeletons and spiders, stuck a candle in a<br />cow’s skull, and played spooky</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" > howling tapes from<br />the upstairs window that could be</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" > heard outdoors.<br />Needless to say, there were few kids coming</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" > to the door!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" >It’s that time of year again, in another town where</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" >we have Halloween parades up the street of our</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" >gated community, and a few kids will come to claim<br />their</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" > treats. I have an overfilled pot of candy waiting--</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:verdana;" >and maybe, a trick or two…</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS: http://gulfgal-nancysworld.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss</div>GulfGalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05439976270397483508noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790675452009355078.post-28918797056784183882010-10-21T08:58:00.006-04:002010-10-21T09:17:27.855-04:00I'm in Love With You...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi1jl6stCpI0Y1j96UA3QgtL9v4YeypN9wQiB12suHi4rGNgV-qq-f3MDzoEuQNZi5_cynIIWssA42vMDncqAMrGZ2Qe7rOqcvRamThWn8Zvc5zoG1v_uuOTzTYEjkBZK3Ors9prdccR2F/s1600/Our+wedding.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 364px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi1jl6stCpI0Y1j96UA3QgtL9v4YeypN9wQiB12suHi4rGNgV-qq-f3MDzoEuQNZi5_cynIIWssA42vMDncqAMrGZ2Qe7rOqcvRamThWn8Zvc5zoG1v_uuOTzTYEjkBZK3Ors9prdccR2F/s400/Our+wedding.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530486524140400882" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >After 38 years of marriage I've </span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >learned<br />a few things, particularly ways</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >not to make<br />a husband gag:</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >* Don't stuff yourself into a bikini meant for Twiggy.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >* Don't pierce anything other than your ear lobes--</span><br /> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >and a nice juicy steak!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >* Don't wear mini-skirts if you're not a 'mini'.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >* Don't wear ankle bracelets that look as though<br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >you're under house arrest.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >* Don't wear midriff shirts that float over<br />The Island of Flab.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >* If your 'skin' doesn't 'fit' you like it did<br />when you were</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" > first married, ban yourself<br />from those drive-thrus!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >* Avoid or don't over do Botox-ing and facelifting--</span><br /> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >he didn't marry a manikin.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" ><br /><br />* Too much sun equals skin like a dromedary--<br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >only camels belong outside that much.<br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >* Keep a sense of humor--it can throw your<br />husband</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" > off-balance when he wants to start complaining...</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >* Don't 'show' too much--'cracks' are for sidewalks!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >*Treat yourself and life like a fine wine--<br />let it age naturally.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" ><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 255);">To my husband, Tom: Happy Anniversary,</span></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 255);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 255);font-family:verdana;" ><br />with many more to come.</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 255);"><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 255);font-family:verdana;" >I'll love you "'til the 12th of Never..."</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS: http://gulfgal-nancysworld.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss</div>GulfGalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05439976270397483508noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790675452009355078.post-11624806193513234622010-09-27T18:10:00.017-04:002010-09-29T08:23:10.228-04:00Whine And Dine...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju7iVgD83ct2zhOcR9uNgL_C2F3FsJQT6Yr8Wdj89cG4VYxF5pP5ahu1cqumaZaznkTkcwJNdaSJPCzeDTE6dIBGSrnTZuYAsi1fdfUqkphsNWbfUbqxu__fif_S5MrKttygUD8lDnAA0r/s1600/nans+footy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju7iVgD83ct2zhOcR9uNgL_C2F3FsJQT6Yr8Wdj89cG4VYxF5pP5ahu1cqumaZaznkTkcwJNdaSJPCzeDTE6dIBGSrnTZuYAsi1fdfUqkphsNWbfUbqxu__fif_S5MrKttygUD8lDnAA0r/s400/nans+footy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521723094468485746" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">"Doctor, can you help me?"</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">"What seems to be the problem?"</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">"Writer's Block. I can't seem to get my funny on."</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">"Ahh, yes, that could be a problem."</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">"Ok...so what can I do about my writing drought?"</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">"I don't know--can't think of a thing."</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Big help...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">I need an elixir of Rodney Dangerfield, with a double</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">shot of Woody Allen and Carl Hiaasen--something</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">I can't get at Blue Martini!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Some people are dripping with humorous anecdotes</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">and one-liners, with little effort, it seems.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">I could make fun of myself, I suppose.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Tom's been calling me peg-leg.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">I've become glued to my sofa lately--not by choice.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">I fractured my ankle recently.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">I'd rather be outside in the pool, enjoying the</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">hot Florida sun, or on the Las Vegas trip we</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">had to cancel this week.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">So, I've been following orders to stay off my feet.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">I'm getting into the Cleopatra routine: Enjoying</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">being waited on hand and foot--pardon the pun.</span><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >More fruit, maybe a sweet tea, please.</span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">I haven't been through a drive-thru in a long time.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Maybe I'll get Jen to take me this week--though,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">with the luck that's been hitting me over the last</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">few months, I'd probably wind up with an 'unhappy' meal!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">But I digress.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">With a collective heave I hoist myself from the sofa,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">clogging my way to the kitchen to grab the Dustbuster.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Cleo left her cookie crumbs between the cushions--</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">which has taken on the shape of her bum...</span><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" ><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS: http://gulfgal-nancysworld.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss</div>GulfGalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05439976270397483508noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790675452009355078.post-85050852410086124062010-09-10T08:31:00.024-04:002010-09-11T12:38:51.680-04:00Brain Warp--Rebooting...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHMQCxhgRCXAs6cJNDODLjOif15uNBOIQXpSYoN618NLwZHTkdrFaDfyRhNigLikH5DdD-eXLFEBdGEB33UmhF_BbyctJVkihb_v2pObP06EynQrSyuf4dhlELvzUb_qGZne5WdKC2ttQ/s1600/two+ducks.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHMQCxhgRCXAs6cJNDODLjOif15uNBOIQXpSYoN618NLwZHTkdrFaDfyRhNigLikH5DdD-eXLFEBdGEB33UmhF_BbyctJVkihb_v2pObP06EynQrSyuf4dhlELvzUb_qGZne5WdKC2ttQ/s400/two+ducks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515271439060539826" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWJ07UNp7BQy2Zv_DcfueSKKx30wQ9X5LKt9KDttjAfMKjAI-wDv7PD3Jf8MZfKQmB-jlbRselVExnqgjBGWPHU1rqEDBTuBKiBwPvMHErhXybvSbdrxpogSYYyt9rFsPwkY9tJAkMHibp/s1600/Whitey+duck.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 373px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWJ07UNp7BQy2Zv_DcfueSKKx30wQ9X5LKt9KDttjAfMKjAI-wDv7PD3Jf8MZfKQmB-jlbRselVExnqgjBGWPHU1rqEDBTuBKiBwPvMHErhXybvSbdrxpogSYYyt9rFsPwkY9tJAkMHibp/s400/Whitey+duck.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515271303076816722" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGHHK_byQkWcOFM005kTAKukPwV8F2YrRSKU8prPv2ivQt4LMwMKLsjLFN9Bahbqi3F96ORa1HORCKZI3klCfoabqmQlWn3tsZjR6YvFDHkyEaWaT7x0p4Evk_DqI479vLR18_hEq3eVRU/s1600/pool+frog.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGHHK_byQkWcOFM005kTAKukPwV8F2YrRSKU8prPv2ivQt4LMwMKLsjLFN9Bahbqi3F96ORa1HORCKZI3klCfoabqmQlWn3tsZjR6YvFDHkyEaWaT7x0p4Evk_DqI479vLR18_hEq3eVRU/s400/pool+frog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515271072143870898" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >I've been sucked into creative quicksand.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" ><br />Sitting on the sofa, glancing out to the back<br />yard, </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >I'm waiting for an instant spark of<br />something funny</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >to tickle the dormant folds<br />of my usually witty brain.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" ><br /><br />This on and off period of writing has been the<br />longest </span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >bout of writer's constipation I've ever<br />experienced. </span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >It hasn't helped that I'd been<br />sidelined by a 'locked'</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >back, and most recently<br />by an injured ankle--thanks</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >to a misplaced tool box.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" ><br /><br />I've been watching The Weather Channel, and<br />all</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >of the whirling dervish spin-offs dancing off<br />Africa.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" ><br /><br />Most seasoned Florida residents have<br />grown </span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >accustomed to the over-hype--the<br />prognostications</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >of the weather men who can't<br />wait for a </span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >tropical storm to hit the coast so they</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" ><br />can valiantly</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" > smack-dab</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >themselves right in the<br />middle of the event...<br /><br /></span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Every year the hurricane predictors say we're in<br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >for an extremely active season. I just took stock</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >of my hurricane closet: 2 cases of Sam's water,<br /></span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >some cans of soup, paper plates and cups and<br />plastic</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" > ware,dry foods, as well as 2 propane<br />camp stoves and enough</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" > propane canisters.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >I also have 3 loaves of duck bread-- I've had to</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >stock up </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >since Cruiser is bringing her ducky </span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >friends<br />to the house.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >If you are a new reader of my blog,<br />Cruiser is a sweet</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Muscovy duck who chose our<br />house to visit everyday.