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I was in college when I first became aware of the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism). I never became involved, but I flitted on the outskirts of the world so many of many friends created for themselves in the fantasy of Renaissance life. Along the years I have attended my fair share of Renaissance festivals in many states. I have enjoyed the benefit of having friends who have closets full of enchanting costumes and practiced mannerisms that nearly sweep one back in time.

It’s not like you can just walk into your local Galleria and find the bodices, bloomers, and surcotes you need to fully realize a believable character. A lot of my friends sewed their own costumes, or had other friends make them. Most of them, though, would locate the proverbial needle in a haystack and track down a retailer that sold the right costuming elements.

I went to college before the internet was a full-fledged phenomenon, so finding the costume retailers was a feat. Now, you can just logon and find sites like The Renaissance Store. It’s like a dream come true if you are planning a costume for a RenFest or the like. And, I finally found a believable pirate costume for my nephew that we can use for next year’s Pirate and Princess Party at Disney.

I’ve done OK in the past when buying cars, but my experiences have always been rather stressful and no matter what anyone says – most car salespeople are looking at me as a single woman and trying to use typical tactics on me.

One time I was shopping at a dealership and the male salesperson came out with his boss, asked me to sit down, and then provided to stand over me as he talked. I tried to stand as well, he “politely” asked me to relax and have a seat. I asked them to sit with me and they said they would rather stand. It was a positional power play.

When I bought my van, I specifically told the salesman I would wait a year if fold down back seats were going to be on the next year’s model. I guess he really wanted to make a sale THAT day, because he swore up and down those seats would not be out on their vans for years. I had not had my van more than a few months when I started to see TV commercials fort the new model – with fold down seating in the back. Grr.

I could give you dozens of other examples, like trying to hide national rebates. I always prevail, but it takes a lot of work and energy.

Tell me some of your car buying horror stories, won’t you? Maybe I would feel better knowing I was not the only person people take for a chump.

I’m intrigued by the Car Buying Concierge service The CARCHEX Advantage™. They are a free nationwide service (I love free services) that acts as a car buying agent for you. They work with you to find out what it is you are looking for in a car and then they negotiate with multiple dealers or private sellers on your behalf. They will work hard to strike the best deal for you when it comes to price, trade-in value, financing terms, and pretty much anything else that will give you the most for your purchase money.

Best of all, CARCHEX does not partner with just one manufacturer or dealership, so you can be sure they are going after what is best for you. And, they have a proven track record as a consumer-focused company through their work in car inspections.

It is Spring Break and I want to make sure that since we are not taking a vacation and going out of town that we still remain active.

Monday we went to the beach with friends. It was a lot of fun and did not cost anything at all. Parking was free, since we chose a state park with a wonderful white sand beach. I brought drinks and lunch food, so eating did not add any expenses to the day.

Yesterday we spent a good deal of time at the library and then we met friends for coffee and browsing at Barnes and Noble. It was a day all about book, which is something my daughter and I both enjoy a lot. Although it was not a particularly active day, it got us out of the house and into social situations.

Today we are playing with dolls together, but we will be going bowling later. I have free passes that one of the bowling alleys issues to students to use during Spring Break.

Tomorrow we are meeting up with some friends to go strawberry picking out in Dover, FL. The berries cost $1 for two quarts and of course we will have top buy gas to get there, but overall it should be a fun day for very little cash.

Yes, I would love to know that one day my daughter and I can plan luxury vacations for things like Spring Break and Summer Break, but in the meantime the togetherness and the little fieldtrips are just fine and we are making great memories.

It might be April Fool’s Day tomorrow, but it is also audition day for the Swashbuclers – the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ cheerleading squad.

If you’ve ever thought it might be a great gig to cheer for the Bucs, head out to the Academy of Holy Names, 3319 Bayshore Blvd. in Tampa from 6 to 7:30 and from 8 to 9.

I’m assuming my two-year-old niece is too young to qualify, even though we bought her the cutest little Bucs cheerleading outfit for Christmas this past year.

