This Could Be The Culprit - Florida Wildlife

If you read my blog post from a few days ago (Here ) where we discovered a strange nest in our front yard, then you'll know what I'm talking about. If not, then you don't know what I'm talking about but isn't that a pretty bird?

I think I may have discovered what/who was the culprit that made the strange nests in our yard.

Maybe.

A couple of weeks ago we saw this bird in the next door neighbor's yard having lunch. I'm not sure, but I think it may be a heron. I'm also not sure, but I think it may be the culprit that nested in our yard the other night.




I haven't seen any other activity out there, but that's probably because it's been a rainy mess here the past few days. The culprit probably found a dryer nest somewhere else.

Hopefully he had a bunch of tasty, frickin lizards to snack on.

I Hate Telling People This...

Back about four years ago, when The Boy was a sophomore in high school, I decided we were getting the heck out of here and moving to Florida to be near the beach.  It was surprisingly easy to get The Boy to buy into the idea, even though he despises the beach.  It's too sandy and sunny and windy for him.  I think we were just both ready for a new start back then beach or not.

Because of the custody arrangement and the fact The Boy's dad lives here in Birmingham, I expected a battle of some sort.  In keeping with the demands of the divorce decree, I wrote The Boy's dad a long letter telling him we were moving and I would provide him with our new address as soon as we had one.  I sat back and waited, expecting a dispute.

I was shocked when there wasn't much of battle from his dad.  I don't even remember what the response was, but I do remember it wasn't much.  The Boy and I were good to go.

I informed my mom and she, of course, said no.  She said I didn't need to move.  Every once in a while I would get some sort of email card from her telling me to "listen to my mother!"  She sent a singing monkey card once that said I needed to listen to her and I was NOT moving to Florida.

During that time, I got a Florida real estate license so I was licensed in Florida and Alabama, I put my house on the market and I started looking for jobs in Pensacola since I didn't think I could make it on real estate alone down there.

Months went by.  My house sat on the market.  I couldn't find a job.  My mom sent me death threats (just joking! Only singing monkeys).

I got an offer on my house, finally, but it fell through.  Then, The Boy found out about a technology school that he could go to his Junior and Senior year to learn about computers/information technology. In the mornings he would be at his normal high school, but after lunch he would take the bus 30 minutes down the road to the tech school.  He really wanted to do it, so I took the house off the market and we stayed.

Unfortunately, for some time after that (and even now) people think I've moved.  For a while I would show up for local races and they would say things like, "Hey, I thought you moved to Florida." or "Didn't you move to Florida?"

For years I have had to explain that, "No, I'm still here.  Haven't moved. "  Sometimes I would give explanations, sometimes not.  It really got to be a pain.

Now The Murph and I have been planning on moving after Christmas and Florida and Georgia are on our short list, but we are open.  Wherever there are job opportunities,  since we both need real jobs at some point.  Which brings me to why I am writing this post.

Today I was in my car dodging traffic trying to keep up with The Running Nazi, when my cell phone rang.  It was B from my stock broker's office calling to tell me they can't direct deposit into my checking account.  I hadn't talked to her in a while so we started catching up.  I helped her purchase her house a few years back and my son and her daughter went to the same high school.

She needed my address and asked me if that was where The Murph and I were going to live after we were married.  I knew it was probably a bad idea to say anything, but at that point I told her we were moving.  I knew as the words came out of my mouth, where B was going to go with it.  Sure enough she said what 20 million people (I'm exaggerating) have said to me during the past four years, "Weren't you moving to Florida a few years ago???" And there's always this tone they have in their voice when the say it.  Or is that just my imagination?

I know!  I hate to even tell people we are moving.  The Murph and I have "been moving" now for at least 4 or 5 years.  We were moving before we even knew each other.  And we were both moving to Florida.  That's part of what makes us a good match, isn't it?  Wanting to move to Florida and all...

What makes it even worse is that we really do kind of live in both places now since there's the condo down there.  It just adds to the confusion.

We really have to move now or I'm going to have to stop telling people that we are moving.  Believe me, no body's more confused about what I'm doing and where I am than I am!  What if The Murph gets a job here and we stay?  Then for the next 5 years I will have to explain to people that we're still here.  Didn't move.  Why?  Why not?  Because...

I'm still here... damn it!

