Just gettin' in to see the pix. What a grand looking group, having a grand old time!
Oy! Denver airport. It just about did me in when I went to Tucson for the get-together two years ago. 15 minutes to race from one end of the airport to the other - take off my sandals to have them inspected and leap onto the plane. I was not happy
hmmmm
pic # 19
does it JUST look like Roger is grabbin' his own ass (and very pleased about it)? and panzade and BigD are sharing some kind of joke?
You noticed that too?
BTW misty, the pics didn't come out. Can you send them to me via e mail?
Nice pics
great to see you all
wish I was there
wait till next year*
*We Red Sox fans say that a lot!
I'm very disappointed in myself for not showing up you guys. I chose the company of a new female, who I thought was rather extraordinary (really not that far from it, really :wink: ), but now wish I'd of chanced putting her off to meet all of you. I'll not make that mistake again. I'm glad you all had such a wonderful time and look forward to my next opportunity to meet you.
O'bill, O'bill <sigh> there's always going to be another extraordinary woman in your life, but how many chances are you going to get to be in a photo with the likes of BigDice, urs, Rae, misti, Roger, Doug(ie), panzade ... maybe even go carousing with the lads.
Ya know those photos of people having great times in London, Boston, San Francisco, Toronto, Madison WI, someplace in Texas, Cocoa Beach ... ? They really are having a fabulous time, and toning it down for the pix.
I'm finally here!
First ~ thanks to cicerone imposter for sending me the baseball caps from the San Francisco gathering! Everyone loved them. We didn't get around to the fun tests you sent yet, c.i. And if you had seen the evil looks I got when I mentioned them you'd understand why!!
Thanks also for the lovely compliment ~ hard to believe that I've been suffering with anxiety disorder for a while now, but put me in a take charge position and I feel like it's second skin! (Of course it doesn't hurt when all the food turns out good and people stuff themselves!)
panzade ~ I'm so glad you were able to make the trip. Thanks so much for the lovely things you said about my son. Ursula and I both told him what you had said and he got bright red and tried to shake it off! But, I know he was secretly pleased.
Letty ~ thank you for your compliments, too. I always feel beautiful because of your comments. And that boy of mine.....yes, he is my greatest accomplishment. God blessed me good with him.
Bill ~ ehBeth is right, but none of us are holding it against you! Remember, Stefan and Ursula will be here for another week ~ in fact, we're having a get together with a few of my friends tomorrow night. You are most welcome. If not.....next time. These gatherings aren't going to end anytime soon!
BIG NEWS OF THE DAY!!!!!
Dougy and I took Roger out this afternoon to a place called Turkey Creek Wildlife Sanctuary in search of manatees. We managed to see wild rosemary herbs, a bumble bee, humongous mullet and three turtles. I have to add that Dougy and Roger tried to convince me that we were lost and they did a pretty good job of it but I just led them on because they were having such a good time. Men. I yell ya.
Anyway, we had no luck with manatees. My brilliant son, however, remembered a boat launching dock not too far away and we decided to check it out.
Just as we pulled into the parking lot and looked out at the water, we saw a large swell making its way to the dock.
A ten to twelve foot manatee came to visit! Not only did Roger get to see/admire it, he actually got down on his knees and petted him! I swear, he looked like a little kid on Christmas morning! There were some other people there who ran and got foliage, so we also got to see him eat and it was awesome.
I took some pictures, but will have to tweak them a bit because it was a bit sunny and the water reflection wasn't helping.
Doesn't matter though because I don't think Roger will forget today for as long as he lives.
Leave it to a fifteen year old to save the day!
It's been non-stop here for a few days folks and I'm pooped. For all of you who couldn't be here, please know that you were thought of and missed tremendously.
G'night everyone.
Love,
Rae
Sounds like y'all had a great time while I was getting my heart fixed. Just a simple procedure to put in some of those things the VP has.
What a surprise and fun time I had. Actually I did not know I was missing anything, that vitamin V IV was pretty damn good.
Now I am home and good to go and everything is over. Really I cannot travel for a while.
