Mark brought the boys a new TV. It’s really an old TV, but, it is new to them. It was in their cousin’s bedroom, and I guess they got a new one, because this one got sent home with Mark yesterday.

And Mark gave it to the boys. What?

I have been begging and begging for a TV for our bedroom almost since we got here! The two places for me to get comfortable in this house are here at my desk (Mark bought me a great office chair a couple years ago) and in my bedroom. Seeing as we don’t have much home furniture beyond the bedrooms, those are my two spots to get comfy! Our dining room table didn’t fit on the UHaul, and our ‘living room’ is in the basement - so upstairs is kind of a barren wasteland.

And we haven’t had a TV in our bedroom for several years now, and there is almost nothing better than being lazy in your bed watching TV. I love that!

But, as previously noted, he gave the TV to the boys. Bummer. Now, mind you, it is a very small TV - and I definitely wouldn’t want it permanently, but, while I wait for my living room to be IN MY LIVING ROOM - it would be great! In case it’s not completely obvious, I am completely sick of living like this. Completely. Ugh.

And no, thank you very much - I’m not biased. Not in the least! Hey - even the bus driver said my kids are great! He came to pick up this morning for the last time, and I went out to say my goodbyes - he’s taken good care of my monsters, and he went out of his way to buy them candy and soda for the last week of school! I thought that was really nice of him! So I went out to greet him one last time, and he said, and I quote, “They’re good kids!”

So there you have it - it’s not even me saying it! Ha! Well, anyway - where I was heading with all of this was to all of the awards received this week! Sammie and Shawn each got lots of awards, certificates, and pins this week! Academics, attendance, band, choir, science - Shawn was even among the top 10 scorers among the whole sixth grade on a standardized test that they took this spring! Totally awesome!!

Yep! My kids rock! Poor Patrick, though - the seventh grade didn’t have an awards ceremony, didn’t (obviously) have a graduation ceremony. So he’s got nothin. Nothin. Hmm - we may have to remedy that! I could use Publisher and create a “Great Kid Award - For excellence in adjusting to not only junior high, but, high school and also a new school district, and also a whole new town and a whole new state! Awesome adaptation, dude!” Or something like that. He’d probably just think mom was being a geek again, though. But - you never know - somewhere in the back of that ‘too cool for skool’ head of his, he might just really like it. He might beam with pride - on the inside! You never know!

I talked the other day about wanting to go to Hawaii, but, also liking big cities - the main one being New York City. There are also two other places to which I used to want to travel.

I used to want to go to Paris, so that I could go to the Louvre, and walk up those big steps to see the Mona Lisa. I met a man once who had gone there, though, and the way he talked about it took all the pizazz out of it for me! The unbelievably strict security around the painting and the speed with which they rush you past it, quickly un-romanticized it for me.

I also used to always want to go to Mexico. However, with stories in the news over the last decade, I’ve been a bit nervous to see the place I’ve always wanted to see! You know what I mean, like people being arrested for the slightest thing, and having trouble getting out of jail. And other stories like that scared me, too.

Well, see - Mexican law is based on the Napoleonic Code, where guilt is assumed over innocence. And that is a very different way of dealing with things than here in the States - which often leads to misunderstandings - which often leads to trouble for the Mexican traveler.

Well, now I’ve found something that perks me up a bit - because I am again excited about considering a trip to Mexico!! That is a cool feeling to have back! And what I found was, Auto Insurance for Mexico. This insurance can help you out in just those sort of binds that I talked about. For instance, say you get in a fender bender there. You either have to have cash, or a Mexican auto insurance policy - or you could actually go to jail. And your American insurance policy would not help you out at all in this situation.

If you visit MexicanInsuranceStore.com, you will find a very helpful and knowledgable man there named Linden Gray, who has 29 years of experience in the insurance industry.

