Hitting the Labor Day Sales

Yesterday I went to the mall because there were a few makeup and skincare “essentials” that I had run out of. After I finished getting the things I needed, I decided to go over to Lane Bryant to see if they had anything on sale that I could use to add to my wardrobe.

I found some cute things and since one of the saleswomen had handed me a spend $75, get $25 off coupon, I decided to get them. So, for $64 (after all of the discounts), I got:

This dress looks GREAT on, and was only $23.99

This top is more of a burgandy/wine than it shows up in this picture.

I also got two tops: One is a red, johnny collar shirt with black, white, and yellow dots on it in a “splotchy” pattern.  I wasn’t sure if it was a bit too bright, but I figured with the right jacket over it, I could make it work.  Plus, for $12.99, how could I not get it.  The second top is brown, with small stone embellishments on it.  I have a skirt with a sort of subdued animal print on it that should work nicely with it.  This one was only $9.99.

I’m happiest with the dress, because it’s an 18/20, and my usual size in dresses has been 22/24 at Lane Bryant.  It feels so good to be into a smaller size!  Plus, the dress looks really nice on me, and I feel sexy in it.  What more can you ask for an item of clothing?

I think I did really well with these purchases, and they will help supplement my wardrobe nicely.  It’s difficult not to buy too many things, but I keep telling myself that I don’t want to spend too much money on this “transitional” wardrobe.  I’d rather keep the cash for my “real” wardrobe, once I lose all the weight.

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How Long Until November 4th?

I don’t know if I can wait that long.

I find it very interesting that the day after Barack Obama gives the speech of his life, John McCain finally decides on a running mate. How diabolically desperate was his choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate?

• Diabolical because on the surface, those disenfranchised Hillary supporters may want to vote for a woman, for anyone, other than the man they think took away Hillary’s chances (how stupid of them). Sarah Palin is as far from Hillary on every issue, practically living in a different universe. Pro-life, a member of the NRA, has ties to oil because of Alaskan drilling, and the list goes on and on.
• Desperate because this woman is the governor of Alaska, a state with a total population of less than the city I live in. So in really, she’s like “mayor of Alaska.” For two years. Yet somehow she’s got enough experience to run our country, should something happen to 74-year-old McCain? Gimme a break.

All I can say is I can’t wait for the debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin.

The other devious thing about McCain’s choice is his timing. I’m sure it was no accident that he chose to announce this running mate the morning after Barack gives one of the most amazing speeches ever heard on the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech at the Democratic convention. What do you think more people were talking about this morning? Barack’s amazing speech or this vp choice? The latter, I’m afraid. Again, diabolical and desperate. Poor McCain.

But enough of unpleasantness. I truly believe that we won’t have to worry about McCain and his antics because the clear choice, the only choice, is Barack Obama. Not convinced? Watch this video and then you’ll understand why this man can motivate, inspire, and instill a fresh feeling of hope in so many – from the 18-year-old senior in my journalism class to my 68-year-old father. This man is going to be our next president. (And if by some quirk McCain pulls it off? I’m moving to Canada. Although Mexico does have nicer weather and prettier beaches…) But, nah, that’s never going to happen.

Yes WE (he) Can!!!

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Democratic Convention, Day 3 – The Change We Need

President Clinton’s speech at the convention was good, but I agree with him, it was very difficult to follow his wife – her speech was far superior, and had much more energy from the crowd than his. People do love Bill Clinton, though, and it took him several minutes to get the crowd to be quiet enough for him to begin speaking. I remembered all of the things I love about Clinton when he was president as I watched that speech. What a great time for our country when he was running it. How we’ve all suffered since he’s been gone. He may have lied about having an affair, but compared to the lies we’ve been told by the Bush Administration, that was small. No one died because of Clinton’s affair; can we say the same about Bush’s lies?

I have to admit, I didn’t know much about Joe Biden until tonight, when I watched the video they played about his life at the convention. I can’t believe he lost his wife and one child (his daughter) in a car accident. I can’t even imagine his pain. I love the fact that after such a loss, he put family first, even while fulfilling his duties to his constituency. His son’s words about his father was so poignant to me. How he overcame his stutter, how he signed a bill protecting women against domestic violence, and how he stood against Slobodan Milosevic and the genocide. {On a side note, I was very impressed with Beau Biden and think we may see him running for president in the future}. I like Joe Biden’s background in foreign politics and the way that he’s willing to speak out about things he knows are wrong or unfair. He seems to be a man of character and leadership. The fact that Obama said he thinks the most important thing that Biden brings is his honesty sounds like such a refreshing aspect to a politician, especially considering what we’ve dealt with lately.

