Virtual Belize: Flora, Fauna and Geography....

A bit less than 9,000 square miles, Belize is a relatively small country. Roughly the same size as the entire US state of Massachusetts. 

What she lacks in size...she makes up for in diversity.

Her people have been compared to a bag of Skittles...all races, colors and creeds living together in a delightful happy mixture.

Her geography much the same...

Mountains, Jungles and Rainforest

Swampy Plains and Mangrove Forests

And the Beaches, Reefs, and Cayes...

With over 4000 species of flowering plants...700 species of trees...500 species of birds...and dozens of unique-to-Belize mammals...it becomes obvious that this is something that is going to require more than one day's time.

Over the next couple of weeks we will break it into

Mountains and Jungle/Rainforest

Swampy 
Plains

Mangrove Forests

Cayes

Beaches

Reef

And the flora and fauna we can expect to encounter in each...

Make it a little more managable.

We will start next time with the 

Mountains/Jungle and Rainforest

Until then...

The Great DeCluttering of 2020...

This week has felt a LOT like this.

When I moved here in the Fall of 2011...I had minimized my belongings to things that were needed, useful or loved.

Apparently, a lot has happened since then.

8 years later...and I'm back to soooooooooooooooo much stuff...

Too much stuff.

And it isn't even the money issue.

It is the not-being-able-to-find-a-damn thing without searching for it...or eventually giving up and buying another roll of tape or whatever.

My clutter-type is The Concealer.

I put things in boxes. Bags. Drawers. Closets. Behind closed doors.

The house doesn't look terribly cluttered.

That is the illusion.

And I am not really a collector...just one of those savers...you know...someday it may be useful.

I might fix that...someday.

You never know when you might need....

In theory it all makes perfect sense.

In practice...it will never be useful...I will never fix it...and I will never need it.

So, with much fanfare (and advanced warning to Amber who helps me with floors and trash removal) and armed with Hefty Bags (the heavy 30 gallon kind); I have descended on the house this week in

The Great Decluttering of 2020

And it feels great!

"Hilarious, Mom...now get me out of here..."
                                                                   ~Sofi

 Hoping by Spring to have a place for everything and everything in its place.

It will take until March, I'm sure.

Making a list of small repairs I need to do...and things I still want to streamline my life.

Pretty much a Cinderella Week...this one.

A couple of pop-bys by Chris...excited over the beginning of his classes this year and Spring classes marking the end and soon to start his lifetime career.

Tina...ready to do Paramedic Training soon..and loving her work as am EMT.

James and I trading cat videos this week...too funny!

And watching a video of him noodling around with his finger-picking style on guitar,

Very nice.

Getting excited about Sunday's games.

Where, for these four teams, it is time to

"Go Big...or Go Home."

Hoping it comes down to a Chiefs vs 49ers Superbowl...but we shall see,


This Week's Book:

Which really needs to be made into a movie.

(...I found myself casting for it through-out...)

A feel good piece of fiction about a girlfriend who fills in a blank diary for her dying-of-cancer boyfriend who has been given a year to live.

A year's worth of perfect things to do, see, experience.

Inadvertently, the diary makes its way..instead to a man, whose life can be more aptly called an existence.

Always playing it safe.

Never trying anything new.

Nothing out of his bubble.

And the change that the diary makes (forever) in his life.

Great read to begin the New Year!


The Movie This Week: 



 Not many films qualify as EPIC.

This may be one of them.

Not the WWI version of Saving Private Ryan, I was led to believe.

This film will engage you..invest you in the through-no-mans-land journey of two WWI privates tasked with delivering a time sensitive message across enemy lines to save lives...

Much of it shot first person through the lens of the camera.

No shaky, hand-held Blair Witch approach, either.

A sobering realistic look at war.

John and I, both watched this last night and shared our thoughts over coffee this morning...finding it, particularly the cinematography, brilliant.

A must see.

 Now, it is back to the trash-bags for me...

Okay...maybe not NYC bad...
but still pretty bad!

Wishing Everyone a Very Sofi Sunday!

UPDATE

WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


We won...we won...we won....

Mahomes and the KC Chiefs are SuperBowl bound!


Now I have to watch the Packers- Niners game to see who we will be beating....er...playing!

WE WON!

and we will have a Chiefs ~vs~ Niners Superbowl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SO VERY HAPPY!

...politics...

"Clean Up on Aisle Three, Bob..."

So much has happened since last we blogged politics that a bit of catching up is in order...

Let's see...on December 18th, 2019 Trump was Impeached for Obstruction and Abuse of Power.

(...imagine...)

