Kim's Thoughts
Just a few thoughts I feel worthy of jotting down!
A Few Days in Hawaii…
I had a wonderful adventure last week! I fulfilled a dream by taking a little vacation in Hawaii – I joined some friends there and had a wonderful time!!! It was way too short, but long enough to give me a nice taste of Hawaiian culture and incredible views! We stayed on Oahu right at Waikiki Beach — it was great!!!
Here is a diary of my adventure and some sample pictures:
Day One – Wednesday, March 4th
I got up at 3:00 am to make a 6:00 am flight out of RDU. It was 3 hours from here to Houston, an hour and a half lay over, and then 8 hours from Houston to Honolulu. Then, of course, I also “gained back” 5 hours by skipping time zones! So, I arrived in Hawaii at 2:00 pm. I assumed that I would be totally wasted and not able to do much that first day, but I was flying on adrenaline!!
The shuttle driver from the airport to the hotel was a real “surfer dude” type. He said he lived in Winston-Salem for a while and did a couple semesters at Wake Forest. But, he is a west coast kinda guy and couldn’t stay here very long! Too bad – NC’s loss – what a cutie! ha-ha
I got settled into the hotel – the Queen Kapiolani on Waikiki Beach. Very nice location – just a block from the beach! Here is the hotel and the view from my room – I had a view of Diamond Head and partially of the ocean.
I met up with my friends and we went to dinner at Lulu’s Waikiki – just up the street from the hotel and across the street from the beach. It was a great open air restaurant and we had a really nice dinner! The next shot is the view from our table of the beach.
We went to one of the MANY ABC stores – there is one or two on every block!!!! ABC stores are not what they are here in NC – our ABC stores are liquor stores – in Hawaii, they are convenience / gift stores! Lisa and I got flower barrettes for our hair and we got a stack of cheap t-shirts to bring back for gifts for family and friends (6 for $20.00!!!). We talked about going to the zoo, which was right across the street from the hotel, but I was running out of steam so we decided to just go back to the hotel and plan the rest of our trip!
We stopped in at the tour desk and booked tickets for a “whale watching” cruise and a day at the Polynesian Cultural Center. Day one was done!
Day Two – Thursday, March 5th
Day two was devoted to whale watching and exploring! Ron and Lisa actually started the day MUCH earlier than I did. I got up fairly early and when I called to see if they were ready for breakfast, they said they were hiking and were almost to the top of Diamond Head and would be back soon!!! They told me all about the grueling hike and the beautiful views over breakfast – here is a sample of the photos they took on their hike:
They took this for me cause I have a “thing” for lighthouses!!!
When they returned, we had breakfast in the hotel. Then we walked to the beach and looked around and took some pictures. We walked out onto a pier – it was so warm and windy (but a little cloudy) – what a great day! Here are some beach pics.
We picked up the shuttle to the whale watching cruise about 11:00 am. This is a day cruise that guarantees whale sightings and they didn’t disappoint!!! We had a very nice buffet lunch on board while the captain cruised to where the whales are. Then, we went out onto the decks and looked for whales. The whales travel from Alaska to Hawaii to give birth in the warm waters. They stay in the area from around Dec to April to let the babies get strong enough to travel back to Alaska and stand the cold waters. The sightings are very exciting! We would first see a “blow” – water shooting up out of the water like a geyser – then their backs would arch up out of the water or they would roll and lift their front fins out of the water – then their huge tails would come up out of the water and expand! When we would have a sighting (and there were MANY), everyone would ooooh and aaaah and scream out in delight! The problem was that it would happen so fast that it was very difficult to capture it on camera – so we weren’t sure if we got any good shots until we downloaded them when we got back to the hotel. We looked at about 100 pictures we took between us and were just about convinced that we were not lucky enough to get a good shot!!! And then, there it was — the perfect picture!!! Ron was the lucky one who got the shot – here it is – the one of the fin fully expanded!
When we got back from the cruise, we walked a few blocks to King’s Village and the International Marketplace to do some shopping. Both were great places to go – lots to see and lots available to buy! We got a few things and headed back to the hotel. The following shots are from our shopping excursion:
We went back to the hotel, had dinner, and crashed!!!! It was a long and FULL day (especially for Ron and Lisa cause they started out climbing a volcano before breakfast!).
