I want to live here

It really wasn't that secluded, but still, I love this name.  Can you imagine having to give this name at like the post office?

I had a hard enough time the other night ordering chinese food to be delivered to our address on Valencia Dr.

V as in victory, A as in apple, L as in liberty...

i love the pet store

I just feel like the problem is that I want everything, and the girls there know that too.  They come and talk to me and then the pick up the most adorable animal that I'm looking at and play with it and cuddle it and make it do tricks.  I have seriously been so close to getting something every time I wander in to this place.

Like this guy!!!

He was so nice!!  He had somehow escaped from the bird area and crawled over to a stack of boxes where he was working his way through the top of one.  I took several hilarious pictures of him, I won't make you look at all of them, but here's one more that I liked:

I felt like the girl who worked at the pet store was slightly annoyed that I was just standing there taking pictures of him ripping through their merchandise.  I couldn't help it though, he was just so dedicated!  I loved him.

I also loved these two guys:

And yes it is two of them and not a mirror reflection, even though they look exactly the same in both of these pictures:

They were very talkative and funny.  The one closest to me was VERY interested in me.  He kept looking like he wanted to climb up on me and I was going to let him but then I asked the girl who worked there if he was going to bite me and she took one of those clenched teeth inhales and was like, "he might"

So I just admired them from a distance.

The ones I really wanted were a pair, this was the only one I managed to take a picture of though:

They were deafeningly loud when they made noise.  I like that.  It's just their way of saying hello.  I'm going to save up my nickels until I can afford him.

Unless somebody really generous wants to get me one!!

!!

goal

source

I'd like to come back in my next life as Kylie Minogue.  Thanks universe.

for you

This was across the street from our hotel.  I know where I'm taking my #1 fan for our magical dream vacation. 

Someday, ooh someday.

Lauderdale dreams

I was only in Ft. Lauderdale for about 24 hours, but it was enough time for me to fall in love with it.  It's amazing that it's so close to Sarasota, but so completely different.  I mean the palm trees in lauderdale have coconuts on them!  Coconuts!!  We certainly don't grow coconuts on every palm tree in Sarasota.

There was also a much more fun scene for younger people.  I stopped in a local liquor store where this guy layed down the law:

Can't argue with him!

Besides the presence of liquor stores and bars, there was also an abundance of people walking down the sidewalk which was such a sight for sore eyes.  Whenever I walk anywhere in Sarasota it's like people assume my car must have broken down or something (actually my check engine light came on yesterday.  shoot me).  But lauderdale was so different, I think mostly because we were in a touristy area where most of the people were carless.  It reminded me of NY, and actually I met a bunch of guys from NY that were staying at the same hotel as us.

I'm sad that I couldn't stay longer, but I am excited to make another trip down there soon.  I mean, even the starbucks in lauderdale sells saucier things than any other starbucks I've ever been to:

Take that ariel and your seashell bra, starbucks is kicking it up a notch.

But I'm home now, back in the arms of that handsome little kitty, who has yelled at me nonstop since I got back.  Apparently I didn't have his permission to leave.  But the hotel we stayed at was pet friendly, and even had a little black cat that lived there, so I think I'll just take him with me the next time I go down.

Soon please!

a nice nice guy

This little froggy was on the outside of my sister's house the other night.  I love him.  He's like, "Oh hey there, I'm a handsome little frog, please don't get too close to me or I'll jump on your face and pee in your eye"

That actually happened to me once as a child.  Traumatizing.

Regardless, I'm back from my trip early due to unforeseen circumstances.  Need to organize my thoughts before I figure out how to post.  In the meantime, enjoy the frog.

snakes in the pool

This little guy was taking a dip in the pool today.  I like him because he is small and adorable and easily scooped up in a net.  No bigger than this please, thank you.

Meanwhile, I'm going out of town for a couple days.  I doubt I'll have access to the internet so you guys are probably going to be on your own.  But rest assure I will have plenty of photos and updates when I return.

<3

a nice day for a walk

With nothing else to do on our Easter sunday, Scott and I headed on a walk that ended up at our local irish pub where we entered the beers from around the world contest.  I'm excited, if we drink all 80 beers they put our picture up on their wall of fame!

But this posting is about the walk and how it was lovely, while at the same time often confusing.  For example, why?:

I mean, that is a pretty fantastic name, but who does that?  This was just a modest home on a quaint little street, nothing grande, certainly not a "place" as far as is my understanding of places.  But I do love that name.

