The Heat Is On....

...well. Not really. Half of the country is still under ice, while the rest of us are dealing with mild to warm temps. But here in S. Fla, the heat is just beginning. It nearly topped 80 degrees today. I could hardly believe it. It's only February. I don't do well with heat but I should know better. I really should be used to it. No surprises really but it seems to sneak up on us every year. Just when you're getting used to those nice mild and breezy nights, the sweltering heat decides to make an appearance. Well as my FB status indicates, I LOVE the swaying palm trees of Florida, the nice easy, laid back way we live life down here. Just can't picture having it any other way. Heat or no heat, I'll take it.

Wrapping it Up...

I finally gave in and bought one of those little plug-in table top fountains. It's setting there...oh so prettily on my kitchen counter. It's in the shape of 3 delicate lotus leaves, perched one on top of the other with a steady stream of water trickling down all sides of it....From a distance, it actually looks more like a flickering flame in a firepit. Why am I blogging about my lotus leave fountain? No reason...just procrastinating.

I really should be working on something else. Something very, very (very) important. However, I'm allowing myself to get distracted by everything within a 10 ft radius. Oh did I mention the lotus leaf fountain is lighted?

Yes, oh so pretty.

Well if it's not the lotus leaves, it's the Christmas tree. Hmm. The Christmas tree....which took only 25 minutes to unpack and decorate, I might add. I think the whole white and gold look is a winner this year. Multicolored string lights? Ick. I don't know what those are. And tinsel. Tinsel should be banned.

Which brings me to why I'm procrastinating...I am STILL working on my Christmas list. I'm supposed to be finishing up my online shopping and searching for my coupon codes. I never really know what to get and no one ever really says what they want. I'm glad all the adults are doing the Secret Santa this year. I'm a true believer that the 'gifting' part of Christmas is really for the kids. I can't speak for everyone but the older I get, the less I find myself actually wanting something "for Christmas". But it's all good. I know the real reason for the holiday (and no, I'm not referring to the pagan origin). I'm celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ (you know, Son of God, my Lord and Savior and all of that). I'm just choosing not to get too caught up in the unnecessary extras this time around.

**Oh the Holidays**

Boy do I LOVE this time of year!! Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years- I can hardly wait :-) The cooler temps, the coziness, delicious food, family time... what's not to love? I'm going to love it more because this year, I have a week's paid vacation from Christmas Eve through the Monday after the new year. Which, by the way, is one of the reasons I'm LOVING this new job already. More on that, later...

But back to the Holiday Season :). Last year, it was very, how should I say...."lack luster". Nothing really memorable happened from November to Jan. If I remember correctly, I didn't make it home for Thanksgiving, even. Way too busy. Can't say that I have any regrets except I wish I would have taken the time to enjoy it more. Last year, I didn't partake in the annual Black Friday craziness but this year, I just might. Not that I have anything in particular that I need to buy but if the sales are any good, I'll be there. Considering I have a move I need to prepare for, now would be the time to buy what I need. And for Christmas...I didn't plan anything special a year ago but this year, I might have to take a trip somewhere.

I really need to get this whole work/life balance thing under control. So far this year, I'm doing a wonderful job at it. Taking more time off to do family things, taking weekend trips, going out with friends, dates....all the necessary things a person must do to keep themselves sane :) I'm ending one job and starting another in November so I'm looking forward to that. And, as I mentioned before, this new job comes with the expectation of moving so I'm really excited about that, too. It happened pretty fast, I have to admit. I wasn't expecting such a swift response from them so I had NO time to prepare. I'll have to commute the first couple of months at least until I find a place. I'm thrilled that the hiring process happened so quickly so NO complaints from me.

Life is good and God is great :)

House Hunting

Although I'm only in the beginning phases of my househunting, i'm starting to stress over it. I obsessively check realtor.com to see what's new and affordable in the areas I'm interested in. I search the internet for any information about the neighborhoods (good or bad) just to have a real idea of what I'm in for. I really have to make a conscious effort to move forward with this. It should be easier than I'm making it out to be but I guess my situation is a bit different since:

A. I'm mobile- I've moved several times in the past few years mainly because of work and school. I think it's a great idea to be flexible when it comes to finishing one's education and developing a career. It makes it harder to buy a home under those conditions but I'm trying to not let that stop me. Afterall, I can work anywhere, but it would be nice to have my own home to come home to.

