Suzanne Calling

Our Song Among the many odd things about our relationship and us as people, Ed and I can count Our Song as another unusual thing. We don't have ONE song, we've got several! Soon after we began dating, confessed to each other something drastic-we both liked country music. I didn't want him to come visit and be shocked that Garth, Trisha and Reba were in the CD collection. Each of us had a local country station we enjoyed, and soon after, I heard Tracey Byrd's "Keeper of the Stars" and well, it fit our situation. So it became our song. Then, because we both liked Marillion, Ed suggested I pick up the more recent release, Brave. There was a song on that album that also fit us. So "Made Again" became Our Song number two. Both songs fit, but in different ways. It wasn't enough to have two songs to call our own, we had to find a third. Yet another Marillion song, this time "No One Can." Three was the charm, we haven't claimed any...

You've heard me talk about it for over a year now, I've finally done it. I am writing my email to Food Network for the Next Food Network Star. Those who want to give it a once over and critique it, let me know. I'll send you a copy. If you've watched previous seasons, you'll notice that a complaint they've had with other competitors won't be an issue. You could say that having the blog has been good practice! Cross your fingers! ****************************************************************************** 9/2/08 The email was sent yesterday. It detailed how my Mom and Dad, in their own ways, fueled my passion for cooking. I brought it my vision for a show and why I felt it was a necessary addition to their lineup. Only time will tell. Thanks to Donna, Donna (Krisscop), Holly and Joyce. All had great suggestions on how to streamline the email and gave props for the things they liked about what I wrote. I dilly dallied in writing it, knowing that...

The past two weeks have been enlightening. I think I understand better what Ed has been feeling, looking for a job and not finding anything. Until yesterday, I hadn't heard a peep on a single job I'd applied for. Then I got a "Thanks, but no thanks" letter back on a job that I'd applied to last week. At least they sent one (it was a long shot, anyway). The malaise is not welcome. I'm usually chipper (Mary Poppins, anyone?) and this depressing mood is all consuming. It's hard to get motivated to do anything. The ADHD that has been easy to manage in the past is now consuming my brain. There are a lot of non sequitirs floating around. I've made a promise to myself that once I've got health benefits again, I will get medical treatment for it. Meanwhile, I have incredible friends. They're rallying around, whether across town or across country. Pep talks, funny emails and today, a dinner invite. I've been blessed on that front-the qual...

Tonight's dinner was an old favorite that I haven't made in a while, Shish Kebabs. It was a summer grilling staple up north. We don't grill in the summer here, it's just too darn hot. Instead, they got cooked in the oven. If you've got a favorite herb or two, sometimes adding them to your boiling rice infuses great flavor. Our Rosemary rice was a great complement. This has been featured in WFDW before, Chicken Parm. Last night, I took the picture, but was more involved with the speech and live blogging than posting the picture. Trying to figure out the weekend's menus. Suggestions?

One of my blogging buddies, Sarah , has scored tickets to Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention. BlogHer will be live blogging tonight from various BlogHer members. As Sarah's posting entries to Twitter, I'll be porting them over to the Live Blog. I'm readying for doing play by play tonight. Sarah and Phil's vantage point at Invesco. Sarah and Phil, live at Invesco If you didn't get to see the speech, it was posted on YouTube

Ed builds computers. It sucks that he can't make a living doing that, because he would love to build computers for a segment that is unable to use plug and play machines from Best Buy. Anyway, for the past two years, he's been buying a piece here and a piece there for his newest machine. Put it this way, the machine he built in 2000 was able to keep up with the advances in technology until 2006. He's got a good handle on that stuff. He finally got the last few items from eBay and finished his newest machine a few days ago. (the parts were ordered before I lost my job). It's pretty. Unfortunately, the camera hasn't cooperated in giving me clear pictures. I'm showing the blurry ones, because I just think it's so gosh darn cool-I want a new laptop that does the same thing! The red lights? That was a complete fluke. He fired up the new motherboard and was surprised to find it had lighting underneath it. Kismet? Here's what it looks like when you use...

