Isla Mujeres - April 2009

Instead of doing my usual trip report, I am going to share pics with you. Mr. Wonderful and I went down to Isla Mujeres for a quick five day trip and stayed in the Penthouse at Ixchel Condos. It was a much needed getaway and very relaxing and fun! We ate at Qubano twice and it was fabulous both times. The Vivian Salad and the Cuban sandwich are fantastic. We also indulged almost daily in COOL's gelato...coconut, kahlua....oh there are no words. We also dined at Comono, which was wonderful. The hummus is addictive and we were entertained by Jesus Campuzano. It was a lovely evening out with two of my favorite guys, Steve of Casa Sirena and my husband. The view from Penthouse 709 is unmatched. It overlooks Playa Norte and it is the tallest inhabitable point on the island. There is nothing blocking the view and it feels like you're looking down from heaven. Mr. Wonderful strikes a pose on Playa Norte. The lounge chairs are complimentary with a stay at Ixchel. Beautiful view at night of town Yes, I am the crazy cat lady who feeds the strays. These little guys were hungry This little cutie had her own perch Me, Kathryn and Tiffany enjoying drinks at Miguel's. Miguel's new location is very nice. Our dinner there was fantastic. His coconut shrimp is wonderful!!! Mr. Wonderful and myself at Miguel's on our last night of the trip A few little kitties at what we call 'Kitty Corner' which is now more like construction corner. This little guy was friendly. He wanted to snuggle and be petted. Inspirational sunset at the Penthouse ROCK STARS!!!! My own little island! Creation Breakfast at Elements of the Island. So nice, we ate there twice, once with Tom, Maggie and Nelsy and once with Dave and Wendy. I had the potatoes (hash brownish)with brie cheese one time and yogurt with fruit and granola the next. Their food is delicious! Dinner at Lolo Lorena's was one of the highlights of this trip. The setting is sensual and bohemian in an enchanted candlelit courtyard with handsome young men to cater to your every need and bring you course after course of Lorena's divine creations. The garden was verdant with fragrant herbs, the table dressed with flowing tablecloths and a pillowed bench along one wall. I feasted on four courses of delightful cuisine, never wanting it to end. The menu is prix fixe and up to 16 lucky guests dine on whatever Lorena decides upon that day. One sitting per night, one table? Fabulous! I got to sit between two of my favorite guys Waiting for a cab to take us home Chantilly Creme, Chocolate Mousse, Bananas Flambe and Baby Mango Ms Lo Lo Lorena -in person! Seafood Cassoulette with mashed potato topping Beautiful lighting on the stairway at Casa Sirena Happy Hour on the Roof at Casa Sirena Steve let me set up a jewelry sale at Happy Hour Sunset for the Funset Setting up the jewelry Another gorgeous Isla Sunset Going out! Relaxing on the Penthouse Balcony Beach time! Hanging with Mr. Wonderful on Playa Norte JoAnne's fave kitty - "Princess" I just adore a Penthouse View! If you’ve ever wondered what Isla Mujeres looks like from a Goddess’s perspective, check into Ixchel Penthouse #709. Situated on the furthest Northern tip of the East tower of condos, #709 boasts the most breathtaking view on the island. You feel as if you’re up in the clouds on the 7th floor, the tallest accommodation in Isla Mujeres. The condo itself is roomy for a one bedroom floor plan (fold out sofa in the living room) with a bath and a half. It’s beautifully, but comfortably decorated with thoughtful amenities such as flat screen televisions in both the living and bed room, coffee maker, hair dryer, ipod docking station and dvd players. The water cooler was a wonderful convenience, as we could make coffee easily and refill our water bottles, thus saving on bottled water expense. The memory foam topper makes the bed possibly the most comfortable in the Yucatan and having an in room electronic safe was a must for us. Now…let’s talk about that balcony. First of all, I’ve lived in places smaller than the balcony, which is furnished with comfortable chairs, chaise lounges, settee and bistro table. The unobstructed view makes you feel like royalty. Imagine climbing into the hot tub with a cocktail while the sun sets! I’ve seen many sunsets in Isla Mujeres, but being seven floors up takes it to a whole new level. It’s a lovely spot to read and relax in the afternoons, with a pergola providing shade and the cool breeze supplying natural air conditioning. We spent a lot of time on the balcony and enjoyed every moment in our own romantic paradise. Mayan legend tells that the goddess Ixchel was almost too beautiful, this girl with opalescent skin who sat in the skies brushing her shimmering hair for hours on end. All the gods were captivated by her. No doubt she was on the penthouse balcony.

