Clubbin in Nassau

 
The night life of Nassau was cool. We went to some club that was totally hoppin. At first we were going to go to Senor Frogs. But there was nothing happening there but the club on the way was bumpin' loudly. Plus I heard that Denor Frogs had a cover charge. Screw that! I like my club scene to be free. Cuz Milton was cool about buying the drinks. So I got my party on quite proper :) There was like Party Carnival at the club. All the Carnival dancers from our ship were partyin hard. I know what I need to do for next time if I want to get in the "cool group" for party night. 

Cruisin'

 
The vacation of the year was cruise to the Bahamas. It was fun. The whole crew plus Levee came. We were all a little worried with Levee being on oxygen and all that. Thankfully all went well. So this is the beginning when we first saw the ship. The beginning of a great vacation. 

Brainy Kid

In high school, you were acing AP classes or hanging out in the computer lab. You may have been a bit of a geek back then, but now you're a total success!

Who Were You In High School?

We were looking to buy real estate. The company chartered boat rides and helicopter rides. It was so cool. But it was not enough to motivate us to buy the land. Top reason- location location location. Has anybody heard of Lancaster, SC??? It is not exactly close to anything.  

And the friends that came to TN with me.  

More photos of TN. This was the chalet we rented for the few days we were there. Nice isn't it. The game room is where I spent most of my time. Yea baby - I was perfecting my pool game. "8-ball in the corner hole," is all I have to say. 

I went to Gatlinburg with a few friends. I love the serenity of the mountains. They look so soft, like a giant carpet. Que bella! 

This is my new puppy. I am actually his foster mom. Until his real mom can get her roommate to have some love in her heart for a cutie like him, he is chillin at my house with Shake. 

So you use a debit card to buy gas?????

Using Debit Cards At Pump Can Be Costly -- Temporarily Debit Hold Can Be Much Higher Than Anticipated

GREENVILLE -- It can be quite a shock going to the gas station these days and dropping $50 or more on one tank of gas.
But what if you found out that by paying at the pump, that $50 tank of gas was really costing $150?
Many people know that gas stations will sometimes put an extra "hold" on your debit card at the pump until the money actually clears your account. But when the price of gas shot through the roof, it caused something else to happen that few people saw coming. Last weekend, Jerry Canady filled up his motorcycle at a Pumper's gas station using his Visa debit card. The bill was a little more than $12. But the next day, Canady discovered something wrong with his account
"I was looking online on my computer and noticed a $100 charge against my account from Pumper's. So, I figured it was just a mistake and be easy to clear up," he said.
But it was no mistake. The "hold" on his debit card was $100 -- not because of Pumper's, but because of Visa. When gas prices rose, and drivers needed more than $50 worth of gas at a time -- which was the limit for pay-at-the-pump transactions -- Pumper's raised that gas limit to $100. But the hold amount for Visa debit card transactions also went up from $1 to $100.
"A situation like what happened really, really does put a strain on us," Canady said.
Pumper's President Stephen Whitney said, "We were as surprised as anyone … we lowered the pump limit as soon as we found out." But it was not lowered before Canady filled up a second time, resulting in a second $100 hold."So I ended up with $200 worth of charges on my account," he said. The hold disappeared from Canady’s account in 24 hours, and he was charged
only for the gas he bought.
Because Pumper's has gone back to the $50 gas limit for pay-at-the-pump transactions, people with Visa debit cards don't get hit with a $100 hold. However, drivers who need more than $50 worth will have to do two separate transactions to fill up their tanks.
Consumer advocates say that oil companies often have their own hold amounts for debit transactions, ranging from $50 to $75, and the hold can last for as long as 72 hours. They point out that the best ways to avoid the holds are to pay with cash, use a credit card instead of debit card, or -- if you must use a debit card -- make sure you go inside to use your PIN –- PIN-based transactions are registered immediately. Some pay-at-pump machines also allow PIN-based transactions.

Copyright 2005 by TheCarolinaChannel. All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

No more drama

I am at the point in my life when I do not want any drama. Actually I reached this point a few years ago, but I got comfortable and too nice. As a result I forgot my own rule about checking people out throughly. And what did my lax attitude get me??? A hard time. So I am back to my old cynical, cautious self. And it feels good.

