King's Dominion

Today was just the most perfect day! I met my friend, Kim, at Penelope's near Virginia Center Commons and then she followed me the few miles to Valerie & Han's house. When we got there, Valerie was finishing up making some homemade chocolate chip cookies and so we got to sample them fresh from the oven and warm. Then after having a nice conversation, we all left for an afternoon at King's Dominion! The very first ride we rode was the "Volcano"! Wow! That is one heck of an exciting roller coaster! We also went on the "Flight of Fear"....which reminded me of Space Mountain at Disney World...and also the "Scrambler", which was a little more tame. We had pepperoni pizza for dinner and then went on one of the parks newest rides....the "Americana", which is the first Ferris Wheel in King's Dominion 35 year history. Each seat can hold up to 6 people and the view from the top is just gorgeous!

I sure enjoyed listening to Valerie and Kim and Hans talk. Everyone was in such a good mood and we all enjoyed being with each other so much....it was really fun! And I got to thinking...I was 24 years old when the park first opened. I would take my nieces (then ages 14 and 11) there when they would fly in from Las Vegas to visit. We would arrive at the park when it opened and leave when it closed. In my mind today, I was able to visualize myself back then at age 24. Hard to believe that 35 years have gone by since then. And then it dawned on me that Hans is 24 now and Valerie will be 24 in October, so they are the ages now that I was when I first started going to King's Dominion.

Some of my very favorite memories though are when I used to take Valerie there when she was little. I first took her there when she was 9 months old, and we had a BALL!!! I can still picture her dancing in my lap at the musical shows. Each year of her childhood, I took her there, and each year spells a different but wonderful memory. I still chuckle at the memory of her second summer there when the thing at the park that was of most interest to her was the curbs. Forget the rides....she wanted to climb up and down the curbs! It was so cute!

Anyway, today was yet another wonderful memory. Since we all have season passes, I hope that there can be many more days like today this summer.

One of these days.....

One of these days I'm going to remember to take my camera with me whenever I go somewhere, because I have had the nicest time with Valerie the past two days and no pictures to go along with it. I've also gotten a lot of work done....but don't need pictures for that!

On Monday I went into Bill's office to help Amy with some bookkeeping stuff. It's hard to believe that I have known Bill for over 20 years now....what a GREAT man he is! And Amy, who is his wife, is wonderful as well. Anyway, I spent the entire day there and also picked up Bill's 2008 corporate and personal tax stuff. We intend to file it by the end of May instead of October like we normally do. I told Bill that all of the government computers will break when they see that he is filing so early.....early for him anyway!

Then yesterday I worked at my house.....and kept an eye on UXG (the stock that I bought on Monday at $1.95-$1.99). It was consolidating in the $2 range so I figured that it wouldn't really begin to move until next week sometime. WRONG!!!! It shot out at opening today like a cannon, and was up 15 cents before I even had time to finish my morning coffee.

Now yesterday, Valerie came over at 4:00 to work with the dogs with me because 4:00 is when the market closes. Before we started working though, we made a trip to Starbucks because I was famished.....and she was beat! It was such a nice afternoon and it's about time that I really started working with Kyla and Alex. They already know the commands, but I've been traveling so much this past year that I haven't worked with them the way that I should've. But thanks to my lovely daughter, that is about to change. Hans came by after work shortly after we were through, so we went to Stick's for dinner. I had been wanting to try it....and I still haven't gotten to the grocery store.....so it was eat out or perish! :) Stick's was really good....it's a kebob place.

So today, since I didn't expect UXG to do much yet, I met Valerie at Bryan Park at 11:00 and we walked about a mile or so with the dogs. We stopped by my house to drop off Cody, Alex and Kyla and then we went to this very nice little Vietnamese place.....can't for the life of me remember the name....Fo-Shou, or something like that. It served noodles, which were delicious and then I had some type of tea that was like a cold smoothie with tapioca in the bottom of it. It was wonderful!!! I had the Taro flavor and the tapioca was purple so it looked like a blueberry drink.

