Where in the world are the Rantys going NOW?

Same deal as last time - the winner gets a souvenir from the place!

(Mom, you are automatically disqualifed. Please don't guess! You'll get souvenirs and presents anyway... :-)

Okay, here are the preliminary clues:

1. This place is known by two names simultaneously, in two different alphabets.

2. The name used by locals is derived from that of a mythological nymph.

3. It has been governed by several different powers over the course of time, including Venetian, French and British. It also served as the capitol of a nominally sovereign republic for a short while.

4. Remnants of outside influence include a promenade modeled after the Rue de Rivoli, a cricket field in the center of town, and a surprising taste (by the locals) for Ginger Beer.

5. This place is also the home of a (nearly) world-famous party hostel, whose name has a color in it.

Text messages - did I miss the memo?

When did text-messaging become interchangeable with email?

Now I admit that I may have become TOO attached to email. I mean, I never turn my computer off... Ever. I leave browser windows open all day, and sometimes all night. I use email sometimes when I probably should be making a phone call instead...

But whatever is up with this move to texting?

The instances in which an email message (sent by me) is responded to via text to my phone are wayyyyyyyy up. Seriously, if you take the time to read my message, why not just hit reply instead of pulling out the cell to text me back?

I'm getting texts in the middle of the night. (Hello? It wakes me up! Wait 'til morning please!)

I even have a client now who prefers contact via text message.

What's the deal?

I guess I better get that unlimited text addition to my phone plan... and fast.

How many cars does a purse thief have???

So, in addition to charging drinks, a couple of slices from Pizza Luce, and parking on my credit card, the purse thief also made the following charges on my check-card, thanks to Wells Fargo's system being down and thus incapable of refusing transactions...

$132 Target, Brooklyn Park
$123 Babies R Us, Maple Grove
$50 SuperAmerica, New Hope
$97 SuperAmerica, New Hope
$50 SuperAmerica, New Hope
$47 Cub Foods, Brooklyn Park
$25 McDonald's, Crystal
$205 Walmart, Brooklyn Park


What a sad list. I mean, for crying out loud...

Open House Recap

After much stressing, racing around for balloons, coffee, cupcakes and signage, (to say nothing of driving the Good Scientist out of his mind with my anxiety,) I do believe the open was a great success.

First of all, my mom and stepdad hoofed it all the way up from Eureka Township, just to see the finished product and provide moral support on my very first [EVAR] open house.

Second of all, Ed from The Deets came, and brought the lovely Mrs. Deets as well! We discussed real estate websites, decorating, and of course, the Jucy Lucy. Sweet!

Third of all, I got a visit from some VERY cool neighbors, and they had lots of advice about the people with whom I should be networking to promote the cottage, as well as great info about other properties around the area, and some general neighborhood newsy stuff.

AWESOME!

Processing your loans AND hooking you up with the hip threads!

As most of you know, I recently joined Century 21 Luger Realty as a sales associate.

You may also have noticed, if you've been reading this blog for a while, that I love fashion.

So what a fabulous (cosmic?) surprise it was when I discovered the owner of my favorite neighborhood boutique, right downstairs in our in-house mortgage company!

Ladies and Gentlemen, she's bringing you the style, AND processing your loans!

I may have to begin sporting these locally-designed outfits at all of my closings, just because this is too good of an excuse to shop at one of the coolest boutiques around...

(Would that be considered cross-branding???)

Hmmm... the world just keeps getting smaller and smaller!

A lesson learned the hard way

Every experience -no matter how painful or aggravating- should teach us something, right?

Well this weekend I learned the hard way - NEVER to put my purse down in a nightclub again.

Yes, I should have already known that. In fact, I used to ALWAYS leave my purse at home, carrying merely an ID, credit card and some cash in a pocket when going out. Alas, I have grown lax in recent months. I wanted to carry my camera around so I could take photos and blog about events, and of course there's the ever-important need for a stash of business cards and a cell phone on my person at all times, right?

Well yes, okay, but if I must carry these things, I guess I had better not be so stupid as to put my purse down!!!!!

A mistake I will not make again...

Among the lost items are:

driver's license
ALL of my credit/debit cards
cell phone
digital camera

Not to mention stupid stuff like my favorite makeup items, business cards, library card, etc.

And, to add insult to injury, the Good Scientist's VIP card for the Lounge (where the theft took place) was in there as well, so now the THIEF is going to be VIP-ed!!!!

Bastards.

Of course the first thing the thief did was try to charge gasoline... fortunately my bank denied the charge since I cancelled all cards IMMEDIATELY. (Then they took a different card and successfully charged $700 worth of crap which I have yet to identify. It should be fun to see what this idiot bought.)

Vacation Photo Recap Part 2

From my childhood BF's wedding last weekend, in Sebastopol, CA:





Look at that cake!
<-------------- The groom is studying viticulture, so the grapes were an appropriate touch.






















Needless to say, the wine was good!
