Welcome to the World, Little One

My friend and coworker, Jessica, gave birth to her third child last Thursday. Weighing in at exactly seven pounds is Jeffrey Tavish. Isn't he a beautiful little angel? THe next morning when I got to work, Jessica had already answered a couple of work emails! I was still screaming for narcotics the morning after giving birth. Truth be told, I still am. Jessica and her husband, Jeff, are truly amazing parents. Did I mention that they also have one and a half year old twins?! Chloe and Finley Dorian, such a flirt! I blatently stole this pic off Jessica's facebook. I couldn't help myself And now on a completely different note, the orchids in my kitchen

Fleetwood Mac Concert - Dallas April 2009

I really wanted to see Fleetwood Mac, but since I had just spent $$ on The Eagles, I thought I'd better not. Luckily, I won tickets on the radio by being the right caller! I was sooo excited!! I saw Fleetwood Mac in 1983 and they were awesome. The show was even better than I had expected. Lindsey Buckingham rocked out like a man half his age, running around the stage and gracing us with guitar solos that absolutely blew us away. Mick Fleetwood sat like a king on his throne surrounded by his drums, having a wonderful time and John McVie was stoic and solid. Stevie Nicks' voice was impressive and powerful. At the age of 60, she is still beautiful and clearly casts a spell on her audience with her haunting songs. Near the end of the show, she even donned her platform boots and black tophat and twirled in her signature style. My favorite song of the night was "Gold Dust Woman". The layering of the music, the back up singers and Stevie's voice rocked the American Airlines Center. "Big Love" was an acoustic powerhouse that showcased Lindsey Buckingham's musical prowess and left us amazed. They played a solid two hours and ten minutes before a three song encore. The only issues I had that night were with the elevator lady and a few of my fellow concert goers. The elevator attendant, which will now be known as "Elevator Bitch" took my wine and had someone throw it away at one of our stops because 'There is no alcohol allowed on the elevator'. Uhhh...okay....you should have told me that when I walked onto the elevator right in front of your face. You owe me $7, Bitch. (Yes, I complained to a supervisor - you already knew that would happen) No biggee...Mr. Wonderful bought me a new glass of wine when we arrived at our upper deck and we pushed the elevator call button a couple of times to call her all the way back up there. heh heh. Nothing makes one so childish as when one's wine is taken away. And now for my fellow concert goers -- I am so glad that you are having a good time, I really, truly am. However, I came to the concert to actually hear the performers. Please understand - I love music. I mean, I really love it. I have pretty much exclusively dated and married musicians and if I could have an IPOD implanted in my brain, I'd do it! Here is a list of things that I did NOT come to the concert to do: 1) Watch you dance - especially when you are the ONLY person standing in our entire section of seating. Sit down....I can't see. Fly your freak flag. Just not here. 2) Hear you sing - Okay, we all had a nice little sing along with 'Landslide', but now you are sitting behind me singing "Go Your Own Way" at the top of your lungs in my left ear. There is a reason you are in the audience and not on stage. Think about it. (Concerts are obviously not loud enough these days) 3) Listen to you talk - Yes, I realize that your date is all of perhaps 20 and has never heard of Fleetwood Mac before tonight, but must you explain everything to her and have an entire conversation? Play Svengali on your own time and shut the F up when Stevie Nicks is talking about when she met Lindsey Buckingham. I feel privileged to be in the presence of these musicians. You are rude and disrespectful. 4) Have my wine taken from me. Oh wait, we already covered that. Note to self, tho - anytime someone starts to take your wine from you, chug it like you are at a frat party. All in all, it was lots of fun and yes, I realize that I'm a cantankerous old lady who should only attend a concert if she's suspended from the ceiling of the American Airlines Center alone in one of those egg chairs from the 70s. Don't think I'm not working on making that happen. I am grateful that I got to go and I really did enjoy myself in spite of minor annoyances. You know this is all in fun. Complete Song List (in order): Monday Morning, The Chain, Dreams, I Know I'm Not Wrong, Gypsy, Go Insane, Rhiannon, Second Hand News, Tusk, Sara, Big Love, Landslide, Storms, Say You Love Me, Gold Dust Woman, Oh Well, ISA, Stand Back, Go Your Own Way, World Turning, Don't Stop, Silver Springs.

