Pack or Herd?

Walking along the Breezeway, on my way back to my car after class, I looked around me and watched the way people walked. I saw a loose group of guys and girls walking easily and loosely. Then, around the corner I saw a group of guys walking, close together, very loud. The first thought that crossed my mind when I saw them was "Pack - predators". After that, I realized there were two ways people tend to group together, as a pack, like the predators they are, or as a herd...easily led, and easily swayed.
So how about you? The next time you're out and walking, you might want to watch...pack? Or herd?

My Trip to the Dentist

Today I went to the dentist to get a cavity filled in, this was my first time at this dentist, and I didn't know what to expect. Apparently I didn;t only have a cavity, but I had several and what I had thought just needed to be filled in needed a root canal. Actually, I don't just need one root canal, but 3!!! The best part? The total that they gave me was $11,915. Lotta money...so I handed the problem to my mom and in the meantime, my teeth hurt!!

So CUUUUUTE!!!!!!

Tiger Quadruplets @ Yahoo! Video

Here's a thought...

My favorite song...Live Like You Were Dyin' by Tim McGraw. So here's my question....what would you do?

Broward cops are wusses, but don't #%&* with Miami Cops

First I must begin this post by explaining the difference between the 3 different counties that make up South Florida (Technically 4 counties, but Monroe doesn't always count.) Palm Beach, Broward and Miami Dade. Palm Beach cops neither astound with unbelievable stupidity or incredible bravery, and thus have not made it on to my radar. The Broward and Miami-Dade Cops however, are what we are going to discuss today.
A few years ago, a Broward cop was shot and killed. The police response? They put out a reward of $200,000 for any information regarding the possible suspect, last seen driving away in a white car. They still have not found the cop killer.
Several weeks after the incident with the Broward cop killer, a Miami cop was accidentally shot. BIG difference. The police were all over it, they shook down the community, practically shut down the neighborhood were the shooting took place, and by the end of the day, the cop killer was dead in a shoot out.
The lesson? Don't mess with Miami cops, but Broward cops have their hands tied by bureaucracy (stupidity).

Money

It can buy a House

But not a Home

It can buy a Bed

But not Sleep

It can buy a Clock

But not Time

It can buy you a Book

But not Knowledge

It can buy you a Position

But not Respect

It can buy you Medicine

But not Health

It can buy you Blood

But not Life

So you see money isn't everything.

And it often causes pain and suffering.

I tell you this because I am your Friend,and as your Friend I want to take away your pain and suffering! So send me all your money and I will suffer for you!

Cash only please

High Speed Chase? Not So Much....

I recall a few years ago, there was a car-jacking, that had cops after it for several hours. Sounds cool, no? Only one problem with this scenario. The car that was hijacked was a little mailtruck...that at it's fastes only goes about 30 mph. So the "high-speed chase" that lasted three hours, was more like a snail chase. Funnily enough, they were reporting it on the radio like it was the biggest thing ever. (Never mind that SoFl, especically Miami, has much more "exciting" things happening than that) I remember feeling very bad for the woman who was stuck in the mailtruck with the hi-jacker, and being relieved when he was caught. But you've got to wonder...what on earth possesed him to hi-jack possibly one of the slowest moving vehicles you can get around here?

Savannah, Georgia

The Historic district: One of the largest historic districts in the U.S., and CJ and I walked all over it yesterday. We also drove all over it on a trolley tour, which was pretty cool. After the trolley tour, we had lunch and went on a walking tour. We got our own private guide (probably because it was 2 in the afternoon, and it was HOT) we walked pretty much everywhere, and after the tour, we learned to orient ourselves by the squares that were equally spaced througought the historic district. We went through an old mansion, and the carriage house. It was amazing, but sadly, we weren't allowed to take pictures of the indoors. Then we went shopping (of course) while waiting to go to the ghost tour. The ghost tour wasn't as scary as CJ had hoped, but we agreed later, it was still pretty good. All in all a good time, and definetely something I would recommend to anyone in the area, especially history buffs.

Hilton Head, Here I come!

Tomorrow I'm leaving for Hilton Head at 7 am, and driving up with CJ. It's an 8 hour trip, so should get there in plenty of time for shabbos. Currently packing, and worrying I'm gonna forget something. But, no worries, I'll be taking lots of pictures, and posting them. Yay for road trips!

