It's Friday and guess where I'll be today after I go see Andre' and get tortured my workout done.  I am telling myself that the pool is my reward for working hard.  I do actually like the workouts now though.  I feel so good afterward.

Last night when I got home I was so tired after playing canasta all afternoon and then again last night.  I could barely get this post typed.  If it doesn't make any sense that's why.  Well, that plus I haven't taken my fish oil yet.  I'm late with that too.

Have a great Friday and I promise a better post tomorrow.  Thanks for understanding.

So okay, back to our regular blog.  Thanks for understanding yesterday.

Today I have a canasta game at 12:30 and yet another canasta game at 6:30.  I am subbing in the evening game.  I didn't want to but couldn't say no.  That's way too long a day for me because I have errands in the morning.  I just HAVE to learn to say no.  I really do.

I got to see the duck yesterday, he came over to help me with something over my head with wires and electricity and plugs and stuff and I got him to eat dinner with me while he was here.  That was a treat for me!  Then D#1 called me last night and we chatted.  She was working out of town and at a hotel.  

I haven't mentioned it in a while but I am still using (and loving) Wen.  I have tried lots of them but like the Sweet Almond Mint the best.  It does not leave a smell that I can detect but I did write to them about coming out with an unscented one.  They wrote back that they would consider it and thanked me for the idea.

My friends Paul and Marylou are going on their cruise real soon and of course Barb leaves today on hers.  Not me.  I have to wait until March 15th.  It's been warming up nicely so I don't mind because the pool is also warming up.  In fact on Tuesday after I saw Andre' I did get in the pool.  It was 75°and not bad once you got in and got moving.  I like it warmer but can swim at that temperature.

So that's all my brain knows today.  Hope your Thursday is totally tits.  Mine will be but I know I'll be tired by evening!

Two years ago today.

Rest in peace my darling.

Where in the world did the last two years go?  How is it even possible?  I have come such a long way but I have missed him every single day.  I don't talk about it too much because this is a blog of happiness.  But it's there.  Underneath.  

I am SO lucky to have had him in my life.  Oh the memories!  Joyous!  My heart is rich beyond belief.

And I choose to believe we will be together again one day.  Whether that happens or not it gives me comfort now.

Thanks for coming by every day and your friendship and support through all this.  I love you all.  

Come back tomorrow for my regularly scheduled nonsensical ramble.

I am turning off comments on this post so I can just reflect a bit.  I know I have your support.  Thank you.

I just came across this photo from the cruise with the duck.  I liked it pretty good except that we both had black on so it looks kind of wonky.  He looks like Sarge doesn't he?  Gosh I miss that man.

So yesterday I spent the afternoon in the card room (on my day off!) so I showed them, I won all their money.  Yup.  Nine bucks.  

Today I get to go see Andre'.  Did you like how I worded that?  I actually DO like it pretty good.  I complain but then I sort of like to do that too.  And you know me, I do what I like.

After that I plan on going to the pool too.  The water is in the mid 70's I hear from the (self appointed) mayor (of the pool) and the temperature should be above 80°so you know where I'll be in the afternoon.

Then there is poker tonight.  I am due for a loss because I have won for several weeks now but I still plan on winning again.  We'll see what happens.

Have a lovely Tuesday.  I will.  For sure!

And I'll be in the card room subbing for a gal instead of at my pool having fun with my friends.  Buggers.  But I couldn't say no.  

I did go to the pool yesterday after I got home from shopping with the duck, that's when I took this photo.  Today is supposed to be in the 80's. Finally.  But the water temperature is down to 69°which is way colder than anything I'd get into nor would anyone in their right mind but the (self appointed) mayor (of the pool) was in there swimming around in a circle.  He knows he's not in his right mind though.

So I have a friend who is a member of SAG (Screen Actor's Guild) and he was sent the movies they are voting on and I got to watch some, American Hustle and The Butler last night.  Didn't care for the first one, liked the second one "okay".  But I liked that I got to see them.  The rest he had didn't interest me.

So have yourself a perfectly lovely day today and try to do something nice for someone else, ok?  I will too.

