Now I have to get home and write

True to his word, we relaxed. I received the early morning breakfast text, and when I declined, my brother called.

Rusty: "Get down here. I'm buying."

I went—not because he was buying, as he did the entire trip, but because I've whined about how he doesn't spend time with me, and here he insisted. 

It was a nice breakfast spot. As often as I travel to Bonnet Creek, I've never eaten there. The seating was outside, and despite the heat, it was lovely. 

We spent the day poolside. I wrote. They swam. Eventually, I joined them on the lazy river. Later that afternoon, I made Rusty participate in the "How well do you know your songs" game. It went from the 1950's to now. We did not come in the top three. I bet we were fourth. The DJ gave us points for Rusty's creative song titles for the ones he didn't know. 

Dinner that night was fancy at an expensive restaurant that they went to last year. Unfortunately, after we were seated, we discovered someone had hacked Susan's Facebook and Instagram accounts, which threw off the evening. Still, my dinner was lovely.

Susan and I stayed up into the wee hours repairing what damage we could, but she never did get her Facebook back. Make sure you have the two-step authenticity set up on Meta accounts. 

I bid them goodbye after check-out this morning and headed home. My heart is filled with happiness and love, and if that's my last adventure with my brother, I'm okay with it because this was THE BEST.

We're going where?

The following day, I exited the bathroom to find my brother standing outside the door.

Rusty: "Get dressed. We're going to Universal Studios."

I reacted like a Floridian hearing the news in the middle of August. It came out in a shriek that pierced his ears and drifted down the hallway for everyone to hear.

Me: "ABSOLUTELY NOT!" 

My brother did not accept this response. He shoved me into my room and instructed me to get dressed and be ready in thirty minutes. I whined the entire time, reminding him of last night's promise. It did no good. Susan wanted to relive her Universal experience as a child, and Rusty was all about pleasing the wife. 

Rusty: "I'm buying. Get in the car."

When my children saw the SnapChat of the above picture, Darcy immediately texted her sister. Together, they speculated who or what had invaded my body.

MOM IS AT UNIVERSAL STUDIOS???

Yes, I was--under protest. 

I am a park person, preferably in chilly weather, and at Disney World, where they pick you up in the parking lot and shuttle you to the entrance. I had half my daily step count just walking from our car to the Universal ticket booth!

But this trip was about spending time with my brother, and this year is about opening myself to new things, so I begrudgingly enjoyed the day. 

We walked from one end of Universal to the other. It's been years since I was there, so when we tried to find the Harry Potter world, I had only a vague idea that we had to find a secret entrance. I also reluctantly allowed myself to be photographed. 

The lines were tolerable, the adventures fun, and we shared a butterbeer. By the time dusk fell, we were all happy to find a restaurant to sit our butts in a chair and eat. That was not, however, the end. After dinner, my brother made us walk some more, and by the time we finally got back to our car, I was sure tomorrow would be the day I couldn't walk. 

Rusty: "It doesn't matter. Tomorrow, we relax."

Uh huh.

Orlando with my bro

The PGA merchandising show comes to Orlando every January. My brother, a PGA professional, attends most of them. Last year, he and his family came to Florida, and when I suggested that my family come too, he declined. It hurt. My kids were hurt. My husband was pissed. And I was resigned. Been there, done that. 

This year, he had a change of heart and invited me to stay and attend the show. While his kids weren't coming, his wife was, and she and I made plans for her to help up my step count for my 2024 resolutions.

They came for a week. I went for a few days, arriving in time to head out with them for dinner. 

We were up bright and early the next day for the merchandising show. I'm unsure what I expected, but it wasn't what I got. While I knew the Orlando Convention Center was big (I'd been to the NRA convention when I bought tickets to see Toby Keith perform), I didn't realize it was ACRES of land. This thing went for MILES with rows upon rows, each labeled to work with the PGA app. He scheduled appointments with vendors while we ate breakfast and had coffee in a little food court area. Then we were off, and Susan made good on the increase in the step count. I was lucky I was still mobile the next day.

We went down almost every row. Each row had several vendors, all related to golf in some way. If I didn't know anything about the sport, I certainly did after today. My brother chatted with salesmen and women, exchanged business cards, got his badge scanned multiple times, and asked a million questions. Watching him do his thing was cool, and I might have been a bit proud. We should've run a country club together. I bet we would've been a success.