B. I keep second guessing my choices! I'm a great decision maker  (usually) but I keep changing my list of 'wants' and 'needs' so I'm not exactly sure if the 'perfect' place is out there for me. I'm keeping in mind that the more I trim off my list, the more choices I open myself up to. I just want to make sure I'm happy with it. I'm limiting myself to a townhome but if I can find a nice single family in a safe place, I'll take that. FYI- I'm still keeping these must haves: 2 stories, balcony or porch, 3 bedrooms, at least 1 kitchen window, roman or garden tub and at least 1 car garage. I think that's reasonable ;)

Anyway, good thing I'm not alone in this. I know at least 3 people who are on the hunt right now. Hope it works out for everyone. I'm officially giving myself 3 months to figure out, location wise, where I really want to be. Obviously, my job is one of the biggest influences on that decision so I'll see how it goes...

Man Hits Father of Autistic Child

So.....is this what they mean by "candidate for anger management"?


http://www.wpbf.com/news/24556710/detail.html

Backyard Tourism

I'm a fan of backyard tourism.... especially if you live somewhere (marginally) tropical. It's important to keep in mind that people from far and wide spend years saving their pennies just so they can enjoy the scenery that I'm fortunate enough to wake up to everyday. So rather than look elsewhere to spend my time, I've been taking lots of weekend trips lately. Sometimes all you need is a few hours to escape, unwind, soak up the sun and enjoy the breeze. When Monday rolls around, you feel completely refreshed! The first picture (the tree-lined street) is Royal Poinciana Way, which is the main street entering Palm Beach, Fla. The other pics are of Juno Beach and Ocean Blvd.

Four Score and 7 years ago....

That title doesn't really mean much- I was just thinking of something random, yet patriotic, to start this blog entry off right. Well it's the 4th of July (or Independence Day as it were) and I'm home, relaxing. Had a nice family day- that was great and I'm looking forward to hours of sheer lazines to start my week off. Monday was an optional day off at my company. Can't believe people actually chose to work tomorrow. Silly people. I for one will be sleeping until mid morning- early afternoon. No other plans for tomorrow except, perhaps, doing some much needed bonding with my TV. Yes, unapologetically lazy is what I will be tomorrow.

I think I put off getting a new phone for the sheer fact that I don't have time to LEARN how to use it! The fact is, the more I put it off, the more advance these phones have become. But I gave in and I'm retiring my old EnV (I never liked that phone, anyway) and I'm getting this one I'll give myself at least a month to figure it all out.

Change...

...it's not always easy at first. But it sure feels good when you've finally gotten used to it!

Motivation...You can do it!

I did join the gym afterall. It's great to get back into a routine again. After a week of 'pumping iron' :), I feel so much more refreshed and alert. I haven't been feeling particularly tired or stressed, just feeling a little 'lazy'. And lazy is never good! Speaking of the gym- that reminds me...I really hate those keycard memberships. Just this week, I had 3 people tell me that they also work out at the same gym. It took me a second to figure out how they knew which gym I went to...Anyway, I'm off to flatten my abs. This should be fun.

The world's going to end...

...eventually. But in the meantime, there are enough weird things that are happening to speed the process up. I'm not talking about a natural disaster, a plane crash, or anything of that magnitude. I'm referring to something a little closer to home. To be specific, I'm referring to how some people 'are'. I find it really interesting and slightly disturbing, to watch as people go through personality changes. You know, like one minute you know someone then "poof" they morph into something else. Even more peculiar when mutual friends make the same observation. Makes you wonder how much effort does it take to pretend to be something that they're not? Isn't it a waste of energy to put on a show just to garner the approval of others? Does the word 'humility' mean anything to this person anymore? Has it ever meant anything to them? Hmmm....shameful and embarrassing are the only words that I can think of that would sum up much of the behavior I've seen come from this individual. But, like discipling a small child, we should continue to ignore those 'undesirable' behaviors and give attention to the positive ones, only.

I can boldly say, given my profession, I am a very good judge of character and an even better judge of spotting phoniness when it makes itself known. It's probably best to just ignore the negative and encourage the positive out of this person. Annoying? Sure, but it's even sadder to see how delusional they are. Maybe one day, they'll come back to reality. But in the meantime, it was nice knowing them when they were 'real'.

To join or not to join....

I'm debating on whether or not I'll join a new gym in the neighborhood. I had a membership years ago (pre-graduate school) to which I got really good use out of. Once I started school (and relocated), it just wasn't a priority. Even if I joined, I would not have had time to really use it. In between studying, working and just enjoying my free time, the gym was the last thing on my mind. However, I managed to maintain my yoga on wednesdays and aerobics on weekends. I actually considered myself pretty 'fit' for just half-way trying. But now, it's time to get back in the saddle. I need to find a place that offers classes. Think it's time to start learning how to zumba...

