Hubby and I arrived last Wednesday evening and we are leaving tomorrow morning. He’s here for some training for his job. He was able to have lunch with me each day (except for Sunday) during a break and dinner each night.

Here’s a list of things that we’ve lived through, seen, bought, visited, places we’ve eaten and other random things. Let me know in the comments if you want any links or names of any of the places or things that are mentioned.

I’m not a city mouse, I’m a country mouse. Visiting a city here and there for a few days or a week doesn’t bother me, but, I know that I’m happy out in the boonies. So, please keep that in mind as you read all of this entry!

Wednesday – We arrived in the airport. I had reserved a shuttle to take us to the hotel. No one rents a car in the area, at least not anyone we know. The shuttle was great, we had a very talkative driver that’s always lived in the area. He gave us a great mini-tour as we drove the 12 or so miles to our hotel on Canal Street which is in the French Quarter. We now have seen the rebuilding after Katrina in person. We’ve seen the City of the Dead through the windows. We know where the Superdome is, Tulane and Loyola. We tipped him $5 for our bags, most people just gave him a buck. It was worth it though, he was really nice as well.

After checking in we went out to explore a little bit and found House of Blues just down Decatur street. Our server, Josh, was totally a blast and very helpful for things we were asking about. I really enjoyed the food there and so did hubby. It’s an awesome place and I hope to get some photos of the inside before we leave.

Thursday – The next day I set off to explore the area. I had a few hours before meeting hubby for lunch. I took my camera and started off towards the Mississippi River. I found a few things that I was looking for, the streetcar station, Riverwalk, a steamboat and a ferry and the Aquarium. I walked into Riverwalk for a while…it’s an indoor mall. I did buy a few things, but, it’s very repetitive here with the same hats/t-shirts/masks/beads. I found a great silver shop (Silver Salon and they give military discounts!) and I bought a pretty bracelet, some Fleur de Lis earrings and later when I went back the other day a ring and a necklace charm.  The prices are extremely reasonable…I was a little shocked at how low they were. I found some really cute Voodoo Watchover dolls at Destination New Orleans. They also have salt water taffy in a box with a postcard attached. The food court is on the top level, near the end of the mall. It’s not set up like a traditional mall in that sense. The only thing I can figure out is because the riverboat cruises embark/disembark right there as well as the convention center. There’s also the food and drink museum, that charges a lot of money and a very expensive gift shop. It’s a nice long walk from the food court back to the hotel, especially when hubby was waiting for lunch! That afternoon I gambled a little at Harrah’s. We ate dinner at Popeye’s! It’s the first time that I have eaten there in a long, long time. The first Popeye’s is in the area, but it wasn’t this one. It was really good! It’s located on Canal Street between Chartres and Royal.

Friday – We ate lunch at Subway and it was a good meal. It’s on Royal St. within the first block off of Canal. We saw two people almost get hit by a streetcar! Seriously I knew that he wouldn’t hit them, but, they weren’t paying attention and just were walking without looking. He rang the bell a few times to move them off of the tracks. I’m sure it’s not the first time he’s done that. I walked around down Decatur and went to the French Market. I took photos at Jackson Square of everything including Joan of Arc! I also went to the Canal Street Shops. I went to Starbucks and bought an iced tea, visited JT Kids, which is really overpriced, looked and found one thing at Ann Taylor (not Loft, that’s in Riverwalk). I also saw a few places that were way out of my price range, Saks Fifth Avenue for one. Even on sale I cannot afford a dress n there. Friday night we walked down Bourbon Street. Wow, that’s something to see! I saw a lot of strip clubs, fake cops called “Party Patrol” that should be stopped, I also saw a lot of drunks and street people. We ate at Crescent City Brewhouse. It was okay. It’s a micro brewery, so hubby wanted to try it out and see how the beer was. It was okay. The food was okay. I’ve had much better and much worse. I ordered a steak, it was a little chewy and the green beans and Au gratin potatoes were undercooked. There’s a lot of different places to try, so, unless you are set on this place, skip it. Read more

I’m currently in Florida. I haven’t been here since 2006, when I flew in for a few days to get my mom and bring her back to our home for a week.