No more lending money!
No more doing favors for people don't want to return the favor!
No more drama!

Who is with me? Give me a shout out.

This is my cousin from across the water- you know we are English :) 

This is the newest edition to my little household. His name is Max. Isn't he a cutie? Well I think so. And you know what?I think he does too. He is so funny. And already knows how to pose and everything.  

BBQ in Hodges: Fiesta fiesta

We had fun last week. The food was good. Y la asocacion era mejor!!!
Gracias a todos que contribuyeron a su exito! Vamos a hacer otra vez? Claro que si. =)

I forgot to publish this pic earlier. This is the finished KH from last week. And to think on Thursday it was just a foundation. On Sunday it just needs a certificate of occupancy. Sweet! 

So I thought I would share my two fave Dilbert cartoons.
The first one is funny to me because it illustrates the lack of respect for inadequate managment. And when I see cartoons like this one I am grateful that my boss is not an idiot.
The second one is funny to me because it is SO-O-O true. This cartoon describes EXACTLY how some upper management people sounded when the CEO was to visit our site. And I was thinking "This man has a PhD. Do they think that he will see through their BS?" When HR practices are not always so people-friendly or show respect for people, there is the concern that someone might take the opportunity to bum rush the CEO and let him know what is really going on in the work place.  

I got some comments about stuff happening the world

-More than four years after her headless body was found, a child known nationally as "Precious Doe" has been identified and her mother has been
charged in connection with her death, authorities in Kansas City, Missouri, said today. Erica Michelle Maria Green was days away from her fourth birthday when she died. Officers searching for a missing man found her body on April 28, 2001, in a wooded area. Her head, wrapped in a trash bag, was found days later. With no hint of natural affection for her child- I mean what kind of sicko decapitates her own daughter- I think she deserves whatever punishment is given to her.

-All the bombings in Iraq. Can you Iraqis stop blowing stuff up? We get it. You hate Americans. But I want to know where in the Koran does it say you are supposed to terrorize people. And don't give me that BS that Americans are the real terrorists. Blah blah blah. That still does not justify blowing up markets, police stations, etc etc.

-And all these little girls being killed by child molesters. How twisted do you have to be to get your rocks off from little girls. I hope all of you go to prison and get EXACTLY what you deserve (not from the justice system but from other inmates). And another question: Why ACLU support does NAMBLA? I don't think that America's forefathers thought this perversion would be an issue when they were talking about the freedom of speech.

-And I heard that there is supposed to be a movie about Jesus and apostles being gay. And I have decided that there is absolutely no sense left in the world. These people have to be smoking crack cut with rat poison to have been able to come up with some so obscenely perverse.

And that is all I have to say about that.

Black people STOP making up names for your kids! You are not doing them any favors.
http://www.thecarolinachannel.com/education/4482169/detail.html?treets=gs&tid=2655575675813&tml=gs_4pm&tmi=gs_4pm_1_03000205122005&ts=H

Last weekend I went to Laurens SC to help with the construction of a new KH. I am on the suspended ceiling crew- which is cool. So these are a few of photos when we were trying to get this job done. We were so busy on Saturday that I forgot to take any pics. So this is just Sunday.  

Spur of the moment parties are the most fun
I decided to invite a few friends for dinner and a movie. Well it was more like BBQ and a movie. All good if you ask me. On the menu was BBQ chicken (cocinado por David y bien rico), corn on the cob, hot dogs, hamburgers, and salad. For dessert, there was a light no bake cheesecake (but not out of a box kind) and ultra moist chocolate cake (tambien el biscocho era bien rico-yo hice pero no estoy jactandome- tu sabes). We danced and little and saw "Flight of the Phoenix". Some movies are better when there are many people sharing jokes about the movie. And everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.
I don't want to get too excited, but I am already thinking about when can we do it again. But then I don't want to hear in a year, "Remember that party, I didn't like that..." or "I wish we could have done this..." because then I will be pissed. That has happened to me before and probably the main reason why I don't throw a lot of parties. But this crew seems cool and laid back. Next time, I hope to throw a Saturday shindig so that my girl Shakaira can come. And I hope that Gris gets to come too.  