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >She's been cruising around the yard from the<br />lake </span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >for over a year. Only recently, Cruiser's<br />brought along</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Whitey--and occasionally, another<br />duck we've</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >not named yet. They are both bread fiends...</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Out back there's a swale, a flooded river running<br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >along the width of grass. A couple of weeks ago<br />we</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >spotted catfish spiraling out from the ground<br />beneath </span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >the water, swimming quickly, then 'walking'<br />into the woods,</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" > like something out of a Stephen King novel.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >So, here I am, molting, waiting for a simmering<br />idea to</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" > boil over, watching tiny lizards and a frog<br />scoot close to the pool's</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" > edge...</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" ><br /><br />There's a water bowl outside for the ducks. </span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" ><br />There was an Indigo snake coiled over the<br />bowl </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >a few weeks ago, sipping away...</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Oh, I see two bobbing heads coming around the</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >side of the lanai enclosure, like clockwork.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" ><br />Whitey and Cruiser are peeking over at me</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >between<br />the plants...</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" ><br />Gotta go feed them...call of the wild! </span><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS: http://gulfgal-nancysworld.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss</div>GulfGalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05439976270397483508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790675452009355078.post-8478694462771719832010-08-01T12:17:00.020-04:002010-08-01T15:31:07.844-04:00Clear The Roads...!<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji9_JrnL6qlU5gLSLEcCRfHirmreHBNZ3Coo9ARWuivCwE3QNks5IVDlzI8UcEtg-IMuBqoAfC_UbEofYe7_LwZ6gt7L1tuQoJPoadzHbbWGUq41mCqFdP7qmw_e8xN8rKuL0tkDS7rQoy/s1600/Capt+Tom.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 287px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji9_JrnL6qlU5gLSLEcCRfHirmreHBNZ3Coo9ARWuivCwE3QNks5IVDlzI8UcEtg-IMuBqoAfC_UbEofYe7_LwZ6gt7L1tuQoJPoadzHbbWGUq41mCqFdP7qmw_e8xN8rKuL0tkDS7rQoy/s400/Capt+Tom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500490621957615730" border="0" /></a> Capt. Tom, thinking <span style="font-style: italic;">did Nan kill the VW?</span><br /></div><br /> <br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglb-FjNfP8v13iJ7C6K1JESvIp8AAdY0VRS7-ziqLjdE62eRnhwRwUyZt4VYhoIcjhvNE2Z5AhnhdP0Q66PoQfjWyVxfaQ0hbfKYoRydc4rhOJm-WkgG4_FJsLGVrw836sbYcPSQ_XzYtL/s1600/Tom+Mazda.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 291px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglb-FjNfP8v13iJ7C6K1JESvIp8AAdY0VRS7-ziqLjdE62eRnhwRwUyZt4VYhoIcjhvNE2Z5AhnhdP0Q66PoQfjWyVxfaQ0hbfKYoRydc4rhOJm-WkgG4_FJsLGVrw836sbYcPSQ_XzYtL/s400/Tom+Mazda.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500490503560704930" border="0" /></a> Tom, with the new car <span style="font-style: italic;">after</span> the<br /></div> VW died a stick-shift death!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZg9FDS1I0m1buBWLPyw-yoLqfQb1sZQ790TIauwDyM8PnPI-Xz9fhnPP-XZo221wrXvLH2xDPnGiSL8dTSOm87EWE_Kzk6BqjhLpdH_7hJur50gu_0JPxYtQdWKAG3lfnXysgiT31A_NZ/s1600/1+year+old-Jen.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZg9FDS1I0m1buBWLPyw-yoLqfQb1sZQ790TIauwDyM8PnPI-Xz9fhnPP-XZo221wrXvLH2xDPnGiSL8dTSOm87EWE_Kzk6BqjhLpdH_7hJur50gu_0JPxYtQdWKAG3lfnXysgiT31A_NZ/s400/1+year+old-Jen.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500490351502330066" border="0" /></a> Our VW rib-tickler!<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >If ya don't like my driving, stay off the road</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >could've been my slogan when I was learning to drive.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Unlike most people who were driving at 16, I was 27--</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >bulging with expectant parenthood.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Not only was it a tight squeeze, between me and the</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >steering wheel, I was cursed with learning on a</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >stick-shift in my husband's original </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >VW Bug</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >While my daughter was busy kicking me in the ribs,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >I was ready to stick the shifter! Frustrated that I wasn't</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >sequencing that well with the clutch, brake, gas and stick,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >I'd decided that childbirth would be a hiccup compared to</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >learning to drive that antique.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Tom was an airline captain and I was expecting that he</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >was going to call ahead for special clearance--that an</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >erratically driving female was loose on the road.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >I'd managed to run over a row of rosebushes, cut the</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >turn on the corner, causing a flabbergasted pedestrian</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >to jump back a few feet.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Finally, after many driving lessons, I was ready to get</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >my license. Lucky for the man testing my driving ills--</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >I mean skills--he passed me, out of sheer self-preservation.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >I guess hormonally-challenged females, this close to poppin',</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >was something he didn't want to face--again.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >It's a lucky thing I never became an airline pilot...</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS: http://gulfgal-nancysworld.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss</div>GulfGalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05439976270397483508noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790675452009355078.post-42390161198939865032010-07-20T15:12:00.019-04:002010-07-20T16:28:34.944-04:00Just Beachy...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBO54-S70jjI5vewTPhadgKiKhQzko68TTqjs04Y6MQYAO7J6W0Jp5sQ9RS-jV-etZ5K0LJQCvMt5zYm-DJcCC6OEBcYSzhh9yHv2jOD-LFVtU2J2Js2vGSDDl_NEPaleaXh6wmPt-wHg3/s1600/pool+mom.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 365px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBO54-S70jjI5vewTPhadgKiKhQzko68TTqjs04Y6MQYAO7J6W0Jp5sQ9RS-jV-etZ5K0LJQCvMt5zYm-DJcCC6OEBcYSzhh9yHv2jOD-LFVtU2J2Js2vGSDDl_NEPaleaXh6wmPt-wHg3/s400/pool+mom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496085444770529634" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHArP5r7pDPHSLUFvEHzCVVFVYcZrWqneMmJEoBd3YtuA_3iqobQUpTja6POGmE-RG5d_h0L8z0-7IhDOG0PfPZgkpOheQZZDBEUZPVuXTYT3ZC5gHlUYGn_2Vo6DZWizPoiT39yx1hRe/s1600/pilings2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHArP5r7pDPHSLUFvEHzCVVFVYcZrWqneMmJEoBd3YtuA_3iqobQUpTja6POGmE-RG5d_h0L8z0-7IhDOG0PfPZgkpOheQZZDBEUZPVuXTYT3ZC5gHlUYGn_2Vo6DZWizPoiT39yx1hRe/s400/pilings2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496083851113865986" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Reptilius Wrinkilum</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >, characterized by and resembling </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >shed snake skin, is an affliction shared by those<br />humans</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" > who don't look like pancake batter.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Add a little unwanted 'real estate' and behold--it's</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >a sight: Rippled layers of varnished, lizard-like skin </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >that appears to have been squashed by a </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Goodyear </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >tire,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >then stretched past the known capacity of nylon and spandex.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >In other words, miles of beach-tanned, bikini-ed and<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Speedo</span>-ed</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" > torsos, frolicking back and forth under the<br />tropical Florida sun.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >The men are a 'whisper' away from centerfold exposure. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >The ladies prance along with dimpled, 'thonged' behinds--<br />looks like a</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" > Silly Putty</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" > convention...</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >I wore a swimsuit once, more of a flotation device--that,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >when I began swimming, would billow out--much like</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >the inner tube I used to float on as a kid--drifting between</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >the pilings of the Santa Monica Pier...</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Rising from the bathtub-warm waters of the Gulf, I<br />looked</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" > like a beached whale. Suddenly all the water<br />dumped out </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >from my swimsuit--along with a slithery<br />Ramora I called Ramon--</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >since it had clung to my ribcage<br />the entire time.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >So now, bikini clad, I notice that I'm not far from being</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >in the select classification of </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Reptilius Wrinkilum</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >--as I</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >enjoy the tropical outdoors. I'm also noticing that I need</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >to work out a little harder, too.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Gosh, that almond cookie was sooo good...</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Sonia, I slipped...</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" ><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS: http://gulfgal-nancysworld.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss</div>GulfGalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05439976270397483508noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790675452009355078.post-11269893341394257892010-07-15T16:04:00.010-04:002010-07-15T16:26:40.786-04:00Don't Kid Me!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Z_D_sGjz-50KEftS4f6nE2Iuc-RMKVe_PKmBKcPbAZLECc6ToHO6Ydzui3tMORv6SvTmKmLpQyVMBPqr6dagX3gLnK5IwWVo8YvwbY8ksv0ydYq98-b4qBjSilQ4Vw-14mUISqf1dvpA/s1600/Sweet+Cruiser1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 281px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Z_D_sGjz-50KEftS4f6nE2Iuc-RMKVe_PKmBKcPbAZLECc6ToHO6Ydzui3tMORv6SvTmKmLpQyVMBPqr6dagX3gLnK5IwWVo8YvwbY8ksv0ydYq98-b4qBjSilQ4Vw-14mUISqf1dvpA/s400/Sweet+Cruiser1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494231699666334242" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">Kidney beans, kidney pie, kidney stones--</span><br /> <span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">whoa, not on my menu!</span><br /> <span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">I've never had one of those excruciating<br />episodes and don't intend to. </span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">I think my body is afraid to manufacture stones</span><br /> <span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">since I hold my breath and swallow tablespoons<br />of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar during the day.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">Gag me...</span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">My son knows when something vile is crossing<br />my lips.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">Sure isn't a candy bar...</span><br /> <span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">The essence permeates from the kitchen to<br />where he's sitting a few feet away.</span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">I've taken to a Dr. Weil and Dr. Oz way of good<br />health, for awhile now, side-stepping the amazing<br />bakery case at my favorite book store.</span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">It's not always easy when I see a delicious apple<br />danish grinning back at me.