Rained out

So, friends, I got a chance to check out the Everglades this morning and due to the weather conditions, it was not what I expected.  A little bit of background for you on the Everglades.

1. That area hasn't gotten a really good rain in about ten months
2. Normally to get into the air boats, people would have to step up into them, but we had to do the opposite and step down into them.
3. The water right now is several feet below the normal level

Today, like the last few days, it was raining.  So much so that we had to run out and get ponchos on our way to Miami since we were going to be outside today.  See?  We were a little prepared.  We were a good chunk of the way into our air boat tour when it started pouring and our driver made us turn back.  I didn't have a problem with this for a few reasons.

1. The mosquitoes were a mess and I got bit up
2. The rain was cold
3. It was raining...is there any other reason needed?

A mama alligator and her babies.  I thought they looked fake since none of them moved the whole time.

We ended up in the restaurant and the rest of the family tried some alligator bites... um, not me!  Our tour bus driver told us that one of the security guys at this park owned 10 Nile crocodiles.  Yes, you read that right!  Insane right? 

From what I hear, we are heading back to Miami for dinner.  Since it's my turned to pay, I'm picking the place...I think it's only fair. 

Hard Rock Cafe, here we come!

Random fact:  This is the only Hard Rock Cafe in the world that doesn't have an electric guitar on the roof, thanks to Hurricane Lola in 2005.  (See?  Mom and Dad, I was listening to all of those tour guides!)

Can Miami come out to play?

When it rains in Miami Florida, its like the world is crying.  I say this mainly because when I think of Miami, I think of sun and extremely high temps, not gloomy and barely 80*.  I mean, Michigan and Chicago had better weather than they did. 

Other than getting bit up by mosquitoes, we went on a tour of Miami and checked out the Viscayne house and gardens.  Personally, I could care less about the gardens, but the house was a historical hot spot, so that got my attention.  Unfortunately, they wouldn't let us take pictures inside (and they were serious about that with security guards at every turn), so I grabbed a few outside.

This looks like the entrance way to Wonderland

After that, we got back on the bus to listen to the rest of the tour.  While we were riding through Little Havana, all I could think about was how much I really wanted to try the Cuban coffee that I had heard about.  Its a very strong coffee that is usually served in a dixie cup.  They say that this small cup is equivalent to 5,6 cups of normal coffee and there is only one McDonald's that actually serves this.  Any other time, you'll have to go to one of the stands in Little Havana, but we didn't get a chance to do so. 

Anyways, the rest of the tour also consisted of a ride through Coral Gables, a beautiful area with amazing homes and the Venetian Pool, a few more areas that weren't as interesting. 

Our poor tour guide was given a 'Tiffany look' when he tried to get on me about not laughing at his lame jokes.  I really wanted to tell him that I was seriously considering the idea of giving him and the driver a tip, but he totally messed that up by calling me out over the mic.  I was nice though, and only settled for a glare, which forced him to continue with his tour. 

Weird thing about Florida is that it gets dark around 7ish, rather than 9:30, 10:00 like it does in Michigan.  (There really is a point to this little fact, I promise.)

We went on another tour that went through the Millionaire Row, showing houses where Usher threw an MTV after party, Diddy, Shaq, Gloria Estefan and many others live or lived.  Another favorite was the house where Scarface was shot and where Al Capone lived for 20 years.  There was one where the owner had his backyard air conditioned.  (Slightly out of control, but okay.)  My favorite part about this cruise was seeing the Miami skyline from the water. 

Was tempted to pitch this one, but I think it totally fits the city

Dinner was, yet another, disappointment.  We checked the Bubba Gumps restaurant and I've got to say that the food wasn't that good and it was seriously overpriced, but the service was great. 

So, it looks like I'll be checking out the Everglades and spending another day in Miami.  Maybe tomorrow, the sun will actually come out.

Man vs. Food Bust

Sunday night, we decided to check out one of the restaurants that had been featured on Man vs. Food called Sarussi, which is supposed to have a great Cuban sandwich.  During the weeks before this trip, we had hyped ourselves up, expecting something great.



When they brought the sandwiches out, we were all drooling. (Don't judge!)

