We had a 5 day weekend starting last Friday! Today is the last of the five day stretch. We took advantage of the days off and ventured to Angra dos Rios just south of Rio for 3 days with our friends Alvaro and Liana. A couple of days on the boat, evenings listening to the ocean slap the shore, and great company. This place is a great place to be during vacations. Too bad we have to work to sustain ourselves.
Sierra is very patient when it comes to waiting to leave for the beach. She finds a comfy place, tests out her sunglasses, keeps her beach bag close at hand, and reads the latest tweener news to prepare.See the orange/red colored house in the middle (behind the bonfire smoke). This was our quaint home for 3 days. Right on the water, the mountains behind, and tranquility surrounding. Ahhh, Angra dos Rios.
Nothing like a little carnival fun after lunch. It's the indoor version of the dunk tank! Plastic balls instead of water. Liana taking aim; Sierra taunting from her post.
... and just as much fun as the dunk tank with water when you fall in.
There's no place better than the Green Coconut for lunch. Sitting on the grass, eating Lula Frita (Calamari) and visiting over an ice-cold Chopp.

Sun or clouds, Sierra LOVES the water, the boat, the time with friends, and of course, the camera!!

Minnesotans For Global Warming Song

This is for my friend Tammy who has been suffering through what might be the longest winter in MN history.

Not made in America

We have lived in Rio for 21 months. Almost 2 full years. When we arrived, we had brand new furniture, brand new electronics, brand new kitchen gadgets, brand new scenery, brand new neighbors, brand new life-style. We have adjusted quickly. We make ourselves stop to appreciate the not-so-new-anymore scenery. We have become friends or aquaintances with most of our once-brand-new neighbors, and we have adequately used our brand new furniture, electronics, and kitchen gadgets almost daily.
However, I am started to get a little nervous about things made in Brazil. The sofas have needed re-upholstering or colorful slipcovers for several months now (that may be due to the fact that they are covered in white fabric). Two weeks ago we replaced our dying coffee maker after I cracked the carafe filling it with cool water when it was still hot (be warned). This past weekend we replaced the DVD player as almost every movie would stop playing halfway through for the last month and a half.
The good news: A colorful slipcover for the sofas would add some charm to the living room and make it feel fresh, like a facelift. The new coffee pot is black instead of white and has that little stopper that allows you to pour a cup mid-brew (a beautiful feature). The new DVD player is a Sony, making me believe it will outlive the Tectronics brand that recently died.
The worrisome news: What will be next? Is it the element that all things were manufactured in Brazil, and the quality just isn't very good? Is it the element that this amazing city is in the heart of a tropical rainforest and humidity is tough on things? Or, are we that hard on things?

4 Things
4 CELEBRITIES THAT I DO NOT FIND ATTRACTIVE (So Stop Trying to Tell Me They Are)
1. Tom Cruise
2. Renee Zellweger
3. Katie Holmes
4. Brad Pitt

4 PLACES I WILL NEVER LIVE--I try not to say "never" so I guess these are more "not likely" to live places
1. Antarctica
2. Sweden
3. Cuba
4. On a religious compound in the middle of Texas (I'm with you Jill)

4 THINGS THAT ARE BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL
1. Volkswagon Bug
2. Pogo sticks
3. Baked Lays
4. "The First Cut" -- Sheryl Crow

4 PEOPLE I WOULD TAKE TO DINNER
1. Maya Angelou
2. Nancy Atwell
3. Sean Connery
4. Will Smith

4 TIMES I BOUGHT INTO THE "HYPE"
1. Body for Life
2. Chipotle
3. American Idol
4. Acrylic Nails (boy was I sorry for that one; it really messes with your natural nail beds)

4 TIMES I DID NOT BUY INTO THE "HYPE"
1. Project Runway
2. Bathroom wipes for adults
3. Self-tanning lotions
4. Adkins Diet

4 SONGS THAT I AM SLIGHTLY EMBARRASSED TO ADMIT I THOROUGHLY ENJOY
1. Paradise by the dashboard light--Meatloaf
2. I will survive--Gloria Gaynor
3. The devil went down to Georgia--Charlie Daniels
4. 18 Wheeler--Alabama

4 HAMBURGERS I ADORE
1. Fuddruckers
2. Dick's Bar in Elk River (I think it's called Dick's)
3. Cambridge Bar and Grill
4. The frozen pre-made patties from Sam's Club fresh off the grill in the backyard

I WOULD WALK ACROSS A DANGEROUS INTERSECTION TO SLAP THESE 4 PEOPLE
1. Robert C. Byrd
2. Angelina Jolie
3. Rush Limbaugh
4. Hugo Chavez

4 IRRATIONAL FEARS THAT OCCASIONALLY AND UNSUSPECTINGLY POP INTO MY MIND
1. Sierra contracting a terminal illness
2. Someone under my bed grabbing my ankles before I jump in
3. Being shipwrecked in the middle of the ocean and thirsty
4. Falling down the stairs

The Miniature Earth

A friend of mine shared this with me, and I wanted to share it with all of you.