Freaky Friday rants and raves Sept. 10th
 

Rant. Charley, Frances, and Ivan the Terrible.

Rave. Paris Hilton wrote a tell-all book and she wants to become an actress. Oh please.

Rant: Charley, Frances, Ivan...need I say more?

Rant: My husband is traveling to the US due to sudden medical reasons. I am worried about him and hope that he's going to be ok.

Rant: I can't go along with him at the moment, so I have to worry about him here by myself, and hope we don't have any more hurricanes pop up while he's gone.

I would say that our island barely being missed by both Frances and Ivan would be a rave, but seeing how those storms have affected so many lives and will probably affect many more, that doesn't seem like much of a rave to me.

I think I need a big ol' cocktail come five o'clock. One that someone just continues filling all weekend. :) Maybe Scarlett's gecko wants to join me.

Have a good one and stay safe everyone.

Rant: Ivan the Terrible! :-(

Rave: Scarlett and her devilish sense of humor...how are the trip plans coming along, dear? ;)

Statia--I am sorry to read about your husband. In the off chance he happens to be in San Antonio we could check in on him for you :-)

I hope everyone enjoys a nice, safe weekend! :)>-

RANT: Hurricanes and the awful problems they cause. Praying that Ivan will weaken and soon!

RAVE: Exercised and dieted for 12 weeks now, lost 17 lbs. (Knee pain vanished, ready to try walking again, water aerobics rock!

RAVE: Five weeks or so until the wonderful N.C. State Fair.

RANT: D***** hurricanes!!!!!!!!!

Rave: Patriots,Tom Brady, Bill Belichick. Super Bowl bound.

Rant: Too hard to get tickets to the games.

Statia, do hope that your husband will be fine..... Good luck during these storms!

Rant: We've been talking about moving to Florida in 10 years, but are seriously re-thinking that decision.

Rave: My rants are SO small compared to the people affected by those terrible hurricanes.

RAVE: The benefit of having warning with hurricanes, rather than the unannounced visit by most other types of disasters.

RANT: Not knowing what the hell Ivan is doing, and sitting here on the tip of Southwest Florida chewing my fingernails.

hi all! ;;)

rave: nice dinner out tonight. :)

rave: fathers 63rd birthday is tomorrow! :)
i can't believe how the time has passed.

rave: had a nice week off last week.
8-}

rave: getting closer to san fransisco getaway at the end of the month! ((Y))

rant: seasonal allergies and hayfever! i have not stopped sneezing. but, the fall looks likes it's finally here and allergies on their way out! ((#))


everything is all good here.
:D

Rave: I'm off to the Toronto Film Festival tommorrow... hoping to catch a glimpse of Jude Law :)

Rave: I finally bought a new house! (might has been sold for weeks now)

Rant: My SIL moved to Naples, FL last October - I pray she is safe from Ivan.

Happy Friday everyone!

RAVE: Traded in my leased Liberty early for a brand new one...shes so pretty!

RAVE: The Apprentice is back!

RANT: Ivan...stay away!

Rave:
Being able to post on the Friday Rants & Raves! We were without power just long enough to make me long for the good old days of electricity!
All the kind caring people on Fodors ( thank you for the emails, good wishes and good vibes, it worked!!)
jor- for starting Friday Rants&Raves:)

Patrick, I am Ranting & Raving here in NE Florida, hoping if I make enough of a fuss, you all will stay safe down there..whining didn't work, so now I am being loud :D

Statia honey- you know you have all my best wishes for his safe journey , there and back to you & your little bitty pups.

Rant:
No point :) but Ivan and all these storms should go away now- we got the picture!!

Re: Paris Hilton..
She wrote a book?! She can write???
A tell-all? Not that much to tell, is there?