The part of his speech that I thought was the best was when he said, “everyone is equal and everyone is equal to you.” That is a motto that I believe in, and I agree with Biden that we hould take that motto back as part of our new American Dream. As Biden said, “Barack Obama is the great American hope.” When he said, “these times require more than a good soldier, they require a wise leader…Barack Obama is going to deliver the change we need in this country.”

I love how Barack came out to surprise everyone at the convention. He is like a rockstar! I think Obama & Biden make an amazing ticket, and look so good standing next to each other. I see America’s future there on the podium tonight.

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Democratic Convention, Day 2 – Keep Going

I thought that Hillary gave a powerful speech last night, and the part I loved the most was when she repeated Harriet Tubman’s words, “keep going, keep going, keep going.” She couldn’t have said it better, because just as those runaway slaves faced danger in the unknown as they fought their way toward freedom, we as a nation face danger if we allow more of the same politics that we’ve had to endure for the past 8 years.

As I was watching Hillary speak, I did wonder what it would have been like if Obama asked her to be his running mate. I know that it was a decision that wouldn’t have been made for several reasons, but can you imagine the impact of an Obama/Hillary Clinton ticket?

(Fast forward this video to 20:07 in order to hear the Harriet Tubman section of the speech, which I think is one of the most brilliant parts):

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Thoughts on Day 1 of the Democratic Convention

The tribute to Ted Kennedy and his inspiring words were wonderful, and reminded me of why I became a Democrat to begin with. The man is a fighter, and I hope he is able to stand on the podium in January to welcome Barack Obama as our new president.

Michelle Obama’s speech tonight is what truly moved me to tears. She is an amazing speaker, and spoke with such poise, dignity, and intelligence, that I have no doubt that as First Lady she will lead this country to become what it should be, as she said. I am so impressed with her speech tonight that I simply cannot find the words.

I can’t wait to hear from Obama on Thursday. Our country needs this change, and I cannot wait to be part of history in November when I vote for Barack Obama, a man who can once again make us proud of our president.

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True Inspiration

The Kennedys are true American royalty, and Ted Kennedy’s speech tonight at the Democratic National Convention was one of the most inspiring things I’ve seen:

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Fresh Flower Fridays (Sunday edition)

Once again, I didn’t buy flowers until today.  But hey, as long as I keep the tradition alive and buy myself fresh flowers once a week, I’m still keeping up a great new treat for myself, right?

These flowers are called the Summer Sizzle Bouquet and were only $6.99 at Safeway.  Such a steal!!

I really do love this new, inexpensive luxury I’ve started for myself.  It makes the room happy, and it feels so nice to do something special for myself, even though it doesn’t cost that much.

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Taking back my life

For years, I’ve spent most of my time focusing on my work life – making sure I was the best at my career, whether it was working in industry (I worked at a famous internet company during the dotcom boom) or teaching. I give everything I have to my job, which leaves little for the rest of my life. When people ask me what I do, I always answer with pride, knowing that I have given everything I can.

The problem is that when the ask me about the rest of my life, there’s not a lot to say. Sure, I have great family and friends, but they always took a back seat to my work. My parents instilled a strong work ethic in both my sister and me, and I think I took that a little too far.

For years now, when school is in session, the rest of my life suffers. So much so that I become unhealthy – not eating well, not exercising, not going out with family and friends. Not living.

Many people think teaching is easy because of the short work day, but what they don’t realize is how much time it takes to grade all of the essays and other work that must be assigned in order for students to get enough practice so that they become better writers, analyzers, and critical thinkers. I think English teachers have it worse, because of the amount of writing involved in the day to day assignments (but I may be biased). I love teaching and interacting with students, but as I’ve written so many times in the past, the part of my job that I hate is the constant paperwork and grading that I have hanging over my head. Sometimes it gets so overwhelming that I can’t seem to look past it. So I avoid it, but I don’t do other things either. I’m stuck in a sort of limbo mode where nothing productive gets accomplished. I back myself into a corner where the only way I can finish all that I have to do is to stay up all night grading. It’s happened so many times in the past, and it leads me to living in a manner that I hate.

