It's done!!! The Big Migration South is in progress.
The house in WbyGod closes tomorrow. The big truck is at The Cat House with all of our earthly belongings. I am at Ormond Beach with Betty and Joan for a few days of sun'n'fun before heading to Orlando to see Jennifer and the kids and then on to my new home.
I'm a resident of Florida now.
I still don't believe it.
Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Thursday, January 07, 2010
The Cat House
*note: I tried to download photos onto the computer at work, but because of my sore neck, I can't wiggle around on the floor trying to find the usb ports. Later.*
With the forecast for heavy snow on December 18, I was able to take the day off and leave for Florida that morning. I'd planned to drive to Mom and Dad's house that evening and leave the next morning, but fate dictated otherwise.
I stopped at Mom and Dad's, then started the first leg of the journey. It's a total of about 21 hours from their house to The Cat House, and the longest I've ever driven in one day (when I'm driving, not just riding) is 12 hours. That was 16 years ago. I just can't do that anymore.
I stopped in NC for some good ol's Smithfield Barbeque. While I was there it started snowing; it had been overcast all day. When I got back on the road (with Zippy finishing some of my hush puppies) I was out of the snow within 10 minutes and into rain. It rained the rest of the day, but it's better than ice any day.
After driving for 7 hours, I stopped for the night at a pet-friendly hotel about 40 miles north of Savannah. I took Zippy in with me to register, and since I hadn't tried to hide him, they didn't charge the $10 pet fee. The $70 bill included breakfast (Denny's Grand Slam), so it was a pretty good deal. Zip had slept the entire day in the car; at times I have to poke him to make sure he's still alive, he sleeps so soundly. By bedtime he was wound up tight, and he barked every time he heard a noise. Motels are noisy.
Next day, we drove to Orlando, a seven-hour drive. Spent that night and Sunday with Jennifer and the kids, then Monday left for the Keys, a seven-hour drive. Three days. If I could leave early in the morning, I could drive farther each day, but I get sleepy in the mornings. I'm okay in the afternoon and early night.
As we drove over the bridge that officially marked the start of the Keys, I kept telling Zippy (who just wanted to sleep) that we were coming home for the first time. We're Keys homeowners now. He wasn't impressed, but I was very excited.
Driving slowly through the Keys doesn't bother me. I like to take my time and drink in the views of the water and islands. I love to see mangroves growing at the side of the road. There are lots of birds to observe, although quickly. It's okay if I have to go slow.
It was dusk as we drove over the Seven Mile Bridge onto Bahia Honda (which has been rated the best beach in the country in the past) and dark as we reached Big Pine Key. Tom told me where to turn off Key Deer Boulevard to reach our little subdivision (read: fishing village), but I'd forgotten by the time I got there, and I ended up driving to the end of the island anyway. That was okay since I got to see several Key deer along the way. Finally, after backtracking, I reached our place in the Keys, the first time as a homeowner.
The amount of work that needs to be done on that place is overwhelming. Everything has to be updated. Whoever did the last (attempted but not finished) remodel did a piss-poor job, and it's possible that previous renos were just as poorly done. The plumbing has to be replaced. The a/c was done improperly, so all of the vents have to be pulled out and replaced, along with the a/c units themselves. That alone will cost about $9,000; to do it really well and have an energy-efficient system was $7,ooo-$10,000 more, and we just can't afford to do that and attempt to do anything else to the house now. The floors are sagging; the windows all need to be replaced (the current windows must have been the absolute cheapest ones available) and hurricane shutters added; much of the wiring has to be pulled out and replaced.
We decided to make three rooms liveable for now, the kitchen, one bedroom and one bathroom. Since we're totally remodeling the master bed/bath/closet, we're using one of the upstairs bedrooms for now; it's huge--12' wide by 20.5' long, the depth of the second story. That room could be used as an apartment; it's plenty big for a couple of beds and a sitting area. It's going to make a great guest room. Eventually. For now, it's our bedroom. My old queen-size bed and one end table are in there now, along with the cat tower.
The upstairs bathroom is usable. It has a harvest gold tub/shower and sink with a fairly new white toilet; all are in working order. That will be the last room to be remodeled. After massive cleaning, the kitchen can be used. We have an old stove and fridge that we took down, and we bought a microwave oven.