Day Three – Friday, March 6th
My day actually started with a view I wished I hadn’t seen….. after my shower, I got on the phone to make a few calls. While I was on the phone, I was pacing back and forth from inside and out onto the lanai and back inside – the exterior of the hotel is an “L” shape on the side my room is on – on one of my trips out onto the lanai, I turned towards the wall of windows to my left and just as I did, a man opened his curtains and he was standing there totally naked!!! It was a BIG window, so he was exposed from the knees up!!! Talk about “ugly naked guy” – it was not a pretty sight! Sorry – no photo of this scenery – not exactly what I wanted to capture for my album! ha-ha As soon as he saw me, he shut the curtains — but, the damage was done – I will always associate the lanai in that room with the ugly naked guy across the way…..
The day seemed to be doomed for us — after the ugly naked guy sighting, we had breakfast and then sat in the lobby waiting for the shuttle to go to the Polynesian Cultural Center. My phone sounded off with the little tune that signifies an email, so I pulled it out to see what it was. It was a “breaking news” email from the Facebook notification that the Sanford Herald sends with news. I opened it up and gasped when I read the headline – I felt the color run out of my face! Ron and Lisa asked what was wrong and I tried to tell them it was nothing, but it obviously WAS something, so when they pressed, I said “I’m not going to tell you” — well, that made things worse!!! So, I had to tell them – Transmatic announced they are closing on April 3rd — Ron works at Transmatic!!! UUUGGGHHH!!!! He made a couple calls and tried to not let it upset him and ruin his day — but, man, I felt horrible!!!
The day picked up, though…..the bus ride to the Polynesian Cultural Center was about an hour and a half long. Our tour guide – Cousin Billy – made the trip a blast – it didn’t feel like and hour and a half at all….. Here are some shots of the country side on our way to the center:
The above photo is of the North Shore
This was a HUGE pet cemetery!!! The whole island is very “pet friendly” – we saw people walking dogs all over the place – beaches, streets, everywhere!
We arrived at the Polynesian Cultural Center and it was FANTASTIC!!!! We took a guided tour with Cousin Billy and had the best time! The tour included seeing the cultures of all the different Polynesian islands – Hawaii, Fiji, Samoa, Tahiti, and others….. we saw hulas, native musical instruments, coconut tree climbing, watched a canoe pageant, took a hula lesson, and so much more!!! The day was capped off with a wonderful Luau and a fabulous night show…..here is a small sampling of the several hundred photos we took between us:
Cousin Billy….our tour guide from Samoa – so funny!
We got back at the hotel at 10:30 pm and were EXHAUSTED – another long, full day — but oh, so much fun!!!
Day Four – Saturday, March 7th
My last day — I decided to just bum around because I had a LONG flight ahead of me. I went to the beach and wandered around some. I took some pictures of the Banyan trees across from the hotel – they were fascinating!!!! There is a large homeless population and they live in the “caves” of the Banyan trees!
The flight back was LONG — not any longer in actual hours than going down was, but we lost all those hours that were gained on the way down — the flight was 8 hours from Honolulu to Houston, a 3.5 hour layover in Houston, and a 3 hour flight from Houston to RDU — AND, in addition to the 5 hours time difference, it was also the night we turned the clocks ahead for daylight savings time!!! So – I left Honolulu at 7:30 PM Saturday, arrived in Houston at 7:30 am Sunday, and then arrived in Raleigh at 2:30 pm Sunday afternoon!!!
I rushed to Sanford to pick the girls up from their adventure at Rae-Zor before they closed at 4:00, came home, and worked to adjust to being back in reality!!!
Ron and Lisa arrived two days before me and stayed two days after I left — some of the things they did that I didn’t do was go to the Pearl Harbor Memorial (I didn’t think I’d be interested in that, but after I saw their pictures, I wished I had planned to do it with them), they hiked to the top of Diamond Head, went to a nearby bay to swim, and Ronald took an airplane ride around the island!