Be safe everyone, even if you live in a nice calm ordinary weather place~

Rant: I'm still trying to comprehend the horror of the terrorists taking over the school in Russia. Why would anyone target a school? Since when does a ethnic group's desire for independence supercede a child right to go to school unafraid. These animals shot a little 6 year old girl because she was crying for her mother. They killed hundreds of people who were simply going to school - the same thing millions of people do everyday. How cold is a man's heart that he put himself in a place for this to happen? How does he allow himself to become so dehumanized that children become targets? The atrocities that happen in this world are overwhelming sometimes.

Rant: There aren't too many bigger Red Sox and Pats fans then me and I'm happy that both teams are doing well but really does it matter one bit when hurricanes are wreaking havoc, our soldiers are dieing, kids are being used by adults in unspeakable ways.

Rave: All the social workers, volunteer sports coaches, teachers, police and firemen, nurses and doctors, clerics who try everyday to make a difference.

Rant: Tomorrow is September 11.

Rant: 1000 plus service personnel deaths

Rant: The stress of this hurricane season.

Rave: That all of my loved ones (including my fordorite friends) are safe.

Material posessions can be replaced. I can't replace the people I love.

Rave: DONALD'S HAIR IS BACK!!!!!

Rant--DS ended up in the ER with a bunch of stitches in his head yesterday.

Rave--It was our anniversary yesterday and DH and I met for a nice lunch and then gelato...yum! Good thing we hadn't planned on dinner due to kids activities, lol!

rave: all these great rants and raves (Bennie you rock)
rave: our Fodors friends have made it through Frances "ok"
rave: next week's my anniversary. Trying to plan something fun ((L))

rant: Statia's husband isn't well.
Where the h...is Ivan going

Rant: The tactless merchandising of 9/11 related items for this newly created "Patriots Day". 1-800-Flowers selling a "Tower to Celebrate America" with cookies and jellybeans. Ty, the beanie baby company selling "Eagle, born on 9/11/2003." Hallmark selling cards to commerate "Patriots Day." The lowlifes who peddle the "Ground Zero New York" hats are equally contemptible.

Equally crass are the people who buy this garbage. Do you have no shame?

Rave: The humorous remarks that can come from small children. My 3 year old has somehow equated our buying a new house with getting a new baby-brother. He's been telling everyone that Mommy's going to have a baby.

Ryan, can your daughter have heard someone refer to someone pregnant as "big as a house"? ;-)

Rave: that there are so many of us with heart and compassion for those suffering and/or in harm's way.

Rave: the hummingbirds are still here -- hope they postpone their departure for Mexico until no more hurricanes.

Rant: Such punishment from an apparently very angry "Mother Nature" with Ivan threatening so many, including my elderly mother in Sarasota.

Rave: making fun plans for trip to Carmel/Monterey/SFO in a month.

Rant: had to substitute a TCB trip to Sarasota for planned trip to high school reunion (don't ask which one, you probably can't count that high).

Corection - sorry Ryan -- your SON!

Perhaps Cassandra. I think it has more to do with the fact that our nanny has a 6 month old son and our son has decided that he wants a baby brother to go along with his little sister. He's assumed that because he's told us he wants a brother, that we're in fact getting him one.

Rant: Ivan the Terrible Rave: Delta let me change my flight to Atlanta(onto Manchester) from Tues to Sun WITHOUT A CHARGE! They must have compassion for Fl folks. All Sundays flights were full, except ours, the last one out of RSW. Rave: Beslan tragedy...incomprehensible!

Happy Friday!!

Rant: Ivan. Haven't our friends in FL had enough? X-( And the poor folks in Granada! :'(

Rant: Ragweed! DH's allergy medicine isn't strong enough and he is CRANKY!!

Rave: Scarlett's most excellent thread on her upcoming trip to hell! Devilishly fun! ((6))

Rave: With all the rain this week in NJ we actually found time to watch some movies ((~))

Looking forward to a beautiful weekend ((#)) but keeping all affected by Ivan in our thoughts.