I was never much a Disney fan until I moved to Florida. And then, when I had my daughter the Disney-mania really kicked in and took over in my life. My daughter is obsessed with the Disney Princesses and we go to the annual Pirates and Princess Party at the Magic Kingdom in Orlando for her birthday every year. And, when we can afford it, we enjoy the other parks as well. My personal favorite is Epcot.

You may be aware that Disney has been doing this Year of a Million Dreams promotion for more than a year now. People win random awesome prizes on a daily basis. Well, a Florida teenager won the ultimate prize last year – an around-the-world tour of all eleven Disney theme parks.

Joshua Peterson of Eustis, FL is only 18, but a visit to Epcot last year put his in the right place at the right time and he was given the “grand marshal world tour” prize – which makes this teenager a world traveler. His whole family will go along for the ride. It all begins with a parade at the Magic Kingdom on Wednesday. Then, the Petersons get to visit the three other Disney parks in Florida, followed by the parks in Anaheim, California; Hong Kong; Tokyo; and Paris.

Yep. I’m just a tad jealous.

I put off getting my daughter involved in activities. I finally called around about dance classes, and most are not really taking new students until the fall. However, I did find some summer ballet camp events for her. I am also looking into Daisy Girl Scouts, which is the Brownies/Girl Scouts for little kindergarten girls. Back in my childhood, I had to wait until first grade to start Girl Scouts. I waited too long to get Gigi involved in things. She is a very active child and loves being around other people. We do a lot here at the house, out in the yard, and around the community, but I think organized events will do her good.

My nephew is heavily into his karate lessons. In fact, my sister has him here for the weekend so she can work on the little trophies and engraved plaques for an upcoming tournament his school is involved in next month. I know she enjoys the fact that she does not have work fulltime so she can do things for his activities, volunteer in his kindergarten class and just generally be there for him after school. I will miss that once I start working.

I took ballet for a few years when I was young, but I quickly moved onto playing soccer and wearing combat boots and work boots to school. I grew up right in the middle of the punk movement in Washington, DC, so the ideal feminine look involved a rough edge. Ballet and cheerleading and the love of the color pink did not come into my life until I became a mother.

So, now I have a daughter and she is all about pink and princesses and growing up to become a cheerleader. I spent the afternoon calling around to dance studios to look for the right place to put her in for ballet lessons. I think I may begin her at one of the community centers. The cost is less and that way she can see if she really likes the dance, excels in it, before I commit to expensive monthly fees being deducted from my checking account – which is how some of the top schools in the area insist you pay.

One of the cooler things about living in Florida is that we are home to a plethora of baseball teams during spring training. The Yankees have a beautiful stadium over by the airport in Tampa. The Phillies have the most amazing complex right down the road from my house. The Blue Jays and the Rays are right here in town as well.

Teams that train in Florida (Grapefruit League) play other Florida-training teams in their exhibition games, so we get a lot of inexpensive, fun entertainment around here this time of year. When I drove past Brighthouse Field on US 19 Saturday, it was packed with spectators.

My homeowners association does some pretty cool stuff to try and build a better sense of community. They have movies on the green, blocks parties, pool parties, comedy night, picnics, the list goes on. One of the events that they are planning now is a casino night. If this works out, it is something they want to sponsor on a regular basis. They are even going to get a babysitting coop together so more adults can make it to the event.

The big picture pan is for the association to actually purchase most of the equipment. There is no need to rent poker tables over and over if we are going to use them six to twelve times a year. Plus, the committee in charge of planning the events feels like we can rent out the town hall and the casino equipment to people in the neighborhood who want to have parties of their own. We can purchase Texas Hold’em tables and even game chairs online for a lot less than the local dealers we’ve found so far. And, since we are one of the nicer communities in the area, there is the possibility we can lease our hall and casino goodies to other associations in the area that do not have community facilities. We’re actually hoping to get a lot of use out if the setup.

