Andrae tagged along too (no he doesn't want to go there)...
The tour was 1 1/2 hours long. After walking all over the campus...this is how we felt when we were done...
It was pretty exhausting.
URI is a great school. It's a gorgeous campus with beautiful buildings and facilities. The dorms appeared to be the oldest of the buildings on campus but they did say they are opening a brand new apartment style dorm in 2020 which is great. They have a very good nursing program which Julia is considering at the moment. I'm just not so sure it's a big enough campus for her? And it was a little quiet today...on a Saturday...which concerns me a little bit. It could have been where we were on campus at the end of the tour? And it appears to be in a very rural area. But what a gorgeous ride over there! I guess we'll have to wait and see what some of these other campus tours are like before she starts to narrow down her choices.
Danny and I had a fabulous time in Miami Beach! We loved it so much last year that we went back again this year. The first few days were crazy windy with off and on rain but then it cleared up and it was absolutely gorgeous. We stayed at the Loews Hotel again which is just beautiful...
We were totally pampered by the hotel staff and ate lunch by the pool every day...
We even got another couples massage!! Our room was upgraded to an ocean front suite this year. It was so pretty and really cozy!!
This was the view from our room...
We watched the cruise ships leave the port everyday...
The hotel is in the perfect location where we could walk everywhere. So many great places to eat, shop and really fun night life. We found two really great places to eat breakfast every day that were both delicious and inexpensive...one was Finnegan's Way and the other was the 11th Street Diner...
The best diner pancakes I've ever had...
I wanted to go to a nightclub that had entertainment like a band or something and this place kept coming up in my google search so we decided to go. It's called Mango's Tropical Cafe...
Well there was entertainment for sure! At first I was like...oh dear...what the heck is this!!
But honestly it was so much fun!!! And so much talent!! The acts were very clean. There was constant entertainment on the stage and the live bands were amazing!! There was no way I was getting out on the dance floor with all the fabulous salsa dancing going on around us! So we just people watched all night!
After getting home super late and falling fast asleep all cozy in our bed...the fire alarms went off in the hotel at 2:00 a.m.! I woke up and started banging the heck out of the alarm clock on the night stand thinking that was the noise I was hearing. Haha!! Then Danny told me he thought it was the fire alarm. Being on the 7th floor, I was super nervous so we threw on whatever clothes we could find and went out into the halls with a ton of other sleepy confused hotel guests. We finally all found our way to the stairs (of course after the fact we found out there was a stairwell directly across from our room) and made our way down 7 flights of stairs. Turned out it was a false alarm thank goodness caused by an ice machine on the 14th floor. But that darn alarm went off for over an hour! Ugh! We finally got back into bed around 3:30 a.m. What an adventure!
Our last night there we took an Uber down to the Bayside Marketplace and went on a 1.5 hour boat tour to see all the waterfront mansions and the city lights. It was gorgeous! My pictures don't do it justice...
It really was a perfect vacation. This was only our second trip away without kids so it was much needed and appreciated! We knew the kids were just fine with my sister. We highly recommend Miami Beach for a super fun and gorgeous getaway!!
Auntie Kimmy took the kids apple picking again this year while Danny and I were in Miami Beach. Hopefully next year we can take them because I really miss going...
I met Therese my sophomore year of high school through the marching band. We ran in the same circle of friends. Therese was always so kind and sweet. I never ever heard her say one bad word about anyone. She knew how to get along with others and knew the meaning of being a true friend. And she was smart. She worked so hard in school forever studying and putting so much time and effort into her schoolwork. We went off to the same college for our freshman year. I didn't see her a lot after transferring but ironically we ended up living in the same town years later. I ran into her at the hair salon and a few other places from time to time as well as all our high school reunions over the years. She always looked so put together, healthy and very happy with that gorgeous smile of hers. The last time I saw Therese was at a restaurant here in town. I'm so glad we had that last time to chat. Again she seemed so happy and healthy and most definitely in a good place. I don't know exactly what happened in the end but I heard she took her own life. So many questions that I will never get answers to, but I'm just sad I wasn't able to say a proper goodbye.
