Back from Vacation (Reviews)

Mr. B and I got back from our wonderful vacation super early (1 am) Friday morning. We stayed 3 nights at an all inclusive in Montego Bay and 3 nights at a really small boutique resort in Negril. I think we booked the trip two weeks before we went, which is so out of character for the both of us. We did it because we've both been so overwhelmed with work commitments, school work, house selling stuff and everything else in between that we just needed some time for just the two of us to do nothing. And we did do absolutely nothing for a week and now I'm finding it hard to get back into the groove of things. Tomorrow is Monday and I'm dreading it so much that I want to call out. Is that bad?

So on to the trip details, pictures and reviews...

We booked our trip with the help of Orbitz.com and Kayak.com. We kind of started the whole booking process backwards in a way. We wanted to stay at this fabulous boutique hotel, The Rockhouse Hotel, but they only had 3 nights available due to an upcoming wedding. So we snatched up those three nights in an amazing premium villa and decided that we needed to tack on 3 nights to the end of the trip or 3 nights to the beginning. We looked for hotels within an hour or so cab ride from Negril and found so many nice looking hotels. We settled on the Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton and Jamaica Resort. The reviews from Trip Advisor were wishy washy, but it was relatively inexpensive and seemed nice.

I won't bore you with the details of the multitude of things that went wrong before we actually made it to Jamaica. All that stress melted away once we got to the resort. We booked a transport from the Montego Bay Airport to Grand Palladium (GP) with Clive's Transport Service, which was one of the recommendations we got from Trip Advisor (TA). The rates were much cheaper than other places and we didn't want to get stuck on a bus with a million other people. Before we left for GP, we set up the rest of the pick ups for the trip with the airport representative.

Grand Palladium Review

It took about an hour or so to get to GP from the airport and it's actually right outside of Montego Bay. We were greeted with some complimentary rum punch at check-in. Our room wasn't ready yet, so they strapped some wristbands on us (which you had to wear the entire time...woo-hoo weird tan line) and told us to get some lunch, go to the bar and come back in a few hours. We went downstairs and had some lunch in one of the buffet restaurants. There are three huge buffet restaurants on the resort and they all pretty much serve the same food, although some of them are open at different time slots. The food was pretty good. Nothing amazing, but nothing really gross. They had a good selection of healthy and not-so-healthy foods and the fruit was amazing. We've never had such good pineapple in our lives!

We went back to see if our room was ready, and it wasn't...no big deal, so we went to one of the bars. We had just sat down with our drinks and a group of 4 people come in and start playing cards. Guess where they were from? South Jersey. Unbelievable...we travel thousands of miles and see people that live a few miles away from us. Strange, huh? After a few drinks, we went to check on our room and it was ready, but at this point it had started to rain. We took a nice, soggy transport ride to the Lady Hamilton side of the resort (even though we booked with the Jamaica side...both on the same resort, just split on different sides). Our room was on the first floor of villa #35 (3504) and we had a nice view of the ocean, some mountains in the distance and one of the resort's three beaches.

The room was nice, but we did find a few critters during our stay which included a cockroach, some spiders and lots of gnats and mosquitoes. Bring bug spray and try not to bring anything scented because the bugs will eat you alive at night. The room had air conditioning, but it never seemed to get really cool in the room and our clothes always felt damp. Nothing really dried in the room.

Our Room

View from our room

The grounds were gorgeous including the massive pool. Thousands of people could fit in there without it feeling crowded. We went to the beach one day and Mr. B got so burned snorkeling that we sat at the pool the other two days. There were plenty of chairs at both the pool and the beach, but towels were scarce. We went and picked them up around 9am and always had one, but I did see people walking around complaining they didn't have any left. I didn't think that the grounds were so large that it was hard to walk them. Alot of people on TA complained about walking everywhere, but I think they were just super lazy. We did go to the gym 2 days while we were there and it was sufficient for a quick workout. Nothing fancy, just a handful of treadmills, 2 ellipticals, some mats, a few benches, a set of dumbbells and some universal machines. It was so hot in there though; like a fricking sauna, so we never stayed longer than 30 minutes.

