Cypress Gardens RIP 2008

Another part of old Florida is gone. Well maybe not completely gone but the essence of what made it special will be. Cypress Gardens was such a throwback to a simpler time with carnival rides and a small zoo along with the actual water show and gardens. We heard on the radio last week that this was to be the last weekend for the rides and animals, they are closing for a four month renovation where they will expand the water areas. Why they chose to close 5 weeks before Christmas just boggles my mind. According to an employee we talked to - they had a Business Analyst come in the park a few months ago and that was the recommendation. So sad -- another piece of old Florida disappearing - the park was so crowded this weekend with people wanting to say good-bye before it was gone. Too bad the Business Analyst didn't see that.

Here are pics I took before they were gone.





Hopefully someday someone will remember that it's not the Business Analysts that know what's important. It's your customers...if you weren't getting business - try lowering your prices and see what happens.

I don't understand

As a country we made huge strides on election day...but once again for every step we make forward we make two back.

How do we as a country overcome racism and elect Barack Obama and yet overwhelmingly take rights and freedoms away from a huge section of our country?


see Sarah Palin pictures

A Time for Change!

Congratulations President-Elect Obama!

Ironic...

Confident?

Got this from Barack Obama's myspace page this morning. Take it to heart...

Tea and Sympathy

Or Coffee and Apathy - as I told my Sprinkly friend earlier - I'm so bored or maybe it's just apathy...Nothing much to say...I had a really good weekend, so maybe it's just weekend lag (like jetlag). So I'll just include this picture from EPCOT of us in our fabulous new life as per Spaceship Earth.

They like me - they really like me

Well maybe not me but they liked one of my photos...

The Schmap Guides - used one of my photos of the Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine for their Jacksonville guide. I got an e-mail a couple weeks ago telling me that I was on the "short list" of photos being considered for the Jacksonville guide and could they have my permission to use the pic. I told them yes but didn't really think I would get chosen...I know it's not curing cancer or solving the financial crisis. But for me I still think it's pretty cool. Hope you do to.

You can check the guide out here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tsvajdlenka/799359421/in/set-72157600793956046/

Or see below:



This is the picture they used:

This just in...

Sorry - just saw this and had to post, John Cleese on Sarah Palin

Quick Questions

Why do I try to make things better at work? Is it some deep seeded need to make the world a better place? To always be right? If you are going to go to all the trouble to make your workplace ITIL (look it up - it's too long to explain here) compliant, why go out of your way to make sure you don't actually follow any of the recommendations?

Why when you complain that you don't have enough time to get things done, and two people (one of which is your boss) give you ideas on how to save time and get things done more efficiently - if you don't take their advice - quit bitching about not having enough time.

Hockey What?

How bad is it when you are billing yourself as a "hockey mom" and they boo you?

Treehugging

Someone recently told me that they know I'm a liberal but they don't think I'm a "treehugger". OOPS I guess I'm doing something wrong. I'll try harder - so I apologize to all the treehuggers - and promise to try more. http://www.treehugger.com/

Experience

It has just occurred to me that I was taken to Mexico on vacation as a small child, live in Florida which is next to Cuba and just recently I visited Canada.

I HAVE FOREIGN POLICY EXPERIENCE!!!! I need a raise...

LMAO :)

see Sarah Palin pictures


see Sarah Palin pictures

If I hear one more thing about that "big ol' maverick" I'm going to scream!

Questioning the world around you

In the past year I've discovered quite a bit about myself - and remembered a lot about my former self. I've been faced with looking at the world and people around me, and see that even though I have been friends with some of these people for more than 10 years - I can still be surprised. It's not a bad thing, I'm glad that I can be challenged - it means I have to think. And that is something that is sorely missing in today's world.

We are working diligently toward getting a building that we can turn into an art center, with music, theater, gallery space, and art classes. Hopefully by late this year or very early next year this will be a reality. I know it's a risky time to be embarking on any new endeavour so wish us luck. I truly believe we have the right mix of people to make this a success. Also, if you have any desire to be an artist or you've been missing playing music out to people who appreciate it...please keep us in mind. You can contact me and I'll fill you in on the details of the project.

I've learned this year that I can disagree with my friends for their own point of view or actions, and that I don't have to keep it to myself. If they are really a friend - a difference of opinion, no matter how strong should be tolerated. I've also figured out that I can be deeply hurt by one comment that someone made to me...I'm still friends with this friend, and love them dearly, but it made me watch more what I say to others. Because this one comment may forever taint how I feel about this person, I can't say if "forever" is the correct word - but so far it still stings. I keep it to myself because I know it was not said with malice (at least I hope it wasn't) but it just makes me more careful in HOW I say things to others.

In these politically unprecedented times - I've learned to embrace my liberal views...Yes I'm a liberal - it may be a shock to you. But when did that become a bad thing? When did LIBERAL become a 4-letter word?

lib·er·al
1. favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs.
2. favorable to or in accord with concepts of maximum individual freedom possible, esp. as guaranteed by law and secured by governmental protection of civil liberties.
3. free from prejudice or bigotry; tolerant: a liberal attitude toward foreigners.
4. open-minded or tolerant, esp. free of or not bound by traditional or conventional ideas, values, etc.

Those are just a few of the definitions from www.dictionary.com so you can check them out for yourself. But beyond being a liberal - in this economic meltdown, we HAVE to do something different. I think we have proven that TRICKLE DOWN usually means TRICKLED ON to the middle class. I'm tired of Reaganomics - and mostly tired of hearing how he was our most beloved president - IN WHO'S WORLD? I remember families living in the street - and hope we as a country have the intelligence to try and change it before it happens again.