I would like to go back some time when I have more time to spend — but, next time, I think I will plan an island hopping package and spend a day or two at each island to see more than just Oahu! Maybe if I hop around, I might find Frankie and Annette or Gidget and Moondoggie – cause they weren’t on Oahu!!!
That is my vacation…….what a wonderful adventure!!!! Now I’m tired and really bummed to have to reenter the real world…….ha-ha!
Aloha!!!
March…
I turned the calendar page this morning to reveal the month of March! Yes, it is March already – wasn’t Christmas just yesterday or the day before? As I turned the calendar, I discovered that March has a lot to offer – beginning with the lovely and tranquil tropical scene in the picture on the top half of the calendar… Let’s see what else March has in store for us:
First – per the calendar – several days with the word “begins” and “first”:
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March 2 = Eastern Orthodox Lent Begins
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March 8 = Daylight Saving Time Begins (yippee)
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March 9 = Purim Begins at Sundown and Commonwealth Day (UK)
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March 10 = Full Moon
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March 16 = Canberra Day (Australia)
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March 17 = St. Patrick’s Day (Erin Go Bragh)
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March 20 = First Day of Spring (double yippee)
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March 21 = Benito Juarez Birthday (Mexico)
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March 22 = Mothering Sunday (UK)
Personally – this March brings some happy and some sad:
- Some friends and I will have an exciting adventure sometime this month – not telling what/when on here for the world to read (those who know me have heard all about it), but you can be sure I’ll be doing a LOT of telling when it is over!!!
- March 1 = Jen Chapin concert at the Temple Theater
- March 7 = CIS 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament
- March 12 – 29 = Moonlight and Magnolias is presented at the Temple Theater
- March 13 = My oldest step-son’s 38th birthday
- March 20 = The 10th anniversary of my Poppie’s death – Charlie Culmo – my Mom’s husband and the only true “father” I ever had – my hero
There is also an old saying about March that I have always found to be true – “If March comes in like a LION, it will go out like a LAMB” and visa versa! It is raining and yucky here in Sanford, NC (again) today and we are expecting to see some more snow tomorrow and, from what I hear, maybe again next week. I surely hope that means that March will end with some nice calm, spring-like weather!
Speaking of snow in March – one of the “Thumbs Down” comments on this morning’s Sanford Herald Editorial Page mentioned that “Snow in March just isn’t something we’re supposed to worry about…”. It definitely is an oddity here in Sanford. But, where I came from in Western New York, it is expected! You don’t start thinking that there might be an end to the snow until around April and, even then, it ain’t over…. I remember one time in late April (don’t remember the year, but it must have been late 70’s, early 80’s) – it was a beautiful morning, so I left Albion with no coat to pick up a friend in Bergen (or was it Byron?) so we could go shopping in Greece (about an hour – give or take – from my home). We shopped for hours inside the mall, oblivious to what was going on outside. We came out to get in the car and there was a freak blizzard – it wasn’t predicted!!! We could hardly see to get to the car — it was buried in about a foot of snow — neither of us had coats, gloves, hats, etc. We cleaned the car off and headed to Bergen/Byron (whatever) to drop my friend off at her home. The driving was horrible!!! Visibility was near zero!!! We were plowing snow as we went cause the plows weren’t out and we had to get home!!! Just before we reached her house, we thought we saw something in the road – we suddenly realized we were about to hit a COW!!!! The poor thing was standing in the blizzard in knee deep snow in the middle of the road!!! I hit the brakes, which – even though I was already barely crawling – put me in a tail spin and I almost ended up in the ditch!!! Luckily, her house was just a little further up the road and we made it there — but I did NOT attempt to make it the rest of the way to Albion…..I stayed put!!!
So — March (and April) can be very interesting — new beginnings, unpredictable weather, and full of anticipation of Spring!!!
Happy March to you all….
Fire Flies In My Bed?
The morning ritual came with a fancy light show this morning!!! I always knew Amy was a bundle of energy, but this morning she really showed off her electric personality!!! Ha-Ha
About 6:00 am, the fun began — the girls woke me up at 5:00 to go outside, so they took care of all those duties and we went back to bed. About 6:00, they were ready for breakfast, so they started the morning ritual….taking turns wiggling at me, kissing me, laying on me, sitting on me — whatever would get me to rub them and acknowledge that I was awake and able to serve breakfast!