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">I figure it's either sacrifice something tasty and<br />live longer and healthier, or dunk into Donut Hole<br />Heaven, and eventually have hell to pay-- waddling<br />around like Cruiser, our resident duck...</span><br /> <br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);font-family:verdana;" ></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS: http://gulfgal-nancysworld.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss</div>GulfGalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05439976270397483508noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790675452009355078.post-64948632867619491762010-07-07T08:44:00.023-04:002010-07-07T14:45:31.059-04:00I Have a Bone To Pick...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZkhKOGa2yXSmX7WsIjMGvnqNTUSo0dksT4DlN_ircy5i0maE2NbZFcBM2ydMVMK23NfTeNTDHcLsolO1gvJieXh3VkqoV6Yzir7yUPK3x4ZnwjM41QU0sFp7c5fVtW1b8kPrgKKxfYhpv/s1600/Dino+chicken2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 371px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZkhKOGa2yXSmX7WsIjMGvnqNTUSo0dksT4DlN_ircy5i0maE2NbZFcBM2ydMVMK23NfTeNTDHcLsolO1gvJieXh3VkqoV6Yzir7yUPK3x4ZnwjM41QU0sFp7c5fVtW1b8kPrgKKxfYhpv/s400/Dino+chicken2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491197822956237458" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">I</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">'ll have one Dino-Chicken with garlic mashed<br />potatoes, please.</span></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span>Huh?</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > How is it served up--rolled up to my table on a dolly?</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >It seems that a <span style="font-style: italic;">dino-chicken </span>may be scientifically</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >created one day. A recent paleo-archaeologist discovered</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >a bone sticking out from a massive cliff face--a femur of<br />a</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >very extinct dinosaur...60 million years old.</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br />That's a lot of birthdays.</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br /><br />The find was so massive that an excavation crew was<br />brought</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >to the site. The femur was broken into small<br />workable sections for</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >removal.</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Once back to the lab, the specimens were placed under<br />microscopes. What was discovered</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >was active DNA :<br />thread-like, stringy blood vessels--<span style="font-style: italic;">and</span> a gooey substance</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >from the femur's center--<span style="font-style: italic;">marrow</span>.</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br />How could that be?</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >So, I'm wondering, what will the scientists do with<br />this discovery?</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > It's a scary thought to think that some<br />"mad" laboratory scientist</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > could mix up a batch of hybrid dinosaurs.</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Shades of a future Jurassic Park...?</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Should Disney worry?</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br /><br />Will there be a super-chicken packaged in the poultry case?</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Can I look forward to a super-sized roasting chicken,</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >instead of the paltry selection of scrawny rotisserie chickens</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br />flashing their golden bony legs and flat chests?</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br />One can only dream...</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS: http://gulfgal-nancysworld.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss</div>GulfGalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05439976270397483508noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790675452009355078.post-11420971311325803392010-06-30T09:13:00.017-04:002010-06-30T13:06:22.194-04:00Hang Time...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxYl-yCulhcK6LK6HRSzfby_iLb8sGb297dFygGVqPq6mEKKIfazbX2oeiTQjCEDStKSx0ddRye3lGiFgARzPpYwaHNbvyts2ZiuL8BoQjE8bd7BtVRYe1_-eBJZOrC-yEG8oUjwy9qZ9v/s1600/web.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxYl-yCulhcK6LK6HRSzfby_iLb8sGb297dFygGVqPq6mEKKIfazbX2oeiTQjCEDStKSx0ddRye3lGiFgARzPpYwaHNbvyts2ZiuL8BoQjE8bd7BtVRYe1_-eBJZOrC-yEG8oUjwy9qZ9v/s400/web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488557861851891794" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >With cell in hand, I enter the number. </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Press 1 for English</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >There’s something wrong with that.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >The <span style="font-style: italic;">voice</span> lists the menu options: longer than Pinocchio’s nose.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I try to remember what options 2,3, and 4 were.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I’m sorry, but all customer service representatives are busy.<br />The average wait time is 8 minutes.</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Please hold...</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Hmmmm.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Let’s see…in 8 minutes, I can pour another cup of tea, </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >polish my nails, knock down spider-sack webs from the </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >pool enclosure, or go online to order Poisonous Snake insurance.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >No, not really, though it’s not a bad idea…</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Hanging up after 7.5 minutes of listening to bellowing</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >recorded music that rivaled the mating call of a wild yak,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I decided that I just saved myself $15.00</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Making the rounds around the pool deck to my padded</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >chaise lounge, I suddenly feel something crawling along my arm.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Looking down, I see a medium-sized black spider, dangling</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >from a web, orbs glaring at me, its spindly legs dancing along my arm.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Yikes! I whack it off with a paperback book, then step on it.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Maybe I should opt for poisonous spider insurance…</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS: http://gulfgal-nancysworld.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss</div>GulfGalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05439976270397483508noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790675452009355078.post-91644618779652056342010-06-03T18:43:00.006-04:002010-06-03T18:48:47.438-04:00Golden Dreams<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Vg_d0iNyY6nXVIB1dDBw5MTFWv9TNgATiPKgddsEjtpSsSyWwnFmRu_Qy793DuspQFgHdNtpLtrY5uTVfUSVEN3Sop2o-0Sd6g3iIwRxje5fKUAT6yoJC0oBEYb4jDEStDe8kagMOoww/s1600/bonita+bay+picresized.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 282px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Vg_d0iNyY6nXVIB1dDBw5MTFWv9TNgATiPKgddsEjtpSsSyWwnFmRu_Qy793DuspQFgHdNtpLtrY5uTVfUSVEN3Sop2o-0Sd6g3iIwRxje5fKUAT6yoJC0oBEYb4jDEStDe8kagMOoww/s400/bonita+bay+picresized.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478682358673578674" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Where have all the years gone, and so quickly?</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >These thoughts cross my mind every once in awhile,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >especially now as I've had my 63rd birthday.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >If I could, would I go back to an earlier time, back</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >to my teen years or my college days?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >If I'd had a way of foretelling the future, I may</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >have done a few things differently, change my</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >direction a bit, but then again...</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >If I'd fallen in love at 19 with the handsome Italian</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >fella living next door, whom I felt was in love with me</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >at the time , I'd no doubt have a houseful of kids.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >But, I might also be divorced—since that was his</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >status a few years ago, and still might be.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >If I'd been more motivated to finish college and</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >get a degree, I'd be teaching English Comp right now.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >When I'd moved to San Francisco in 1970, I was working</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >at a local store. From the entrance I heard,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >“Nancy, what on God's earth are you doing working here?”</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >My jaw dropped.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >It was my former college professor, Jean Wilkinson,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >who'd had very high aspirations for me.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >She'd kept many of the works I'd written, and thought</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I would've pursued a writing career, at the very least.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Presently, I'm still writing: short stories and romantic<br />poetry,</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >as well as this blog.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >If I'd followed my parents to Oregon instead of moving to</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >the Bay Area, I would've never met my husband, a handsome</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >airline captain,and had our two children.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Nor would I have had the opportunity to meet Charlton Heston</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >or Bing Crosby who were customers of mine one day.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >We now live in South West Florida, which has changed the</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >direction of my life. I'm a freelance photographer, living a dream</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I've always had--sequestered in the back of my mind.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I'm an artist, too.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Life is often convoluted.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >You're never sure what each day is going to bring.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Ah, to be a kid again...?</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Not a chance.</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS: http://gulfgal-nancysworld.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss</div>GulfGalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05439976270397483508noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790675452009355078.post-49170771822743294012010-05-21T15:31:00.010-04:002010-05-21T15:51:34.659-04:00Wheely Pat?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi606u8_vu6WVrK4ck1dFWka1pC8EtWFa9hiPXgif9wYR9WKYx5cr1aH8pAViM1r_ah1FfZjEqffEfwbvU1kPEMFwNbibPq4EpmKeEZguBDkVlQ1DQ2cBf0vC0_dLenvejtrJ6wo9jpaKT6/s1600/wheelmobile.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 91px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi606u8_vu6WVrK4ck1dFWka1pC8EtWFa9hiPXgif9wYR9WKYx5cr1aH8pAViM1r_ah1FfZjEqffEfwbvU1kPEMFwNbibPq4EpmKeEZguBDkVlQ1DQ2cBf0vC0_dLenvejtrJ6wo9jpaKT6/s400/wheelmobile.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473812678144371090" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I'm waiting for my phone to ring--the call telling me</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > that I'm a contestant on "</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >The Wheel</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >". </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > You know the show--the show where Vanna looks</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > doomed to wear, at times, the most ridiculously </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > outlandish evening dresses. Isn't Outlandish a planet?</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > Nah, but it should be...