I chatted up some salespeople, but my main focus was scoring free loot. I got tons of pens, but I also snagged some men's socks (my husband loves them), hair ties, and odd things like beads I'll never wear. Still, a convention isn't a convention without coming home with free crap. Plus, I love pens! It became a game of how many pens I could get and how stealthy I could be in claiming them. My brother was impressed.

Lunch was at another food court, sitting at tables with strangers. Susan and I wandered when my brother had his meetings. The last one was in an interactive area, but we chose not to participate because our legs were shaking from so much walking.

Unfortunately, this was at the end of the convention center, which meant we had to walk back to the entrance. Then, we had to walk miles away to the car. I had over 15,000 steps. That is double what I try to get daily, and something I have NEVER done since owning an Apple watch. I had to use the massage gun on my feet that night in our Wyndham.

Thursday morning, those two were up early for breakfast at the outside cafe at our resort. They tagged my phone, but I opted to chill in the unit and have coffee. I was on a deadline for an anthology my writing group, The Write Spice, is putting out next month. I had a vague notion of my story but did not have the damn thing written. 

My time was short-lived. These two returned to the room, and we were off. We hit the pool. We took a hike around the resort. Later, we went for an early dinner, and before we retired for the night, I asked what the plan was for the next day.

Rusty: "Nothing. We're chilling here."

I asked again to make sure, and getting the same response, I wrote long into the night.

Ah, you know how I like to foreshadow...

Toilet paper hack

My refrigerator smells.

It's not a rotting food smell, but more like a chemical odor, and apparently, my nose is the only one that detects it. The hubby thinks I’m nuts. Madison, not wanting to say that I’m crazy, can “sort of smell something off.”

It first started with the ice. I thought something was wrong with the new water bottle I’d purchased for the gym. The water tasted icky. I kept pouring it out and starting new, and it finally took Darcy using the ice in her water bottle to diagnosis the problem. From there, it went into the smell and now it’s seeping into dairy items.

Google warned me of a Freon leak. That set off the hubby, who treated me to a gas, solid, liquid lecture that rivaled any college science course. Of course, all I heard was science and you’re wrong. Good thing there will not be a test.

I removed everything from the refrigerator and cleaned it from top to bottom. Then, I put a carton of baking soda in it, and because I’d heard this hack on a radio show a month ago, a roll of toilet paper. It supposedly absorbs excess moisture, which is a breeding ground for bacteria. That is not my problem, hello, CHEMICAL scent, but I'm desperate.

The question is, how long do you think it will take before Tom or Maddy notices?

Venues, dresses, and invitations.

Today, we shopped for wedding dresses. It's a good thing this date was on the docket long before the change. After an outdoor brunch where we froze to death, the bridesmaids, the groom’s family, and I went to help Darcy find a dress.

Brides-to-be crowded the store. They were everywhere, as were flower girls, bridesmaids, and mothers. Unlike what one sees on television, it was chaos, but Darcy found her dress within an hour. I can't show that here.

Added after the wedding

In other wedding news, venue shopping is not for the faint at heart. I bet that by the time this is all done, Darcy will have shopped over fifty venues. How nuts is that? 

She asked me to meet her at a country club, and because she was late coming from work and the coordinator had another appointment, I went ahead and started the tour. It was a typical country club, and I am experienced in that; I grew up in one, worked for one, and now watch my brother run one. 

Darcy originally was not set on a club, but desperation has set in. This club was owned by the organization I once worked for, so we chatted while we walked from the inside wedding site to the two outside areas where they host weddings. 

There was already a visitor in the first area.

The coordinator was shocked. She'd never seen a gator this close and had never experienced one in the wedding area. 

Me: "This is Florida. Any body of water harbors alligators."

At this point, Darcy called me to find out where we were. She joined us, looked at the gator, and shook her head.

Darcy: "This is not a good selling point."

The second area was right in the middle of the golf course, under a shady tree and far from water. But we were told that they would stop the golfers during the ceremony. Meaning they would be sitting on their golf carts waiting and watching, most likely annoyed.

I'd rather have the alligator.

I toured another venue that I loved. I was ready to seal the deal and sign the papers. It was local and absolutely gorgeous, nestled off the beaten track on a horse farm. They'd redone the barn into a wedding venue and the horse stalls into hotel rooms! The venue also included using the four-bedroom house to get ready and had an option to rent. 

It was slightly out of the price range, but I didn't care. I loved it that much. Darcy, not so much. It took several days before she could tour it, and while she liked the reception venue, she didn't like the wedding areas. 

