Older and Wiser

Tonight my sister and brother-in-law are coming to visit!  I am so excited.  I was so anxious at work and I felt like a little kid in school about to go on Christmas vacation.  The only good thing about living in Florida is that lots of people come to visit.  I am lucky that my mom just left and I didn't have too long to be sad.

Elizabeth just called to tell me her plan is delayed and now they will not be showing up till after midnight.  Hopefully I'm awake.  I'm not too sure what our weekend plans will be but they will include the beach and relaxing.

Elizabeth is the wise one.  I love that she is always watching out for Jessica and I and I always look to her for advice and help.  She is one of the smartest people I know and she has an amazing work ethic.  She is always working so hard, so this weekend will be all about Relaxation.

Now I have a few more hours to get my house in visitor shape and I will be ready to welcome my guests!


Halloween is also this weekend in case any of you forgot.  I do not like Halloween so much.  I kind of get embarrassed when I have to dress up and you can only eat so many tootsie-rolls.  Last year we only had 2 little kids come to the door, so by the time the second one came he got an entire bag of candy.  You're welcome!

We will be spending Halloween eating seafood at the Rustic Inn in Dania Beach and not thinking it's Halloween because its 83 degrees out.   

Lizzy-beth

Virgin River

I visited my aunt (my dad's older sister) awhile ago.  She lives just north of me on the East Coast.  She loves to read and so when I left she handed over an entire library of books she didn't want anymore.  I was excited about the new reading ventures!  I started with a series (the first 7 books) all about this little town called Virgin River in the Redwoods of California.  Sounds quaint.

As I started reading, I began feeling embarassed.  This series was not some sort of profound literature.  They were ROMANCE NOVELS!! For some reason, none of the titles in the series tipped me off (Virign river, Temptation Ridge, Whispering Rock...).

However, in my defense, the covers were these pretty paintings of this little mountain town.  No bare chested Fabio with his hair blowing in the wind.


I am even more embarrassed to say that I read every single book and I just found out there are more in the series!  I may have to secretly go to the library to check them out.

They are all the same.  Each one with a man and women who fall madly in love, but first have to fight what they're feeling and not think they will ever be good enough for each other.  All the women are perfect and beautiful but have some sort of rocky pasts: murdered husband, husband who dies in Iraq, abusive husband etc, etc.  All the men are x-marines or x-army.  Strong, handsome, and struggle with some sort of mental block.  They all fall in love, have babies, and live in this perfect mountain town.

I am so addicted! I promise the next thing I read will have more depth and content.  But for now I have to find out what happens to the town drunk who is now sober and beautiful and who is too scared and stubborn to fall in love with an x-marine who has a prosthetic leg.

Saturday Happenings

Today was not my typical lounging around in my pj's kind-of Saturday.  

I got up at a decent hour.

Finished a book.

Talked to a Jehovah Witness lady who came to my door.  I do not normally answer the door to visitors I don't know, but she had her little daughter with her and when I peeped through my peep hole I assumed they were selling Girl Scout Cookies.  Thin mints trumped my rational thinking.

My friend Jessica came over and we had lunch and then went to a flea market and antique store.  The first flea market was a bust.  It had weird vendors that were selling weird things in this shady and run down warehouse.  They also had a DJ and a karaoke machine and people were singing and dancing, without a care in the world, even though I was being rather judgmental for thinking they were weird for hanging out in this sketchy place and dancing to Shania Twain.  

Walked around a farmers market, or  Green Market as they say down here (or maybe other places, but I've never heard that term before!) Saw some interesting vegetables.

The second place, an antique store, was a lot of fun to rummage through.  It had a lot of cool, old things and also a lot of vintage costumes and feather boas.  I bought these neat green glass vases.

Bobby got home from work and we had dinner, watched a movie and then he was off back to work.  

Discovered 10 mosquito/bug bites all over from my neck to my toes.  Thank goodness my mom bought me Benadryl.  Where are these bug bites coming from!?

Now I am just browsing the internet, returning e-mails and thinking about calling it quits.  Tomorrow seems like a stay-in-your-pjs kind of day!

Last Glimpse of Summer

As I'm sure you all know its still Summer here.  I keep chanting in my head 

"Summer, summer, go away.  Come again another day".  

But it doesn't seem to be working. 

 

Summertime: Basalt, CO

I'm guilty of jumping ahead in my seasons.  Today when I got home from work I put on White Christmas.  I felt that maybe Bing and Rosemary could bring me out of the summer blues with their magical song and dance.  Now if only those palm trees would turn into pine trees...

1 year

A year ago on Tuesday I started my new job.  Wow! I can't believe its been a whole year already.  It has been the hardest, but most rewarding year.  I've learned a lot.  Well, that's an understatement...I've learned a TON-  about work, being a boss, and most importantly learning new things about myself.

Top 10 Things I've learned:

1.  If someone says "no", ask again.

2.  Be consistent.

3.  Speak up.

4. I am always acting as an example to others.

5.  Be nice.

6.  Be fair.

7.  Smile.

8.  Always stand by my decisions, but admit when I'm wrong

9.  Become friends with the security officers.

   10.  I am capable of doing things I never thought I could.

I'm excited about this new year.  I have some big goals and plans for the collections, whipping them into tip-top shape.  Its going to be a good year.

Bobby's Birthday Bash!

Happy Birthday Bobby!  Today we are celebrating 26 wonderful years of your life!

26 and Handsome

Last night my friend Jessica and I threw him a party:

Steaks

Artichokes

Wine

Streamers

Birthday hats

Trick Candles

Angel Food Cake

Waiting for the Party to Begin!

 The Birthday Boy

I like this one because it looks like his cake is on FIRE!

