The Great Cicada Summer

Cicadas have become the bane of my existence. Today I came inside from a trip to the store, heard that characteristic screeching and immediately threw my purse to the floor, it was covered in THREE of those nasty little bugs.

Jon has taken to playing tennis with them. He'll run around in the yard swatting at them as they fly up towards his face. Sometimes he can be seen shaking trees to scare them out.

Tonight I noticed Jon, his friend and her cousin traipsing through our backyard with several tennis rackets in hand. Turns out they were headed to the woods near our house to find some more cicadas to kill.





I've been packing. Or at least organizing my piles into hate, hate it more, and hate it the least.

It's not going so hot to be honest.

Question of the Day

Last year it was 3 days into a 7 day trip to Florida before Jon had a suitable pair of swimming trunks. Somebody forgot to pack the stack of his and when we returned home, there they sat on the couch, just as folded as ever.

The year before somebody forgot to pack my father's vitamins. My Dad takes about 10 various supplements per day since he doesn't take prescription heart medication. I believe we ended up spending about $75 at the local GNC Outlet in Fort Myers to get all of the vitamins we forgot.

Flashback to the first year in Sanibel and you'll see us at the Walmart in Fort Myers spending $300 on fishing equipment my Mother said she didn't think my Dad would need to pack. $300 on fishing equipment during a trip in which my Father bitched about $50 for a dinner bill.

Two years ago I didn't book our vacation until 3 weeks before we left. I picked a place that was $500 for the week and the website offered NO pictures of the room. However the lady assured me it was close to the water. Trust when I say close to the water really meant over the freaking river, through the damn woods and across a retaining wall next to the penetentiary.

What I'm saying is that despite my online appearance about lists and preparedness the simple truth is I'll be leaving my house on Friday on a wing and prayer and hopes that I've at least forgotten things that I can buy later.

All this week will be a flurry of activity.

Any of you who have met my father know that he is an extremely detail oriented person. You might call this problem OCD, we just smile and nod our heads and don't let him know he's afflicted. He will be dictating and making lists and generally making this trip almost miserable.

Any of you who know me very well at all know that I have a shitload of flip flops and this week will be an intense trial in self control. There are 9 vacation days and only so much room in the van. Not that any of those issues has ever stopped me in the past.

But in the end I hope it won't matter how much he micro managed, how many changes of shoes I bring or whatever stuff has been forgotten. In the end I'll be relaxing on the beach again.

I mean, maybe, if we're lucky and don't run out of gas money halfway through the trip.

If I don't return hope it's because I simply could not leave the beach and not that I'm in some small town in Georgia working off a $200 tank of gas.

Question of the Day: How much will gas have to cost before you reach your breaking point?

Question of the Day

Last year it was 3 days into a 7 day trip to Florida before Jon had a suitable pair of swimming trunks. Somebody forgot to pack the stack of his and when we returned home, there they sat on the couch, just as folded as ever.


The year before somebody forgot to pack my father's vitamins. My Dad takes about 10 various supplements per day since he doesn't take prescription heart medication. I believe we ended up spending about $75 at the local GNC Outlet in Fort Myers to get all of the vitamins we forgot.


Flashback to the first year in Sanibel and you'll see us at the Walmart in Fort Myers spending $300 on fishing equipment my Mother said she didn't think my Dad would need to pack. $300 on fishing equipment during a trip in which my Father bitched about $50 for a dinner bill.


Two years ago I didn't book our vacation until 3 weeks before we left. I picked a place that was $500 for the week and the website offered NO pictures of the room. However the lady assured me it was close to the water. Trust when I say close to the water really meant over the freaking river, through the damn woods and across a retaining wall next to the penetentiary.

What I'm saying is that despite my online appearance about lists and preparedness the simple truth is I'll be leaving my house on Friday on a wing and prayer and hopes that I've at least forgotten things that I can buy later.

All this week will be a flurry of activity.

Any of you who have met my father know that he is an extremely detail oriented person. You might call this problem OCD, we just smile and nod our heads and don't let him know he's afflicted. He will be dictating and making lists and generally making this trip almost miserable.

Any of you who know me very well at all know that I have a shitload of flip flops and this week will be an intense trial in self control. There are 9 vacation days and only so much room in the van. Not that any of those issues has ever stopped me in the past.

But in the end I hope it won't matter how much he micro managed, how many changes of shoes I bring or whatever stuff has been forgotten. In the end I'll be relaxing on the beach again.

