Here are the best shots from my Sunday morning visit to the beach, and greeting of the sunshine! Enjoy!
Break
Curl
Silence
Crash
Bubbles
Dawn
Neptune
Turtle
Monday, June 22, 2009
Two Hours to Ruin a Weekend...
What a weekend! Saturday was a nice day...drove to my parents' house (they were in Virginia Beach for the weekend) to make sure that the 3 cats didn't destroy the house. On my way back home, met my sister for lunch, & received a phone call from my parents that there's a HUGE art festival going on this weekend in Virginia Beach. So, I decide that I'll just get up early to beat traffic for the 3 hours drive to the beach. Well, since I'm getting up early, I might as well get up to see the sunrise! Sunday morning, the alarm goes off at 1:30am...I'm on the road at 2am. The drive varied from easy to hard...I made sure that the music was on (I've kinda got a thing for Linkin Park right now...Great 'stay away' rock music!) & the AC was going too! I made it to the beach at 5:20am, parked 'illegally' in a hotel parking lot and got some AWESOME shots of the surf & sun! Of course, my early-bird father was already awake, so I gave him a call (got a hotel parking pass so I was no longer 'illegal') got my mother, and we spent a few hours on the beach. We packed everything up, cleaned up, checked out, and strolled the art show. There was A LOT of beautiful works! If I had more money (and a cat-less house!) I would have been coming home with a car-full of sculptures, paintings, vases...
The weather-guessers were wrong AGAIN! There was not supposed to be any rain yesterday afternoon, but when the dark clouds rolled in and the rain came down, we decided to head out. The drive back into Northern Virginia was good...I don't remember most of it, until I stopped at a rest area to say 'good-bye' to my parents. We conversed about the recent 'scare'...It was about a mile beforehand that I had a State Trooped on my bumper and (sleep-deprived and scared!) I was freaked out that I was going to get pulled over when I had done nothing wrong! We parted with the "Love"s and my mother saying "Call when you get home." About 30 minutes later, I realize I haven't seen my cell phone in a while...and while in bumper-to-bumper traffic, I start turning through my camera bag, my purse, my beach bag...can't find it! "Maybe it's under the seat?"...I get off at the next stop, pull into a gas station (with a pay phone, just in case) and turn the contents of my car upside-down! It's nowhere! I panic and worry that my parent's aren't yet home...but it doesn't matter. As the tears begin flowing, I insert my 75 cents into the payphone ::ring ring:: "Hello?" My beloved sister! "Megan!" "Are you calling from a payphone?"...and after more tears & frustrations, we hang up with the idea that she'll call my cell phone...it's on sound, I'll hear it ring! Silence in the car drags on...so I start my car and head towards the interstate leading AWAY from my house...destination: Rest Stop. Winding through more traffic (my life is filled with more traffic than should be legal!) I decide after more crying & screaming (the point where I usually call my mother) to go to my parents' house.
I pull up the long, winding, familiar drive-way, "Good, everyone's here"...walk into the house (sunglasses still on, because I KNOW that I look less than presentable from all my crying!) "Don't worry, they won't run up your bill. I've already shut down the line"...my father then explains that 'they' hung up on him three times...'they' were just a bunch of kids who either didn't speak English, or were pretending to. *sigh* I really didn't want to have to buy a new phone...it's not in the budget...but it's my only mobile form of communication! (No landline in my house) So, after our make-shift, impromptu Father's day gifts and ice cream cake (which I had TOTALLY thought about doing, but apparently so did my sister! Her real cake was better than my thought-that-didn't-happen!), I headed out to the Verizon store.
At first, I was told that I didn't have insurance (Really? Oops!) and that I'd either have to purchase a new phone at the one-year price or get someone's old phone connected to my number until I'm eligible for my upgrade in August. I kind of needed a phone now (or two-hours ago!) so I decided to cave and get a new one-year phone. The 'Sales' guy tried to ask me again if I knew anyone with an old phone (I did, but I don't WANT someone's old phone...I want my OWN phone!)...and then he tells me that someone had called Verizon to report my phone...Did I want to go back to Customer Service so they can "investigate"...I hate be transferred while I'm IN a store (as if phone transferring is any better?! GAH!)...I ask what this person's number is, I'll call him. After a few minutes of clicking and typing, I'm about ready to repeat my question (while thinking that the lady in Customer Service should have TOLD me they tried to contact me!), he looks back up at me and says that "it's really strange because Alberto didn't leave any method of contact & there's no way for me to get in touch with him...so new phone it is?" I tell him that I'll take the new Envy...even though it's supposed to cost me MORE than I paid for that stupid (only works when it felt like it) Krazr! More computer mouse clicking, signing on the line a few times, a few manager questions ("shh, I'm getting you your upgrade now")..."Oh! You should play the lotto today! The system...never mind! I'm not even going to try to explain what it did, I'll just give you the total"...after this WHOLE thing was said and done, the new phone costs me $35! (Mind you, if I was to go in as a new customer, I'd be paying $50 for the phone!) Kudos to Verizon!