I had the best time last night.  The dinner was delicious (and low-ish calorie) and the play was a hoot.  "My life on a diet" with Renee' Taylor.  She is the woman that played Fran Dresher's mother on the Nannie.  That woman is so funny.

Today is Sunday so I shall have lunch with the duck and do some grocery shopping.  I have a small list this week.

I don't know if I told you or not, I don't think I did, but I bought a Bose TV sound thingy.  Well it came and it was supposed to be so easy to install that a grandmother could do it.  This one couldn't.  I got the building's maintenance man and he came up (for a fee of course) to help me, we ended up calling Bose and they walked him through it and it is now working fine.  

I love it, the sound is wonderful but easy to install?  I guess that's a matter of opinion.  There are only three wires that plug into different holes but which one where, have you LOOKED at the back of these new tvs?  There are a hundred holes to put stuff into.  

Would I recommend it?  Yes.

It's much warmer today but still not nearly warm enough for the pool.  The water will need several days of heat to recoup from all the cold days so I'll just have to keep walking and going to the gym for a bit longer.

Oh, and yesterday morning I weighed less that my pre cruise weight so that's gone.  Whew.  Hopefully I'll keep going down now.  I keep saying that but I don't.  This time WILL be different.  I declare it so.

Have a wonderful Sunday.  I plan on it too!

It seems I was wrong, the Carnival Liberty does have the 2.0 upgrades, we were misinformed.  Nice.  But either way we were going, ha ha.

Yesterday I told Andre' that I was no longer sore after my workouts.  He said good, it was time to step them up!  More!  We started with fifty sit ups (not the kind you'd think but they are on a bench thingy.  FIFTY!  But you know what?  I did it.  Then I did the rest of the stuff too.  All of it.  If I don't drop flab now I don't know what else there is because I am eating good healthy food and exercising properly and enough of it too.  It's time for that scale to MOVE!  Either that or I might just toss it out.

Tonight I am going out to dinner with six other ladies and then we are going to a play.  We are going to a Thai restaurant and I can eat really healthy there, they cook it the way you order it fresh and it's really delicious.

I am not playing canasta today, three of the gals had a commitment so I get a day off until time to go out.  Tits!

Have a great Saturday y'all.  You know I will too.

Still cold.  Last night I didn't want to go anywhere and I was hungry and I made a nice mushroom swiss omelette and rye toast.  Delicious dinner for a chilly night when you don't have anything thawed out.  Luckily I had fresh mushrooms and that made it so good.  And no fat either.

Today I get to go see Andre'!  Yay!  (Did that sound sarcastic?  I really do like it now so it wasn't.)

Only three more weeks until the Outlet Mall across from me opens.  Everyone is getting excited about it now.  Me too.  It'll be so nice to have someplace nice in that spot where the old Palm Beach Mall was torn down.

I got asked to sub for a gal on Monday in a canasta game.  I don't like to play on Monday but I said I would to help them out.  I like the people in the game but don't want a regular one.  As long as it's cold and I can't go to the pool anyway I might as well I guess.

So okay my brain is empty now.  Have a great Friday.  I will too.  For sure!

It was a cold beautiful sunrise.  I mention cold because it's - well - cold!  Cold enough to freeze your tits fingers off.  Well not really but it is seriously chilly folks.  No pool here.

I think I might have another cruise booked, the 15th of March.  It's not final but probably.  It's on the Carnival Liberty.  The Liberty has not had the 2.0 upgrades done yet (meaning no Guy Fiere burger bar, stuff like that) but it does have the new menus and I am looking forward to seeing the food and what is offered and the changes they made there.

Today I have canasta and lunch out.  My Thursday fun time.

I sure will be glad when it warms back up.  I will admit that I took a brisk walk and it actually felt pretty good while I was moving.  Refreshing.  But it can go away any time at all and the sooner the better.

Roche' said he doesn't mind the cold but I think he likes to lay in the sun more.  He has a favorite lounge chair by the pool too.  But he still doesn't understand why he can't swim.

Guess that's about it for today y'all.  Have a great Thursday.  I will too.

What a beautiful day!  It was warm enough to go out but not warm enough to get in the pool.  The water was down to 72°(from 84°) and that's not nearly warm enough for me.  There were some in the pool though.

I was thinking.  I know, too much fish oil again but still...