One of the beaches


Massive pool

In addition to the buffet restaurants, they also have 'a la carte' restaurants. The lines for all the restaurants were out the door anytime after 6 or 6:30. All of them require reservations you make that night and it's included in the all-inclusive price. We only went to the Mexican restaurant and it was just ok. Nothing spectacular, but good.

Overall, we had a pretty good time here. The drinks were pretty strong, although they are served in small cups. The food was decent and it was much better than what I was expecting from the TA reviews. We'd definitely go here again, maybe with a group of people next time. I'm glad we went here first before going to Rockhouse Hotel (RH), because it was alot more lively and more of a party atmosphere.


Rockhouse Hotel Review




Let me just say that I already had extremely high expectations of this place from the amazing pictures on the website and TA, as well as the reviews. This place just looks like it oozes sexy solitude and relaxation from every inch. We used Clive Transport to take us from GP to RH and they were on time. We had the car to ourselves and the ride took about an hour. The driver had the windows open, so by the time we got to RH we were drenched and cranky. The front desk staff greeted us with a complimentary glass of rum punch and told us our room wasn't ready (we got there at about 1pm and check-in is at 3pm). They said to go hang out by the pool, get some lunch and they'd call for us. So we took our drinks and went off exploring.

One of the pathways on the property

The grounds here make you feel like you're in some kind of secluded jungle. It was kind of a maze to get back to the pool from the front desk area, but we made it and hung out in the pergola they use for yoga in the morning. It was so nice to just sit there, relax and overlook the ocean. After we finished our drinks, we did some more exploring of the property and took tons of pictures. A guest even came up to us and asked if we wanted him to take our picture....this was already much different than GP, everyone was so friendly.

Twenty minutes after we got to Rockhouse and I already felt uber relaxed. Could it have been the rum punch?!

After exploring, we decided to take a dip in the saltwater pool and grab some lunch from the poolside bar. We split the BBQ chicken sandwich, which was delicious and made right there. Eventually, the front desk called the poolside bar and told us our room was ready. We were in Premium Villa #5, which is on the other side of the resort past the Rockhouse Restaurant. Our room was exactly how I expected it; rustic and romantic and pretty minimalistic. I didn't expect that the windows would only be shutters, no glass, and the doors would not shut tightly, but it all added to the rustic feeling. The bed had a mosquito net that we used every night, but we still ended up with lots of bites on us from sitting outside after sunset. We had a nice little porch outside of our room that had two wooden chairs and it overlooked a sunning pad that we shared with our neighbors. Our room was situated in a little cove of the property and we had 3 different accesses to the water, which any of the other guests can also use. There is no TV in the room, but there is a mini-fridge with beer, water and some sodas (for a fee). Most people go to the local supermarket called the Hi-Lo and just pick up some beer to stock up the fridge and save some money. A cab ride there will run you about $5.

Our room

Premium Villa #5


Sun pad


The cove right by our room with access to the crystal clear water


Mr. B jumping off a cliff. I am no where near as crazy and did nothing of the sort!

The shower and the toilet were both outside in separate rooms. It was nice to shower outside, but it was a little distracting because the road is so close to the back of the rooms. There were constantly people zooming by in cars honking their horns and yelling. You couldn't really hear it inside the room though. There was also a small issue with hot water...there basically was none. After a day or so, we kind of got used to it. It's pretty hot outside, so you really don't need scorching hot water when you shower. Having the toilet outside was strange and I wish it were inside. The backs of the rooms are pretty much right on the walking path to other rooms and Push Cart, so people are constantly walking back and forth just a few feet from where you're trying to use the facilities. It's not a high-traffic area by any means, but still something to consider. The sink and dressing area were situated behind a half wall that the bed backed up to. It was a decent-sized space and we had plenty of room for our clothes, etc. We did have a little incident with a cockroach that crawled into a gap between the sink and the stone countertop. That was the only huge bug we saw inside the room and Mr. B took care of that with the quickness :)

It was really amazing how close everything is to the water and it is so unbelievably relaxing and beautiful. You can't help but fall in love with this place. We explored the water a little bit and then got ready for dinner. We made reservations for 6:30 at the Rockhouse Restaurant when we checked in (definitely recommend making reservations!) and we sat down just in time to see the sunset. Dinner was great; I had the Old Time Synting, which was a soup of sorts of different fresh seafood and Mr. B got this when we ate at Rockhouse Restaurant on our last night.