Before I left to meet Valerie in Bryan Park, I ALMOST put a sell order in for UXG at $1.20, but the durn stock was acting so strong that I didn't want to do anything unless I was watching it, so I did nothing. Well, sure enough, when we got back to the house, UXG had hit $2.21 and then started to retrace so when I got back, it was at $2.12. Man....I could've made a quick $800 on that flip. Oh well....I told Valerie that beginning June 1st....I didn't care what....I was not leaving the house while the market was open....everyone would just have to realize that I have a job from 9:30 until 4:00. I had to pick June 1st because I have too much stuff going on until then.
Valerie was great about it...she totally understood. UXG ended the day at $2.20, but it sure feels as though it wants to test $3.00, but since I can't be here tomorrow much, I put an order in to sell it at $2.50. I am sure that it's going there.....just not sure when. I just have a feeling that gold is going to try and test 1000 soon and if it does, then UXG is REALLY going to fly!

I haven't talked about stocks much on this blog....but they are my true love as far as vocations go. I never get tired of them.....and boy, this past Fall I learned more from the downturn than I have learned in the past 15 years. I'm much more cautious now, but also much more focused. The last several stocks that I have picked have been right on the money. RAME, OREX, BHPX, and GRO. OREX and GRO were AMAZING!!! Orex went from $1.78 to over $3.40 in two days (too bad I sold it the first day at $1.98 and was HAPPY!) and GRO went from $1.64 to over $2.40 in just a few hours. (Too bad it was just on my watch list). One thing that I like about stocks is that one learns so much about the world from them. From medicine to gold mines....so interesting! And there is never, ever a shortage of ones to choose from. Doesn't matter what the overall market is doing....there is ALWAYS a stock out there with a good buy-in point.

One of my favorite stocks is Yamana Gold (AUY). I am always getting in and out of it for quick flips. Made $300 on it the first hour Monday morning before I bought UXG. It flew today too, but since it costs much more than UXG, the profit margin isn't as great. But if my feeling turns out to be right about gold trying to test 1000, then AUY will continue to do wonderfully. It just goes up and down so much during the day that it's always fun to get in and out for a quick flip. The trick is to get in and out at the right time. In March of 2008, AUY was at $19. In October of 2008, AUY was at $3. I HAD to learn to flip for survival! AUY is back to $10 as of today.

Ok, so now that I've probably bored whoever is reading this to tears....I guess it is time to stop. I'm going to go watch the season finale of NCIS (thank goodness for video on demand).

Ticket Update

Kevin called me this morning with some very good news! He had gotten up early and had gone to the UPS store to fax all of the materials that the prosecutor in NC had asked for. Sean's coach had written a WONDERFUL letter praising Sean and saying how dedicated Sean was to the kids and that he would be working all summer with them and the driving records were all in hand and so at 9 AM, everything was faxed to North Carolina.


At 9:30 AM, the prosecutor called Kevin and YIPPEE!!!......the charge was reduced from reckless driving to speeding just 9 miles over the speed limit and so Sean will only have to pay a $130 fine TOTAL, and he will not have to appear in court on July 2nd. Whew!!!! The prosecutor told Kevin that when she called the police officer to ask him whether he would have a problem with the charge being reduced, he replied, "Not at all! That had to have been one of the nicest and most polite young people that I have ever stopped."

Thank goodness!!! Had the charge not been reduced, Sean would've had to drive back to the Outer Banks for a July 2nd court date.....either that or paid a lawyer to stand in for him (which would not have been cheap). With a potential lawyer's fee, plus a much higher fine, plus court costs, we were estimating that the cost would have run from $1500 to $2000 plus the insurance would really have increased. Instead, because Sean had no prior incidents on his record, and because he had worked many volunteer hours for his community, and because he was so nice to the police officer, he has to pay a fine that is less than 1/10 of what we were afraid it might be.

Hooray! Hooray! I was amazed that the prosecutor had called Kevin so quickly. I figured that he wouldn't be hearing from her until Wednesday. I'm sure glad that I was wrong! Sean, of course, is ecstatic!! He told his Dad that he felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. I would guess so. Anyway, I'm just really glad that this has had a happy ending!

I still have three days of posting to do about the Outer Banks....Wednesday through Friday, May 13th -May 15th. I shall be doing that sometime soon, along with pictures....so stay tuned!