The entire house has popcorn ceilings. U G L Y. They catch every bit of dust, and, in the kitchen, grease. Grease and dust. Not a good combination. We don't want popcorn ceilings, so Tom scraped every bit off the kitchen ceiling. Ugh, more dust, but repeated mopping of the ceiling, walls, and floor will eventually get rid of that problem. Unfortunately, there are those stupid ceilings in every room, and the ones upstairs all have cathedral ceilings. Fun fun fun.
I really enjoyed doing some yard work. There are a lot of nuisance trees/plants in the yard, along with plants that I just don't like (pampas grass, anyone? It takes up so much space and provides a hiding place for any kind of nasty insect or reptile, so out it goes.), so much has to be done. Brazilian Pepper trees are considered nuisances; they take over wherever they take root, and they can grow 1' a week. They have clusters of beautiful tiny red berries, so I hate to see them go, but Monroe County has deemed them nuisances and to be eradicated. Since there are so many other things we want to grow, I can live with that.
We have a silver buttonwood hedge outside the two streetside fenced sides of the yard. They're terribly overgrown but will be beautiful when they're trimmed. Deer like to rest under the hedges and they provide privacy screening. There are many cabbage palms in the yard; most will be pruned so they don't take up so much space and some will be removed to make room for other palms. There are two coconut palms in the back yard, one large and bearing fruit, that'll need to be trimmed but not moved.
Three HUGE hibiscus are in front of the bedroom windows; they're almost to the second story, so they need to be drastically pruned. Bouganville covers the left front corner of the yard. Many more assorted palms in various sizes will have to be removed or moved.
The deck has been demolished, and Tom has torn out the walls and insulation in the master bath and closet. The fixtures have been removed. He discovered Dade Pine siding on the house; it's absolutely beautiful, washed a pale bluish-gray, but he says the upkeep is too great to consider removing the vinyl siding.
I'm worn out just thinking about it.
My neck is hurting, so I'm going to take a break. Whatever I've left out I'll try to catch up with later.
On the knitting front, I did very little, just some sock knitting to Ft. Lauderdale and back. I'm starting to feel the creative bug again, but who knows when it'll actually bite.
With the forecast for heavy snow on December 18, I was able to take the day off and leave for Florida that morning. I'd planned to drive to Mom and Dad's house that evening and leave the next morning, but fate dictated otherwise.
I stopped at Mom and Dad's, then started the first leg of the journey. It's a total of about 21 hours from their house to The Cat House, and the longest I've ever driven in one day (when I'm driving, not just riding) is 12 hours. That was 16 years ago. I just can't do that anymore.
I stopped in NC for some good ol's Smithfield Barbeque. While I was there it started snowing; it had been overcast all day. When I got back on the road (with Zippy finishing some of my hush puppies) I was out of the snow within 10 minutes and into rain. It rained the rest of the day, but it's better than ice any day.
After driving for 7 hours, I stopped for the night at a pet-friendly hotel about 40 miles north of Savannah. I took Zippy in with me to register, and since I hadn't tried to hide him, they didn't charge the $10 pet fee. The $70 bill included breakfast (Denny's Grand Slam), so it was a pretty good deal. Zip had slept the entire day in the car; at times I have to poke him to make sure he's still alive, he sleeps so soundly. By bedtime he was wound up tight, and he barked every time he heard a noise. Motels are noisy.
Next day, we drove to Orlando, a seven-hour drive. Spent that night and Sunday with Jennifer and the kids, then Monday left for the Keys, a seven-hour drive. Three days. If I could leave early in the morning, I could drive farther each day, but I get sleepy in the mornings. I'm okay in the afternoon and early night.
As we drove over the bridge that officially marked the start of the Keys, I kept telling Zippy (who just wanted to sleep) that we were coming home for the first time. We're Keys homeowners now. He wasn't impressed, but I was very excited.
Driving slowly through the Keys doesn't bother me. I like to take my time and drink in the views of the water and islands. I love to see mangroves growing at the side of the road. There are lots of birds to observe, although quickly. It's okay if I have to go slow.
It was dusk as we drove over the Seven Mile Bridge onto Bahia Honda (which has been rated the best beach in the country in the past) and dark as we reached Big Pine Key. Tom told me where to turn off Key Deer Boulevard to reach our little subdivision (read: fishing village), but I'd forgotten by the time I got there, and I ended up driving to the end of the island anyway. That was okay since I got to see several Key deer along the way. Finally, after backtracking, I reached our place in the Keys, the first time as a homeowner.
