The details

       OK, ok ... I did not mean to stage such drama :.:.wink:.:.wink:.:. Actually, I just lost my entry before I had time to save it (darn dial up) and now my in box is filled with inquiries and my comments lines show promise of some of you returning for "details." So, here goes ...

          You may recall me referring to this as "The Month Of The Birthday" <clickThat is exactly what July has turned out to be starting from day one when I found out that I would be working on the 4th of July, and on a Sunday no less.

        Although my birthday is not actually until the 6th, I have always celebrated it on the 4th. A celebration in which it is custom for the employers of my family and friends to give them a paid day off to celebrate with me. It's usually quite the event, <click but not this year.

        Mandy and I did go to Del Ray <click to see fireworks after I got off work, but other than that the 4th of July came and went very quietly this year. Very quietly-indeed. Now I am not one that thrives on being the center of attention, but it was my birthday and maybe secretly I pouted.

        I did receive many birthday E cards and major good wish comments, from all of my friends in J-land. I am very grateful for that. But my Mom and Dad went away for 2 weeks, they attended 2 family reunions in Alabama  < click while they were away, Hmmm-  I wished them well as they set out on their adventure (without Mandy and I). If I secretly pouted they never found out.

        My two older kids, Angie 20, Joey 21, are in Louisiana right now.  I did not spend my Birthday with them. They have so many places to go, people to see and things to do. Secretly I pouted, but they won't ever know.

        My niece Brittney <click had just left for college, she is taking a few summer classes in preparation for the fall when she starts her first full year. Not even a phone call from her! Secretly I pouted, but she doesn't know.

        My sister and her husband were off to Los Vegas with 2 other couples, (Mandy and I stayed with her dog <click while they were living it large in Los Vegas). It seems that Lady Luck was on there side and they could do no wrong - they were winning crazy money; the casino's were comping their dinners, they had their rooms upgraded, they went from taking taxi's around town, to Limo's and they were able to treat the other 2 couples in their party to a very good time. They saw some shows, had lavish dinners and got to do some shopping a few of the exquisite shops in Los Vegas.

        None of us are gamblers, but they did get a good taste of what it's like to get caught up in the glitz and glamor of the game. Secretly I pouted but still, I stayed home with the dog.        This past week has been spent making up the "Unnoticed Birthday."  Wednesday Night <click , I went out for Mexican Food with my sister, Friday Night <click I went out for really good Sushi with my parents and Saturday <click was the day that we really celebrated.

        We got up early, just my sister and I. We headed to Adanelle <click , in the Parkland Town Center. This is one of my favorite little shops when looking for a special gift. I have bought quite a few of my sisters holiday or birthday gifts from there and she had never been.

        While we were there, we  looked at the Jay Strongwater collection. I just gave her one of his beautiful little frames <click, for her birthday. We chatted with the store owner about the amazing door frames at the Strongwater store front on the Vegas Strip. My sister was just there and she said that the door ways were encrusted with the same jewels and crystals found on the little frame. She did not take a picture but,  I would have really liked to have seen it.

         While we were there, Theresa bought herself a cute leather and silver necklace from Brighton and she bought me a pair of Brighton sunglasses. <click. We looked around at a few other new boutiques in the Parkland Town Center. Ohhh ... There were so many beautiful things to see, but we kept our money in our pocket and headed south to Hollywood (Hollywood, Florida) to the very new Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. <click

        OMG, it is so beautiful, the photo of the pool is from the hotel. It's a lagoon spreading out for what seems like acres, with a whole network of caves built in and it has the cutest little tables tucked away throughout the caves. The bar area was surrounded by magnificent waterslides (comparable to the finest theme parks). There were hundreds of brand new white pool chairs covered with bright yellow towels sitting on the whitest, cleanest, most pristine sand you can imagine. It looked just like the beaches in Pensacola.

        The Hard Rock Cafe theme was spread through out the grounds. Inside and out there were awesome displays of memorabilia from music icons in rock history.

             We arrived at the hotel,  around three o'clock in the afternoon and left around ten in the evening. We spent an awesome day winning and loosing, winning and loosing, winning and ultimately loosing a little more than I would like to talk about here.

        When they left Vegas, they had the thrill of living it up and still coming home with so much more than they started with.  On Saturday we too, played like the big dogs only we ended up leaving a lot of our hard earned money behind.    So there, you have it, the details.

                                                             *** Coy ***