Prayers needed...

Any prayers we could get would be greatly appreciated. We are applying for a new rental tomorrow and we would really like to get this house. So anyone out there that could lend a moment or two please help us pray in trying to get this particular house.

Thank you in advance!

One down... two to go...

One class down....

I finished up my first grad class as of this evening and from the look of things I have an "A" in the class. This was my Tuesday night studio class. For all that are wondering, I got a 93/100 on my assemblage project. To be honest I felt it was a fair grade and I am happy that this class went so well. Having the studio class to balance the written work of my other two classes was a good idea, especially for my first semester.

I am going to repeat this class in the summer (since I can repeat it for credit 3 times). The special thing about the summer is the fact that it is held at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smryna and it is only 10 days. So basically, I am going to be squishing all that I did in a 13 week class into 10 days (approximately 1 day or so per week). This should be fun.

I am looking forward to seeing how the rest of this semester is going to finish as well as to see how the rest of my masters career is going to pan out.

Easter= Rollercoasters and the Facts of Life

Seaworld for Easter

Easter sun rising over Kracken... Ahhhh Orlando

Just as the sun was beginning to rise

Big Daddy Weave jamming out at the sunrise service at Seaworld

Happy Easter!

This morning Ricky and I went to Seaworld for their Easter Sunrise Service. Apparently a local radio station has sponsored this particular event for the past 32 years and once again I had no idea it was even an option. I seem to be discovering all of these annual events in Orlando after I have lived here for almost 9 years. 

The weather was gorgeous this morning. There was a nice breeze and since the sun hadn't risen yet, it was still nice and cool. We got there at about 6:30AM, but a very large group had arrived before us. I would say there were at least 6,000 people there. The Christian group, Big Daddy Weave was playing the musical portions of the show and Lisa Whelchel (aka Blair from the Facts of Life) was the main speaker. Aside from the fact that she has a very high voice and rambles on a bit, she was a pretty interesting speaker. The best line of the whole thing was when she stopped for a moment to go off on a tangent to say, "If carbs are so bad for you, why is Jesus the bread of life?" I thought that was a great point (and rather amusing at the same time.) It was a very nice service with good music and a great setting. I was joking around with Ricky saying that it doesnt get much more "Orlando" than watching a sunrise service come up behind the twists of Kracken. How many places can you say that you were enjoying a nice church service while watching the Kracken cars being tested in the background. It was great and definitely my kind of service. 

We met up with a friend of ours for the service and then decided to have a nice breakfast at Denny's. We had the most energetic server on the planet (Tabetha) who definitely made our trip for breakfast an interesting one. After breakfast we headed to Port Orange and spent the afternoon watching the Masters and having a lovely dinner. It's always nice to spend some time with family and friends. 

I hope everyone had a great Easter weekend and don't forget, Easter candy goes on sale tomorrow... I'm just saying...

Mardi Gras Part III: Hammer Time!

Ricky and I at Universal for Mardi Gras.. my new phone takes pretty good pictures

Ricky waiting for the concert to start.. we got closer this time

This past weekend, Ricky and I went to Mardi Gras for the 3rd time this year. We started with Barenaked Ladies to Collective Soul, and Saturday we finished it off with MC Hammer. If for no other reason than morbid curiosity I knew it was going to be a show we were going to go to. Ricky was incredibly excited and could barely contain his excitement. 

Aside from the fact that we sat and waited for several hours, we managed to get relatively close to the stage this time around. We didn't want to be too close because we knew there would be crazed Hammer fans who had had a little too much to drink in the front section. We wanted to avoid that as much as possible. 

The concert started later than the rest of them for whatever reason, but we didn't mind the late start time. What we did mind were the two Universal employees that were on stage in between the parade and the concert to kill some time. There was a guy in flesh tone stretchy pants who couldn't have been more nauseating. It got to point where they were being booed. It was bad. 

