The Get Away Plan

For most of us, some of our best times happened spontaneously, accidentally even.  I love those memories and yes, the stories got better over time.  But I will have to tell you, better times are carefully planned....right down to the limo.  Of course we all know that if you book a cruise you will have a wonderful, planned vacation.  Because after all, you will have a perky, energetic, bouncing Cruise Director to make sure that you do.  But what if your good time is entirely in your own hands...your own sweating palms, gripping the steering wheel in Clark Griswald style, down the vacation highway to hell?  For some, like Clark, it's an adventure.  I agree that unpleasant surprises are adventures, but a girl's get-away trip to celebrate my birthday needs some flair and glam.  Las Vegas, Niagra Falls, and Mohegan Sun were all considered.  But that was just the obvious surface scratching.  We are self-styled, confident, independent women who do not have time for scrapbooking our fantasies.  We plan to carry them out like true pampered pooches (rich bitches).   Well, enough bravado talk.  It's time to unveil "The Plan".  We are flying non-stop to Ft. Lauderdale. When we exit the airport, a limo will be waiting to offer us a glass of champagne and drive us to the Hilton Beach Resort.  After we check in, we will return to our waiting limo and go to the Hollywood Casino for an afternoon and early evening of gambling, shopping, and dining.  When we return to the hotel we will enjoy a cocktail in the hotel lounge before changing into our swimsuits and going to the hot tub to finish both the evening and a bottle of champagne.  Of course we will be sleeping in late the next morning and ordering room service for breakfast.  We have reserved a cabana by the pool for the day which has it's own refrigerator and TV.  The pool is heated, there is, of course, the hot tub right by, and a wonderful pool bar and pool servers to bring us delectable munchies and tantalizing drinks with little umbrellas.  Did I mention we will be overlooking the beach and ocean as we lounge by the pool in our cabana?  We might even take a walk on the beach.  But for true spontaneity, we will wait until a later time to blah, blah, blah, oh no!  You have all fallen asleep!!  What a bedtime story.  I've told this one to the residents of MicroWorld and they ask for it again and again.  Fantasy?  I'll tell you the whole truth when I get back! Would I lie to you, Baby?

Valentine's Day---It Really is All About YOU!

People seem to love to bash Valentine's Day.  They snidely point out it was "invented" by Hallmark.  It's just another ploy to extract money from consumers.  This is probably true, but why ruin your day stewing about economics ?  Today is my free hall pass.  I can dress up in red and get the world's approval, and celebrate on a otherwise bleak and gray winter day.  I even bought myself something special....Chocolate Wine!  I'll spend all day today anticipating it's deliciousness when I open it up tonight.  People who grump about V-Day are looking for someone else to make the day special for them.  Who knows you better than YOU?! Why, you know exactly what you like.  Why let someone botch it up and dissappoint you?  Plan your special day around YOU for a change and then if you don't have a special someone to share it with, invite someone who's company you enjoy.  Remember, if it's all about you, you won't be let down.  Were you hoping for chocolates, jewelery, a canlelit dinner?  Please.....if you are a woman then you know that men simply cannot pull this off competently except in TV commercials.  Did you want Godiva chocolates or Whitman from Walgreen's.  Now I know you want Godiva, but he will go to Walgreen's and then he will drive to Walmart and look around the store in hopeless confusion. Men with secretaries send them to do the shopping and their wives are grateful.
But if your man is shopping and planning a special day SOLO, then do yourself a favor and get involved.   Go shopping!  Buy yourself something that truly brings personal satisfaction.  After all, it is really all about you...just ask him.

cold not for the old or why I hate winter

The last blog I posted was dated January 27.  Today is February 11.  In today's fast-paced world it is no wonder I have only 3 followers.  One follower is my husband who no longer bothers to check my blogspot.  There is plenty craziness going on here in MicroWorld to write about.  However, it's mostly "stir-crazy" craziness because we're held captive by Old Man Winter.  Temperatures are in the single digits at night and the teens and low twentys during the day.  Every few days we receive another delivery of snow, sometimes with an additional bonus of ice and sleet.  The snow accumulation is now higher than the handrails that line our walk ways.  The bird bath on the patio looks like a giant bowl of cool whip sitting on top of the snow.  My pick up truck is dwarfed in the parking lot by the mountains of snow left from plowing and it's truck bed is piled high with load of snow which I will probably haul around town for another month.  I imagine you are wondering why I am not blogging merrily along with a cozy shawl around my shoulders and a steaming hot toddy by my side.  Now that's a charming picture and just pure fantasy.  Lately the demands for my attention have reached celebrity proportions.  Delivery trucks have been late or skipped us on storm days, our $300,000 state-of-the-art heating/cooling system fails us as regularly as a heart beat, employee absenteeism is at an all time high, the residents are bored and complaining, and the intestinal virus with accompanying diarreaha and vomiting just keeps making the rounds from room to room....usually at night when I am the only staff person in MicroWorld.  As manager, I am expected to solve each and every problem.  Now, I'm not complaining, just explaining.  That's my reason for not blogging.  Go ahead, one-up me...I dare you.  Make my day!  Oh, I'm ranting am I? I'm stir-crazy, am I?  I'm whining?  It's just like watching black and white TV when I look out the window.   Gray skies, white snow, black tree branches covered with white snow.  We love Valentine's Day up here just to see a little color.  My daughter mentioned on Face (Lame) Book that she was planning the great
escape.  As her mother (and always the leader) I am plotting 3 escapes.  The first one to the Mohegan Sun where for 2 glorious days I won't see the sun.  I'll eat, drink and gamble and forget about the ten feet of snow outside.  I'm leaving in 4 days but I'm counting down by the hour.  I was interrupted a few minutes ago because 4 rooms are too cold, and could I please fix the problem. It's 7:15 AM and I haven't been in the shower yet or gotten dressed.
I hate winter and that's all I have to say about that.  Celebrity status, I tell you, but what are going to do? (translation: whaddaya gonna do?)
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