Everyone is mesmorized 

Bon Fires are cool... 

That is why its called the GRAND CANYON 

My bro Cyro got props this week. The funny thing is that he is on the list of Who’s Who of Junior college students, yet he did not know that. We were all laughing during the announcements and then they called his name. How funny. He had to run up to the stage to get his certificate. The other guy in the picture is Cyro’s fave instructor. I think he actually nominated him for the award. In his speech he said that Cyro’s intelligence and humor will be missed the most. I was impressed. 

The days are always sad in Iraq

My friend e-mail me this. His subject header was "so THIS is what allah and muslims are all about?" I wonder the same thing.

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraqi officials made two grisly discoveries Wednesday, finding more than 50 bodies in the Tigris River and 20 soldiers shot to death west of the capital, officials said.

Iraq President Jalal Talabani said dozens of bodies have been found in the Tigris River south of Baghdad.

He said the bodies were people who had been held hostage earlier this week
in Madain, a village south of Baghdad.

"More than 50 bodies have been brought out from the Tigris, and we have the
full names of those who were killed and those criminals who committed these
crimes," Talabani said.

Belizean air conditioner 

New Hobby

NOTE TO EVERYONE

I have a new hobby. I am studying to be a travel agent. My business is called "Travellin' Diva"

If you want to travel, I'll make the arrangments.

My cousin Brenda was a great tour guide for the weekend. She took me around to see the local flavor. I saw the fish market, the sea, the old family house, downtown Belize City, and a lot more. At the end of the day we went to Princess and had pina coladas. Smoothest I ever tasted. Props to Christian (he made them…I should have taken his picture- he was a cutie…oh well maybe next time).
 

I went to BELIZE

Last weekend, I went to Belize (for all you who do not know where that is, it is in Central America). It was awesome. First of all, why did I go? That is where my Nana was born. And I saw old family (Nana'’s brothers and my cousins-Brenda [far left], Jessica, Erica [second from right], Jordan) and met new family (Phinnie [far right], Uncle Henry[not pictured but his wife is in the middle], Auntie Vel [second from left].

Viva Las Vegas! (need I say more lest I incriminate myself ) 

Viva Las Vegas

A few weeks ago, I went to Las Vegas. It was cool. I have been before, so it was not like I was innocent to the city. I went to a lot of different hotels/casinos this time. And I still did not get to go into all the ones that I wanted to visit. Below is a list of where I went...

• San Remo (will be changing its name to Hooters…I don’t know how that is going to work out) – home base
• Tropicana – Airplay show. They were some tropeze-type acts. They were flying high. One of the duos was a couple of guys. They had thier legs entertwined and holding hands. All I could think was that it is hard for them to maintain their masculinity while doing that stunt. And there was a girl doing tricks with several hula hoops. I guess that was cool.
• MGM – we saw the lions in their exhibit. Sleeping lions. They looked like they were out of touch with real wild life. We also took the monorail from here.
• Mandalay Bay - We saw an oldies band. I gave them 3 out of 5. The show was somewhat amusing
• Excalibur – Unless you go for the “knights and ladies” theme, you will not care to go here. Well that is the way that I felt.
• New York New York – I saw a chick band here in the bar. They were so-so. Nothing special about them. I gave them 2 out of 5. If I had paid for that show I would have wanted my money back. I realized from their performance why they were the free entertainment in the bar where people were paying money for drinks that could be ordered free outside in the casino. What was that all about?!?
• Caesar’s Palace – two words ANCIENT ROME...
• Venitian – two words COOL CANALS...
• Sahara – There was a Wayne Newton look alike at the free show. But he looked so much like WN, it was good enough for me. It is not like I am a big WN fan.
• Stratosphere – I wanted to eat in the Top of the World restaurant. I was looking for the elevator to get to the top and they charge admission to use the elevator. Admission was like $15! I was like "Forget that". So I stayed at ground level. I was a little disappointed because I was not going to see the view. But I was not feeling like paying $15.
• Harrah's - nothing to see
• Ballys - nothing to see
• Casino Royale - I got my 2-for-1 margaritas and after that there was .....nothing left to see