The amount of work that needs to be done on that place is overwhelming. Everything has to be updated. Whoever did the last (attempted but not finished) remodel did a piss-poor job, and it's possible that previous renos were just as poorly done. The plumbing has to be replaced. The a/c was done improperly, so all of the vents have to be pulled out and replaced, along with the a/c units themselves. That alone will cost about $9,000; to do it really well and have an energy-efficient system was $7,ooo-$10,000 more, and we just can't afford to do that and attempt to do anything else to the house now. The floors are sagging; the windows all need to be replaced (the current windows must have been the absolute cheapest ones available) and hurricane shutters added; much of the wiring has to be pulled out and replaced.
We decided to make three rooms liveable for now, the kitchen, one bedroom and one bathroom. Since we're totally remodeling the master bed/bath/closet, we're using one of the upstairs bedrooms for now; it's huge--12' wide by 20.5' long, the depth of the second story. That room could be used as an apartment; it's plenty big for a couple of beds and a sitting area. It's going to make a great guest room. Eventually. For now, it's our bedroom. My old queen-size bed and one end table are in there now, along with the cat tower.
The upstairs bathroom is usable. It has a harvest gold tub/shower and sink with a fairly new white toilet; all are in working order. That will be the last room to be remodeled. After massive cleaning, the kitchen can be used. We have an old stove and fridge that we took down, and we bought a microwave oven.
The entire house has popcorn ceilings. U G L Y. They catch every bit of dust, and, in the kitchen, grease. Grease and dust. Not a good combination. We don't want popcorn ceilings, so Tom scraped every bit off the kitchen ceiling. Ugh, more dust, but repeated mopping of the ceiling, walls, and floor will eventually get rid of that problem. Unfortunately, there are those stupid ceilings in every room, and the ones upstairs all have cathedral ceilings. Fun fun fun.
I really enjoyed doing some yard work. There are a lot of nuisance trees/plants in the yard, along with plants that I just don't like (pampas grass, anyone? It takes up so much space and provides a hiding place for any kind of nasty insect or reptile, so out it goes.), so much has to be done. Brazilian Pepper trees are considered nuisances; they take over wherever they take root, and they can grow 1' a week. They have clusters of beautiful tiny red berries, so I hate to see them go, but Monroe County has deemed them nuisances and to be eradicated. Since there are so many other things we want to grow, I can live with that.
We have a silver buttonwood hedge outside the two streetside fenced sides of the yard. They're terribly overgrown but will be beautiful when they're trimmed. Deer like to rest under the hedges and they provide privacy screening. There are many cabbage palms in the yard; most will be pruned so they don't take up so much space and some will be removed to make room for other palms. There are two coconut palms in the back yard, one large and bearing fruit, that'll need to be trimmed but not moved.
Three HUGE hibiscus are in front of the bedroom windows; they're almost to the second story, so they need to be drastically pruned. Bouganville covers the left front corner of the yard. Many more assorted palms in various sizes will have to be removed or moved.
The deck has been demolished, and Tom has torn out the walls and insulation in the master bath and closet. The fixtures have been removed. He discovered Dade Pine siding on the house; it's absolutely beautiful, washed a pale bluish-gray, but he says the upkeep is too great to consider removing the vinyl siding.
I'm worn out just thinking about it.
My neck is hurting, so I'm going to take a break. Whatever I've left out I'll try to catch up with later.
On the knitting front, I did very little, just some sock knitting to Ft. Lauderdale and back. I'm starting to feel the creative bug again, but who knows when it'll actually bite.
