I bought this domain in August of 2003. I don't really remember why, but I wanted a new domain, and sat about with Winter and wrote a long list of words I liked, or associated with myself, and then started putting them together. Somehow that ended up as ambertides.
A month later we moved to this area. It wasn't until next spring that we drove by the Amber Tides motel while fruitlessly looking for a parking space at the beach during Spring Break. I did one of those headsnap things going "Did I just see that?"
I still giggle.
I made Shawn choke on our soda the other day. We were in the checkout line at Publix, and saw new Diet Pepsi Jazz Strawberries & Cream. We're insane about trying new sodas (Shawn's a soda junkie, I just like trying them). So we got it.
Standing in the kitchen, we tried it for the first time. Me first, then Shawn. While Shawn was drinking I said: "Strawberries and cream bleach!"
This is a bit of a running gag. See, it's been so long since I've had artificial anything (short of occasional fast food runs and American cheese) that sweeteners at this point taste, literally, just like drinking bleach to me. I almost spit out the Kool-Aid I tried last month, and reading the ingredients, found they put artificial sweeteners even in non-sugar-free Kool-Aid.
So, no bleach for me, please. If water doesn't cut it, I'll just have to be stained.
Wikimapia's title is "Let's decribe the whole Earth!" Well, I wouldn't be able to do that by far, but I did spend an hour or so this morning describing bits of Dunedin- the library, the elementary school, Pioneer Park, Walgreens, and so on. Well, I could do better with actually describing, but I did get them on the map. The nitpick in me wanted to go back and edit all the "all caps" additions other people did, but I limited myself to things that were misspelled.
The aerial data for the area so needs updating. Clearwater Mall hasn't been a true mall like the one shown since before we moved here.
One day early last year we accidentally stumbled upon the best cookies I've ever had. I think they've got the best milkshakes, too, but Shawn disagrees on that point. The place is called The Serious Cookie Company. The website is for a Naples location, and you can buy them online, but I don't know for sure if they're as good as ours on the beach (483 Mandalay Ave., Clearwater, FL.)
They're heavenly - the centers tasting almost like eating warm cookie dough, and we had a buy one get one free coupon, so today we brought home a pound of cookies to munch on for a while.
Mmmmmmmm.
As I curled up on the couch and watched the sun rise on Shawn's last day of vacation, I teared up a bit. It was such a beautiful, simple week that I didn't want to let it go. We stayed up late every night, slept in past noon every day. He woke me up with "my sweet Alix" (my favorite thing to be called, seconded by the "blue eyes" he used to call me when we were dating) and breakfast in bed one morning. We really didn't do anything but swim one day, hang out at Barnes & Noble another, go shoe shopping, a few errands, for cookies, and to our coffeeshop.
Homebody that I am, it was perfect. We were lazy and childlike, and it was beautiful.
Today is one of those days where it seems like everything goes right.
Before bed I read some emails that made me smile huge. It's so wonderful to have people back in my life who understand and appreciate me.
This morning my ultrasound went okay. I got my hair cut, and they did a good job (actual layers rather than just angling), though my hair is still kinda lifeless these days. Thinking of getting a perm or some color. Maybe a glaze.
Shawn and I went out on a date and were feeling positive enough to talk about baby stuff - whether we want to know the sex (yes), secondary names because of Shawn's obsession with twins (Rose and Chris), and whether anyone would make the trip across state for the delivery (probably not).
We had really good food at Angelino's. A little pricey ($50 for Shawn's soda, two meals, salads, bread, cheese sticks, and a 25% tip), but they bring you enough for leftovers for a week. And we stopped for dessert at Baskin-Robbins.
Then we came home to find out insurance paid for our baseline ultrasound. We'll see if they pay for the ones today and Sunday. If they do I'll be amazed and overjoyed. It'll let us stuff all this money away for injectibles cycles ($2k per) if we need them, or paying our $400 Genzyme bill without having to go back into debt if we don't.
The one thing that went wrong was Blockbuster sending us the wrong disc. Again. As much as I like the coupons, I'm getting really tired of their shitty service.
But if you could see me today, you'd see I'm glowing.