Recipe of the Day - Cherry-Cranberry Crunch Pie

pastry for single-crust, 9-inch pie
1 can cherry pie filling
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped nuts (pecans are my fave)
1 package instant oatmeal, maple and brown sugar flavor
2 tablespoons margarine

Roll pastry on floured surface into a 12-inch circle. Transfer pastry to an ungreased cookie sheet.
Combine cherry pie filling and cranberries in a medium bowl. Put filling in the center of the piecrust. Bring edges of pastry to the center, overlapping as needed.
In a small bowl, combine nuts and instant oatmeal. Cut in margarine to make a crumb topping. Place on top of the pie filling mixture.
Bake pie in preheated 425 degree oven until pastry is golden brown--35 to 40 minutes.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

My friend's comment

My friend made this comment this morning. I agreed wholeheartedly. SO I decided to post it.

He said:
The Dailey show touched on exactly what I was thinking last week. All the Enron, Worldcom, Social Security, Trade Defecit BULLS**T going on and they put STEROID USED IN BASEBALL on the fast track?!?!?!?! Who gives a f*ck if these millionaire brats want their balls to shrink to the relative size of how much I give a d*mn?

Glass Wizard

http://www.local6.com/money/4163178/detail.html

I found a good product!!! Glass wizard really works. I like the infomercial products. A lot of times they have good ideas and I like to try to see if they will make my life easier. I win some and I lose some. Good thing there is the good return policy...

I did one of those e-mail questionnaire things

1. First Name: Amaryllis
2. Were you named after anyone? not anyone, a flower (it was better than the alternative....moms told my she almost named me Courtney No offense to any Courtneys out there)
3. Do you wish on stars? No...what's the point
4. When did you last cry? Can't remember
5. Do you like your handwriting? i suppose...i like it enough not to try to work to make it better
6. What is your favorite lunch meat? honey ham
7. What is your birth date? Jan 27 1979 (ACKKKKKK I am like an adult already)
8. What is your most embarrassing CD? None...I sold those to Manifest long-g-g-g ago
9. If you were another person, would YOU be friends with you? I'd love me
10. Are you a daredevil? It depends on the possible consequences are worth it
11. Have you ever told a secret you swore not to tell? Nope...i dont swear until i know that the secret is worth keeping....that s*** can get you in trouble
12. Do looks matter? OH YEAH...i don't want to wake up to someone who looks like they got hit with the back of the bus (feel free to use that one)
13. How do you release anger? say bad words....vent in my journal/blog www.ladulcecita.blogspot.com (shameless promo)...and some other ways that i won't mention here so as not to self-incriminate
14. Where is your second home? Nana's (which tells me I need a new second home considering she lives like 20 ft from me)
15. Do you trust others easily? nope...been burn tooooo many times
16. What was your favorite toy as a child? books, do they count? a fave toy? didn't have one....i guess i was a nerd...
17. What class in high school do you think was totally useless? SC history...i mean, come on, what interesting happened here????NOTHING
18. Do you have a journal? yep...and don't read any of them until I am DEAD
19. What is your dream vacation? any free vacation and i am not talking about those 3 day/2 night deals where i have to listen to timeshare idiots
20. Favorite movie(s): dancer in the dark (the ONLY movie that made me not just tear up but actually sob)
21. What are your nicknames? lil bit, dulcecita, mary, chocolatiada (thanks jorge)
22. Would you bungee jump? ummmmmm....no
23. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? nope. i lace my shoes to where they slip on and off....hey i do the same thing
24. Do you think that you are strong? i got some kickin legs -no pun intended
25. What's your favorite ice cream flavor? strawberry
27. What are your favorite colors? blue
28. What is your least favorite thing about yourself? am i conceited since i can't think of anything...i am happy with me right now (that could change next week, but for now...happy happy)
29. Who do you miss most? my mom (i know i went from funny to somber just like that)
30. Do you want everyone you send this to send it back? if you feel like it
31. What color pants are you wearing? cream
32. What are you listening to right now? crustation
33. What was the last thing you ate? ultimate BLT from Arbys .... yum yum
34. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? BLUE
35. What is the weather like right now? kind of chilly, its dark outside
36. Last person you talked to on the phone? my best buddy in the whole world
37. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex? eyes (i'm a sucker for dreamy eyes, but if he's dumb he better not open his mouth...the dreamy eye thing only gets him so far)
38. Do you like the person who sent this to you? yep, shes cool.
39. How Are You Today? Tired...ready to go home...class has 15 minutes....i wish these kids would go on and leave early (its not proper to for the prof to leave before the students, if only they weren't workin so hard)
40. Favorite Drink? ameretto sour, mike's hard lemonade, rum and coke, lime margarita (am I a lush)
41. Favorite Sport? golf (4! cause you know i gonna hit somebody sooner or later)
42. Hair Color? black
43. Eye Color? brown
44. Do you wear contacts? if i want to see
45. Favorite Food? LAMB chops..OMG!!!
46. Last Movie You Watched? i cant remember...this question thing is too long.
47. Favorite Day(s): this question thing is too long.
48. Scary Movies Or Happy Endings? happy endings
49. Summer Or Winter? summer...i freakin HATE the cold
50. Hugs OR Kisses? hugs from family, kisses from **wink wink**.....
51. What Is Your Favorite Dessert? this question thing is too long.
52. Who Is Most Likely To Respond? dunno
53. Who Is Least Likely To Respond? dunno
54. Living arrangements? solita
55. What Books Are You Reading? nothing to enrich the mind
56. What's On Your Mouse Pad? piedmont tec
57. What Did You Watch Last night on TV?daily show
58. Favorite Smells? this question thing is too long.
59. Rolling Stones or Beatles? Beatles
60. What's the furthest you've been from home? Paris France