I mean, maybe. If we're lucky and don't run out of gas money halfway through the trip.

If I don't return hope it's because I simply could not leave the beach and not that I'm in some small town in Georgia working off a $200 tank of gas.

Question of the Day: How much will gas have to cost before you reach your breaking point?

Sidetracked

I now interrupt this regular programming to bring you the following.

April's Vacation is in 10 FREAKING DAYS: A Soliloquy in Four Parts

To be, or not to be, that is the Question:

Whether 'tis Nobler in the minde to suffer

Oh who am I kidding? Apologies to Shakespeare. I can't write a soliloquy, no thank you to my 17 years of education.

17 years of school. Wow. Kind of frightening to see that written out.

Anyways.

So I have 10 days until vacation. I'm going to call this pre-vacation. Because my butt is doing nothing in the next 10 days that isn't vacation related. I'll have to visit a dozen stores, twice. Then at some point I'll have to do a bunch of laundry. Board the dog...

Okay, I totally stopped writing this after I said "board the dog" because OH CRAP, I had forgotten to call and sign Jack up for boarding. After an intense 5 minutes on hold they assured me he would have a spot for 10 days this month. I have to take him tomorrow to get his yearly shots.

And now I'm all weepy about leaving him for 10 days. This is ultimately the toughest part of leaving. While the girls are small enough to come with us, and the cats are responsible enough to stay home alone, Jack is neither. I hope his neurotic self will be okay without us. I'm always reminded of something I read about dogs once, if they can't be with the ones they love...they love the ones they're with. Hopefully that will hold true.

Okay, I'm composed now.

Really I should be happy. Last year Jack stayed the week with my Aunt and Uncle. While with them, their friend managed to latch her grubby paws into my dog. They "bonded" all week.
And the friend fed Jack PURINA BENEFUL. Because she didn't think my dog food was "good enough".

Umm. Okay.

Feeding one of my dogs Purina is the equivalent of a vegetarian's kid being given meat at daycare. Or Jon and Kate's 8 being fed something non-organic.

For a week after we got Jack back home he had rancid gas. And his coat stunk. And he was OILY. Like, that's weird.

All because some old lady thought her $8 bag of Beneful was better than my $28 bag of grain free, grass-fed, organic kibble.

At least the vet will feed my dog whatever I send with him. And they'll walk him. And love on him.

In fact. I'm feeling better already.

If he can't be with the one he loves, at least he's not eating beneful.

Now Introducing

Cotton Cuddlesworth IV

Inspired by the Travelocity Commercials we bought this gnome for an interesting vacation photo project.

Stay tuned, of course.

And no. I have no life. But my brother thinks I'm awesome. I'm definitely giving him the fun youth I didn't have. ;)

Photo of the Day

Meet my new shoes.

Also scored: another pair of shorts, a swimsuit that I actually like, one laptop bag thing-y, and four chairs for the beach. My to do list is crossing itself off at extreme rates.

Business

So I'm sitting there eating my cereal this morning. Wherein "cereal" really means fritos and cheddar bacon dip, and I realize: my vacation is freakin' 15 DAYS AWAY.

Umm. Hello? When did this happen and who allowed it?

Am I allowed to gloat? Please say I am.

I apologize in advance. But seriously! In 15 days I'll be back on my little slice of heaven. I'll be shelling and beaching and it will be WONDERFUL.

So anyways. I feel the need to leave the following link here in case anyone who reads would be interested:

The Business of Being Born

This is that documentary that Ricki Lake helped do all about childbirth, midwivery, and homebirths.

As I get older I find myself becoming more and more in touch and in tune with that maternal instinct of mine. I begin to wonder how I'd like to create my family, the number of children and the manner in which they come to me. Adoption is still in the forefront of my ideal life, however I could see myself having a biological child in addition.

My mother has so many co workers whom are pregnant as we speak and our conversations sometimes are all about how those women are planning to birth. One in particular in interested in finding a midwife which sparked a whole conversation about hospital births. My Mom is adament in saying if she'd had another child after Jon she would have never, ever gotten another epidural.

After watching this documentary I think I definitely see where she is coming from. Too many women are coming home from hospitals with C-Sections. Then staph infections after that. When did we stop trusting our bodies to just do what they do?

So there is my spill. Watch it. It's fascinating. Cultivate your own opinions. I won't beat you up if they are different than mine.