And now that I'm back in Richmond, perhaps sometime soon I can meet one of my favorite fans.....American Granny! (I'm a great fan of hers too!)

Closing Night of "Annie"

Today, Sunday, May 17th, was the closing night of the play "Annie" at Theatre IV......Cody's last night of being a star. And I was there to see it all. As I was walking in, I heard someone say, "What a GREAT little play!" And it was! I enjoyed watching it just as much on it's closing night as I did on it's opening night! The kids who played the orphans were so cute and got along so well. They were so sad that this was their last night together. But they're already planning a reunion this summer. The girl who played the part of Annie lives on 5 acres in New Kent County and her Mom told me that they plan to have all the girls over for an outdoor sleepover this summer.

I arrived at the theater early, around 4 o'clock. I was able to have dinner with Valerie & Hans and also play ball with Cody. After dinner Valerie and I went to get some hot cocoa and we really had a nice time together. Unlike the orphans, Valerie is really glad that tonight is the last night, and I don't blame her. She has had to put in a lot of hours, both in training Cody and in being at every show as his handler. After tonight, she will have earned a well-deserved break and now she can concentrate more on her dog training business.

But I am really glad that she has had this experience. It has made her understand more how a theatre works, and just how hard Hans has to work for each show. He's the master carpenter and so he has a lot of work to do in building the sets and making sure that things go smoothly.

First Ticket-May 10, 2009

I have promised to tell why the trip to Manteo was necessary for Kevin & Sean. But first, imagine this.......imagine that a pick-up truck had been going at over 100 mph and that someone had reported this to the police. Now imagine that there were three police cars watching and waiting for the pick-up driver. And lastly, imagine that the first car to come speeding by was not the pick-up driver, but instead a college kid with his twin sister and her friend as passengers.

Yep, you guessed it! It was 1:30 AM in the morning. Sean, Jenna & Laura had been on the road for 9 1/2 hours and were about 30 minutes from the cottage. It was a straight highway with no other traffic on the road, and Sean was tired and just wanted to reach his destination. He and Jenna & Laura had been driving carefully all day, but it was Sean & Jenna's birthday....they had been 20 years old for 1 1/2 hours, when all of a sudden.....what should come bearing down on them, but not one, not two....but THREE police cars....sirens blaring. Oops!

Sean's 20th birthday....and his first traffic ticket. And to make matters worse, he was going just slightly more than 20 miles per hour above the speed limit....which meant that he got a reckless driving citation.....which meant that he HAD to appear in court in Dare County, NC, on July 2nd, or else pay a lawyer to appear for him. Double oops!

But the next part will show what the type of person that Sean is. He was SICK about the ticket. But he was polite to the police officer and I know he was nice because when the officer noticed that it was Sean's birthday, he told him that he was so sorry that he had to give him a reckless driving ticket, but that he had already called it in since they had been on the lookout for the pick-up driver. But then he told Sean what he could do....and that meant going to the courthouse in Manteo......speaking directly to the prosecutor.....and asking if there was any way to have the charge reduced to a regular speeding ticket. Sean said that if he did have to go to court in July, that he was going to make a point of telling the judge how nice the police officer was. I know from experience that a police officer is usually not going to be that helpful unless he is really impressed by the character of the person whom he is stopping. Police are used to hearing all kinds of excuses, but Sean just told him the truth. He said that he was on his way to Duck and that he was tired and that he just did not realize how fast he was going and that he was sorry.

We were all sick about it when Sean told us. We felt so sorry for him....his very first ticket....on his 20th birthday.....and on his way to a nice vacation at the beach. I was afraid that it would ruin his vacation....but luckily it didn't....and one reason why it didn't was Kevin's reaction to the news. He didn't yell at Sean....he didn't try to make him feel guilty or to shame him...he just told Sean that he was really sorry that happened to him and that he would go with Sean to the courthouse and do whatever he could to help. So, they went to the courthouse. The prosecutor was in court all day, but her receptionist was very helpful and took down all the information and told them that she would talk to her boss and see what she could do for them.

