Christmas At The Burnettski's 2010

Christmas 2010

After being on the road, and all of us spread around the USA, we finally got together at our home for a big Christmas!  It's been a great week and we really overdid it with food and gifts!  But it was fun!!  Steve and have also spent time at the Humane Society, because even though we have Maddie, we haven't forgotten our special friends who haven't found their forever homes yet.  Justin begins his student teaching in January, so we are going shopping today for some "grown up clothes"!  Justin, Mom and I went to St. John's for mass yesterday and he looked sooooo good in a sports jacket!  He already looks like a great teacher!!!!  Fortunately, he was able to do his student teaching (Junior or High School English) right in Newport, TN.  It's about 5 miles from his cabin on the mountain! 

Justin's dad, his wife Lisa and her girls were here for Xmas breakfast then headed to South Florida!  It was a great visit and I was really happy to meet Justin's "other family"!  Lisa, your girls are so sweet and polite and I really enjoyed our visit.  Maybe next time you all are in Florida it wil be nice and warm for you here! 

Hoping everyone had a good holiday and didn't get snowed in or rained out.  It's a sunny day here..............but cold!  So, off we go to shop.  Happy New Year to everyone and I hope it's a good 2011!  Wow does time pass quickly or what?  Next thing you know I'll be 40!!!  Ha Ha!!!

God Bless, Take care and if you have time, please look at the slideshow above. 

Introducing Maddie...

Introducing our new best friend, Maddie!  Maddie is a rescue dog from the Jacksonville Humane Center, is about 4 years old and is a female English Cocker Spaniel.

She's been with us for a week now and is one of the most laid back dogs we've ever seen.  She's house trained, loves walks and only barks once when someone knocks on the front door!  We love her already!

I Rescued a Human Today

“I Rescued a Human Today” 
(Author Unknown)


Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels.


I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her.  I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid.
As she stopped at my kennel, I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage.
I didn’t want her to know that I hadn’t been walked today. Sometimes the shelter keepers get too busy and I didn’t want her to think poorly of them.
As she read my kennel card, I hoped that she wouldn’t feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone’s life.
She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds to me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship.
A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well.
Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms.
I would promise to keep her safe. I would promise to always be by her side. I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes. I was so fortunate that
She came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven’t walked the corridors. 
So many more to be saved. At least I could save one. “I Rescued a Human Today”

A Rant About Flying...

OK, I have to get this out of my system!

Who else HATES to fly now days?? Anyone?
I flew from FL to CA on Continental Airlines (American is the same and so is Delta) this past weekend.

Why? Glad you asked.
I know my butt isn't getting any smaller, but holy cow... the seats on airplanes are freakin narrow and have NO leg room. When the person in front of me reclines their seat back - the seat hits me on my knees. The tray can't even fold out flat because it's so close me. What's up with THAT??  Oh sure - you can ask to sit at an exit row for more leg room... if you're willing to pay an extra $25 per FLIGHT for the exit row.  I don't think so.


The food - Food? What food? Pretzels, sodas and water for free! Big deal. Want a sandwich? That'll be $6 for a cold, nasty ham & cheese on some kind of bread. I thought I'd be smart and eat one BEFORE I got on the plane and I had to pay $10.00 for a freakin roast beef sandwich that was dry and skimpy on the meat to say the least. Where's the BEEF?? Not in MY sandwich that's for sure!

The movies - Oh yeah, if you're on a flight that allows a movie... just slide your credit card through the slot to pay the $6 it costs now and you get to watch the movie! As far as I know Jet Blue is the only airline that give you a movie for free. On the bright side, they GIVE you the head phones now. Remember when the movie was free and the head phones cost $2? HA!

Baggage - THIS has got to be the biggest rip off in the world. Paying extra to check your baggage is CRAZY! It causes a LOT of people to carry their luggage on board to save $25 - $30 so now you have to fight for space in the overhead to stow your "carry on." Hey - just charge everybody another $60 for the ticket and let us check our bags on the plan! I'd hate to fly with a family of 4. Not only are the costs of tickets up, but if each person had to check ONE bag, it would cost $100 more EACH WAY at the gate! That's ridiculous!