So, it's back to square one, but the invitations are being designed, and the bridal shower dates are confirmed!

We have three months

January started with a bang.

First, I got wired—for sleep.

I asked for it. Not because I think I have sleep apnea, but because I know my husband has it, and when I bring that up with him, his response is to tell me I snore. So, I figured if I did the test, maybe he would too?

I didn’t sleep.

It was one of those nights when I watched the clock, my mind roaring. Tom and the dog were restless. Our room was chilly. I finally succumbed at about 5:00, turning off my morning alarm.

Darcy woke me at 8:30 am.

Me: “What are you doing here?”

Darcy: “Why are you wearing oxygen? What happened? And why is it so cold in here? It’s FREEZING!”

Second came her news, delivered while we snuggled under the covers.

She and Oleg are getting married in April.

We have three months to plan a wedding.

That’s the last part.

We have three months to plan a wedding.

I’m already worn out.

There are color-coded spreadsheets. I’ve seen over a hundred websites, viewed the videos of their venue walk-throughs, and toured on my own in our county. I know so much about ceremonies and receptions that I’m contemplating turning our family farm into a wedding destination. It could be a family affair!

Whoever came up with this wedding nonsense never accompanied a bride-to-be from place to place, tasting food, and spending hours looking at chairs, tables, linens, and colored napkins. And we haven’t even gone dress shopping!

Funny enough, I did the same thing. We got engaged in December and were married in April.

I think. Maybe we waited a year, I don’t remember anymore. I barely remember the event itself! And we never glance at our photos except those on my living room wall. Those are great for a good laugh—the hairdos!

Still, it’s exciting. We’re having a wedding!

In three months!

Send well wishes and good vibes, and if any reader has ideas of venues, please forward them.

Hallmark Christmas movie tradition 2023

Years ago, my friend SueG, her daughter, and I started a Hallmark Christmas movie marathon tradition. The first few times we spent a weekend watching Hallmark movies and eating delicious and unhealthy foods. Eventually, we whittled it down to a day and then to a few hours. Some years we missed it altogether.

This year, we were determined to pick it back up again. We started after lunch and went until midnight. We wore our Hallmark Movies T-shirts, although the college kid refused to dig through boxes to find hers. The snacks were a mixture of healthy and unhealthy. Dinner was too.

But we saw some great movies. Hallmark has stepped up its game. We also watched non-Hallmark movies and agreed they’re off the list for next year.

It felt right to be back. Who knows. Maybe next year we'll make it a weekend.

Resolutions 2024

My family has kept resolutions since the 1980s. Each year, we mark them down, work on them, and then discuss whether we've kept them or not. I do a check-in on how I'm doing every two months. My math sucks, and last year's new scoring was wonky, so here's the deal for this year. 

Each two-month check-in receives a score between 0 (meaning nothing was worked on) - 2 (meaning both months were worked on) for a completion total at the end of the year of 

Here are the things I resolve to complete:

• Get our will done - I know, I know. This should have been done years ago. My reasoning was superstitious, and now I know I'm an idiot. My brother got his done last year. It's our turn now. Seriously!

• Create my author website - This is my year of getting a book finished and ready for publication. No more excuses. No more perfection. To get that off the ground, the website needs to be completed.

• Record 7500 steps five times a week and drink more water - I have to get into shape for a wedding. My body shames me. It's up to me.

• Stay in touch with my nieces and nephews - I enjoy these "kids." I want to have a better relationship with them whether they want it or not. They did give me their addresses though, so maybe I'm not so far off in left field.

• Once a month, I will work on an old resolution I never completed. - Because I have things that need to be completed and maybe this will help me?

• To face fears - I have many. This year I'm knocking them down.

• Visit Maya and Jay in Boston - enjoy fabulous dinners and amazing evenings plus day trips to the North Shore…these resolutions are on a Google Doc for the entire family to use. Most of us had someone add this last resolution to our list. Most of us are keeping it. Look out Maya, Jay, and Boston!

Happy New Year - Welcome 2024

 

Oleg's family knows how to put on a New Year's celebration. We had friends, food, games, fireworks, a visit from Santa Claus, and another Christmas unwrapping of gifts!

Happy New Year! I appreciate all of you hanging in with this crazy year of blog catch-up. I'll work harder at being more timely in 2024.

And no, that isn't a resolution.

May 2024 be a year of good friends, great health, and much laughter!