Gary and Mr Spikey Ice Cream Man

We've got company this weekend.. in fact we have company until next Wednesday... tomorrow Hubby's nephew and wife are coming until Sunday morning, then Hubby's friend and wife and kids are coming for a Sunday cookout... then work friend from Jacksonville Monday evening and then work friend and family Tuesday... by Wednesday I will be officially cooked out..

The house has had a good clean today and last on my list was to do the dog blankets.. plural, cause he has two.. one in his day bed and one in his night bed...I know spoilt, right!?

Anyway, Gary loves clean blankets.. I think its the :Lavender drier sheets I use, and as soon as I put his day one (he's has this one since he was a puppy hence the few bite marks!) he was on his bed on his back snuggling down into it... I couldn't resist taking a couple of pics of his contentment...

Snuggle buddy

Of course me taking pics and my fame whore of a dog was up carolling his toys for me to play with him.. would it be a tennis ball, of which he has eight by the way... 4 originally and then one day I came home from tennis and forgot to put my tube of balls away, somehow the top was removed and there were 4 more balls in the lounge.. wonder who that could have been...



He has 8 tennis balls

 But tonight he was in the mood for Spikey Ice Cream Man... who squeeks alot!... he's had 3 of these toys.. they normally last about a year, they only cost $3.99 and he absolutely loves them... they are definitely his favourite. I think because it squeeks differently ever time..
Anyway I played a little with him, cause we couldn't walk today becuase of the bad weather and now he is demolishing a dental chew thing that costs far too much from the vet... I love him, he is MY boy and I woudn't swap him for anything...

Spikey Ice Cream Man!

 

Only a clap of thunder disturbs him



Then it back to the task of squeeking

I think its love

Does your dog have a favourite toy... or is it you?..

And to my friend Anne... I know you don't give George toys.. ever wondered why he is such a git.. its because he reads my blog when you're not looking at sees Gary treated like Royalty!

Tornados, lightening and rain... I'm over it

Can't be bothered to do much today... stuck in the house and I'm progressively getting more and more lethargic. Had to write this quick post before I morph into my sofa.. (I did do cleaning and washing already so not a complete waste)

Why the lethargy... its not stopped raining all day (well it did for about 15 secs where I pushed Gary out to do his business, put the pool on drain before we flooded the house and bought the water delivery in), we've been under progressive severe thunderstorm, lightening and tornado warnings so I dare not risk a quick trot around the neighbourhood with Gary as the umbrella might attract a lightening strike, and my hair is crispy enough..

So I'm stuck inside...

3.18pm and I've run out of cleaning except for the room where I don't know where to start. Not quite a hoard, but getting there .. so I'm catching up with all the on-demand TV that I pretend not to watch... don't tell anyone..

I did clean my teeth today.. so at least that's one thing.. but as I'm still in my PJ's you can guess no shower yet ...yack...


So I hope it's sunny with you...

Seeing things and Mom mobiles!

If you read yesterdays installment you'd know I was on my mammoth trip to Australia. Final destination was Adelaide, but as I arrived in Melbourne so late I had to arrange a night at an airport hotel...

Its midnight and I have three choices after my 58 hours travelling... walk the 5 mins through the black depths of the multi storey car park to the Holiday Inn .. walk around the long way.. probably about 15 mins.. take a taxi...

Of course I took the taxi and the man bitched and moaned the whole time... I apologised when I got in that it wasn't a long journey, and the line at the rank was small.. they just all want the $60 to the city fares, well luck of the draw Mr Miserable taxi man.. welcome to Melbourne! I'm sure if the tourist board of Melbourne knew how visitors were being talked to they'd have something to say.. If it hadn't been so late I would have got his number, buut I just wanted to go to bed...

Fortunately bed looked like this...and as I was a Priority member I had an extension 'til 2pm for free...

I thought you were supposed to be going to Adelaide...?

I was .. all the flights were full until lunchtime... so I missed a day's work!

Sleep done, I even went to the gym to blast off some travel weariness, I packed up and made my way under the car park (a remarkably short distance :-) ) to the terminal and either I was on drugs else Melbournians had warped back 100 years

 Well I thought they were amusing...

Onwards to Adelaide finally and I arrived at my hotel. One of my 'don't know where you are going and get it for an ace price hotels' - The Rockford was described as a boutique hotel (it was) in the vibrant Arts precinct of the city and bustling West End.. OK there were some Art galleries so OK... if by bustling they meant seedy, Gentleman's clubs, massage with happy ending, type of area.. then yes it was bustling!.. how do I know.. I had to walk past it all when I discovered I'd left the maid in Melbourne my travel charger. I main priority was to get back to hotel before it got dark! LOL

Super comfy bed

Fab TV

 

Going to rain....nothing new it always rains when I'm in Adelaide!