So.....on Wednesday the prosecutor called. So far it sounds pretty promising. She told Kevin that she would need Sean's driving record and proof of his hours of volunteer work, and proof that he would be working with kids all summer and proof of his coaching internship and that once she got all that, she would then speak with the police officer and if his report was good, that she would more than likely be able to get the charge reduced. So we're feeling pretty hopeful about it. Sean told his Dad that he had enough in his savings to cover the fee and that he didn't want his Dad to have to pay one penny for his mistake. Let me tell you....that is one good kid!

But can you imagine turning 20....on your way to a much anticipated vacation....and only being 20 for 1 1/2 hours and getting pulled over and getting a reckless driving ticket? Sean said that he knew one thing for sure and that is that he will NEVER forget his 20th birthday! I believe him!

Lazy Day

Kim & Rob arrived at the cottage around 1 AM. It was so good to see them! I had managed to stay up to greet them, but everyone else had gone to bed. Rob turned in fairly quickly, but Kim and I stayed up and gabbed until close to 4 AM. They brought lots of groceries as well. The refrigerator is now PACKED!!!! Since Rob is a chef, he is going to cook dinner for us one night.


Although I didn't get to bed until late (or early depending upon how one looks at it), I managed to wake up before 9 AM. Kevin & Sean had already left for Manteo, so I decided to take a long walk with Kyla and Alex. As I was returning, I heard a voice call out, "Hey, those are sure two good-looking dogs you have there," and I turned to see Kevin & Sean returning from Manteo.


They didn't get everything cleared up, but they found a very nice receptionist who gave them a lot of good information and promised to put a word in for them. And yes, in my very next post I shall tell what happened and why the Manteo trip was necessary.


After returning to the cottage from the walk, Rob & Kim were up and Rob made Texas French Toast for everyone along with bacon and eggs. Yum! It was really good! After breakfast, Rob & Kim left to go explore the shops on Nagshead. They wanted to hit the Tanger Outlet which has lots of good buys.


Sean, Jenna & Laura sunned themselves out by the pool, and Kevin and I stayed inside enjoying the ocean breeze that came through the windows and the sound of the surf. Kevin watched the market and worked on the Manteo stuff for most of the day, and I read a book out on the porch and just generally enjoyed myself. I had given myself a week off from the market by getting into 100% cash before we left for the beach. And it was good that I did. I had bought the stock that I was in at $1.88 and last Friday morning I sold it for $2.20, but then the company came out with bad earnings and it plummeted down to $1.82. Looks as though I made a really good move with that one.


I wish that I could convey to everyone just how beautiful and peaceful it is inside the cottage. There are so many windows that one feels as though they are outside and I just never get tired of listening to the sounds of the surf. The day just flew by even though we didn't do anything special. Heck, just being at the cottage is special!


The weather is cooler and breezier than I had hoped it would be, so lying on the beach isn't such a good idea, but at least the pool is sheltered and so the kids really seem to enjoy being out there. I was afraid that since the weather wasn't cooperating that they would get bored, but they really seem to be enjoying themselves. Sean said that he didn't want to go home, so that made me feel good. It's a shame that his girlfriend is still in school as I know that she would've loved it here too.

Jenna's friend, Laura, is a trip! I really enjoy her. She has this really laid back attitude that goes along great with the beach. And she's funny! She's also very artistic. She and Jenna had known each other in high school, but since Jenna was so much into sports, they hadn't really hung out together. But once they arrived at UT (University of Tennesse), they hooked up and found that they really enjoyed each other.


By 7 PM, Rob and Kim had not yet returned, so we decided to start dinner without them. The kids, especially Sean, were really starting to get hungry. Kevin and Sean fixed hamburgers and hot dogs out on the grill and we had macaroni salad and fruit salad along with bread and butter pickles to complement the meal. Kim and Rob returned just as we had started eating, and there was plenty of food for them as well.


And so thus ended my lazy day at the beach. My only complaint? It went by too quickly! It seemed as though I had just gotten up and all of a sudden it was evening. Kim showed me her purchases, and as I expected, she made some really good buys, and then all of us sat around and talked for the rest of the evening. No card games tonight...the lazy day had made all of us too tired. :)

Ocracoke

Since today was cool, windy, rainy and cloudy, we decided to take a drive to Ocracoke, the quaint little island that is the farthest outpost of the Outer Banks. Everytime I go to Ocracoke, I fall in love with it all over again. The pace of life slows down....people walk and bike all over the village....and one feels safe. (There is hardly any crime because there is no place for the bad guys to run).

