Project 365 - July 27, 2010

Bathroom Number Three

So the saga continues . . . when will it end???? After the last piece of molding was stapled into place in Bathroom Number Two, we found a leak in the ceiling in the living room which was coming from the Master Bathroom.

So as of this morning, our tile and toilet and shower was ripped up so that the floor could be repaired (it was basically rotted away and the ceiling came down in the living room simultaneously).

Here are some of the shots that I took this evening after I came home from a lovely cocktail reception at Pier Sixty Six. It was really nice! The weather was absolutely perfectly clear and sunny and up on the top of the hotel, I was on the balcony staring out at the ocean and the Intracoastal and the sunset. Then I came home to this site.

My favorite was the toilet in the bedroom!!

Project 365 - July 14, 2010

Adina's 15th Birthday

For Adina's birthday we drove up to Boca to go to a hamburger joint, since that is what Adina loves to eat.  She really enjoyed the burger as you can see from the photos!

After dinner we headed home for presents and cake.  The real birthday present was a trip to New York City!  Those photos are coming shortly!

Hard to believe that my little girls are growing up so fast.   They will both be Sophomores in the fall, Adina in high school and Rachel in college, so they will both graduate the same year!

Don't want to think about it right now.  I take this day by day.

Project 365 - July 13, 2010

Nancy Makes a Surprise Visit

So I was on my way to the gym. Joel calls me in the car and tells me to stop at the house for a second because he wanted to show me something. So I stopped, I figured it was something to do with the new bathroom.

He pushes me toward the bathroom door, I open it and see a brand new mirror and said,"wow, it is a pretty mirror." And out of the corner of my eye I see movement and there is my friend, Nancy, standing there with two glasses of red wine!!!

I think I screamed REALLY loud. One because it scared me and two because I haven't seen her in two years!!

What a nice surprise. It was a short visit, but we sat in the living room all night talking and eating ice cream and oh, did I say talking??

Project 365 - July 12, 2010

The Starving Artists Competition and Exhibition

I entered four of my photographs into this annual competition called the Startving Artists Exhibition. The contest is presented by Kosh. She only goes by one name. She is amazing because she is working on a daily basis creating exhibitions and juried competitions for emerging and established local artists. Kosh has been encouraging me to enter some of these exhibitions.

Recently I exhibited at the Oakland Park Library and that was one of Kosh's exhibitions. This time I decided to go for this exhibition and see how it went.

Well, I actually won a ribbon! Okay, so it was 12th place, but it was a recognition for the work that I have been doing! It was a thrilling moment to hear my name called. I didn't expect it and I was busy munching on fruit dipped in melted chocolate, but thanks to Jeremiah, he grabbed the food from me and pushed me toward the podium to accept my ribbon and certificate!

These are some of the photos from that evening.

The show is still on exhibit at the Broward County Main Library in gallery six if you want to see it. It closes on Friday, July 30, 2010.

Project 365 - July 11, 2010

The Glades

Broward County is now home to its very own TV show. It is called "the Glades" and it premeiered on Sunday, July 11 at 10 PM on A&E.

Joel and I went to the premiere at Pier Sixty-Six. There were about 1,000 people there mingling and eating and drinking. We saw a few celebrities . . .Jonathan Frakes from Star Trek the Next Generation and a soap star from General Hospital, one that I never watched so I have no idea who he was.

As we walked in there was a "blue carpet" and a photographer to make us feel like we were in Hollywood!  It was weird being in front of the camera for a change.  I was observing the photographer's skills and now that I see the end result can't figure out for the life of me why he took such a wide shot??  With that backdrop you aren't supposed to see anything else but the people and the backdrop.  I had to crop it in, WAY, WAY in!

there were many people there that I knew and got right to work introducing Joel to them!

After feasting on the many different varieties of cheeses, dips, salads and carving station items and then drinking whatever at the many bars set up around the perimeter of the room, we were ushered into a ballroom to watch the premiere of this new television show.  Of course they provided us with popcorn, ice cream and other fattening goodies to keep us happy.

But I liked the show.  In fact, when we went home, I watched it at it's airing time with Rachel to see her reaction.  It isn't overwhelmingly wonderful, but it is written well, filmed well and it is fun to see the South Flroida landscape!