Every morning we ate breakfast at the Rockhouse Restaurant. It was a little on the expensive side, but it was within walking distance and what the heck, we were on vacation! I don't drink coffee...at all, and every morning I had at least a cup of their Blue Mountain Jamaican coffee. It's delicious!!! I also suggest trying the callaloo, which is a leafy green veggie that is amazing. We had lunch every day at the poolside bar; Mr. B always got the BBQ chicken sandwich and I got the grilled snapper sandwich. The drinks were pretty good here; Mr. B stuck to the Purple Rain drinks and I fell into a groove of getting the Lime Daiquiris...I love rum and lime together :) Our second night at RH we ate at Push Cart, which is another restaurant that's right next door and adjoined to the property. We got a jerk sample platter with chicken, pork and shrimp and the shrimp was by far the best thing we ate. The drinks were just ok here...don't get the Watermelon Cooler! It was horrendous!!!!

Dinner at sunset at Push Cart

I honestly can't say enough about how beautiful this place is. I had to keep pinching myself because it didn't seem real or even possible that a place is gorgeous could exist. Everything just seems so well thought out and planned and natural...simply amazing.

Sunset over the pool our last night at Rockhouse :(

We got massages together at the spa and I was expecting a little more. I've had plenty of massages before and this was probably not in the top 5. I don't know what it was that made it just ok or what could have made it better. Both of us prefer to be in our own rooms when we get massages and I had asked for separate rooms, but they put us together anyway. It's just kind of distracting with other people in there and hearing them talking/moving.

The staff here was friendly, but I was expecting more of a personal touch due to the smallness of the resort. At full capacity, it only holds about 60 people. We said 'hi' to them more than they said 'hi' to us, which was quite different from when we were at GP where all of the staff greeted us when they saw us. Chevon at the poolside bar was definitely the exception; he was super friendly and always added a little extra rum to my drinks ;-) That could be why I liked him so much!! They have a happy hour from 5pm till sunset at the poolside bar where you can get 2 for 1 drinks. This made me happy!

Mr. B and I would definitely go back here again and we'd probably try to stay in the same vicinity near PV #5. I'm not sure if it's really worth staying here if you're not in a villa or a premium villa. Next time we go, we'd probably venture off the property more. We thought about going to Rick's or some of the local restaurants, but really just wanted to relax and do nothing. We had such a relaxing time at RH that it felt like we were there for weeks and we were only there for a few days. I wish we could have stayed longer and I can't wait to go back!

It's been awhile...

Work and school have kept me pretty occupied lately and I haven't had much time to do anything else. We had an impromptu showing 2 weeks ago, but nothing came of it. Since then we haven't had any showings or open houses.

Mr.B and I just booked a last minute vacation to Jamaica. I can't wait to sit in the sun by the ocean sipping some cold tropical drinks. We haven't had a vacation since last May and I honestly can't even concentrate at work. I hope the weather is nice and we get good rooms and good service. I'll be sure to post pics and reviews when we return.

Since yesterday we've been eating really clean and I'm finding that hard to do with all the Easter candy in work. We also revamped our workout plan for the next 2 weeks to get us in the best bathing suit shape possible before we go. Right now I'm craving chocolate something fierce and this sugar free gum is not quite cutting it.

Last night I had to restrain myself from going to Sonic and getting a lime real fruit slush (my favorite!) or to the local ice cream place for a vanilla and orange sherbert twist. Ugh...they are both so delicious and this hot weather in NJ makes me want something cool and refreshing like that even more. I went and looked at the calories on line and that kept me from going. I've already lost 4 lbs since January and I'm trying so hard not to break my momentum. Eating well is hard, especially when the majority of the people around you eat junk.

I have to admit that I did go a little overboard with the eating on Easter, but it really could have been worse. My family gets babka once or twice a year and this year we found an amazing babka to replace the bakery that closed about 5 years ago. L&M Bakery's babka tastes pretty much the same as Village Bakery's babka before it closed. I'm pretty sure I ate at least half of one by myself. Completely divine and delicious. My mom asked if I wanted to take some home and it pained me to say no, but I knew I'd scarf it down if I took some home.