 

After the initial bites, we all came to the conclusion that maybe this sandwich had been hyped up more than it should have and wasn't as great as we expected since this is almost something we could make at home, minus the secret sauce. 

Can I just say that it was a total disappointment?  So thanks to this place, we were kind of forced to skip the other restaurant that had been picked out. 

Key West

Today, we went on a day trip to Key West and the drive down from Miami was absolutely beautiful...well, the parts that I was awake for.  Any pictures that I could have taken wouldn't have done it justice or should I say, would have been a total insult, so I really didn't even try.  (Sorry, KT Mac!) 

We ended up jumping on trolley that took us around the island, allowing us to get on and off when we wanted.  We were able to get a chance to see where Ernest Hemmingway lived while he was there, the southern most house in the US as well as the southern most point, which also notes that it is also 90 miles from Key West to Cuba. 

Please explain to me why there was a line for people to take a picture with this.  Then guess who said, "There is no way I'm standing in that line."

Also, to the left of this was a house that a woman had built as the southern most house to beat out the "other one" by 19 feet, if I remember correctly.  Of course, I found this to be somewhat amusing.

One of the weirdest things that I saw here was the fact that there are no squirrels running around.  Instead, there are chickens, roosters and chicks running around.  Apparently, cockfighting was not only a big thing around there at one point, but legal.  It was later banned and the chickens and roosters were allowed to roam around the city.  I don't know about you, but I found this a little interesting.

Mama and the babies with the rooster somewhere in the area

So, Key West is known for a couple food items: Conch and Key Lime Pie.  Both were tasted and neither were tastes that I would miss if I never had them again.  At least I tried them and I think that was the whole point of the trip.  (Right?)

Key West had this simple feel to it that I really enjoyed.  There, you didn't necessarily need a car to get around this small island.  A scooter, smart car, bike as well as your own two feet could get you wherever you needed to go just fine.  Besides, a car would be too much of a hassle since space is extremely limited.  Another thing was how this small place looked for any and every reason to celebrate.  They even still celebrate their momentary independence from the United States and from what one of our tour guides told us, they pull out all of the stops for it.  Also, its just so relaxed, for the most part.  No one has a real need to get anywhere and everyone knows each other.  This just makes tourists feel even more comfortable. 

Could I see myself living there one day?  Eh, maybe not until I'm in my 50's, but I could see myself going back to visit...spending more than a few hours there.  Key West has definitely been added to my "I need to go back" list. 

(Sorry about the lack of pictures.)

Miami Observation

While we were waiting for our tour bus to arrive this morning at Bayside Marketplace this morning in downtown Miami, I got a chance to see something that we tend to miss out in the smaller cities.  I got a chance to watch Miami wake up.  It was like watching someone who wasn't a morning person slowly, but surely, wake up.  From watching the sun finish rising, the almost nonexistent traffic pick up, the cleaning people come through sweeping up the streets and sidewalks while others washed the windows and store/restaurant employees coming in and getting ready for their customers. 

In a big city, its sights like these that remind a person that even the big cities have their vulnerable moments, if it should even be called that.  It allowed me the opportunity to give the city another chance, since as we drove in this morning, all I could think about was how much I really wished we could get out of Miami as soon as possible.  Maybe, its not so bad.

Miami is like a non morning person....slow to wake up, but once they are, good luck keeping up with them.  A beautiful sight, I must say. 

Random Story

Yesterday, we went to the Lion Country Safari, and saw the coolest thing.  One of the chimps had a used bottle in his hand, walks over to the water surrounding the area he was in and dips the bottle in to refill his bottle.  It was something like you would see a human do, which was kind of cool.

So this picture doesn't really do the story justice, but you catch my drift!

Random Pics of the Day

Here are a couple pics that I've taken of the trip so far and I promise there'll be more.
 

So bad for you, but sooooooo worth it!

Our dying house guest

Airplane Thoughts

As I’m sitting here on a flight to Fort Lauderdale to start my highly anticipated vacation, I can’t help but look around me, as I always do when I travel, and wonder where each person is going and where they are really coming from. Yeah, we all flew out of Detroit, but could that have just been as a stop in their travels or their final destination, much like mine? Are they traveling for business or pleasure? Could they be trying to leave a situation for a change of scenery?