Lets hope the viewing public likes it and the network keeps it in Broward!

Project 365 - July 10, 2010

Unbelievable

Almost done with the bathrooms. . . NOT!!!

In the first photo, Jimi is installing the fan above the toilet. The walls are all painted, the wood trim is edging the walls, the floor has been sealed. All that is left is furnishings.

Then, we walked out into the hallway and looked up and low and behold . . . the shower and toilet in the master bathroom is leaking!

We couldn't believe it. We have to start all over again with bathroom number three!

Project 365 - July 8, 2010

Field Trip

So my colleague and I were confused about two galleries that had the same address. We wanted to know if it was the same owner or two different ones. So we went on a field trip.

The gallery is Gallery 721. It used to be located on Broward Blvd. and now it is off of Andrews on Progresso. It is actually two galleries but one building. The two are Purvis Young and Peter Max. There must be thousands of pieces of work in this building!

Vena and I had a ball wandering through the building and looking at all of these artworks. Some just lying on the floor. I loved the one photo of the cat, Breeze, sitting on Purvis' artwork because that is exactly how unassuming the artist was in life. He was a self-taught, street artist.

In fact, he lived at this studio until his death at 67.

Then Vena and I went over to The Wheeler Gallery at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale to see Stan Slutsky's artwork. I have known Stan since 1988 and he is quite a character and very talented. His works are based on geometry. The preciseness of his work really is incredible.

It was a nice break from our normal work and these are the photos that I took along the way.

Project 365 - July 2, 2010

Furlough Day

So what does one do on a Furlough Day? A day that one HAS to take off from work and NOT get paid for it? Well, I spent it with my family.

I got up really early (for a day off that is!!) and threw on a pair of shorts and whatever tee shirt I could find, not much make up and a pair of flip flops.

Then it was off to the JCC Day Camp to take the girls to work. But I stayed with Adina for about half an hour because she wanted me to meet "her girls."

This is Rachel with Oliver. They met at the JCC in preschool! Now they are both counselors there. Oliver's twin is also a counselor there!

Adina is being silly with Sarah. They also met at the JCC years ago and are summer friends and CITs at the JCC.

While we were waiting for all of the kids to show up they were playing kickball in their room and others were making lanyard bracelets and others were just being silly 3rd graders.

Who else but Adina would draw funny faces on the bananas?? The campers love it.

Finally we went outside to the playground. I was just getting warmed up with the camera and letting the girls play on this contraption and swing toward my camera and the Junior Counselor announces "hey it is too hot out here, let's go inside and watch movies."

Let me tell you, if I were the mom of these campers I would be complaining that my child didn't get to be outside enough for the amount of money I was paying for camp.

After my adventure with Adina, Joel picked me up and off we went to visit the doctor. Joel needed a check up because he isn't feeling right. He says that he can't explain it, but it is just "not right." So they had to take some blood samples. Don't you think the nurse looks a little bit too happy about this??














After a quick stop at home to see if Jimi showed up to work on the bathroom (he didn't) we picked up Gert and headed out to lunch. Gert and I both had Asian chicken salads . . . yum.. . . and laughed a lot at lunch. Although she was quite nervous. Her daughters want her to move into an Independent Living Center. She wanted our opinion of the place so after lunch we drove over to check it out.

The apartment is actually very, very nice with a beautiful view of the Inverrary Golf Course. She just is so sad that her lifestyle is going to change. We tried to talk to her about how she can still do whatever she wants to do, whether she uses their transportation, or have the woman that cares for her drive her around or even take a cab if she feels fiercely independent. But emotionally this is the hardest thing that she has to do.

When we took her back home I walked her into her house and we looked at all of her furniture and I told her to take it all with her, with exception of the bed which won't fit. And to paint the walls any color.  She wants  a red leather couch for the den area, so I told her to treat herself and get it! . I told her that she needs to surround herself with all of her familiar things to make herself comfortable.

Joel and I will be there for her, but her daughters have to make these decisions with her.

So Jimi FINALLY showed up at around 4 pm. Here are a few previews of what the downstairs bathroom will look like. I really wanted my RED!!!