It was still dark in the room — every time Amy would take her turn, wherever I touched her or she rubbed around on the blankets, her fur would become ablaze with flickering lights! She must have had more static electricity in her coat than Progress Energy supplies to a normal household on any given day!!! It wasn’t the kind that crackles and zaps you — neither she nor I were getting shocked! She was just giving off this amazing light show!!!
So – Amy has a new super hero nickname: “Electric Girl”!!!
The Oscars – Play by Play
Movies – you can’t read this blog without knowing that I LOVE movies! I enjoy being entertained – I love to laugh – I appreciate a good cry – I am energized by being kept on the edge of my seat! The ultimate awards show is the Academy Awards (Oscar). Tonight is Oscar night! I’m watching the Oscars – although I am not really sure why! It is usually the one awards show I look forward to over all others! But, this year, there is only a couple movies up for the major awards that I even saw. Here is a “play by play”, of sorts – I am not going to write about every award or every acceptance speech or all the clothes – but I will touch on the major ones and other parts that caught my attention as the night goes on – and, of course, my never-to-be-humble opinions!
First, before I get started (in case you are visiting to get a movie review) — no movie review this weekend! I didn’t go to the theater to see anything cause I’ve seen everything I am interested in that is playing in Sanford. I thought about Slumdog Millionaire, but it just doesn’t interest me enough to spend the time and money on – I’ll catch it on Netflix in a couple months! I looked at Southern Pines and Cary and The Reader was the only one at either that made me think twice – but I just didn’t think it would be worth the drive! So – no movie this weekend!
And the Oscar Goes To:
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I have to say that I really enjoyed Hugh Jackman’s opening production – it was fun and entertaining!
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Most of the women on the red carpet actually looked amazing (unlike recent years past where they looked like they got their outfits from Goodwill)!
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The first award went to Penelope Cruz for Best Supporting Actress! Penelope was stunning in an amazing vintage gown and minimal, very tasteful jewels. She wins my award for best depiction of Hollywood Glamour! I can’t offer an opinion on her performance in this film – I didn’t see it – but she usually does an excellent job! I saw three of the other nominees in this category – Amy Adams and Viola Davis in Doubt and Taraji P. Henson in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I thought Amy and Taraji were very good in their roles!! But, Viola had such a small part (lasted just a couple minutes) that was only memorable because she played a mother who was willing to overlook her son’s possible abuse in order to keep him in a school she felt was good for his future – I’m not sure why she was nominated…..
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Jennifer Aniston did a segment with Jack Black for the animation awards. They had her standing where Brad Pitt and Anjelina Jolie were seated right in the front row! How awkward was that? BUT – her dress was lovely and she looked very pretty – eat your heart out, Brad! Her hair was a mess, though — why do some of these women wear gowns and jewels worth a fortune and don’t take the time to have their hair done to compliment their clothes????
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Sarah Jessica Parker is always touted as a fashionista! I usually disagree and don’t like her outfits (with some exceptions). But, tonight, I must say that she looked lovely – very Princessy and glamorous!
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Hugh Jackman is yummy, as usual…
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OMG – LOL – Ben Stiller is doing a hysterical impersonation of Joaquin Phoenix’s visit to David Letterman earlier this week…
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Jessica Biel’s dress is awful — it looks like she took a satin sheet and wrapped herself in it and tucked all the excess material into the top!
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I’m not sure why they give Academy Awards to short films – the one that just won was a 14 minute film….????
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I love big musical production numbers — the tribute to musicals featuring Hugh Jackman and Beyonce Knowles is a fun example!! And between the opening number and this one, I am convinced Hugh Jackman needs to do a musical — he’s quite the singer and dancer!!! (and did I mention how yummy he looks tonight???)
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So far, as usual, there isn’t a lot to talk about specifically related to awards! The reason for that is they put all the “who really cares” awards in the first couple of hours! They tease us with the Best Supporting Actress as the first award and then fill in with the sleepers….