One step closer....

....to getting this 'thing' done! Whew...

Sick..sick..sick....

Being sick this weekend was NOT cool! I am just getting over a horrible cold (sore throat, headache, runny nose, everything)... I was fine at the beginning of last week and then just like that, I came down with a cold. Horrible. Well, I'm a trooper so I managed to make it through most of the weekend ok. I've been double dosing on white tea and vitamin c and I'm feeling much better. Having a cold isn't fun but I did think of something funny along the way. Being that I'm in an occupation where I see lots of people in semi-close quarters on a daily basis, it's important that I keep myself healthy and as protected as possible when it comes to communicable diseases. I use hand sanitizer in between clients, and keep Chlorox wipes in my car to wipe down notebooks, pens and my car's steering wheel at the end of the day. (Weird, right? LOL). It's so excessive but it's supposed to help. But apparently, it just didn't work this time! Who knows if that stuff even helps at all...Makes you wonder. So....I did a little online research on 'antibacterial' products and here's what I found in regards to triclosan:

What is this stuff, really??

Opa!

I finally found my bracelet...(see what happens when you move furniture around)? Anyway, I'm going with T this weekend to his uncle's restaurant downtown. I'm really looking forward to it- who would've thought Greek food would be on the top of my list of yummies? I hadn't been there in a while so we're going this weekend. I'm hitting the seafood fest on Saturday w/my friend so that should be fun. T's not a seafood eater so it'll be just us girls. I have to admit- I love delicious food and I'm not ashamed to say it. :) LOL I have no problem indulging in tasty food as long as it's done in moderation. I'm always up for any event, festival or outing that involves something delicious. Speaking of yumminess...here's my early b-day cake. What a nice surprise and yes it was that cute that I had to take a pic of it. :)

SB 6

Who knows what will really happen but if SB 6 is signed, I can picture the uproar that will follow. Just in time for summer vacation- I'm going to guess that a wave of teachers won't be coming back. Teachers are underpaid as it is (old argument) but having your job on the line for student performance? That's just scary.

I'm not a teacher but I've always worked closely with the school system (in past positions and in my current one) and I can see how stressed out they are. Teachers are being alot less accomodating when it comes to releasing students for outside agency visits. Most people don't realize how many agencies and organizations visit schools on a daily basis: with speech, occupational, mental health and social services, some students are out of the class several times a week! Im sure it's possbile that missing so much class time can negatively affect grades so I don't think many teachers want to take a chance on that anymore. Call it paranoia but I had an administrator ask if there were any open positions at my agency....wow, that can't be a good sign for them.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/letters/sb-6-took-teachers-out-of-equation-535227.html

Surprise!

I had an unexpected visitor yesterday LOL. That was fun. Kind of took me off my schedule for the weekend but it was a welcome interruption.

After a very interesting discussion....

.... at work, I decided to look up a specific intervention and one website led me to another and (well we know how the internet goes), I stumble upon this eye opening video and thought I would share. I watched a few of the related videos, too. This family (both parents) were documenting daily life with their autistic teenaged son. Each parent has their own account on YouTube and you'll find a total of about 60 videos last time I checked.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iu7C5clA4q0&feature=related

My house hunting blog is now up and running! I thought, what a great way to document my search for my new home. I had some serious inspiration today since my friend announced her good news: she's closing on her house at the end of the month. Good for her. It seems like just last month we were looking through listings on realtor.com. Actually, it was just a little over a month ago... Wow. That was fast. Oh...shudder...what a commitment! I have too many 'must haves' on my list. Not sure I can just rush into it. I need time to think!! Well incase anyone is wondering what's on that list- Here it is:

1. 2 floors
2. nice view
3. garden tub (or anything that's bubble-bath worthy)
4. patio space (or balcony)
5. 2 car garage (currently don't have one).
6. office space (I work from home- alot).


This could take a while....

Enjoying Paradise...

These are the weekends when I REALLY enjoy living in Florida. How could I not?? I guess living in one of the top tourism states has it's perks. I remember when we first moved here I said "It feels like we're on vacation"... Years later, it still pretty much feels the same. So sitting out here on the balcony (under a partly cloudy sky), mentally making plans for today. The beach is out, since it looks like rain today. Breakfast sounds good. I'll see who else is up to it. Went here last time, may try it again this morning.

Speaking of clouds. It's been unusually gray since about yesterday afternoon. According to the weather report, there's another 'cool front' coming through this week. When will it finally warm up??