January 17, 2008
The Ca d' Zan mansion.
Every time my friend Shell has come down to visit, the John and Mable Ringling mansion, the Ca d' Zan, was closed.
They spent years renovating it, restoring it, to all the beauty and amazement it held while they were alive.
In 1924, they commissioned New York architect Dwight James Baum, to build their dream house. Though Ca d'Zan may translate from the Venetian dialect into "The House of John," the project was always listed on Baum's plans as "the home of Mrs. John Ringling," and Mable was the principal contact for much of the construction and decoration of the interior. The mansion was completed in 1926, and would soon become the epicenter of cultural life in Sarasota, evoking the Venetian Gothic palaces admired by the Ringlings. Lavish parties were held with orchestras serenading guests from the Ringling yacht to the lovely marbled terrace.
Shell and I took the premium tour, that means being allowed to tour the rooms of the house that regular visitors do not get to see unless they pay extra.
It was just Shell and I, one tour guide who was a sweet old woman with a fear of heights, (I'll explain this later) and one security guard.
When touring these rooms, no more than seven people are allowed to go at a time, that includes the guide and the security officer, for safety reasons.
If there were ever a fire at the mansion, trying to get more then seven people back down all 89 steps, would be time consuming and dangerous.
The mansion is absolutely beautiful.
The exterior and interior, are simply gorgeous.
All images are clickable for bigger.
More pictures below the cut.
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September 13, 2007
I'm doing something for me...
But I need your help.
Ok, I finally made the decision to buy myself a digital camera.
Amazon has two cams on sale.
They have this one, a Canon PowerShot A460 5.0MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom (Silver)
If I do not buy either of these in say, the next 3 hours, I'll spend the next 6 months having mom guilt, and not buying one at all.
Help me pick the best one!
Please!
Vote until 8:18pm tonight or else I won't buy one for myself!!
August 16, 2007
Picture pages, picture pages.
Mark was feeling better, so I made him the home made hot wings I was supposed to cook for his birthday last night.
All I do is dump the wings on a cookie sheet, sprinkle them with a ton of cayenne pepper, and dump a whole bottle of hot sauce on them.
I bake them for about 45 minutes till done.
He ate the whole cookie sheet himself, (about 30 wings) except for those last 4.
Last night when Sebastian and I walked up to 7-11, this is what we saw upon entering the parking lot.
Four police cars. I thought the place might be getting robbed or something, but no, they were all (8 officers in total) just standing around inside drinking slurpies and coffee.
Do you think it's time for a haircut yet?
July 2, 2007
My day keeps going.
I watched Sicko right here from my chair, even though some home theater seating would have been oh so cool.
I did have popcorn.
Wanna watch it too?
Then I got a phone call from some political survey peoples.
They should have called me before I watched Sicko.
I got a box with a bottle of really nice hand lotion sent to me.
At my "brand."
Yeuss.
Gloves in a bottle.
It has little hands all over the label.
Just noticed that.
Hee hee.
I have some samples, want a sample? Let me know.
I'm having a crazy emotional day.
Up down, sneeze, cough, laugh, cry, pissed off, joyed.
Crazy really.
July 2, 2007
Kwik-E-Mart
Even in my sicky state, I realize that 7-11 is doing Simpsons promos, so off we went to our corner "Kwik-E-Mart" to get us some Squishees.
Sebastian had to have the last 2 Simpsons donuts.
Aww, happy Simpsons fans with Squishees and donuts.
The special straws (that you buy separately) have magnets that are now making a home on our fridge.
I may have to go back for Apu.
And for me, the awesome mom who walked to the 7-11 Kwik-E-Mart with a fever and snotty nose, the last Krispy Kreme cinnamon roll.
Pure bliss.
More pictures of my day will be coming along later.
July 2, 2007
My day so far.
I woke up still sick.
See? Me sick, hair unruly, blah de sucky, but I still rock.
Heh.
Then Mark mows the lawn.
See the way my neighbor parks? Yeah. This will not be happening much longer.
I'm oh so freaking annoyed with half my carport being taken up like this day in and day out.
It rains and the cab I take home from the grocery store, can't even get under my own carport roof.
This will be rectified the next time she moves her van to go anywhere. Yes indeedy.
I have a plan.
When I'm sick, my sick mind thinks of sick and twisted plans.
What? Ask her not to park like that?
I have.
For 2 freaking years.
The days of asking nicely have long since passed.
And ta-da, my new mail box, minus my house numbers.
Purtiful.
Oh, it's gonna rain today.
Again.
January 10, 2006
Downtown.jpg
Almost home.January 10, 2006
Without It.jpg
I would seriously hate these days.January 10, 2006
Going.jpg
People are dressed like its 20 degrees. ha!November 15, 2005
Holy friking long day.
My doc appointment was at 8:30 this morning. Do you think I was seen at 8:30?
The answer is no.
And while in waiting room hell, there was this guy who got there at the same time I did and didn't fucking shut his damn mouth once the whole time we were waiting. Two and a half hours I listened that idiot blather on and on and on. I wanted to beam him in the head with my coke bottle to make him shut the fuck up. Everyone was annoyed with him and one woman even told him to give it a rest.
Do you know what he said to us?
Pay me.
He said to pay him a dollar and he would shut up.
Fuck you asshole. Just shut the fuck up I finally said really loudly.
The receptionist just looked at me for a second and then smiled.
I said what everyone was thinking and people laughed and chuckled and said right on.
He shut up.
Then I got called back.
I sat in waiting room hell until 11am then I was finally brought back to an exam room where we played a game of get on the table and off the table.
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July 22, 2004
Picture pages. Picture pages.
This guy had the coolest windblown hair ever. It was like standing up and pointy. Very cool. Stared straight ahead and only glanced over once he realized I took his pic.
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July 21, 2004
Smile.
This is Rick the cabbie. Rick the cabbie likes club music. Lots of it. Gold chains, the works.
Rick is a cool guy but he needs to lose the gold chains.
This is my hair just one week after dying it red.
WTF man.
*sings* Cuz I'm a blond yeah yeah yeah.
April 30, 2004
I got the pics off the camera.
And these are the best ones.
As always, click for larger
View of Siesta Key beach from the bus.
View of one of the mansions having an addition added.
Just a nice view.
Sebastian goofing off at the docs on the baby toys.
Sebastian's pink eye.
Under all that hair that we just cut a month ago.
March 25, 2004
I had to go to an appointment today.
Deleted because it was just a bitch fest.
Sorry about that.
I just had a rough day and let my emotions get all funky on anyone I came into contact with.
Pictures are still in the extended entry because I like them.
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