</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > I think my luck in receiving a phone call is much</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > like my luck in hatching an egg!</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > Paul reminds me that I had a darn good contestant </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > chance last summer when the traveling wheel was in</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > Naples for a contestant search.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > It was a broiling hot day. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > Jen and I approached the area of the search, </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > Hodges University, sweeping our eyes over the</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > multitude of hopefuls, and decided that standing in the</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > hot humid sun, probably for hours, was not that enticing.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > So, on most nights, I'm correctly guessing the answer,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > usually with only a smattering of letters, sometimes</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > with only 2 or 3 letters showing.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > Tom and Paul usually can't believe how quickly</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > I can guess. They both think my wallet would be </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > bulging by now, if I were on the show...</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > Maybe I'll try out this summer--can I wear my swimsuit?</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS: http://gulfgal-nancysworld.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss</div>GulfGalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05439976270397483508noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790675452009355078.post-82540429637244926142010-05-14T09:00:00.013-04:002010-05-14T16:11:08.880-04:00Gripes, Gotchas--And Then Some...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRyqqxuT4snQoiA-Ml5IDmMGgL-WZYYs5NMWCkySw2yEet87sF3A43rqcyhPZfRjHMc7DfoZpFuTa0Gmpqp6iQptKr0eucYbmDA5uWTSPiVCGvhNW-VR00U0zopfOjwN1hacbJ1udfPZss/s1600/Cruiser+at+door.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRyqqxuT4snQoiA-Ml5IDmMGgL-WZYYs5NMWCkySw2yEet87sF3A43rqcyhPZfRjHMc7DfoZpFuTa0Gmpqp6iQptKr0eucYbmDA5uWTSPiVCGvhNW-VR00U0zopfOjwN1hacbJ1udfPZss/s400/Cruiser+at+door.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471175489261730946" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnJaWGstCh7ulZRGwxtX-20b2sr-T-dP3gLxNvl_2y6fQIKBuKfYjpnrfHD12dTmViaGuYWS-ekI8ZH-EK-qY-WDIrxi_-MsO6WEuhylDrnwl9jGR70AIH1XY7giEcCOz8oi9us-yabSCZ/s1600/wavy+lines.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnJaWGstCh7ulZRGwxtX-20b2sr-T-dP3gLxNvl_2y6fQIKBuKfYjpnrfHD12dTmViaGuYWS-ekI8ZH-EK-qY-WDIrxi_-MsO6WEuhylDrnwl9jGR70AIH1XY7giEcCOz8oi9us-yabSCZ/s400/wavy+lines.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471175352932008706" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja5Cgyo-X2xlus3B26e30lnhJYjDqow_xdBw3vUh5A7JqabAoCOBJ9tEZ4U5cEqmKLM-BoSLp9UhTqjd6ViWblKjzlD5QpjU0gFiCJ6crAGkwDVcEg5_-DYxboBWf06MIAFOAqP7Z4XtxA/s1600/pool+mom.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 365px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja5Cgyo-X2xlus3B26e30lnhJYjDqow_xdBw3vUh5A7JqabAoCOBJ9tEZ4U5cEqmKLM-BoSLp9UhTqjd6ViWblKjzlD5QpjU0gFiCJ6crAGkwDVcEg5_-DYxboBWf06MIAFOAqP7Z4XtxA/s400/pool+mom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471175242420428290" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >PC gremlins are haunting my HP. </span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br />The whatzit kind that materializes seemingly,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >for no material reason!</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I’m thinking it could be<br />one of several reasons:</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >PSU failure, the fan, or<br />dust bunnies running</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >around inside the case.</span><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br /><br />The pc freezes while online, goes to a</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >black screen.<br />No apparent viruses present. The monitor</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >screen will<br />occasionally display gray and white </span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >diagonal lines.<br />Coming to grips with this annoying </span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >problem is turning<br />my hair grayer and whiter!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Last night on the news, I was very disturbed--</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >not that I’m not in that present frame of mine</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >with my pc problems!</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br /><br />Some dingbat official decided that Naples’ Muscovy</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br />ducks should be eliminated. They are being 'humanely'<br />euthanized.</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >My mouth fell open at the ludicrous suggestion<br />that </span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >these cute “citizens” which roam our lakes and parks,<br /></span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >are nuisances and highly dangerous creatures!</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Let me say that there are far more two-footed</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >“dangers”<br />we should be concerned with, particularly</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >those who<br />cell-talk and drive. </span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br /><br />I’ve never been so aggravated.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Now, I can understand why Cruzer, our neighborhood</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br />Muscovy, has been lying low for a few days.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I sure hope she’s got the “spring fling thing”</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >and hasn't<br />been captured.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Love is in the air in the bug and bird world.<br /></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Luv-bugs are enjoying marathon sessions, </span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >mid-air--amazing!<br />Female birds are playing hard</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >to get--their antics are<br />quite amusing, and keeps</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >my mind off Cruzer’s absence.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Tom is in a chopping mood. Our poor</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >palm trees out<br />front have been topped--</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >glad he didn’t become a barber…</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >The wasps are building condos in our hot garage. </span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br />They’re zeroing in on the holes in the garage doors.</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br /><br />Tom is forever swatting them--he’s been stung<br />once already.</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Yes, it’s another hot day in paradise,<br />and my day </span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >is planned around a trip to the Byte Shop<br />for advice, </span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >and a dip in the pool. </span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br />I’m not going to think about pests, gremlins, or house cleaning.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Just floating around the pool… </span><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS: http://gulfgal-nancysworld.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss</div>GulfGalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05439976270397483508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790675452009355078.post-2001658878073817182010-05-07T08:21:00.027-04:002010-05-07T11:52:06.531-04:00Sentimental Journey...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqFj9ztFlEAArl-UU7bw9vgI3JDfs83WZWhGIDGXB9n-F9NY9UL3H6UyxsXW59Wl2aTUt5cnwRfDCQSv_GCKj0aD5aNZv1RkkhzaBIM_o8kOR7pmOnVDjR1tFQHaX1u2z6JgvFzunPlaJy/s1600/S.M.+Pier.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqFj9ztFlEAArl-UU7bw9vgI3JDfs83WZWhGIDGXB9n-F9NY9UL3H6UyxsXW59Wl2aTUt5cnwRfDCQSv_GCKj0aD5aNZv1RkkhzaBIM_o8kOR7pmOnVDjR1tFQHaX1u2z6JgvFzunPlaJy/s400/S.M.+Pier.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468555776921847634" border="0" /></a>Santa Monica Pier<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcEN1hHfiAWDoc5CCNYyETafPzfBEShpkD4j0lJrhp73DbD6Bze2hiwPi_L-YFOfwibsepfFzwVNWy9c_g5z-lA2gZppo8gvBjPK6rc9B76nsMUy0Y-xDH9Qb7C0KqZrZw49KN8wlK-vsx/s1600/img032.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 291px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcEN1hHfiAWDoc5CCNYyETafPzfBEShpkD4j0lJrhp73DbD6Bze2hiwPi_L-YFOfwibsepfFzwVNWy9c_g5z-lA2gZppo8gvBjPK6rc9B76nsMUy0Y-xDH9Qb7C0KqZrZw49KN8wlK-vsx/s400/img032.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468524427852038930" border="0" /></a> Dad's Rocketdyne pic--2nd on left side, arms folded--<br /> rocket gang!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77WWCUintehTbjkvO_mG9LzM_7YZFYED3WScfXeLIICFEBMirKgQCF41WAMpBeIYyE4vzUTzag0CW14AL8oXyPYV36Cinzsq7YNIXT9BQJ05jeZ-sNF1EAJmYWW0Pp-hYGwCBqppjxjCp/s1600/img020.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 372px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77WWCUintehTbjkvO_mG9LzM_7YZFYED3WScfXeLIICFEBMirKgQCF41WAMpBeIYyE4vzUTzag0CW14AL8oXyPYV36Cinzsq7YNIXT9BQJ05jeZ-sNF1EAJmYWW0Pp-hYGwCBqppjxjCp/s400/img020.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468524333599548626" border="0" /></a> Thanks for the suit, Ma!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzpSV6kg2pSPMBJHcxFlvTshpTv88XjoUqL2insvPIN7nomAOc3sXKEb0y6mDecHh6F3eK2JKrrwKFeoH4eShDvuSgevYG6Fg4J6vsVi4b52tNiGahz2z9x71t1FveKJL-N9rEOEFrjLdV/s1600/xmas+sharpened.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 382px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzpSV6kg2pSPMBJHcxFlvTshpTv88XjoUqL2insvPIN7nomAOc3sXKEb0y6mDecHh6F3eK2JKrrwKFeoH4eShDvuSgevYG6Fg4J6vsVi4b52tNiGahz2z9x71t1FveKJL-N9rEOEFrjLdV/s400/xmas+sharpened.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468524248754444386" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxMXf0BRiVi2oSf8mH4kEDpe2CkBwGw4VB4I3dzp2_2a-lyeNfbn-C5YIYXlOi_cnyD7pWZPzEIxqriplxNNP1thbKdFI9egD2oufimunk2uSneRUF6SAVmvTmaOi4Bytt_JFpjy8zfEtr/s1600/img037.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 386px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxMXf0BRiVi2oSf8mH4kEDpe2CkBwGw4VB4I3dzp2_2a-lyeNfbn-C5YIYXlOi_cnyD7pWZPzEIxqriplxNNP1thbKdFI9egD2oufimunk2uSneRUF6SAVmvTmaOi4Bytt_JFpjy8zfEtr/s400/img037.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468524137606018290" border="0" /></a> 'Headlight' Nan<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nGPV6i81DJe1kKSepWbqTuX54p4-6PuDhKzeuNfHWBsqNPk5YRj6TJgIenAZZCvOWpyraX9Uxb9XmiczAwhUzEubfIK8_T33-QzWb-LxokFjdVk7m44wpV4_g-0zv7SVG3mXgB3H7-iD/s1600/early+pix.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 308px; height: 326px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nGPV6i81DJe1kKSepWbqTuX54p4-6PuDhKzeuNfHWBsqNPk5YRj6TJgIenAZZCvOWpyraX9Uxb9XmiczAwhUzEubfIK8_T33-QzWb-LxokFjdVk7m44wpV4_g-0zv7SVG3mXgB3H7-iD/s400/early+pix.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468523937141289058" border="0" /></a> Apple Valley desert<br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br />When my brother visited with me recently</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >from Arizona, he brought along a folder of</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >family photographs, many of which I'd</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >not seen before.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I couldn't believe how funny some</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >of them were. In many, I had a 'caught in</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >the headlights' expression on my face.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Michael remarked that I still fell into</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >the expression when talking about things.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Ha-ha...</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >We reminisced about our childhood in Santa Monica:</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >our house on the opposite side of the upper middle-class</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >neighborhoods, and how that kept so-called friends</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >from coming over for birthday parties; how I got</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >swept up in a rip-current when I was about 5-6, and</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >was saved by a lifeguard; the jelly-fish sting I got</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >one day; inner-tube wave riding; buying candy cigarettes</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >at the corner grocery;Mike's funny Messenger bike</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >and my new one...ouch!