What has driven this person to pick their final travel spot if it were for vacation? Could it be a girls/boys weekend or family trip? I have always wondered this. I guess it goes along with trying to figure out what makes a person tick. Or the fact that I have to determine how to deal with a person when they come to my counter at work.

A.D.D. moment coming up!

Then leave it to me to be even more distracted by how amazing the view of the earth from ten thousand feet. It reminds me of why I love to travel. I was once told that some people see traveling as a waste of time and money. No offense, but I find this way of thinking almost appalling because it just shows how closed minded they really are. These people have no idea what they are missing. They are missing sights like this and the opportunity to deal with other cultures that aren’t always available at home. I mean, just being able to look out of the window at the clouds below the wings of the plane. It’s like looking at the world through a crystal ball that can’t be used to predict the future. I guess I’ll never understand that way of thinking, but maybe that’s okay.

Back to our scheduled program.

(Flying in the middle of a cloud as I write this.)

Random facts for you:

• Somehow, I made it over two months at the new gig. Yes, Ms. Pyscho Hypochondriac is driving me crazy, but I am not going to let her get to me. I was told yesterday by someone I worked with that they hoped that I didn’t get sick of her crap, pack up and leave like so many have before me. Since I actually don’t mind what I do and like the people I work with day in and day out, there is no way I am going to allow her to scare me off. I’ve dealt with worse, so bring it on!
• Watching Matt Damon’s "new" movie and I’ve got to say, it reminds me of all the Jason Bourne movies. I really want to say, ‘Guy, pick a new role…Bourne is getting old!’ but I can’t.
• Where did the year go?
• Took a break from writing for a while, but it looks like my break is over since Miles and Devyn have been on my mind a lot lately. I’m still wondering if it would work out if they actually got together because of what they do.

Giveaways and TV Shows...A Normal Saturday

Before I tell you what's going on, let me make a cool announcement! 

Katie and I in Chicago last year

My friend, KT Mac, who I met when I started working in the G's office years ago and like me, loves to travel, went to Scotland recently (lucky!) and has decided to share her trip with two lucky people who stop by her page. So go check out her pictures and let her know which one is your favorite.  Who knows....you might be one of the two lucky winners! 

The other night, I was thinking about the Bones Season finale for some reason when it hit me that Booth's coma dream/ Bones' book has almost come true.  At the end of the dream, Brennan tells Booth that she is pregnant. At the end of the finale, she tells him that she is pregnant with his child.  In both scenes, Booth gives her a very excited Boothy smile that makes us all smile.  I mean, how could you not?

The only thing that they have yet to do now is get married.  That would be really cute, but I don't think it'll happen and no, that is not me being pessimistic. Just realistic.  I mean, it would be nice, but with the way things have gone, its almost doubtful.

In other news, Castle's finale was also amazing.  Captain Montgomery is...gone and that was a low blow, because I thought he was pretty awesome.  Then Beckett gets shot and Castle admits that he loves her.  Whoa, wait what?  Why couldn't he have said that before? Like when she ditched the other cop or before he decided to get back with his ex wife?  I mean, there were plenty of chances, but whatever. Its out there now.  What does this mean for them now?  We'll see what happens in a couple months.

Done with my TV talk for now.  In less than 6 days from now, I will be in Pompano Beach on vacation in 90* weather.  Who wouldn't be happy about that?

Enjoy the rest of this beautiful Saturday!

Lives Erased

While I was eating lunch this afternoon, I read this article about the Tulsa race riots of 1921 where about 300 African Americans were killed and 8,000 more were left homeless.  The article says that like many other incidences during this era, this all started because a black man was accused of assaulting a white woman.  After this riot, the charges were dropped.  What's funny is that this never made it into the history books, much less the newspapers.  It was as if those lives didn't matter, don't count.  After failed lawsuits to compensate the survivors or to even recognize them, the Tulsa Public Schools will be adding this to their curriculum next year.  The memorial that was started for this may be forced to shut down due to their lack of funding.  