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Quick update
Two weeks in Florida, lovely (if somewhat cooler than usual) weather, work around The Cat House, lots of FaceBook time on the Crack (and utter irritation for several days when the Crackberry network was down and no one had told me about it) (by no one I mean RIM, of course, the people who own the company), walks around our new neighborhood, observing the wildlife, playing with grandkids, floating in a warm pool on Christmas night, three days of driving seven hours a day each way (my butt cheek gets numb, okay?), living in our place in the Keys, having to leave and come home, then the little surprise of finding 6" of ice and snow on our driveway in WV, two weeks after it snowed and over a week since a minor ice storm, not being able to drive up the driveway, cracking the front bumper of our less than 2-months-old Prius, getting stuck and having to walk uphill to the house in the dark in the snow and ice and 10 degree temperature with 40 mph winds while wearing clogs because one doesn't need real shoes in Florida even in the winter with no depth perception in the dark and faulty balance on a smooth surface on a sunny day while trying to balance several large tote bags on my shoulders and falling down and losing a clog while screaming "WHY ME?" (or something like that only a lot more profane) at the cold stars as I sat on the ice without one shoe not being able to balance enough to stand up to look for the damn shoe and Zippy had run ahead up to the house and was patiently barking at the front door for someone to let him into the nice warm house while I was crying and snotting without any tissues halfway up the driveway thinking that I was going to die within sight of my own house and no one would ever find me and a bear might eat my barely-frozen carcass and it's all because I can't move to Florida until we sell our house in WV or I get a good-paying job in Florida which isn't likely this time of year (either one) then the next morning I called the guy with the tow truck who came after daylight to pull the car out of the ditch (where I almost took out the side of the new car by getting this---------->close to a huge bolt on a fence post) then dragged my crap back down to the car after deciding that I was not going back to that house until the spring thaw or June, whichever comes first then still being stuck in the damn driveway about 6' from the actual road and spending half an hour trying to get the car that six feet while getting this------->close to the For Sale sign in the ditch by the road until a nice man took pity on me and pulled me out of the driveway and I will not go back to WV until I'm sure that I can make it up that damned driveway and last night my shoulder muscle spasmed and Betty had to help me to bed because it was agonizing to move and it hurt so bad I didn't sleep well even after taking some percocet or something like that so today I went to the doctor who prescribed a muscle relaxant that shouldn't make me dopey but sort of has so I'm going to go to Betty's house and take another one and see if I can sleep.
*deep breath*
Zippy and I are living with Betty for a while.
*deep breath*
Zippy and I are living with Betty for a while.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Slow down!
Good grief. The summer is going by far too quickly.
I don't seem to be able to post with the Crack. I've totally forgotten how to type on an actual keyboard. Today is the first time I've driven in a month.
Let me tell you, living in the Keys is tough, dude.
We're looking at houses and have actually seen a few that we could move right in to. Many are disgusting dumps. Not a whole lot of choice in our price range, but more open every day. We saw a brand new townhouse in Key West, but it's really small and we have a lot of stuff.
I'm going through emails from realtors, looking at the properties they've emailed me. It takes forever, and we only have internet access at the library. The Crack is useless for something like that, but I'm having a blast keeping up on email and Facebook (Rita Knits is my name--join me!) and I'll miss that when we go back to the mountains and don't have cell phone coverage. It works well here for that.
Gotta run. We love it here. We can see ourselves living here. When I have time/opportunity, I'll post some photos. The Key deer are very friendly, very cute, and I've gotten to rub the velvety antlers of several males. Males are friendlier than females. We've seen tiny fawns, about Zippy's size.
Zippy is happy being a Key dog. He knows he has to go to the elevator to go O-U-T. There are huge iguanas all over the place, some as big as he is. He doesn't chase them. I think they could take him in an instant.
Later! I hope you're enjoying the summer. I really miss reading all of your blogs and hearing from you. I'll catch up when I can.
OH--Eric Brace has a new song and video, "Tranquility Base", an homage to the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing. Beautiful song, available on iTunes, and the video is on YouTube.
I don't seem to be able to post with the Crack. I've totally forgotten how to type on an actual keyboard. Today is the first time I've driven in a month.
Let me tell you, living in the Keys is tough, dude.
We're looking at houses and have actually seen a few that we could move right in to. Many are disgusting dumps. Not a whole lot of choice in our price range, but more open every day. We saw a brand new townhouse in Key West, but it's really small and we have a lot of stuff.
I'm going through emails from realtors, looking at the properties they've emailed me. It takes forever, and we only have internet access at the library. The Crack is useless for something like that, but I'm having a blast keeping up on email and Facebook (Rita Knits is my name--join me!) and I'll miss that when we go back to the mountains and don't have cell phone coverage. It works well here for that.
Gotta run. We love it here. We can see ourselves living here. When I have time/opportunity, I'll post some photos. The Key deer are very friendly, very cute, and I've gotten to rub the velvety antlers of several males. Males are friendlier than females. We've seen tiny fawns, about Zippy's size.
Zippy is happy being a Key dog. He knows he has to go to the elevator to go O-U-T. There are huge iguanas all over the place, some as big as he is. He doesn't chase them. I think they could take him in an instant.