The plans for tonight were ambitious. First, I was thinking of doing chicken kabobs, since we haven't had those in a while. Alas, the chicken was frozen. Instead, I stopped at the supermarket after applying for a few jobs and grabbed some fresh chicken, but there wouldn't be enough time to marinate it. Chicken Parmesan sounded like a good, quick idea, and I'd do the kabobs Thursday. Instead, there was a medical issue that needed to be attended to and I didn't get home until 7pm. There were prescriptions to be filled (Gameboy's two generics), too. So, tonight's dinner was here instead: Justaburger, Arnold Palmer and fries for tonight. Lemon pie for dessert. Pictures of whichever of the two I make tomorrow. Deal?

This was taken outside the church where one of the Eagle Scout candidates had a Concert for the Homeless this past Friday night. Not ten minutes later, I got drenched out of nowhere! It looks ominous, but here in Florida, you can SEE the rain coming down-this is one of those cases. The remnants of Fay Monday afternoon. The angle's funny because I took it from the car, but this is another one of the stray bands from Fay Monday afternoon. Always interesting to look at the sky around here. It almost makes up for the fact that we don't see as many stars as we did back in Maryland...

The job search, it goes. As related in yesterday's post (read the comments-Saffa saved me from a part two. You are awesome, lady!), I've seen some rather interesting things in the hunt for a job. Most of them make me shake my head. I'm hoping that this means I stand a better chance if that's what the job pool is like! We've had a call every flipping day from Gameboy's teacher. He won't settle down, he's being disruptive, he's not doing his work. While I understand it to a degree, I want to know why she's just calling Ed. My phone hasn't rung once, while she seems to keep getting Ed's voice mail because he's at work. I went to the school today to give them the heads up that Gameboy would be without medication by the end of the week, that they're in for some dramatic changes. I also wanted to know what was going on that we're getting daily phone calls-perhaps a change in the IEP is in order? The guidance counselor agre...

I've wanted to do a post like this for eons. Elsewhere, when the end of the school year was upon us, I'd post a friendly reminder of the dos and don'ts of job seeking. Other managers would chime in with more advice and it turned out to be a good resource for that little bit of the Net. Now, I'm on the other side, and seeing even more stuff that just makes me scratch my head. So, today, a little instructional piece on applying for jobs. 1. Be Prepared Sounds simple, right? It is, but so many don't even get to this part, applying for jobs willy nilly. Having a pen is just the tip of the iceberg, though it's better to have two or three pens, honestly. Being prepared means you establish a game plan BEFORE you go out job seeking. What kind of job do you want? What hours are you willing to work? If looking for retail/restaurant, which places are your favorites? If you don't have a vehicle, how will you get there? If you'll be taking a bus, when does ...

Beautiful Brown Eyes* Back when I was years old, I had a HUGE crush on Shaun Cassidy. My bedroom wall was plastered with various pictures from Tiger Beat, Teen Beat, 16 and the magazines of the day. The piece de resistance was a 4 foot by four foot styrofoam and poster board of the "Born Late" cover that a sister's friend got from the record store he worked at. Bruce, where ever you are-I'm sorry for the humiliation you must have endured for saying "I want it!". Anyway, I didn't just like him because he was cute, but because he played music. There's also a long overdue apology to Giggles. We shared that bedroom and she had to listen to that music over and over and over and over and, well, you get the idea. She exacted revenge of her own a few years later by insisting we listen to Z100 whenever Dad drove the two of us anyplace, so perhaps it evens out. Glenn Meideros' "Nothing's Going to Change My Love for You" is hated t...

I'm not in overdrive on this job search. I'm sure Ed is confused that I haven't kicked into the typical Suzanne hyper overdrive insanity and found a job the day after getting the ax. It's weird. There's just this thing in the back of my head saying "pace yourself." I'm applying for jobs online, but I haven't gone for the safe harbor of walking into a retail establishment or three to find a management opening. That voice in the back of my head? It's saying this is a sign. Of what, I don't know. Only time will tell whether this is a sign that I should be on SSDI or whether I will find a Monday to Friday desk job. I think it's the former, but I will keep looking for the latter in the interim. The SSDI application is in the works, though. I did come across something and I'm still scratching my head several days later. Monday night, I'd applied online for a job that was posted on Career Builder by a staffing agency. It wa...

Check this out: ELKIN, N.C. - David Hayes' granddaughter just asked him to hold her Barbie rod and reel while she went to the bathroom. He did. And seconds later he landed the state record channel catfish at 21 pounds, 1 ounce. ADVERTISEMENT Alyssa's father had bought the pink Barbie fishing rod for Christmas and she had caught a few bluegill before her grandfather hauled in the catfish. The Winston-Salem Journal reported the catch Aug. 5 in eastern Wilkes County has been certified as a record by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Hayes and his granddaughter have been fishing in the pond behind his house since she was big enough to hold a pole. Hayes said his granddaughter worried he would break her rod. He landed the 21-pound fish on a 6-pound test line. It was 32 inches long, 2 inches longer than the rod.