This really aggrevates me!

I don't like when people talk to hear themselves speak about things they are probably never going to do anyway. If you have something to say...FINE. But do not talk because you like the sound of voice. For example, I was talking to Person B about going on vacation. I don't have a definite date, but I have plans of where I want to go and and how I need to get my finances in order to do it. Its cool. I did not invite person B. I merely mentioned what I had going on because HE asked me what was new. He engaged me in conversation. Could he leave it at that. Nooooooo. He has to add more to the conversation.

"Yea, I am thinking about taking a trip myself this year," he says.

"Oh okay." I don't want the conversation to be all about me so I inquire.

"Yea. I'm thinking Miami, maybe a cruise, maybe European tour, or something."

"Oh." and I think to myself, "Wow, what a variety of places. Cool." Since my curiosity is peaked, I want to know more. He has me hooked. "Are you using Orbitz, Travelocity, Expedia or local travel agency," I ask.

And now for the big let down...his blank face as if to say "Huh? What?"

I want to poke him in the eye because I wasted 5 minutes of my life of this conversation and he was obviously talking out of his A**! How can you talk about taking a trip with such certainty and you don't even know how you going to get to where you are going?!?!? At least KNOW what a travel agency is. Dummy.

And that is the sort of time wasting idiot behavior that annoys me the most. Because now you are wasting my time too. Leave me alone and go talk to your BS-ing friends. They are not annoyed because they don't have the common sense to ask follow-up questions.

Poor Tasmanian Devils

Is anyone feeling as sorry for the Tasmanian devil as I am? IF you listen to NPR, you know what I am talking about. Granted these little ornery bad-tempered marsupials are not the most sociable cuties in the mammal world (even though I think Looney Tunes did a lot for its image). But what is the deal with the face tumors that they are getting. It is an epidemic that threatens to drives them into extinction. The tumors grow so big that the throat closes and the little devil starves to death.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4513438

BTK killer

I read http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/03/06/btk.case.ap/index.html
They say that the BTK killer is depressed. Awwwww. WHO CARES? Why should we have any sympathy for this prick who obviously did not care about his victims? I mean he named himself BTK (bind, torture, kill). He is some kind of sicko who eluded the authorities for the last 30 years. But now that he is caught, he is feeling sorry for himself. All I know is that death is too good for him. This kind of pschyopath sicko needs to be in general population. He needs to be tossing some salad (all you who listen to Chris Rock know what I am taking about). And that is all I to say about that.