Have a great weekend everybody! ((b))

kcapuani, give him a big kiss for me, will ya? ;-)

I just thought of a new rant after reading Ryan's post about inappropriate 9/11 promotions etc. Someone actually has manufactured a child's toy which consists of two identical towers with a toy airplane's nose attached to one of the towers. They first turned up imported to Florida. I hope the perverts who make and distribute this trash are tracked down and exposed.

Rant: The ignorance of politicians who bow to NRA pressure and let the Assault Weapons Ban expire this coming Monday. The ban has its loopholes, but it was better than nothing. Didn't Bush say he'd extend it during his last campaign? Isn't he professing that he's interested in curbing terrorism? (Isn't he an idiot?)

Thanks for your thoughts on my hubby dcespedes, bonnie, Scarlett, and McLaurie.

dcespedes, thanks for the kind offer, but he's going to the Texas Medical Center in Houston. At least my sister will be there to help him out with anything, if need be.

Congrats on the new house, kcapuani!

Happy anniversary, mms!

I'm sure I'll be spending the entire weekend watching the state of Florida again...just as I did last weekend. Please stay safe everyone.

MaureenB, caving into the incredible power of the NRA's money and lobby has been a week point of the Republican party for decades. The NRA is without a doubt the strongest lobby on Capital Hill and they have a stronger influence than the nation's local police forces who want the ban extended. To the congressmen, Get off your vacations and get back to your job. OK this is my rant. >:o

Rant: dead car batteries on vacation!!

Rave: loved Carmel and dinner at Sierra Mar was just divine! I found a new place that I love to go to!

Rant: roofers pounding away all day long, it's annoying

Rave: at least he's fixing his mistakes!

Rant: MMS, best wishes to your DS, I'm supposing this was a football injury? I've been there and back a few times with two shoulder surgeries! Ouch!

Rave: DS has completed his work to be a Certified Personal Trainer! He'll be great at this!

Rant: missed another two weeks of gym workouts and ate waaayy too much yummy stuff on vacation!

Rave: looking into a new car ( ours now has 145,000 miles on it) Found a beautiful 2003 BMW SUV with only 20,000 miles on it!!

Rant: It's in Florida, but they could ship it for $1,000

Rave: DD has water polo tournaments all weekend, I finally get to see her strut her stuff! She's showing off her "six-pack abs" to her brothers! And wow, that girl has some serious muscles!!

Rant: I need a new bike, I know that's why I've gained 12 lbs! LOL

Rave: Another birthday dinner this weekend ( all nine of us) at either a Japanese tappan-yake place or The Elephant Bar & Grill! We'll let the "old man" choose since he's now 50!! LOL He's going to a 49ers game too next month!

Rant: Boxes with glass jugs all over the house!

Rave: We're making Syrah! It smells like wine tasting room at our house, but I think it will be very good when it's finished!

Rant: Time in Carmel was too fast, I want to go back again!

Rave: Had two wonderful days after Carmel up at our condo with DS and his future bride! We had two wonderful meals together at a restaurant we all really like there. The lake was gorgeous and our Vizsla really had fun frolicking in the lake!

Rant: DH lost his fishing license (must be old age!) LOL

Rave: He and DS sure are having a great time dove hunting every night!

Rant: I have to cook this little birdies! Need some good dove recipes, maybe something with a white sauce, served over rice?

Rave: It's the weekend! Time for family, food and fun! Have a nice weekend everyone! ***kim*** :)

Rant: I need a new car too -- and that BMW SUV would have been just dandy. Rats. Here I am in Florida and you're snatching up that car that should be mine, Kim.

Rave: How about I drive it to CA for you right now so I can do a test drive, Kimamom? I can get out of town just in time to kiss that badass storm Ivan goodbye!

Rave: today -- absolutely beautiful weather here!!

Rave: 8/27 -- picked up our new Acura TL; fabulous car.

Rave: 9/3-8 -- visited my in-laws.

Rant: 9/7 -- one of my in-laws left a spot of tar on the TL's floor mat.