Triathlon Race Photos And The Beach Trip

Last Saturday The Murph and I drove over to Orange Beach, Alabama from Pensacola Beach, Florida so I could do the Alabama Coastal Triathlon.  We got up at 4:30 am to make the hour and 1/2 drive.  It doesn't seem like it would be that far, but we had to go up and over and stop and go through some small towns to get there.

There were two distances offered.  One was a full Olympic distance and the other was a very short sprint distance.  I did the very short sprint since I haven't been bike and swim training very much this year.

Okay, I confess!  I have done zero swim training since Ironman Canada 2010 and most of the biking I've been doing has been on the exercise bike at the gym instead of my road bike.  The Murph is my true, very loyal athletic supporter!

This is us right before the race start.  You can see from the waves behind us that the ocean was not very calm that day.  I was a little worried, but I have had to swim in much rougher water and this was a very, very short 300 yd swim.  No Ironman distance swim here!  Thank God!

It was cloudy in the beginning, but by the time I crossed the finish line the sun was out and it was clearing up.  Also, it was getting hot.  I was glad to be finished in less than an hour.  I love short triathlons right now.

This is me coming out of transition after getting off the bike.  Now it was time to do the run which was very, very short.   Only two miles.  That's it!

I'm thinking that my butt looks fat here in these shorts.  I doubt I will wear them again.  I may need to cut back on all those cookies I've been eating too.

Despite the lack of swim training and the big butt, I place third in the masters category and was the 10th overall woman.  I was very happy with that!

The night before the race, The Murph and I went to eat dinner at Jackson's in Pensacola, Florida.  I ate tons of bread with fresh butter and the most delicious steak and crab cake ever.  

This probably contributed to the bigness of my butt the next morning....

Oh well, it was worth it!

This is The Murph about to go in the water the other day.  He didn't know I was taking pictures of him.

I added our baby pictures to our wedding website last night.  This is The Murph's baby picture.   He's such a cutie!

I tried to scan this picture in and post it on his birthday post in July, but I couldn't get the scanner to work.  I have been trying to scan things and print for two months now and couldn't get the dang printer to work.  Then right out of the blue it just decided to start working last night.

Go figure!

Fun In Pensacola Beach

New Observation Wheel in Pensacola Beach, Florida

It's been a few months since we've been back to Pensacola Beach and when we arrived last Thursday, we discovered this huge new attraction that's been erected.  We haven't been up in it yet, but I'm sure we will someday.  Someday when it's less crowded.  It looks very impressive and festive though.  According to an article in the Travelhost mag you can see 16.6 miles away in every direction when at the top of the wheel.

We went to The Grand Marlin for drinks and appetizers the other night.  This is the view of the ferris wheel (Observation Wheel) from the restaurant.

  

Me with the Ferris Wheel in the background.  See how festive it looks from a distance.

 

The Murph looking very handsome.

 Us bugging the bartender to take our picture.  He's use to it and doesn't seem to mind too much.

 

Everything that I've had at this place is delicious.  

But I got one of my usual appetizers, the Maryland Lump Crab Cake.  It is so yummy I just want to lick the plate.  The vanilla infused lobster fingers are good too, but I need more than what they give you in one order.  I need 10 orders of that stuff.

I didn't lick the plate, but I did a pretty good job of finishing every last drop.

 

They have some fun drinks too.  This is the Strawberry Mango Mojito.  I also had the Chipotle Pineapple Mojita.  The Murph got his usual beer.  No pictures.

 

Then we went over to Shaggy's, a new restaurant that just opened up in Pensacola Beach, FL  in May.  We decided to try it out.  I got a banana daquiri.  The Murph got his usual. (beer)

Banana Daquiri at Shaggy's

 The cheese fries belonged to someone sitting at the bar next to us.  They smelled heavenly and were covered in cheese and bacon.  A deadly, yet delicious combination.  The Murph took a picture of the fries when their owner got up to go look for her family.  She lost her family.  (and she really didn't seem to care as she started to dig into those fries).  I may try the fries one day when I am feeling very brave.

Bacon Cheese Fries at Shaggy's

The Murph and I got the shrimp basket and the pulled pork sandwich to go.  The shrimp was good, but just average.  The pulled pork was delicious!   Shaggy's is a very casual, laid back kind of place.  We will definitely go there again.  This island needs more good restaurants.