Pitfalls of Pets

Cats and dogs are hunters. You forget this at your own peril. Especially if one of your animals is an outdoor/ indoor pet. Heck, even just an indoor pet can do plenty of hunting with the bugs that enter the house. We are constantly finding "gifts" left by Boots by our sliding glass door out on the patio. A dead bird, usually dead lizards....with their guts ripped out. One time we had a half grown tadpole get in the house (how? I have NO idea) and Mittens killed it, and then it looked like Mariner was gonna try to eat it. I threw it out. Just now, I found a still twitching lizard's tail that had caught Mariner's and Mitten's interest. I just REALLY hope neither of them tries to eat it. Otherwise they'll throw it up, and guess who cleans it up? Much as I love my animals, this is the one thing I dislike. On the other hand, they eat the bugs too, so that's good, as well as amusing to watch.
Add: I found the rest of the lizard...

The Foundation of a Relationship

Honesty. Trust. Respect. These are the three main basics of any kind of relationship. Whether it be a friendship, a marriage, between co-workers, an employer and employees, I think you get the idea. Lacking one of these key ingredients, the relationship will inevitably fall apart. I'm confronted with an accusation? I react defensively perhaps, but underlying is my honesty.That leads to trust, does the other party trust my honesty? Which both lead to respect. There is NO relationship without mutual respect from both parties to the other. Lack of respect means the relationship will inevitably fall apart, because one party views the other as inferior, and not worthy. Keep in mind, when interacting with another party in a relationship, do you have these? Or is one missing? Look inside, face the truth, and decide whether it's worth fixing.
Edit: Written at almost 4 am, I'm not sure how much sense this makes, I'll fix it up when I can make sense of it.

Tagged!

Moshe and frum single female tagged me for a meme of 7 things you love.

Ok, most of this everyone who reads my blog probably already knows, but whatever. Here goes, in no specific order:

1. Animals! Or at least the cute furry ones. (This includes my pets)

2. Dragons! Actually most mythical creatures, but my love of dragons is probably the most obvious.

3. My family - despite the fact that they tend to drive me up the wall at times.

4. Reading - fantasy mainly, though I've read almost every other genre. Except for horror, that I refuse to read.

5. Feeling the changing of seasons (one thing that I miss by living in Florida)

6. Sitting and talking with good friends - who know me inside and out the same as I do them.

7. Meeting new people and learning new things!

Who to tag?

Jacob Da Jew, Mike in Midwood, SuperRaizy, Material Maidel, Child Ish, Frum College Girl

Treasure Hunter Part Deux

After being long awaited, here's more of Rhea, you're favorite treasure hunter. And some new characters!