Personally, I am all over this for fundraising. I think it would be an exciting way to raise a little cash for some of our other events like the annual Easter Egg Hunt and craft days for the kids.

Rumors are flying that former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Toney Dungy is getting ready to come back to Tampa. Dungy coached the Bucs from 1996 to 2001. He took over the Colts in 2002, leading them to a Super Bowl win last year.

Dungy will not confirm or deny plans to come back to Tampa, but the Plant High football coach did confirm that Dungy’s son Eric did enroll this week. Dundy is under contract in Indianapolis through the 2009 season, at $5-million per season.

Dungy has been open about his plan to return to Tampa when he is done with coaching. He and his wife still own a home in North Tampa.

If you look at local bulletin boards online, the sentiment is almost unanimous: Come home Dungy. You are loved.

I was driving behind a car yesterday that had a bumper sticker reminding drivers to watch out for motorcycles. It upset me a little bit, because to me that implies that accidents involving motorcycles are always the fault of drivers in cars and trucks. I have not found that to be the case, especially lately.

Here in Florida, there is a topic that is garnering a lot of attention – especially from bikers. Local news broadcasts last night were chock full of interviews with bikers in the area laying out their opinion on the new bill filed in the Florida House that proposes that riders charged with reckless driving or exceeding the speed limit by 50 mph can be arrested and have their vehicles seized. The riders could also have their licenses suspended for up to ten years.

The bill is sponsored by Rep. Carlos Lopez-Cantera, R-Miami. He points out that it is not just the fact that riders put themselves at risk with reckless driving, but they also endanger others. There were 119 deaths caused by motorcycles in Florida in 2006, and that is just the report for the urban areas. In those 119 deaths, all but ten involved motorcycles moving up to three times the posted speed limit.

Speed brings up another issue. Lopez-Cantera admits that stopping a biker going 120 mph is difficult. He points out, though, that police are allowed to follow bikers in helicopters and unmarked cars until they stop. So, it’s not impossible.

Florida’s chapter of American Bikers Aiming Toward Education (ABATE) does not like the proposed law. James “Doc” Reichenbach, the group’s president, says it is going to be a problem if it comes down to taking away a rider’s bike.

“(And that’s) if they catch them. They can’t catch them now,” Reichenbach said.

A pretty flippant remark, wouldn’t you agree?

Locally, the spotlight has really been on deaths caused by motorcycle riders.

My sister and her son passed a terrible accident on U.S. 19 Monday that involved a high performance bike. It turns out that Craig Hales (22) was riding a Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle at more than 100 mph when he hit a sport utility vehicle with a force that caused the SUV to flip. Both Hales and driver of the SUV died as their vehicles went up in flames. The bodies were not even immediately identified, because they were so badly mangled.

On Wednesday, Lawrence Kwiatkowski (29) was killed in Largo when his Yamaha R1-1000 motorcycle hit a large pickup. Just here in Pinellas County there were at least three other deaths involving motorcyclists in the past month.

With high gas prices and cars becoming more expensive, it makes sense that people are turning to motorcycles for their personal transportation. My issue is with riders who don’t obey the laws of the road. How many times have I started to change lanes, seen nobody behind me within sight and then had a speeding bike come up on me within seconds? I remember seeing one a couple of months ago that quite literally looked like a cartoon blur as it passed me. I see biker pop wheelies, ride in between lanes and cut off other drivers.

In Florida, anyone over 21 only has to pass a written and skills test to get a motorcycle endorsement on their license. There is no additional training needed unless you are under 21. As of July 21, though, all drivers of any age who do not already have their motorcycle endorsement will have to do a training program to ride or register a motorcycle in their name.

The problem, though, seems to be with riders who do not have a respect for the law. I know that does not include all riders, but consider that Hales had been ticketed for speeding four times in the past five years. When he died Monday, his license had been suspended indefinitely, but that had not kept him off the roads.