GS is always quick to find the hot chicks...

















Sunday brunch with the happy couple.

I miss these guys... wish they still lived in MN.









So the wedding was Saturday. On Sunday afternoon, GS and I decided to have an impromptu picnic in Petaluma, made up of random snacks procured at Albertson's, along with a bottle of the groom's own wine, which was given as wedding favors.





Here's our spread:
<---------------- Note the sushi. NOT a good idea to buy from the grocery store... I REPEAT: NOT A GOOD IDEA.

















Yeah, he's smiling now... but not for long.




















A glimpse of the bridge as we headed back to SF... holding our stomachs in agony.












And now, ANOTHER wedding tomorrow!

Happy Birthday GS!

Agapitoulh-mou!

Vacation Photo Recap, Part 1

(Part 2 will come shortly, and include details of our weekend-wedding-stopover in San Francisco.)








International paparazzi has arrived on the scene.
(San Pedro Sula airport)

























Pinatas in production. (La Ceiba)













This is a Ceiba tree, for which my home-away-from-home, La Ceiba is named.

(And this is a *small* one.)














The Estero. (Estuary)

Dirtyyyyyyyy!

(La Ceiba)
















When in Ceiba, one must rokk the appropriate Ceibeno specs, y'know. (Particularly when one feels an affinity with gigantic citrus fruit.)











Gotsta luv the getto-ferry!

(Or as the GS would say, the "skilopnikths," which translates to "dog-drowner.")

(Bound for Roatan)














Dude. I'm trying to read here.

Angels & Demons is, as Psycho Suzi would say: trashy, but tasty.




















Sunset in the village of West End, on Roatan.




















A couple of US GIs enjoy their r&r with two lovely British tourists. (One is laying in the surf with her Monkey La-La.)

These guys flew up from Comayagua in their Blackhawks for their 72 hours of rest. We actually saw them later, weaving back across the sky from the mainland. It was pretty cool.










The GS toasts Salva Vida, (the national beer, literally "Life Saver") as well as: the sunset; army kids trying to score; crazy water taxis(boat in background;) Roatan; and our [WOW!] six-year anniversary.











Across the "street" from our $25/night hotel in West End.

Not a bad front yard, if I may say.

GS was particularly pleased by the fact that this beach was named "Half Moon Bay." (Not much wave for surfing here, however.)











Gratuitous breakfast-boob-shot.

(Crispy-fried hangover included freeeeee!.)

*Ranty thought bubble reads: "should I get the hash brow's w/bacon and beams?"*












Whatchoo lookin' at, Snapper?

















This important potty message brought to you by: Honduras.

(And stingrays.)











And moving right along...



No, it's not Cancun, though the prices are probably close. (A total shock after the rest of Honduras.)

It's West Bay Beach! Whooo! Also known as the alternate universe.

Where did all of these ITALIANS come from??????? (Oh yeah, must be the new direct flight from Milan.)









Back on the mainland, and back to the fantastic Garifuna village of Sambo Creek.

These "aguas thermales" are REALLY. EFFING. HOT.

The spray that you see coming out of the hose is cold water, which makes the spring barely tolerable. (What a great treat after a zipline canopy tour though! Pics of that to come once I find the GS's camera.)







The final lunch, at Helen's, also located in Sambo Creek.














Hasta la proxima vez, Honduras... que le vaya bien... !mi corazon!






P.S. In view of my recent post trivia post about where in world I was going, (won by my dedicated fellow-midwestern-house-blogger Litter Box House) you may be wondering why in the heck there are no Utila/Water Cay photos here, since GS and I attended the SUPER-DUPER-FANTASTIC Sun Jam event there this week.

I know, I know. I wish I had some!!! It was AWESOME.*

The reason is that cameras were STRICTLY forbidden on the Cay. Anyone found carrying one had their battery confiscated, and that even included our silly little travel-phone, which had a blurry camera built-in. (See mom? THAT is why I didn't call!)

I suppose it had something to do with a fear of documentation of gratuitous sex and drug use... ? :-) Actually, I'm kidding. It was great fun, and other than a pervasive cloud of pot smoke, we didn't witness a single naughty thing. It was totally chill, hippy-style.





*If you want to attend next year, send me an email. GS and I are hoping to organize a big group. Who knows? There might even be sailboats involved... :-)

Honorary Greeks

The Good Scientist with Garifuna children in the coastal village of Sambo Creek.

In spite of the language barrier, they managed to have an extended conversation about... futbol.

(From L2R: Ronaldhinio, Beckham, Messi, Zidane, Castillo.)

Hash Brow's w/bacon and beams

Even in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, the front page showed Minneapolis.

<--------














So many interesting choices for breakfast on Roatan.

(What the hell is a beam???)

I'm guessing beans, but I didn't try it to see...

Roll Call!

Mr. Ranty was nearby, but thankfully didn't get onto the 35W bridge which collapsed during this evening's rush hour.

Is everybody okay???????????????

Please let us know!!!