To get to Ocracoke, one must drive down the entire island of Hatteras and then take a 30 minute ferry ride (with your car) to Ocracoke. Once the ferry lands, you simply drive your car off the ferry, and then drive 14 miles to reach the village.

We left the house around 10:30 and arrived on the island of Ocracoke around 1:30. It takes about 2 hours to drive from Duck to the end of Hatteras, and then we had to wait around 30 minutes for the ferry to leave Hatteras. The drive was very nice, and I got a kick out of watching the kids enjoy sitting in the car on the ferry while the ferry was moving. By the time we arrived, Sean was really hungry, and so we first drove immediately to the restaurant on the harbor where Kevin, Veronica and I had eaten last year. It was too cold to sit outside as we had done before, but the inside seats still gave a great view of the harbor. And the food....just like last year was DELICIOUS! The fishermen of Ocracoke deliver their catches to the restaurant fresh every day, so the fish is as fresh as it can be. All of us except for Laura got the bluefish sandwich. It was soooo good....and I, of course, could not resist the beer-battered onion rings to go along with it.

After lunch, we drove them the few blocks to the end of the harbor, where Sean was interested in the civil war marker that was there and I showed them where Blackbeard had been killed by the British. Ocracoke was Blackbeard's headquarters and even though he was a pirate, he was quite popular on the island. We then went to this wonderful little coffee shop where I got a latte and the others got hot chocolate. After that, Kevin drove them to the house that we had stayed in last year. We showed them the canal that ran behind the house so that the fishermen could keep their boats docked at home and just ride out into the ocean. They just loved Ocracoke! Sean asked, "Can we come live here?" That's how I feel everytime I come to the island.

On the way back, I fell asleep and woke up when we reached the town of Avon on Hatteras Island. The rest of the ride back was very nice, but we were all glad when we finally reached the cottage. We each fixed whatever we wanted to eat.....there was plenty of food.....and then we played card games for the rest of the evening. Kevin and Sean went to bed fairly early since they have to leave early for Manteo in the morning. (I'll tell about that in another post) Jenna and Laura stayed up later....but then they turned in.....and I stayed up to wait for Kim & Rob to arrive. I am so glad that Kim and Rob are able to come. They stayed in the cottage last year and loved it as much as I did.

Mother's Day & Birthdays Too!

Today was a dual celebration at Reel Suite in the Outer Banks. Yes, for Veronica and me it was Mother's Day where we thought of our children and reveled in the fact that we are their mothers, but it was also the 20th birthday for Kevin's children, Sean & Jenna. If their Mom were still alive, I know that she would be very proud of them.



Sean, Jenna, their friend, Laura, and their dog, Polo, arrived around 2 in the morning. They were tired and glad to be here. Polo did great on the trip! Kyla & Alex were sooo happy to see him! The kids quickly went to bed, after admiring the cottage. If I had been a betting person, I would've lost the bet because I would've sworn that Sean would've been the first one up. Instead, Jenna & Laura got up around nine and quickly headed down to the beach along with Veronica & Marte. I was in the middle of making an apple nut bread and so once it was finished, I brought some down to the beach for everyone.



After a relaxing morning, Marte and Veronica went out to see the Currituck Light House and do some shopping. Kevin and Sean went to the grocery store and Jenna, Laura and I decided to take all three dogs for a walk on the beach. Or I guess I should say that we took Polo for a walk and Kyla and Alex went for a run. It was so much fun watching them enjoying themselves. They had a ball running around in the sand. While they were playing, we met some women who had been playing cards together for 52 years!!!!! WOW! Talk about a long friendship. One of them had a son whose birthday also was today. He was 51.



While we were out on the beach, Sean and Kevin returned. Sean came down to the beach with us and began running with Kyla. WOW! I could not believe how fast Sean could run. Kyla was loving it! He wore her out, which was a very good thing. When we got back to the cottage, there was a message from Valerie wishing me a Happy Mother's Day...which made me very happy.