Once again I got roped into doing the Easter egg hunt but I justified it by saying that all the money I got would pay for stuff in our Jamaica trip. I gave all the candy to my little cousin to keep me from eating it. I have a feeling I'm going to be guilted into doing the egg hunt until we have kids of our own. There's already been things I said I'd stop doing once I got married, but that hasn't stopped my family from making me do them. Ah, families...aren't they great at guilt trips?



- Mrs. B

First Open House Results

We had our first open house this past Sunday and it went really well. I was honestly thinking the worst--that no one would show up. I'm glad I was wrong!

We had 3 groups of people come. An older woman came and took a walk through about 30 minutes into the open house. A guy came in to look for him, his wife, and their little boy who was sleeping in the car. He liked what he saw and asked alot of questions about the association and the taxes. The final group that came consisted of two sisters that wanted to get a place together. Right off the bat try loved our place. It makes you feel good when strangers react that way :) They said that they really liked everything about it but the second bedroom was small. There's nothing we can do about the size of the rooms, unfortunately. Maybe the girls will reconsider and change their mind...a girl can dream, right?!

We advertised on owners.com and craigslist but no one from there came through. They were all drivebys without a realtor at the moment. We're considering having another open house this weekend, but I think we'll take turns being here.

We're off to a good start!

First Open House

Today is our first open house. It's only been 15 minutes and I'm already worried that no one will come. We lucked out because there's another open house around the corner. Hopefully this will bring a few more people this way.

The house looks absolutely immaculate and smells like fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. Even if one person comes, I think it will make it worthwhile.

Wish us luck!

How we spent our Valentine's Day

Mr. B and I never really made a big deal about Valentine's Day. We usually get each other cards and either head out to dinner (early) or cook up something at home.

I have to say that this V-day was completely different than any one before it. First of all, Mr. B gave me my present 2 days early. He got me a new iPod nano :) He said that he would have gotten it for me even if it wasn't Valentine's day because I've been complaining so much about my old (so old it won't hold a charge) one.

The day of V-day began by ripping out the kitchen faucet and a quick run to Lowes' for some new faucet lines. That 'quick' trip to Lowes turned into looking for some laminate tiles for the laundry room to cover up the gross, original flooring. I do have pictures of both projects, but right now I'm blogging from my couch on my iPhone and I'm way too comfortable ( and lazy) that I'll have to upload them later. The faucet project was pretty fast (30 more minutes),but the 'oh babe, don't worry it'll be easy and quick' floor install took over 3 hours. Oops!!

Once I get into a project I don't like to stop. Pretty sure I get that from my dad. He is a habitual project starter, but once he starts he hates to stop. His hands could be falling off and you'd have to beg and propsition him from here to Monday to get him to consider a break. As a result, Mr. B had to bribe me with pizza to tear me away from tiling.

I'm so happy that we had such a productive day. It might not have been romantic, but I'm glad we could spend it together!

I hope everyone else had a great V-day! Pictures coming soon.


- Mrs. B

Lots of Progress

But sadly, no pictures yet, as I have homework to do and bills to pay. We took two car loads and a truck load of stuff that we had accumulated over the past 4 years due to a housewarming party, engagement party, bridal shower and wedding. Lots of stuff; and sadly, stuff that was still in the original boxes.

The closets are now free of clutter and thoughtfully and neatly organized. Space! Lots of space!! I'm so proud of the progress we made, but still freaking out at the prospect of actually selling our first place. We've decided that we're going to try to go it alone for a month and see what kind of interest we get. If we fail miserably, we'll find a realtor and fork up the $$$.

Our listing is officially on Craig's List and Owners.com. Yay for free advertising!! We're having our first open house in 3 weeks and we are going to have one every weekend for a month...because that won't be stressful. This morning I woke up at the crack of dawn (my mind wouldn't stay asleep...hmmm, wonder why.) to write up a list of things that need to get done in the next three weeks. All of it is cosmetic and involves finishing up the little odds and ends that never quite got fixed from the projects we've taken on.

Last night I made some really cute pieces of art that will take the place of the coat rack we put in storage. The wall looks so bare right now that it just needs something. I will post pictures as soon as they're hung. Unfortunately, after yesterday's box-apalooza, I was not in any mood, or condition for that matter, to document my process.

