Anna Skamarakas

Opened in June, 2005, Kunkel’s Seafood and Steakhouse restaurant is like finding the pearl in the oyster from the looks of it.  Standing alone at the end of a mostly abandoned strip of stores who’s primary resident is Tony Soprano’s Pizza, Kunkel’s looks like a charming little restaurant that you would find in a much more upscale neighborhood.  When you walk inside, you really are transformed into what you might think of when you think of a dinner club - rich woods, warm colors, roaring fireplaces.  Everything from the beautiful mahogany bar to the lovely yet subtle paintings on the wall gives you a feeling of warm and cozy.

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I’m a big fan of mediums/psychics/anyone who can tell me what is going on with those people who have gone before me.  I feel sometimes like I am on a hunt to track down my sister, my dad, my grandparents, and I know I won’t find them without the help of an over priced snake oil salesman.

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It seems like just a few minutes ago we were pulling up to our South Florida apartment with our brand new, 7 pound 6 ounce Eilis, wrapped in a bili-blanket due to her jaundice, tiny and wrinkly, an odd shade of yellowish red.  It was a scary time for me - and a bit of a sad time.  My parents were in New Jersey, and no one was there for her arrival.  After 36 hours of labor and a couple of failed attempts at an epidural, I was wheeled into the OR for a c-section at 2 AM on the morning of February 15th.  At 2:36 AM, she made her arrival, wiggly and crying.  I spent more than 9 years waiting for her to arrive - much longer than the 36 hours or the 9 months.  She was the realization of a dream.

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There never seem to be enough hours in a day!   Just driving Brighid and Eilis back and forth to school takes up a good bit of my time, but then when you put in all the other stuff that has to get done - WHEW.  I’ve been so blessed in that Jim has decided we should keep the housekeeper for a while longer - at least until the summer, when I will have more free time.  He also has taken over washing the laundry.  He won’t fold anything, but he hangs up the stuff that needs to be hung, and for that I am extremely grateful.  Now if only I could twitch my nose and have the socks sort themselves out automatically…

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Well, we’ve been to see the nurse practitioner, who pronounced our baby girl “Absolutely perfect!”   Of course, they pronounce most babies, that way, but it always does boost your ego to hear that your child is perfect.

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