Leash Training Molly

One of the biggest challenges in regards to this year's vacation involves traveling with Molly. Since she is still very much a puppy (9 mos old), and she's only lived full time with us since January it's safe to say her training has been sparse. She listens when you say "come here" and that's about it.

While common sense says leave her at home and board her at the vet's office with Jack, I kept having serious trouble committing to that idea when I booked this trip. Which is how I ended up on the phone with the owner of our condo, begging her to let us bring two dogs. She abliged, and now I'm forced to not back down on this idea of bringing Molly.

So now I've had to spend the past few days leash training Molly.

Needless to say, it's not going so hot:

She's really good at standing in one spot:

She's even better at being carried:

Jill tried showing her how it's done:

But in a fit of smug superiority, gave up.

Jill thinks Molly is a lost cause.

She might be right.

Anyone seen any good deals on those doggy strollers lately?

What Now, Baaaaaaab?

My father has somehow morphed into me in the past few weeks: an obsessive list maker and planner. No wonder people have spent so much time mad at me in the past, it's quite annoying.

Lately his schtick has been pushing me to "coupon more of that stuff we need for the trip". So I spent yesterday shopping for a few things we need. Mostly swimming trunks and shorts for Jon, and a dress for the wedding. But I did manage to make headway on my Dad's "list".

I won't deny. It feels kind of good to have things slowly accumulate, rather than be bought in a rush of hurry the night before we leave.

T-Minus 25 days, and counting.

On the Road Again, Like a Band of Gypsies...

In less than 30 days I will be on the road. Possibly somewhere in North or South Carolina at this point. That is my favorite part of taking a trip: being on the road. There is something to be said about traveling by car in this country. The silly things you find on the side of the roads, the somewhat frightening podunk kind of towns you run across as you fill up gas. And when traveling in the South, the varying degrees of accents you run across at each station.

I simply adore rolling into parking lots in the middle of the night, with the lights illuminating the view. How around 3 am you have to crank up the air conditioning to force yourself awake as you drink shitty cappucinos and prompt the rest of the car into one more rousing session of "sing it if you know it". Or that feeling of hitting the florida state line at 5 am, where the wind immediately shifts and everything begins to feel stickier.

This year the exact nature of the road trip is up in the air. I could not say for certainty that we will even be stopping to spend the night somewhere. However I have been promised a roll into Savannah. For that, I am at least grateful. This much I do know, at some ungodly hour on Friday the 13th (cue the scary music) my family will pile into my mother's new ride with 2 yapping dogs and 1 sleepy kid. We'll bid adeiu to the house. Water the plants one last time and Dad will begin the trip behind the wheel.

It will all seem very "Leave it to Beaver".

25 minutes down the road something calamity will occur. Like that one year the windows began leaking, it downpoured and by Lebanon Junction we were all soaked to the bone. This year I predict something will begin to beep in my mother's ultra sensitive van and we won't know how to make it stop.

Approximately 1 hour into the trip my Dad will begin to bob his head. Mom will ask him if he'd like her to take over now, and he'll agree. He'll say "just for a little while" and he will really mean, "at least until we hit the Florida state line".

At this point I'll assume position in the front seat with my mother as the boys and dogs doze in the backseat. During this time we will get lost, argue over directions, listen to way too much bad music and quiz each other on useless trivia we think of as we pass various cities.

If there is anything for Lucy and Ethel to get into, this is when it will happen.

And I can't wait.

But mostly I can't wait for a very laid back vacation. I've warned everyone I'm traveling with that all I want to do is lay on the beach and take tons of pictures all week. I don't need to run all over Timbuktu, I don't need to see everything in the world, I just need relaxation and a break.

I think I have a tendency to run on full throttle when on vacation. I guess it has to do with how alive I feel when doing something I love, like traveling. I always want to see, touch, feel and do as much as possible. And in the process I can lose focus of what a vacation is really about. It's the simple moments I always remember most, not the ones I freak out over and try to create.

Like the very first time I walked onto the beach with Jonathan. Or eating key lime pie last year with my toes in the sand which was so simple and unexpected. And the night I sat on a pier for four hours with a pigeon staring me down the entire time. The last one I bitched and complained about the entire time it was occuring and yet it has become one of my favorite travel memories. Because it was quirky and unusual.

Remind me to take more pleasure in quirky and unusual, okay?

So that's what I'm doing here, I'm vowing to myself that I will chill out and promise to not run on maximum pressure for 9 days. I'll just sit back and enjoy the ride. Even if Jon sticks his stinky feet in my face the entire time.