Changing Tickets - On this trip I had a little medical emergency and had to change my return ticket home from a Tuesday to a Sunday.  It cost me $433 to just CHANGE my flight!  WTF????  Are you kidding me???   And when I got on the flights... it wasn't even full.

I'm ready for trains...

Done with rant.

Kathy's Singing Debut...

Gosh, I sure love my wife for being such a good sport!

The other day I heard some cute clatter
So I rose from my couch to see what was the matter.

When I peaked through the door just what did I see?
My cute little wife - singing with glee!

So I got out the video and started to record
Hoping that my batteries would last ... to capture the reward.

I got a few minutes of Kathy singing a song
and now it's here, so watch it and sing along!

New York City October 2010

Well, of course, our timing was all off, yet again.  This is the 3rd trip we have made in the fall to various parts of the country to "see the fall foliage".  Not gonna' happen.  This time, we "Jet Blue'd" up to The Big Apple................yeah!!  Oh wait, the leaves aren't going to change for another 10 days or so!!  Anyway, we got some great pictures and saw lots of things we'd missed when we went there three years ago for Christmas.  We'd forgotten just how darn expensive that city is!  Our hotel room was so small there wasn't even room for a chair, nor a suitcase and it didn't even have a closet.  So, we upgraded there.  Got a great place at 59th and Lexington.............about a block from Bloomingdale's.  Saw a purse I liked there, but it was $600.00 so frugal little me, walked out!!  But at least I've been to Bloomie's now. 

We bought unlimited Subway passes because we really do like the Subway!  We took it all the way out to Coney Island on Sunday so Steve could get his Nathan's Hot Dog!  Turns out he likes his hot dogs at home on his own grill.  So do I.  Coney Island was desolate and deserted, but I guess it's a hot spot in the summer. 

We also did a lower Manhattan Island boat cruise.  (the boat cruise and the Subway passes were the best deals we found!)  We took lots and lots of pictures, they are in the slideshow below.  The day for the cruise was absolutely gorgeous and it the boat was nearly empty so it was a great photo op day. 

We also visited Ground Zero again.  Last time we were here, it was basically a huge hole in the ground.  Now you can see the construction going on.  Also, St. Paul's Episcopal Chapel is directly across from Ground Zero and we went in to see the memorials of 9/11.  It is pretty humbling to see the pictures and the patches from the NYPD and NYFD stations who worked, lived, and sadly, died in the attacks. 

We did Times Square (again)...................so many people, so little space. 

Central Park was beautiful even if I only spotted a few trees with some color.  Maybe next time.  I hope you enjoy the pictures.  I didn't put all of them in the slideshow because I didn't want to bore anyone to death!

We got home last night at about midnight and are still so tired that we need a long long rest.................

Cheers to all!

Fostering Dogs

Kathy and I have taken up fostering dogs from the Jacksonville Humane Society for a couple of reasons.

2. We felt that by helping the dogs recover from surgery, or just provide them a quiet and safe place to be for a week would help the dog get through the process of finding a “Forever Home” with a new family here in Jacksonville.

So this week we are taking care of a 5 year old Collie mix named “Eddie” that is one of the sweetest dogs I’ve ever seen.  He was found as a stray dog and turned over to the Center in July 2010. 

A health inspection showed that he had heart worms, and a huge kidney stone.  So the dear dog not only had to get neutered, he also had to under go treatment for heart worm and kidney stones as well!

Well… he made it!  So we are fostering Eddie for 7 days at our home to help him recuperate.  There’s a picture of Eddie below!

Eddie needs a home ASAP!  Please visit www.jaxhumane.org for details.

Technorati Tags: Dogs,fostered dogs

Newport Tennessee With Justin, Family and Friends

Just one week today that our Elvis has left us and we just didn't know what to do with ourselves.  Turned out that finding something constructive was just up the road  in Newport, TN!  Justin had just finished moving into his cabin so we drove up to "see what we could do".  Or, "how can Mom rearrange all my stuff!" 

