Wish me luck...

Sunday, October 30, 2011

My back surgery is tomorrow - I have to be at the hospital at 5:00 am. I should only have to stay overnight if everything goes well, but I don't know how long it will take me to get back to "normal". They tell me 4-6 weeks, but I hope it doesn't really take that long. So I'm not sure how long it will be before I'm able to post here. Keep checking, because I'll be back as soon as possible!!


Deals!

Friday, October 28, 2011

 


One of the daily deals today (10/28) at target.com is on their long-sleeved tees - 2/$16 plus free shipping. For some reason, when I checked out, they also gave me a discount of some sort, so my total, with tax, was only $15.68. Hurry - the colors are selling out quickly (at least in size medium, LOL!)!!


It's time for Payless' BOGO deal! Oct. 27 - Nov. 22, buy any item in the store & get an item of equal or lesser value for 50% off. Online and in-store. Flat rate shipping of $5.95 or ship-to-store for free.


Something I just recently learned about JCPenney: If you are shopping for something in home goods and they're out of the size/color you need, but it's something they normally keep in stock, they will order it for you, apply any discounts/coupons and give you free shipping to the store. I was shopping for curtains and the salesperson told me about this - so I assume it's at all stores.


DVDs!

Since pretty much all I do these days is lay around the house, I've managed to watch a couple of DVDs. I'm a little behind the times, but hey - maybe some of you are, too. :-)


No Strings Attached - Ashton Kutcher, Natalie Portman, Kevin Kline
A lot like "Friends with Benefits" (which I haven't seen yet), but this one came out first, LOL. I liked it - it was fun, light-hearted, and pretty much what you would expect. I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.


Source Code - Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga
I'm not sure if this is sci-fi, thriller, drama - I guess I would call it an "action sci-fi thriller".
It was pretty good, although I had a little trouble following it in the beginning. Of course, that could be due to back pain & prescription pain meds. I liked it for the most part, but something about it bothered me a little. I can't put my finger on it. I'd give it 3 out of 5 stars.

And I almost forgot that I saw these a month or so ago!


Just Go With It - Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Nicole Kidman
I'm not a big Adam Sandler fan - except when he does movies like this. When he tones down the obnoxious humor a bit, I find him extremely funny & likable. This is definitely a romantic comedy, but it's not a chick flick. I loved it & so did Gus. Definitely 5 out of 5 stars.


All About Steve - Bradley Cooper, Sandra Bullock, Thomas Haden Church, Ken Jeong
A little over the top, slightly goofy - but funny enough that I didn't feel like I wasted my time. There are some really funny parts, for sure. I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.


Navarre Beach Day 7, part 2

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Our last few hours in Florida...

We decided to eat dinner at the Beach Monkey Bar & Grill, which is located just in front of the Navarre Pier. Apparently, this restaurant has changed hands a lot and the quality of food & service has been questionable in the past. But since there are new owners, we thought we'd give it a try.






I thought the Voodoo Juice sounded yummy, but I didn't expect it to arrive in a bucket! Well, it was yummy. And yes, I drank it all. :-)


Gus had the redfish (which is similar to mahi mahi) and I had the fish taco (which was more of a fish wrap - but that was great because it wasn't messy!) - both were delicious and we would definitely eat here again.



After dinner, we drove up Hwy. 399 to the Gulf Islands National Seashore at the Santa Rosa area/Opal Beach again. It was very peaceful and we were able to enjoy one last sunset here on the beach.






And that's it for our trip! I'm already planning our next vacation!


Navarre Beach Day 7, part 1

Monday, October 24, 2011

For our last day in Florida, we decided to go back to Baytowne Wharf since we love it so much. We had breakfast at Another Broken Egg Cafe again - and it was delicious as always. I wish there was one back home! After breakfast, we just wandered around the village, checking our rental possibilities, taking pictures, and just generally enjoying the day.









Later, we decided to stop at Destin Commons - the outdoor shopping complex. It's really beautiful, and they have a lot of fun shops & restaurants. The first picture is of the area outside Starbucks (of course, LOL!), and the second picture is of the fountain that is in the center of the commons.



Stay tuned for Day 7, part 2!


Navarre Beach Day 6

Sunday, October 23, 2011

On Day 6, the weather was still gorgeous, but it was a bit windier - resulting in the surf being a little rougher.



Getting ready to head to Destin - we decided to go back to Harborwalk so that we could check it out during the day.



This is a 200 years old magnolia tree that sits at one of the entrances to Harborwalk. The picture doesn't do it justice!



Harry T's Restaurant at Harborwalk. This restaurant used to be at the Destin Yacht Club, and we ate there a few times in the past. The first couple of years we ate there, we loved it, but then the food/service/decor just went downhill, so we stopped going there. We decided to give it another try since they now have a new location.






We were so glad that we gave it another try! The entire atmosphere has changed (for the better) and the food was really good. I had tuna salad on a croissant and Gus had the fish & chips.



After we ate, we walked around Harborwalk. One shop sold painted wooden signs and I loved this one, LOL!


We decided to eat dinner at the condo, so we swung by Sarah K's to pick up dinner. Sarah K's sells gourmet food that you reheat at home - and it's fabulous! We had chicken with mushrooms, twice-baked cheesy potatoes, teriyaki green beans - and for dessert these very yummy caramel bars. (I don't know why I didn't take pictures of the food!) We paid about $28 for all of that food - it would've been at least twice that in a restaurant. Everything comes in foil pans that are marked with cooking instructions - and you never take them out of the pans. Yep, you can ever put them in the microwave! If you're ever in the Destin area & would like a great meal to enjoy at your condo/house - give Sarah K's a try!


Stay tuned for Day 7!


Navarre Beach Day 5, part 2

Friday, October 21, 2011

Later on Day 5, we drove to Harborwalk Village in Destin. This is a really interesting place that is located on the right just as you cross the bridge into Destin from Ft. Walton Beach. The first thing you see is the huge Emerald Grande condo complex. As you wander around, you'll find shops, restaurants, bars, and Harborwalk Marina where you can get info/sign up for sailing charters, sunset cruises, dolphin cruises, rent jet-skis, etc.





We decided to eat at Poppys's Crazy Lobster since it was right on the harbor and had a great view. We had the fried pickles for an appetizer. I think that's the first fried food I've had in several months, LOL! And honestly, I don't remember what we had as entrees other than that Gus had mahi mahi & I had grouper. It was pretty good. Not great - but pretty good.



The view from our table was incredible, and since it was sunset, we got to see all of the boats coming in to dock. We also saw a pod of dolphins playing in the harbor, incredibly close to the marina. There must've been at least 10-15 of them, maybe more.




I swear these are my most favorite shades of pink & purple!! Especially when viewed at the beach with a cold drink in my hand (and Gus by my side, of course!).

Stay tuned for Day 6!