Side Tracked

My goal today was to go down to Boca, pick up my mammogram and head straight back home to do some household chores. Right. Didn't happen. On my way home, I saw a Pier 1 for kids on Glades Road. It was like Pier 1 was a giant piece of metal and I was a hunk of magnet. Within minutes I was inside the store with sensory overload. So many adorable things I could buy for Gi! No, it's not what you think. I did not even come close to maxing out the ole credit card. However, I did get Gi her first food play set with child size kitchen utensils. It's all made out of solid wood. The kind that you can actually pass down to the next generation. Nothing like good ole fashion wooden toys! Refusing to come down from my "shopping for Gi high" I asked the Pier 1 sales associate if there were any other kid stores near by. Of course there are. It's Boca after all. So off I went to Bellini and Bombay Kids. Bellini---way over priced for our budget and too pastel. Bombay Kids---cool stuff but not very many variations in color. Saw a neat chaise in there but only came in metallic gray. Four hours later, I'm back home. What was meant to be a 30 minute errand turned into a half day event for Gigi stuff.

It's Too Cute!

Just wanted to show my family and friends more adorable gifts that my CCAI secret pal has sent me. I adore the little dress and bathing suit! Thank you, Secret Pal.

Ron-isms

My good friend, Jessica, suggested that I share some of the highlights of hubby's linguistic genius. My family and friends know it as Ron-isms---phrases and euphemisms that hubby butchers while saying them in English. Portuguese is his first language. I know one day I will make millions publishing all the Ron-isms that I hear everyday into a coffee table book. So here are a few samplings. The first part is how he says it in English. The second part is the translation or explanation.

1. Ja Ja Gabor----Zsa Zsa Gabor
2. Bucket of Chucks---Church's Fried Chicken
3. I smell beef!---commenting about himself after coming out of a steakhouse
4. Bone-Ass---Bonus S fertilizer (yes, hubs actually went up to a garden center employee at Home Depot and asked where he could find the Bone-Ass)
5. Peneses---pennies
6. Turd---third
7. McVomit---McDonald's
8. Shop-n-Crap---Shop and Stop (name of popular convenience store in Massachusettes)
9. Taco Hell---Taco Bell
10. I'd be poopen---ibuprophen (Motrin)
11. Massacrupits---Massachusettes
12. Fall Hivie---Fall River (where hubs lived for 10 years before moving to FL)
13. Handiscrap---handicapp
14. She's ugly, stupid and dummy---hubs way of expressing an actress' lack of talent
15. Bracko, bracko!---breaker, breaker! (you know, when you talk on a cb radio)
16. You're going to get a beat!---you're going to get a beating!
17. Duck Face---Penelope Cruz (Hubs thinks this actress looks like a duck)
18. I was taking a dump and I had this idea...---many times hubs has come of the bathroom saying this.
19. Fag Rag---fag hag
20. You want a piss of this???---You want a piece of this???
21. Texican---person from Texas
22. Cubican---person from Cuba
23. You're a hooker!---You're a ringer! (Hubs blurted this out while playing poker with a friend who was obviously more skilled than he was)
24. Penis soup---peanut soup
25. I'm going to make a log---I'm going to get a log for the fire
26. Ana loves the tongue---Ana has had a tongue sandwich before at a deli
27. Stupidvisor---supervisor
28. I'm very observirit---I'm very observant
29. Dee lick ca see---delicacy
30. Orange grapefruit juice---orange juice
31. Booker---bookie
32. Do you have itchy ass?---hubs asked this after getting his shorts wet and was not able to change his clothes
33. Pumping ass---pompous ass
34. Boob biggies---big boobies
35. This tv has rocks---this tv has balls
36. Subistitute---substitute
37. Dennis's---Denny's restuarant
38. I hurt my toe!---I hurt my thumb!
39. I'm officially awake!---an announcement hubs likes to make when he gets out of bed
40. I'm not changing your clostomy bag---what hubs likes to say to his good buddy
41. Pee Pee---Fifi (name of our dog)
42. Dad, you're retarded now---Dad, you're retired now.
43. Dunkin Vomit---Dunkin Donut
44. Half and half or black and white---what hubs says when ordering a black and tan beer
45. Ass Felt---asphalt
46. Don't go there, boyfriend---don't go there, girlfriend
47. Is the Catholic pope?---Is the pope Catholic?
48. Ray bye---rabbi

Curtains Up

Big thanks again to my big sis, Sara, for making Gi's curtains. I finally put them up. Her room is grooving!

A Little Bit of Caribbean for Gigi

Picked up a handmade Haitian cloth doll for Gi. On one side is a happy face. The flip side is a sad face. Thought it was very cute. Also did a little picture for Gi during an art workshop on board the last day of the cruise. The instructor guided us on how to color the lizard in the tradition of a Panamanian matriarchical group of people. He informed us that daughters were highly valued in this particular group of people living in Panama. The women of this group made clothing out of fabric that they dye in bright, busy designs. Thought this was a very good omen for Gi. She will always be highly valued in my and hubby's life.

Back From the Lap of Luxury IX

Our last port of call was Cozmel, Mexico. Hubs decided to roam the streets of Cozmel bargaining with the local vendors while I attended a Mexican cuisine work shop at Praia Mia. In the first picture is Javier, the chef who taught us how to make some authentic Mexican dishes. There were only nine participants so we each had our own work station. Menu for that day was Mexican sopes, grouper filet with mango sauce and stuffed banana pepper and Mexican rice pudding with cookie tower. Javier not only taught us how to prepare the dishes but also how to plate the food. We ate what we made. And it was yummy for my tummy! Great excursion! I would recommend it for any foodie who might sail to Cozmel for a little R&R.