The next few posts will include our Granite Transformations experience, the clutterless pictures and a few DIY projects. Let the cleaning begin!

Staging

I just wrote up an entire post on staging our house and I deleted it by accident. Doh! That's what I get for typing it up on my iPhone at work.

We are in the process of staging our house so we can put it up for sale. Mr.B and I have been in quite a few open houses over the past year and, needless to say, not many people take the advice the plaster all over HGTV. Staging sells houses! The buyer wants to be able to picture themself in your place; they don't want to see all your junk and wonder if they can fit all of their stuff in there.

This is why Mr.B and I are beginning the process of clearing out everything that is not absolutely necessary. Like those plates from college we haven't used in 3 years, or that electric knife that's still in the box from my bridal shower or my stack of year books. Going through all of our stuff has made me wonder why we even still have all of these things I we don't need them. I love getting rid of clutter--it's cathartic for me. I'm beginning to wonder if I've just been holding on to stuff just to be able to throw it away later, but I know it's really because I've been waiting for us to get a house. I'd see some fabric and say," that would be great for curtains in a kitchen" even though there are no windows in our kitchen now. Or I'd make a great find at Marshalls and snatch it up for 'later'.

This weekend should be filled with more exploration into every nook and cranny in our place, which I'm thoroughly looking forward to. I'm hoping to find some long lost something that I can use to help decorate and make our place look so absolutely fabulous that the first person in the door will NEED to have our place whatever the cost (a girl can dream, right?)

I hope to post some pictures sometime this weekend. Maybe some before and afters or maybe just some befores...depends on how sucked in I get to cleaning :)

-Mrs. B

Laid up

I went to get some boxes from my mom's office this week so Mr. B and I could start packing up some of the extra junk we've accumulated over the past 3+ years we've lived here. Mr. B had a class he had to go to, so I put on some reruns from the DVR and went to work.

Over the span of 2 hours, I boxed up extra dishes, untouched wedding presents and a few other odds and ends. All in all, it was about 5 big boxes of junk. I was pretty darn proud of myself for getting so much done that I rewarded myself with an early bedtime so I could get lots of rest.

Fast forward to the next morning and I can't move without intense pain shooting down my legs and up my back. Yay. I somehow get to a standing position and now I can't walk. My back didn't even feel this bad after a weekend of tiling, grouting and wood floor laying! Mr. B got the heating pad and some advil, which helped alot.

I managed to get to my eye doctor appointment, the DMV, finish some other errands and started the laundry. Today I'm feeling much better, but I can still feel tightness in my back. Ugh. I'm going to try to get to the gym, but will definitely be working at a slower pace. I guess this is just a lesson learn from--I can't do everything by myself, even though I like to think I can.

Decisions, decisions...

We're putting our place on the market next month. We have absolutely too much other stuff going on, but I think trying to get buyers that want that $8k credit is our best bet. I just got notified that our free listing on zillow.com is going to cost us $9.95, so we won't be doing that.

The dilema comes when trying to decide whether or not to use a realtor. My dad has a license, but really isn't practicing. His insisting we can do it on our own, but I'm not sure I have the time nor the energy to spend on it. Mr. B and I are going to discuss this further this weekend but I have a feeling we will end up getting a realtor.

This weekend will also consist of decluttering the house. We need to find a place for all the wedding gift we haven't even touched and my huge bin of summer clothes. I'm pretty excited at the thought of getting a house together, bit then again it's also kind of sad. This was my first place and I've been here for over 3 years. It'll be weird to leave.


- Mrs. B

Well hello, 2010!

My, didn't you come quickly! I feel like 2009 came and went in the blink of an eye. I guess that's what happens when you're an adult. I can only imagine how quickly the next couple years are going to go what with buying a house, renovating it, adopting a doggy (or two) and having some kiddies. (Note: none of this is close to happening, so don't freak out)

Here are some highlights from 2009:
-December/January: We spent our first married NYE together
-February: Went to Ireland :)
-March: Got a raise
-April: Bruce concert!
-May: Our first wedding anniversary and a trip to Vegas
-June: lots of work/school
-July: Our friend's baby was born
-August: lots of work/school/beach time
-September: nothing much
-October: 2 back to back weddings and a Bruce concert (his last one at the Spectrum)
-November: celebrated both of our birthday's and threw Mr. B a surprise 30th party
-December: Got to see lots of family and friends and I got a raise!