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To show you how much I am stretching for something to say here: I just saw a commercial for Sandra Bullock’s upcoming movie – The Proposal – that looks really cute! I like her movies!
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Best Supporting Actor – the only performance in this category that I saw was Philip Seymour Hoffman in Doubt – he always does an amazing job in any role he takes on and this role was no exception! But – the Oscar went to Heath Ledger — come on!!! I didn’t see it, so I can not give a direct opinion on his performance, which may very well have been well deserved — but I can’t help but wonder if he would have gotten the nod for playing a demonic Joker if he was still alive….don’t know – I’m just wondering, here…
- Visual Effects went to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button!!!! I’m pleased! This usually goes to a big action film with lots of flash – and usually rightfully so! I am very happy to see that it went to this movie because I found it to be amazing to watch the way the age reversal was portrayed! Very good choice!!!
- Make Up and Art Direction also went to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button!!!! Again, I thought it was well deserved!
- Jerry Lewis received the Humanitarian Award — long over due! (even though he did publically riducule Sanford, NC a couple years ago without bothering to find out the whole story) It was very sad to see someone who has always been so energetic struggling to stand there and get the words out….. ;(
- Alicia Keys’ lavender gown is gorgeous and she looks amazing in it!
- The Memorials…..always tears me up! Tonight – Queen Latifah looked stunning in a beautiful blue gown and sang “I’ll Be Seeing You” to the collage of clips of those we lost since the last Oscar night….excuse me, I need to get some tissue…..
- I usually love what Reece Witherspoon wears – she always looks classy! I am not liking what she is wearing tonight, though — it is kinda pretty, but I think it would have been a LOT prettier without the black straps that looked out of place and other black accents — looked like someone was trying to use up extra material scraps they had laying around….
- Now for the top awards:
- Slumdog Millionaire was honored with the Best Director. Ever notice, the more major the award, the more bazaar the acceptance speeches???? Slumdog’s Director came up bouncing like Tigger!!! Hhhmmm….
- The prevous Best Actress winners they chose to announce the nominees for this category are all amazing and look fabulous! It was especially moving to see Sophia Loren – she is still such a classic beauty! Her gown was so glamorous! She is hard to top!!! And it was fitting that she be the one to talk about Meryl Streep!
- Kate Winslet won Best Actress— she was the odds on favorite! I didn’t see her performance, but heard a lot about it. Her gown is very elegant and her hair looks very “old Hollywood”. Her jewelry is elegant and stunning, as well – diamond earrings and bracelet. The only one in this category I saw was Meryl Streep in Doubt – she was excellent in that role, but I wasn’t sure it was Oscar worthy…..
- WOW – the men they chose as the past Best Actor winners to announce this year’s nominees in this category are incredible, as well!!! To see Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Anthony Hopkins, and Ben Kingsley together on one stage — WOW!!! And Adrian Brody is definitely a nice touch, too — but that hair!!! It looks like he dumped a whole bottle of Wesson oil on it just before coming on stage – what a mess!!!!
- Sean Penn is Best Actor!!! I think he is an amazing actor and have very much enjoyed most, if not all, of his performances — I didn’t see Milk, but from what I have seen and heard, I am surprised this role got him the Oscar….I would have bet on Frank Langella for this category!! But, then again, the Academy usually goes for political statements in films. While Frost/Nixon was a political movie, Milk was more of a political statement!
- Slumdog Millionaire is Best Picture!!! This was no surprise after I heard the Best Director winner — typically, the film that wins in the Director category also takes the Best Picture category! The only film in this category I saw was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, so I don’t have an opinion…..I’ll have to see the other nominees to see if I agree!
- One last thought — what in the world was with Mickey Rourke??? What was he even doing there??? He used to be so cool — but he trashed his life and we haven’t seen anything of him in decades!!! So, he comes out of the woodwork to make a come back movie….and he gets an Oscar nomination???? And comes to the most glamorous night of the year looking like a bum off the street that dug through the trash to find a dirty, wrinkled, mismatched suit and apparently didn’t even take the time to take a shower or wash (or comb, for that matter) his hair….give me a break!!!