As this school year approaches on Monday, I am fiercely determined not to lose my life as I have in the past. Now that I’m finished with graduate school and all of the requirements I faced for the last two years, I’m really ready to start enjoying my life, even when school is in session. The plan for this year is to stay after school for two hours every day and grade as much as possible in that time period. Whatever doesn’t get done is going to be left for the next day. I am promising myself that I won’t take anything home with me. Not in the evenings after school and not on the weekends. (Unless I need to finish a few things during a grading period, but if I stay on top of the assignments, I shouldn’t have to do much of this).

I’ve made this plan several times in the past, but I’ve never executed it. I get so tired at the end of a school day that the last thing I want to do is grade papers. I take them home with me, but avoid doing them, and the piles just get bigger and bigger. And it leads to more frustration.

So I am telling myself that even though this plan hasn’t worked in the past, it will work this time. It has to. I cannot keep living my life only working. Because even though I may not have been grading, it was always in the back of my mind, and I could never truly enjoy my time away from school.

I want to be able to leave work at work, and live a full life. I want to keep up with the healthy habits I’ve put forth in my life, and I want to take those even further. I want to continue to enjoy my time with family and friends. And I even want to spend some time pursuing hobbies like writing, maybe through a non-fiction writing class.

It’s time for me to work to live and stop living to work. I know it’s easier said than done because I am a workaholic, but if I don’t change this pattern now, I know I won’t have the life I truly want to live.

I’m actually really excited by this new challenge I’m putting forth for myself. Because I have been unsuccessful at balancing my life in the past, I am that much more energized to do it right this time. I have a different mindset now. I know that my life is about a lot more than my job, no matter how noble my chosen profession might be. It’s ok for me to want to have a life outside of teaching, and it doesn’t make me a bad teacher, or a selfish person to want more out of life than a red pen and a stack of essays.

I’ll continue to check in on this blog with my progress, but I am hoping to have positive results to share. I’d like to ask any and all of you to keep my honest with this plan, and if you start to see me slipping back into old habits, that you’ll call me on it.

This is my chance to put me first, and I can’t wait to do it.

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Fresh Flower Fridays

Ok, I know today is Sunday, but I wanted to write all of my travel log posts before I put this one up.

Remember how I decided a few weeks ago that a new habit of mine would be to buy fresh flowers each Friday as a way to welcome the weekend?  It’s been a really nice ritual.

When I got home late Thursday (actually Friday morning), I saw that my mom had left me a bouquet of beautiful flowers with a note that said, “Welcome home, Bella, we missed you.”  How sweet is that?  The flowers were so lovely, as was the sentiment from my parents.  They’re the best.

So, Fresh Flower Fridays continued, even without my planning it:

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Home Sweet Home

I got home at 2am on Thursday night/Friday morning, and I was too tired to think.  I was so happy that I had spent all that time cleaning the house before I left, because there’s nothing better than coming home from a trip to a spotless house.

I dragged all my bags into the house and was about to get changed for bed, when a thought occurred to me.  I was about to get into a welcoming bed with wonderfully clean sheets, and I was feeling less than fresh.  Spending more than 13 hours in airports and on planes can do that to you.  So, at 2:30am, I decided to take a shower and wash the day away.

It was the best decision I could’ve made.  As I crawled into my clean bed at 3am, I knew I was going to have a wonderful night’s sleep.  And I did.

__________________

As much fun as I had on my 10-day trip, I am so happy to be back home.  It’s so nice to be surrounded by the familiar comforts of home after being gone for an extended period of time.  I spent most of Friday and Saturday unpacking, doing load after load of laundry, and uploading over 450 vacation photos.  Oh, and blogging about the last part of my trip.

I had an amazing time on vacation, but it’s always nice to be back home.

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Wherein I lost my mind at JFK Airport

What trip would be complete without a tale or two of problems with flights?

CBCB arrived at Logan Airport in Boston around 1:30, in plenty of time to make our 2:35 flight, since we had checked in online. When we got to the counter to check our bags, I was overjoyed that my bag was 49 pounds – no overweight charges on this leg of the trip. Plus, because we had booked our flight back in March, we were allowed two checked items of luggage, so I wasn’t charged the $20 fee for my second piece of luggage. I thought we were off to a stellar start. Oh, how wrong I was.