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Those were the days of tracking sand back to the</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >house from the beach, fishing from Santa Monica Pier,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >buying Creamsicles from the Good Humor truck, and</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >catching gross spiders in a glass jar.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >We played cowboys and indians--I was always 'arrowed'!</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Mike cut my hair when I was 3 and whacked away my blonde hair.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >There were times when we really got into it, typical name-</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >calling. We are like night and day in some ways.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >He's a used-to-be brunette, and I'm a platinum blonde.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >He loves to read historical books, and I like 'cozies'.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I said goodbye to Michael yesterday as he stepped curbside</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >at Regional South West Airport. A big hug, some"I love you's",</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >and he was off.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Yes, Mike's the Moonlight to my Sunshine...</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS: http://gulfgal-nancysworld.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss</div>GulfGalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05439976270397483508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790675452009355078.post-3208640443552828412010-04-29T09:26:00.015-04:002010-04-29T13:53:01.705-04:00Just Between Us...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtyCPZ8702swjDgd9Dp-azjgAGNXf4qpXElfCNOQSJtU_0xqBJN82fm4_4_KM6el0w_la_qkMBcmlOXYQufOq7wqOXsdgdrIULSRMFvMjUkqcUhoe8PqW0DOrfC-yDa7vE792UjzdPa0n6/s1600/mike+at+vanderbilt+beach.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtyCPZ8702swjDgd9Dp-azjgAGNXf4qpXElfCNOQSJtU_0xqBJN82fm4_4_KM6el0w_la_qkMBcmlOXYQufOq7wqOXsdgdrIULSRMFvMjUkqcUhoe8PqW0DOrfC-yDa7vE792UjzdPa0n6/s400/mike+at+vanderbilt+beach.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465612931828446770" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >*I’ve been away from my blog because<br />of lower back trouble,</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" > LBT as I call it.<br />I remain locked--sure that the 'key' has been tossed!</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" > I’m coming back, no matter what, writing my<br />once a week blog--</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >though sitting in my computer<br />room chair is a back killer.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" > I look forward to the M-W-F physical therapy sessions,<br />which</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" > includes the highlight of my day-- electric<br />stimulation therapy,</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" > or TENS, as it's called.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > ***********</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > My brother, Michael is visiting me, so we’ve been</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > having lunch out most days. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > We drove down to Olde Naples the other day </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > and went to Tommy Bahama’s Tropical Café for lunch.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > We grabbed the last booth--a large booth across from the </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > Restrooms doorway. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > Figures…</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > We considered alfresco dining under the thatched</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > umbrella tables but decided it was too hot for outdoor dining--</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > though a good place for people watching.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > While Mike and I ate, I was watching the parade of</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > European tourists move through the doorway. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > thinking I might spot just one person who might be dragging</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > just a hint of bathroom tissue along the path, usually firmly </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > affixed to the heel of a shoe. It’s a common occurrence, and takes</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > awhile for the person to notice.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > Such an event happened to me while returning to my seat</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > on an airplane, which has been so long ago.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > A young man got my attention by pointing behind me: </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > I’d dragged about 15 feet of tissue behind me, apparently</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > snagged on my clothing. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > Talk about embarrassing moments, but all I could do was laugh…</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > I’ve been sort of eavesdropping on people’s conversations </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > during our lunches. It’s been easy since the talker seems</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > to be talking to everyone within 20 square feet of their own table.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > One gal was saying that she was picked up for a date in </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > a convertible, and she closed her own door quite hard. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > Her date said “My, you’re a big girl!”</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > She was peeved and stewed for several miles on their </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > way to a social event, her hairstyle slowly unraveling as </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > was her temper. Upon arrival, she spent several minutes</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > in the car attempting to smooth many of the stray blonde</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > strands of tousled hair.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > Opening the car door herself, she slammed the door as hard </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > as she could. The lady’s girlfriends all roared at their </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > friends’ storytelling. I was nearly done with my </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > Panera sandwich, nibbling on a pickle and potato chip, </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > ears alert to further interesting tidbits, when the </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > ladies parted company and the conversations spilled</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > through the back doors.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > Tomorrow we may be going to Turner River Road. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > Not a conversation pit, but is guaranteed to have a squad of </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > sunning alligators, or is it a gaggle? </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > No, that’s geese…</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > If Michael edges up too closely, we may have something to</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > talk about after all!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS: http://gulfgal-nancysworld.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss</div>GulfGalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05439976270397483508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790675452009355078.post-51061643075954310492010-04-04T21:09:00.008-04:002010-04-04T21:37:33.572-04:00By Hook Or By Crook...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPK3M7mEugyP1q_0psYOutin60MLQ8GLeywPldBwXQqW_Vyv_nrJggRf4_XM9cQQqSpfN7JE2NkkHmS8YIq67xgAzR8jkPZHKdQeAsVxoUKWZzHz53nkhyphenhyphencLAdDNNpcOT4foMG4oZXAJ3h/s1600/art+space+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPK3M7mEugyP1q_0psYOutin60MLQ8GLeywPldBwXQqW_Vyv_nrJggRf4_XM9cQQqSpfN7JE2NkkHmS8YIq67xgAzR8jkPZHKdQeAsVxoUKWZzHz53nkhyphenhyphencLAdDNNpcOT4foMG4oZXAJ3h/s400/art+space+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456459398590736114" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnr2TsKGB8IgIbPsfXyUAC_f7mUubwirO4d1RIrXUAnBiQA6ThhEUKaSfcQHyPvX7fsjt-UYdxPhd1XwyLFqvIkdGeLRDOz3mBdcKqgYv0x4_LWqCoq4cH8KG8veGoJG409P3sATGNM3bL/s1600/art+space+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 259px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnr2TsKGB8IgIbPsfXyUAC_f7mUubwirO4d1RIrXUAnBiQA6ThhEUKaSfcQHyPvX7fsjt-UYdxPhd1XwyLFqvIkdGeLRDOz3mBdcKqgYv0x4_LWqCoq4cH8KG8veGoJG409P3sATGNM3bL/s400/art+space+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456459097977036034" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Insert Part A to Part B, intersected at the hypotenuse</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> of Parts D and C, making sure the tabs are facing inward. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> Insert screws X and Y--do not tighten, yet.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> At this stage of art table assembly, I’m ready to leap out </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> the window--even if it’s only a 3 foot drop.</span><br /> <br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> I went on the internet to check on the directions. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> I thought, just maybe, some other fumbler is struggling--</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> or has struggled through the directions--no doubt written</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">by a crinkled, beady-eyed old goat, beard falling into </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">his flask of Johnny W, in his 4x4, windowless cubicle.</span><br /> <br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> The comments about the table were glowing: </span><br /> <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">"Easiest table to put together. had it up in an hour</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">."</span><br /> <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">"Couldn’t have gone smoother--great table!</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">"</span><br /> <br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> I’ve spent 2 1/2 days earlier this past week attempting </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> to function like a human and assemble the dang table.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> I only </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">disassembled </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">it twice!</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> “My aching back” has been a royal pain. I’ve been dueling </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">with an annoying sacroiliac which has kept me away from</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">sitting in front of my desk top PC for any length of time</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">to write my blog. </span><br /> <br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> I’ve spent considerable time dreaming of having a </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> completely organized workspace for my art, photography, </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> and beading interests. I’d been occupying space in my </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> walk-in closet with most of my books and art stuff.</span><br /> <br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> As I spent broken hours trying to figure out the </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">directions of the table--which, it turns out, had an illustration </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">discrepancy--I was thinking of ways to track down the </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">“brain” behind his desk--who, I’m sure, was devising new </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">and more complicated directions for me.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> Maybe in 3-D? </span><br /> <br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> So, here I sit in my new, ergonomic desk chair for my </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">art table--tapping out my blog on my portable</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> word processor. No, I don’t have a laptop…</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> My slightly lowered rib-tickler level needs a Mento </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> thrown into the mix. I’m hoping for an eruption of humor, </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> even a spit wad of something funny. </span><br /> <br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> The small corner of the bedroom is finally complete with </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> all of my supplies neatly tucked into drawers, and my table,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> waiting for me to finally sit down awhile to create.