So — what movies took home the most awards??? If my count is right:
- Slumdog Millionaire = 8 total
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button = 3 total
- Milk = 2 total
- The Dark Knight = 2 total
Good night — see you at the movies!!!
Updates and a Couple Reviews
I started to write this several times over the past couple of days and just kept getting side tracked! So here are some updates and a review of Confessions of a Shopaholic and Once on This Island! I have a ton of stuff going on, so here goes:
I went to the Temple Theater Friday night to see Once on This Island – it was really good! The talent was amazing and the story was enjoyable. It took a couple scenes to pick up for me, but was well worth the wait! The two young girls who portrayed Ti were incredible — Camille England as “Little Ti” was adorable and absolutely charming! Taylore Woods as Ti as a young woman is a bundle of talent — what a future that girl has!!!! I also really enjoyed Marcus Zollicoffer as Daniel. That doesn’t discount the talents of everyone in the cast — all were exceptional! This Thursday through Sunday are the last showing of this production! If you haven’t been to see it, you really should!
Saturday was my lazy day — I had a late breakfast at Myra’s and got a pedicure…..that’s it!!! ha-ha I really need to learn to speak up when I go for services and things aren’t going the way I want them to go — I stopped going to one pedicure place a while back because they used a shaver on my heels and it resulted in painful heels for weeks afterwards – I thought about stopping him from doing it, but didn’t say anything!!! This Saturday, I had a couple toe nails starting to ingrow – which was the reason I decided to go get a pedicure! Well, they were really busy and she was rushing through it! I could tell she wasn’t looking close enough to see the need to clip the sides of the nails, but (again) didn’t say anything — so, now one of the toes have festered!!! Uugghh!!!
Sunday was the highlight of the weekend! I met a good friend that I haven’t gotten together with in months – we had brunch at Cafe 121, sat and talked and talked – then we drove around a little talking some more waiting for the movie we decided to see to start! It was such a great day! I really miss her — we used to see each other and talk every day at work, but unfortunately, she no longer works with us, so I miss her and our talks! We’ve tried to get together several times, but it hasn’t worked out until this past Sunday! I had a great time and I think she did, too!
The movie we saw was Confessions of a Shopaholic– what fun that was!!! Isla Fisher is hysterical as Rebecca Bloomwood – a girl who just can’t resist shopping and spends WAY beyond her means – even the mannequins come to life and egg her on by telling her how much she “needs” whatever it is she is looking at. The scenes where she is dodging debt collection agent, Derek Smeath, are gems! Isla was great in Wedding Crashers — she shows us in this movie that she can carry a lead role and make it her own! She’s got what it takes to be a top box office draw in comedic roles! We both really liked the movie – it was fun, funny, entertaining, and unique! It was over all very enjoyable!!! I give it an A-!
Progress
I’m loving the transformation the section of Chatham Street between Carthage and Wicker has made! What an amazing difference from before Progressive Contracting started working their magic to the old abandoned historical buildings!
Here are some shots I took over the past couple of years that show the progress:
The first two shots were taken in October 2007 – the only life the street had was Renalds restaurant – a rose between two thorns, for sure:
This next shot was taken in March 2008 – the work was beginning – Renalds was still the only active business on the street, but it wasn’t the only life – the strip was alive with workers renovating every inch:
The following shots were taken today — the store fronts are all finished and ablaze with colors and character! What was previously Renalds is now Cafe 121 and they are joined by other businesses starting to populate the lovely buildings! Even the old buggy factory on the corner – which looks like it still needs a lot of inside work – is beginning to take on an appealing appearance! Amazing transformation to say the very least – you’d never know it was the same street – what was old and depressing is now alive and beautiful!!! I love it!!!
All About The Girls
It’s been a while since I have totally dedicated a post to the girls. It is definitely NOT that they have been too boring to write about – not by a long shot! But, thankfully, they haven’t been getting into as much trouble – which is what makes for more entertaining posts!
I wanted to brag on them a little, but have been reluctant to do so in case it ended up jinxing everything! But, I think it may have been long enough now, so here goes: It has been over two months since I’ve come home to any major damage in the house!!!! {warding off jinxes by waving arms in the air, doing the spitting pu-pu thing, throwing salt over my shoulder, and doing a voodoo dance} Obviously anyone would be happy to not have to deal with damaged things, but I am especially happy because it has been several years since I have been able to say that!!!