Add all of that to the fact that there is not currently a helmet law in Florida and you have a recipe for disaster. Of course, when a biker is traveling at more than 100 mph when they crash, a helmet is not going to save them. I feel like the proposed legislation is a good move forward. I think, though, that there should also be a bill proposed that would target drivers of other vehicles who drive recklessly and speed to excess. Why should they not have their cars taken way as well? Perhaps that would have kept someone like Nick Hogan, Hulk Hogan’s son, off the roads so that his accident in August of last year may have been avoided.

My beef is with the bikers who speed, cut me off, drive between lanes and generally treat our public roads like their personal playground. I am the first person who will stop at a light and admire the bike pulled along beside me. I love motorcycles in general, but I loathe the foolish riders who are making our roads so much more dangerous.

I was browsing Lori’s blog, A Cowboy’s Wife, and saw that she and her gang played Spoons on New Year’s Eve. Holy Cow. It has been a good ten years since I planed Spoons and I did not realize until just now how much I loved that game. I also miss having enough people around the house to play games that take several people. There are just so many games my four-year-old princess and I can play on our own and Go Fish is getting old, my friends

Yesterday my daughter and I went over to Sand Key Park in Clearwater Beach to watch the surfers. The place was crawling with people in wetsuits. We finally had a cold snap last night and at the same time, surfing conditions are decent at certain times of the day. So, people dressed for the weather and headed out to the north end of the park. Sand Key is a county park often overlooked by tourists and one of your best bets if you’re looking for a less crowded option for beach activities. The sand is just as powder soft as Clearwater Beach, but the parking is more convenient and less expensive. Plus, you avoid the boisterous crowds of out-of-towners. It’s curious that so many people overlook the park, seeing as it is just south of the main drag and you can see the piers from the park.

Sand Key is known to have a jetty that makes it the best surfing in North Pinellas. In addition to the surfing, the park is known for its great views, generous playgrounds, modern bathroom facilities and hometown friendliness.

I just spoke to my dad again last night. Tuesday was his birthday and yesterday was his wedding anniversary (and today is his wife’s birthday – fancy that!) Anyway, he was telling me about the snow falling as I spoke to him on the phone. It might have been enviable, had said snow not been icy and bone-chilling. He said the wind was ramping up to bring in even colder temperatures. Not my cup of tea. Lots of states in the US are getting early snows this year. Is it cold where you live?

It’s not cold here! This morning was vaguely chilly, but this afternoon it is 74 and the bright blue skies are free from clouds. It is simply lovely out there. Between a doctor’s appointment right after lunch and picking up my daughter from her school, I decided to kill a little bit of time and drive down by the Gulf. The water was filled will boaters and some swimmers and the some leisure lovers riding beach bikes on the powder white sand. I had a very strong urge to go home and get my swimsuit. You cannot help but want to stop and enjoy a blissful December afternoon like this one. My daughter and I ride our bikes here in our neighborhood, but I would really like to have a bike to ride along the water, on the sand, where I can ride slow and watch for dolphins and birds. Beach cruisers tend to have fatter tires and bigger frames. Oh, and lower, wider, more comfortable seats. They are designed with leisure in mind.

You know you wish you were in Florida right now. I know you do! Hands down, this is the place to be in the winter. We’re going to put on our sandals in a minute and head out to pick lemons and star fruit and just enjoy being out in the yard. No snow here!

Nope, we don’t ski here in Florida. Of course, that doesn’t means those who love to ski do not live here. We just have to make our way out of paradise periodically to go to the mountains and find the good trails. I have the opportunity when I go north to see my dad each year.

One of my best friends here in the Tampa area has a sister who lives in Paris with her husband. She sure struggled with learning the language, but she raved constantly about the skiing holidays her husband would whisk her away to luxury chalets in Courchevel, France – or sometimes Meribel.

Now, apparently you can find luxury ski chalets that are much like our bed & breakfasts here in the U.S., with breakfast, diner and often even wine provided by your hosts. Hello good life! A couple of luxury skiing holidays a year seems like a more than fair trade for learning the local language.