We boarded the plane in Logan and would have a quick flight over to JFK before heading back home. As we got comfortable in our seats, the pilot came on the loudspeaker and announced that we would have to remain on the runway for a while, because of thunderstorms at JFK. We sat there, on the plane, for an hour. It was miserable and uncomfortable, but just a small prelude to what we would find at JFK.

We got to JFK, and I quickly went outside to have a smoke. I knew we had an hour and a half layover and then a 5 1/2 hour flight home. If only I had seen a bit into the future, I would’ve had another couple of smokes.

I went through security to get back to the terminal without any problems. I met up with CBCB at our gate, and again, no problems. Until we heard a clap of thunder and the heavens opened into a full on storm. Great. An announcement was made that our flight would be delayed due to the lightning and thunder and the storms. Inconvenient, but not a problem. At least we could walk around, get food, and go to the bathroom while we were in the airport. Ah, but this situation was going to go from inconvenient to terrible in a matter of minutes.

We were told we had to board the plane, even though the flight was not cleared for takeoff. What? We’d have to wait on the plane? Trapped like rats for who knows how long? Ugh. The pilot explained that we were “in line” for takeoff, as soon as we were cleared and our turn came up.

We were on the plane for 3 1/2 hours without moving on the tarmac. I can’t tell you how awful this was. Unless you’ve experienced it for yourself, you have no idea. It was hot, stuffy, and utterly claustrophobic. Not to mention the fact that when we finally did take off, I knew we’d have another 5 1/2 hours in the air before we got home.

The upside? I finished an entire book. The downside? My poor dad had to pick us up at 1:45am. We were both tired, and speaking for myself, not in the best of moods. Oh and the icing on this very bitter cake? I broke two nails getting the bags from the luggage carousel. Perfect.

Still, at least we made it home safely, and I knew that my own bed was waiting for me.

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Last Day: Swan Boats & Boston Public Garden

All good things must come to and end.  On Thursday, August 14th, our last day of vacation, CBCB and I had to catch a flight from Logan airport at 2:35pm.  Which meant we needed to be at the airport by 1:30, since we had already checked in online.

With some time to kill, we left The Cape around 9:30, with the thought of going to Salem to see a couple of exhibits at The Peabody Museum.  As we were driving and hit a bit of traffic, CBCB and I looked at each other and realized we probably wouldn’t make it.  It would take us at least 2 hours to get to Salem, which didn’t leave us much time to see the museum.

We decided to stop at a Starbucks along the way, and saw a sign for The Christmas Tree Shops.  We changed our itinerary on the spot.  If you’ve never been to a Christmas Tree Shop. I highly recommend it.  This one, in Shrewsbury, MA would be the third one we’d hit on our trip (we’d also been to the locations in Falmouth and Hyannis).  Each one is a little bit different, and although the main merchandise is the same, each store has different offerings, depending on where it’s located.  I picked up a new lunch bag (and one for my sister) and a Cape Cod t-shirt, although if these were in CA, I would’ve bought a lot more.  They have a lot of great deals on all kinds of home decorating items.

After shopping, CBCB suggested we head into Boston and try to go on a Swan Boat tour of the Boston Public Garden. It was one of the things we hadn’t done yet on our trip.  Sounded like a plan to me.

Once we got in the general vicinity of the Public Garden, we immediately found rockstar parking!   Plus, the weather was gorgeous, so we knew this was a sign that we were meant to go.

The Public Gardens are beautiful.  Majestic trees, a lagoon filled with ducks and swans, and fantastic vistas of Boston.  A perfect way to end our stay in one of the best cities in the country.

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Fenway Fun…well, almost

One of the main things I wanted to try to do on this trip to Boston was go to a game at Fenway Park. I’d seen the Red Sox play once in Oakland, against the A’s, but seeing an actual game in their home ballpark would be something special.

When CBCB looked up the tickets online, she saw the cheapest seats going for $80, which seemed like a lot. Then we thought that maybe we’d buy a few tickets from some scalpers on the day of the game. As it turned out, we realized we’d be spending most of the day and into the evening in Hyannis, so getting to Boston early enough to get tickets wasn’t going to be that easy.

The next best thing? Going to a bar near Fenway to watch the game on TV. Realistically, we’d probably be able to see more of the game that way, and would be more comfortable. So on Wednesday night (Aug. 13), CBCB and I left The Cape and headed into Boston to meet Aunt Judy’s son Michael, and Aunt Mary’s son, S. (Yes, this is the very same S that I have a crush on).

