Happy Anniversary to me (and my mortgage)

Last night during a gab session with Kristi, the topic of Troy's new house in Roch. came up... he finally found a great place on the west side and is beyond excited to close next week, overhaul with new carpet and fresh paint, and get his stuff moved in. As we talked about his plans, I reflected on the date (April 20) and realized it marked the passage of exactly two years since the day I inked the mortgage papers on my beloved Deerhaven condo. WOW. Much has happened since the day I became a home owner...

My home became worth less than what I purchased it for (or will be paying for the next 28 years).
I left my home for a new life in FL (where I'm a renter again... sigh).
My bedroom got a new occupant (Kristi Jean -- who, bless her, has yet to demand permission to paint over my dark purple walls).
I became a landlord. (Well, in the barest sense of the concept. I don't get to cruise by the property to "check on things" or have to pop in to "fix things" -- thank goodness for Larry Tork-Tork).
My association fees went up. TWICE. (Dang economy/inflation).
My insurance coverage expanded to include practically the full gamut of natural disasters (snow damage and tornados in Minn., hurricanes and floods in Flor.)

Life's good when you're a homeowner, huh? Only time will tell if April 20, 2010 marks the same anniversary!

Recap from Jules' trip -- seriously overdue

Julie K. decided to escape the drudgery of MN winter and pay me a visit at the beginning of March. We go way back (friends since high school and roommates for more than half of the college years) so having her here was a real treat! Plus, since she's lived with me before, I knew I could be a little lax on the spic-and-span/proper hostess role. Very nice!

While she was here we decided to drive up to Savannah to spend an entire day exploring the historic district via Old Town Trolley Tour. I had no idea the city was so close by (only 150 miles north of Jax) and so enchanting! The two dozen quadrants that make up the historic district were not touched by the ravages of war -- leaving centuries old stone streets, quaint buildings, river architecture, parks, monuments, etc. for us to enjoy. Some of the highlights of our day included: Touring the home of Girls Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Lowe, visiting the green fountain in Forsythe Park (dyed in honor of St. Paddy's Day), being denied both lunch AND dinner reservations at Paula Deen's famous "The Lady and Sons" restaurant, trolling the shops/taverns/sights along River Street, and gobbling up some fabulous, gooey, warm homemade taffy at Savannah Candy Kitchen. (Side note -- I purchased a half-price pashmigna at a little boutique and STILL haven't worn it). It was a long and tiring day, but Jules and I both loved the time we spent in the city. I can't wait to go back!

After a hard day at the beach (notice the scorched chests), dinner at Bonefish Grill was in order. My plate of portofina chop w/garlic mashed and edamame was so drool-worthy I had to take a picture...

We discovered there is a Budweiser Brewery on the north side of the city that offers free tours and complimentary tastings. We learned all about brewing processes, company history and ingredients like hopps, rice, wheat and barley. (Dontcha know they grow some of those essential crops in Minnesota and ship 'em on down to the South?) During our tour we also got to see areas of production in action. On our way out we met Larry the Clydesdale, a 2,000 pound replica of Budweiser's famous and legendary mascot.

The rain in Spain falls mainly... on Jax!

Sorry, Eliza Doolittle -- can't give you the whole line tonight. The skies of Jax are wide open, the night is a watery, thundering mess, and the ceiling in my kitchen has sprung a small leak. When most people think of inclement weather in FL, hurricanes come to mind, right? Well, give us tornado watches too. Given the icky conditions, it probably wasn't a good idea to run to the store for groceries... there's nothing like unpacking and toweling off boxes of Special K, spaghetti, and Smart Ones. Storms like this mean summer is undoubtedly upon us. Which means I'm officially retiring the hair straightener again. Sigh.

I apologize I've neglected to post for well over a month now. Unfortunately the majority of my photo updates end up on facebook more expediently than the blog, but I'll attempt to catch up in the coming days!

Off to place a pot under the leak, lock Libb-libb in the kitchen for the night, and hit the hay... Libb is a little scared of storms, but I thank heaven she's not as neurotic as Marley of Marley and Me. (A very sweet movie - my most recent redbox rental).