My New #1

place I'd love to visit and/or things I'd love to have in my yard

Visit Pictures

mine anyway....there are others....some of which I haven't seen....

I'm afeared

just what IS on my camera

after a long weekend visit with friends?....anyone want to venture a guess or offer a bribe?

the possibilities are mind boggling.....for example....there were dogs, cats, foxes, black squirrels, beers, bubbles, gardens, monuments and much laughter...

unfortunately there were other cameras present and potentially incriminating unflattering shots of me taken so I'm going to have to exercise a great deal of restraint when deciding what to post....

maybe

one of my favorite pictures from vacation

our niece at the pier one night...I've put quite a few more from the trip on flickr, if anyone wants to take a look

edited to add some self-promotion...just submitted this for JPG mag's issue #12....click on the box at the left to go vote if you're so inclined :)

Everybody loves a picnic

especially him...he was so excited he threw chunks of pizza like confetti...

she just wore hers...

we continued the celebration on the playground...please note I got the PINK bouncy thing...

obligatory us shot...

my new buddy, after catching his 5th or 6th catfish....we talked fishin' for a loonggg time...I don't know why because I don't fish and am not particularly interested in discussing it...but we hit it off, LOL...J wasn't so amused

long drive back to SC tomorrow and LOTS of fascinating vacation pictures to come...

is beer drinking

an Olympic event?....if it isn't it should be...especially when there are children involved in my vacation

My People...

glow in the dark pale since 1916...

p.s. yes, this really is an old family shot and the kid looks a lot like me....
p.p.s. I'm in a beach-kinda mood...
p.p.p.s. I should be cleaning the bathroom....

8 Vacation Things

Denise tagged me to do the 8 random things meme and since we're approaching our trip to Florida, I'm gonna share 8 vacation tidbits about me and my traveling habits....

1. I'm a fidgety driver and can't be a passenger....the best was to keep me focused on driving (as opposed to birds and signs and other cars and stuff on the side of the road) is good music...I drive best with Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Willie Nelson, Nanci Griffith or Loretta Lynn...just to name a few...but I'm really picky about what plays when or I want to start flipping channels or tracks and that makes J a little crazy...and I'm supposed to be driving

2. I hated beach vacations as a kid and we took a lot of them....spent most of my time reading sci-fi back at the campsite or cabin...now, beach vacations are my favorite...I will spend all day outside in the water and heat...in the evenings, I love sitting on a balcony or deck, drinking beer and watching the ocean

3. I totally dig going to the most obnoxious tourist trap gift shops possible...tacky souvenirs just make me laugh...especially Florida ones...there's a shop in Myrtle Beach called the Gay Dolphin (haha) that sets a standard for all others along the coast

4. We always buy a Christmas ornament from wherever we vacation....started years and years ago and it's kinda goofy and cheesy, but whatever....I do have my sappy moments from time to time

5. I'd much rather have a place to stay where we can fix our own meals than eating out....just much more relaxing to me than getting ready, going out and hassling with a restaurant...we especially love fixing fresh seafood off the pier....cooking is a big part of what I enjoy while we're traveling

6. Camping isn't vacation to me anymore...J and I have been once and it was a disaster...camping was our primary mode of vacation as kids and now it just seems like too much hassle and not enough comfort for my taste....and if we're at the beach it almost counts as camping if we're staying in a hotel without a tiki bar and cabana boys to bring us drinks with fruit in them

7. I can be a tad OCD when it comes to planning a travel itinerary....again a childhood throw back and it has been a source of some conflict as J believes vacations should be just that and unplanned other than hotel reservations

8. In spite of attempts from both of our parents, this will be the first family-ish vacation either of have taken in over 20 years (and it still doesn't involve them)....we'll be spending some time with about 30 of J's aunt's bunch, then a few days with her oldest niece and her family...I'm a little scared