Katie created some damage when she was a puppy – but that was because she was very ill and the damage was fixed by getting her healthy and replacing the carpeting with wood floors – something I had planned to do anyway, just not quite so soon! She also destroyed every soft stuffed toy she could get her teeth into! So – it started with her – she’ll be 5 in April, but didn’t get frustrating until Megan and Amy moved in…
Megan and Amy are 3 and a half this month! In that time, they have eaten or torn to shreds two couches, three chairs, a love seat, two sets of lawn furniture cushions, a chaise lounge, two dog beds, two ottomans, several sets of mini blinds, and countless bed pillows, accent pillows, stuffed toys, various items of clothing, books, newspapers, rolls of toilet paper, rolls of paper towels, tissue boxes, pens, tooth brushes, plastic and wood utensils, and just about everything and anything else they came into contact with!!!
During the 4th quarter of last year, I put together my current living room set – piece by piece! And it is still intact!!! {again with the waving arms in the air, doing the spitting pu-pu thing, throwing salt over my shoulder, and doing a voodoo dance} In fact, since before the holidays, the only thing I’ve come home to find in shreds all over the living room was a new roll of paper towels about 2 weeks ago!!! They still scrounge for things they might find left too close to the edge of the counter or table – envelopes, magazines, etc….but they do minor shredding and it doesn’t cost me a fortune to replace!!! I have even left the new accent pillows out on the couch accidentally a couple times and was happy when I got home and found them still in one piece!
I think the girls are finally growing up and maturing!!! WOO HOO {again – not taking any chances with the jinx potential — waving arms in the air, doing the spitting pu-pu thing, throwing salt over my shoulder, and doing a voodoo dance}
They have come a long way — I still make it a point to say “be good, don’t eat the couch” as the last thing they hear on my way out the door every time I leave the house, but I am less worried about what I might come home to find!!! My guard is not totally down – before I leave them alone, I go through the house and close all the doors, make sure the mini blinds are up so they can easily see out, push anything on the counters and tables back out of their reach, put up the accent pillows, and pick up anything that might be tempting for them……..but, the big thing is the furniture – I no longer lay the kitchen chairs across the couch cushions and worry about coming home to shredded cushions or holes in arms/legs!!!
“YES” — that is what I now truly believe is the answer to the question I have asked a zillion times in the last few years: “will I ever be able to have nice things again?”
Here’s to the girls — may they continue to bring great joy to my life (and less damage)!!!
Taste of Spring in February
I had to keep checking the calendar this weekend to remind myself that it was, indeed, still February – in fact, early February! Both Saturday and Sunday brought us temperatures in the mid-70s! The gentle breeze, bright sun, and beautiful blue sky all added to the wonderful weather!
Saturday, I went to the movies, got my hair cut, met some friends for dinner, and bummed around the house enjoying the day. Sunday was a little more lazy – I had brunch at Cafe 121, took a nap, and took a drive!
Motorcycles were out all over the place — singles and pairs here and there — large groups cruising through town! I was so tempted to put the top down and drink in the wonderful breeze, but since I wasn’t feeling well earlier in the week, I thought it might not be such a good idea…..
On my drive, I stopped at the Old Gilliam Mill Park and covered bridge and took some pictures – it was a lovely day!
Here’s to many more great Spring-like days to come!
Movie Review – He’s Just Not That Into You
Big hype, all star cast, etc…gotta be a hit, right? That’s what I thought and hoped – I couldn’t wait for this movie to come out! I was picturing it being a cross between “Friends” and “Thirtysomething” with some romantic comedy aspects mixed in! You know, no real plot, but lots of funny situations that are common with the dating scene and just about any group of friends that share their lives and secrets! I was right – sorta….
Well, I have to say that I was disappointed…..I wasn’t sorry I went to see it – it had its moments – it just wasn’t that interesting! In fact, I found it rather boring! And the female characters all acted like desperate, pathetic man stalkers – it was embarrassing the way some of them acted! Yeah, I know, there are women like that out there, but this movie makes it look like ALL women are like that!!! And it also made it look like all men are jerks!!!