I am an "only" child and when I was little I had an imaginary friend.  Her name was (is) Martha-rina.  She got into mischief sometimes as in "oh look what Martha-rina did!" when something went wrong.  I quickly learned that this brought laughs instead of frowns like the time I dropped a carton of eggs on the floor.  Children can be quite manipulative.  So can adults.

The duck calls this behavior "dope fiending".  That's a good word for it actually.  Like I wanted him to take me to see Andre' Bocelli on Feb. 14th and I bribed him with another concert if he didn't like it.

Should I have done this?  Probably not.  The thing is I wanted to go and he didn't.  I didn't want to drive that far at night.  The only other person that I knew that would like to go is someone that I don't like to ride with.  I like this person but the driving?  No way.

(Now as an aside here and in the spirit of full disclosure there is someone else that offered to go with me but it is a married person and his wife suggested that he take me.  I cannot do this.  Especially on Valentine's Day but any day really.  He is a great guy and his wife is a doll but still... married is married and I don't do that.  This was the true offer of a friend though and I love that they did this.)

Anyway I did get my way and the duck has agreed to take me.  I feel guilty about it but I am hopeful that I open his eyes and mind to this great music that I love so much so that he, too, can enjoy it like I do.  I mean we both love a good piano bar right?  So we must like the same things somewhere out there.

So I won $36.00 at poker last night.  I think that's the same that I won last week too.  We played a higher stakes game too, not 1/2 but 2/2.  It was a better game but some didn't want to play it regularly so we decided to play it once a month.  I liked it.  

That's about all that's in my brain today y'all.  Hope your Wednesday is as good as mine, if it is you are a lucky duck!

My friend Julie in Miami did a post yesterday on five things about herself that were not so nice.  I liked the idea so I'm going to do it too.

1.  I think I know all the cuss words in the world, I even know some in other languages.  I have been known to call stupid drivers quite a few of them.  On occasion.  Okay, most of the time.  There, I said wrote it.

2.   I am "friends" with someone that I truly dislike.  Don't ask me why.  I could not tell you.  (And before you ask, no, it's not you.  This person doesn't know about the blog.)

3.   Sometimes I let my portion size go up a notch at dinner and pretend I didn't.  I know I am only hurting myself and it would be much better to own it and eat it so to speak but I write down everything I eat and I didn't want to see it there on my computer.

4.   I dislike hate perfume so much that it actually makes me sick.  In restaurants it is so nasty it is all I can do not to tell the obnoxious person wearing too much of it just how trampy they smell.  I would feel much better if I actually told them the truth, "you smell like a fifty cent hooker.  bitch."  Yeah, that's what I really want to do.  Some of them DO make me sick though but I hate them all equally whether they do or not.

5.   On cruise ships I "entertain" myself sometimes when I am alone doing strange things.  Like speaking to someone in a language that does not exist and trying to get them to "help" me find something or see something or whatever.  I feel bad when they try hard to be helpful but not bad enough not to do it.

So okay I did that and now I think I should end on a positive note and tell you something good about me so here goes.

1.   I don't usually litter.

Have a lovely Tuesday y'all.  I have to go see Andre' and then play poker!

So it's Monday again.  And I am off today!  The first day off in quite some time actually.  And no, I don't mean off my rocker either, I heard that!  Be nice! Ha ha.

It's a tiny bit warmer today but not nearly warm enough for the pool.  Around 70°I think.  It is quite nice actually but I'd much rather it be hot, more than 80°would be lovely.

So what shall I do today?  I will change my bed and do a bit of laundry but that will only take a little while.  

There is no mail as it's MLK Day.  Not that I get much mail other than junk mail (and the Republican Party wanting money) anyway.  It's really a shame just how much junk mail I get.  I suppose everyone does but it's just a real shame.  I have asked the people that send me catalogues to please stop and that only seemed to make them send me more so that didn't work out too well.  I get my bills via email now, most all of them.

Now that the banks don't send us back our cancelled checks what do you suppose they do with them?  I imagine a huge pile of them in a big vault spilling down off the pile and onto the floor like water running.

Oh dear, the fish oil seems to have kicked in, sorry.