Afterwards, the kids went down to the pool, and I began making salads while Kevin finished up the spaghetti and the meatballs. The afternoon just flew by and before I knew it, Veronica and Marte were back and it was time for dinner. The meal was filled with good conversation and laughter. And then....da dum! It was time for the birthday cake, ice cream, and presents! That was really a good birthday cake! It was a chocolate cake, with chocolate icing, layered with chocolate pudding topped with vanilla ice cream filled with chocolate and peanut butter. YUM!



Sean and Jenna LOVED their presents and then they did something so sweet that it made Veronica and me almost cry. Those are two really good kids. I was so glad that they were so nice and friendly to Veronica and Marte. And I am even gladder that they are so nice to me. I was very nervous when I first met them because they and their Dad had been a team for almost six years and many times bringing a new person into such a tightly knit group is cause for much resentment and a rejection of the new person. I was so afraid that they would resent me for not being their Mom and reject me. But they have been nothing but nice to me, for which I am very grateful.


After dinner, Veronica and Marte left to go back to Richmond, and the kids decided to go see the movie, "Star Wars." They invited Kevin and me to come along, but we declined. We were so tired. Kevin watched the Boston Celtics game and I fell asleep and didn't wake up until the kids came home around ten. Then I took Kyla and Alex for a long walk where I met a man who had been coming to the Outer Banks from Long Island for 15 years. His dog, age 15, had died last February, and so he and his wife had brought the dog's ashes with them and were planning to sprinkle them over the ocean in the morning, because they said their dog had loved it so much here. He told me that when he first came here, Duck was the end of the settled part and that Corolla didn't exist. He said that the wild horses used to come all the way up to Duck and that one Thanksgiving he fed one of the horses an apple. That was so cool meeting him. Like almost everyone, he was amused by Alex, and thought that Kyla was gorgeous! Which she is.

Since the high temperature tomorrow is only going to be 64 degrees, which isn't too conducive to sunbathing, we are taking the kids to Ocracoke tomorrow. That should really be fun! I think that they will love driving through Hatteras and then the ferry ride to Ocracoke. We'll have lunch at one of the seafood places on Ocracoke and then return to the cottage.

Since it will be a busy day tomorrow, I had better get to bed!

Reel Suite

Today was the first full day in the Outer Banks. And what a nice day it has been!

Kevin and I arrived yesterday around 4:00 PM and spent the early evening unpacking and exploring the cottage. The name of the cottage is Reel Suite, and it is in Duck, NC. I was here last year and it was the one place to which I wanted to return. The view is just so stupendous! And it's so peaceful here. We went to dinner at a really nice seafood place and then came back to the cottage and walked with the dogs on the beach. Kyla and Alex were so excited. They ran all over the beach and it was fun to see them avoiding the water. As those waves came crashing onto the shore, those dogs were GONE!!! They loved the boardwalk that runs from the porch to the beach though. Kyla looked so regal when she would peer up over the gate. And 10 lb. Alex challenged every dog out there. He was so cute...especially when one of the dogs that he challenged was a Great Dane. The owner of the Great Dane got so tickled. We also met our next door neighbors and their dog named Zorro.

We got up really early and enjoyed watching the sun appear over the ocean. It was too cloudy to actually see the sunrise, but it was still beautiful when the sun finally broke through. At 8 AM we went to the Food Lion in Corolla and bought most of the food items that we figured that we would need for the week. After we got back we did something that really turned out to be fun! The kitchen has a lot of counter space and so Kevin started fixing his spaghetti sauce and also began making a macaroni salad while I made a fruit salad. We had bought some fruit at a local fruit stand as we were entering the Outer Banks and it was really good! Anyway, we had such a good time talking and laughing as we were both preparing our recipes. It was just really nice!

And just as we were almost finished, we heard from our friend, Veronica. We had invited her and her boyfriend, Marte, to spend the weekend with us. She had called to get directions to the cottage from NC-12. Then a few minutes later she called again to tell us that there had been a really bad wreck and that traffic was stopped. She was only about 2.6 miles away from the road that the cottage was on, but it took them over 1/2 hour to reach us. Too bad about the wreck. Someone's holiday had a bad ending.