Later! I hope you're enjoying the summer. I really miss reading all of your blogs and hearing from you. I'll catch up when I can.
OH--Eric Brace has a new song and video, "Tranquility Base", an homage to the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing. Beautiful song, available on iTunes, and the video is on YouTube.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Key deer
I forgot to mention one of the highlights of the Keys trip. We finally saw some Key deer. I think that they live mostly on Big Pine Key; they're federally protected as an endangered species and there's a huge fine for killing one. Many are hit by cars. They appear to be tamer than our bunch of deer.
We went to No Name Key looking for No Name Pub, an establishment that figures in a lot of Florida noir novels, especially Tim Dorsey's. It was a seedy place, not quite safe for non-serial killers to visit. I've wanted to see it since I first read about it in James W. Hall, Tim Corcoran, and Tim Dorsey's books.
Evidentally MANY people have discovered the place. I was so disappointed. Families were milling around outside while the place was full of families eating pizza and other non-pub fare. It's gone respectable. I'm sure that the owners are happy, but I was terribly let down.
On the way back to the main road, we saw a Key deer trotting down a side street. We circled around and stopped to take photos. It was about the size of our baby deer (yearlings); it was starting to grow little antlers. It meandered through a yard nibbling on the trees and grass. Just across the street was a little female. She was browsing the neighbor's yard. James walked up to within 6 feet of her to take photos and she didn't even blink. It's illegal to feed them, but I bet that one could casually toss some corn to the birds and they'd find it.
Seeing the two deer was more than enough for us to decide that we want to live on Big Pine Key. We hate leaving our little herd behind, but maybe there's another awaiting us. We can't afford one of the nice big houses there, but there are some smaller, less expensive homes in the area.
Little Marie, the kitten, has taken over the house. She's convinced that she owns it. The other cats hiss and stay away, although she and Chester and she and Lily have bumped noses without one taking the other out. Beghera is very disturbed that she's in HIS house. I brought Zippy home last night (he spent his vacation at my sister's house where he got lots of treats and was walked every day) and he hasn't even noticed (or reacted) that there's an addition. Marie is still shy, but she follows me around and talks to me. She's so very soft that I want to hold her all the time.
Photos will come after I get them transferred to dvds. It may take a while.
We went to No Name Key looking for No Name Pub, an establishment that figures in a lot of Florida noir novels, especially Tim Dorsey's. It was a seedy place, not quite safe for non-serial killers to visit. I've wanted to see it since I first read about it in James W. Hall, Tim Corcoran, and Tim Dorsey's books.
Evidentally MANY people have discovered the place. I was so disappointed. Families were milling around outside while the place was full of families eating pizza and other non-pub fare. It's gone respectable. I'm sure that the owners are happy, but I was terribly let down.
On the way back to the main road, we saw a Key deer trotting down a side street. We circled around and stopped to take photos. It was about the size of our baby deer (yearlings); it was starting to grow little antlers. It meandered through a yard nibbling on the trees and grass. Just across the street was a little female. She was browsing the neighbor's yard. James walked up to within 6 feet of her to take photos and she didn't even blink. It's illegal to feed them, but I bet that one could casually toss some corn to the birds and they'd find it.
Seeing the two deer was more than enough for us to decide that we want to live on Big Pine Key. We hate leaving our little herd behind, but maybe there's another awaiting us. We can't afford one of the nice big houses there, but there are some smaller, less expensive homes in the area.
Little Marie, the kitten, has taken over the house. She's convinced that she owns it. The other cats hiss and stay away, although she and Chester and she and Lily have bumped noses without one taking the other out. Beghera is very disturbed that she's in HIS house. I brought Zippy home last night (he spent his vacation at my sister's house where he got lots of treats and was walked every day) and he hasn't even noticed (or reacted) that there's an addition. Marie is still shy, but she follows me around and talks to me. She's so very soft that I want to hold her all the time.
Photos will come after I get them transferred to dvds. It may take a while.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Is it Prozac or Florida? OR Why am I feeling so great on a Monday?
I wish I could bottle this feeling.
I feel completely at ease (notice how well I'm ignoring stabs of anxiety), like I've finally been able to exhale. Remember that book, Waiting to Exhale? I knew exactly what she meant by that. I've spent most of my life waiting to exhale. Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Chronic Depression will do that to you.
