Category Archives: florida files

from bananas to monkeys

I actually wrote the previous post a few days ago. Since then, thankfully, I have burned out on yellow [tag]Conversation Hearts[/tag]. Suzanne is right, the regular yellow [tag]Necco[/tag] wafers? Not the same. Only the yellow Hearts have the faux-banana flavor that I found so very appealing.

Necco crisis averted, I direct you to [tag]Jungle Pete[/tag]’s “Munkey’s in Dipr” art gallery. I find the art gallery doubly amusing, since the art is done by Frank’s daughter.

Frank is not JunglePete’s imaginary friend, he’s someone we went to school with. [tag]Frank[/tag] is a troublemaker. Frank convinced me, in the 7th grade, that physics was very cool. Look where that has gotten me.

For your last fun fact of the day (this will be on the final) long ago in a galaxy far away, Frank and I danced our first slow dance together.

I was wondering what this post had to do with cults, then I realized that our elementary/middle/high school had a lot of cult-like qualities. But that’s a post for another day…

I have been informed that family faction-building is not, in fact, the reason for the season

Merry Christmas!

We’d be happier if Brother wasn’t spending another Christmas in Iraq, but, on the other hand, more cookies for us.*

I’ve been knitting things for Husband and we’ve watched many episodes of the Addams Family.

Tomorrow is Gatorland, because you know we love Gatorland. And if you don’t, you’ve failed the quiz. Again.

I had some funny Christmas pics to post but I can’t seem to upload files today and I’ve now given up. Maybe tomorrow…

*I’m kidding.

stormy weather

I brought one of my favorite [tag]Carl Hiaasen[/tag] novels, Stormy Weather, to reread on the plane. Maybe that was a mistake. Within hours of arriving in [tag]Lake County[/tag] it was raining like the end of the world. Then the terrifying lightening began (and I am a native [tag]Floridian[/tag], if I say lightening was terrifying, it was terrifying). Then the weather alert radio went off and we got reports of funnel clouds on the ground just miles from here in [tag]Eustis[/tag]. Poor Eustis. [tag]Tornados[/tag] are no good.

It was an interesting night, to say the least, but no damage to Mom’s neighborhood. Mom went into [tag]Red Cross[/tag] Mode today and I will no doubt join her tomorrow.

It’s of course a beautiful sunny day now with blue skies, but more bad weather is rolling in tonight. Mom and I were going to go to St. Augustine but those plans have changed.

I stand corrected: I didn’t bring Stormy Weather to read, I brought [tag]Sara Paratsky[/tag]’s [tag]V.I. Warshawski[/tag] novel, Blacklist. So I don’t feel like I brought a harbinger, unless there’s some sort of wacky old Chicago money-type family monkey business going on around here that can only be solved by a tough P.I. with a heart of gold and a love of hockey.