Of course, when turning my car upside-down last night, my work ID badge got left on the passenger seat of the car...and it's NOT my turn to drive the car pool...so I'm now sitting 'illegally' at my desk because I refuse to visit the unpleasant receptionist to get a temp badge (for being here for 6 months, I've forgotten my badge twice before this morning...)
Is it Friday yet?!
The weather-guessers were wrong AGAIN! There was not supposed to be any rain yesterday afternoon, but when the dark clouds rolled in and the rain came down, we decided to head out. The drive back into Northern Virginia was good...I don't remember most of it, until I stopped at a rest area to say 'good-bye' to my parents. We conversed about the recent 'scare'...It was about a mile beforehand that I had a State Trooped on my bumper and (sleep-deprived and scared!) I was freaked out that I was going to get pulled over when I had done nothing wrong! We parted with the "Love"s and my mother saying "Call when you get home." About 30 minutes later, I realize I haven't seen my cell phone in a while...and while in bumper-to-bumper traffic, I start turning through my camera bag, my purse, my beach bag...can't find it! "Maybe it's under the seat?"...I get off at the next stop, pull into a gas station (with a pay phone, just in case) and turn the contents of my car upside-down! It's nowhere! I panic and worry that my parent's aren't yet home...but it doesn't matter. As the tears begin flowing, I insert my 75 cents into the payphone ::ring ring:: "Hello?" My beloved sister! "Megan!" "Are you calling from a payphone?"...and after more tears & frustrations, we hang up with the idea that she'll call my cell phone...it's on sound, I'll hear it ring! Silence in the car drags on...so I start my car and head towards the interstate leading AWAY from my house...destination: Rest Stop. Winding through more traffic (my life is filled with more traffic than should be legal!) I decide after more crying & screaming (the point where I usually call my mother) to go to my parents' house.
I pull up the long, winding, familiar drive-way, "Good, everyone's here"...walk into the house (sunglasses still on, because I KNOW that I look less than presentable from all my crying!) "Don't worry, they won't run up your bill. I've already shut down the line"...my father then explains that 'they' hung up on him three times...'they' were just a bunch of kids who either didn't speak English, or were pretending to. *sigh* I really didn't want to have to buy a new phone...it's not in the budget...but it's my only mobile form of communication! (No landline in my house) So, after our make-shift, impromptu Father's day gifts and ice cream cake (which I had TOTALLY thought about doing, but apparently so did my sister! Her real cake was better than my thought-that-didn't-happen!), I headed out to the Verizon store.
At first, I was told that I didn't have insurance (Really? Oops!) and that I'd either have to purchase a new phone at the one-year price or get someone's old phone connected to my number until I'm eligible for my upgrade in August. I kind of needed a phone now (or two-hours ago!) so I decided to cave and get a new one-year phone. The 'Sales' guy tried to ask me again if I knew anyone with an old phone (I did, but I don't WANT someone's old phone...I want my OWN phone!)...and then he tells me that someone had called Verizon to report my phone...Did I want to go back to Customer Service so they can "investigate"...I hate be transferred while I'm IN a store (as if phone transferring is any better?! GAH!)...I ask what this person's number is, I'll call him. After a few minutes of clicking and typing, I'm about ready to repeat my question (while thinking that the lady in Customer Service should have TOLD me they tried to contact me!), he looks back up at me and says that "it's really strange because Alberto didn't leave any method of contact & there's no way for me to get in touch with him...so new phone it is?" I tell him that I'll take the new Envy...even though it's supposed to cost me MORE than I paid for that stupid (only works when it felt like it) Krazr! More computer mouse clicking, signing on the line a few times, a few manager questions ("shh, I'm getting you your upgrade now")..."Oh! You should play the lotto today! The system...never mind! I'm not even going to try to explain what it did, I'll just give you the total"...after this WHOLE thing was said and done, the new phone costs me $35! (Mind you, if I was to go in as a new customer, I'd be paying $50 for the phone!) Kudos to Verizon!
Of course, when turning my car upside-down last night, my work ID badge got left on the passenger seat of the car...and it's NOT my turn to drive the car pool...so I'm now sitting 'illegally' at my desk because I refuse to visit the unpleasant receptionist to get a temp badge (for being here for 6 months, I've forgotten my badge twice before this morning...)