I found this on Twitter... wilw Okay, I was supposed to keep this secret, but ... I am @BarackObama's running mate. Please tell the media so they can calm the hell down. about 4 hours ago from web WilW, witty and sarcastic man, is known to one and all as Wil Wheaton a/k/a Wesley Crusher. Don't worry, Wil, your secret is safe with me-and my 40 readers!

the fun day you had the day before you lost your job! We had a last 'huzzah', as Chef put it, at Busch Gardens. I loved it, because I had a coaster buddy, the kids loved it because they had a friend along, and Ed and I were thrilled to have ADULTS to talk to! The more time I spend around Bob IRL, the more he reminds me of Ed. He kept cracking Ed-isms to us. A very nice character at the entrance. Ed commented that now there are two places you can wear construction lifts. My attempt at an artsy fartsy shot. Didn't quite work. I'm getting the impression that this is Gameboy's "Amusement Park" shirt. It seems to show up in every picture we've got at one! Sheik Ra. All hype, no muscle. Seriously, the ascent is more nerve inducing than the drop! The tortoise that probably moves faster than me. Later, we returned to the viewing area, and um, two of them were in a compromising position. I didn't stick around to report whether they do that ...

I screwed up royally, thanks to ADHD. I knew I had to get Gameboy's Medicaid reinstated, and I procrastinated. I thought it would be no big deal, since he'd already received it. Wrong. We have to do a whole new enrollment. In the meantime, his medications run out on Monday. I think we'll be able to fill one or two, but definitely not all of them. Not when we don't know how long it'll be before I get a job and Ed's only giving him 33 hours a week. There is no way we can put out $1300.00 for a month's worth of medication. Rent comes first. I'll put a call into Gameboy's psychiatrist, to see if they've got samples. I've been on the phone and all over Lakeland trying to get help. I'm getting some, but it's usually a case of "Try this agency, they might be able to help." What that translate into is: 1. They'll get you a discount on generics. (This doesn't help for the expensive Strattera and Abilify). 2. They...

I'm glad that we're in the habit of buying multiple packages of our favorite cuts of meat when they're on sale. It does create a tendency to repeat several meals over and over. Since the beginning of the year, and since I've started doing WFDW, I've worked harder on getting out of the rut of a dozen meals. I'll start with yesterday's meal. Ed asked what was for lunch and I decided that the cold cuts I bought in preparation for Fay weren't substantial. Instead, I used some of the fresh pork sirloin and was inspired by the Olympics. Representing Israel, Kosher Salt. Don't let the small size fool you, China as the Five Spice Blend is the star of the show. Representing the USA, Garlic. Mexico brings the Cebolla Powder and rounding out the competition, Japan with Teriyaki. (Don't let the spices fool you, this is clearly an Asian powerhouse meal!) In the pan, there was a slurry of about 2 tablespoons of oil, a teaspoon and a half of five spice,...

**Cross posted at Aspergersville** Way back when, I used to watch General Hospital religiously. I fell out of watching it-until Ed and I began dating. It ends up he was a closet ABC soap watcher, thanks to years of coming home from school to find his mom watching. Each night, when he and I talked (long distance relationship), he'd ask what happened on GH that day. I got back into it, taping the shows and fast forwarding through the commercials. Then I stopped watching. He still watches, off and on-going months without watching, then catching up in a week. Soap Net helps the casual viewer get back on track. Meanwhile, I could watch for a year and I'd still be bugging him "who's that?" There's a spin off show that is only featured on Soap Net, General Hospital Night Shift. The story lines are supposed to run concurrently with what happens on GH, with many of the same characters. It was on tonight, and wow, I recognized three characters. With that, one of them (J...

If we lived even 5 miles further south, we would have had rain all day. Instead, the only rain we had was around 8:30. Then again, they're saying this storm will boomerang, so we may still see the tail end of the storm. A few pictures from earlier this evening. I'd looked into the other room, and there was bright orange light coming through the window. It made me think of when Roy is out with his utility truck in "Close Encounters" and the space ship hovers over him.