Annie

My daughter just finished performing in a production of "Annie". It was fabulous! She played an orphan, a servant in the Warbucks mansion, and 'Star to Be' in the NYC scene. Her solo as 'Star to Be' (sorry, not so great video quality) This was Chloe's first play with this production company and it was the most wonderful experience. She is auditioning for "Seussical" next weekend. I predict that we'll be doing three musicals a year now until she graduates from High School. My parents and Jordyn, one of Chloe's friends Adoring fans Signing Autographs Chloe's Aunt Pam drove in from Odessa for the show! The girls had a blast! She auditions for 'Seussical' next weekend!

Spring - Southern Living

I don't necessarily have the greenest of thumbs, but I like to plant a few herbs to use in the kitchen. This year I have planted mostly basil, because I love to use it to make lemon basil pasta, Caprese salads and dress up a frozen Margherita pizza. I also planted some rosemary, which is nice on new potatoes. There is one little sad pot of Mint that survived the winter (barely) indoors and I'm hoping it will come back soon to be morphed into Mint Tea or Mojitos. I have chives in my kitchen window that are very easy to grow. I feel very 'Southern Living' magazine when I use my own herbs for cooking. I love to cook when I have time and I'm inspired...which is not on weekdays after a 45 minute commute. This is my Clematis in the backyard. I planted it myself when I moved into this house about ten years ago. I have several mini roses. This pink bush is my favorite. I planted it by my front door because my Grandmother had a pink mini rose bush by her front door that I loved when I was a child.

Schindler's List Revisited

My husband and I watched 'Shindler's List' last night. I had seen it before, but I don't care how many times you watch it, the film is incredibly moving and disturbing. I find it unfathomable that people could be so cruel as I cried through the entire movie. Seeing people tortured, treated worse than animals. Seeing children ripped from their Mother's arms. I just cannot seem to wrap my mind around the fact that six million Jews were murdered. Six Million. That is roughly the combined populations of modern day Chicago and Los Angeles. And this is an event that occurred during my parent's lifetime. My Mother in Law was a child living in Germany during the war. Her Father was half Jewish and her Mother left them all to join the Nazi party. My friend, Lilo, was also a child living in Germany during the war, also. Her little town was bombed and the women and children had to go outside of town and live in caves. They were lucky to steal a few apples from a nearby farm or score a loaf of bread to share amongst them. Lilo remembers that everyone got along and shared and to this day, she is one of the most generous people I've ever known. "If I have it, I'll share it", is always her motto. A few years ago I saw a man in Home Depot who had a concentration camp tattoo on his arm. I had never seen that before and I was stunned. How people lived through that type of ordeal and went on to live normal lives, I'll never know. I feet almost guilty because of the pain and suffering that these people have been through and the cushy life I have lead in comparison. And yet there are some people who believe the Holocaust never happened?! Chloe was in the hospital a few years ago when she had been kicked in the head by a horse and her skull was fractured. Luckily, her injury didn't require surgery and she recovered quickly, but I'll never forget our days at Children's Hospital. The Mothers who wore an ICU badge so that they could come and go. The children who were terminally ill. I knew that every day of my life after that I would wake up happy and be thankful that I wasn't at Children's Hospital that day. I am guessing that the survivors of the concentration camps wake up like that. I am sure that it is something that haunts them still. It should haunt us all.