I was only here for work and no play so it didn't really matter and the hotel was lush... and I got it for half price :-)

After a day of rain on the Tuesday I got on the plane to Perth..

I arrived late tuesday evening, rocked up to the Hertz counter to pick up my car and was offered an upgrade.. gratis.. well you know me I'm always up for an upgrade.. that is until you end up with one of these!!! They asked me if I minded a Kia Carnival.. I didn't know it was a people carrier...
My hilarious customers asked me what time I was doing the school run and could I collect their kids too..I did however manage to wheel spin it from standing start..LOL

Things weren't all bad in Perth as I'd wangled another amazing hotel deal.. but this time it worked out good .. I got the Hoiday Inn at the casino for 1/3 of normal price.. don't ask me how.. its a secret (actually it was bloody lucky! and I'm going to write a blog on upgrades, cheap hotel rooms etc later!) Normally Perth is so exepnsive I never get to stay anywhere that good... normally some studio apartments that cost.. wait for it $180 / night! Arrrgggh ... I got the Holiday Inn for $130.. Whoooop

My normal aparthotel I stay in.. yack

Oh the heavenly beds!

Perth wasn't all work and tomorrow we're off to the Trots, and no that isn't what you get after a dodgy curry!

A nightmare of a journey.....

Well I'm sufficiently recovered to now post my nightmare of a journey to Australia a few weeks ago...

I, for some unknown reason, prefer to fly the wrong way round...

I go this way...

Most people go this way... although that's a lot of ocean to fly over!

Oh I know why I go that way.....

• LAX sucks big style if you have to be there more than an hour... nothing to do / see / buy etc etc... everyone rude... and I'd have an 8 hour wait if I flew from Orlando in morning... so bugger that!
• I like to fly on new planes...with attractive staff... not that it isn't nice to be with the mouldy old staff on some of the US long haul flights.. but I wonder if they know where the emergency exits are, let alone how to open the doors!
• Emirates gold membership has upgraded me to business for free every other flight at this point... In sing song voice 'love them'
• Emirates staff are pretty, speak about 40 languages and even economy has the ICE system that has 600 channels to choose from...
• I don't get jet lag if I fly this way going.. mental probably but seems to work

So it was at 5am a few Fridays ago I found myself checked in and making my way to my Jet Blue flight 6.10am to JFK. I've taken this flight numerous times and its always been a breeze.... until this last time...

As I arrived at the gate my flight was saying delayed til 7am.. hmmm that would just about get me there, it would be tight though..but I was checked in with Emirates so I'd be fine...

7 am rolled around and we were still not on the plane... OK time for some affirmative action..

I called Emirates... Hello Mrs Jones (I phoned Dubai gold line for my personal travel assistant) how can we help you today?. Ermmm I'm stuck at Orlando and I don't think that I will make my JFK flight to Dubai.. OK Mrs Jones let me assist you with that... No you probably wont.. shall I book you on the evening flight 11pm..? Yes please... There will be a $200 change fee (no choice!).. Yes just get me on it please...OK all done Mrs Jones, have a safe flight and thank you for flying Emirates...


Too simple!

OK so dreading the wait I was now going to have at JFK at least I was still going to make Australia.. I'd change all those other flights once I got to New York...

Eventually I arrived at Emirates check in and it looked like this when I got there...

Not good!

I went to the Emirates desk, and fortunately was able to confirm that I was on the next flight and as a Gold member I could come back to 4pm to get my boarding pass for the next flight (3 hours early than the rest of economy ;-)... so no lounge til 4pm? Emirates lounge is after security... Arrrggghhh... I had to hatch a cunning plan...
A quick search on the Blackberry and I found a lounge you could pay for ....and at 10am I was the only person.. $40 for 5 hours of free food, drink, showers, TV, Internet etc etc... I could have spent that much in McDonald's in JFK!



Cheers.. to me the only one in the lounge...Its always Gin O'clock!

So the hours rolled on.. I watched True Blood on iTunes, re-arranged my flights (I'd now miss a days work) and caught up on my email...

Soon it was time to go back to Emirates to get that boarding card...

Hello.. can i have my boarding card please.. oh and I need to give you $200 as I was transferred off my earlier flight...
Hello Mrs Jones... are you sure you have a seat as we are 28 overbooked...
Yes.. I confirmed it earlier...
Oh Mrs Jones, I see you are Gold, you have a seat ...so some poor bugger had been bumped for me :-( . Ermmm if the flight is that full is there any chance of an upgrade? (Don't ask.. don't get!)
Hmmmm.. no too many associates above you today.. although if you use some miles you'll take priority....