</span><br /> <br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> Meanwhile, a letter is waiting to be sent to the mad illustrator</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> and text writer of my wonderful table. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> I’m almost sure he has a stack under his nose by now…</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> </span><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS: http://gulfgal-nancysworld.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss</div>GulfGalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05439976270397483508noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790675452009355078.post-19558088607155184602010-03-24T08:11:00.026-04:002010-03-24T12:08:52.652-04:00Invasion!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpj5L00YU6oJRl13puu4wxcti21Pg_CEN_UXIuKDa56pxienY_FyuR6S13JqfaiacEQC0Qo1v7ETDY2ZeqKwVnu84Kilc4MFKeuxtjCqoUWs5qje8aoUBjC2L_CErO2h_kz1gPfece_7Tv/s1600/burmese-python.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 383px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpj5L00YU6oJRl13puu4wxcti21Pg_CEN_UXIuKDa56pxienY_FyuR6S13JqfaiacEQC0Qo1v7ETDY2ZeqKwVnu84Kilc4MFKeuxtjCqoUWs5qje8aoUBjC2L_CErO2h_kz1gPfece_7Tv/s400/burmese-python.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452176673438575778" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >I’m still getting sap out of my hair from the</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Christmas tree. Now, if you believe that,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >I can probably sell you swampland here</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >in Florida--might even come with a pet</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >alligator, or a Burmese Python.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Pythons are open to hunters now.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Thousands of these snakes are winding</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >through the Everglades--and even a few</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >have been spotted in populated Florida cities.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >I’m not sure what I’d do if I ever saw a python</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >slithering in my wooded back yard. I might</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >give it the directions to a couple of homes where</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >yapping dogs break the peaceful hum of the outdoors.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >I don’t like snakes whether harmless, or not.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >One hot day a couple of summers ago, an</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >unidentified, dome-headed snake lay coiled in</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >the corner of our lanai, by the pool.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >I hollered for Tom to remove it.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >With a bamboo pole, he managed to drape</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >the snake--which was flaring out in attack mode--</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >and flung it out to the woods.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >I was hoping for drawn and quartered myself…</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >I’ve been a few feet from a coral snake, which was</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >snaking its beautiful body along the pool pump,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >just as I was coming around to feed the chlorinator</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >its weekly biscuits.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >I ran 0-30 in a matter of seconds to the<br />garage for a shovel.</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" > By the time I’d made<br />it back to the same spot,</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" > the deadly snake<br />had winded its way toward</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" > the hose in the front yard.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >I bashed it a few times, and it defied me,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >slithering onto the damp grass. I took the</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >pointed head of the shovel--by that time, I was</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >shaking--and jabbed it hard as I could, then</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >shoveled the 3 foot lump and dropped it onto</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >a wooded, corner lot.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Passing gardeners gawked in amazement at my</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >catch of the day. Yes, I’m not a snake fan, nor</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >a fan of anything creepy that has more legs than I do</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >With Spring finally here, and hot summer</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >days ahead, I’m also on creepy-crawler, fly-by<br />critter watch. I’m sure</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" > invading armies of<br />subterranean fire and black </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >ants are planning<br />their “Nancy” invasions</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" > in my yard.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Mosquitoes are busily promoting their species</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >for a juicy attack, along with their co-conspirators,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >no-see-ums. I’m waiting…</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS: http://gulfgal-nancysworld.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss</div>GulfGalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05439976270397483508noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790675452009355078.post-90656875951103750532010-03-17T08:24:00.031-04:002010-03-17T21:49:44.714-04:00A Little Bit Of This And That...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvfCQJH7M9XdCvGWwackJ3s-TwxLJP9B57z3IFuRs4fHNcDFMJWdsCVVoabzO1zkW31JP54av2AtqmDkWLr3wyBCyhiR9DmJ8D94mZVGu1BUHWXI_c_D0hl_WdtxP5_yVBcYHhlWL2rTi/s1600-h/computer+Nan2+recolored.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvfCQJH7M9XdCvGWwackJ3s-TwxLJP9B57z3IFuRs4fHNcDFMJWdsCVVoabzO1zkW31JP54av2AtqmDkWLr3wyBCyhiR9DmJ8D94mZVGu1BUHWXI_c_D0hl_WdtxP5_yVBcYHhlWL2rTi/s400/computer+Nan2+recolored.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449785040701625138" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >My eyes are growing to the size of golf balls</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >as I stare at the blank computer </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >screen</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">...</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >It’s not easy dredging through the cobwebby</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >recesses of my brain in the early morning hours,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >trying to figure out something humorous to write</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >about for my blog--and to think I was writing my</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >blog every day for a few months!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >My blog friend, Colin, is prolific--his food blog at:</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><a href="http://wokkingontherun.blogspot.com/">http://wokkingontherun.blogspot.com</a> is colorful</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >and informative, filled with delicious recipes.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >But then, Colin isn’t an antique like me.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >His brain is still in diapers…</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Speaking of which…</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Cruiser, our resident duck, has been bob, bob,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >bobbing along the back lanai twice a day.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >She brought her white headed baby with her last week.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Cruiser was quite piggish, swiping whatever bread I</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >was tossing out to her baby. So piggish in fact, that</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Cruiser has a case of “beano-itis’.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Yesterday, she waddled beside where I was soaking</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >up some sun, and emitted what I thought was a foghorn.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >She looked over at me, and I thought,<span style="font-style: italic;"> don’t you dare</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >pin that ’blurp’ on me!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Speaking of which…</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I live in Naples, Fl, a beautiful, gulf coast town filled</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >with senior folk, a natural, tropical atmosphere,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >early bird dinner and drink specials, assorted cultural</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >events, and cars that cost as much as pocket change</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >in an Arab’s wallet.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >So, with all the round-the-clock, delectable varieties</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >of international cuisine and drink, over-indulgence</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >is often a </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >big</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > problem.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Store aisles are often filled with indescribable ‘blurps’.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >“Air fresheners on aisle 6, please.”</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I make a quick beeline so as not to get pinned with the</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >unfortunate scent du jour.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Speaking of which…</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I’m thinking about my sinner menu for tonight.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I mean dinner menu! Stir-fry, I think-- right, Colin?</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >My eyes are now hanging on little springs, flopping</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >up and down as I continue staring at the blank screen</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >in front of me, wondering if Dave Barry ever had this problem</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >…?</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS: http://gulfgal-nancysworld.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss</div>GulfGalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05439976270397483508noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790675452009355078.post-66043383373997337782010-03-09T08:10:00.014-05:002010-03-09T11:56:14.509-05:00Duck...!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjokC-4pwdocQkjUU-Xlx7U3DEj_By99rlPUgDM4lMlE8tQElZweUYLI0zjkGJnjEyuLm6yTUR1t0MEJEhFctq5LsSLhnpCuCHbyIA_JJE2uL0QTFeJtJwOl_9VslEBjoxAOf73WxOkeaDX/s1600-h/pool+balls.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjokC-4pwdocQkjUU-Xlx7U3DEj_By99rlPUgDM4lMlE8tQElZweUYLI0zjkGJnjEyuLm6yTUR1t0MEJEhFctq5LsSLhnpCuCHbyIA_JJE2uL0QTFeJtJwOl_9VslEBjoxAOf73WxOkeaDX/s400/pool+balls.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446628564719592290" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:georgia;" >I’ve never been very adept at sports.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:georgia;" >My tennis serve always looked as though</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:georgia;" >I was swatting a swarm of flies.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:georgia;" >Ping pong was no better.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:georgia;" >The last time I played a couple of years ago,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:georgia;" >the ball pinged more than it ponged.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:georgia;" >The ceiling tiles were hit more often than the paddle.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:georgia;" >I nearly lopped the ear off my partner.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:georgia;" >Field hockey in high school?</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:georgia;" >Let’s just say my teammates were lucky that</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:georgia;" >their heads were still upright…</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:georgia;" >Basketball?</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:georgia;" >If it was game legal to shoot into both baskets,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:georgia;" >I would have been stellar.