This is the street they live on:

Pretty right?  The street was super long and only really big enough for one car.  I'd love to live on a street like this.

Except then you'd have neighbors like these people:

Now these stick people are a funny thing.  They started showing up around here a few years ago and they seem to be catching on in a similar fashion as those stickers in the back window showing what your family unit consists of.  Except these are giant, faintly terrifying, stick people that sit on the roadside watching the traffic pass with their vacant smiles and cold dead eyes.

Not convinced that these things are bad news?  Upon getting over the bridge I could see in to the backyard of this person's house and this is what I saw:

The fact that all you can see is the giant head strapped down to the flatbed of a truck is chilling.  Imagine how big that sucker is going to be when it's assembled?  And where are they going to put that?  As I pondered these questions my mind wandered over to their dock and what should I see but ANOTHER lone sentinel standing guard over the water:

Seriously I would never even want to break in to that house so I guess they are doing a good job as guards.  You'd probably break in and find the entire house full of those metal people, set up to be partying and enjoying themselves like the cardboard cut outs in Home Alone.

I'm going to keep an eye on this house.  I want to make sure there are actually people living there, they haven't been replaced by metal clones.

It's not a bad walk to get down there anyways.  And the views from the bridge are fantastic:

these guys

I see these guys EVERYWHERE in sarasota in their yellow porsche carerra gt.  It's not so much that it's a $400,000 car as those are literally a dime a dozen around these parts, it's more about how the guys in it are like 12 years old.

Well not actually, I took this picture when I was next to them in traffic stuck at a drawbridge so I got a chance to see them more up close and personal.  They aren't that young, but they are definitely not the usual old fart you see driving around in their bentley ragtop.

They are committing my father's number one pet peeve, driving with the top down and the windows up. I have to agree with my father, especially when it comes to two seaters, it just looks silly to have the windows up.
Of course I sit here behind my computer screen acting like I'm not impressed by their car but when I was sitting next to them in traffic I was scared to even let them catch me taking their picture.  Mostly I didn't want to feed their ego any more than it probably gets fed everytime they pull that thing out of the garage.

Thank goodness for my tinted windows.  They'll never know how I drooled over their car.

good friday

Scott and I had planned to go for a walk on the beach but after not finding any parking we ended up at Hooters.  Pitchers were on sale, there's not much more to tell.

Good friday indeed.

like the flintstones meet the jetsons

via Regretsy

Don't you love when you find out that a person you think is really cool is a fan of somebody else you think is really cool?  You start imagining the scenario where you would all hang out.  Is that just me?

Anyways, I went on Regretsy this morning and was overjoyed when I saw the names Kathy Lee and Hoda Kotb.  I didn't even care what the article was about, I no longer get to see Kathy Lee and Hoda because they don't play it on our tv station down here so any time they come up on the soup or dlisted or wherever I am excited.

Then there's the added fun of a crossover between two of my loves.  Of course Kathy Lee and Hoda like to make fun of poorly made hand crafts, why did this never occur to me?

You should click on the source article and read what she says about this clip and the story behind it and everything.  She does a much better job than me of relating it.  I'm going to go pour myself a glass of white wine and watch this clip again.

a week in florida

I took some pictures of this plant at my grandfather's house last week because I liked the craziness that was growing out of the center of it.  I never ended up putting the pictures up just because I got distracted with other things and then the moment passed. 

But apparently this plant was meant to be shared with the world.  I couldn't believe my eyes when I realized that this is what the plant looks like now, exactly one week later:

That's how things go in Florida though, once something starts growing it just doesn't stop.  Speaking of which, my new spider plant is about to have its first baby!

sunrise, sunset.

i think i need a reflection

You want a haircut you go to fantastic sam's, you want a reflection you see Diana.

Diana doesn't use a mirror, she is the mirror.  You stand before Diana and then she projects your reflection on to you in the form of a hair reinvention.  You've truly never seen yourself until you're seen yourself through Diana.

I'm sorry christina, I love what you've done with my hair the past few years but I might have to call Diana.

morning walk

I had the best walk this morning.  Besides being amazingly comfortable weather, all these different things on my walk made me think of different people in my life that I love and appreciate, like these nice purple flowers for Jonathan.

There must be something in the air today, I feel overwhelmed with affection and adoration for everyone.