Finally having a break to breathe, she took a look at the artifact she had been sent for. It was a curious object, all rounded edges and curved lines. She discovered that looking too closely at it gave her a headache and made her feel nauseous and dizzy. She put it away. Let her employer deal with it. That was his arena, not hers. She looked around, seeing the choppy waters glinting in the moonlight, noting the lights off the starboard of her boat, indicating a seaside city. Rhea looked around, searching for the bobbing lights she knew were out there. She scanned the horizon, narrowing her eyes against the sea spray.
There, slightly obscured behind a seaside cliff, she saw the tell-tale red and blue lights of her employer’s boat, dipping on the wavelets of the sea. Turning the boat, she headed toward them, grateful that she was drawing close to the end of her job, and that she would finally get paid. This was of course no more dangerous than jobs she had accepted in the past, but it was far more dangerous then she had originally been informed, that would cost her employer dearly. Of course, he could more than afford it. After all, he was one of the wealthiest men on the planet.
This was what made his hiring Rhea, one of the most well known thieves (though she preferred the term “treasure hunter”) on the planet, all the more odd. If he was so wealthy, couldn’t he merely have purchased the item, instead of stealing it? Though all of those precautions set in place for such a little thing…she glanced at it again, out of the corner of her eye. When she looked at it this way, it almost seemed pretty. She shook her head, and focused on her goal.
She pulled up alongside the boat, more of a yacht than a mere “boat”. “Ahoy the ship!” she called out, not raising her voice overly much. Voices carried well over water, why borrow trouble by alerting anyone else in the vicinity? “Rhea? Is that you?” A tousled blonde head peered over the rail. The head belonged to a 17 year old boy, her nephew actually, who was also related (in some distant fashion she didn’t entirely fathom) to her employer. “No, it’s Donald Duck. Of course it’s me, now let down the ladder!” she half scolded, smiling. It was hard to be serious and grim around the infectious joy that Aeries inspired. The fact that her adrenaline was still spiked from near death experiences lent some giddiness to her as well.
There was a clatter, and a rope ladder was tossed over the side of the yacht. Tucking the strange artifact inside a satchel, not quite looking straight at it, she tucked the satchel close to her body and shimmied up the ladder. “I’m so glad you’re back!” he cried, still keeping his voice down. He threw his arms around her and hugged her tight for a moment. Then, remembering himself, he coughed and drew back, his face a brilliant scarlet, just barely visible in the moonlight. “I mean, um, I’m glad you’re safe.” He muttered. She grinned, safe in the knowledge that her face was still hidden in the shadow, but kept the laughter out of her voice. “It’s good to know someone was keeping a lookout for me. Oh, and you better not let Mr. Thomas see you covered in all that ash, he might think you disobeyed his orders and came with me like you wanted.” Aries looked down, dismayed. In his enthusiasm, he had hugged his aunt before checking the state of her clothing, and a great deal of the ash and dirt that covered her from head to toe had transferred to him. Then he looked at her, and took in the grey ash, turning her already grey camouflage even darker. Her light-brown hair was grey and brown with ash and dirt, her face was streaked with it.
Her light green eyes danced with amusement at the dismay in her nephew’s face. “Don’t worry, I’ll cover for you. Just go wash off, and get changed. I’ll meet with you and Mr. Thomas in fifteen minutes in the briefing cabin.” She strolled off, looking as calm and collected as ever. She always looked calm and collected, even when she was panicking inside. That was one of the things Aries admired most about her. That, and who wouldn’t admire someone who went off into danger, on grand adventures at the drop of a hat? So it was dangerous, as he had been lectured many times before, but like any teenager, he thought he was immortal.
Aries cleaned up as thoroughly as he cared to, and threw on a new t-shirt and cargo pants. He just hoped Mr. Thomas wouldn’t do a very close inspection. Sticking his hands into his pockets, he wandered over to the briefing cabin, though he knew he’d be the first one there. HE didn’t mind though, there was always something good to eat waiting for him in the room, no matter what time of day or night. Pushing open the door, he sniffed the air appreciatively it was his favorite, fried mangoes. Settling down in one of the big plush chairs around the table in the center of the room, he grabbed one of the sticky treats from a platter on the table. Just as he was about to take a bite, Mr. Thomas, walked into the room and Aries started guiltily.
Mr. Thomas was not a tall or imposing man. In fact, he was rather short and round, with a neatly trimmed red goatee, and his red hairline rapidly receding from his forehead. Despite the fact that he typically had the aura of a favorite uncle, he could be incredibly intimidating when he chose. Fortunately, now was not one of those times that he chose to. He smiled indulgently at Aries, and made a sweeping gesture. “Help yourself. I had it specially made for you and Rhea-“
“Did I hear my name uttered in vain?” Rhea asked, sweeping in, looking a bit more presentable then when she had been pulled over the side of the yacht. Her hair was up in a bun, her face was clear of ash, and she wore a clean t-shirt and jeans. “Oooh, fried mangoes, my favorite!! See, this is why I love working for you Mr. Thomas, the effort is well worth the reward.”

Path Taken

I close my eyes.
I stand at a crossroads, which road to choose?
So many to choose from, but where do they go?
To decide one path is to rid myself of any other choice.
But what if it's wrong? I can't go back.
I look down one path, I squint down another, trying to figure out which is best.
As I stand there undecided, one path disappears.
Wait! But...what if I had chosen that path?
It's too late. I can't take the time any longer.
I choose my path.
I open my eyes.

Another E-mail My mother sent me

ENOUGH:
Recently, I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they hugged, and the mother said, 'I love you, and I pray you enough.’
The daughter replied, 'Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I pray you enough, too, Mom.'
They kissed, and the daughter left. The mother walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there, I could see she wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on her privacy, but she welcomed me in by asking, 'Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?'
Yes, I have,' I replied. 'Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?'
'Well...I'm not as young as I once was, she lives so far away & has her own busy life. I have some challenges ahead, and the reality is - her next trip back will be for my funeral,' she said.
'When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, 'I pray you enough.' May I ask what that means?'
She began to smile. 'That's a prayer that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone.' She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, and she smiled even more. 'When we said, 'I pray you enough,' we wanted the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them.'
Then, turning toward me, she shared the following as if she were reciting it from memory.
I pray you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.
I pray you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more
I pray you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.
I pray you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.
I pray you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I pray you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I pray you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.
Then, she began to cry, and walked away.
They say, it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but an entire life to forget them.
TAKE TIME TO LIVE......
To all my friends and loved ones,
I PRAY YOU ENOUGH....

