I know zero about the Dominican Republic - however I was at the hairdressers this week and she was talking about her trip to Panama for New Years - and in the course of that conversation she said she had been to the Dom. rep. and she had no desire to go there again.

How is that for a great piece of info!?

Good morning everyone! Crikey! you were absent yesterday, do you have an excuse

So no need to tell everyone what I am up to, combo packing/cleaning <<<< there I did it anyway. It's overcast here today, it might snow

Oh yes, had forgotten about your experience in Edmonton.
Hahaha!

Oh, but the true Arctic was actually in Chicago this winter.
There were weeks with under zero FAHRENHEIT, people.
Brrrr...and still it is way below normal.
We had snow Thursday again.
Everyone is sick of it.
And I am by far suffering for this cold and dry and bleh.
(What was I thinking?? See what the euphoria of love does?)


I'm supposed to go by a local boatyard today and hang with the locals (they're throwing a Luau)...it's not horrible today, thankgodd.

I had a note. My Mom said it was okay. The hall monitor gave me a pass. I think I have it here in my pocket. Oh oh. Looks like the dog ate it.

Let's see.... where was I yesterday? Oh yes. I had a chiropractic appointment first thing in the morning. Since his office is halfway to the Fresh Market, I decided to go there afterwards. Since there's a Starbucks there I decided to stop off and grab my morning coffee that I didn't have time for at home. Since there's a nail salon in the Fresh Market plaza, I decided to drink my coffee while getting a pedicure. Went to the Fresh Market and chatted with the butcher and the lady who makes the test meals. Picked up wine on my way by the liquor store. Remembered I hadn't picked up my husband's shirts from the dry cleaners yet so went home, put away the groceries, grabbed the dirty shirts, chatted with the owner of the cleaners, picked up the clean shirts. Decided I wanted to make jalapeno poppers (jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese, topped with bacon and broiled or bbq'd) so stopped off at the grocery store. Sale on flowers at Albertsons so bought two bunches of Gerbera daisies. Total of $6.00 for 8 Gerberas!!! Can you believe that? Bought these colours:



Put them on my dining room table. So pretty. Let's see. What else did I do? Drank wine while I prepped dinner. Made jalapenos. Cut up excess fresh strawberries, sprinkled them with sugar, then froze them in two containers for future strawberry shortcakes. Wrestled with propane tank on gas bbq. Conceded defeat and waited for husband to come home from gym so he could do it. Drank more wine. Waited for husband. Husband calls.... he's in Altamonte Springs looking for a tux. (He's walking his niece down the aisle in June and then we've got a big trip coming up in July.) Tells me to go ahead and eat dinner without him. Tell him I would but I can't light the stupid bbq. Husband comes home and we eat dinner. The end.

Oh and, sorry, Leafgal. I know nothing about DR. Other than my parents' flight was cancelled out of there because it was on 9-11 so they had to stay another couple of days. Now Puerta Vallarta I can tell you about. But not DR.

Trailmix, those Horton's breffrus sammidges look horrible, don't they? I could break a tooth on them. They really need to get their money back from that photographer.

Dominican is beautiful- especially Punta Cana- the water and beaches are gorgeous. It is nicer on the Punta Cana side that Puerto Plata- but Puerto Plata was still great.

The Dominican people are very friendly and lovely people. Like most holidays- you will want to stay close to the resort and take reputable tours with good guides. You don't want to wander too far on you own.

Also in the Dominican- pay attention to how many "car washes" you see. As most people mostly ride scooters, there seem to be a lot of car washes.

They are brothels

Go oooooon! Wow. The things you learn when asking innocent questions. lol

Crickey! you don't need any excuses, your day sounds like an old Enjoli commercial.
Those look like nice Gerberas and the price sounds right but were they cut flowers or whole plants?

BTW, don't let our favourite barista hear about your acquisition of java from a large chain of coffee dispensing establishments, she'd be less than enthused.



And I always thought a "happy ending" was an extra coat of wax.

Thank you MissStacey good to know not to wander too far.

And your right Crikey the things you learn, too funny, I will be sure to keep that info to myself till before we all leave since 3 single guys and you never know what they will do ha ha ha.

Better bring bail money.

No I am praying they don't figure it out lol

Ohmygosh, I am SO Enjoli! I had totally forgotten about that commercial so I had to google it. The Gerberas were cut flowers. I remember paying $2.99 for a single stem in Canada (when they weren't on sale). At Albertsons I got four of them for the same price! I think that's awesome. And, yes, I don't think Len's going to be too pleased about my coffee. But there's nowhere else that sells coffee here.


You can always have fun by smiling sweetly while you ask if anyone would like to go to the carwash today, and then blink innocently when they look at you funny.

Folks here is our Crickey!

All that, and a liberal lefty too..... ####!!

I wonder if there are any car washes in the Dominican Republic, just to wash off all the road salt they use.
Crickey! I like cut flowers but I prefer the living plant itself. A large, fragrant jasmine that is blooming in the house is an instant air freshener and makes even a microwave dinner an enjoyable experience.