I know this year will be even busier than last year, and I'm not really sure that I'm 100% looking forward to it. I am looking forward to getting our own place and not sharing walls with inconsiderate neighbors (speaking of which, our upstairs neighbor just SLAMMED her door and proceeded to stomp down the stairs like a herd of elephants). I am so not going to miss that.

Ringing in the New Year

Mr. B and I are spending tonight with some friends in the city. I'm super excited because it's basically a big wedding…lots of food, lots of drinks, and lots of dancing.

I get to wear a sexy dress and some hot shoes, so I can't wait!

What are your plans tonight?

Happy New Year!!


- Mrs. B

Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas! Be safe and enjoy the holidays!!


- Mrs. B

Catching up

Due to today's snow, I feel like I've really been able to catch up on alot of things. I cleaned out my DVR queue, which had some pretty old shows in there. I fixed the hem on two of my work pants that had been sitting, balled up, in the bottom of my closet. I finally made some Christmas cookies. I love the Nestle swirled milk and white chocolate chips. They.are.amazing!!!! And always a hit at parties. I also hung up some clothes that had been laying around as well as some stray Christmas cards that needed to go up on our front door.

Some updates on life in general:
-I passed my class for the semester...thank god!
-Mr. B and I are planning on putting our house on the market in the spring (as long as everything else goes as planned)
-I recently got a bonus, which had great timing (Merry Christmas!)
-And the BIG news....I got a raise!!!!!! Believe me, we are definitely counting our blessings. I know that alot of people are struggling and losing their jobs; we are so lucky to work at a place where they are still promoting and hiring people.

Tonight was supposed to be Mr. B's family Christmas dinner, but due to the beautiful and plentiful snow, it was postponed until next Sunday. I was totally bummed because I was going to make some pumpkin cheesecake, but I'm kind of glad after seeing how bad the roads were today. We made it to the gym before they closed at 1pm and coming home was treacherous and slow.

Since the snow is supposed to continue tomorrow, I'll most likely give the house a good cleaning and work on a baby blanket I've been messing with since October. I made a super cute skinny, striped scarf for a friend's birthday present, but of course, I didn't get to take any pictures before I wrapped it up. I liked it so much, I might just make one for myself :)

No Cavities!!!

My mom just cleaned my teeth and I didn't have any cavities! Yay!! Stickers and tooth brushes for me :)


- Mrs. B

My eye

Recently my blog posts and facebook status updates have involved my right eye. For the past couple of week it's been acting up and looking like it had pink eye.

Last time I went to the eye doctor she told me I had allergy bumps underneath my eyelid and that I needed to use this eyedrop stuff to fix it. Well that worked, but ever since the seasons changed at least once a week I was waking up with a swollen, red right eye. This happened again this past Thursday and I had enough. I had an emergency appointment to have the Dr. look at my eye again. My tickly little eye decided to clear itself up just in time foe my appointment Friday, but te bumps were still there and my story was convincing enough that she prescribed me yet another eye drop. Two, in fact.

I have to use on of them 4 times a day until tomorrow and then I have to use a different one 2 times a day until the problem stops. Now, if I'm supposed to use the we drop everyday how will I know when to stop using it?? This is much like my allergy mess…I've attempted to go off it for a few days and when I do I always get a sinus infection. It's quite lovely.

I asked my doctor why all of a sudden are my eyes rebelling and her answer was that your body changes every once in awhile. And then she added that I'm going to experience so many more changes as I get older…gee, thanks. That's just what I wanted to hear!!

Off to put my second drops of the day in!!!


- Mrs. B

I'm pissed...

I'm pissed because I can't stay awake for the life of me to watch an entire Phillies game.

I'm pissed because I studied and studied for my midterm and did less than spectacular. I knew the material but kept second guessing myself.

I'm pissed that I have to be away from Mr. B on my birthday and have to spend it with virtual strangers that think a good meal comes from a chain restaurant like Friendly's. {gag}

I'm pissed that it's been raining so much and I haven't been able to enjoy the fall weather.

I'm pissed that stupid little things like this piss me off so much. I've tried. I've tried to be a less tense person. I've tried not being so high-strung and type A, but it really doesn't help do anything but get me more frustrated at the people that go through life so haphazardly and get by. It's not fair, not fair, not fair.