Anyway, when she and Marte arrived, it was truly great seeing them. They both looked so nice and were so happy to be there. Veronica is the mother of my daughter's friend, Jessica, so I have known her now for a long time. I always enjoy her. Kevin had met Veronica last May, and had really liked her, but I was wondering how he would react to Marte since Marte speaks very little English. I should not have wondered as Kevin was just wonderful to him. Veronica started out acting as an interpreter, but Kevin looked directly at Marte and said, "How can I best communicate directly with you?" Since Marte is now trying to learn English, I think that he was really pleased. They got along famously and we just had the best time! I showed Veronica and Marte around the house and where the outdoor showers and the beach chairs were and then they went on down to the beach while Kevin continued making his spaghetti sauce and I went to the store to pick up the birthday cake and ice cream along with a few other items.

When I returned, Marte and Veronica had just come in from the beach and they were playing with Alex and Kyla. It really warmed my heart to see how much Marte enjoyed being with the two dogs. He said that he had a little dog in Mexico that looked like Alex and that German Shepherds were one of his favorite dogs. He thought that Kyla was gorgeous!

We sat around and talked for a little bit and then Veronica and Marte went to the Tanger Outlet Mall while Kevin and I sat around the cottage just enjoying the ocean and the sounds and the view. When Veronica and Marte returned, we spent the rest of the evening talking. It was just sooo nice! After Veronica and Marte retired for the night, Kevin and I stayed up waiting for his kids to arrive. I just really, really wish that Valerie and Jessica and Hans could be here too. That would make the day PERFECT! They can't be, but at least Valerie and Jessica will be spending most of tomorrow together, which is pretty cool. The two daughters will be together in Richmond, while the two mothers are together in the Outer Banks.

Cinco De Mayo

No, I am not Mexican, but I just love one of their holidays....Cinco De Mayo! Maybe it's because there are fireworks (and I love fireworks) or maybe it's because it celebrates the unlikely defeat of the larger French forces by the smaller Mexican ones, but I really like it! Some day I'd like to be in Mexico while they are celebrating it.

And yes, I did arrive safely in Knoxville yesterday. I was beginning to think I'd never get there since I managed to take a trip that normally takes 7 hours and managed to turn it into a 10 hour one. I just did not feel like driving so I made a couple of lengthy stops. The first stop was in Waynesboro where I had brunch and then just sat in my car and read a good book and the second stop was in Abingdon where I had a dessert and also sat in my car afterwards and read a book.

When I finally arrived, Kyla and Alex had a grand celebration reunion. They were sooo glad to see each other! It took them about an hour to settle down and then they were POOPED!

They've been outside for most of the morning.

For today, I am going to help take Polo (Kevin's dog) to the vet. I am worried about Polo.....he has gone downhill since I was last here. Kevin is worried too. Today Kevin also has to go to the doctor to get all the results of his tests and then work out a plan of treatment. He was supposed to go last Friday but the doctor rescheduled. I will be so glad when he starts getting better. I'm worried about him too.

But, I can only take one day at a time.....and I am grateful that even though I have been really tired for the past few days that my own health seems to be very good. I fell asleep on the couch last night and Kevin was so amused. He said that Alex was walking all over me and that Kyla kept coming up and licking my face and that I didn't budge. He could not believe how I was able to sleep through all that. He thinks that maybe that is one reason why my health is so good. I slept like a log all night and woke up feeling totally refreshed this morning.

Rainy Day

I know that everyone will think I'm nuts, but that's ok...because I am! :) But after telling the world that I was leaving for Knoxville this morning, I have changed my mind and won't be leaving until tomorrow. Really! Honest!

I woke up and felt as though a 10 ton truck had hit me. I wasn't sick, just felt sooo tired. I had been working very hard all week to get all the office stuff done that the thought of doing a couple of loads of laundry, vacuuming, cleaning out the cat box and then packing and still leaving today just was overwhelming. The coup de grace was when I checked the weather report. The report was calling for thunderstorms all afternoon and evening long between here and Knoxville. That did it!

So I called Kevin and told him and he was actually relieved. He had also read the weather reports and he said that he was already starting to worry about me and didn't want me to travel in that weather. If he just had one additional car he would be coming up here instead of me going there, but I have to pick him and Kyla up so that we can all head out Friday morning for the Outer Banks.