Fay made landfall in Florida. So far, she's been fairly quiet in these parts-kind of like the friend and coworker of years ago. Since I *did* have a friend named Faye, does this count? Do I need to warn the rest of Florida of the storms named after friends and family? Maybe I should. In that case, we should worry about these: 2008 Nana (we called my grandmother Nana, but it wasn't her given name-does that count?) 2009 Bill (my stepdad) If we include Ed's relatives in the mix, then Fred will come visit Peter (my brother and we're seriously screwed on that one, folks) Theresa (aka Legacy, though her given name is Therese-again, we're fucked) 2010 Lisa (a former friend, but she'll probably end up like Fay) Paula (we're IMing right now, I have to tell her we can't be friends anymore! LOL) Walter (aka Socrates, but that one will loop around aimlessly) 2011 We are safe, because middle names have never been a factor. I'll be sure not to befriend anyone...

I lost my job today. The writing was on the wall. It's a commission job and the customers were few and far between. The other department would get five walk ins to my side's one. If you were the person "Up" and waiting for the next customer to walk in and wander right as they entered the door, you'd be waiting a while. A half hour, hour, maybe even an hour and a half. I think the record was two hours. We started with a compliment of 13 on our side, and quickly lost one to something more promising at Coca Cola. Another left soon afterwards for a factory job. Then one was fired for non performance for going nearly $2000 into draw. One moved into Customer Service, another the Warehouse. We were left with seven, and still the majority of us ended up in draw each pay period. Last week, I got a final warning. It's hard to work, knowing you're failing at what you're doing, that the reasons why the customer isn't buying right now are valid. In q...

I moved to Florida in 2004, and rapidly experienced several hurricanes. At the time, I joked about the fact that the hurricanes that hit the state were named after relatives or close family friends. Charlie (my prank playing great uncle), Frances (the great aunt who had a lot of grace) and Jeanne (my mom's BFF that she found when she moved to Florida). Since then, I've joked that a storm had to be named for someone I know before it comes inland here, rather than further up the east coast or the gulf. Now Fay is staring us down and Ed brings up my coworker/friend Faye, that this may be another interesting ride. Are we prepared? Somewhat. Thanks to scouting and camping, we've got plenty of gear that would get us through a power outage of up to a week. On the other hand, I don't usually stock up on water, so we're short on that front. I'm thinking the fridge in the garage is going to gain a few pitchers tonight and tomorrow. I've got the makings for La...

I'm wondering if it's time to put the Sunday thing to bed. Of all the posts, only SSS receives very few comments-most weeks not getting any. Just putting it out there that I may stop it... The other night, a coworker gave me a ride home, as Ed and the boys were at the Drive In watching Clone Wars. This is the gentleman who surprised me with his love for jazz a few months back, so it was only natural that the radio in the car was tuned to the Orlando jazz outlet. A song came on, the three of us in the car were happy to hear a blast from the past and blog fodder had arrived. The song? Ace's "How Long." If you're the average person, you may be wondering why that one song from the 70's merited a blog entry. The reason why it's notable in my book is that it is the first hit featuring vocalist Paul Carrack. Since then, Paul has had several solo hits, but he's also fronted many bands who hit the charts and has been a part of even more. Are you f...

This Olympics snuck up on us. We hadn't paid any attention to the sports casters, the previews or the hype prior to the events. Instead, this household started watching the second day-we didn't even see the epic opening ceremonies. My plans were simple: watch swimming and gymnastics, for the speed and grace that the competitors show in abundance. There have been some nail biting events over the past few days, but gosh, tonight was incredible viewing! Congrats to Dara Torres, in our hearts, you're a gold medalist. Kudos to Usain Bolt, for clearly showing he's the fastest man in the world and Constantina Dita-Tomescu for making marathon running interesting. Finally, thanks to the 4x100 medley relay team of Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen, Jason Lezak and Michael Phelps for a nail biter of a race. It was compelling viewing. Major kudos to Ian Crocker for displaying the same sportsmanship that was shown to him four years ago. He offered up his slot on the medley relay...

