Whirl wind recap

Wow, it has almost been a year since I have posted anything on here. And a LOT has happened in that time.

Here are the highlights -
* August - My Poppy passed away
* September - I married my best friend
* October - we got our "hairy kid" - the cat
* November - took Eddie to his first FSU football game
* December - I had surgery
* February - went to Jersey for a SUPER quick visit
* April - went to Buffett with Eddie

There were also business trips that were sprinkled through there to add a little more enjoyment. HA.

August was the hardest of all of these. My Poppy had always been on a pedestal to all of us. I remember when I was little trying to figure out how he could be on tv and sitting in the living room at the same time. (during the station commercials) Thought it was the coolest thing to be checked out of school to be a part of the commercials with him on WTLV back in Jacksonville. He taught me how to waltz at my cousin Eddie's wedding and I was so looking forward to dancing with him at my wedding. Even though he was pretty much confined to his Jazzy chair at the end, I was determined to dance with him if I had to sit on his lap. He and Nana had been married for over 50 years and he still bought her flowers every year on the date they started dating, yet they picked on each other constantly - well, Poppy picked more than Nana. And it was always "my fault" as he would say. I had a deer run in front of me last year as well, and still have the voice mail with him calling me a deer killer. I still keep waiting for him to round the corner when we go to Palm Coast to visit and I find it hard to leave messages on the voice mail because his voice is still saying "I'm sorry we cannot come to the phone right now". Now I have the memories and photographs to keep close to my heart much like those of my Poppop who I lost a couple years ago. I know he was there on our wedding day - it was supposed to rain, but it held off and cleared to a beautiful blue sky. Another sign - rainbows as we were leaving port to go on our honeymoon. I know he was watching and smiling with a glass of chardonnay in his hand.
Damn getting older sucks - you lose people you love and treasure.

September was an exciting and slightly stressful time for us both. Trying to ensure everything was done for the wedding. Which some things weren't right - sorry Nana and AJ for missing name cards for your whole table - yet it was beautiful. The ceremony on the beach, the steel drums playing in the back ground, and the party after. We, of course, were just ready for the honeymoon cruise. It was beautiful and so much fun. I still am getting used to saying my name - after 35 years of having to spell Rotundo, I actually did have someone ask me how to spell my last name. I did actually pause and said are you serious? It is SMITH. Do I really need to spell SMITH?
The honeymoon was wonderful. Week long cruise - Grand Cayman (couldn't go to due to a tropical storm), Cozumel (eh, it was okay), Isle of Roatan (beautiful), and Belize (very cool). We saw monkeys and LOTS of iguanas in Belize. Best part was the balcony room and the company I was with. We had so much fun together. And we were one of 125 other honeymooners on the cruise! HA

This weekend we will be going to one of Eddie's childhood friend's wedding down in Charleston. We are looking forward to the trip. Even better that this wedding we aren't involved with! :)

We have a kitten, well, he is going to be 1 in August. Carlos. AKA The Hairy Kid. He's a mess. But he's ours. HAHA

The end of October I learned I had fibroids, and the beginning of December had surgery to remove it. Frederica as it was named. That put me out of commission for a couple of months, but the surgery was well worth it. Thankfully I had no complications and as some of my friends have told me - consider it practice of recovering from a c-section without having to tend to a baby at the same time.

February was a super quick last minute trip to NJ. I was able to get up there at the start of a business trip - though I did have to drive, so I think I was in NJ for 28 hours before heading to VA Beach for work. While there, I did get to spend a little time with Mommom and was also able to attend my cousin Stephen's performance as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables. He was amazing!

Last week we finally had a chance to go to Buffett! YAY! Other work trips have kept us from going earlier, so he is no longer a Buffett virgin. :) It was a blast.

I just wanted to give a brief overview of what has been going on. Hopefully I will have some better stories coming up soon which will allow for better writing. Until then...

Paalom!!
Lots of Hugs, smiles, and sunshine!