Joanne, thank goodness you're back. I've missed you so. Stay in your jammies and lots of healthy food. I'm fattening you up for Fla AG '05
Misty, got the pics...they're so ...so us.
Thanks again
Thanks panzade and I am in jammies. Last week is just a blurr.
Roger got to pet a Manatee, yippee.
Right, Rae. That manatee was unforgettable. This makes up for what seems a lifetime of just missing almost everything.
Sure wish I had planned things better and gotten an extra day in Florida, but anyway, home safe and sound around 2:30 p.m. Would have checked in, but believe me, it was nap time.
Next year Roger, next year.
Glad to hear you're okay Joanne.
Yesterday I spent most of the day lying on the couch sleeping ~ and I'm chalking it all up to eating too much food. I'm the type who can eat one full meal and not eat again for two days.....I was miserable yesterday.
Was supposed to go to Gatorland with Ursula and Stefan today, but mother nature hit me in a big way and I wasn't up to it. Happily though, they went ahead and had a great time! Apparently, Stefan bought out all the hot dogs they had to feed the gators! But, he had fun ~ that's all that matters.
Tonight, my best friend Cindy and I met Ursula and Stefan at a place called Rum Runners ~ a bar and mini-restaurant (with good food) that is definitely a local spot. They have a pool table that not a whole lot of people take advantage of. Thank goodness!
Neither Cindy nor Ursula play pool (well), so it was up to me and Stefan. I'm proud to say that I won the first and last game (out of six). Obviously Stefan and I had not had enough to drink to play extraordinarily!
I am very, very sad because they are leaving on Sunday. Last year when we said good-bye I took one look at Ursula and a few tears leaked out which then started her off. This year I know we're both going to be basket cases.
It's hard to believe sometimes that we met on A2K and have become such good friends ~ I'm going to miss them terribly.
Enough mushy babbling for one night.
I'm still working on the manatee pictures for Roger ~ hopefully I'll have them posted by the weekend.
By the way, Roger, after you left I cried like a baby. You've been (and still are) such a good friend to me and I hope you know how much I love you.
Enough!
G'night everyone.
Love,
Rae xxxxx
Awwww. You're the best, Rae.
Awwwwwwwww nothin Roger. I think you're the best and I love you to bits. Please come back soon!
I'll get my wife to post the next answer... or shall I do it?
Florida's getting hotter by the day, and we'll be leaving tomorrow, bummer...
BTW, I think Rae bent the thruth a little, telling everybody that she only won two games, it was me that won two games! I think... I won the "Test all our cocktails"- competition! But, I was the only contestant...
I never got pet any manatees like Roger did, but yesterday we had dinner at the port, at a place called Grills, and while we where waiting for our table outside on the deck, we saw a school(?) of dolphins going in to the port, in the sunset. Long sentence there, huh? The dolphins made the wait worthwhile, as did the food later!
Uhmmm, I'll let Urs tell you more, see y'all soon!
Oh, the dolphins! It was extremely romantic. I love dolphins - I also have dolphin tattoo...
Well, our last evening in Florida, can you believe it...
We had a wonderful, wonderful time - again. But going home would be so much easier if we had spent our vacation at some place where we did not know anybody.
So my big promise to Rae is that as soon as we get home I will get all our green card papers ready and send them in. We will end up in Florida, I know it!
It's taken me this long to write since saying good-bye to Ursula and Stefan.
For some reason, I feel the need to explain what Ursula said about it being easier spending their vacation where they didn't know anyone.
They don't like saying goog-bye and neither do we. But, I'd much rather deal with saying good-bye than not seeing them at all. They haven't decided where they will spend their vacation next year, but I hope that it's here.
And Ursula, I am going to remind you every single day to get that paperwork filled out ~ I love ya'll to pieces and would like nothing more than to have you living in the same county ~ or even the same state!
Thanks so much for the books, guys ~ I'm sure I'll become annoying quite soon quoting from the joke book......do I care? Not!
Mom and I started missing you the minute you pulled out of our driveway and believe it or not, so did Dougy.
Don't forget ~ send an email or call when you get home.
I love you both very much and miss you terribly.
Always,
Rae xx