Steve got him a charcoal grill, and we grilled for a couple of nights...great salads, steak, wings Yum!!!  We tried to not overstay our welcome, so we came home yesterday.  Still so sad to not have to stop and pick up Elvis from Doggie (Grandma) Day Care, but we are ok, and so is our dog, who is not in pain anymore. 

Elvis having a drink :)

So, I hope you take a look at the slide show.  His cabin is really cool, on a lake, big porches and he has wonderful friends that live right up the road.  We also went to his new job, it's really a great place to eat!  Angelo's, At The Point, in a little town called Dandridge, TN.  Beautiful restaurant; it's a big tourist place, plus banquets, etc.  I ate WAY too many oysters but they were great!  They were big and fat and plump and from the Gulf and I was so glad to know our seafood industry isn't totally hosed..................ok, enough from me!  Take care all!  Also, a link below to Angelo's...what a find!!  Good job Justin!! 

Here's where Justin works now: http://www.thepointresorttn.com

Elvis Is Leaving The Building

I'm writing this morning, as I know I will not be able to think about doing it later today. Steve and I have decided that today is the day we need to say good bye to our best little buddy, Elvis. He has had another stroke, and the medicine he is on is not working. He can barely walk and doesn't really know where he is. Steve has to lift him off the tile floor because he can't get up. We will miss him so much and the thought of waking up tomorrow without him is breaking my heart. He's going to the Rainbow Bridge to wait for us. We love you Elvis!!!  Below is the most beautiful poem I found at the Jax Humane Society Cemetary last week while I was walking dogs.  It says it all.  Our little buddy will be there waiting for us and I hope he finds Raider and Katie, the dogs he grew up with.

http://www.petloss.com/poems/maingrp/rainbowb.htm

Family Visit Jacksonville August 2010

Great time had by all.............my husband the chef was the star of the evening!!

Kathy & Marge's Bahama Cruise May 2010

So, the day finally came and off Marge (my sister) and I went to the Bahamas.  We took a 5 day cruise from Jax to the Bahamas & treated ourselves to a suite.  What a way to go!  Our own personal cabin steward (Harry, from Indonesia) was practically at our beck and call & he made the trip outstanding!  That, and fabulous weather - and some great shopping in Nassau made for a most wonderful trip,  and a birthday trip for Marge.  Steve stayed home and had his own little "vacation" - just him, Elvis and lots of steak and lamb chops!  So, back to Jax we go and I am looking forward to my trip to Vegas to meet up with one of my dearest friends in the world.  We were tied at the hip all thru High School, and then lost track of each other over the years, well, you know how it goes, but we are going on a girls trip at the Venetian.  Sorry Steve, but you did get to go to Savannah!  Pics below; hope you enjoy them!  Cheers to all!!!!

Savannah Georgia April 2010

Priceline really rocked this time!  Bid at the last minute on a 4 or 5 Star hotel and we got a GREAT suite for 1/2 price one block off Bay Street.  We of course, went to "Lady and Sons" Restaurant....Paula Deen's place.  It was just ok.  But, we were in the tourista mode so off we went.  Got a great pic of a nightclub called "The Velvet Elvis Lounge"............we could see if from our balcony.  The second day we found the new Segway rental shop in Savannah!!  We'd been wanting to ride the Segway's forever, and we took a private one hour tour.  Private, because there was no one else to go with us and our guide.  She (Tess) is a Savannah native and she whipped us all over Savannah on those rides!!!  They were great...........from now on, in whatever city we go to, we will definitely take a Segway tour.  Oh, wait, maybe not San Francisco.......too many hills.  Anyway, great to get away and by treating my husband to a great hotel and good food, I got my bathroom painted today!  Yeah!!  It's been really tough not doing as many things as we want to a house, but we have to keep reminding ourselves that "it's a rental"!  Ok, I'll stop blabbing now.  Hope everyone is well.  Cheers!!!

We've Moved on (Again!)

Well, it's no surprise to us, or probably anyone else, but we are now "wheel less".  We sold the RV about 2 weeks ago, to a couple from the Beaches area.  I needed to be near my Mom and help out my sister, so we rented a great house just 7 miles from Mom's place.  It was so so great to get all our stuff out of storage..........it was like Christmas.  So, we are changing things up a bit and will be doing a different kind of traveling.  Still figuring it all out.  Anyway, that's the latest on us, hope everyone is well and happy!!!