Hair by Helmet

I went to my first "Bike Week" in Myrtle Beach with Eddie last weekend. And had such a good time. :)

His observation was different from mine. I was just taken back by some of the outfits, insane motorcycles, and seeing the camaraderie of bikers was cool. Eddie's perspective was how small bike week has become since the implementation of Myrtle Beach's laws, that are stricter than the state laws. Not sure how a local municipality can enforce such laws but whatever. We avoided the city limits to stay "legal".

Some of my "lessons" learned...
* Bugs. Accept that you will have them on you. Remember, you are a human windshield
* Male bikers are like babies.. when the first biker "juices" it and makes the big vroom with his bike, they all do it. Kinda like babies... one cries and they all start.
* Women seem to think they are all hot stuff when they sit on the back of a motorcycle.
* Cigarette packs are not meant to be worn in your jean shorts waist. However some seem to think this is okay
* There is an unwritten rule that women bikers must have tramp stamps and other various tattoos. I am not going to participate in this "tradition"
* Different bikes get different "looks" from vehicles driving by. If you have a custom bike, Harley, or are riding a weird looking bike, such as the Sypder, you will turn more heads than any other.
* I really think some men are over compensating for other things when they ride shirtless, unless they have a beer belly and are shirtless, then I am at a loss.
* Mullets are no longer in style...
* Jorts for some reason are "in" in some areas of the world
* Helmet hair is just a statement, and thank goodness for ponytails
* Now I understand why people wear "do rags" under their helmet
* It is possible for 2 people to pack for a weekend in a small duffel bag
* Bikers aren't the ones causing trouble in traffic, cars are! Every cop we saw over 3 days had a CAR pulled over. Not a bike!!!
* A long time on a motorcycle seat can get uncomfortable!
* Foot boards are more comfortable than pegs on your feet!
* Sissy bars rule (that is the backrest for the "passenger")
* Loud pipes may be annoying to some, but remember, when you are in a car and hear obnoxious pipes, it means you know there is a motorcycle near you. You are more likely to look for him and maybe give him a dirty look for being so loud. That's fine by me! It means you won't run us over.

I may not ever take the next step and get my motorcycle license and ride on my own, but who knows!!! I really enjoy riding with Eddie. I can see and appreciate his being one with the surroundings. You may not have a radio going, but that is okay. It gives you a chance to work through a lot of things in your mind while watching the trees and fields pass you by. Oh and you get a tan while riding! :)

Paalom!!
Lots of hugs, smiles, and sunshine!

Memory is the sweetest flower watered by the tears of love

I snagged the title from a friend's Facebook status. And sadly those tears have been flowing more the last few days for many who are close to me.

A very dear friend of mine, Susan, who I took shag dance lessons from back in 2001 is soon to be a widow. She and her husband, Tommy, are a second family to me since I have moved up to the Carolinas. Susan jokes that I am a step mom to their dog Jake. Tommy is a fairly quiet man who loves to have a good time. He can tell stories that will make you laugh. And there is always an introduction of the characters, who are real, before he gets too into the tale. Usually they include friends by the name of Goat, Ernest, Dead Eddie (who isn't dead) and Big Eddie (who is dead now) just to name a few of the "characters". He loved the game of golf, his Duke Blue Devils, shag dancing, racing, and spending time with friends. Tonight while he was in his bed and alert for a short time to eat a popsicle, we told him we put a Carolina tshirt on him. He was quick to check (well, as quick as he is now) that we were giving him a hard time. He and Susan have been together for 11 years and married for the past 6 (I belive). But if you watch them and how they tell stories, you would think it has been a lifetime.

Cirrhosis is not a forgiving condition. Thankfully it does not appear to be one to cause physical pain at its end, at least not for the person it directly has impacted. But to those who watch, it is excruiating. The human body is amazing and is forgiving on many counts but eventually it does get to where it cannot repair everything. Yet we often treat it as though nothing can cause it to fail, how wrong we are.

When that time does come, memories are what keep us alive. Celebrations of life are important. If we could only be present at our own service to hear what others remember and share about the footprints we appear to have left behind. Unfortunately, once they are gone, it is too late for them to know the impact they have made on us. Hopefully the memories are joyful and can make you smile, even if there are tears. And even though the person is not able to physically able to be with us anymore to hold, hug, and talk with. We always carry them with us in our hearts. Obviously accepting only memories is much easier said that done.