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:georgia;" >However, I reigned supreme at volleyball.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:georgia;" >Being tall helped as I could spike the ball</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:georgia;" >just over the net.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:georgia;" >One recent sport I’ve taken up is billiards.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:georgia;" >I still can’t break worth weasel spit, but I’ve</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:georgia;" >learned enough from pool technique books</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:georgia;" >to plan a shot--often surprising, Physics defying,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:georgia;" >two-pocket shots, jaw-dropping my opponent.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:georgia;" ><br />“That shot defied the law of Physics, Minnesota Skinny,”</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:georgia;" > he’d say. I always felt highly complemented since my</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:georgia;" > doctorate friend geometrically planned most of his shots.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:georgia;" >I think I finally found my niche…</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:georgia;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">Now if I’d only keep some of the balls from jumping the table…</span> </span><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS: http://gulfgal-nancysworld.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss</div>GulfGalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05439976270397483508noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790675452009355078.post-73273757291072406342010-03-02T07:58:00.022-05:002010-03-02T15:16:31.627-05:00For You, Jen: Daisy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilsllnTPYtUnRJQ3oU3VbU3U4sow9zRswa_0odpwgaii38-cQXUs5vc6ojUDsBRGiaAqa5E-aH3wwMSIFTZYyNxNHgrMz9jopqkQgh9aG2hfwmjC4_FcZ3kxzACX6ZT3UE4V5G86ZTWB8F/s1600-h/Baby+Huey+and+birdie+enlarged.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilsllnTPYtUnRJQ3oU3VbU3U4sow9zRswa_0odpwgaii38-cQXUs5vc6ojUDsBRGiaAqa5E-aH3wwMSIFTZYyNxNHgrMz9jopqkQgh9aG2hfwmjC4_FcZ3kxzACX6ZT3UE4V5G86ZTWB8F/s400/Baby+Huey+and+birdie+enlarged.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444040243522980162" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3wso6fOIis3jeycSUDcviG4dEN2xURE9YJWKJVWN7A42IWh5VyGL8jndsVZIWc2CJ9MAmD9Rva046j7r9mk9P8dOvoUkBg8210NiSXSbIk5Pw14u-0CEY3-HXho70oD1bkF2jI1_UxMw/s1600-h/s1219419670_30202204_4166.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 297px; height: 398px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3wso6fOIis3jeycSUDcviG4dEN2xURE9YJWKJVWN7A42IWh5VyGL8jndsVZIWc2CJ9MAmD9Rva046j7r9mk9P8dOvoUkBg8210NiSXSbIk5Pw14u-0CEY3-HXho70oD1bkF2jI1_UxMw/s400/s1219419670_30202204_4166.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444039421916834482" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Today’s blog is for my daughter, Jen.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >It’s amazing how much a pet comes</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >to mean to us everyday. Someone said yesterday,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >“It wasn’t the same as losing a dog.”</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Does that make the hurt any less?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >As many readers know, I’ve blogged</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >about Daisy, our lovebird, on numerous occasions.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >She died yesterday.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >We all had an attachment to her.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Even Daisy’s vet said that she was the most</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >resilient, sweet bird he’d encountered in a long time.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >She always looked like she was smiling.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Jen and Daisy were on the lanai yesterday morning,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >probably on ‘Cruiser’ watch. Daisy liked to walk</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >around the decking by the pool.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >She was always honing the edges of her beak</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >along the textured concrete. Recently we needed</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >to take the edge off her sharp beak--she could punch</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >a hole through leather, it was so sharp.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Suddenly, Daisy toppled over into the frigid pool,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >wings flapping. Jen quickly grabbed her out,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >and spent several minutes trying to revive her,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >but the shock was too much for Daisy.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Heartbroken, Jen buried her in the woods.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Daisy was a loving animal. She begged for</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >and enjoyed her head rubs, and was always nuzzling</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >our cheeks and necks.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Daisy is missed, but won’t be forgotten…<br />Turn the sound on high for the spoon clattering!<br /><br /></span><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxOZR25cHvmN7yV87FLgDxNExUPx6xU_U-k61js8kVMN49FRSCjtIp1jqsv0yIqJtets-3PrCwoNOdw2ypHuQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS: http://gulfgal-nancysworld.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss</div>GulfGalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05439976270397483508noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790675452009355078.post-23679417705423994142010-02-23T09:02:00.008-05:002010-02-23T09:14:49.718-05:00It's A Purple Bellied Snork...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW3aNuABK40LSzwE9uHVmD2nUJQQXvb67peSJ8iNRVyWtVX9Queg3KWRFpn3JNgCGIUFMIzVmsLjUhNtqhEV6OBq1t6CjGity9dWD3QsVC3DjDSMXxkVjxeT3ItnLd87aqXWj1g7BFu0P0/s1600-h/foggy+woods+copyweebly.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW3aNuABK40LSzwE9uHVmD2nUJQQXvb67peSJ8iNRVyWtVX9Queg3KWRFpn3JNgCGIUFMIzVmsLjUhNtqhEV6OBq1t6CjGity9dWD3QsVC3DjDSMXxkVjxeT3ItnLd87aqXWj1g7BFu0P0/s400/foggy+woods+copyweebly.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441441647986142098" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Zap that bird! </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >My left eyeball hasn’t met up with the right </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >one this morning. I’m droopy-tired, along </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >with Tom--we were both awakened at the crack </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >of dawn by a highly energized dove. Even earplugs </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >barely drowned out the incessant cooing.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I got up, and in my brain-haze, made a strong</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >carafe of coffee, poured it and quickly knocked </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >the full thermos over onto the counter. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I swear I heard that dove mocking me…</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >A couple of years ago, we were plagued by a </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >highly vocalized bird in the woods that sounded</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >like an escapee from the Amazon rain forest. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Its repetitious melody echoed throughout the woods</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >at a ghastly hour for several nights. I never caught </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >sight of the feathered creature--lucky for it, since I was</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >envisioning the bird’s spiraling descent from its lofty perch.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Our lovebird, Daisy, has acquired some new screeches </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >into her repertoire of bird noises. Since her recent surgery.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >she’s aggravated by the meds she’s forced to ingest every day.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Daisy’s lucky that we’re so patient with her, </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >with the woods only yards away…</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br /><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS: http://gulfgal-nancysworld.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss</div>GulfGalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05439976270397483508noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790675452009355078.post-19435459089708587392010-02-16T09:12:00.028-05:002010-02-16T12:57:48.514-05:00A Nice Sunday Outing...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJGfcMrN24cN1JhRBUN9dAzpoNzor6IdmJY-q9lenZHn2mHwDk9vBjIiaUhMuDuGPC5KXLm9YbMCeakej7LhhK5aTFeq6gP4eYzdpXdZpPz-xcpnURW1uwNVWiuYwHH0Mr3uzxuopSUGG/s1600-h/coconut-grove-arts-festival-1_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJGfcMrN24cN1JhRBUN9dAzpoNzor6IdmJY-q9lenZHn2mHwDk9vBjIiaUhMuDuGPC5KXLm9YbMCeakej7LhhK5aTFeq6gP4eYzdpXdZpPz-xcpnURW1uwNVWiuYwHH0Mr3uzxuopSUGG/s400/coconut-grove-arts-festival-1_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438848616493132850" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDh7MX7V0BMFbjY_ssd_I6zQXOCpItQp3IJIV9dAGtS0QGWvGkwxX1iZpaS4agp0bgSNwme5j_QEJjCG-2qo36UeakAMdfY_YB3UYkJH-JoV1ObRgo0C7ynDHCBoT_AElPJXpN4us-5KBD/s1600-h/miami+pic.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDh7MX7V0BMFbjY_ssd_I6zQXOCpItQp3IJIV9dAGtS0QGWvGkwxX1iZpaS4agp0bgSNwme5j_QEJjCG-2qo36UeakAMdfY_YB3UYkJH-JoV1ObRgo0C7ynDHCBoT_AElPJXpN4us-5KBD/s400/miami+pic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438848263012822050" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Everything slows down with age, as the saying goes.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Heading out to the Coconut Grove Art Festival Sunday</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >with Jen drove that saying right into the ground.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Older drivers, many of whom need a booster seat</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >while driving, were defying the laws of motion,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >squeezing themselves tightly between cars. I spent</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >most of the drive gasping and inventing new cuss words…</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Nothing phases Jen at all, driving the Capsule</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >[what she calls her Tribute] with expert reflexes,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >though I was white-knuckled most of the trip, commenting</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >how glad I was to live on the quieter side</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >of Florida. If I’d had dentures, they would have flown </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >out or been swallowed.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I know my eyes socket-popped a few times…</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >When we finally made the last left turn to the festival,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >we picked out Pay and Go parking, only a few blocks away.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Should have been called Pay and Go Broke Parking.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >After inserting a credit card, and selecting the time</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >amount, we waited for the transaction to complete and</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >print out a parking voucher.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Ha! I think the transaction was routed through Siberia.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Nothing happened.I thought of inserting cash, but couldn’t</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >find the money slot. Coins Only, Jen told me. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Like people are carrying a wad of quarters…</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >After trying another parking kiosk across the street, </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >we finally had our ticket.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >The festival was packed.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >We walked a few inches at a time along the tented streets,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >downwind of Cuban cigar smoke and expensive perfumes.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Craning our necks to see some of the exhibited artists, we</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >wobbled around leashed gorilla-sized and dust mop-sized</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >dogs to view the artist displays.