Rant: 9/8 -- our new car got hit by a mud flap that flew off a semi-truck when we were 475 miles from home (west of Lincoln, Neb.).

Rave: the damage to the car is limited to the lowest part of the bumper because of my husband's quick moves. Could have been so much worse.

Rave: a long-time friend works in auto body repair and he says they fix these often.

Rant: 9/8 -- upon arriving home, opened my paper to find the obituary of a really nice gentleman I know.

Rave: 9/9 -- went to the funeral and it was a very dignified service. One of the sons is a priest and 40+ of his fellow priests (and two bishops) participated in the rites. That alone was enough for a lump in the throat/tear in the eye.

It's been quite a week!

I live in Florida--need I say more?

rave - my sister's clean bill of health

rant - bad weather

rant - posters making ugly political comments on the FF thread

Forgot a couple huge raves

1--college football time again!!!

2--another incredible backpacking trip in the mountains last weekend! The kids now know what fresh bear scat looks like.

Kim--It is funny...the neighborhood boys were playing football in our yard about an hour before practice. DS and a friend collided and the other boys teeth went through DS's head. Yuck!!! After the ER we had to go to football practice so he did not have an unexcused absence, and although he did not practice, he did participate in all the conditioning, lol! We've been through this and broken bones before...he is all boy:)

Rave: The trees in my yard (blown down by Frances) missed my house.
Rant: My backyard looks like a warzone.
Rave: My family is safe and we now have power.
Rant: Tree estimates range from $8000-$18000 and is not covered by insurance!
Rave: it looks like Ivan will not strike the East Coast.
Rant: Why can't science figure out a way to disassemble these monsters before they wreak havoc on us?

Rant: I hate what the politicians and terrorists have done to our country. Democrats & Republicans used to have a lot of common ground. Now, all they have in common is that they hate one another. I'm so glad I never registered as either one. Both parties are lying their A$$e$ off. Check it out:

http://www.factcheck.org/archive.aspx

Rave: I have a 12 day trip to the wonderland of southern Utah at the end of the month. No TVs, no computer just me, my honey, my hiking boots and camera.

Rant: The unfortunate sadness, pain, and suffering endured by unspeakable numbers in our world ~ both publicized and unpublicized.

Rave: Celebrating 25 years of marriage this week!

Rave: Meb Keflezighi won the silver medal in the Olympic Marathon, the first medal for an American in that event in 28 years. He is also running in this year's NYC Marathon ~ AND SO IS MY SON :D

Have a happy and safe weekend!

Big Rave: Brain MRI from last week turned out completely normal. Thanks to all who cheered me up - I swear I felt your good vibes over the long weekend! What a relief, and how awful and humbling it is to take good health for granted.

Rant: Statia - best of luck to your husband - we can't stop you from worrying, but we can send you our prayers!

Rant: Just got through a nerve conduction study an hour ago, plus an EMG thrown in for fun. Ow...

Rant: Ivan.

Rave: Great friends, great family, and the bonus of a Greek Food Fest to go to tonight. I deserve some retsina and baklava, I think (perhaps not at the same time?).

Rave: Two weeks 'til Ireland!

Good luck and calm skies to all the Florida Fodorites!

Rave: Survived Frances with just a power outage that lasted 92hrs. No other damage- just alot of yard debris.
Rant: Ivan is currently projected to travel up our coast, leaving us on the "bad" side of the hurricane.
Rave: We live on the water.
Rant: We live on the water.
Rant: We were supposed to be driving up to Maine on Wednesday. Have a house that we have paid rent on for 2 weeks. Don't really know when we'll be able to go.
To Statia- I'm so sorry that you will not be able to be with your DH. Hope everything turns out okay.

Neither rant nor rave, just a comment:

As I sit in my NYC office, I can't help but to look at the window and think how much today resembles that awful day three years ago. The same beautiful, warm late summer day without a cloud in the sky. It still doesn't seem real.