For Fun Friday: July 17, 2009

I am kind of liking Ricky Gervais. He's growing on me.

http://www.movie-list.com/trailers.php?id=inventionoflying

Some truly strange duvet covers.

http://www.duvetandpillowwarehouse.co.uk/blog/2009/07/bizarre-duvet-covers/

Check out this youtube video - it's really incredible. I can't believe how they make it sound like a thunderstorm with their hands! (Thanks, Barb!)

Travel to Paris, Anyone?

Seems like all I'm doing lately is writing on my travel blog. That and corraling a wild young pony with blonde hair who is visiting us this week while day care is closed. Now I know why they say you should have your kids while you are young. Although the kisses and hugs make all the strenuous exercise well worth it. In lieu of a fascinating and humorous post, just link over to my travel post about a two-for-one river cruise deal in Europe. This is on our after-retirement list. I hope we get to go soon...

http://thetravelauthority.blogspot.com/2009/07/two-for-one-to-city-of-lights.html

Try It Tuesday: Vaseline Daily Body Gel

I saw an ad for this stuff in a magazine and I was kind of intriqued with the idea of using a gel to moisturize in the summer, instead of lotion. It just sounded cool and refreshing, especially since I'm spending a lot of time outside and at the pool. Well, I have to tell you that I LOVE this stuff. I thought it might be greasy or would just sit on my skin but it's not greasy at all; it's light and clean-smelling and it blends right in. I also like it does not have a heavy smell and I can wear perfume when I use this. The lotions are great but they smell so strong that I can't wear any of my perfume. If you go here, you can get a dollar off coupon. So, check this stuff out and let me know what you think.

I'm Not Sure What Is More Interesting About This Picture

That I was so intrigued by the fact that crackers in Mexico have Spanish writing on them. (Duh.)

Or. That I was taking a picture of my crackers at an oceanside cafe with a lovely beach and turquoise water. And showing myself to be the wide-eyed tourist I totally was.

For Fun Friday July 10, 2009

This looks hilarious. I think I recognize that beach!

http://www.movie-list.com/trailers.php?id=couplesretreat

This list includes some of our FAVORITE movies. "But of course"! (said with a faux French accent)

http://www.womansday.com/Articles/Entertainment/Movies/10-Funny-Films-About-Money-Woes.html

Whether you are traveling or not this summer, here's a great list of books to read.

http://traveler.nationalgeographic.com/2009/07/summer-books-text

Retirement Is Great But It's Making Me Tired

Seriously. I love retirement but I think I am busier now than I was when I was working. Of course, I am in summertime mode which means I must frantically clean my house from top to bottom and this even includes such once a week once a month OK once every six months jobs as mopping all the floors. Thank God I bought that lovely kitchen linoleum that hides the dirt so well. Who knew it was TOTALLY a different color when it was clean. Huh.

Tom was lying on the couch the other day as I dusted the downstairs (changing the dust rag often because they were getting so filthy - God, who cleans this house? Oh. That would be me.) and I said "I bet you think I'm going nuts cleaning so much" and he managed to drag his attention away from Jerry Springer long enough to nod. What he doesn't realize is that I do this every summer - he is just usually at work. Now that we are both home, he can truly witness my obsessive cleanliness.

It's this way every summer. I never have time to clean the whole house at one time during the school year. It's the bathrooms/laundry one Saturday and dusting/vacuuming/laundry the next Saturday and if I skip a Saturday because of a social event or shoe shopping, it's almost impossible to catch up. And I can't imagine how I got anything at all done when I had kids to take care of. It's a wonder mothers ever get anything done.

So. My house is pretty clean now. But I have been taking my little Moose to swim lessons in the morning and I'm not sure how a 1/2 hour swim lesson can consume the entire day but it seems to do just that. Of course, the afternoon naps consume part of my day. But I am not willing to negotiate on that. Summer naps are absolutely fabulous. Turn on the fan, get a light quilt to put over you, no set time to get up or to get anything done, and just sleep. FABULOUS.

And then there's reading. I finally have time to go to the library, check out books and sit and read them. I am loving this. I devour one book, throw it down and begin another. I'm like a person who has staggered out of the desert after being lost for days and you just handed me a pitcher of clear, cool water.

I got an email from my replacement the other day, asking about some techie stuff and how to do this and that and I thought "She is probably sending this from my desk. In my library. On my computer". Huh. I felt a little pang of sadness. A tiny little pang.

And then I took a nap.

And felt much better.

Try It Tuesday: Fresca

OK, this is not a new product but one I have rediscovered, thanks to my mom. She offered me a Fresca a while back and when I took one sip, I remembered what I had forgotten over the years. Namely, that Fresca is FABULOUS. Citrusy, grapefruity, clean tasting and refreshing. All other diet drinks, even my beloved Diet Mountain Dew, now taste too sweet. I am living on this stuff.

And I was astonished to find out while looking for a picture for this post that it now comes in Black Cherry and Peach, which I WILL be trying to find somewhere. If you are looking for a crisp and refreshing diet drink that has no caffeine, check this stuff out and let me know what you think.

For Fun Friday: July 3, 2009

All the new movies seem to be either about zombies or vampires. Here's the latest vampire offering.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayYiMygqlfo

44 Travel Rules - and I'm still learning new ones.

http://reidontravel.blogspot.com/2009/06/44-little-travel-rules-no-one-tells-you.html

I have often thought about how easy it would be to walk from one movie showing to another without paying but have never actually done it and would probably never do it. But here's exactly HOW to do it.

http://www.movie-madness.org/

Try It Tuesday: Pillsbury Perfect Portions

So I have spent a lot of these Try It Tuesday posts on healthy, low-fat alternatives lately so I think it is high time I talked about a something delicious that is not quite so healthy.

So only eat one.

Because you must try these Pillsbury Perfect Portions biscuits. We occasionally like some bread with our dinner - luckily, this is not an obsession with me and I can usually take or leave bread especially since my hips scream LEAVEIT - but, with just the two of us, it doesn't make sense to fix a whole can of biscuits.

These are great because you can just take out how many you want and heat them up. And they taste delicious.

Check them out and let me know what you think.

You Know You're Really Retired When They Give Your Mailbox To The New Girl

So I left work on Friday at 2:30 and walked out the door and I was retired.

It was little anticlimactic, I must say.

Everyone else had already left for the summer so it was just me and a bunch of construction guys in the back of the school who were jack hammering up the floor. And they really didn't care if I was retiring.

I had already been wined and dined and feted by all my friends and coworkers so it was just me there at the end.

But the end had actually come a little sooner than that.

When I had gone in the office to check and see if I had any last-minute mail I should take care of before I left.

And realized I no longer had a mailbox.

And the new girl had one.

It was an odd feeling.

Not bad. Not sad.

Just. Odd.