Therese, you were a sweet kind soul. I'm grateful to have known you. I know you were loved and will be missed by your children, family and friends. I hope you have found peace.
Therese Marie Hastry
JANUARY 9, 1965 – AUGUST 30, 2019
Therese standing next to me...back row in the red sweater...sweet high school memories...
The reboot of 90210 went way beyond my expectations. Not only was it good but it was so FUNNY!!! You really need to be a die hard fan though like me to truly get and appreciate all the inside jokes. Anyone who knows me knows how much I ADORE Shannen Doherty / Brenda. Well she was absolutely hilarious in the reboot! The cast plays an exaggerated hilarious version of themselves. Like this scene. Shannen loves animals in real life...all animals...and is a true advocate. If you follow her Instagram account you would see that. So this is her making fun of herself on the show...not only for notoriously being late and difficult to work with back in the day of the original 90210 but also for her love of animals...
And this scene where she makes fun of herself again about her reputation back in the day for negotiating for more money than her cast members...
And this scene where she makes fun of the real newsletter that "fans" back in the day made about her character Brenda...called the "I hate Brenda newsletter"...so funny!!
And there are so many more scenes that I love too...like when Shannen meets Jamie Walters / Ray Pruit for the first time who was on Season 6 and she says..."Who are you" and he says "Who are you???"....and then he tells her he was on Season 6 and she says..."There was a season 6?!?!?" (she left after Season 4) and then she whispers in her phone..."Siri, how many seasons of 90210 were there?" Haha!! Then the notorious fight Tori, Jennie and Shannen had over all showing up to a photo shoot with red dresses on back in the day...and they ended the final episode of the reboot with them all showing up with red dresses on and arguing about it again. So funny!!
The reboot was soooooo awesome! I hope there's a Season Two!!!
I love this picture so much...the days when they would all pile on the couch nice and clean after showers at night to relax and watch TV with us before bedtime. And the laughter...I remember it like yesterday...they were watching an episode of SpongeBob...
When we are in a state of overwhelm, it is good to
stop focusing on the negative. We can
never find a good solution when we only see limitations. Take a deep breath. Let your shoulders, face, and scalp
relax. Turn the whole situation over to
the Universe. Say to yourself repeatedly:
All is well. Everything is
working for our highest good. Out of
this situation only good will come. We are
safe.
Then focus on what you could envision as the perfect
solution. What is the ideal scene? Put your intentions down on paper. Hold to this vision. Do constant positive affirmations. Then relax and let the universe work out how
they will manifest. - Louise Hay
ALL THREE in high school...12th, 11th and 9th. What happened to the days of sending them all off to elementary school together and waiting for the school bus in the driveway??? Now they all hop in a car together and drive away. Oh the pain...
The last first day of grade school for Nicholas...who has a cold and isn't feeling his best. Julia is cool as a cucumber as always. And then there's Gianna...who was a total basket case last night right before bed trying to find the right outfit. She tried on a ton of clothes (with Julia's help) that are now all over her bedroom floor...broke down in tears a few times...flung herself on the floor and bed a couple times too...didn't want a hug from her Mama...just so stressed and didn't know what to do with herself. But that's Gianna. She'll be just fine after a day or two.
I know my kids so well and feel every ounce of their anger, frustrations, sadness and fears.
Then there's my anxiety...worrying about the three of them for every imaginable reason...and all driving in the same car...
But I have to trust that they'll all be just fine and have an awesome year.
Now I need to go do this...
and then make a traditional first day of school after school snack. Muddy Buddies it is! Yum!!
I see Nicholas from time to time slipping downstairs to get drinks and stuff snacks into his pockets...and he'll always stop to give me hugs and tell me he loves me...but this? This was a RARE sighting! Sitting on the couch in the living room?!? What was the occasion you ask? He was waiting for dinner to be ready. That's OK. I'll take it.