Recipe of the Day: Apple Cranberry Pie

Ingredients
3 pounds your choice baking apples (cored, peeled, and cut into wedges)
1 cup dried cranberries
2 pie crusts (you can make your own if you are feeling so inclined)
1/2 c white sugar
1/4 c dark brown sugar
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 salt
pinch of nutmeg
Juice of one lemon
Directions: Heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss apples and craberries in lemon juice. Mix sugars, flour, salt, and spices. Mix with apples and let that chill out for a few (about 10-15 minutes). Pour all that apple cranberry goodness into one of the pie crusts. Use the other pie crust to top. Cut slits into the top pie crust and sprinkle sugar (I use raw sugar for an extra sugary crunch). Bake for 45-60 minutes. Let cool and enjoy.

Martha Stewart

News Bulletin: Martha Stewart is still out of prison. Can I say "Hooray"? I have never rooted for someone who was getting out of prison before now. First of all, I think that whole incident was a raw deal for Martha (yes I am on a first name basis with her- even though she does not know it). I mean, she already lost because she sold her stock before it went through the roof. So they added to her misfortune by sticking her with jail time. I think there were certain people who celebrated her incarceration because they thought Martha was "Miss Perfect" and jail would bring her down a notch. Instead of hating her for her perfectionist attitude, they should embrace it. I do. I love reading her articles, watching her television shows, and buying her cookbooks. I have received a lot of very helpful suggestions from her. I cannot wait to see what she has to come in the future. But I guess I do have a skewed viewpoint, considering that I am a bit of a perfectionist myself.

Original Law and Order

I like the original Law and Order. I have a friend that loves Homicide. But any way, one of the reasons that I like holidays is because of the marathon Law and Order runs. Inevitably, I spend quite a few hours watching several episodes. All the new wannabe shows that have come out since the success of L&O are just that: Wannabes. They all seem to lack the oomph of L&O. They always seem to have interesting story lines. And I am a sucker for the twists. Everytime I wonder what kind of twists could the story have and then...BAM! it goes another way. But at least it is not like CSI. Sometimes they spend a whole hour on a case only to find out that the death was an accident. I don't want to hear that! I did not watch for a whole hour to find out that no one is ultimately responsible. Some might say, "But that is what happens in real life." That is when I say, "I don't watch drama shows for real real life." By that I mean, I want it to real enough to be believable but I want their hard work to produce results.When I want reality police work, I watch "The first 48 hours". That is a cool show but I will reserve my rantings about that for another post (I have not seen any marathons for that yet...but I hope its on the air long enough achieve that status).

Yoders in Abbeville

Can I get shout outs from all the Yoder's fans? I love their fried chicken, broccoli casserole, cream corn, pecan pie, strawberry pie, and their extra yummy coconut cream pie.

Friday is the LONGEST day

I am so ready to go home right now. And I know that I have to go to work. Although I won't disclose what I do. I watch the news and see people losing GOOD jobs because they don't have the sense to keep private info from work off of the Internet. But I digress. So I want to go home. I have had a long hard week at work and I am ready for my 3-day weekend. Does anybody else get President's day off? Woo-hoo. I did not even know that was a real holiday. I thought it was something the furniture stores used to have a reason "slash prices". I say "slash prices" because all that cheapo furniture is overpriced anyway. I think I am so tired I can't even stay focused on my post. So you know that this will be a very long-g-g-g day.

This is my travelling buddy and me in London...and it makes no difference that she is over 80 (I think she get energy from the plane trip) 

IT departments

I think I want to take this time to say "Thank You" to all the computer programmers and other IT people who help me at work. I know there is "Secretaries' Day", but is there a "Nice IT People" day? There should be. When I say "Nice IT people" I am talking about those down-to-earth-cool-"You got a problem, let me run some numbers and see what I can do" type of IT people.
If I was giving out IT awards:
#1 IT guy - DT
Top programmers - Roy, Dan, John

This is Cyro in his fave pose