So now I just feel blessedly relaxed. What a nice feeling! I can leisurely do the laundry and vacuum and clean up a bit. I can also take the trash to the dump and read my book and watch a movie. I might even spring for a manicure. I had thought that maybe I could meet Valerie and Hans for dinner again, but the show schedule today prevents that.

So, now since it's mid-morning, let me begin. I have just been enjoying my unexpected day of freedom. Drinking my coffee and reading a really good book. Time to get to work.

Kentucky Derby Day

Happy Kentucky Derby Day! And wouldn't you know it? I missed it this year. Which is a real bummer because it certainly was an exciting race. Kevin called me when it was over. He normally doesn't watch it but he did this time because I had told him that I was going to. Oops! At least I'm glad that it was such a good one for him to watch. Wasn't "Mine That Bird" incredible?

I am so glad that today is over with! At the beginning of this week I had a laundry list of projects to complete and of this minute I have finished ALL of them! Yippee! What a WONDERFUL feeling! And even though I missed out on a trip to North Carolina, it was worth it....and not only that but I had the pleasure of seeing my beautiful daughter and son-in-law quite a bit as well. Well at least I finished all the office projects.....I still have laundry to do...and vacuuming. But I'll get those done and then leave for Knoxville in the morning. I do wish that I had been able to see Kim this week, but at least I got to see Rob.

Then on Friday, the 8th we head out to the Outer Banks. I'm really looking forward to seeing Kim, Rob, Veronica and Marte there. I am SOOOO glad that they can come! Veronica & Marte are coming Sat and leaving Sun and then Kim and Rob come Monday night and stay until Thursday afternoon. Yippee! That should really be fun! Much different than last year when I was by myself. Although last year, I really needed to be by myself for a bit.

Well, the bed is calling me.

It's May Day!

Hooray! For some reason I really love the 1st day of May. I don't know why. Maybe it's because it means that winter is truly over and we are well into Spring! Or maybe it's left over from when I was in school and things were winding down from a hectic year. Whatever. It doesn't change the fact that I just LOVE the first of May. So.....how did I celebrate? I spent the day doing corporate taxes. Not too much of a celebration was it?


But yesterday more than made up for it because I had a really nice afternoon with my daughter and two of my favorite dogs. I met Valerie and Hans for lunch and so we tied Alex up outside on his leash. We could see (and hear) him from the window. My goodness! He sounded as though he was being tortured. He was so upset at being left behind. BUT....he got plenty of attention from people on the street. One lady actually sat down with him and spent about 5 minutes petting him.

After lunch Hans went back to work and I spent the rest of the afternoon going around with Valerie. First we went to her house and looked at her wedding pictures (they were BEAUTIFUL) and then we drove out to King William, which is a rural area about 20 miles away to deliver a payroll. But on the way....I saw the new Sonic and could just not resist trying it out, so I persuaded Valerie to stop. YUM! That Snickers Ice Cream Blast was good!

The day before Valerie and I had our Mother/Daughter Day and had lunch and then went back to my house to watch a dog training video. We didn't watch all of it, but I just enjoyed being with her. Mother/Daughter Day is where nobody else is allowed to come along....it's just the two of us. We didn't have an official one in Feb or March because Valerie was in dog school but we figured that since I spent a week with her each month that we had several mini-Mother/Daughter days since after her class we always spent time together.

We started the custom of Mother/Daughter day last December and I hope that it's a custom that we can continue for a long, long time. The custom began because in November I brought along a friend to an outing, not realizing that Valerie had expected it to be just her and me. So...we decided to make it official to prevent any future misunderstandings.

And so of course, where will I be THIS Mother's Day? At the beach in Duck, NC and Valerie will be here in Richmond. I had not realized that May 10th was Mother's Day when I made the reservations. Originally both Valerie & Hans were supposed to come with me, but Cody getting the part of Sandy in "Annie" meant that they absolutely could not come. I know that it is nobody's fault and that Cody getting the part of "Annie" is a once in a lifetime thing...but still....I am really, really going to miss them and shall certainly be thinking of them a whole lot while I am at the beach....wishing that they were there.