The only thing that helps on days like these is going to the gym and watching trashy reality shows. So that's what I'm doing on my day off, with ten dozen other chores thrown in because I'm like that....can't sit still for more than 10 minutes. Mr. B says I'm going to give myself a heart attack, but amazingly my blood pressure is always well under the 'recommended' numbers. Last time I went to the dr. (2 weeks ago) it was 110/60....a regular reading is 120/80.

Thank god for the gym and healthy eating (and the occasional glass, or 4, of wine). They keep me sane and keep me going. Mr. B always plays a big part too...love him. Last weekend we were talking to a guy at a 30th birthday party and he stopped mid-sentence and said to me,"You really do love him, don't you? I can see it in the way you look at him...what a lucky guy." I was floored and blushed insanely. And then Mr. B says, "I know I'm lucky...she picked me. She's smarter than anyone else in here and she's beautiful." True story, no lie. I'm still giddy thinking about it now. Yes, be jealous...be very jealous :-)

MIA

Yes, I've been MIA for quite some time and I feel guilty. Bad blogger, bad!

I've been busy with several things including 2 weddings in the same weekend, finishing up some shower gifts, birthdays, class, work and general crazy life stuff.

I have a four day weekend coming up though and I am scheduling some quality time with my blog. Promise!

Things to cover:
1. Find pictures of my hideous 'before' bathroom
2. Post new blanket and hat pictures
3. Review Tinto
4. Review Branzino
5. Talk about weddings
6. Everything else :)

There are still some good people out there

Of course I was in a rush to order my book for this semester. I went on Half.com, put the book in my cart and then added some other books I've been thinking about getting. I went to my cart and hit 'Quick Checkout'. BIG MISTAKE.

Little did I know that by doing this, it automatically set the mailing address without verifying it before I paid. So I hit the button to process my order and no sooner than 2 seconds later the confirmation screen popped up with the wrong freaking address. My college address.

I frantically emailed the sellers with my new address and two responded saying they changed the address in time. The first book came no problem, but I've been waiting 2 agonizing weeks for my school book and my Sookie Stackhouse books.

Monday I get a message on Facebook that this guy has my books. A student that lives at my old college house took the time to find me on Facebook and let me know that he got my books. This kid is a lifesaver! He's going to send me my books no questions asked and then let me know how much the shipping was so I can send him a Paypal deposit. I'm blown away by the kindness of people sometimes...

I'm a bad, bad blogger

...I've seriously neglected my blog the past couple of weeks. My super busy schedule has kept me from talking about everything that's been going on. I'm afraid it will have to wait another week or so because this week is another doozy.

There's been painting and crocheting and BFP's!!!, oh my! Stay tuned!

Hi, my name is Mrs. B...

and I have a cleaning problem. Once I start cleaning, I can't stop. I become an endless pit of cleaning and disinfecting, which inevitably makes me realize the mountain of things that need to be finished/started/fixed around the house.

The latest cleaning tirade was brought on by the monthly Bunco game, which I'm hosting this week. Mr. B knows how drill sergent-esque I can be when I get into cleaning mode. He knows there will be yelling and arguing and the inevitable re-cleaning after he's already cleaned a room.

My latest POA (plan of attack) involved fixing a weird patch job on a bathroom wall. I removed the mirror, respackled, sanded and then painted only to see that I didn't sand well. I had to wait for the paint to dry and then painstakingly sand to erase the spackle edges with out sanding down to the patch. It's still not perfect, but it's better than it was. During this little exercise, I noticed about 10 other things on just that wall that I wanted to fix, but restrained myself for fear of Mr. B hiding my power tools.

I saw my college roommate this past weekend and Mr. B mentioned that I was on a cleaning kick. She got this knowing smile on her face and she said, "Lucky you!" She lived with me for 4 years straight and knew me as the cleaning schedule lady in the house. I would freak out if someone didn't stick to the agreed upon schedule and would dispense punishment eagerly :)

I can't say that I'm really the neatest or cleanest person day to day, but I do like things in order. When I clean, it always takes twice as long and gets more involved the deeper I get into it. Thank God Mr. B puts up with my neurotic cleaning!