Like Christmas Morning

I get crazy joy from getting vacation guides in the mail. I ordered these last week, kudos to GA and SC for getting them here so soon! haha

Goin' to the Beach...Goin' to the Beach

I booked at Loggerhead Cay!!

*doing my happy dance*

Holy crap!! I'm going to the beach! For real. It's official.

Help! Please Give Me Feedback

It has come down to two choices for my vacation. Two very different choices. I need to pick one tonight or tomorrow and book it because things are filling up fast. But I'm at a loss with which one to pick. I need your help. If you read this I'd love to hear your opinion. My mom is asking her friends at work and hopefully one or some of you will give me enough feedback to assist in making a decision. I keep flipping back and forth between them honestly.

So without further ado:

Option #1

Loggerhead Cay

This option includes a pool, sweeping view from the 3rd floor, close proximity to the beach, more space and closer location to shopping. It is also the cheapest option and has 2 balconies, both with water views. There is also a view of the beach from the kitchen window.

Option #2
White Caps

This option has no pool, but sits 90 steps from the water and the cottage is on sand. It is also $143 more and requires a refundable $200 security deposit to book. The other option requires no security deposit.

Both have washers/dryers, 2 bathrooms, nice kitchens, internet access and will allow us to bring both small dogs.

And I have no clue on which one to pick.

Thoughts?

Disjointed

My parents are out right now having the Florida talk. The one where Dad, who has stayed appropriately out of the vacation discussion, finally gets to hear all of the options and give his input on where he'd like to go. So far all I've heard is he is insisting on stopping on the way down and the way back up.

I'm looking into Savannah for the first stop and Amelia Island for the 2nd stop. Well, not on the island, but close enough to drive into it and see the Atlantic Ocean. I'm really hoping to accomplish that on this trip. So keep your fingers crossed for me! haha

In other news I made my brother sick. He's miserable right now and blaming it all on me. Not in words though, his throat hurts too much to talk so he's writing evil messages to me on his DS. Such a sweet boy that one is.

Tonight the contestants of this next season of Dancing with the Stars will be revealed at the end of the show, Dance Wars. This brings me so much joy it's ridiculous. But I really love that stupid show.

And really that is about all I have to say on this very boring Monday. All I have to give is a very disjointed post with no segues whatsoever. At least tomorrow I might finally book a vacation and move onto fun things like shopping for it.

Vacation Planning Guide

There are a few things in life that I’m good at. These amazing talents include remembering useless information, popping my toes, baking incredibly fattening things, buying another dozen pair of flip flops, and staring at my workout DVDs without actually doing them.

I know, I know. Please refrain from your applause.

I also happen to be well skilled in the business of vacation planning.

Or at least a know-it-all-jackass on the subject.

In all seriousness though I figure some of you might want to know what I use in travel planning, because I talk about it so much.

So while I'm no expert on the issue of planning a vacation I'm willing to share my tips to assist anyone in thinking of things they might not have before.

Websites of Choice:

http://www.flickr.com/
*I use Flickr (no account required) as a search engine for pictures. Instead of relying on the tourist websites for pictures of a destination, which are often so photoshopped you freak when you arrive and realize it‘s nothing like your dreams. By performing a search of the destination here, you will discover actual vacationers’ and locals’ photographs to give a real sense of the spot, rather than some beefed up Chamber of Commerce version.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/
*This is a wonderful way to find reviews of the place you are thinking of booking, city you want to visit, restaurant you want to eat at or sight you want to see to find out if it’s really worth it. Another great tip for this site is to visit the FORUM of the place you want to visit so you can ask questions of local experts or other travelers. I’ve had people help me pick a condo in the past or offer a restaurant suggestion.

http://www.vrbo.com/
*Vacation Rentals By Owner. This a great site for finding condo or house rentals, and they are directly offered by the owner. Most listings have tons of photos, lists of amenities and sometimes reviews from past visitors.

I also wouldn’t hesitate to visit a destination’s Chamber of Commerce website either, they are usually filled with tons of info, links to rental companies and hotels and sometimes great deals and coupons.

Hot Tips:

*Don’t just think hotel. We love renting condos and houses, especially in Florida or on Smoky Mountain trips because they are often better deals than hotels and offer more privacy.

*If renting from a hotel, don’t hesitate to actually call on the phone and talk to a real live person. While sites like Expedia and Hotline do offer great deals on certain locations, booking agents at the hotel are authorized to offer their own deals that often rival.

