Up we go . . .

We went to the MacDill Airfest yesterday and it was quite awesome. There were some demonstrations by an A-10, a crazy helicopter, an F-15, and the Thunderbirds were the main attraction. Loved it. Here is the F-15 I am gazing at in the picture above. Those suckers are loud!
It is hard to take pictures of jets in the air. With our camera, anyway. We did get some good video so perhaps I'll upload some of it in the future. I don't feel like doing it now, OK? I will leave you with a photo of my favorite plane--and this particular one came from Homestead AFB, which was a nice touch.

Check it out . . .

Steve, Keri, and I have started a new blog. Inspired by many a Friday-or-Saturday-night-on-the-deck conversation, it's a place we can post our thoughts on issues, ask some questions, and set some things straight. Stop by if you get a chance!

Decklarations

Today . . .

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

Sad and Happy Stuff

To get the sad stuff out of the way, we lost one of our little outside neighborhood cats this weekend. His name was Cat Stevens and he was the sweetest, funniest little guy. We took him to the vet for an infected leg and he tested positive for feline leukemia so they recommended we put him down. We did and it was really sad. I guess it was a good thing he did have the infected leg otherwise he just would've gotten weaker and sicker and would have probably died in a much less peaceful way. Still sucks. We will miss him.

In better news, we finally got around to painting and sprucing up the bedroom. I wish I had any "before" pictures, but I do not. So, imagine the walls used to be a dark sage green on top, a tan color on the bottom, there was a red lamp, maroon curtains, a big chrome laundry thing in the corner by the dresser, and mismatched bedding. And now . . . .

I absolutely love it. Much better and brighter. We painted the hallway, too, so now it's not the unfortunate shade of orange I somehow thought would look like a nice rusty brown. Instead it is the light green you see in the bedroom and it really opened up the hall and classed it up a bit, too. Steve should be home with the clean laundry soon so I bid you all adieu. If anyone still reads this, that is.

What's Going On

Aaaaahhhh . . . Got the windows open in the office and am enjoying the lovely Springish breeze floating through the room. It is another beautiful day here and it's really getting me ready for Spring/early Summer in Florida. You can have the late summer as far as I'm concerned. Rain and sweat and heat that makes it hard to breathe. So far 2009 has been decent. We went to California for a long weekend early last month. We toured the Central Coast and stopped at a bunch of little winerys (wineries? Ah ha--Merriam's says "wineries"; I knew that didn't look right) for tastings. We stayed with friends who live in Playa del Ray in a cute house right near the beach. We got to have dinner with Steve's aunt and uncle in the Valley (wild mushroom risotto--delicious). It was a great little vacation and we had a lot of fun. I do like the California landscape--so many different sights to see. Ocean, mountains, valleys, etc . . . Good stuff. And hummingbirds! I love those guys.

Here's me, Chris, and Danny at the hotel we stayed in the first night in Solvang.

Here's me and Steve near the ocean.

We are adorable. And here are those hummingbirds I told you about!

Excellent. What else? Well, it looks like it's going to be a busy month. We are going to the Elton John/Billy Joel concert tonight (I only ever seem to go see Classic Rock concerts). The Gasparilla Art Festival is this weekend, we're painting the bedroom and the hall, the Renaissance Festival is this month, the air show is at the end of the month (Thunderbirds this year!), and St. Patrick's Day is stuck smack-dab there in the middle of it all. I'm working on the biggest project I've had yet right now, plus a regular-size one. Work is going well. I do, however, need a haircut pretty badly. I'm thinking of going with some bangs for the first time in about 20 years. I'll leave you with some questions and then get back to the work I should be doing!

1. If you could buy a house in another country, which country would it be?

Ireland, Italy, or Austria.

2. Are you comfortable in your own skin?

Yes, mostly.

3. If you designed a clothing line, what would you call it?

Bubbles and squeak.

4. Have you ever seen a truly ugly baby?

No, even if they look crazy they're cute because they're so small.

5. Over the span of your life, what have been some of your obsessions?

Agatha Christie, Faulkner, Tom Robbins, Ann-Marie MacDonald, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, cats, The Golden Girls, Yahtzee, Chinese Poker, Nintendo, orange Camaros with white racing stripes, comedy, certain houses, Deadwood, the perfect tan, 1980s hair bands, 1990s booty music, my health, The Big Chill, good grades, highlights, a leopard-print coat, blackjack, jeans, my business, and my pets. To name a few.

6. When was the last time you slipped and fell?

Well, I tried to jump onto my porch sometime last year and I twisted my ankle falling off.

7. Have you ever popped a zit and had it explode onto the mirror?

I'm not a popper.

8. Who was the last surly person you encountered?

Myself a couple of days ago. I had quite the face-ache.

9. If a stranger had to guess your occupation based on what you look like, what would they surmise you do for a living?

I'm often in my pajamas well past noon so they might think I was unemployed.

10.Do you have a "happy place?"

A few. Beaches, skiing, libraries, my dream house, etc.

~Bonus Question~When was the last time you gave in to temptation?

I had three cookies yesterday.