Rainy Saturday

So here are the pictures of Mark's final finished amplifier (and my paint job.) If you're wondering what it's laying on, it's actually on my desk. My desk is covered with a puzzle that Mark and I did last weekend (wow, what dorks, right?) and I'm going to glue it together and put it on the wall. If I can figure out how to do that. To all the crafty ladies in my family: any ideas??

This morning I slept in (my favorite thing!) and Mark cooked me bacon (my other favorite thing!) and eggs. Now it's raining, but I really just wanted to curl up and read a book all day anyway. My new book club book is Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides. It's gotten a lot of praise, so who knows. I'm excited to try it anyway.

Last night we went to our favorite restaurant (one that if anyone comes to VISIT ME, I'll be sure to take you to). It's called Havana Harry's and it has superb Cuban food and the finest Margaritas on the planet. Mojitos as well.

Tomorrow is my 5K run/walk, and sadly I did no preparing for this during the week. Not that it matters, but I'm sure I'll be fine. It's really early though; I have to leave my house at 6:15am! Yikes, I don't like that one bit. That's about all that's going on. I'll let you know how the run was tomorrow! Love.

Gotta love Saturdays.

Hello to all. Most of you that read this are camping right now. I wish I could be there to join you (well, that is, I wish I could be there AND that is was warm)! Hope you guys aren't too cold in the tents. I can't wait to see pictures!

I'm hanging out at my house today (you know, laundry, dishes - woohoo!) And Mark is building an amplifier in the kitchen. He bought an old jewelry box at Goodwill (his new favorite store) and cut out the middle. Then he has small speakers inside and he's made an amplifier out of it. For those of you that have no idea what I mean (and I wouldn't if it weren't for Mark always talking about this stuff) - he basically has an old jewelry box, and he's wired a bunch of things under it (don't ask me what, it looks like a little computer) and he can plug his iPod into it and it plays! The sound was best when the top of the jewelry box was tilted, so I curved a paperclip and we carved a little hole in the top. Now the top can prop open just like a piano - and that way the sound is best. I'm the creative director. It's working, but now he's taking it back out and fixing something so it doesn't short. I started painting the inside; that's why it's white. I'm not sure what kind of design I'm going to paint yet, but when I finish, I'll take a picture and post it. Mark's also going to put a small red light in it that will flash to the beat of the music. He's already tried it and it looks awesome! More to come when we're done. (P.S. - Mark is NOT as creepy as he looks in the first picture...)

My book club meeting Wednesday night was really fun. Me and two other people are starting a Beginners Spanish group, so that should be a lot of fun. I bought a practice book off Amazon, and soon (as in later today) I'll be studying some beginners vocabulary! I'm really excited to start working on this and also to meet more people here. One of the girls that's starting this with me is a social worker. (Yay, Chelsea!) The other woman is a research doctor at Miami Children's Hospital. So it's the three of us right now, but more people and more learning are right around the corner!

Next week some people from my office are doing a 5k for Domestic Violence. Mark said "You haven't even been running!" But hey, it's only a 5k, and I can walk if I get tired! It is very early next Sunday morning, but it should be a good time. That's all for now, back to laundry/Spanish/helping Mark! Adios!

High Heel Hike! For the Breasts!

On Saturday, October 11, I met up with some co-workers to participate in a High Heel Hike in Fort Lauderdale to raise money for breast cancer. I didn't think there were going to be as many high-heeled women as there were. The Miami Dolphin Cheerleaders were there, and there was also a group of drag queens from a local bar with T-shirts that said "Save the Ta-Tas."

We signed in, and then proceeded to be given SWAG – "Stuff We All Get." I got a t-shirt, a fan (it was really hot outside!), fingernail files, key chains, bagels from Panera, and pink champagne. Yes, you heard me correctly. This was really my kind of walk! The walk took place on a street called Las Olas, Spanish for I-don't-know-what. Chelsea should be able to tell you; ask her. Las Olas leads all the way to the beach in Fort Lauderdale, and there are restaurants, bars and boutiques stretching all the way down. The walk was the shortest distance I've ever done; it was a 1K. But it actually took longer than you might think. First, we were all in high heels, and second, most of the restaurants had workers by the street with trays of hors d'oeuvres for the participants. There were men on the street with Evian misting bottles cooling us down, and the bars even set up little tables by the streets and were serving us free drinks. You couldn't go twenty feet without something catching your eye, either food or drink, and then off you'd go! The Sushi restaurant gave out Hot Pink sake. One bar served pineapple mixed drinks. Basically I think everyone had fun, from the tiny little girls walking in their tiny high heels and bright pink tu-tus, to the adults that were basically dressed to match! I wore yellow high heels. I wanted gold in honor of grandma, but I had no gold, so yellow had to suffice. I'm sure she would have LOVED this walk! I guess I am my grandmother's granddaughter…I'm not sure if that's applicable, but oh well. Who got grandma's boobs anyway?

Other than that, not much else is going on. I'm writing some and researching freelance writing jobs, so if anyone has a hookup, let me know!

My next book club meeting is Wednesday night. We're discussing Ann Patchet's Bel Canto, which I enjoyed. Plus (I think I mentioned in an earlier post) she's a Nashvillian. Go Tennessee!

That's all for now! More later on....