*But remember, you get what you pay for. I like to do quite of bit of searching to get a feel for the average price of a weeks stay wherever I’m about to visit and often bump up or push back the week so that it falls into off seasons or shoulder seasons to save the most money. But I refuse to stay in places that look like they fell right out of 1982 which is why it’s important to….

*Gauge what is important to you as a traveler. It’s imperative to know what type of décor and amenities you require as a traveler and patron. For example, some people might only enjoy all inclusive vacations with breakfast, lunch and dinner options all on site, I enjoy visiting the local grocery store and taking that one on myself for the week. There is no right or wrong answer to this one.

*I also refuse to stay anywhere without first seeing a picture of the room. I made the mistake of booking on information from a hotel manager one time and let’s just say they lied. Because it was a dump that I checked out of early.

*If you are renting a car find rental codes online to save money. Much like finding a “free shipping” code for an online store, you can google Budget, Hertz, ect., “coupon codes” to save money on car rentals. This alone saved us $200 last year.

*Request Vacation Guides from the tourism website of the state or city you are going to visit. These are invaluable to me and I take a folder full of these guides, maps and brochures on all of my trips. This is a great way to be organized and expect the unexpected.

Most of all, remember to have fun with it. I really enjoy reading the websites or scouring through pictures. Plan early and find ways to save as much money as possible. Vacations can only be money pits if you let them. I like to make envelopes in advance and label them with various things I want to do or see while I’m on a trip. I write the price on the envelope and stick cash in them when I have extra until before I know it a meal or admission somewhere is paid for without it breaking the bank.

I’m passionate about this. I wonder if anyone can tell? ;)

The Taylorsville-Savannah-Sanibel Express

Typically on a trip to Sanibel we take the Shepherdsville-Nashville-Chattanooga-Atlanta-Florida route to get to our destination. This is of course is the preferred route by the famous search engines like Mapquest, Yahoo, or Google.

This year I really want to try something different, even if we are going to the same place. I’ve spent the last few hours researching various routes and stopping points for the first day of the trip. So far the plan I’m liking the most involves driving 10 hours into Savannah, Georgia to stay the night there. Major points of interest include Eastern Kentucky; Knoxville, TN; Asheville, NC; Columbia, SC; and ends in Savannah.

I’m most excited at this prospect because it will allow me to see Asheville, NC which is a dream destination of mine, as well as drive the length of South Carolina. Those are two states I’ve never visited and I’ll at least get to say I’ve been in them before after this trip! I also think this way might be incredibly more scenic, given the driving through the mountains thing.

The second leg of getting there involves going through Candace’s grandparent’s “hood”; Jacksonville, Florida. Before that I’ve found a small town called Hero, FL that offers a 22 minute straight shot off of the interstate to Amelia Island, FL. This excursion would add an hour into our day but would allow for us to see and touch the real Atlantic Ocean (as opposed to the Gulf of Mexico). I’m not entirely sure this part will be feasible in terms of time yet, but I’d love to do it. I’m thinking if not on the way down, we could on the way home.

Once we get to the island I’ve been thinking of all the things I want to do there that I haven’t before. Some of these include:

*Taking a sunset or dolphin cruise.
*Actually purchase a fishing license for myself and throw in a line.
*Visit the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum.
*Go to the beach on Captiva.
*Shell at Lighthouse Beach.
*Visit Blind Pass.
*Visit the Sanibel Marina.
*Take Dad fishing in the bay by the causeway.

I’ve still not booked the place we will be staying at but I’ll probably do this sometime around the first week of March. Once I make the final decision, which is proving to be way more involved and difficult than I once thought. It would seem when you make the decision to take 2 dogs instead of 1 the search grows infinitely more complex. And while some would say we should just leave them here and board them with Jack, it’s easier said than done once you look into their pitiful sad eyes. And besides, the $90 pet fee for the week is actually saving us money versus boarding costs.

My new front runner is a place called Signal Inn. It’s not got the views that some of the others have, but it’s smaller complex with only 18 units, all of which are built on stilts with parking underneath. It has an awesome pool, gazebo, raquetball court and despite the lack of view is actually a much closer walk to the beach on a quieter stretch than the other choices.

But remember with me, what I may be leaning towards today might be completely off the list tomorrow. The important thing I have to remember is that as long as the condo is updated, modern and gorgeous and the walk isn’t a mile to the beach it won’t matter because it’s sure to be amazing.

Now, excuse me while I go continue chanting this to myself over and over.