**If you're squeamish, skip over this post! Anyone with instructions for how to create a jump in Blogger, I am all ears. My Stupid Leg (trademark pending) has been giving me fits this week. The burning numbness has ramped up to a level that is hard to ignore. Sleep has been fitful. When you look at it, though, it isn't as bright red and inflamed as in the past. I need to consult with Nurse M, but I suspect that both of these happening in conjunction with each other probably means the circulation in the ankle and leg is improving. When you look at the pictures, the proof is there. Now, I couldn't bring myself to take pictures when it was at its worst, so you're spared seeing the gross stuff. Here's the progression: July 2007********************************************************************** This was right after removing an Unna Boot, which means I don't have a cankle until I stand up. August 2007***********************************************************...

In honor of the Olympics, several spectacular gymnastics displays from Paul Hunt. Enjoy!

Yesterday, the planned agenda for the day were listed. Instead: Gameboy's orientation resulted in a foray into an over crowded parking lot and the discovery that he was missing a TDap booster. We were unable to get his schedule and I stressed about that. Just as well, the place was so packed that we probably wouldn't have gotten more than a minute with each teacher. Sporadic thunderstorms killed the trip to Busch. We'll retry Sunday. Instead, we first tried to bowl, then when that didn't pan out, a movie. No luck. We parents chose to go out to dinner, then back to Bob and Maureens. Damn, movies look good on those new flat panels (drool). As I found out about needing the shot just before we needed to head to Tampa, and we would arrive back after five, I called the Health Department. "Yes, we do shots starting at 8am. You can show up at 7:15, when we start giving out numbers." At 7:45, we were number 58. At 12:45, we were finally done. He was a troope...

Today is a hectic day for us. Chef and I went to his orientation this morning. We met his teacher, got a school supply list (the one on the website is for the 06/07 school year!) and ran into a friend from last year. So far, so good, especially since the big tub of school supplies held everything he needed but the eraser caps. Next, Gameboy's orientation at 1pm. I'm about to print out the narrative I created last year to inform the teachers what makes him tick. It's one thing to have an elementary special ed student. They tend to be in a contained classroom with a handful of other students and the same teacher for a few years. At the middle school level, he's expected to switch classes and deal with at least 4 teachers and 4 paraprofessionals each day. For a kid who hates transitions with a passion, it's torture. The narrative was created to help those who work with him know what his hot buttons are so they can avoid them. This worked great with the teachers...

I've been posting more of life with Gameboy on the other blog, but this one needs to be shared. Last night, CHef and I dropped Gameboy at Boy Scouts while we did some school shopping and preparations. Haircut, shirts for Gameboy and three pairs of pants for Chef (that I don't have to hem, thank God!). The last stop was to Sonic for some promised slushies for the boys and then back to scouts. We entered the room to find Gameboy coming down off the stage to a round of applause. He came up to me, beaming, announcing that he'd just recieved his Tenderfoot. Gameboy had this rank's requirements done for over two months, but we kept stressing that it was his responsibility to get in for a board of review. I'd remind him of this when we attended meetings, but I wasn't intervening with the adults in charge-that was his job. Finally, he got his act together and did the review and saw the fruits of his efforts. He's in a very active troop. I counted well over a d...

It's too early for dinner. I'm going to be at work tonight and won't be doing my usual dinner post. So how about a snack to tide you over? Here's some of our leftover chicken fajitas made into nachos for a late night, Olympic viewing snack. Yum. A hearty THANKS! to Jess of DaysGoBy, for showing a ding dong like me how to do the strikeout! :)

(I can hear Otis Redding whistling as I write the title.) My car is in for a recall for the airbag sensors. I opted to wait here, since this dealer isn’t close to home. I’d been told that it’d be a 90 minute to 2 hour repair, so I figured I’d have time to get some breakfast at Harry’s nearby afterwards. Now it’s almost lunchtime and I’m still waiting. So much for trying that corned beef hash today. In any event, this dealer reminds me quite a bit of the dealer I bought my VW Fox from back in 1988. Small dealer with a very hands on approach. It made me realize just how many VW service departments I’ve seen over the years. Ed has seen more, because all that I’ve dealt with, he has on top of the ones on LI. When you move to a new town, there are the things you take care of right away: utilities and school enrollments. Then you venture forth and determine the preferential things: which supermarket, hairdresser, gas stations, retailers, eateries. Next comes the things that are al...