Hug those close to you and never miss an opportunity to tell them you love them and how much they mean to you.

Paalom!!
Lots of hugs, smiles, and sunshine!

It's a good thing

Eddie proposed to me at sunset on December 12, 2009. This is a recap of our trip to Islamorada, FL that weekend.

We started our drive down to FL from SC on the Wednesday night before. The septic system had conched out at the house and when I got home from work, he said, "Well, let's start and see how far we can get." So we ended up in Walterboro, SC that night and headed to FL the next morning. Plans were to meet up with my parents, brother, sister inlaw and their girls for dinner and then to stay with my cousin Ryan on Thurs night. We went to my parents and ended up riding together - meeting Tony & Ang up at Enzas. He had already talked with Tony & Angela to work out a plan and to be sure both my parents were in town. After dinner and Allie came and asked me to ride back to Nana's house with her. Of course! How could Aunt Neecy turn down Allie!?! So I rode with Angela and Tony rode in our car with Eddie, Mom & Dad. I was a little nervous since he had never been with just them without me around and I didn't want him to be uncomfortable. Well, Angela had to stop at the grocery store for some paper products for an office Christmas party - little did I know this was already plotted out and there wasn't an office party. (stinkers!!) So while we were at the store, Eddie was talking with mom and dad and getting their blessing to ask me to marry him. Mom apparently jumped up and started hugging him and daddy was as happy as can be. Then the really hard part for them... they had to act as though nothing was going on when Angela and I got to the house. They did a good job, because I never had an inkling anything had happened. He told them he had planned to do it either sunrise Saturday morning or sunset Saturday night. It was all riding on the weather.
So, we went back to Ryan's to stay the night.
Friday we headed the rest of the trip down to Islamorada in the northern Keys. And it was raining .... Grrrr but thankfully cleared up shortly after arriving to our home away from home.

The place we stayed at was wonderful. Ocean Dawn Suites. (google it if you'd like - the pictures are just as it really is) And we stayed in the Ocean Dawn suite - oceanside. :) We watched the sunset down at the little beach behind out place.

Saturday we got up - he had already checked out the weather and was disappointed because it was cloudy. I had no clue he did this. We found this great place for breakfast - Mangrove Mike's - and ate there every day. HA! We stopped at Anne's Beach to watch kite surfers and get our toes in the sand.

We ended up driving and found ourselves down in Key West. Again, reminding us why we didn't go down that far. Wow, it's sad how commercialized it has become. So we headed back up and he was scoping out where we could watch the sunset. Again, I am clueless about what is in his head. His phone had also been buzzing in his pocket from his mom and sister trying to find out if he had done it yet.

We headed back to our place and I ventured out to take pictures around the suites.

He came up and said let's go watch the sunset. Okay, twist my arm! He said hang on let me run back up to the room and grab a couple of beach towels since it is chilly out. I wasn't sure why it was taking him so long to get a towel since they were right on the luggage rack. But thought maybe he had to run to the bathroom. He came back out and said "I have an early Christmas present for you" and hands me this scrapbook. He said you're not the only one who scrapbooks. HAHA which I instantly well up with tears because it is so sweet. It is made up of pictures from things we have done and pictures of us. Then it goes into the pictures we had on eHarmony and he wrote this real sweet note on the next to last page. Which was cliped to the last page where I couldn't see it. He then had me stand up and he got down on his right knee and asked me to marry him. The last page said "Let's start a life together. Will she say yes?" Of course I said yes and you know I was crying.

We watched the rest of the sunset and then started the phone calls. His sister, Staci, was the first one we called and then we called Tony & Angela followed by our parents. Funny thing is that everyone was waiting on our phone call trying to figure out why it was taking so long for us to call. He didn't do it until about 6:30pm. I scooped up sand from where he was kneeling and from where I was standing.