The story idea was a good one – the cast was impressive – the ending was cute and gave the movie some redemption! Maybe it was just my mood yesterday, but I left thinking “ok, there was probably something much more worthy of spending the last couple of hours on”…. Since I did really like the ending and there were a few moments that gave me hope the movie would pick up (a very few), I’ll give it a B-. But, I’m thinking I must be feeling generous today!
Groundhog Day and Superbowl Sunday
I have to admit, there are two “holidays” that I just don’t make a lot of sense out of. They are Groundhog Day and Superbowl Sunday! Yeah, I know – Superbowl Sunday is not an official “holiday”, but the way the majority of the country reacts to it, you’d think it was the most important holiday of the year! This year, they just happened to fall of consecutive days – Superbowl Sunday on Feb 1st and Groundhog Day on Feb 2nd. Don’t get me wrong – I don’t have anything against EITHER day and I’m not writing this post to complain about them — just to go through my thoughts on the subjects!
Since Superbowl Sunday came first, let’s start there… I am not a football fan – in fact, with the exception of Baseball (and specifically Yankee’s Baseball), I am not a sports fan! So, it is understandable that I just don’t get how and why Superbowl Sunday has become the huge phenomenon that it is. The entire country comes to a screeching halt- very few people make plans that don’t involve a Superbowl party – businesses that don’t cater to the delivery or sports bar crowd are either closed or on limited staff – all the TV networks that aren’t carrying the game assume no one will be tuning in so they concede the ratings and run reruns or junk programs no one cares about – the marketing Gods come out of the woodwork to exchange billions of dollars to create, air, and reap the benefits of a line up of commercials, some of which may never be seen again – and, Lord help the non-sports fan who has a mental lapse in judgement and calls a sports fan during the game (I learned years ago to not call my brother’s # on ANY Sunday during football season, but especially on Superbowl Sunday – LOL)! So, why does football create such a ruckus? Isn’t baseball the all-American game? The earth doesn’t stop revolving for the World Series! I’m not even sure basketball or March Madness equals the hype of the Superbowl – close, very close – especially here in NC, but not quite! I am amazed, too, about the number of people who don’t follow football all season, but watch the Superbowl just to see the commercials and the half time show! Come on — you can see it all on the internet and every talk and tabloid news show for days afterwards – without suffering through the game! LOL So, what do non-sports fans do on Superbowl Sunday? Well, I – for one – have known for 24 years that I moved to the wrong part of the country, since I don’t follow Nascar, basketball, football, golf….let’s see, what am I missing? LOL So, I took in two movies and found some reruns of shows that I didn’t see the first time around – so, they were new to me! And I caught all the commercials on line – one right after the other – after the game was over (my personal favorite – the “CareerBuilder.com – Hate Work” commercial – priceless)!
Now for Groundhog Day — seriously, now — for the past 120 years, intelligent adults have relied on a rodent to tell them on Feb 2nd that spring is another 6 weeks out???? Think about it — it is Feb 2nd — it doesn’t take much thought to realize that winter is just getting geared up and spring is at LEAST 6 weeks away for most of the country – more in some areas – and the areas that isn’t the case have little or no winter to be concerned with!!! Don’t they know how to subscribe to the Farmer’s Almanac? Not too surprising, Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow on all but 14 years – one of which was last year! But what makes the groundhog the perfect bearer of the bad news? I grew up out in the country in the Northeast – where groundhogs, also known as woodchucks, are prevalent. I saw them everywhere — cute little buggers!!! But, don’t let their adorable, cuddly look fool you – corner one and he will tear you up in a heart beat! And destructive???? Man, they would burrow huge holes through a yard, eat all your grass and gardens – not good! I know – it is all symbolic and cute — a fun way to get over the hump of mid-winter! So, I – like millions of others – will be on the edge of my seat every Feb 2nd waiting to hear if Phil sees his shadow or not!
Happy Groundhog Day and Superbowl Sunday!!!
And now, for the answer to an important question: Why did they tag the most recent generation as “Generation Y”???
Have a good one…..
Kim's Thoughts 
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