It's true: Florida does make a person old

When I moved down here to Florida I joked that I rapid aged when I crossed the border. Things about me changed: I wanted to eat dinner earlier and be in bed by 10:00 at the latest (this is partially thanks to a 5:00 a.m. boot camp wake up time). However yesterday I added to the ways I'm aging.

As I was getting ready for church, I stood in front of the mirror making sure there wasn't some blatantly obvious detail I missed in preparing myself for my day. Suddenly, I saw something strange in my hair and, ladies and gentlemen, upon further reflection realized that it was a gray hair. I was a little shocked, I mean I'm not even 29 yet- far to young to have gray hairs.

Yes, I know that it is only one hair, but I can't help but believe that this is the beginning of the end. Just over 6 months here and I'm old. Just watch, in another 6 months I'll have dentures.

yuck, yuck, yuck

I don't know why I even read this stuff, but here is a link to an article I just read. I know that the public terminals at the library are kind of gross, but this makes me even more worried about them. Also, kids eat chips and other snacks at the computers more often than I'd like to say. Even after I explain the issues of cleanliness, they still snack- germs and all. Oh well.

Anyhow, I found a link to it on one of my favorite children's librarian blogs called The Monkey Speaks. The name itself is clearly fantastic; moreover, I always find good content here!

look! you can see a timeline of my blogging (or in somecases lack there of)

...or you can create your own. I'll make more later, but this was automatically created when I put my blog address in.
http://www.dipity.com/user/ksmithie/timeline/Kathy_s
Fun! Thanks Dipity!

mmnnn...breakfast sandwiches

I have fallen in love with breakfast sandwiches over the past few weeks! Some good friends came down to visit me (and balmy FL) a few weeks ago, and I was so blessed by their company! It was so great to spend time with people that I love- people that know me and who I know. It isn't as much work as this whole "always meeting new people" thing. It was wonderful to feel so at home in my new home.
Ok, so about the breakfast sandwich connection: my friends picked up all sorts of house warming gifts for me (seriously, I still can't even believe it). One of the gifts is a toaster. My previous toaster had a 20 percent success rate, but most of the time I had to stand with my hand on the button to ensure that the thing worked. My new toaster is fancy. There is just no other word to describe it. It toasts and cooks eggs and breakfast meat for fresh made breakfast sandwiches. Don't be skeptical wondering if this is your thing. I didn't even know how much I love a good breakfast sandwich until recently. Now I'm a little in love with them. We've only known one another for a short time, but I think that we definitely have a future. I like a good hearty bread, a scrambled egg and some sharp cheddar cheese the best, but I'm getting to know all the facets of this meal. Best of all I can't even taste the fish.
My friends even put up a wall sconce and straightened up around my apartment while I was at work. As if their company wasn't enough (WHICH IT WAS). Anyhow, below are a couple of pictures of the the guys (Kendra isn't pictured, but is most definitely equally loved) and a delectable breakfast sandwich.

A personal Tech team










I heart breakfast sandwiches

I'm Invited to a Party!

This is my newest program at the WPBPL- a kindergarten and 1st grade book club! So far I have 12 kids signed up and there is still a month to go! I'm really looking forward to it!

I couldn't make this stuff up - part 3 (my poor shoe)

The day after the cockroach incident I went into work and shared my saga with my co-workers. After sharing the story I went into the staff bathroom. As I stepped near the toilet my foot slid slightly, not enough to make me fall, but enough to cause me to notice the puddle on the floor.
"Maybe it's toilet sweat, or perhaps a mild leak," I though to myself.
I washed my hands and went out and ask my coworkers if the toilet leaks. When Carlo told me that it does leak sometimes, I was reassured. What I stepped in must have been clean toilet water. Five minutes later Carlo walked by my desk and towards the bathroom. He looked very serious when he came back from the restroom. Then he told me that it was not a leak. The toilet only leaks in the back. "You should probably wash your shoe," he finished.
My poor shoes. It was a rough couple of days for them.
Anyhow, it turns out that I have a coworker who is known for occasionally "missing."
Awesome.

I couldn't make this stuff up - part 2 (they're creepy and they're kooky)

You all know that I love my apartment; It's charming and within walking distance of so much wonderful stuff (the beach, great shops and restaurants). However, it's old.

Last Thursday, I was prepared to go about my normal Thursday routine: go to work, head to the grocery store, make dinner, clean my apartment, read and head to bed by 10:00 in order to wake up at 5 a.m. the next morning. I truly enjoy my Thursday nights and feel like I can reclaim my life on this lovely night of the week!

As you might imagine from the title of this post, a couple of weeks ago all did not go according to plan. After returning from the grocery store I ate my dinner and cleaned up in the kitchen. However, when I turned the light in my dining room back on I saw something scurry across the floor.

Right.
Something Big.
Almost 2 inches long.
Did I mention it was fat too?
Ok, you get the idea.

"Oh, my gosh," I think to myself, "a cockroach."
So, I did the only logical thing. I grabbed my shoe (and briefly pondered whether it was sturdy enough to kill the mammoth bug). I then smacked the shoe onto said bug until I saw goo ooze out. Yes it was nasty, but at least I knew that thing wasn't going to live to walk another day. Sidebar: cockroaches are incredibly oozy.

I threw the cockroach remains in the trash washed my shoe and then sat back down at my dining room table. "What if I just think that it was a cockroach, but really it was some other bug?" I thought, "Maybe it is even something less nasty, like a cute Florida bug that looks like what I think a cockroach looks like. I mean, I've never seen a cockroach, so who's to say that giant thing that is now dead in my trash really is actually one in the first place."

So, I pulled out my laptop and performed a quick Google image search for "cockroach." What do you suppose I see on my screen? Yep, a bug that appears to be the identical twin to my Thursday night visitor. Yuck.

Well, I should have left it at that, but no. I was freaked out. I had to know more about how to rid myself of what very well might be a infestation. You never know. The following is a list of what I learned about cockroaches along with what ran through my mind at the time:

1. They leave paths in their feces. Paths that allow their families and friends to find their way into my apartment (YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! Mental note: scrub every surface).
2. Females leave egg sacks that contain 40 eggs (Will I recognize an egg sack when I see one. Oh my gosh, I know there are babies just waiting to hatch in my apartment).
3. Egg sacks look like small brown tic tacks (Gross).
4. Some cockroaches FLY (WHAT THE...). I learned this from a co-worker who has been hit in the head by this lovely bug more than once in his life. Um, I think that it goes without saying, but I would have FREAKED out if a cockroach had flown into my head. I didn't want my feet to touch the ground after the incident. Seriously is anyplace safe from these pests?
5. Cockroaches LOVE tropical climates. Most people I told this story to just said "welcome to FL." (Are you kidding me? I didn't know that when I moved. Seriously, I feel betrayed.)

Well, needless to say I haven't seen one since, although I called my landlord who gave me the number of an exterminator. I don't know if the bug poison made a real difference, but I sure feel better. It's probably like airborne though: the difference is all in my head.