Ringling Museum

While in Sarasota the Wertzs took us to the Ringling Museum complex. It was the mansion that the circus creator made for himself and is being made into a musuem, an art school and center for performing arts. Click on the title of this post to go to the web site.

Valerie enjoyed the large rose garden that has existed there since Madam Ringling started it in the 1800's.

Jonathan Dickenson State Park

Wednesday Valerie and I went to the Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Jupiter Florida (the title of this post is a link). Right in the middle of a bunch of big beachfront hotels is this very rural park. It starts at the beach and runs several miles up the Loxahatchee River. The river goes up thru mangrove marshes and has several small creeks that lead into it.

We rented a tandem kayak and went up the river and into some of the small creeks. We saw lots of birds, jumping fish, mangroves, aquatic plants, orchids and spanish moss. And, yes, we did see an aligator. As we paddled up Kitchen Creek we reached a fork in the water. I started to go up the branch on the left but as we got near the fork Valerie asked: "Is that what I think it is?" A twelve foot gator was sunning on the point about 15 feet from us. I said: "Yes it is, this is Florida, after all." The gator slid into the water and we could see the trail of bubbles coming our way. Valerie suggested we turn around but I would have none of it. She did not think it funny when I rocked the boat and really was afraid. I told her that we had passed several gators in the water already and that none had eaten us yet. Eventually she calmed down and we continued up the creek. We saw other of the dinosaurs with stubby legs but none were as large as that guy. She had the camera but never got a shot of one of them. I dunno what kept her from shooting them with the digital, maybe it was the fact that she paddled so fast whenever she saw one.

She did get LOTS of pics of birds, plams, mangroves and orchids though. The birss let us get within a few feet of them as they hunted in the mangroves. Here is a sample of some of them. Ask her and she will be glad to show you more.

Thanksgiving Pics

Ok since I don't know how to post pics on comments I had to make a new post. So here are my pictures from Thanksgiving. The girls are just FABULOUS (and they know it!) and the boys are boys! (too cool to take a picture!) And my little chunky angel - she is smiling at everyone now and has DISCOVERED her hands and gets very upset when she cannot keep them in her mouth!

Love you all - Stay warm!

A Job Well done, Marlana

Congratulations on the HUGE amount of toys and wrapping paper you have aquired for the Salvation Army's drive, Marlana. It looks like you had so much that you could not get it all into your car. It must have taken two or three cars to get it all to the drive HQ.

For those who do not know, Marlana headed a collection for the Angel Tree drive of the Salvation Army. Toys and clothing are bought for needy families, they are collected unwrapped so the parents can select what is appropriate for their children, then the folks get to wrap it up and give it to the kids at Christmas.

It was a very selfless act on Marlana's part and will mean a lot to the kids and the parents as well. I am proud to be associated with such a wonderful person as her.

What is the deal here, people? There have been no posts here in four days. I am willing to bet that you have not run out of interesting, funny or clever things to say or that you do not have any more cute kid pictures.

Okay, so how about a joke:
I guy walks into a a bar...he really hurt his head on it...oh, wait...that wasn't funny...Okay, you come up with one.

BEARS WIN! BEARS WIN!

BURN!!!

The Bears roughed up Brett Favre with their defense. They knocked him down, intercepted two of his passes and beat the Packers for the first time since 1993.

Visiting Virginia

Jeremy went up to Chicago to visit Virginia at work. Cute couple.

No More!

I know everyone thinks that I have this "cushy" government job, but let me just tell you what's been going on here and you can tell me who's job is better... yes, I get the holidays off. Big f*c!i#g deal when you combine that with the fact that one of my supervisors is the antichrist! In the last month, we have had several things taken away from us because of two individuals in our office that are abusing things. Now, the fact that they are stupid bitches is affecting all of us.

1. We got our radios taken away. We cannot listen to any music at all, no radios, no playing cds on our computers, nothing. Do you know how horrible it is to have that silence all day? Know why? Because one of the aforementioned studpid bitches thought it would be a good idea to bring a tv into work and put it on her desk.
2. Last week we got our smoke breaks taken away because those stupid bitches who don't even smoke were taking 30 minunte breaks together, and letting the phones ring off the hook. Now, we cannot take 5 mintues after court to go have a cigarette. We are not allowed any breaks at all. Next, we're going to have to ask permission to use the ladies' room.
3. Usually when we come in the office in the morning, we go to the cafeteria, get some coffee and grab something to eat. Well, we're not allowed to do that anymore either. "Eat at home!" she says. I know many of you eat at home... that's not the point. The fact is we've been doing this for years and because of the actions of some, all are punished.
And here are a few extras...
4. Do you guys get yelled at during the day for no reason?
5. Do you guys get promised things that immediately get taken away? (yes, I have to go back to Gary, AGAIN!)
6. Do you have to pay for your own Christmas party when there's not even an open bar?
7. Are you required to pay $25.00 for your boss' Christmas gift when he has a staff of 35 and never gives you shit!

I AM SICK OF IT!

What do you think? Am I a bratty little kid who's not getting her way and complaining about it, or do you think this is a tad ridiculous?
So, in light of this information, I will tell you that I am attending a closed captioning seminar this weekend that runs all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I am really hoping that I am interested in pursuing this as an alternative to court reporting. It is a booming market for stenographers right now and I'm hoping this will allow me to see that light at the end of the tunnel.