NEXT STOP: VACATION!                                                                                                         November 12th, 2006
 
I officially feel like a deflated balloon. On one hand, it was nice flying in the sky for a while, on the other, I couldn't be more happier to vanish. I guess losing is never fun, but the best thing about it, in today's case, is that I get a whole extra 24 hours of rest! Vacation is currently music to my ears. I'm heading home for a couple of days, then off to a deserted island, which I will tell you about when I get back. As a precautionary, I am also going to take an MRI on my foot when I get back, just to see if everything is ok.

I realized that I had officially lost my mind when I started going on the resort's website and looking at the restaurants menu! And when you start waking up to the song 'Genie in a bottle', you realize that you have had enough. But with that said, I had a very good time in Madrid, but I am convinced that they sneak in a couple extra hours to a day. It seems like I have been here forever! People have been superior nice, and the fans have been incredible! It seemed like more people recognized me here than in any other country in Europe.

Quote of the week goes to moi, well actually it's more of a comeback line. Mike say's 'girls are like subways, they come and go every 5 minutes'....to which I say 'boys are like a parking lot.....they're either taken or handicapped'

 Here's my take on trying to be nice, and coming across as a native. If you say the word 'gracias' (thank you) like a foreigner, which sounds like 'graSias', you look like a fool. If you say it like a native which sounds like 'graTHias', the people think wow the foreigner really knows our language. So they start speaking to you in Spanish, and you say 'No hablo espanol'( I don't speak Spanish), which makes you look like a bigger fool. So I'm giving up on trying to make an effort, simply because it's a no-win situation
 

I was sitting at Starbucks, enjoying my Chai Latte, when I saw three, ten-year old kids come into the store with a newspaper in their hand. One of the kids comes up to me, puts the newspaper on top of my phone, which was laying on the table, grabs my phone with his other hand, and starts sprinting out of the store. Let me tell you, I have never ran so fast in my life. I caught the kid, and with the help of a Starbucks worker, I got my phone back. My poor phone felt violated, but little did the kid know that he was messing with the wrong person....I'm no professional but they do call me Sherlock Holmes. Whatever happened to a nice, peaceful cup of coffee?

Last, but not least, I cannot thank you enough for your amazing support this year. You guys make me realize how important it is to have such great fans. It's been so fun, and I look forward to working hard for another successful year!
Toodles!    Maria