She sat alone in the dark room, motionless, as the tears dripped down her cheeks and off her chin. She occasionally sniffled, staring off into the shadowed corners of the room. She wondered why she was crying, why she felt so miserable. She recalled that earlier that evening she had beeen her carefree, easy, cheerful self - in the space of a few short minutes, all of that changed. She now sat alone, as miserable as could be, wishing she had the courage to stand up and face what she had to. But she couldn't, she just stared into the dark with large tear-filled eyes, not yet willing to put aside her fear and tears. Finally, she uncurled from her position, and went in search of paper. After tearing out a sheet of paper from an old school notebook, she wrote down the events that had taken place a half hour ago. Perhaps that would ease her pain and she could get on without the burden - perhaps it would help her to understand why she cried. In the course of writing, her tears dried up and her nose unclogged. The mere act of getting the words down on paper had a soothing effect. No longer were they inside, unspoken. They were now on a page, visible to anyone who cared to look. Even if locked away, they were free. She looked up, wiped the last tears from her eyes, and decided to go out the door. She would not let anything hold her back any longer.

Mariner Goes Swimming

My mother and brother took Mariner to the dog beach today. He liked the beach and the dogs, but he was too scared to go in the water. So when they got home, they decided to take him into our pool. I just got home from biking when they decided to do this and I took some pictures. He wasn't too thrilled about being in the pool, but he looked VERY cute.

Driving, Directions and Getting Lost

Typically, when I'm driving I have a fairly good sense of direction, especially if I've gone to my destination at least once before. If I've gone once, I can find my way back ther with a minimum amount of mishap. If I've never been there before, I rely on Mapquest or my brother. (We had a GPS, it broke, haven't gotten around to replacing it yet.) In any case, it's all fine when I'm the one drving. However, stick me in the passenger seat, and then ask me for directions, even to a place I know WELL, and I will manage to get us lost. CJ has finally learned this after many many repeats. She's learned to question whether I'm absolutely certain...I'll say yes, and then around 3 seconds later I say "oh....wait...oops" That is generally the point where she threatens to kill me for getting us lost...AGAIN. Last year in Myrtle Beach, I got her a magnet that said "We've been through so much...and most of it was your fault." However, as she said, most of it was actually MY fault. So, never listen to me when I'm giving directions from the passenger seat, even if I insist I'm right. I WILL get us lost.

Biking!

So even though I only learned how to ride a bike last night, I went to the park with CJ and SSC and went bike riding for 2 1/2 miles. I KNOW I'm going to regret it a LOT tomorrow, but I totally think it was worth it. Fell off the bike once, because I can't really do turns so well. CJ tried to go down one of the nature trails with the bikes. But I told her a few feet in, that this was like putting a rookie through mountain bike terrain. So we left, but not before SSC got all bitten up by mesquitoes because she forgot to spray her legs with the OFF. I love riding the bike, but I was SO hot by the time we were done. 90 degrees with about 95% humidity = HOT.
Can't wait till the next time I ride though. Now I just need to get a bike, though that's not happening till I get back from Hilton Head.

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I LEARNED HOW TO RIDE A BIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!
For those of you who have been following my blog for a while, you probably remember that one of the things that I've mentioned is that I couldn't ride a bike. Well, last night I went to meet a friend who had come to Florida for a few days. SG was one of my roomates in seminary, and she's the only one i hadn't seen since seminary (about 4 yrs ago) So we went to dinner with her grandparents, who paid for the meal (we had steak - which made me very happy) and afterwards I drove with SG and her grandmother back to the house that her grandparents own - they're one of the winter snowbirds - only down this summer to ship some of their stuff to Isreal. But anyways, SG said why don't we ride the bikes around. I said I couldn't ride a bike, so she decided that she'd teach me. At first she tried holding onto the bike (like you would for a little kid) but then she gave up. After all, I'm a big girl, it was a big bike...I fell off a few times, but within half an hour I learned how to ride a bike!!!! I'm SO happy about that. On the other hand, today I am SO sore, but it was totally worth it.