Is it Friday yet?!
Betrayed
I have MANY faults...and maybe one of those faults is being too trusting. I'd never make it as a spy-once I feel comfortable around someone (& s/he isn't giving off "creepy" vibes) I'll tell them anything...
I have a small group of close people to me. One of these such friends, has worked her way from being merely my kid sister to confidant. We've gone through a LOT in our 21.5 years together. I go to her for advice, for support, & for fun! She's more than just my little sister (or maybe that's what it means to be sisters & it's just taken me a LONG time to figure that out..??!!) There's nothing I won't do for her, no one's face I wouldn't break (only if I have to...so far I've been lucky!), and no distance that I wouldn't travel for her. I would like to hope that we're at a stage where she knows this & knows me well enough to know when something is "out of character."
I've been informed from a trusted source (and through a very vague conversation...I don't know details, just 'generally' speaking) that allegedly I've said 'something' about her that was 'hurtful.' I was TRULY baffled. The only thing that I would say about her, is that she's got better luck than I do at winning free give-away's...that she has better luck with the boys than I do...The last time that I've had a complaint about her was back in high school (over stupid, petty stuff that didn't really matter in the grand scheme of life...but that's high school, right?) Why would I EVER have anything to complain about for a sister I'm so blessed & lucky to have?! Okay, well maybe my only complaint is that we don't spend enough time together!
...I've always seemed to have the personality to be a social butterfly...Ms. Popular. But THIS is exactly why I only have a few close people in my life. I feel that I've been betrayed...
I have a small group of close people to me. One of these such friends, has worked her way from being merely my kid sister to confidant. We've gone through a LOT in our 21.5 years together. I go to her for advice, for support, & for fun! She's more than just my little sister (or maybe that's what it means to be sisters & it's just taken me a LONG time to figure that out..??!!) There's nothing I won't do for her, no one's face I wouldn't break (only if I have to...so far I've been lucky!), and no distance that I wouldn't travel for her. I would like to hope that we're at a stage where she knows this & knows me well enough to know when something is "out of character."
I've been informed from a trusted source (and through a very vague conversation...I don't know details, just 'generally' speaking) that allegedly I've said 'something' about her that was 'hurtful.' I was TRULY baffled. The only thing that I would say about her, is that she's got better luck than I do at winning free give-away's...that she has better luck with the boys than I do...The last time that I've had a complaint about her was back in high school (over stupid, petty stuff that didn't really matter in the grand scheme of life...but that's high school, right?) Why would I EVER have anything to complain about for a sister I'm so blessed & lucky to have?! Okay, well maybe my only complaint is that we don't spend enough time together!
...I've always seemed to have the personality to be a social butterfly...Ms. Popular. But THIS is exactly why I only have a few close people in my life. I feel that I've been betrayed...
Thursday, June 11, 2009
My Adventure
My parents are celebrating their 25th Wedding Anniversary next week and my father, being the romantic that he is, was looking for a good "Silver year" gift for my mother. For their 8th anniversary, he planned a surprise Caribbean cruise, for their 16th he planned a surprise renewal of the vows wedding ceremony (complete with dress, veil, bridesmaids, limo, reception...Ceremony began at 3pm, my mother found out at 1pm!)
Well, my mother has been saying for a few months now that she's the ONLY one in the family without a dark blue car...so, my father just bought her a dark blue BMW yesterday! He didn't have the driving arrangements to get it home last night, so I got to drive it from the dealership to my house, and then I got to drive it into the office this morning (he carpooled from his house, and I carpooled home...thank goodness we work in the same building!) I have to say...my poor little 4 cylinder Asian-made car CANNOT compare to the smooth and easy acceleration I enjoyed this morning! I was VERY lucky I didn't run into any police officers on my commute...otherwise I would have been seeing some flashing blue lights!
Here's a picture of the beauty:
Well, my mother has been saying for a few months now that she's the ONLY one in the family without a dark blue car...so, my father just bought her a dark blue BMW yesterday! He didn't have the driving arrangements to get it home last night, so I got to drive it from the dealership to my house, and then I got to drive it into the office this morning (he carpooled from his house, and I carpooled home...thank goodness we work in the same building!) I have to say...my poor little 4 cylinder Asian-made car CANNOT compare to the smooth and easy acceleration I enjoyed this morning! I was VERY lucky I didn't run into any police officers on my commute...otherwise I would have been seeing some flashing blue lights!
Here's a picture of the beauty:
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