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >After 4 hours and probably as many walking miles, we</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >found the car and hopped in and drove off with visions</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >of Bimini Bread at the Islamorada Fish Company occupying</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >our hungry thoughts…the streets were light and we made</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >all the green lights. I supposed drivers had made it to</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >the Early Bird and Happy Hour specials by then.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Miami is a real experience if one has steel nerves.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I mellowed out, enjoying the beautiful sunset as we </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >drove from Miami to Bass Pro Shops in Dania, near<br />Ft. Lauderdale. </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >High rises shimmered pink and gold.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Yes, everything is supposed to slow down with age,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >except the time it took for Bimini Bread to reach my hips…</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Mmm, good!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS: http://gulfgal-nancysworld.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss</div>GulfGalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05439976270397483508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790675452009355078.post-84442468856200758452010-02-11T20:21:00.015-05:002010-02-15T08:01:32.314-05:00Inky-Dinky Do Or Don't....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiihXn2FyijVIAWh4n4MweobHthnpozYReMX2-n7SlmFmNGp364vHABTmydphtfYMoFS_Qx9NccrAVffmsJ9PktlKlN2e5EDb_r0MdAHdyGoIE5zSyAHp0zFOHX01Wviv0_BWHrxfX-Q7dv/s1600-h/jen+fish+tat+reduced.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 69px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiihXn2FyijVIAWh4n4MweobHthnpozYReMX2-n7SlmFmNGp364vHABTmydphtfYMoFS_Qx9NccrAVffmsJ9PktlKlN2e5EDb_r0MdAHdyGoIE5zSyAHp0zFOHX01Wviv0_BWHrxfX-Q7dv/s400/jen+fish+tat+reduced.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438454530635315970" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I’ve been noticing a lot of “ink” lately.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Colin, dear reader and prolific food<br />blogger, you didn’t think I’d</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > blog about tats?<br />Ha!</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Everything and everyone is possible</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >food for my blog--so belly up!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >What makes someone entrust their</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >tender, unmarked skin to a virtual stranger?</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >The tattooer looks at the tattooee</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >and sees a desert of unclaimed skin--</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >soon to be a work of art.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >With my luck, the needle would clog</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >and spit out a series of connect-the-dots.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Anyway, if I saw a needle pointed at me,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I’d scream and run the other way.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Besides, a person needs a good, firm</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >stretch of skin for the artist’s jabbing.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I’m more like lemon meringue, kind</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >of soft and fluffy, but I’m working on</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >it. I hope to be firm as a scone soon…</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Colin, see what your food blogs do to me?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Getting back to inking up…</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I couldn’t and wouldn’t think of letting</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Drago, Bronk, or Helga poke me with a needle.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >No way.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I’d have to be wrapped in mummy cloth first…</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I just knew something was up when</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Jen thought she did a good job of</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >hiding her impulsive piece of fish art</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >from me a few years ago--but not for long.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I have the special gift of Knowing...</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >As time progresses, I hope those tigers,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >dragons, fairies and fish won’t mutiny--</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >collapsing into a valley of sagging, wrinkled</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >skin--along with fallen arches… </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Heh-heh…</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS: http://gulfgal-nancysworld.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss</div>GulfGalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05439976270397483508noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790675452009355078.post-63180065554682295552010-02-09T08:54:00.009-05:002010-02-09T09:01:49.707-05:00Deep Fried<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhj0mYClBaf6a-BdneZ4mnG1m1sYrKFmi3UoiX6oplTpGqQ0JxRQeZbGCroxbvPeXJWEBtg92sm_4rm_dMtDhDpKhekTJWr3VYVXQKcVUiJNhPq857YqU0Mcdxg-KFVbq7904pVnMHkvAk/s1600-h/cruiser+garage.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 207px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhj0mYClBaf6a-BdneZ4mnG1m1sYrKFmi3UoiX6oplTpGqQ0JxRQeZbGCroxbvPeXJWEBtg92sm_4rm_dMtDhDpKhekTJWr3VYVXQKcVUiJNhPq857YqU0Mcdxg-KFVbq7904pVnMHkvAk/s400/cruiser+garage.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436242352723471426" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >The humor quadrant of my brain is slightly</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >exhausted from my last blog:</span><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(204, 255, 255);" href="http://gulfgal-nancysworld.blogspot.com/2010/02/hey-mister-your.html">http://gulfgal-nancysworld.blogspot.com/2010/02/hey-mister-your.html</a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >My brother Michael thought my friend’s wake up</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >remedy was ‘out in left field’--[something’ sure was]!</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Mike feels someone should have jostled the man awake.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Jostle? Wiggle? Hmmm..no way, given the bulk,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >height and grumpy ratio of the man.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >He ought to be glad I didn’t alert Eye-Witness News…</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Speaking of things that sort of pop into one’s</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >line of sight, I have to say I haven’t received</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >any error messages, exceptions, or HD failures</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >for at least a year. I’m talking pc problems here…</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >What a segue…</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Don’t you love getting strange, cryptic messages</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >across a black or blue screen? An exception at</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Oe71312 in doppelgangerWz67x.3oe62has occurred.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >No kidding? Is there a fast-ball remedy for it?</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >[you have to have read the previous blog to get my drift].</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Like I know what the heck that message refers to,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >or what to do with it. I bet a caveman would</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >know its meaning…</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >The origin is not of this planet--I think space aliens</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > in human form are working in the pc labs…</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Too bad there isn’t some device that can warn</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >you of the kind of day one is going to have:</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Cryptic, in-your-face, whatever.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I can always count on one thing, at least: Cruiser,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >our stomach-with-a-neck resident duck…</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS: http://gulfgal-nancysworld.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss</div>GulfGalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05439976270397483508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790675452009355078.post-20523902162356463352010-02-05T08:51:00.025-05:002010-02-19T09:01:55.782-05:00Pardon me, Sir, But Your....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO90obrUV1uqBMIAmVbEtb-RvZg0BR9gGK83OHygiJu8P-Ff82X17XQOSYW-E6WXZOdCkWjZC6120if62J7WSU4M3mywu2xaFrO6jK47BSpovquzJoyDHRXOFbbM5tzOrV69BHj26lDyee/s1600-h/img013.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 262px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO90obrUV1uqBMIAmVbEtb-RvZg0BR9gGK83OHygiJu8P-Ff82X17XQOSYW-E6WXZOdCkWjZC6120if62J7WSU4M3mywu2xaFrO6jK47BSpovquzJoyDHRXOFbbM5tzOrV69BHj26lDyee/s400/img013.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434766587197036130" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Excuse me, but your 'apostrophe' is showing.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Oops! How do you confront someone who glaringly, has</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >something undone--like a crucial button or zipper--</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >or has a pair of windows-to-the-world shorts on?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Recently I was walking into my favorite bookstore </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >café in Naples and was suddenly confronted by an</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >unfortunate display of manly 'goods'…who doesn’t like</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >hanging out in a cozy café…?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Now, I have nothing against the 'boys' and their</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >sidekick. They’re perfectly fine if they’re well</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >behaved--but they have their place--and should</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >stay there, not wandering around for some fresh air…</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >If Chief Spread-Eagle had been Fabio or Denzel</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I wouldn’t have minded too much--for a little while.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Anyway, the café was beginning to buzz a bit as a couple</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >more people walked in and took notice of the 'sideshow'.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I suggested to my two bookstore friends, </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >that one of<br />them should nudge the hulking</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > man awake, and tell<br />him to close his gap</span>.<br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Nothing doing.</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > Big chickens..</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >By now, the female employees were very aware</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >of the predicament, but were hesitant to approach,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >the man, hoping that he might wake up soon.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >The sleeping exhibitionist finally was aroused from</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >his nap, after one of my friends tossed</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> a napkin ball</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br />at the man’s chest, hoping to wake him.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >He looked over at my friends, and my friend<br />pointed</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > down past the man's equator…</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >After a few adjustments, the spectacle was over.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >He hasn’t been seen since…</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS: http://gulfgal-nancysworld.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss</div>GulfGalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05439976270397483508noreply@blogger.com3