Besides all that, I also saw a bunch of really handsome doggies on my walk.  And I almost completely missed this guy:

I'm glad I didn't! He just sat there glowering at me the whole time I was taking his picture.  I would have gotten closer but shortly after I took that picture the dog in the background, who I hadn't noticed at all, came barking at me.  This drew the attention of his owner who seemed suspicious of my picture taking so that's the best I could do.

I think it captures his essence well though, you don't see him at first as I didn't but then when you spot him you can't take your eyes of his icy stare.

I want to schedule a playdate for him and the detective!

the most handsome

I have to say that he looks much weirder in photographs than he does in person, though he still looks pretty hilarious in person.

I asked them to give him the standard "lion's cut" except to leave a faux-hawk running down his spine.  Apparently he wasn't the most relaxed client they've ever had so what he ended up with was a bit of a rush job, but I intend to even it out with scissors.

I think if I clean it up a little more it will look more intentional and not so much like he just had some kind of surgery that required him to be shaved on three sides.

What's hilarious is that from certain angles you don't see that he's shaved at all, then all of a sudden he'll turn and you see his bare chicken legs and his little pot belly hanging out.  Awwww.

I think my favorite is when he curls up with his tail wrapped around him.  It looks like he's actually a completely hairless cat who is wearing a cat fur coat draped over his shoulders:

Besides being traumatized by the experience of going to the groomers, I do think he actually likes his new haircut.  The strip of hair on his back is nice too as it still allows a little scruff for cuddling and petting, since it is a little weird when you transition down to his shaved sides and belly.  It's not like bare skin but it's close.  So smooth.

Of course the thing I think he's the most irritated about is that I'm now obsessed with taking his picture even more so than I was before.  He's not amused with the idea of becoming an internet celebrity:

i love it

So many good parts about this I don't even know where to begin.  Why do I feel like this could easily be a lindsay lohan song?  Maybe it's the part about going home with a girl or a boy.

This is my new jam.

my new traveling buddy

First of all, I know I know, I shouldn't have let him out of his carrier in the car.  Please don't call PETA on me.

But omg he was so nice!!!!  He actually acted more like a cat in the car with me then he ever has before.  I took that picture before I had even started the car or anything when he was just looking around and being handsome.  Once I turned the car on however he crept over to the spot he stayed in for the rest of the journey:

I'm not kidding when I say he has never sat in my or anybody else's lap, but for some reason as soon as we started moving it was the only place he wanted to be.  And to up the adorable factor he would rest his head on my arm like that.  When facing in that direction it was my steering arm so every time I had to turn his head would just kind of rise and fall with my arm, but when he faced in the other direction he would rest his head on my shifting arm:

I took that after I'd stopped but that's pretty much what he looked like the whole time.  : ((((

Anytime I stopped completely he would sit up, put his front paws on my left arm, and look all around out each of the windows.  It was seriously beyond adorable.  I feel like I really want to keep taking him out and getting him more and more comfortable with it but then at the same time I realize that that's really dumb.  I mean, sure I've seen that video of the guy on the motorcycle with the cat that rides on his shoulders, sure I'm jealous, but I'm not going to put the detective's life in jeopardy just for the thrill of tooting about town with a handsome guy in my lap.

But I do look forward to the next time I have to take him to the vet, which is where I took him this morning.  He needed to meet the Dr. so he could get his flea medication, and while I had him there I also got him a haircut!!!  I haven't tried to take any pictures of him yet because he's still pretty angry about the whole experience but rest assured he looks amazing and there will be plenty of photos in the near future.

In the meantime, enjoy this thing I found in my dad's salt water fish tank that just looks like it's smiling and happy:

this is me

via Reddit

every morning.

you might have to click the image to make the gif work.

gaga ooh la la

Scott scored tickets to the sold out Lady Gaga concert in St. Pete tonight and took me so I could complete the gayest trifecta ever of having seen Cher live in concert, Britney, and now Gaga.  As you can see our seats were kinda far back but I was happy with them.  The only better place to be would have been right up at the stage like we were for Britney, but I don't have the same drive to see Gaga up close and personal.  I mean, how often does lady Gaga's vagina slip out per show?  Probably not as often as Britney's.

And I'm not just comparing Gaga to Britney because I've seen them both live, Gaga herself drew the comparison during her show, but I will get to that in time.