Rain Boots And Rolling Bags

Yesterday was another rain boot weather kind of day.  Ken says I will use any excuse to wear my Michael Kors rain boots.  Maybe, but I would rather not have the bad storms and tornadoes that came through Alabama, Kentucky and Ohio yesterday.  It was awful and I feel terrible for all the people who lost everything, entire towns destroyed.  It's so scary this weather lately.  Luckily, we were at the Florida coast which was south of where the worst storms passed through so all we got was some rain showers.  The clouds were still low and we were in the fog for another day.  Very strange.

The very large rolling bag I'm pulling is my awesome toiletry/cosmetic bag.  I purchased it several years ago when I got the "Accredited Staging Professional" certification when I first became a Realtor.  It was meant to hold things like cleaning supplies, furniture moving equipment, picture hangers, and other assorted tools to help in staging houses and getting them ready for sale.  The bag has been sitting in my garage ever since the real estate market took a nose dive.  Now I am happy to put it to another use.  It has all these great compartments, big ones and small ones and rolls right into the condo or hotel and into the bathroom where all my toiletry products and cosmetics are easily accessible.  I am not sure it would hold up to air travel, but it's great for road trips.

Juicy Couture Cover Up

Bebe Dress

Michael Kors Rainboots -similar here

Louis Vuitton Sunglasses

2011 In Photos

 What a year!   Getting engaged to the Murph, moving into the Murph's house, getting my house on the market, visiting my bff since third grade in Charleston, S.C., then Atlanta and shopping, then the New York/New Jersey trip to visit family, my birthday, back to New Jersey, the Boy graduating from high school, the graduation pool party, the Hawaii trip and competing in Hawaii 70.3 (AWESOME!), house party, moving the Boy to college, spending the Fall living at the beach, Tampa/Clearwater trip, Clearwater Jazz Festival, visiting T and V in Sarasota, 2 sprint triathlons and Pensacola marathon, Thanksgiving back home and getting the house all decorated for Christmas, the Christmas parties and Christmas with the family.  Not to mention getting my house sold this month.  2011 has been the best year ever and I have been very blessed!  Looking forward to 2012.  Happy New Year Everyone!

Clearwater Jazz Festival

Back home after attending the Clearwater Jazz Festival in beautiful Clearwater, Florida.  The Murph and I had a great time, but the seven hour drive was a little longer than we thought it would be.  The Tampa/St. Pete area is at the top of our list of possible places to relocate.  If we do decide to move there then we probably will sell not only the Alabama houses, but also the condo we are living in now in the Florida Panhandle.  It is just a little too far to drive for a long weekend and we will be near beaches down there so it just makes sense.

We had alot of fun at the jazz festival at Coachman Park in Clearwater, FL.  One of the acts we saw was Christian McBride and his band, Inside Straight.  They were very good and it was a perfect afternoon in the park listening to some jazz.  I love the instrument McBride played (the upright bass). It would be fun to learn to play one or the cello.  My favorite instrument of all time.  The Boy learned to play the violin when he was in third grade and the kids in his class were learning to play everything from the viola and the violin to the cello and the bass and they were all miniature size to fit the kids.  Very cute!

Christian McBride & Inside Straight

The sunsets were gorgeous down there especially the night we went to the park.  I could definitely live there!  We liked the south Tampa area as well as the many areas we looked at in the Clearwater area.  Atlanta is another option, but after living at the coast these past months I think the Murph and I are both leaning toward somewhere on the coast now.

Back Again In Clearwater Beach After 'Only' 42 Years

I haven't posted in a few days because the Murph and I are in Clearwater Beach for the Jazz Festival.  We got here Thursday night and have been super busy.  Friday we met with a realtor who took us around the area to look at houses and neighborhoods we might be interested in moving too.  We also are considering areas in Tampa, FL.

Friday night we drove an hour and 1/2 to Sarasota, FL to see the Murph's friend who lives there.  Sarasota is very nice and another place we are considering moving too.

We got back to Clearwater Beach yesterday and went out last night.  We went to a restaurant/beach bar across the street from the hotel where we are staying and met the owner, who is probably 70 or 80 years old, and her granddaughter.   Clearwater Beach was the first beach I visited with my grandparents in 1969 when I was about 4.  Apparently, the owner of the restaurant was here back then in the same place.  I don't know exactly where I stayed then, but after talking to the owner I probably stayed at the exact same place then as I am now.  They tore the hotel down and built this one, but it was probably the same location.  I think that is pretty cool.

I'm not feeding sea gulls this time though.

Bridge driving though St. Pete, FL

Clearwater Beach

Clearwater Beach from the Hilton balcony