Nancy waited a bit to send the Articles to the Senate for Trial and possible Removal, which unhinged Trump and the GOP in the Senate...all of whom were bitching (at first) that everything was going too quickly...

Now bitching that everything was proceeding too slowly.

(...seems to me they would complain if they were hung with a new rope...groan...too soon for Epstein jokes, eh???)

In between all of this Trump decided with a bit of help from his minions to assassinate one of Iran's top generals.

(...well THAT can't be good...)

Who in turn launches a dozen or so missiles at an Iragi base housing US troops

(...because...yeah...what did you think was going to happen...)

And Trump declares that no one was hurt...no harm...no foul.

(...except 34 are hospitalize now , after the attack, in Germany with Traumatic Brain Injuries...and he LIED TO US...again...)

https://www.stripes.com/news/middle-east/eleven-us-troops-flown-to-hospitals-from-al-asad-air-base-in-days-after-iran-missile-attack-1.615158

Who saw that coming? 

On the same night of the attacks a commercial jetliner wandered into Iranian Airspace and was brought down...everyone (167) onboard dead...

(...oops...)

And Lev Parnas 

(...of the political duo "Lev and Igor's Excellent Adventure to the Ukraine"...)

decides to say "Fuck it" after Trump disavows even knowing him and do an information dump

On live television.

With documents and texts and phone records.

And information that appears to include surveillance and alludes to possible assassination talk regarding Former Ukraine Ambassador Yovanovitch...

(...holy batshit....)

Pretty sure Rachel Maddow came...live...on the air.

(...can I get a cigarette over here...)

And Nancy and Crew hand delivered the Articles of Impeachment together...processional...down the hall...across the Rotunda...into the Senate chambers...

(...just like delivering a Papa John's pizza...)

And SCOTUS Chief Justice John Roberts swore the Senate in...reminding them of their oath of office...

(...whew...)

And now we wait.

Trump's legal team is forming including

(...wait a minute...that can't be right...)

Close though.

Alan Dershowitz, Ken Starr (and Pam Bondi)

If some of these people sound familiar...think Epstein's legal crew...oh and Clinton's BJ.

Even Monica Lewinsky weighed in (seriously) this morning with a single line

"You've GOT to be shitting me."

(DIRECT QUOTE)

Tuesday begins the Senate Trial.

So we will see where it all goes from there...


More anon.

Virtual Belize: Mayan Ruins

They say that Xunantunich is the Mayan Ruin to see in Belize. They have many...all the way to Guatemala...but getting to this one is part of the best of the journey.

Its name means "Sculpture of Lady" and is a modern name given as a nod to an apparition said to be seen climbing the stairs then disappearing.

The "Stone Woman" 

The site was found in the mid-1890's.

Xunantunich was built before 250 A.D

(..its Mayan name is unknown...)

The main pyramid (El Castillo) is 130 feet tall.

The pronunciation of Xunantunich is Shoo-Nah-Too-Nitch.

So...let's start our virtual adventure...shall we?

The hand-cranked ferry ride across the Mopan River.

https://youtu.be/_0TVTLmMKpI

and our first sight of the ruins.

A friend of mine visited these ruins some years back bringing me a stone
(as she knows how I collect rocks from everywhere) remarking she

"...yanked it from a Mayan Ruin..." (direct quote)

When I asked her if that wasn't illegal as hell...she replied

"Only if they catch you..."

Alrighty, then...

Tour 

https://youtu.be/gd4XUZj7l6I

Longer Guided Tour (BEST)

https://youtu.be/qDP81wzsnoI

 Hope you enjoyed today's tour of the Mayan Ruins...next time we will discover some of the unique geological features, flora and fauna of Belize.

Until then...

Virtual Belize: The Zoo

A tiny zoo.

Only 29 acres...with 125 animals native to Belize.

The zoo was established in 1983 after film crews  collected an assortment of wildlife to film a documentary...then left...offering no suggestion what to do with the collection of animals on location.

What started as a "Backyard Zoo" with small cages is now known as The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center.

 No tiny cages, now.

Just a maze of boardwalks and fenced in areas of the rain forest. Ponds and waterfalls and steams.

Beautiful natural habitat...and santuary.

The Zoo keeps animals which are orphaned, rescued, born at the zoo, rehabilitated animals, or sent to The Belize Zoo as donations from other zoos.

The zoo now receives 86,000 visitors annually and over 13,000 Belizean students.

The zoo is accessible to wheelchairs, throughout.