I’ve been visiting with my mom, my Aunt, my cousins and my brother and his family. Also my best friend! It’s so weird to be back here, seeing everyone. There are ghosts everywhere.

We arrived on Saturday evening. The flight was okay, but, there were kids right across the aisle from us. The kids were okay at first, but, as the flight went on, it went downhill quickly. We have a Toyota Corolla as our car this week. It’s small and after driving a Jeep for a few years, you realize how low cars actually sit!

Sunday we saw my mom, my Aunt and my cousins. One of my cousins I haven’t seen since I was a little kid. I didn’t really get a chance to visit with him, he was out the door to do something a short time after we arrived. We had a good visit with everyone. That night we met my brother, his wife and my niece for dinner. My nephew was working, but, we met his girlfriend! It’s nice to have had some time with them. Hopefully we’ll be getting together on Friday night for some Wii!

Monday we took my mom and my Aunt out to lunch – Red Lobster. We had a good visit and then we all went back to my Aunt’s house. She’s living in my grandparent’s house. It’s there were some of the ghosts arrived. Looking through photo albums, seeing myself and my grandparents together, where it hit me the hardest. There’s this awesome photo of my grandfather with a camera around his neck and he’s not even looking at the camera. I’m going to take photos of some of the photos the next time we are over there. I tried to explain scanning in the photos, but, she doesn’t even have a printer, so, that’s a challenge right from the beginning. I know that there are companies here in the area that will scan and archive/print photos, maybe I can point her in that direction.

Yesterday we went to Wal-mart and I found some shorts! The seasons are changing in the stores right now, hopefully there will be some shorts on the racks when I get home. I bought some flops at Target the other day and I found a few things on sale at Loft and at Stein Mart.

We also went to see my BFFOUCDP yesterday for lunch! I haven’t seen her in person since 2007, when we went to NYC for a long weekend. It was great to see her. She wanted me to take some business photos for her website and cards. The country club she took us to is gorgeous! It looks like an Italian village. Tons of photo opportunities! Hubby took some photos of her and I together and she took some of he and I.

Today we are off to see my mom and to get some house things checked off of her list. Tonight we are meeting my BFFOUCDP and her family for dinner!

I cannot believe that it’s July already. This year is really flying by. I’ve been keeping busy with everything.

I’ve had a few photo sessions, check out the photo site for details. I’m also now a member of BNI which is an international networking group. We have meetings on Wednesday’s, every week. I wasn’t sure that I was going to join, but, I did this last visit. You can visit three times before you have to join or not come back again. I was on the fence, so I went this past Wednesday. I received THREE referrals from within the group, so, I made up my mind right there. I have to wait a few weeks to get inducted, but, it’s nice to know that I won’t have to pay the hefty registration fee again. Between that and the Chamber of Commerce, I’m keeping busy. I also have been checking out another networking group, this one is all women. It’s the American Business Women Association. They have a dinner mixer on Wednesday in Annapolis. I plan on going to at least see what it’s all about.

Tomorrow is the 4th of July. Hubby and I are going to the Fairgrounds to eat a picnic dinner and watch the fireworks. I don’t remember doing anything here or in VA when we lived in the townhouses for the 4th. When we lived in Hampton, we just walked out our front door and saw the fireworks. So it’s been about 5 or 6 years.

I need to make a card for our anniversary to give him. We’ll be celebrating our 25th this month. I bought some really sweet little scrapbooking things that I plan on using for the card. Hopefully he will get me the Pandora necklace and charm that I am asking and hoping for!

Tomorrow and Monday we have estimators coming out to the house for the living room. He’s off next Friday and that’s the day that he will tear up the ceiling and wall. He’s putting in a lighting fixture and there’s nothing at all in that room except outlets and one switch on the wall. We have no furniture in there, as of yet, so, it will be quick and easy for the painters to patch the holes, paint the ceiling and walls and put the crown molding back up. We’re really lucky that he can do the electrical work. I keep telling him to get his license, he could make some good money on the side!

I’ve been cooking and baking a lot since we bought the new stove. It’s sweet! I hope to get the new washer/dryer in the Fall or for Christmas.

Traveling – We’re pretty much staying put until late August. Then we’re hopefully heading 3 hours south to Williamsburg for the weekend. Hubby is going to Pittsburgh next week for a few days and then NJ next month for a few days. He’s been traveling a lot the past year, much more than when he was still in the Navy, but less than others from what he’s told me.