####!! translates as gadzooks!! I believe.

the things i learn in here. now i'm thinking "wax on - wax off"

You can grow jasmine in the house? Cool.

Yup. I take the plants outside in the summer (I'm in Toronto) so they form more fragrant buds (and to keep my cats from climbing them ) but they're pretty happy indoors. They, of course, don't flower as much since my house faces North. In Florida, you could plant a few around your windows and voila, a nicely scented breeze will greet you every morning. Put one in the kitchen window. Much easier than keeping Frangipanis indoors, smaller too.

Ok, that is a good excuse, whew, sounds like a lot for one day!!

I still sing the enjoli commercial sometimes, however, I had forgotten it was for enjoli....so I guess the marketing wasn't that great.

I had no idea they still sold the stuff, but apparently they do. Some of these commercials ran for 15-20 years and print ads run forever (ask me about the lion-hearted Chryslers for 1959 ). The other big name was Prince Matchabelli. I remember the name but I couldn't for the life of me remember the perfume or the ad. It's a bit like the old Turk, I don't remember the name but the fez is familiar. BTW, if you sang the jingle how did you not use the name of the product, just curious.

oh you're curious are you!?!?

I just left the enjoli part off

I suppose it could happen, but for the Oscar Mayer jingle it might be a bit little harder.

wow everyone is still sleeping. guess i better fire up the coffee maker

Woo hoo! Charles coffee! Good morning everyone. It snowed over night and not an insubstantial amount either, harumph.

Tinkerbell is on tv as I am playing the Disney world DVD, just recharging the batteries for the camera etc. Lots of work done yesterday (mostly by my Husband), quite frankly I have been a bit overwhelmed by this move.

Also just looking at motels, there is this one in Canistota, South Dakota, called the U-Bar Motel, my Husband found it and we are thinking of staying there perhaps instead of Sioux Falls, he likes the name:

Whoa. Charles brought the coffee. Thanks Charles! *checks today's weather report in hell*

Well, you can't get more motelly than Über motelly, so I say go for it! (I guess they spell it differently in SD. )

Packing up my computer today as well - however I will now be using the laptop, which is good. I'm taking my monitor as well, in the car.

Anyone know where the list of places we were going to stop overnight on our trip is??

Oh phew. You have a laptop. I almost had Trailmix withdrawal when I read you were packing up your computer. I recommend you keep your list of places on your laptop. But check your pile of important stuff for the list. Or the recycling. Isn't moving fun?

Just starting to make a profile on dcjobs in the hopes of my upcoming EAD approval

What do you guys put for Citizenship Status when asked????

woops haha

just noticed that there's a drop down box!

Yes, yes it is. I don't remember if you're going through Iowa but they have wonderful rest stops, many of them with free wi-fi. They look like little cottages so you might just run into people cottaging. Montana didn't have the nicest rest stops as I recall. Didn't stop at motels or drink any coffee, only rested for an hour or two and then kept moving for the full 2400 miles but I wouldn't recommend that you do it.

Whoa. I hope you had an assistant driver.

No, didn't have one. Three vehicles (three brothers) moving in a convoy and poor Mom exhorting us to check into a motel.

I just said to my Husband 'are we going through Iowa' - he said 'I don't know if we are'.

We will be doing about 8 hours or so of driving per day. We might also be postponing our trip for a day or two, looking at Montana right now it's snow and snow.

My Son just took our cans to the bottle depot - $160 - guess we haven't been to the depot in a while

Oh, poor Mumsie. I SO know what that's like when males decide something and you're only along for the ride.


Yes! Excellent score for your son!

I have a confession, I'm a man, but I can change, if I have to, I guess.


The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

And so it goes...

*trying hard to figure out how many semis $160 worth of cans took up*

I see you are a Robert Frost fan, and nice haul on the cans, does he get to keep the money lol

Actually I'm a Leafs' fan, but that's not working out too well at the moment.

You know the saying when it comes to the Leafs, maybe next year. I swear if they make it I am going home to see at least one game.

hehehe . . . and a Red Green fan too

Yes, he and his friend split the money anddd it takes 2 loads in a pick up truck

ok, i'm typing this on my laptop, does it look different!?

definitely . . . . looks smaller

No, I meant your actual mumsie, Mumsie. Or should that be Celine?


Did you just say something?

Good Morning! Here's coffee!

Hmmm Timmys!!! may be heading to Calgray in June for a wedding!! OR some where tropical for a holiday later on? Sandy beaches or Timmys? choices choices,lol

Who needs tropical in June...unless you live in NWT??? There is no choice! haha

yay for canadian coffee g'morning everyone.

I like Calgary, not just because of the Flames, (who are sucking right now,lol) Have a sister that lives there,and she wil be about 6 months preggo by June, so woul dbe cool to see her. Just soo much to do in Calgary.

I do! I do! *waves hand in air*


Hey. Maybe she knows Trailmix? lol

I am thinking most Canadians need the tropics at some point this year after all the darn snow, gee and I missed it for a 2nd winter, so very sad.

Oh thank you CarlaWarla for the coffee, yummy. Pass the timbits.