Sunday morning we got up early and watched the sunrise and sunset over water. Which is something some of you know I have wanted to do for a very long time. I guess I wasn't supposed to do that with anyone else but him. :) And that night there was also a meteor shower.

It was an absolutely perfect start to our dreams come true.

Paalom!!

Lots of hugs, smiles, and sunshine!

Puddles of leaves

I'm looking out the window and the trees are almost all naked again. The summer seemed to go by SO fast! I guess since I was gone for most of it, that may be why.

It has been a little bit since I have written and many hotel, rental car, and airline points have accumulated since. But I believe the brunt of the travel is over. (Now watch, by saying this I have probably jinxed myself again) Work has been challenging, but that is sometimes a good thing. I have an hour drive home in the afternoon to unwind before I get home to Eddie - when he isn't on the road. We get each other in the evenings during the week the first 2 weeks of this month. Then he's gone for most of the rest of the month - including over Thanksgiving. So I will definitely be heading to FL.

I have adjusted to living out in the country and even get a little tense when driving in the Charlotte "madness". HAHA It is sweet though having Eddie's dad so close. He stops by to check on me when Eddie is out of town.

We have added another new toy to our collection. Got a new tv a couple weeks back. And wow... Samsung LED is nice and crazy clear when watching anything in HD. Even non-HD is clear but football games are like you are there.

Well, need to get back to my "to do" list. Eddie is in Phoenix in training this weekend. So I'm doing some cleaning and throwing out of stuff I moved down here. One "bucket" down! YAY

Paalom!!
Lots of hugs, smiles, and sunshine!

Vessels of Freedom

Boats...

We have a new toy to enjoy together. We bought a boat on Wednesday. She's a 1990 Celebrity 180 Bowrider.. 18'... color is teal and white... with a 190 HP I/O motor. It's got some get up and go! :) We're very excited about it and now trying to come up with a name. Even for a '90 no one ever put a name on it!! So.. that means we get to do it. We're a little anxious about taking it out for the first time - well, maybe more worried about the off and on the trailer part. Don't want to put the boat in the back of the truck! Looks like next week we will take it out for the first time, well, not counting the test ride we did earlier in the week.

I'm about moved in. Just have piddly stuff around now. And it seems to be multiplying. (Oh and my clothes in the closet... ummmmmm.. he has 1 closet in the house.... ummmmm) He's been working on the bathroom floor and I have painted out the inside of some of the kitchen cabinets. It will be a little messy until we get things all settled. Hopefully that won't take too long. Boxes and this stuff is starting to wear on me, and I'm sure him too!

I leave Sunday for Little Rock for the week. I'm going out to teach an offline group some conversion stuff. Good thing is that I get to see some of my friends while out there - Arlene, Garry, & Junior. Just stinks that I will be traveling on my birthday and that Eddie is on the road this weekend and next. So no 4th of July celebrating together.

Did get word that I might get to see Jollie this summer. She is possibly in the U.S. for a wedding and if so... We're going to try to get together! :) I'm so excited to see her again! It's been almost a year.

Paalom!!
Lots of hugs, smiles, and sunshine!

Times they are a changing

But in a good way!

This time last year I was starting my preparation to go overseas.. I had met up with this guy named Eddie twice for dinner and had thought nothing would really come of it. Had you told me then what is going to happen next week I would have laughed at you. I am soon to become a resident of Chesterfield, SC. I'm moving in with him.

I have been purging and purging and trying to purge some more. The guy at Goodwill was a little shocked when I pulled up last time with an entire car full for him. And I have another load..probably even a 3rd. It has been amusing some of the things I have found - some good, and well, some that were thumbed through and thrown away with a smile that they happened and an even bigger smile knowing my future is far better.

There is still a good bit to do. Mike and Robin are helping me put stuff in storage this weekend and Eddie and I will move whatever we don't get to storage along with stuff to take down to the house. It is going to be a big adjustment for both of us and we are both very excited about everything ahead of us.

With that being said... traffic should have died down and I think the guy at Goodwill needs something to do.

Paalom!!
Lots of hugs, smiles, and sunshine!