Finally, Hammer decided it was time to start. The problem was that after every song he was taking a break as if he was just not up for it. Under normal circumstances at a concert, people will have planned breaks that they talk or engage the audience in some way. This was not the case. There was basically silence as he figured out what was going on. It kind of killed the vibe of the concert. Granted, He did sing multiple songs that I thoroughly enjoy, including the Addams Family song (which made me very happy), but the delays killed the flow.

The final song was, of course, Can't Touch This. Hammer decided he wanted to bring half the audience on stage to join him for the song, which would have been cool except for the fact that it took like 20 minutes of boredom. I will say that there one guy that couldn't have been more "white," but I will say he could do the dance better than some of the dancers. He was nailing it and Ricky and I could not stop laughing because it was such a shock to see him do it so well. All I have to say is that if its not on YouTube it should be. 

All in all it was a fun night because Ricky and I spent time together, but Hammer is definitely showing him age. It was a fun night and although I felt old when he said he album came out 20 years ago (and I realized I was in 3rd grade.. and actually remember that album coming out) it was fun to relive a piece of childhood that was so controversial so many years ago.

Say What?

Ok so the question of the day is.. Who can translate the fortune cookie correctly?

"Nothing happines but first a dream."

Now I know some of you may be thinking, that word is spelled wrong, but I have taken it directly off the fortune cookie fortune. So anyone have any ideas?

I must admit my fortune was much more uplifting by saying, "Any rough times are behind you." That made me feel better. 

House Hunting

Well today was a somewhat productive day. I went out to view a couple houses in Avalon that are potential choices. The first house I went to see was not quite what I was looking for. They had a very strange layout with 3 bedrooms downstairs and one upstairs that was essentially a loft. They were using it as a bedroom because it did have a bathroom and a closet, but there was no door so no privacy. The other negative was the split layout made for very small family living areas. The best part was the kitchen that had stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. Unfortunately, the individuals who currently live in the house are smokers and the entire house reeked of smoke. And in case that wasn't enough, they had a dog that was drooling all over the place. So on that note... no thank you. So I had hopes that maybe the next house would be better.. and it was by leaps and bounds.

Its on a nice little corner lot, still in Avalon Park, but closer to Timber Creek High School in a gated community. The house opens up into two split rooms that can work as a formal dining area and a whatever room. Then you walk into the open area that has a large kitchen (basically eat in) and the family room area. Its about the same size as the one we have currently as far as rooms go, but it might be a bit larger because it is more square. To the left side of the house are 2 bedrooms and a bathroom. The second bathroom is smaller than the one we have upstairs, but its about the same size as the one we had in our house growing up. To the right is the master bedroom. This is were it gets interesting. The master has an extra little area for seating I am assuming, but they had it set up like an office. The master bath is about the size that we currently have, but the closet is actually in the back of the bathroom. I found that to be interesting. I have never lived in a house were that was the case. It has a decent sized backyard, with a small little porch. This house is definitely on the possibilities list. Its a good size and I like the layout. 

I think the problem that I am having is that I really love the house we are in. I love the size, location, layout and everything. I just wish we didnt have to move. 

Moving... Again?

Ugh.... so here's the situation for those of you who haven't heard yet...

We have to move yet again. I am so sick of packing up and moving everything I cannot even explain it. I just want to settle down in a place and know that I wont have to rewrap everything in bubble wrap in less than year. The homeowners decided that they want to move out of state and want to sell their houses. They don't want to deal with the rental once they move so that leaves us with the option to buy or move to a different rental. Considering the fact that we cannot get approved for a mortgage, the option goes to moving. Oh joy!

So tomorrow I am looking at a few other homes in Avalon Park. We have started the process because our lease is up the first of June and we are going to be away for a week in May. Considering the long process for renting, we decided we really needed to start looking now. So tomorrow I continue our search. I am looking at 2 homes tomorrow and who knows, maybe I will find the right one. 

I think in the back of all of our minds we are hoping something happens so that we can stay in this house, but in the meantime I am exploring our options. 

What a pain!