Anyhow, that’s about it. You can see that I took off the password protection thing. I’m so irregular about posting that it doesn’t make sense to keep it private.

TTFN!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the new mommies, expecting mommies and mom’s. I hope you have a wonderful day!

We’re off to VEGAS BABY!! We’re leaving the house early this afternoon, making a stop at the beer store on the way to get some new bottles for hubby. Then, we are in the air until 8:30 p.m. Las Vegas time! I’m taking my laptop with me, so feel free to drop me a line, comment here, message me on Facebook, whatever. Bringing my camera along for some awesome shots of everything in the area! We’re planning on getting some time in at Red Rock and hopefully some horses will be out there running around. The weather is supposed to be HOT though, each day the low is in the 70′s and the highs are in the 97-100°F range. So, we’ll see what we end up doing with the afternoons. I see movies and a/c in our future. Plus, we’re going to gamble a little. We only pull the slots, so, it’s limited to what we can win. Last time we were there I won $200 on the slots, not a loss at all. Wish us luck! We are meeting up with a friend and her crew for dinner on Friday night. I think we met on Twitter, but we’ve been talking online for a while. She and her family live there, so how can we not meet up and have dinner? We found a great hotel near the strip, but it has a full kitchen and it’s always a good nights sleep in these hotels. We stayed at one in Atlanta and really liked it. The Air Force base is very close by to the hotel, we actually thought of staying there, but there are rules. You cannot stay there more than 3 guaranteed nights, since hubby is retired, active duty has priority and we don’t have kids with us either. That’s okay, we’re visiting the base to get cheap tickets and find out about the area.

I’ve been doing really well on my weight loss. I haven’t posted anything about it as I was stuck at a plateau for a while and wanted to get past that. I’ve now moved past that and every pound is a victory! I started on July 28, 2008 at 144 lbs. I changed my eating habits and worked out more and I’m now officially at 122 pounds! I wore a size 12 when I started, I’m in a size 4 now. I’m 4’11″ so my actual recommended weight is 99-115 pounds. I’ve been drinking water or Crystal Light and that’s it. No juice, which was really hard for me to wean off of. I haven’t been snacking a lot and keeping busy over the past few weeks has helped. I still run a mile when I go to the gym and when we get back I will be stepping that up a little. I also do the elliptical and the bike while I’m there. Now it’s time to start the crunches and get everything toned as I lose the last 10 or so pounds. I haven’t weighed under 120 since 1999 when I started working at the truck garage. So, that’s my goal for myself right now. To get those last 3 or 5 pounds off by my birthday in October! Sounds easy, we’ll see though. I want to be in my size 4 jeans that are a little snug right now, on my 45th birthday! I wear a 4 in shorts, weird that I wear a 6 in Levi’s. Anyhow, I’m still taking my vitamins, eating my salad and protein each day. I have a lot more energy than I did a year ago. Oh and I bought a dress! My first dressy purchase since losing weight. :pinkhearts: I will have someone take a photo of hubby and I while we are all dressed up so you can see it. I looked at my driver’s license and Military ID photos last night. I look SO different now. My face is definitely different. My weight was 130 when I got my driver’s license, I lied on it though, it was much higher I’m sure, that was last January. My Military ID has my weight at 115, which is a lie too, they carried that over from my last one and I didn’t deny it, they never asked actually. Now I can state it proudly when I get my next card or license. :grin:

Have a great week and I hope to post at least once from Vegas!

We’ve got reservations for a week at an Extended Stay hotel. Kitchen, couch, king size bed, non-smoking room, a gym, pool, jacuzzi we can use. $4.99 for the entire visit for internet. Guess how much for a WEEK? $400. Yup. That’s right. The plane tickets went on sale 2 weeks ago and we snagged them for $600 total. Car rental is $220 for a week. Not too shabby for a trip. We have $250 for gambling set aside.

I cannot wait. It’s been since NEVER that we’ve been gone a week from our kids. Ever. And we’ve always driven to the vacation spot, so we usually go to Williamsburg or somewhere nearby.

Sleeping in, spending time with each other. Heaven.