I love this movie so much, and I would like to thank Miss Julie for taking me on a stroll down memory lane, with her ‘Music when she was 18′ post!! One of the songs that she listed was Ain’t Nobody by Chaka Khan - I just LOVED Chaka!!! And Julie, bless her poor deprived heart, said that she had never heard that song! Well, Jules, my sweet - this is for you:

There’s the song and here is one of the beginning scenes from the movie, Breakin’. This scene is where Kelly, the studio jazz dancer, is taken to the beach by her dancing friend, to see all the breakdancing that goes on down there. Everyone is just lockin’ and poppin’ and feelin’ the groove and having a great time! And it is at this time that Kelly meets Turbo and Ozone, the street dancers with whom she will team up to beat out the ‘opposing dancers’. See - the ’street fighting’ they did was dancing - and the better dancer won! So Kelly and Ozone and Turbo team up - and through trial and error, and a few arguments, too - they blend their two dancing styles - JAZZ plus STREET - and they come up with the hottest dance moves ever! Gawd, I just love this movie! Now, unfortunately, this clip is not in English - but, it is one of the better clips that I could find. And you don’t really need ’spoken language’ to figure it out, especially the part at the end where the ‘opposing dancers’ show up! (And, if you look really closely, you might catch a glimpse of Jean-Claude Van Damme - in his first ever on-screen appearance!)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYPxujNcDgM]

This is definitely one to go on my ‘movies I need’ list. That and the second one (which, admittedly, wasn’t quite as good) Breakin’ 2 - Electric Boogaloo. Also on that list would have to be Turner and Hooch. See, I thought I owned it already - and when Sammie and I went to watch it yesterday - it was nowhere to be found. When Mark came home he assured me that we never owned it. Well - hell’s bells - that’s an oversight - BIG TIME! That is one of my very favorite movies!!! And I’ve been meaning to get Multiplicity forever!! Sammie and I wound up watching Jack Frost, and so that of course got Michael Keaton on my mind! He is such a great and adorable actor - but, especially in Multiplicity!

So my main list right now is:
1. Turner and Hooch
2. Breakin’
3. Electric Boogaloo
4. Multiplicity

I need those, people - NEED. I’m not talking about any sissy ‘wants’ or ‘desires’ - I’m talking about sheer necessities!! I hope they’re not too hard for ya’ll to track down and ship to me!

I absolutely love looking at Hawaiian vacation packages. I would so love to go there! I am absolutely fascinated by the geography there! And a scene like this is a big reason that I want to go there:
Isn’t that just incredible? I’m not sure where exactly that picture was taken, but, I think a good place for me to stay would be the North Shore of Oahu. It sounds like it is very relaxing, and very non-touristy and ‘non-resort-y’. I am so not into that. I am into meditating, and enjoying the awesome nature that we have been gifted with. Which is one of the reasons Hawaii is tops on my list to visit! There is no better place for ecotourism, or travel that not only helps out the region to which you’ve travelled, but, also educates you about the area environmentally. I’m so weird like that, that my favorite places are either giant, bustling cities (that unfortunately, polute the heck out of Mother Earth) and total and complete nature trips. I suppose it is the Gemini in me - you know how twins can fight! And although truly meditating does not require certain surroundings, don’t you think a scene like this would certainly help? It takes my breath away just looking at the picture!
Along the same lines of not liking touristy areas, I think a villa would be much nicer to stay in than a hotel. I do like hotels, but, if I’m in Hawaii, I think I would much rather like the privacy of single-family accommodations. I think a lot of people are leaning more towards that type of travel these days. And I hear that Kuaiu is a nature-lovers playground, so couple that with a private villa, and I would just be in Heaven!!

And wouldn’t it just be so amazing to see one of these precious sea turtles in their natural environment? There is just something so spiritual and wise about sea turtles. Is it because they live so long, or is it because they’ve been around for so long? I don’t know - maybe it’s a little of both!

I have one friend online that lives in Hawaii, and I’ve got another online friend who just went to Hawaii for two weeks. And the interesting thing about it is, when I hear them talk about it, I’m not racked with jealousy. Well, not totally. I mostly just soak it up like a sponge - I want to hear every detail that they can possibly tell me! It’s funny because, when I hear people talk about other places that I want to visit (like those big, bustling cities) I am so very jealous. But with Hawaii, it’s different. Like I have some deep connection with the place. How much you want to bet a whole LOT of people feel that way?
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