Oh my gosh I had a great vacation! It was hard waking up this morning, knowing I was back to my old grind. Yet, I felt better facing the day than I had in a long time. Looking out and seeing nothing but ocean in all directions for miles and miles and seeing the dark sky, filled with stars kissing the water… well, it put things into perspective for me. And having tons of Filipino people waiting on me hand and foot, well, let’s just say I suddenly became extremely grateful for my life. Working the hours I do, well, it certainly doesn’t seem so bad when I put it in relation to working 10 months nonstop on a cruise ship.

I want everyone to know that I did not turn into a cruise slut. However hard you want to picture me walking around in a mu-mu, holding a mai-tai and telling everyone about my monthly cruise to the Bahamas or wherever, that did not happen. Regardless I did enjoy my time on the ship. It was an old fashion type of vacation. In the evenings we would get dressed up and do dinner and then go to a show. The show was invariably a comic, magician or some singing and dancing extravaganza. During the day we would consult the “newsletter” and decide if we wanted to do Sushi and Sake Tasting or participate in the Memory Seminar or perhaps take Cha Cha lessons. (We did all of those things) When we finally got to Bermuda we went on two snorkeling excursions. Call me insane but as I floated around, I kept imagining I was flying through the air. The second day we did a Segway tour. The tour itself was terrible so I turned off the walkman and just tore up the dock on my Segway. It was so much fun and I am almost tempted to purchase a Segway. But first I want to get hardwood floors. HA! The last day was spent at Horseshoe Bay. The sand was pink but only if you really stared at it close up. I think being there on the sand and playing in the wild waves was my favorite time. When Sunday finally arrived, it was time. My skin can’t get any darker. I should be good for another year. I hope.

I AM BACK!!!!!!!!!! Had a FANTABULOUS TIME! Can’t quite believe I am back home and the vacation is behind me. I also can’t quite believe how dark I am. There is no escaping the Bermuda sun, I tell you!

Right now I am a little hopped up on the Dark and Stormies I made my mom and sister after dessert so I am not really in the right state of mind to blog. I’ll get around to it tomorrow. I promise. Right now I just need to sleep.

1. Sit by the pool and drink a Pina Colada
2. Moped around Bermuda
3. Get a massage
4. Snorkel

Gosh, what a fantastic To Do list!

Today I will pack and shop for the last few items I need. Mom and I went to Kohl’s yesterday and I bought two bathing suits since I’ve been using my old one for the last 5 years and when I was at the pool last, I was challenged to another swim race and as I pushed myself from the wall, with the intent to kick some ass, my bathing suit bottom filled with water and ended up near my ankles. The elastic along the waist had seen better days. It doesn’t matter, I have two new two-pieces!

I am so excited!

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!!

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Click here to be whisked away to Ron Paul’s Campaign for Liberty Web site.

GREAT, FANTASTIC NEWS! The missing birth certificate blues have been replaced with GOT MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE AND GOT A TICKET ON A CRUISE HEADING OUT SUNDAY FOR BERMUDA happiness!!!!!

Yes, I am actually VACATIONING! I am leaving the area! My days of yokel-ness are OVER, BABY! I’m heading out to play!

YAHHOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooo!

A Butler Township man will face eight charges, including vehicular homicide while under the influence of alcohol, in Luzerne County Court for his role in a fatal accident April 24.

District Judge Daniel O’Donnell on Wednesday bound over the charges against Kevin Prussock, 25, who was allegedly drunk when his vehicle crashed into another driven by Joseph Gigliotti, who died at the scene.

Gigliotti’s family and friends stood outside O’Donnell’s Sugarloaf Township courtroom in a rally against drunk driving, as they had at Prussock’s arraignment in May.

Prussock’s vehicle crossed the double yellow line on East Butler Drive in Butler Township just outside Freeland, forcing one oncoming, eastbound car to swerve off the road and striking Gigliotti’s car nearly head-on near Terrace Road, according to the criminal complaint. Police said Prussock’s blood-alcohol level was .181 percent – more than twice the legal limit – at the time of the early-afternoon crash.

Can I tell you how tired I am? I am tired. Walking all over the city and then doing the orchestra at night has made Donna a tired girl. So tired I am actually typing this entry with my eyes closd. Yes, I am leaning back, eyes closed, and typing. Good thing I know where the keys on the keyboard are located.

Must dry hair. Must go to work and get in early. Must eat something. So much to do!

I ran around all day today. I went to the office of Vital Records and requested an updated Birth Certificate. It should be ready by tomorrow. After that I went to the Philadelphia Passport Agency that is located in the United States Custom House. I attempted to renew my passport. It didn’t work. I was directed to a slow moving line. Once I got up to the window, the woman gave me a number and instructed me to wait until my number was called and then I could submit my paperwork. So I sat in this crowded, stinky room. My number was 128. I looked up to where the number tally was being kept and it read 99.
“Oh good, only 29 ahead of me, four windows open, I’ll be up there in no time!” I thought. Ha! A half hour later the counter ticked to 100. Fifteen minutes later it showed 101. A half hour after that… 102. I couldn’t stand it. I got up and left. The day would end before I was called to the window.

After work I went to the Mann Music Center. The Philadelphia Orchestra was playing Mozart and I do enjoy sitting in the grass and listening to the music and people watching. It’s amazing how many people in attendance have bags with the PBS logo on them. They support the arts, I guess.

On the ride home I decided that it was silly of me to make myself crazy trying to fit a vacation into a time slot. Instead of forcing the whole situation, I would just move my vacation to the next week. Besides, I’ve been breaking down in tears and feeling great waves of sadness, hopelessness and despair. I realize that next week is not a week I want to be sitting on the beach. It’s better for me to make sure I am somewhere that I can wear sweat pants, eat chocolate, and watch Romantic Comedies on tv. The thing is, next week is just the best time work-wise for me to take a break. I am coming off one heck of a month AND I typically don’t close any business the week after Independence Day anyway. Plus, Lisa and I are taking off for a little trip in August and by vacationing in early July, that gives me more time between trips. Oh well. That’s life. God seems to want me around home next week. Let me just embrace that and change my plans. It’s the right thing. All will be fine.

I decided to try to escape the country. At least for just a few days. I work hard and I have a week of vacation coming up. It just makes sense to do something nice and atypical. My passport is expired but a cruise to Bermuda only requires a birth certificate. Easy, right? Wrong. My birth certificate is lost. GONE! Vanished. I wanted to leave on Saturday/Sunday. Today I am going to try my best to somehow either quickly renew my passport without any travel confirmation or replace my birth certificate. Hopefully something will work. I need to escape and nothing seems to be going my way. I think I understand why Last Minute deals are so cheap. No one can go anywhere at a drop of a hat.

Yesterday evening, after a fruitless search of my parents’ house and the donnavilla, I broke down in tears. I am not proud. A woman my age crying over a lost birth certificate! It just seems I can’t catch a break. It’s my own fault. I should have figured this out sooner. Should have got my ducks in a row back weeks ago. But I didn’t know weeks ago that I would take a vacation. I didn’t know I would have such a June that I would need to take a few days off. Obviously I am not a boy scout. I wasn’t prepared.