My vacation (or should I say "Our" vacation?)

I’ve been back from my trip to Cozumel for over a week. I’m approximately two-thirds through with getting my photos ready. I’ve posted a few so far, but I plan to post the others too. I have not had time to sit down and blog about the trip though. I have decided to not blog on here about the diving part of the trip in detail, since only Sarah ends up commenting on those blogs anyway. And since she was there, she knows all about the dives!! But for now, here’s a little synopsis of our trip ….

Sarah and her husband had planned this trip for a while. It was a group trip being run by their LDS (that means Local Dive Shop for those who aren’t scuba-term savvy). Back in April, I was on the phone with Sarah talking about my wanting to plan another dive-oriented vacation, and how the week in Turks and Caicos was looking so insanely expensive that it wouldn’t be worth it. She mentioned about this trip that she and Mark had planned, and sent me the link to check it out. Within a half an hour I was calling her back to let her know that I was booked!!

As it turned out, we both had flights that had a connection, and both my second leg and their second leg were actually on the same flight. So we ended up meeting up at the airport for that flight. Now, Sarah and I have been friends on Tribe and offline by phone and email for the past two years, but have never officially met in person. So this was going to be an extra special trip for that reason alone!! From the minute we saw each other at the airport and hugged hello, we both felt as if we’d been friends forever!! We were lucky to have another passenger switch seats and we were all able to sit together in the same row! That leg of the flight went VERY quickly, as Sarah and I caught up on various things and I began to get to know Mark!

We got to the hotel, had some lunch, and checked into our rooms. My room was directly above Sarah and Mark’s and I joked about hoping not to keep them up with all the crazy all-night orgies I would be having!! (um, just to clarify … there were none! … at least not at my room!)

Anyway, the highlights (on land) from the week were:

1. Meeting Sarah and Mark!! (by far the biggest highlight of my week)
2. Meeting Dorian (our dive master, who we became very good friends with)
3. Meeting new friends Tigger and Hector!
4. Celebrating my birthday (including the flaming shot!!!)
5. Celebrating Sarah’s birthday (including helping Mark execute a special B-day surprise for Sarah!! And making everyone on the dive boat sing the Birthday song to her!!! LOL!!!)
6. Taking an excursion to go swimming with whale sharks!!
7. Getting an AMAZING massage on my last day there!!


The dives that week were amazing!! That week was the first time that I penetrated a wreck, did so many cool swim throughs and caves/tunnels, and actually hit “deco” on a dive! (A “deco” dive is one that has multiple REQUIRED safety stops on your way back up to the surface. Most divers do what are called “No-deco” dives, where one “suggested” safety stop is done at 15 feet beneath the surface for 3 minutes). Also, it was so amazing to be able to get so close to such beautiful creatures as the sea turtles we saw. And I’m beginning to get over my fear of the barracuda, as can be attested by the close-up photo I got of one (not sure if that one’s posted yet, but it will be!!) I will definitely be back to dive in Cozumel again!!!

Anyway, I’m back home now. Back at work, hating it!! And, I’m really missing hanging out with Sarah!!!! I really think that she and Mark should move to NYC!!!!!!!

Blasts from the past

Last night I was on the phone with the laundry service scheduling a pickup (yes, I've decided to be lazy and now I send my laundry out to be done) when I got call waiting. I switched through and the voice on the other end asks "Hi. Is this Lisa _______?" I said that it was and got a really friendly "Hey Lisa! How have you been?" I had NO CLUE who I was speaking with. Well, after a little memory jogging, I realized it was this guy John, who I dated approximately 10 (or more) years ago! I don't remember why things had ended, but the last time we had spoken, he had gotten married, and was moving out of NY.

Current situation, John's divorced (amicably, which seems right to me, since he's such a nice guy) and is living in Dallas.

I've never been to Dallas .... yet! ;-)

Feeling like a ROCKSTAR!!!

The other day I tried my back-end split without the safety lines for the first time! First trick that I tried without them. It was lots of fun.

Well, last night I actually CAUGHT that trick out of lines!!!

