May 4, 2017: Mother, Mother Ocean…

I think the last time I visited the ocean was July 4, 2006. An argument could be made for September 2012 because we went on a cruise out of Port Canaveral for our anniversary that year, but if the measure we’re using here is toes in the sand, salt water lapping at your ankles with every wave, then…

May 2, 2017: Water Safety

All of our kids are taking swimming lessons so at some point they don’t fall into our pool and die. So far, it’s a strategy that has worked out surprisingly well! …although with three of them in classes now, already I’m starting to feel what it’s like to have kids in sports because it’s costing me a…

October 11, 2016: Drained

For a good couple of weeks now – I honestly don’t remember how long – our AC drain has been backed up to the point where it’s been dumping water out all over the floor of our garage. Well, first it goes into the drip pan, and then it overflows into the bucket we placed…

October 7, 2016: Fast Clouds

The waiting room here outside of the NICU has these huge windows that offer a great view of the sky, and it’s kind of crazy how the clouds almost look like they’re moving in fast forward in front of me right now. I suppose 25 mph winds will do that for you! Thankfully Hurricane Matthew’s impact…

October 6, 2016: Don’t Be a Hurricane Idiot…

People like the ones in this story really make me hate parts of humanity… Some Daytona Beach Residents Ride Out Hurricane Matthew Despite Warnings http://www.orlandosentinel.com/weather/hurricane/os-hurricane-matthew-volusia-20161006-story.html If you live 200 feet from the Atlantic Ocean, and there’s a category 4 hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean, you move your ass. You don’t whip out the board games, and load your 45 to protect…

October 5, 2016: Storm Watch

I had no idea what to expect for my first hurricane. It was the summer of 2004, so I had lived in Florida for less than a year at that point, but right off the bat I was woefully unprepared. My apartment at the time was less than a mile from Tampa Bay, which landed me in…

July 3, 2016: Grill Skills

I think I might actually be getting a little better at this whole grilling thing! Today was a day of splashing in the pool, and of dueling sparklers, but mostly it was a day of grilling – the first time we’ve done so this year, in fact. I actually like to grill, save for the fact that…

Apr 30, 2016: Gator Under Foot

It’s not every day that your neighbors knock on your door to kindly let you know that you currently have an alligator underneath your car… …and thank god for that! In reality this particular pond monster was only about five feet long once the trapper pulled him out and got him measured, but he certainly looked…

Apr 13, 2016: Wasps?! Why Did It Have to be Wasps???

When I discovered earlier today that the AC in my house wasn’t working, a lot of things went through my head… For a brief, deluded period I wondered if I could actually fix it myself. Then I wondered if this was going to turn into my very expensive lesson for not renewing our home warranty…