After spending 8 glorious days in Florida, I am relaxed. I even feel rested. I have a touch of color (I know that sun is bad for the body, but it's so good for my soul.). (Even though an ignorant male teacher told me that it didn't look like I've been in Florida. The soul doesn't show.) If my soul has a color, today it is the serene turquoise of the waters off the Florida Keys.
We got home yesterday morning around 5:30 and went straight to bed. I slept until 7:30 p.m., got up for a couple of hours then went back to bed. I slept wonderfully. Tom is still on "driving straight through the night" time and didn't sleep as well.
I last reported in on Wednesday while we were in Ft. Lauderdale on a little hotel on the beach, with its picture window overlooking the ocean. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there; less than 24 hours, but it's a place we'll stay again. It was clean, comfortable, and had a wonderful pool area. We ate at the Yacht Club that night; Tom's daughter's boyfriend's father is the Commodore there. Good company, good food. Beautiful boats.
Donna and James took us to Marathon in the Florida Keys on Thursday morning. James' family owns a couple of condos there that overlook the Florida Bay. It's incredible; it has a wraparound screened lanai that faces the water (and palm trees and light house); I'd live on that porch if I could. We spent most of the afternoon there, reading and looking out at the view.
Donna helped Tom cook dinner while I took a nap. That's such a luxury for me now; I used to nap after work, but now that I have to get up so early, I can't afford it. But it was so peaceful at the condo that it lulled me to sleep.
We ate dinner on the lanai, watching the sunset. Tom and Donna cooked shrimp, basmati rice, and snow peas. It's a wonderful meal any time, but it was especially good eaten while surrounded by the Florida Keys.
Friday morning I slept late (as usual). (Donna sleeps later than I do, but it has to be noted that she doesn't get off work until 2 a.m. and has a reason to sleep later. I just need sleep.) We left for Key West around 10 or 11; it's just an hours' drive southwest. We ate lunch at Pepe's. We've eaten there before and like it. I had a BLT which for some reason I was craving; even that seemed exotic in Key West.
We split up and spent the afternoon wandering around Key West. I l0ve Old Town. Of course I asked for directions to the knitting shop (they finally have one! Used to only have a needlepoint shop with incredible handpainted canvases; it's still there, too.) I know my way around Old Town that I was able to find the shop without any trouble at all. That, in itself, is a miracle. The shop, Knit Wits (I think) has a wonderful selection of yarns, all organized by color, and even had that yarn crack (or so I hear, since I've never touched it before) Malabrigo in such an array of colors. It wasn't as expensive as I'd expected, but wool, for some reason, wasn't calling to me that day after walking in the hot sun. I chose some coral silk (my vacation yarn) to make a little scarflet. There's a bead store next door, conveniently joined by a walk-through, so I chose some beads to add to the silk when I knit it. Yes, I know that silk that is already beaded is available; I bought a hank in Sonora, CA last summer, gorgeous stuff, but $39 as opposed to $14 plus beads didn't speak to me right then.
I also bought some red, black, and clear beads to use with the "Bloodlust" All That Glitters that yarnlust (etsy) has specially dyed for me. I've decided to make Shipwreck with it. I know that I'm totally crazy to even consider it; I remember how much I moaned and bitched about The Never Ending Test Knit. I won't put any 5000 beads on it, either; I'll probably use only 1000 or so, spreading them a little thinner than the pattern calls for. The clear beads have sterling silver inserts in the holes; I bought slightly bigger ones to use on the silk I bought there. I'd thought of using only sterling silver beads on it, but they're just ridiculously priced, although I think they'd look spectacular. They'd have to have a clear coat on them; I can just see me polishing thousands of tiny beads. (Not.)
We stopped for drinks at Louie's Backyard, a place I've read about in many Florida noir novels. It's right on the beach, with Dog Beach next to it. Key West is very dog-friendly. We enjoyed looking over the ocean as we refreshed ourselves before heading back to the condo.
That night we ate at a nice little restaurant, then packed our stuff in preparation for leaving at 8 the next morning. ( I personally think that anything before noon should be banned.) We picked up our car in Ft. Lauderdale then drove to J.'s house to pick up little Marie, A.'s kitten. We brought her back to have her spayed before taking her back to A. in the summer. She was a wonderful little traveler.
Tom wanted to drive through again, so we got home at 5:45 Sunday morning. We didn't unpack the car, just went straight to bed.
All of my photos are on my laptop, but you can be sure that I'll upload some when I can. I know you can't wait.