We did 2 tries where I threw the trick and the catcher got into position to catch, and we just slapped hands. We did this for a couple of reasons. First, just to check my timing, and height. But also, to see what I would do if I missed, and fell. See if I do miss, I still need to remember to turn to my back before I hit the mat or net. Well, the first two tries went very well, so the catcher asked me if I wanted to try to catch it, and of course I did want to try.

So I went up for a third time while the catcher was up there, threw the trick and caught it seamlessly!

Well, almost seamlessly. Nobody told me that we would only catch and not finish the return. So when I went to do the return, I kinda freaked out the catcher and the instructor who was on the ground! See, I have to take baby steps, and didn't realize that we won't work on the return just yet.

But I caught it, I feel fantastic, and I am walking on cloud 9.5!!!

Video will follow as soon as my friend who took the video emails it to me!!!

FINALLY!!!!! WHAT A THRILL!!!!!

Tonight was the first time I did one of my trapeze tricks out of lines. That mean no safety lines to protect me, nor to "help" me!!!

It was such a thrill!!!!

Here's the video of one of my throws!

www.youtube.com/watch

Cat-titude

I love my cat! She cuddles up next to me when I’m watching TV or in bed at night. She kisses me and gives me the “biscuit-making” paws. She talks to me every morning, and sometimes calls out to me if I’m in another room and wants me near her. She’s so sweet and loving. Well, to me, that is. And at times to my sister who babysits her when I go away. To everyone else she is ready to take out an eye! (although, my ex-boyfriend Billy seemed to have some sort of charm over her, from the very start … she loved him!!) I attribute her aversion to strangers (a stranger being anyone but me) to the fact that she grew up with mainly just me being the only human around. I think it’s more fear than dislike.

I was thinking this morning about the difference between cats and dogs and how we just assume that a cat is going to have what I like to call “cattitude”. Some dogs can have attitude, but it’s not like a cat’s attitude. Dogs are more likely to try to please you. Like that saying goes … Dogs have owners, cats have staff.

Here are just some examples of what I mean by cattitude ….

1. Your cat jumps up onto your bed while you’re sleeping and proceeds to curl up next to you, with her butt sticking right in your face.
2. You verbally scold your cat for doing something she shouldn’t, and you get “the look” in return (the look that says “um, yeah … what-eva!”)
3. You are peacefully stroking your cat, who is purring and happy. Suddenly, she’s had enough … so she swats your hand, and hisses at you, before she runs away with this VERY annoyed look on her face.

These are just three examples of cattitude. Those of you with cats can add more, I’m sure. And you are welcome to do so!

My kind of accident!!

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24707718/

Spring Cleaning

Well, it's that time again. I've decided that since I don't hear from many of the people on my friends list, perhaps it's time to take another look. If I end up taking you off the list, please don't be offended. It doesn't mean that I have anything against you, just that we really don't keep in touch, and it's kinda silly to just be a number on each other's lists.

I'll be going through the list during this week and will be paring down.

A board bunny again???

I was offered another job working at a trapeze rig for this summer. I was at class today at one of the two schools I train at, and it seems that their regular staff will be taking jobs that will keep them away from the NYC area this summer, so they need extra help.

I have to find out the details, but I if I decide to do it, I will only be working one day of the weekend, and keeping the second day as a day to myself! But I'm a bit excited about it!

I’ve been having such strange dreams lately!

Two days ago the dream was that I was at an event, and we were on a cruise ship (I do dream about this often, and I think it’s from when I used to work on ships), but then I needed to get somewhere, so the next thing I knew I was in the garage at my apartment building. But for some reason, my car was not able to be used. But I HAD to get to this place (no clue where I needed to get to, but it was very important that I get there). So I ended up “borrowing” a car! But then I was afraid to get caught, and there were close-circuit TV cameras everywhere. So then I decided to turn around and put the car back. But the cameras had already caught the image. I then woke up.

Last night I had a dream that I was hanging out on a vacation with friends. We decided to go diving. But instead of diving in an ocean, we were diving in something that looked like a greenhouse. But then, some fool opened the door, and the water ran out and all the fish were dead on the floor. So I started to collect them to keep in a scrapbook. Don’t ask!! Then I woke up!

I wonder what’s in store for tonight?