After reading this article, I couldn't help but wonder how the hell was this able to covered up for so long?  The oldest survivor is 108 and there are maybe 40 of them left.  So, what was the plan...wait for them to die, taking this tragic event with them?  I know that this isn't the only tragedy or racial "incident" that has been covered up in history, but come on!  Even people of power turned their heads to the incident after pointing their fingers at the black community for starting the whole thing.  What's crazy is that about three quarters of the Tulsa residents knew about this incident. 

Maybe, I'm making a bigger deal out of this than necessary, but this just shocked me a little bit.

Adapting...

While I was out for drinks with a couple of the guys that I work with Friday night, it dawned on me that I really haven't given these people here a fair shake. I started out with this assumption that they would never compare to people I worked with at the Governor's Office and I wasn't wrong in that thought, but I didn't take into account that no two places will ever be the same.


Now that I have gotten comfortable with them and they with me, I have come to this conclusion that these people aren't so bad. They will never replace my EO peeps and that's okay, because they were never meant to. I like coming to work, knowing that some of them will get my sarcastic humor and not get offended, the fact that I can always count on a nerdy remark and a smile from at least one of the people around here or one of the ladies smart aleck comments on a phone call or a person that came to the counter. What I think I like even more is that I was accepted by most of the people here without question. That right there may be enough to put any other doubts that I may have to rest.


So, yes, my time with my EO family is done, but a new chapter in my life with the Township is just beginning. And that not a bad feeling at all.

A Little Patience Is Needed

I was reminded that I hadn't posted any of the insane stories from the new job and I think I need to change that REAL quick!  First off, let me begin by apologizing to everyone, including my poor mother, who has to listen to me vent almost daily.  You are saint in this respect!

Look, I am a nerd and am extremely comfortable with this, but here, I am surrounded by people who are nerdier than I!  More often than not, I find that I am okay with this although, there are a lot of times when I just look at them like they're crazy.  One asked me if I had heard the one about the 'Skeleton who goes into the bar and asks for a drink and a rag.'  I couldn't help, but look at him, shake my head and kinda laugh because the guy meant well, despite his lame attempt at a joke.

Okay, I am officially convinced that the smaller the city, the crazier the people!  My second or third week there, I was in the middle of helping someone at the counter when another man came up and started talking to the other secretary.  As far as I knew, he was just another upset person until he commented on wanting a man to help him instead of a woman.  Hmmm, not today.  He said to the other lady, "I don't like when the police come to my house.  I don't understand why they pull out their guns when I pull out my machete!"  Um, hi!  Common sense here, guy!  They consider you a threat and are going to protect themselves.  

After 20, 30 minutes, he apparently got what he needed and left.  The woman helping him came over to where the lady who is in the middle of training me and I were sitting and says, "He told me that the reason why he was so calm is that he was on his meds today."  Excuse me, that guy who was an asshole to the women in the office was calm?!  So, silly me asks, "How does he normally act?" Again, silly me for asking.  The four women standing up there go on to tell me that this guy usually has a temper, has gone into a bank with an ax and didn't see why it was a problem, has been escorted off the premises plenty of times by the township police and only the week before was on the floor below with a large stick!  Apparently there are plenty of crazies like him roaming around that come into the office.  And to think, I thought the oddest thing out there was the guy with the dog and flag that walks up and down Marsh Road most of the year.

I have found that one of the ladies who works in the next division usually has the best stories and craziest visitors.  Just this week, a man came in who got busted for some kind of violation and proceeded to scream at her, saying that she made him sick and how he hated this township, blah, blah, blah.  The whole time, she managed to stay calm and when he finally leaves for the second time, she turns to me and another secretary and says, "Well, apparently, I make him sick," shrugs her shoulders and walks away.  Me, I find this amusing and count this as my entertainment for the hour.

Out of everything, I have noticed that most of the people like each other and are more than willing to welcome the newcomer (me) with open arms.  Even people who aren't training me, are always finding opportunities to show me different aspects of the office, which I am all for. The past few days, with my trainer out on sick leave, I thought people would forget about me and that has not been the case.  I have noticed that that isn't an option and I love that.

So, this isn't everything, but you get the picture. 

What If There's No Hell?

This was the main story on the cover of Time from a couple weeks ago that was sitting on my parents coffee table.  Last week, our pastor talked about this and I didn't realize that he was talking about anyone in particular until I saw this.  It's about a pastor named Rob Bell from Michigan who wrote a book, Love Wins, saying that there is no Hell, which is stirring up chaos in the Christian community.  