The traffic coming into the city was terrible, and it took us 2 hours to finally get into Boston and find a parking spot. Parking karma was with us, though, and we found a great spot only 6 blocks from the ballpark. As we were crossing the street to meet up with Michael, I had my own little brush with death. I was crossing the street and the light changed, and suddenly a couple of cars were rushing towards me. I thought I was going to get hit for sure, but luckily, I only got a few loud honks of the drivers’ horns. (On a side note, Michael tried to make me feel better that if I HAD gotten hit, I was really close to the best hospitals in the country. I guess that’s a positive way to look at a near-death experience).

We headed to Boston Beer Works, which was fun, loud, and lively. I started with a wheat beer that was good, but quickly switched over to a blueberry beer that was a seasonal special. The night got even better when S arrived, looking even cuter than he did the previous time I saw him. He told us that he had stopped by Bleacher Bar, which is actually inside Fenway Park. He said it was really cool, and that we should stop by there towards the end of the game, because it would be a lot of fun.

As we watched the game, more sparks went off (at least on my part) with S. (CBCB mentioned that she saw an attraction from his side, as well, but who knows?) The things I like about him is that he is really smart (he went to William and Mary in Virginia) yet he is a bit rough around the edges in a good way. I’m not sure if that makes sense, but let me just say that he’s not a snob or a stuffed shirt. He’s fun, down-to-earth, and knows a lot about pop culture. I really like that. Yet at the same time, he’s full of fun facts and likes to research things that he hears about. (That’s actually how he found out about the newly opened Bleacher Bar). I think he seemed somewhat intrigued by me, as well, but there are two pesky problems with this whole attraction:

1. He has a girlfriend. His mom doesn’t seem to like her much, though, and even S said, “ya, it’s ok,” when CBCB asked him about his new relationship. Not a ringing endorsement. I guess he met this girl on the internet, and the thing they have in common is their love of sports. Hey, I love sports, too!
2. He lives on the east coast ALL the way across the country from me. I know that distance can make the heart grow fonder, but this is pretty far. It would be great if he wanted to move to CA, but I doubt it. He seems to love the Boston area, and I doubt he would want to move. (Am I getting just a bit ahead of myself here? hehehehe).

Still, it was fun flirting with S all night. He works at as the manager of a national sporting goods store, and I told him I’d love to “place an order” so that I could use his discount. He said absolutely. I’m thinking this might be a way to keep in contact. (On a side note, when I got back home, I logged into Facebook to read some messages, and saw that he has an account. I sent him a friend request, so we’ll see if he adds me and if we can continue getting to know each other).

The Red Sox won the game 8 to 4 (if I remember correctly), and at the top of the 9th, we headed over to Bleacher Bar. The cool thing about this bar is that it’s inside Fenway, but you don’t need a ticket to get in. The bar is right underneath the bleacher section of the Green Monster (or, Monstah, as Bostonians would say). They have a window inside that has views from the outfield, so you can sort of watch the game as if you were in the stands. Very unique idea.

It was a really fun place that quickly filled up as soon as the game was over. The neat thing was, when I mentioned the place to CTLB, she hadn’t been to it yet. It was kind of fun going to a place that the locals hadn’t discovered yet.

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A day or two at The Cape (and a bracelet to prove it)

Cape Cod has to be one of my most favorite places that I’ve ever been to.  The views are magnificent, the vibe is relaxing, and the houses are adorable.  And rather affordable, compared to Bay Area prices.  Who knows, maybe someday I’ll be able to buy a “summer home” on The Cape?  (Well, only if I marry a rich husband, or win the lottery, or some other windfall occurs).

CBCB’s Aunt Pam and Uncle Fred have a charming house in Bourne, MA, right across the street from the Maritime Academy on the canal.  They were kind enough to let us stay with them for 3 nights, and I have to say, this was my favorite place to sleep, by far.  Partly because of the views, but also because of the fact that I was able to have my own bedroom.  You see, CBCB had a hard time sleeping in the guest room with me because I snore.  (My mom used to tell me that I snored all the time, but I never knew it was so bad, until poor CBCB couldn’t get a good night’s rest).  Luckily, Aunt Pam and Uncle Fred have another spare bedroom, so CBCB was finally able to get some shut-eye.