I got caught up on Downton Abbey last night and I'm not sure yet if I like it this season.  I shall reserve judgement for a bit longer.

Roche' wants to play now so I have to go, sorry.  He's such a pistol!  Have a great Monday.  I will too.  I have Roche'!

The only good thing about cold weather in South Florida is that it makes the citrus sweet so the oranges should be delicious now because I am freaking freezing here y'all.  Brrr.  Way to cold for me.  When I walk by the pool it's all by itself with nobody there to enjoy it.  That heater has to be working full time too.

I won fifty cents at canasta yesterday, that's two wins and one loss this week so it's a win.

Today I have lunch with the duck and then grocery shopping.  The WalMart should be tons of fun because the duck makes it fun.  Just like Sarge that one is.

Stay warm y'all and enjoy your Sunday.  I know I will!

Andre' worked on abs yesterday.  All. Abs.  Oy.  But you know what?  I did it.  All of it.  

It's still chilly but clear and pretty out.  I do have the heat on though.  It's a shame that it's South Florida Fair week and so chilly.

Today I have canasta again and I plan on winning back my money! Ha.  No matter though, it's still a cheap form of entertainment especially on a day that I can't swim.

I am getting my grocery list together so I can make some of the bee bandwagon recipes again.  Have to decide which ones to make this week.  Roasted vegetables for sure.  Love those.  And fish tacos too.  Maybe those apple pies too.  We'll see what happens.  I had the omelet last night with Swiss cheese.  Oh and those chicken enchiladas too, can't forget those.  Remember all the recipes are on the sidebar under the bee bandwagon thingy.

So my friends, stay warm and I will too.  And have a great weekend.

Brrrrr.  Still chilly here.  I have to go to see Andre' for 45 minutes of torture personal training and I'm quite sure I won't be cold after that!  I am still carrying around my cruise weight and he's going to want to do something about that I know.  

So the vote came in yesterday in favor of Comcast.  I voted against it as did one other board member (the mayor of the pool) but we lost so I shall have another five years of substandard service I suppose.  My mind cannot grasp why we are staying with Comcast other than Hotwire wanted a ten year contract and they were afraid of that.  I don't blame Hotwire since they were going to rewire the buildings with fiber optics but we shall stay with the old (broken down) wiring at a higher price.  Sigh...

Yesterday I lost at canasta, eleven bucks!  That's a major loss in that game too but I shall recover next time.  Plus I'm still ahead from poker this week, right?

Guess that's about it from me, having a pretty stupid brain tonight.  Must take more fish oil.  Have a great Friday y'all.  I sure know I will!

Update:  Well I hit the wrong thing and this published too early.  Pretend it's later, ok?

Well today I have lunch at the club, then canasta, then a board meeting at 4:30 so that's three things.  One over my comfort level.  It's pretty cold too, way colder than I like so no swimming for a while I think.

Steve and Jane came and made my condo sparkly clean yesterday.  They are just the absolute best you can imagine.  He can do anything that needs fixed too so that's an extra but they clean from the ceiling to the floor, corner to corner.  Including windows.  Now how good is that?  The only thing I don't let them do is the bed and the laundry, I do those things and I do the ironing.  Those are the things I like to do.

My weight is still up and I am trying so hard to get it back down.  I gain so easily and it's sooo hard to lose.  I guess most of you have the same thing but it sucks.  What I have to do is go back to my food diary when I was losing and eat that again.  I will do that and shop this weekend and see how that works for me.  Some of the recipes from the bee bandwagon.  I will do this.  I will.

Last night when I got home from the condo party my "on demand" service was out again with Comcast.  Today at 4:30 I am being asked to renew their contract for another five years.  Ack.  They are a substandard company that cannot get their act together and I am sick of them.  I don't know if any of the others are any better but seriously, their timing stinks.

It seems like I am complaining a lot today.  Sorry.  I'll try to do better.  I don't really feel bad or anything, guess I was just a bit bitchy for a spell.  I'm over it now.

Have a great Thursday y'all.  I will too.  Promise!

Yesterday I had a good workout with Andre' and then he invited me to his upcoming wedding.  In Jamaica.  It's a way off so I don't have to decide right away.  Would I fly there by myself?  I just don't know yet but I will think about it.