First I just want to discuss how it was really fun and an amazing show.  I expected her to play the piano but she surprised me by also playing the electric bass and guitar.  I was also pleased that she pulled out the fire spitting bra and panty set from the bad romance video.  My favorite parts of the evening were when she was just talking with the audience though.  Specifically at one point when people were throwing shit on stage and she was collecting it and reading the notes and holding up the fan t-shirts and things and talking about how amazing it all was.  Then she was like, "there's one thing on this stage that does not make me happy.  This sad excuse for a woman" at which point she bent over and picked up a barbie doll that somebody had Gaga-ized.  She promptly bit the head off and spit it in to the audience which I thought was fabulously Ozzy Osbourne of her.

I did have a few problems with her show however.  For one, there was the highly questionable opening act "Semi Precious Weapons".  I was on the fence about them at first, though I'll admit the lead singer won me over with his egregious front splits and ass shaking as well as his comment, "If there's one thing I've learned about Florida, it's you bitches love to drink"

True and truer.

My issue with the opening act was the fact that not only did they start about 45 minutes after they were supposed to but then there was about an hour and a half wait after they were done before Gaga ever came on.  Whatever efforts they had made to amp up the audience was lost by the time we were supposed to be excited for the main event.

She did sing every song, often doing little remixes and things, but she also annoying pointed it out.  At some point towards the end of the show she made a comment about how she doesn't ever lip synch and how she wasn't like "one of those rich bitches who stand up here and fake their way through a show".

Now see Gaga, them's fighting words.  I'm assuming here that she's referencing Britney, but I don't think Gaga really wants to play that game.  Sure, Britney may not have sung at her show but she also didn't need her back up dancer to help her do a standing split.  Britney didn't spend 50% of her show laying on the ground because she was apparently too exhausted to keep it together for an entire show.  Britney also  has two decades worth of songs to pull from, not two albums.

And I don't ever remember Britney stopping in the middle of her show to trash talk anybody else, and then in the same breath talk about how you have to love yourself and not listen to the haters blah blah blah.  Although to her credit Gaga was really good about remembering what city and state she was in, something that Britney seems to struggle with a lot.

But why do we have to compare them?  Why can't Britney be Britney and Gaga be Gaga.  I think that's the resolution I came to by the end of the show.  After all was said and done I did feel like I had experienced Gaga tonight.  I definitely felt that her show was personal and dedicated to her fans.  I may not have agreed with a lot of the things she said, or some of the choices she made, but overall it was a great show.  It's fun to see somebody like her get such a great reception from Florida too.  Gives me hope that there are some cool people in this state still.

P.S. I had a whole thing going about how Lady Gaga is exactly like the movie Tootsie but I'm too tired to elaborate on all that now.  Just rest assured it's a brilliant comparison that will be shared with you all someday.

two nice guys!

I was sitting outside at starbucks when this car pulled up to the drive through lane.

The guy in the back is all, "oh I'd like a tall skinny latte please, I gotta watch my figure"

I love them.

shady lane

We had to run an errand up in glamorous Tampon yesterday which is where I found my two new favorite establishments.  Above is what I can only assume is a 5 star spa judging by the totally not sketchy exterior. I also like the name, it might as well say "money laundering front".

Across the street is the store that Tayisha Busay willed in to existence:

The creepiest part was that the headless mannequins were gently swaying and turning in the breeze.  It was like Pirates of the Caribbean meets Xanadu.

I feel like this street is the Rodeo of Trampa.

sometimes I feel like this

via Reddit

I really like having my blog for times when I actually have exciting stuff to show or talk about, but a lot of the time this is how I feel.

Like I have to say, "oh hold on entire world crashing down around me, I need to do a blog post!"

I blame mercury in retrograde.  It's supposed to be ending soon though, I'll be waiting patiently.

sunset

that is all.

brother sister time

My sister had rehearsal today at Van Wezel in downtown sarasota.  I met her during her lunch break and we sat in the parking lot and chatted.  This was our view.  Pretty good for a parking lot.

I like thinking about all the times I was in nyc needing advice and I would call my sister when she was on break from rehearsal.  It's way better to just drive down and meet her instead.

Of course in the midst of me enjoying being in Florida and close to my sister, I am getting so many messages from my dearest friends up north that are making me homesick for nyc.

I guess the grass is always greener.  But I think the Florida sky is bluer.

thinkin' spot

I've had a lot on my mind lately so yesterday I went to good old Lido beach for a brainstorming session.  The water was a little cool, I had to go in to answer the call of nature, but it made it nice to sit in the sun and dry off/warm up.

Unfortunately the gentle crashing of the waves did not lead me to any brilliant ideas so I find myself here the next day still feeling unsettled and directionless.

Any suggestions?