Back From the Lap of Luxury VIII

Every night we sat with a very fun couple, Louise and David, for dinner. They are newlyweds from Las Vegas, where hubs and I got married! We thoroughly enjoyed dining with them. We wish them much love and happiness in their new lives together.

Back From the Lap of Luxury VII

This was our second formal night on the cruise. Hubs kept blinking every time I tried to snap a picture of him. So we finally decided to have him look into the mirror instead of the camera. The ship had over $200,000,000 of original art work displayed throughout. The formal dining room looked like a page from an opulent French ballet house. We, being first time cruisers, were very impressed.

Back From the Lap of Luxury VI

Our third port of call was Georgetown, Cayman Islands. We bought several bottles of rum on this island. Saw lots of Tortuga rum cakes for sale. The CI is where you can join an excursion and swim with stingrays! Of course, being the foodie that I am, I wanted to sample some of their local treats. Ate a delicious, hot-from-the-oven Jamaican pattie that was made in a local bakery that also made their own rum cake. Sale of vanilla extract everywhere! As hubs and I walked further into the downtown area, we witnessed three local police officers issuing a parking citation to a local woman. The lady was so outraged at receiving the ticket that she whipped out her little notebook, wrote down the names of the three officers and confidently told them that her boss, the education minister, will take care of the matter. She heatedly claimed that she had to park where she was because she was doing work for the education minister. As the lady continued to argue with the officers, hubs was secretly hoping to witness a little hancuff and arrest action. Didn't happen. After the angry woman drove off, we continued our self-directed walking tour. Saw a couple of restaurants that tickled our funny bones. A MacDonald's that sold chicken. A seaside restaurant that served turtle soup. I didn't try the turtle soup---had just come off the ship with a belly full of food.

Back From the Lap of Luxury V

Notice the menu items listed in the little-hole-in-wall restaurant/convenience store we patronized in Jamaica. That's right, curry goat is not the only tasty delicacy offered. Care for a little cow's head soup today?

Back From the Lap of Luxury IV

Our second port of call was Ochos Rios, Jamaica. Also very hot!!! The exchange rate is $1 (US) to $64 (Jamaican). Notice the price of gas and fast food advertised. I bought this big slab of rum raisin cake from a local bakery on the main street. So yummy! Also tried curry goat in a little hole-in-the-wall that also doubled as a convenience store. Pretty tasty for goat! Hubby was afraid that I would get sick from eating the curry goat. But I never did, luckily. Also visited the straw market and saw a stall that made the famous Jamaican steel drums. We were surprised to see a Chinese restaurant that served dim sum. Didn't try it, though.

Back From the Lap of Luxury III

Our first port of call was Labadee, Haiti. Very hot!!! The water was beautiful and refreshing to swim in. The local merchants were very aggressive. The cruise ship provided a lovely bbq lunch on the island. Hubs and I ate with a beautiful view of the beach and a continuous island breeze. It was heavenly. Afterwards, hubby was sooo tired from eating, shopping, and swimming he just had to take a siesta in a hammock on the beach. Yeah, it's a tough life!

Back From the Lap of Luxury II

Getting ready for our first formal night on the cruise. Was able to convince hubs to wear a tie and suit. Hubs took a picture of me applying my make-up with my hair pulled back using the handles of two pens. I had forgotten to bring barretts for my hair. I brought everything else though.
Fabulous dining! Great service! Our waiter was from Thailand. Our assistant waiter was from Jamaica. And the head waiter was from Europe.

Back From the Lap of Luxury I

Our first day on Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas.
Safety first then it was off to the buffet!

In Her Room

I love to be in Gi's room! I even moved the love seat that was in our bedroom to her room so I can sit (actually lay) in there all day long working on my laptop, folding laundry, napping and doing other lazy summer activities. Sometimes, I sit in the quiet of her room and look out the window as the rain comes pouring down. Fifi loves to join me in here. She finds her spot on the area rug and starts snoring away.

Super Cool Card

I received something wonderful in the mail today! No, not a referral but something that I will also treasure. My bro-in-law is a super talented artist and potter. He sent me a personalized thank-you card with a depiction of me, hubby and Gi as a "Narnia" family. You know, the lion, witch and wardrobe story. For those of you who have visited with us, you may have noticed that almost all of our walls are decorated with paintings and objects created by my bro-in-law and big sis. I, unfortunately, did not inherit the creative gene in my family. But I love artistic creations! Check out their blog which showcases their pottery business---Turtlehill Ceramics at www.turtlehill.blogspot.com.

4th of July

Hubs and I had a wonderful 4th with our friends and family. We were all invited to our neighbor's house for a feast of Vietnamese, Chinese and American foods. Afterwards, we sat in their awesome back patio and watched the neighboring fireworks go off. Hubby and I discussed how we just completed our first month of waiting for Gigi after being logged in back in May. One down, six or seven months to go. Hopefully, by next July 4th, we will be able to enjoy the fireworks with Gi.

Spending Time

Last night, hubs and I spent another lovely evening with our friends, Josh and Vanessa. They have two super cute daughters. We had yummy panini and lasagne Brazilian style. Everyone wore a Brazil shirt for good luck including the babies. But that was not enough. Brazil lost to France anyway. When we have Gigi in our arms, she might be close in age to their newborn daughter, Maya. And today, we spent a couple hours with our friends, Kristen and David. We listened to jazz under a big shady tree. Kristen served refreshing mimosa to hubby's delight. Tonight, we'll visit with Mike and Tish. Tish just had one of her hands operated on. After that hand heals, she will have her other hand operated on. Ouch!

No Semifinals??!!

Hubs is totally bummed that Brazil lost to France today. They will not even have a chance to go to the semifinals. He's trying to drown his sorrow by going to bed early. Maybe some chocolate chip pancakes will cheer him up tomorrow morning.