And for the record - GOD BLESS TINA FEY!!! She rocks!!! It's coincidence that she looks like Palin - but to have the ability to completely act like her - embrace her mannerisms and use her own words, that's just brilliant.

So the last thing I need I want to say in this rambling bit of my brain:



I will be.

America we have a problem

YUM

So yesterday was funky day for me - but it's amazing how something as little as ice cream can make it all better. Our building had an ice cream social in the afternoon - and one little scoop of oreo ice cream and some chocolate sauce later and I'm all better. :)

Oh and check this out - a friend is trying to get an artist community started. This party / art show is to raise money for the endeavor. Our friends band "Still Life" will also be playing. So if you're local you may want to check it out!

Hello

Just a quick hello today - trying to live up to my self imposed goal of writing more often...but today is one of those emotional days we all have. So I'll just post this picture that Jeff took last year when he was in NYC, it's one of my favorites.

Whining & Wine

Okay - I know I said I was going to write more and I didn't write less, I just didn't write AT ALL!

The Whining
So where to begin - I went to Iowa with my sister in June to drop my nephew off with my parents for the summer. Then on to Michigan to pick my daughter up from college and bring her home for the summer. It was an interesting but not eventful trip. In someways it was very disappointing...watching my parents slip into somewhere I never thought I would see. I am a very liberal person - and my parents are a big part of the reason why (especially my dad) but they are more involved in things now that are leading them to a much more conservative bend - VERY conservative. It's like going home and finding out your in some sort of twilight zone. I just can't stand the judgemental things I heard. Oh well maybe that is fodder for another day. I love my parents tremendously - but I don't have to agree with them.

Iowa was in the middle of the flooding disaster when we were there this summer. We literally didn't know if we were going to be able to

1. Get to my parents

and

2. Leave if we did get there.

By the time we arrived in Iowa there was one route open to get to my hometown from the south and it basically closed up after we got there. Finally the night before we were to leave one of the northern interstates opened so we were able to make it out with no problems.



One cool thing - my parents have a hummingbird feeder so I was able to go sit under it and take cool pictures (at least I think they are cool!) of the beautiful little birds.




The Wine

In July we went on a real vacation - rode to NY with our friends Jon & Susan. They had sent their boys to Susan's parents for the summer and were driving up to get them. We went along and were dropped off in Albany at Syd & Heather's (Syeatherville). Jon & Susan's original intentions were to drop us off and head further upstate to Barb & David's (the parents). However, we were having a really great time visiting and showing them around Syeatherville that they decided to stay over an extra day with us and go north the next morning. So a fun night was had with much eating, drinking, and merry making. Sunday we all (the 6 of us) went to a little flea market for the morning and said good byes to J&S. We spent the rest of the day exploring Albany & Troy then on to BBQ Ribs!

On Tuesday, we headed into the Adirondacks to Lake Placid where we met J&S for lunch and exploring. (S&H were much too generous and loaned us their car for the trip so we didn't have to rent one). The mountains and Lake Placid area were truly beautiful it was a great day.





We went up to Barb & David's for the night to see everyone. Susan had told us that her parents house had beautiful antiques - and she wasn't exagerating. They really should be running a B&B, the house is wonderful and filled with exceptional things. Barb is such a glorious host and loves to make people happy.




We headed back to Albany with a quick stop in Lake Placid to pick up a thank you gift for S&H. They were making their own wine so we bought them each an apron from a local winery to use when winemaking. (Syd's said "I'm not getting older I'm getting more complex" and Heather's had 3 bottles of wine and said "Group Therapy") We also picked up a lovely bottle of strawberry wine for dinner that night. On the way back through the mountains we stopped to take pictures - the views were so beautiful. Jeff stopped along the road for me to take pictures of a huge bolder in the middle of a river along the mountain face with birch trees in the background. He decided to step over the barrier and get a better view to get me a really great picture. While climbing over rocks to get a better view he stepped over a very sharp jagged rock and fell - cut the hell out of his leg and gave me a heart attack. After I made sure he was okay - I cried most of the way down the mountains.




We got back and he finished cleaning up - I bandaged his leg which looked nasty. But not as bad as it could have been. We had dinner "make your own pizza" was a lot of fun and very delicious. After dinner was cleaned up we bottled the wine that they had been making. We bottled 29 bottles - they ended the evening with 26! Hee Hee! It was very yummy - will be even better after it ages a little but it was fine wine that night.

We stayed over with S&H an extra day as we were having such a wonderful vacation. The next day they drove us to our hotel in NJ and then into THE CITY! We had lunch together at a little pizza place that claimed the best brick oven pizza in the city. It was very good - not sure it was the best but then I haven't sampled every pizza in NY. We said good-bye to S&H (tear!) and then proceeded to walk around Chelsea to many different art galleries - so much fun - art is weird and wonderful.






Then we walked around the rest of the evening - went to FAO Schwartz, Central Park, Macys, Time Square. At the end of the day 2 very tired travelers went to the train station and headed back to our hotel and straight to bed. Our flight was at 6AM the next morning so we got up at 2AM in order to get ready, catch the shuttle and wait for our plane.

Jeffrey and Nessa picked us up at the airport and off to a quick lunch at 5 Guys Burgers and then home to sleep most of the afternoon away. What a wonderful vacation!

BTW - Yes Jeff's dad did have quadruple by-pass surgery in July - he's doing okay, not as well as we would like but okay. I'll write more about that soon.

Love to anyone who actually reads this.

Tawny