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.

When you have family members who are sport enthusiasts, Christmas shopping is an easy task. I always know my step-brother will like a jersey or some other goodie sporting the Bucs logo. I’m even getting my niece a little Bucs cheerleader outfit. And then there are my cousins, who share my love for hockey. Of course, we don’t cheer for the same team, but as long as we still see eye to eye on a love for the ice; all is well.

I love a good discount and I’m feeling pretty psyched about finding Hockeyoverstock.com. They carry skates and sticks and pretty much anything else a hockey player might need – as well as NHL apparel at surprisingly low prices. It’s hard to find licensed apparel at reasonable prices, so I consider this website a real find. So, I am currently up late combing through the deals on Rangers apparel for myself, Columbus Blue Jackets stuff for the cousins, and the token Lightening jersey to show my local spirit.

Most of the NHL stuff is over 50% off (a lot of it is closer to 75% off) of the regular retail price and if that’s not a good enough bargain for you, here’s a coupon code, too: ppp001107 gives you 5% off.

Swimming lessons are over for the season. Actually, I think the last session ended just a few days ago, but I did not sign up Gigi for that last hoorah. I feel like she learned quite a bit over her time in the pool with instructors and we will now hold off until this next summer.

So, now that we are in the habit of running around making sure we are at a lesson on time, it is in the cards to sign Gigi up for her next adventure – ballet.

I have done my absolute best to explain to Gigi that ballet is not all about the tutus, leotards, toe shoes and leaping around the stage. I explained she will need to spend a lot of boring time up front learning foot, hand, and arm positions. I told her it will be slow and without flourish in the beginning. She is still adamant that she wants ballet lessons. And so, I will comply.

In the meantime, I am building up her dance wardrobe. She has a leotard, tights and tutu from the last time we tried ballet lessons. She has since grown out of those things. WalMart and Target have a very small selection and the local dance specialty stores price their merchandise way too high. Just For Kix is an online store that carries a huge selection of dancewear, at prices I can stomach. Yay for online shopping.

I’m OK with online dating. I met my ex that way and although the marriage did not work out in the end, meeting online was not a factor in the demise. It was a way for me to meet a lot of new people here in Florida when I first moved down and did not know much of anyone outside of work. I actually met a LOT of great guys. I just picked the wrong one to marry I’m not the first girl in the world to make that kind of mistake.

I was surprised at how many professional guys were out there looking to meet someone outside of a bar setting. In our society, there just aren’t many other options. People don’t go to barn dances and supper clubs anymore.

Initial contact is hard to make in a world where most adults are holding down busy jobs. Who wants to hang out in a bar and hope you meet the right person in a beer-soaked room full of people talking too loud? More often than not, people are not in bars to find a long-term connection anyway. You have to find a different way to connect with like-minded people.

I’ve joined a variety of dating sites since I divorced. In all actuality, I’m not ready to start dating, but I do like the friendships I’ve made. One thing is always the same when I am looking for a social site. I do not believe anyone should have to pay a lot to meet another person online. There are just too many great, free and low cost sites. Of course, you want to do your homework and use one of the better sites that have some privacy settings in place and a variety of people in your area signed up and ready to go.

Date.com is probably the biggest dating network out there. It’s free to join, but there are small fees involved in contacting people. Either way, you can still look around risk free to make sure what you want is out there waiting for you! They have more support features than most dating sites, including a newsletter, profile assistance and access to dating advisors. The biggest draw might simply be the fact that their membership is massive. When it comes to finding the perfect date in a crowd of people, the bigger crowds are going to yield more results. They say there are plenty of fish in the sea. Might as well find the biggest sea.

I have cousins who are golfers. They are very good. I’ve gone out on the links with them before, but it does not take long before it is painfully obvious that my forte is more along the lines of putt-putt. I just haven’t had the practice or the proper instructions.

The last time I went golfing was actually with friends up North during one of my vacations. It was a situation where I was very happy to go the activities that they like to do on an average weekend. Plus, they paid for the greens fees. My friend’s husband was patient enough to work with me on my golf swing, but what works for him did not really work for me. I had a blast, but my score was nothing to write home about. Actually, it was more something you want to burn quickly.

According to Jim Clark, a Physical Therapist, there is actually a method to achieving a perfect golf swing. He has used his knowledge related to Kinesiology (analysis of body movement) to puzzle it out to a science. If you understand the precise movements of the neck, arms, trunk, hips, knees, and ankles anyone can perfect their swing.

For example, if you understand that there are maximum limits joints are can move, you can avoid over-swinging.

My theory is that if I am going to learn, I want to learn it right from the very beginning. Clark’s instructional tools have a money back guarantee and that kind of low-risk deal appeals to me.

In an earlier post today, I talked about how Gigi is showing interest in both ballet and cheerleading. Being me, I immediately started mentally listing all of the things I will need to buy to get her set up for the dance classes. She will need very particular dance outfits depending on which I school I use for her lessons. Pee wee cheerleading also comes with a laundry list of items I need to buy for both her wardrobe and practice.

I just cannot stomach going out and buying everything in one fell swoop. I’m the type of person who makes a list and then shops around to find the best price for the best quality of each thing I need to purchase.

Anyway, that’s not really even what I wanted to blog about! I’ve been having some reservations about the whole cheerleading thing, so I’ve looking for alternative. I know Gigi wants to learn ballet, but her interest in cheerleading is due to the high energy level and the team dance style. There is a program out in the Midwest called Just for Kix (they are also a dancewear company). They have team dancing lessons, but I get the impression they aren’t specifically doing cheer for a sports team, as much as focusing on the issue of team dance. I want to find a similar program in my area, because while Gigi is this young, I’m not really all that interested in having to attend pee wee football games as much as just getting her involved in dance.