After our first night on The Cape, Aunt Pam took CBCB and me to Hyannis, so I could see the JFK memorial.  It was really nice, but somehow I expected more.  I thought it was going to have a museum attached to it, but it didn’t.  It had a really nice fountain, though, and a plaque.

Aunt Pam also took us by the Kennedy Compound, which was huge.  The funny thing, to me, was that it wasn’t surrounded by gates or anything that would prevent someone from walking (or driving) right up to it.  I guess if you’re wealthy enough to live on Hyannis near the Kennedy Compound, you’re probably not going to just stroll up to the front door and bother them, right?  We also got to see Ted Kennedy’s boat, docked in the harbor, which was pretty cool.

The next stop on our unofficial Kennedy tour of Hyannis was the church where Ethel and Rose still go for mass.  The church wasn’t as elaborate as I expected, in fact, it was a lot smaller and simpler than my own church at home.  Still, it was beautiful.

I was so touched by the statue of the Virgin Mary with candles at her feet that I knelt down and said a Hail Mary.

The nice thing about our time at The Cape was that the weather was finally good – we had our first sunny, warm days of the vacation while on The Cape, which was perfect.  Although, truthfully, foggy weather is just as wonderful near the water.  Couple with a cup of strong coffee and a good book, I can’t think of anything better.

I would’ve liked to spend some time in Faltmouth, but we ran out of time.  Oh well, you’ve got to leave something for the next trip, right?  Oh, and next time I’m near The Cape, I definitely want to head over to Provincetown, or P-Town, as it’s known.  I’m sure it’s a great time with lots of fun people.  I wonder how it compares to hanging out in the Castro in SF?  Guess I’ll just have to find out the next time.  Also?  I really want to take the ferry and go to Martha’s Vineyard.  FavoriteCousin goes to Martha’s Vineyard every year to help a friend open up the store she has there.  I’d love to tag along some time, because FavoriteCousin raves about how much fun she has each year.

Since I had such a wonderful time at The Cape, I knew I wanted something significant to help me remember it by.  CBCB had mentioned early on in our trip that her mom has a Cape Cod bracelet.  I’d never heard of it, but then we found a jewelry store that sold them, and I really liked them.  I thought it would be the perfect momento for me.  It was expensive, but nice things usually are, and I really like the way it looks.  My goal is to get another Cape Code bracelet each time I go (up to three, otherwise I think it would be overkill).  I think the bracelet looks nice on me, don’t you?

I know I’m no hand model, but I think the bracelet looks nice on my wrist.  Plus, it goes with everything.  Good thing, too, because it’s a pain in the neck to take off.

While the pace of our time in Cape Cod was slower than in other parts of our trip, I definitely enjoyed myself.  It was a nice break from all of the hustle and bustle of the rest of the trip.

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Sunset Cemetery Tour

When CBCB arrived back at the rental car after dinner with Aunt Mary & Aunt Judy, I happened to see a hearse across the street:

A sunset graveyard tour?  How could we say no?!

I inquired about the cost, and for a mere $13, we would take an hour and a half lantern-lit walk through Plymouth, looking at places were spirits frequented.  I’d never taken a tour like this before, and since we’d had a fairly big meal at dinner, the walk sounded like the perfect way to get some exercise and enjoy ourselves at the same time.

Lanterns we carried into the graveyard. waahhhaaaawwww.

The tour must have had at least 40 people on it, and at $13 a head, the tour leader is making some serious money.  During the day she’s a paramedic, but at night, she leads these tours through the creepy, crawly places around Plymouth.

The tour was fun because of the tour leader’s personality (her name escapes me now).  CBCB and I both thought her energy was infectious, and that she’d make an ideal teacher.  You can’t help but give her all your attention.

Most of the tour was conducted in Burial Hill, Plymouth’s most famous cemetery.  The tour guide told us to keep our eyes (and cameras) open for “orbs” or circles of light that would show up in our photographs, which meant that spirits were among us.  I was one of the first on the tour to get an “orb” in my photos.

Can you see the orb, directly above the building?

I don’t know if the orb is a spirit or not, or if any other supernatural presences were with us on our tour.  I do know that someone else on the tour got a photo of a blue “essence” that the tour leader said was the beginning of a manifestation.  Who knows?  All I know is that it was a fun way to spend the evening, and gave me some fun memories.

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