Can you believe January is half over?  Time is so fleeting, please use every day you have in the best possible way you can.  

Last night's poker game was a win for me, I came out $36.00 ahead.  At first I was up over a hundred but that didn't last.  I don't care, as long as it's not a loss it's a night out for me and in my building so I don't have to drive anywhere to play.  

Today I have lunch at the club with some gals and a nice game.  Then tonight I have a party in the social room downstairs.  My calendar is overloaded again, I have to make some choices because I don't really like to do more than two things a day, three is too many for me.  I get too tired and stop having so much fun.  And y'all know I like me some fun times!

There is a cold front here and it's supposed to last a while so no pool time for me.  That's really my favorite activity too, I really miss it when I can't swim.  It's such fun and such good exercise and burns so many calories.

I did gain a few pounds on the cruise but I'll get them off soon.  It's all in the belly too.  Rats.  That stinks.  I never gain the the boobular area, just the belly or the assular area.  Buggers.

Have a lovely Wednesday y'all.  I surely will too.  You can count on it!

Well this was not my view today but in my mind it was.  I went to the pool but it wasn't quite warm enough for me to get in.  I did, however, sit out there a while talking to friends.  Then I had a board meeting, Comcast? Hotwire?  Whatever.  Y'all know how much I love Comcast (NOT!) but we may be stuck with it.  

Today I am back with the torturer trainer Andre' for my 45 minutes of hell working out.  I gained a few pounds on the cruise so he'll be working on that I know.  Not much gets by that one!  Anyway I need it so I'll do it.

And then there will be poker for me tonight!  It's been three weeks since I got to play since the holidays and the cruise all were on poker nights so I am ready for that.  Then there is a party in our social room on Wednesday for the condo so my calendar is, once again, full to the brim.  And I wouldn't have it any other way!

Have a lovely Tuesday y'all.  I sure will too...

Well it's back to reality now.  It was a LOVELY week, seriously lovely.  I have many friends getting on the same ship as we got off but that's how it goes sometimes.  It is priceless to be able to spend 8 days with an adult child and have so much in common and have so much fun.  Amazing really.

And now I have to tell you something that happened the last night.  I am telling you this so that you will try to love life as much as I do and have as much fun as I do.

On Saturday night the duck and I closed the piano bar and at the end everyone (I mean everyone!) started banging their hands on the bar and shouting "We love Bee!" over and over and over again.  I didn't know what to do but it was one of the highlights of my life on this earth.  I truly had a fun time.  So many people gave me their email addresses and facebook names to stay in touch.  

I was old enough to be most of their grandmothers but we bonded anyway.  Age didn't matter, backgrounds didn't matter (lots of countries too), the only thing that mattered was that we had a great time together for eight nights.  We sang together (mostly off key), we laughed together, we danced together, we drank together (the duck and I without alcohol), we toasted many things together, we roasted many, and I will stay in touch with lots of them.

If you can let go of any inhibitions and just let go and have fun you won't be sorry.  It took me many years to realize this but I finally did.

Thanks for coming along with us and maybe one day you'll come with us in person!  We'd love that.  Now I have to go plan the next one... 

Some random moments...

The lido pool a few nights ago when we were rocking a bit.  Sure made for some good sleep though!

The "Bee-tini"

(chilled water with olives in a martini glass)

The "Bee-Fruitini"

(Sprite and cranberry juice with a twist)

Carnival cake!

The duck in Miami

Piano bar friends

TC having some fun

TC and me

Roche' says to tell y'all how much fun he had. He's quite the little heartthrob and is a great little cruiser.



Captain Massimo Marino at the diamond cruiser party.




Loved this spot. A lot.

So the last night is tonight. I am packed so I don't have to waste time doing that tonight. It's been a really fun cruise, the duck says so too. Last night he hit a straight flush in three card poker, won really big, cashed out and walked away too! Way to go duck!

That means one more night in the piano bar. Someone put a "reserved" sign on my seat for me, maybe my face has been seen too much there? Naw... No such thing.

Thanks for coming along with us....

Empress Bee

Posted using BlogPress with the help of Honey...

Well because you think I might not have been having enough fun in the piano bar, here you go...





Oh yeah...

Empress Bee

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