Well now that you have taken a look at the FABULOUS Resort John and I played at in Mexico, now I will share some of the excursions we went on. First, spending a week in Mexico is NOT out of reach. Talking with Hal Golden at www.VacationsToGo.com, sometimes spending a week at an all-inclusive in Mexico is cheaper than a week in Myrtle Beach! BELIEVE ME, if you want to go to Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, VacationsToGo can make it happen for you WITHIN your budget. I just want you to know that.

Okay, Chichen Itza!!! For years I have been looking at pictures of this “forgotten for a time” wonder, with my desire to actually go and visit getting stronger each time I saw it in print. When John asked where I wanted to go on vacation, you bet the first thing I said was Chichen Itza. Oh my gosh… when we came to the clearing, and there before us was El Castillo (the main temple) of Chichen Itza, I just stopped in awe. I was actually standing in front of this magnificent dwelling! I was there! I still can’t get over it! We weren’t able to climb the steps of Chichen Itza, but just listening to our tour guide Norma share with us the history was phenominal. If you have children needing to do a book report this coming up school year about a “wonder of the world,” encourage them to write about this fascinating, once thriving, Mayan city!  And then take them on a field trip!

July 19-25, 2008 my husband and I vacationed at the all-inclusive resort, Paradisus Riviera Cancun. This resort, on the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, is about 20 miles south of Cancun, 20 miles north of Playa del Carmen. What an amazing trip. And not outrageously priced! We went through www.vacationstogo.com for booking.

Just gorgeous. Our adventures included laying by the pool, visiting one of the new 7 Wonders of the World - Chichen Itza, laying by the pool, climbing Coba, laying by the pool, snorkeling and… laying by the pool! Talk about total R&R, Paradisus did just that for us!

Below is a mini slide show of the Paradisus Riviera Cancun Resort.  Tomorrow we’ll take a look at Chichen Itza’s El Castillo, the main temple.

  Hello everyone!  Yes, I am back from Mexico.  Why?  I haven’t the foggiest idea.  I should have taken the job they offered me at the Pardisus Riviera Cancun all-inclusive resort!  I will share more about my trip in days to come, but if you want a phenominal vacation, family or just for two, go with an all-inclusive.  A great website to check out is http://www.vacationstogo.com/.

Now, what I really want to share, upon coming back to Magic, I found out that Dr. Randy Pausch passed away on Friday, July 25th.  Dr. Pausch has now gone down in infamy with his “last lecture” speech at Carnegie Mellon University.  He showed me that it’s not the circumstance that you find yourself in, it’s how you react to the circumstance that you find yourself in.  If you have never watched his lecture, I have posted the youtube video below for you.  Please set aside 1 hour and 16 minutes to watch this.  I know it’s a long time to sit and watch a video, but hey, you get front row seats without ever having to leave the house!  And I guarantee you will give Dr. Pausch a standing ovation!

Gone to Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula!  Be back to work Monday, July 27th.

  Brendan Fraser.  I love this guy.  An Indiana boy who started his career with an appearance on an America’s Most Wanted reenactment episode in 1988. 

 I was thinking about him, because as of late (within the past 10 years), he has shifted his film role to more family friendly characters.  Undoubtedly that has to do with being a father of three.  Wanting to do films that he too can sit down and watch with his children without having to ”fast forward” through awkward scenes.  His “family man” image, in my opinion, started in 1999 when he accepted the lead role  in “The Mummy” co-starring Rachel Weisz.  What a great adventure ”The Mummy” movies are.  And now with his “Journey to the Center of the Earth” flick, it just brings a smile to my face.  What does make me frown, he and his wife Afton Smith decided to divorce.

If you would like to read more about him, just check out Wikipedia.  I love Wikipedia!  I haven’t seen his latest movie yet, but when Focus on the Family’s Plugged In Movie Review gives it a 4.5 out of 5 stars… then it’s good for the whole family!  I’ve attached the movie trailer for you!

   This just blows my mind.  “After 30, women lose about 5 pounds of muscle a decade.”  That quote and article from MSN Health. 

It’s time to get in shape girls!  I’m not saying you have to register to run the next marathon, but if regular exercise isn’t on your day to day agenda, you may want to sit down and seriously consider changes.  Especially if you’re over the age of 30…like me!

Walking is the best way to start according to this MSN article, so here is a three week schedule for beginners:

Week 1- Monday, walk 5 minutes, do upper body exercises, walk for 5 more minutes.  Tuesday, walk 10 minutes.  Wednesday, walk 5 minutes, do lower body exercises, walk for 5 more minutes.  Thursday, walk 15 minutes.  Friday, walk 7 minutes, do upper and lower body exercises, walk for 8 minutes.  Saturday, 20 minute walk.  Sunday, rest.

Week 2- Monday, walk 10 minutes, upper and lower body exercises, walk 10 minutes.  Tuesday, walk 20 minutes.  Wednesday, walk 10 minutes, upper and lower body exercises, walk 10 minutes.  Thursday, walk 25 minutes.  Friday, walk 10 minutes, upper and lower body exercises, walk 10 minutes.  Saturday, walk 30 minutes.  Sunday, rest.

