Monday, March 21, 2022

Spring break 2022 - trip 2 - Club Wyndham Clearwater Beach

Between the twenty-four hours of trip #1 and trip #2, my youngest daughter returned from South Carolina with a stomach virus. The kind that kept us awake all night with her expelling and me cleaning. By the time my check-in time for the beach arrived, I was ready to hightail it out of Dodge.


Maddy and I took this second "staycation." We slept late, walked everywhere, ate out, and relaxed. I drank pricey beach drinks that weren't worth the money and watched the daily sunset. Somehow, and I'm blaming Darcy's illness, I arrived without a beach chair and sunscreen. That limited my activities. Because Clearwater Beach has little land available, one pool serves the resort owners' building and the hotel. Ugh. It was crowded and dirty. I went in once for an hour. The second day, instead of writing, I people-watched. 




I can't say I'm a huge fan of this Club Wyndham resort. While my units (I've stayed in a four-bedroom presidential and a one-bedroom) were tidy, both furniture sets had stains and were terribly uncomfortable. In this unit, the floor mat had a dirt patch in the corner that probably could've disappeared with some elbow grease. Instead, their answer was to pull a chair over it. 




There is only the one pool. The owner's lounge was a dinky room without an excellent wifi coffee machine or incentives to visit. A cabinet housed five books and several games, all with missing pieces. There are no activities for children--no fun pool games or trivia. It's a glorified hotel close to the beach. Comparing this resort to Bonnet Creek is night and day.

Still, we made the most of being out of a sick household and staring at four different walls. I met some nice folks from Wisconsin and Pennsylvania and befriended the maintenance man, so Madison got a break from listening to me.

I'll chalk this week up as a win, especially in my resolution category! Next up is a writer's conference this coming weekend on the other coast.





Tuesday, March 15, 2022

Monday, March 14, 2022

Spring Break 2022 - trip #1 - Club Wyndham Bonnet Creek

Tech Guy had to burn some vacation days. Because I refuse to travel outside my Club Wyndham resorts, for which I pay an exorbitant monthly maintenance fee, and since it's spring break in Florida, which means excessive plane tickets, we compromised and traveled to Orlando for a four day weekend.

It was delightful.




The resort updated us to a three-bedroom/two-bath unit. It was the size of a house. We each took a bathroom, and I used one of the bedrooms for my dressing room. I also spent the first night in the other bedroom after Tech Guy fell asleep at 9:30 p.m. across the master king-size bed. 

We hiked the resort and Disney Springs. We played a round of putt-putt golf. We visited different restaurants. Tom exercised while I worked, and later, he indulged me on my quest to try craft cocktails.




On our last night, Madison and her cousin Olivia joined us. We took them upstairs to the owners' lounge on the roof and served them coffee from the fancy wifi machine, and we watched the Disney parks' fireworks from Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios.



Traffic was a nightmare coming and going. Where are these people headed on a Monday afternoon? The drive that should take us a little over an hour took longer than two. Still, it was nice to get away and travel again. Also, in Florida, easy to forget masks, social distancing, and sanitizing our hands. Ugh.

We returned home Monday night just in time to welcome Darcy home from her trip to South Carolina. She brought with her a stomach bug, and the two of us were up all night while she puked and pooped. 

Luckily for me, I was out of there the next day for trip number two...


Thursday, March 03, 2022

Brother Birthday 2022

Happy Birthday to my one and only baby brother who thankfully makes me laugh more than he pisses me off (and he is good at punching my buttons). May your special day be filled with laughter and love. Sending you virtual hugs and a poke in the side of your belly!














Love, 

Me





Wednesday, March 02, 2022

2022 resolution check at two months

Every two months, I check in to see how I'm doing on my New Year's resolutions. This year I'm changing the way I score each check-in. I'm supposed to be working throughout the course of twelve months so scoring should reflect that. I will score myself from 0-2 with a 2 being I did well. Each month the goal is to score a 20. 


Let's check in on how I did in the first two months:


  • To finish several projects I've started and haven't completed, including staying on Tom until we have completed our will - I have badgered Tech Guy about the will. I brought it up last night! But, alas, I have not even worked on those other projects. Score: 0

  • To establish a daily business routine with hours and keep to it - No, I have not done this either and exercise is to blame. How do working people do this and get to the office on time? Uh, work out at 5:00 a.m. you say? Yeah, not happening with this girl! Score: 0


  • Begin a healthy eating/workout regiment - Okay, this I've done fairly well, especially the workout regiment. Score: 1


  • Create my author's website and increase my author's social media presence - Yes, on social media, and I did take a class on website design, so I'm calling this one a win! Score: 2


  • Have a monthly dinner calendar, so I'm not struggling to know what to cook at night - YES! This has worked out well thus far, and I highly recommend it. I have it hanging in the kitchen so everyone knows what we are eating (although I do make a few changes depending on the number of people, ingredients, and various other reasons). Score: 2


  • To finish my mess, that is book one. Finish book three. Edit both. Learn the self-publishing industry - Okay this is like four resolutions in one. Why would I do that to myself? I have gone from book one to book three, but I could've done more editing. I took a few classes on the self-publishing business, and I purchased a set of books on the topic. Score: 1


  • Eat weekly meals at a table and not in front of the TV - YES! Okay, I'm conquering a few of these resolutions. Plus, my dining room table has gotten tons of use. Score: 2


  • Go on several girl trips - Nope. This one hasn't happened yet, but it will this month! Score: 0


  • Purchase birthday cards and prepare for sending out at the beginning of the month - I did well with January but dropped the ball in early February. I purchased the cards but did not have them ready to go out. I rallied for the middle of February and then I ran out of stamps. Those have been purchased, along with March cards, so better luck next time? Score: 1


  • Get back to blogging on my personal site. - YES! I have done well with this one, considering my life is really boring right now. Score: 2

Total Score: 11 out of 20 - Okay, okay, there is work to be done, but I'm better than halfway there this month, so I'm going to feel good about that. 

Tuesday, March 01, 2022

Nature Tuesday

 


An early Florida spring is springing