Tour

https://youtu.be/8pIyf7lDAyg

Another Tour

https://youtu.be/71shv0OHGdU

The Jaguar Encounter (where the people are in the cage...not the cat)

https://youtu.be/kteC1iJO9rE

Longer BEST tour

https://youtu.be/pc1qmE43-fc

And some images from The Belize Zoo

The Jaguar Encounter had to be my favorite...with humans inside a cage and the jaguars free outside.

https://www.belizezoo.org/

For information about the zoo...chances to adopt/sponsor an animal...or shop the gift shoppe!

I hope you've enjoyed this as much as I have, and soon we will head into the rain-forest and check out some of the Mayan Ruins!

Until then...

James is 33...Shelburn Gang Brunch...and the Kitty is Stoned

James covered in Pocket Bullys.

Hard to believe he is 33...already.  Seven years from 40. A blink of an eye. Hell, I've lived in this apartment for nearly 9 years now! Of course, 60 is sneaking up on me...3 more months. He stopped in on his birthday and we were able to visit/catch up for a while.  So nice!

John and I caught up with a friend this week as well, who was in town and reconvened a luncheon of The Almost Notorious Shelburn Bank Gang (...well part of us anyway...)
Always wonderful!

And the Stoned Cat?

Tucker never care one way or the other about catnip...neither did Shelby.

Gizzy liked the fresh stuff..and Gadget is a hard "NO",

but Sofi takes up all their slack.

Sofi is the Cheech and Chong of housecats.

 Never met catnip that she didn't love...fresh or otherwise.

John brought her a dried vial this week along with a toy. He might as well have brought her rolling papers.

Today I opened the vial and sprinkled some over her cat tree and through the tube top of it where she likes to lay...

LOST HER KITTY MIND

Has tossed all of her toys in about a three foot radius of the tree. Looks like an explosion at Pet Co. Then zoomed around scratching the base of it...ran up into the tube and rolled around inside...and is now laying in a catnip stupor hanging out of it.

~laughing~

Stoner Kitty

Settling in to the every-other-day of the Alternating Fast again.
Weighed in this morning and have already re-lost 2 of the 12 pounds I gained through November and December.

(...and they were sooooooooooooooo worth it...)

 But tonight is not a Fast Day and I have a skillet of fried red potatoes with onion and a pork chop baking...green salad, and Ice Cream for dessert.

Best diet ever!

So easy to make adjustments...take time off...and no food restrictions.

EVER.

Just maintain 600 calories every other day. (FAST DAYS)  Once you reach or get back to your desired weight...then just 1 FAST a week keeps it that way.

I've stayed close to the same weight now (with the adjustments after the holidays) since 2014.

I did learn this week that I am too old for straight legged military-style sit ups.
Twisted during one and wiped my back out for a full day and a half.

Yes...it is modified (bent knee) for me, from here on out.

Nobody needs that kind of pain.

Adding back sit-ups and planks as being in this chair might help a lot with leg strength and definitely upper body strength...but doesn't do a damn thing for core muscles.

My friend, Loretta, has started Tai Chi in the mornings daily and loves it.

She says to try it...I might like it!
(...a modified seated version exists...who knew!)

Angie and I caught up the other day. The Shoppe is going well.
Che had his first real automobile accident (...close encounter with a deer...)
both he and the buck unscathed.
His car, not so lucky.

This is WHY we eat them.


Diane is nearly ready for her Florida Getaway...which is an annual thing for her.

Brenda just finished eye surgery with good results, and soon to get the other one done.

And I'm readying for the Winter Decluttering next week!

The Movie this Week

The life of Harriet Tubman.

Brilliantly cast and excellently done.

Loved the resemblance between Cynthia Erivo and the real Harriet Tubman.

This film gave a bit of insight as to how the Underground Railroad worked and the dangers involved in escaping slavery.

As well as the enormous part Harriet played in both.

Well worth a watch!

The Book this Week

Do you drink coffee religiously???

This is the book for you. 

A light, fun,nonfiction look at the origins of coffee and its intertwine with the world faiths.

Good read!

And football...

The Colts are gone...the Patriots are gone...The Saints are gone...The Vikings have folded...and now the Ravens have bit the dust...

Who knew the Tennessee Titans could pull off beating both the Patriots and The Ravens, anyway???

Waiting for Sunday's Chiefs game.

Mahomes...you are my only hope now....or I may have to take up knitting.


Back to our Belize Adventure on Monday!

Till then...

And Mahomes & Team has done it!!!

What a GAME!!!!!!!!!

They will play the Titans at Arrowhead Stadium. The winner will be going to the Superbowl!

Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Packers have beaten the Seahawks...

so we have

Titans VS Chiefs

49'ers  VS The Packers

And the winners will go to the Superbowl!

"I'm pretty sure that was a bad call, Mom"

                                                           ~Gadget