Ahh, how the blogging world gets to know each other. Mandy posted this and I'm at the top of her list to reply, lol! Two names you go by: 1. Suzanne 2. Sooz Two things you are wearing right now: 1. Sleepy shorts (for about 5 more minutes, time to get ready for work 2. aqua t-shirt Two longest car rides: 1. LI, NY to Orlando to New Orleans (WDW and '84 World's Fair) 2. Maryland to WDW Two of your favorite things to do: 1. surf the net 2. drink wine (alas, I don't do this one all that often anymore. Wah) Two things you want very badly at the moment: 1. take a vacation 2. get My Stupid Leg fixed Three animals you have or have had: 1. Sheba, sheepdog mix 2. Bear. black lab and smartest dog ever 3. TBD Three people who will fill this out: 1. no clue 2. if Joyce had a blog she would do it 3. Sarah Three things you ate today: 1. Eating Hawaiian Pork right now (yum) 2. licked the spoon from the brownies 3. TBD Two people you last talked to: 1. Ed 2. Jane Two things you'...

how Facebook can put up in "People You May Know" the matron of honor of someone I do know. We have nothing else in common, she is not friends with anyone who IS a Facebook friend. I've never sent an email to her, so trolling my email address book doesn't wash here. No, I'm not in contact with the person who's wedding she was in, either. Weird how they came up with her. Small world, eh?

The Music That Reminds Me of Home On this day in 1972, my parents closed on the purchase of the house I lived in until I moved out as an adult. In the intervening 13 years, there were a lot of memories. Today, if I hear certain songs, they remind me of times growing up in that house. "Wedding Bell Blues" was frequently heard on the stereo in the living room, and my Mom would not let it play without singing along, out of tune and all. She loved having that stereo play and her favorite stations were the ones that played the old standards. Similarly, "One Less Bell to Answer", "On Top of the World", "Lucille", and "Come Monday" all remind me of Mondays, when Mom was off and the music played all day while she puttered in the kitchen or worked on some sewing. Jackson Browne, especially "The Pretender", reminds me of Peg and all the hours she controlled the stereo. The early new wave stuff, like the Knack and The Buggles? Socra...

I've been trying to link to YouTube with this video for a week. Man, it is funny. Filthy as all get out, but it still has me rolling each time I watch it. All because I mentioned making Pork Chop Pizza to Ed last week... When I play it back, I'm getting no sound. Maybe it's just my machine, but if you're experiencing the same thing, here's the YouTube link. Enjoy.

In 1984, my Dad, Giggles and I embarked on our second "Southern Exposure" summer vacation. Three glorious weeks, the highlight of which was to be four days at Walt Disney World. This was back in the days when there were two parks, the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT (Center). Epcot (Center) captivated us, because it was similar in feel to the first Southern Exposure trip to the 1982 World's Fair (and the 1984 World's Fair we would attend a week later). Exhibits to show us what technology would bring in the future, pavilions of countries around the world and enough to fill two full days touring that park. All the technology exhibits were housed in two buildings dubbed Communicore, which looked like parentheses flanking Spaceship Earth (the globe that is the park's icon). Most of them were forgettable (and probably laughable now, as the ideas presented were impractical and unfeasible.) One did stand out, and that was the Face to Face booths. The way it worked was tha...

By the end of the month, I'll know where BlogHer '09 will be held. I plan on attending next year, so the polling caught my attention. Alas, Denver and the lure of sleeping on Sarah's couch won't happen. The front runners are: Portland St Louis Philadelphia I haven't been to two of those places, so the odds are that it will be held someplace new and exciting to me. What about you? If you're a BlogHer member, are you going? If not, have you traveled to these locales? Tips for the traveler? If you live in one of these towns, what should a visitor see? I'm trying to plan ahead. WAY ahead, lol...

A coworker of mine once sold the software that Ed utilized on several mainframes with a oouple of employers. Mark is a helpful sort of guy and had suggestions on local employers he could try for jobs in the tech sector. Today, he says to me "Would you consider moving to Europe? Ed could find work over there easily!" I took a half second to answer that HECK,YEAH!, I'd move to Europe. Consider the possibilities: Showing the kids all the things they learn about in the history books (that Momma has always been dreaming of seeing) Eating all the amazing food Drinking all the incredible wines (and touring those wine regions!) Trying fantastic beers all over the continent All the opportunities for photo hunting Immersing ourselves in another language and culture Perhaps attending culinary school Yeah, the possibilities would be incredible. I'm usually too grounded in reality to consider those possibilities. However, the traveler that lurks in my soul took this suggesti...