In this article, he says that there is no way greats like Ghandi could go to Hell after all of the work he had done while he was alive.  In the Bible, Hell is mentioned or described 623 times.  My question is how can someone who was raised in the church and knows the word deny this why Jesus himself said it was real?  Most religions and even pagan cultures have written about its existence, so I don't understand how he could try to teach something different.  Apparently, Christian pastors around the country are protesting this and want him out of their fold and who can blame them? 

I guess I was just a little shocked by this article, even though I really feel like I really shouldn't be since there are millions of people out there who feel the same way.  I'm not overly religious or anything, but I just don't like the fact that he is teaching people this and that greats like Billy Graham and TD Jakes are lying when they say a person will go to hell when they die if they don't repent and turn to God.  Wow...

Nagging Thought

What would happen if my main characters, Devyn and Miles, got together and would it work out?  I like the idea of it, but I don't want to 'romanticize' the story too much.  (Ps. That last sentence sounded so much better in my head, so not a word!)  They have may given it a chance at one point, but the job may have gotten in the way.

Thoughts?

Memory Lane...

When I started this blog almost two years ago, I was just beginning to tell people that I had written a book. Even now, I still get the occasional "Stop telling people because they don't really care" or "Maybe you should be doing something a little more productive with your time."  Sometimes it sounds like a broken record, but that's fine, because its something that I like to do.

Today, I spent the afternoon with Amy and her little one and she gave me back a copy of my first book that I gave her a couple years ago to read.  I just flipped through it and was amazed by how much the story had changed in that time.  The ending has been rewritten, I came to hate the mini villains even more and root for my main characters just a tad bit louder. 

Maybe its a good thing she held onto it for a while.  It is a reminder of how much work I still had to do at the time.

Soooo...

After five and half months of writing, I have finally finished my second book!  That's a little crazy if you ask me!  Especially since it took years to finish the first one. 

Now that its done, the plan is to read it over before I put it away for a while so that I can focus on my other book and submit it next month to a publisher...eeks!

Untitled

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.~ Saint Augstine

Jumbled Thoughts

Today has been one of those days when I have not been able to focus on anything.  Well, maybe that's a lie.  I have been thinking about my book and the next scene that I need to write.  I'm just trying to get other things done before sitting down to write later this evening.  Right now, I think I have maybe two days at most to write before this book is done, so can you blame me for being excited? 

The most random thing that has happened this week has been the fact that I dreamed about my characters the other night!  No joke!  I think maybe they have taken over my life!  

I think I may like this one better than the first. Is it bad to pick favorites? Or maybe that's just how I feel until I started editing it.  Not sure yet.

Wednesday Randoms

• When did this become my life?

• I love that it took me several years to finish my first book, but less than a year before I feel like I might be almost done with the second one.

• As I'm getting close to the end, I think I might throw one more twist in there. I mean, it would make the ending, which I love, worth it.

• I really didn't plan on introducing a new character this far in, but I think it only makes sense.

• How does "The Past" sound as a title? (Miles' past is called into question by an old "friend".)

Book Ramblings

There was a time when I would post something on a regular basis, but not recently...I have really slacked off. Right now, my life consists of vacation research, writing and deciding if I really want to deal with real people. Okay, maybe not the last one.

~ I really do feel bad for putting my characters in the situations that I do, but it usually makes for a really good story.

~ The villain in my first book was hard to write, but this new one is even harder. This guy is someone that I would never want to piss off and later run into by myself in a dark alley.

~ I jumped ahead and wrote the ending. I like it, but I think something might be missing. How do you think it should end?

~ This villain is insane! (I had this sudden urge to mention that again)

~ These characters are so exhausting!

~ The research for this book has been insane and I'm pretty sure looking up different types of bombs is probably frowned upon or what types of injuries a person can suffer from. You should have seen the look on my parents face when I asked about the injuries. Lol

~ Skipping a day of writing is almost not even allowed. It's like these characters want their story told, no matter the cost.

~ I think I may need a new writing spot or at least a second option.

I know this is a lot of rambling, but this is nothing compared to the thoughts swirling around my head!