 Trying to blow out the trick candles...only took 5 minutes

 

An exciting game of Birthday Clue!

 No Birthday is complete without Birthday hats

Bobby:

Here's to another 26 years! I am so blessed to have you in my life.  You keep me grounded, love me for me, and always know how to make me smile.  Life is not always easy and I have learned from you how to make the best out of all situations.  I'm so thankful that you moved across the country just for me and for that you deserve a big birthday kiss!

Happy Birthday!

Napoli

Naples, a city on the West Coast...mostly for the rich and famous.  But for one night, it was a getaway for my mom and I.  Friday after work we drove over to Naples and checked into the Inn on Fifth.  A really beautiful hotel.  We checked in and then took a walk downtown and did some shopping and then took a walk down to the beach.

Inn on Fifth

The West coast is known for their beaches.  The sand is like powdered sugar and the sea shells are pretty amazing.  We took in the view and picked out the beach front property that my mom and dad will move into.

We ate at an Irish pub, sitting outside on the patio, enjoying the perfect weather and people watching.  The next morning we got up early and headed down to the beach where we were told we could see dolphins.  Unfortunately they decided to sleep in, but we did get to witness the life of the fishermen on the pier.  They like to throw the fish they catch in front of your feet so you can watch them flop around and die.  Not as pleasant as dolphins...

Next stop: Sanibel Island!

New Family Member

I bought a new car!  On our way back from the West coast my mom and I decided to head straight for the car dealership.  Bobby's car was sent to car heaven last week and I decided it was time for me to upgrade and Bobby will take care of the Saturn, whose service engine soon light came on last night (of course).  If a girl had invented cars there wouldn't be some mysterious service engine soon light.  Girls need specifics.  It would say things like:

No need to panic Kate!  It's just a loose gas cap  or

Time to pray, it's the engine...

But no one asked a girl.

My new car is lovely.  Its black and shiny, a Hyundai Sonata.  I think the word Sonata is very pretty and I really like playing Moonlight Sonata on the piano so that's why I decided to buy this car.

Just kidding daddy!  I actually did a lot of research and talked to a bunch of people who have owned Hyundai's and realized this would be a good, reliable car for me.  So far so good!  Now, lets hope my little Saturn is ok.  

I am proud of myself for doing such a hard and un-fun thing.  Everyone told me how terrible it is to go to a car dealership.  I learned a lot and feel a little bit like a grown-up.  All these responsibilities and new bills...kind of makes me want to go sit in my sister's kindergarten class and color with crayons and wish that I was still a little kid without any worries.  But I guess sooner or later we all have to figure it out ourselves.

  How do we look?

 

A trip out to the SWAMP

On Friday my mom came out to see where I've been hiding for the past year.  Our drive out exposed her to the vast Everglades and we got to see a nice sunrise and a lot of lovely birds.  

 Canal along Snake Road

 Big Cypress Reservation

I was a little nervous for her to meet everyone I work with.  I talk about it ALL the time, but its always different to see it in person. 

I took her on a personal tour of my office (the glamorous double-wide trailer) and all around to meet my co-workers.  Everyone was very excited to meet "Kate's Mom".

On the boardwalk

Some of the Museum staff took my mom through their collection area.  Then I took her to see my area and impressed her with the archaeological collections.

 Part of a Mammoth tooth

 Lithic from the Archaic Period--ooooh ahhh

Afterward my mom walked around the museum and then we had lunch by the Chickees.  After lunch was Billy Swamp Safari where were off to have an airboat ride through the Reservation.

The boardwalk: do you hear the cicadas?

Billy Swamp:

 

 Baby Alligators

 We got to see all kinds of neat wildlife on our airboat ride.  It was a lot of fun! 

Next stop: Naples (not to be confused with Italy...)

Stay-cation

I have been missing out on my blogging for the past week.  Life has been busy, stressful, and a little sad.  But to make everything better my mom has been here visiting for the past 7 days!  What a wonderful thing to have your mom around.  To make you do all the things you have been putting off for the last 2 months, to help you with your laundry, cook dinner, give you hugs and take you on special mother/ daughter trips.

We spent time running important errands, getting my life re-organized, buying a new purse, buying a new car!, and taking a beautiful trip to the West coast--to Naples and Sanibel Island.  Here is a sneak preview...

  A trip out to my work

Making friends with Alligators

 Sunsets

Sunrises

My mom is always teaching me new things, especially how to look at life positively.  Our little stay-cation made me realize that I live in a pretty cool place (pictures to come!).

She left this afternoon and I always hate saying good-bye (insert tears).  That's the bad thing about living 2,000 miles away from your family, you always have to say good-bye.  But my older sister and brother-in-law are coming to visit soon so now I have something to look forward too.  

For now I am trying to enjoy the remaining hours of my day off, listening to my favorite new song and waiting for Bobby to come home from school. Tomorrow it's back to work and back to reality. 

...Thanks mom for a wonderful time!

Kermit

Amphibians and reptiles are no big deal.  Especially when compared to the giant killer spiders down here.  I think the lizards are cute and Bobby and I have fun trying to get them out of the house.  Frogs are cute.  Snakes are not cute, but they don't bother me.

I've been seeing a lot of frogs lately and I've realized that they may not be as cute as I thought. Especially when they jump on your pant leg, climb up the wall like Spider Man, or leave slimy prints on the mirror.  There have been a few occasions at work where I'll get a call from the lab:

"Kate...there's a frog in the hallway"
"Ok"
"Will you come over?"
"And do what?"

So I come over and it takes about 10 minutes to find a way to get the frog back outside and away from the collection room.  I usually make a comment about how cute I think he is until he starts jumping spastically and his little webbed toe will touch my hand and then the screaming starts.   

Well...maybe he's pretty cute