Week 3 and beyond - build your distance, add 5 minutes a week to each walk until you’re doing 30 to 60 minutes each session, add a hill a day and continue to challenge your muscles.

Along the way, you want to try and come up with ideas how to change up your workout or else your body will get used to the normal routine.  It’s a challenge, I know.  Just getting started can be the worst challenge of all, but remember this statement, “after 30, women lose about 5 pounds of muscle a decade.”

Happy Trails!! 

   So, I have now come to the realization that some guys can get just as nervous as girls preparing for a first date.  Although it’s funny when a guy is nervous.  With girls it’s expected.  Paint the toe and finger nails, get the right perfume and ‘lawd have mercy’, gotta to have the right outfit!

(A special thanks to one of my husbands friends as I am able to post this blog…but I have to protect the innocent, no names!)

Guys on the other hand, it’s not so much about the clothes and painting the toe and finger nails (well to some anyway) it’s more of the barage of questions that pop into his head.  In this instance, the guy and girl met online.  So he is asking himself, “do I pick her up?” “do we meet somewhere?” “do I give her a kiss goodnight?” “do I go inside if she invites me in?” “will I be able to understand her non-verbal communication signals?” “what if we find we really aren’t compatible in the first 20 minutes or so, do I stick out the date or do we end the night early?”

I guess with dating the way it is now, online, chat rooms, eharmony, match, I suppose it really does make that meeting for the first time very nerve racking.  Do I have tips on how to calm the nerves?  No.  But I do suggest that you take the time to talk with the person of the opposite sex enought to figure out what they like and dislike.  You don’t have to get into political discussions, but at least find out whether or not they are allergic to cheese before making reservations at a fondue restaurant!  And although physical attraction does play a role in whether or not you want to get to know someone, try not to base EVERYTHING on looks.

And have a go at it!  Happy online dating! 

  Sometimes, the funniest songs come from the lyrics we make up to go along with the beat.  I’m talking about singing along with an artist and really having no idea what they are saying, so you make up your own words.  I used to think Van Halen’s David Lee Roth said “Animal” instead of “Panama.”  I should have read the title of the song.  Whatever. 

A friend of mine mistook a line in Gwen Stefani’s Spider Web song.  The actual line sings “I screen my phone calls.”  My friend thought ”I scream mine falls off.”  Way off base, and it sounds so ridiculous when sung that way, but that’s what we do!  We make up our own lyrics.  Too funny.

So, that brings me to this.  The hottest song of summer, Leona Lewis, Bleeding Love.  I can’t even make out what she sings in there, so here are the lyrics for us!  Now sing it out and sing it right!

 Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love 

Closed off from love
I didn’t need the pain
Once or twice was enough
And it was all in vain
Time starts to pass
Before you know it you’re frozen

But something happened
For the very first time with you
My heart melts into the ground
Found something true
And everyone’s looking round
Thinking I’m going crazy

But I don’t care what they say
I’m in love with you
They try to pull me away
But they don’t know the truth
My heart’s crippled by the vein
That I keep on closing
You cut me open and I

Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
I keep bleeding
I keep, keep bleeding love
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
You cut me open

Trying hard not to hear
But they talk so loud
Their piercing sounds fill my ears
Try to fill me with doubt
Yet I know that the goal
Is to keep me from falling

But nothing’s greater
Than the rush that comes with your embrace
And in this world of loneliness
I see your face
Yet everyone around me
Thinks that I’m going crazy, maybe, maybe

But I don’t care what they say
I’m in love with you
They try to pull me away
But they don’t know the truth
My heart’s crippled by the vein
That I keep on closing
You cut me open and I

Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
I keep bleeding
I keep, keep bleeding love
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
You cut me open

And it’s draining all of me
Oh they find it hard to believe
I’ll be wearing these scars
For everyone to see

I don’t care what they say
I’m in love with you
They try to pull me away
But they don’t know the truth
My heart’s crippled by the vein
That I keep on closing
You cut me open and I(hold note)

Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
I keep bleeding
I keep, keep bleeding love
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
You cut me open and I 
 

  Thank the Lord that I am an American.  I cannot wait to celebrate our Independence Day!  Not just the family, friends, food and fireworks, (lot of f’s) but our FREEDOM.  Our freedom to pray in public, our freedom to speak our mind and the ability to present our ideas, make our voice heard, display our dissatisfaction if we desire.  The list goes on! 

Please send up prayers for our military men and women.  Wherever they are stationed.  Some are far away from family and all they have are their friends and hopes and prayers and desires to be home soon. 

Please be safe this holiday season.  Playing with fireworks is fun, have a blast, but don’t be stupid.  Take caution when lighting those things and run like crazy if the tube should fall over on the ground and you can’t quite see in what direction it will launch.  Yes, I speak from past experience.  I ran like a bat… you know that old expression.  Everything was just fine though.  Quite shaken, and we did have a good laugh afterwards. 

Okay, one more thing I want to leave you with, “Could you pass the latest citizenship test?”  I found this test on MSN, 20 questions.  Just click and give it a whirl!