Hanging Out In Sarasota, FL

Well, we've been in Sarasota, Fl for a couple of weeks now and will be heading back to Jacksonville to take care of family business soon.  I have never been to Sarasota before and I gotta tell ya - I like it!

We stayed at Sunny South RV Park which is a small park located in a residential area right off Hwy 41 ( the main drag in Sarasota) and the owners and people who we met here are the friendliest people we have EVER met.   The only quirk about our stay here is that we're parked outside the RV fenced in area literally ON Doud St.    The owner has expanded the park and created some lots where we get a nice view of the small amount of traffic that passes us by traveling on Doud St.  Weird.

The area seems safe enough though.  We left our grill and lounge chairs out for 2 weeks and no one stole them so that's a good sign! HA!

One of the enjoyable things about this area is the abundance of local restaurants.   Seafood is everywhere and we have pigged on on local Mussels & Oysters at a couple of places.  The BAD thing is that this place is like southern CA - if you don't get to dinner early, you WILL wait in line regardless of what day it is!  

I do believe the average age here is about 60 65 70 75 years old too.  I know I'm a fat old fart myself, but I've never seen so much gray hair in my life!  And like I said - no one cooks dinner at home anymore either!  It's crowded everywhere when it's time to eat.

This winter has been the coldest we've seen for awhile too.  Of course, the weather in "southern FL" isn't as bad as the snow up north, but people come down here for some warmth!  It still cold to us when it's 46 outside.

That being said - Kathy and I would like to visit this area again one day.  We put it on our list of "Places To Possibly Retire One Day" but we both feel we'll have to live another 10 years to really fit in with the rest of the population.


Cheers!

How To Get Out Of Shopping With Your Wife

 After I retired, my wife insisted that I accompany her on her shopping trips to Publix and other stores like Target, WalMart, etc.  Unfortunately, like most men, I found shopping boring and preferred to get in and get out.  You know - men GET and Women GATHER.   Equally unfortunate, my wife is like most women - she loves to browse.  Because of that, here's a list of things guys can do to make your wife not want you to go shopping with her:

• Take boxes of condoms and randomly put them in other people's carts when they aren't looking. 
• Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute intervals.
• Walk up to an employee and tell them in an official voice, "Code 3 in Housewares.  Get on it right away". 
• Go to the Service Desk and try to put a bag of candy on layaway.
• Move a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.
• If a clerk asks you if they could help you, begin crying and scream,  'Why can't you people just leave me alone?
• Look right into the security camera and use it as a mirror while you pick your nose.
• If the store has an auto department practice your 'Madonna look'  by using different sizes of funnels.
• Hide in a clothing rack and when people pass by,  yell  'PICK ME! PICK ME!'
• When an announcement comes over the loud speaker, assume the fetal position on the floor and scream, "OH NO! IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!"
  

And last, but not least:
Go into a fitting room, shut the door, wait awhile,  then yell very loudly, "Hey!  There's no toilet paper in here!"

Your wife will probably want you to stay home the next time she goes shopping :)

P.S. These little jokes have been reformatted to fit this blog.

Hanging Out In Titusville, FL

We moved from Jacksonville to Titusville, FL on Jan. 15th because it was just too COLD up in northern Florida!   We had two weeks in which every night was below freezing, and being in a RV when it's 21 or 19 degrees outside just makes it uncomfortable for us to be outside for any length of time.  Yeah, we can crank up the gas heat and be nice & toasty inside, but we like to talk walks and sit outside for cocktail hour :))

We are staying at the Great Outdoor Resort in Titusville for 2 weeks.  the Kennedy Space Center is the major attraction here and we will spend a couple of days checking out the space center for sure!

Kathy & I have decided to see if we can sell our RV so we can be closer to her Mom, who needs a little more care than she needed 2 years ago.  Our ad is here: http://www.rvt.com/rvdetail.php?id=4471010.   

We are priced below MANY of the 2007 RV's and since ours is a 2008, we think this would be a good buy for anyone!