I guess a year in review

Do you ever wonder where time goes?  I sure do.  Here I sit looking at a calendar realizing we are entering the last day of August 2009.  Where has this past year gone and has work truly consumed my time yet again?  Compared to the many years of my past I have gotten more vacations in than I have ever before.  Wow ~ me time.  That is truly an amazing feet for those who do not know me. 

 I was able to enjoy a wonderful trip to Orlando with my father in January.  Yes so long overdue Father / Daughter time.  We had a wonderful time and of course the week we go to Florida it wasn't the warmest week but it sure was fun.  And we got to eat at Emeril's .  What an amazing dinner that was.  And no matter how fantastic the meal was, dessert was by far the standout of the evening.  I had the most incredible banana cream pie of my life.  And thank goodness Emeril has the recipe published so I am able to recreate that slice of heaven and do I ever mean a slice of heaven.  If you love bananas you must have this decatant recipe.  There's noting else like it.  

Then I traveled home to upstate New York for the first time in almost 3 years.  It was an emotional trip for me.  The first time home since my mothers passing and my fathers big move after selling my child hood home.  So going home was very different.  I wasn't going home and sleeping in my old room this time.  But I did stay at my dearest friends home with her family and couldn't of asked for a more relaxing and enjoyable week.  

The excitement of the week was truly filled with seeing many high school friends that I have not seen in 25 years.  Yes a few of us decided to have an un-official 25 year class reunion and it even ended up falling on the actual "25" year anniversary from our actual graduation.  Thanks to Facebook actually our planning came together and we had a wonderful evening with great food, laughter and some cocktails.  And well the realitization that when you've lived away from home over twenty years that you and your girlfriend who also moved away many years ago to another part of the country end up getting lost in your hometown have a wonderful adventure of trying to figure out where the heck you are.  You realize how much you can be homesick.  Wendy thanks for the laughter on that adventure.  Leave it to us to get lost.  But the two of us will agree the moment was priceless.  Sure glad we planned our evening out.  It is a moment I will cherish forever.  My week home went by way to fast and sure wished I had time to see more people and would of had more time with my grandfather.

Then my adventure to Myrtle Beach with some of the greatest and craziest friends I know.  Great weather, awesome food, much laughter each and every moment of the day.  For those who travel to MB - a must stop is at Barefoot Landing.  The amazing restaurant of Umbertos.  Do not miss the amazing food and great service.  Our day of jet skiing and a few of us beaching our jet ski's.  Do you realize how heavy those darn machines are?  It was an amazing trip that I got much needed R&R.  I enjoyed a good book and some long awaited sunshine.  And cannot wait to go back and shop at the Southern Pearls Store.  Fabulous jewlery that was just gorgeous to say the least.  

So yes 2009 has been a good year.  We are now talking about returning to Canada again for another lil' vacation.  I sure hope we are able to go.  I really enjoy Canada and I am hoping that if this trip does come together that I will be meeting a pen pal of mine.  I truly love Montreal and hope we can venture off to Quebec this year.  Someday I hope to get over to Europe but for now this is our closest shot.