Sunday, September 19, 2010

Spain!!



Ok, I am going to begin at the end. These are my last two pictures the last evening in Spain. I think when you don't speak the language very well and these are the pictures you are encountering, it is time to find your plane and go home.


So, you are dying to stop here for a cocktail, right?






Look, it's my alter ego...you know, the cosmopolitan jet setter with the fabulous penthouse apartment in a European city that is architecturally fascinating and possibly haunted...






Oh my God, you guys are soooooo right! Disney is trying to take over the universe!!!!







This picture makes the beach look sort of industrial and unattractive, but it is very pretty. The cranes in the background are for the shipyards of the Americas Cup. Each team has it's own museum and shipyard and Gerry shared a good bit of the history of the Cup and the drama over it's location. It is really interesting if you are a history nerd (I totally am) and the $$ they spend on this will completely knock your socks off!!!



Whatever, I like turtles.















This is the Hotel Los Arenas Valencia, where the event was held. It is beautiful and has a neat history. The staff is unbelievable there, I was asking for some pretty crazy stuff for the party and they didn't bat an eye...























Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències



































St. Vincente, Patron Saint of Valencia












"If you want what we have..." You had better either bring a damn good map or have a friend who is travel agent because things are well hidden in Spain and they definitely don't answer the phone!! :)





Chris and Gary, our new "blokes". Great stories about the driver's license and a joy to meet them both. Someday Gary and Nicky can go out to dinner with Gary's kid and they can all fight over the butter.


Our fabulous servers, she was cute as a button and he was definitely iffy on what a pint looked like! Mark, Chris and Gary quickly set him straight. You don't try to talk the Polish or the Brits out of their beer!





Old Town was so beautiful

















Dinner with Mark and Bree outside at the fountains. I could carry on for days about the food but that would make me sad. I may spend the rest of my life trying to perfect a paella...


























Finishing up with a few landscapes and the giant purple thing, It was a lovely trip to a great country. We hope to make it back strictly for fun in the near future.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Final Project

Ok, so most of you guys know that I had to take a computer class at school on programs I have been banging away on for 20 years or so. My option was to CLEP out for roughly the cost of the class so I decided to take it as a brush up refresher course. Well, I continually forgot that I had the class (note to self: no more online classes for you) until about 10pm every Friday when the homework would be due by midnight. So tonight between packing for my trip, doing laundry, paying bills, making lists etc, I finished my final project. The instructions were to prepare a presentation presenting any type of meaninful information (so no "blah, blah, blah, vs. blah blah blah!) using the various and sundry techniques taught in the class. I am not sure that I have solved World Hunger and I don't think I will win a Pulitzer, but if my teacher has a sense of humor, I'm pretty sure I have earned an A! I'd share it with you but you can't (I can't) upload a PP presentation to this site. Off to pack...next post...Spain!

Man am I going to miss my kid....


Happy Birthday Granny!! 85 today! Good thing she doesn't get online, she would totally kick my ass if she knew I put her age on the internet. She made me call her Annie nearly until I had Nicky so no one would suspect she was capable of a grandchild my age!



Trying to get Granny and Nicky to blow out the candles? Granny forgot whose birthday it was and Nicky blew spit all over the whole house...cake anyone?? Now they are having an intense debate over who will tackle the last candle.




Granny won and Nicky is so very proud of her.



Happy Birthday Granny, may you spend the rest of your days in your favorite memories, with all your loved ones and your Henry calling you Honey and telling everyone he knows, "THAT'S for ME!!"