Not So Good Friday...for the Birds

So...this past Friday was Good Friday and I took the day off from work. But this blog entry isn't about religion...its about birds.

I woke up Friday morning and started my usual routine of working out. After I was finished, I sat on the couch to drink the rest of my water and relax a little when something caught my eye out on the porch.

Now before I get into this, let me explain something. We have birds and squirrels around our porch because we have a bird feeder hanging off the balcony above us. This being said, it is never unusual to see the occasional critter.

Let me also say this: my bike hangs upside down under the balcony as well and it has only been there for about two weeks.

So, when something caught my eye on the porch, I was prepared to see a bird at the feeder. Nope. The bird had flown in and landed on the bike.

And that's when I saw it....the nest. I couldn't believe it! It had literally appeared overnight, or at least it had to me. I was super impressed as I had really never seen such a perfect nest that close.


The unfortunate thing was that...I needed to be able to access my bike...and that nest wasn't going to make it happen. So, I enlisted the help of Andy to help pull the bike down and move the nest.

We had to make sure that 1) the birds weren't in the nest when we chose to move it and 2) that there weren't any eggs (otherwise, no moving the nest).

Luckily, we had no issues...and were able to move the next to a nearby tree.


Now I'm keeping a closer eye on my bike :-)

Rhode Island Road Trip

Get it...road and Rhode trip...haha!

Well, on with the blog...seeing as I haven't done this in almost a month! Ugh! Anyway...

So, I don't think of myself as a 'girlie-girl' and I think most people would agree. What I think most people don't know is that I actually don't mind being a 'girlie-girl' from time to time.

No, I don't think I have the energy, desire or necessary maintenance and upkeep to be one all of the time...but there are days when I wish I could be more so and enjoy being one.

I've always been a tom boy, the one playing sports or rough-housing with my guy friends. Don't get me wrong, I had plenty of girl friends, but they were all into skirts, makeup and the cute boys. I hung out with the cute boys they stared at and they were my buddies.

This story has a point...and here it is.

Girls have accessories galore. Jewelry, bags, purses, scarves, shoes, hats, etc. I have my fare share of jewelry (collected over the years from gifts mainly). I have shoes (but most are sneakers and flip flops). I have scarves (bc I am kind of obsessed with the colors and textures...probably closest thing to 'girlie' that I have). Yes, hats (but they are baseball or winter...). Lastly, I have bags (but they are mostly totes and like two purses that are black and boring).

So...when my mom came to visit and asked to take a road trip to Rhode Island, I wondered why. She wanted to go to a store in Newport. What kind of store you ask? A purse and bag store! No joke! I was like 'OK, why not' because I had never been to Newport.

We had a nice drive out there, though a certain someone forgot to tell me that there were two HUGE bridges that I would have to drive over...and I hate driving over bridges....twice!! Anyway, those bridges aside, it was a beautiful day to be strolling along the harbor in Newport.

We weren't going very far around the town, looking specifically for a store front with the name Brahmin.

The colors in the windows got me and the old weathered exterior was amazing. We walked in and the smell of leather hit my nose. It was awesome. Then those colors from outside came at me full force inside. It was like standing in a rainbow.

My mom told me what she was looking for...and how she wanted to be able to see the bags in person before she bought one (i.e....didn't want to order something online without holding it). We spent a great deal of time in the store. Other customers would come and go, but we stayed the same. I never got bored...because I was sucked into the experience.

My mom finally began to narrow down her choices and we picked out a beautiful bag. The funny thing for me was that I became hooked on this one bag myself. A beautiful green hobo bag made from Melbourne Alligator) yes...I'm not a huge fur person...but I do like the gator! ;-) My mom was willing to get me a wallet, which I chose in the same green, because she said I should save the bag for like my birthday or Christmas (these things are pricey).

So...my mom, with her new bag in tow, and I proceeded out into the chilled ocean air (and comparing the lack of oceany smell to the supreme oceany smell of NJ...haha). We walked around a bit and enjoyed a little lunch before heading to car and starting the drive back home.

Fast forward about 3 weeks later...and a wonderful surprise from my mom...

Come on....tell me that's not a pretty sight?! I've been such a girl, carrying that bag everywhere, ever since! ;-)