50,000 miles later

Dumped my bags with the nice girls and I was off to the lounge.... Jack Daniels and Cokes, a shower and dinner before boarding my first business class flight on the A380 (that's the plane with the two layers!)

I can't remember what airport toilets look like there days.. (Snob!)

Welcome to my seat



My little mini bar!



Its a hard life...

There's even a bar on board for business.. how ace is that.. JD & Coke please

Hardly surprisingly Dubai arrived very quickly...and I had another 6 hour wait, time to see if I could blag another upgrade...

I went to see the Skywards lovelies in the lounge

Sorry Mrs Jones.. the flight is so empty I can't give you an upgrade... how about 4 seats to yourself...

That will do nicely...

My little economy nest!

Tomorrow my journey continues on into Melbourne... and another delay..

And the winners are.....

Did you enter my competition for Tim Tams?

If not you are tooooo late....

So not one of you guessed 'correctly' ... although someone was close.. but close gets you second in this world, not Tim Tams!

The pink stuff in the middle of the Italian cured meat and the Olives (although Jim thought these were potatoes!) is...... drum roll.......

Walnut & Beetroot pate.. and it was ******* disgusting... I saw at least 20 plates returned untouched!.. guess they wont make that again!

So what to do.. as there were some amusing answers....

Anne.. you don't win as you are too closely connected to the author (and there will be Tim Tams left in the fridge when you get here as we are on a diet).. so none for Anne

A packet goes to my blogging friend Duane Scott who although made no attempt at winning the Tim Tams bribed me with his abs and I'm I'm easily distracted by man flesh!
A packet goes to Brahm, because anyone who sucessfully worked in Charlie Sheen and his hooker, Strawberry Shortcake, into my blog deserves Tim Tams.. I now feel dirty!
And lastly... yes... Crystal.. for feeding her Dad horsemeat and not telling him... naughty lady!

If you lovelies will email me your address I'll send over some Tim Tams for you ..

To you other contributors... better luck next time.. but thanks for the entertainment!!!

Competition Wednesday! - update

2 days left... We'll pick winner(s) on Sunday EST... and you can enter more than once too!

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE...
Tim Tams have arrived peeps.. they are now a reality ! Trust me .. the Aussies will tell you... these things are yumlicious!

Ok.. I'm in Australia... and I will bring a pack of TimTams (THE BEST CHOCOLATE COOKIES/BISCUITS) for the right answer ... and the funniest!

Please let me know what you think the pink stuff is...(as served at Ascot race track in Perth)

No clues... except it was gross!

Mummy comes to visit!

OK.. for those of you who haven't been concentrating... I'm English but I live in sunny Florida. Whilst I miss my family and friends, I was born to live in the sun and purposefully sort out a Floridian to marry (that's a joke by the way!).

Funnily enough people love coming to visit to.. including my Mother, who likes to leave my Dad for a week each year and come and do my gardening spend some time with her daughter...

She complained constantly that her face was not going brown (I did explain that normally wearing a hat will have this effect) but apart from that was a perfect guest... me doing the hard labour, her potting the plants, me making lunch, her loading the dishwasher, me grilling at night, her keeping hubby awake!..

I try and organise some nice weather for her, and this years visit last week was no exception. Over 80f most days, we spent time gardening, reading and generally relaxing...and as it was so gorgeous I decided to reward her gardening efforts with trips out and to the beach for the weekend. I've not been to Clearwater since moving to Florida and got one of my fantastic hotel deals, so booked us two hotels rooms at a stupid price, packed Gary off to doggy daycare and we sped of Saturday morning.

We spent the day catching some rays and then after a few Margaritas by the pool, went for dinner at Columbia restaurant. After a few more drinks my Mother was very 'amusing' and we had to make sure she got back safely to her room, if you get my drift!

The following day we took her to Crabby Bills in Indian Rocks beach and got her a big breakfast to make her feel a little more 'normal' and then it was off for some more sun at the locals beach.... She promptly fell asleep.. combination of hangover and food coma me thinks!

It was great to see her, and of course she is welcome back anytime she likes..preferably this time next year when the plants need cutting :-)

Enjoy the pics... tomorrow my journey fiasco getting to Australia... oh did I mention I'm in Australia at the moment?

Lunch in Winter Park.. cheers

Every feel like you are being watched

Spring gardens

View from Mom's room

View from our room

Where is my cocktail!?

Like Mother like Daughter



Margaritas!!!!



Winding Dad up on the phone!

Dinner at Columbia!

Cheers... again!

Our view over the pool and bay!

Soaking up the previous night at Crabby Bills

Snooze time

80f and hardly anyone on the beach!



Gary... did you have a nice weekend.. we did!