I finished sock 1 from the Twilight sock yarn. I forgot to put the hearts on the top of it, so I put one on the top of the foot. I got the second sock right and knit 3-4" before it got too dark and I could turn on Twilight. The laptop won't turn up loud enough for me to hear it, but I could see it juuuuuuust fine. It's still not a well-made movie, but I like it just fine. Still reading New Moon too, even though I took several other books with me. I am doomed, I tell you.
But I'm happy. That counts for a lot.
I feel completely at ease (notice how well I'm ignoring stabs of anxiety), like I've finally been able to exhale. Remember that book, Waiting to Exhale? I knew exactly what she meant by that. I've spent most of my life waiting to exhale. Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Chronic Depression will do that to you.
After spending 8 glorious days in Florida, I am relaxed. I even feel rested. I have a touch of color (I know that sun is bad for the body, but it's so good for my soul.). (Even though an ignorant male teacher told me that it didn't look like I've been in Florida. The soul doesn't show.) If my soul has a color, today it is the serene turquoise of the waters off the Florida Keys.
We got home yesterday morning around 5:30 and went straight to bed. I slept until 7:30 p.m., got up for a couple of hours then went back to bed. I slept wonderfully. Tom is still on "driving straight through the night" time and didn't sleep as well.
I last reported in on Wednesday while we were in Ft. Lauderdale on a little hotel on the beach, with its picture window overlooking the ocean. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there; less than 24 hours, but it's a place we'll stay again. It was clean, comfortable, and had a wonderful pool area. We ate at the Yacht Club that night; Tom's daughter's boyfriend's father is the Commodore there. Good company, good food. Beautiful boats.
Donna and James took us to Marathon in the Florida Keys on Thursday morning. James' family owns a couple of condos there that overlook the Florida Bay. It's incredible; it has a wraparound screened lanai that faces the water (and palm trees and light house); I'd live on that porch if I could. We spent most of the afternoon there, reading and looking out at the view.
Donna helped Tom cook dinner while I took a nap. That's such a luxury for me now; I used to nap after work, but now that I have to get up so early, I can't afford it. But it was so peaceful at the condo that it lulled me to sleep.
We ate dinner on the lanai, watching the sunset. Tom and Donna cooked shrimp, basmati rice, and snow peas. It's a wonderful meal any time, but it was especially good eaten while surrounded by the Florida Keys.
Friday morning I slept late (as usual). (Donna sleeps later than I do, but it has to be noted that she doesn't get off work until 2 a.m. and has a reason to sleep later. I just need sleep.) We left for Key West around 10 or 11; it's just an hours' drive southwest. We ate lunch at Pepe's. We've eaten there before and like it. I had a BLT which for some reason I was craving; even that seemed exotic in Key West.
We split up and spent the afternoon wandering around Key West. I l0ve Old Town. Of course I asked for directions to the knitting shop (they finally have one! Used to only have a needlepoint shop with incredible handpainted canvases; it's still there, too.) I know my way around Old Town that I was able to find the shop without any trouble at all. That, in itself, is a miracle. The shop, Knit Wits (I think) has a wonderful selection of yarns, all organized by color, and even had that yarn crack (or so I hear, since I've never touched it before) Malabrigo in such an array of colors. It wasn't as expensive as I'd expected, but wool, for some reason, wasn't calling to me that day after walking in the hot sun. I chose some coral silk (my vacation yarn) to make a little scarflet. There's a bead store next door, conveniently joined by a walk-through, so I chose some beads to add to the silk when I knit it. Yes, I know that silk that is already beaded is available; I bought a hank in Sonora, CA last summer, gorgeous stuff, but $39 as opposed to $14 plus beads didn't speak to me right then.
I also bought some red, black, and clear beads to use with the "Bloodlust" All That Glitters that yarnlust (etsy) has specially dyed for me. I've decided to make Shipwreck with it. I know that I'm totally crazy to even consider it; I remember how much I moaned and bitched about The Never Ending Test Knit. I won't put any 5000 beads on it, either; I'll probably use only 1000 or so, spreading them a little thinner than the pattern calls for. The clear beads have sterling silver inserts in the holes; I bought slightly bigger ones to use on the silk I bought there. I'd thought of using only sterling silver beads on it, but they're just ridiculously priced, although I think they'd look spectacular. They'd have to have a clear coat on them; I can just see me polishing thousands of tiny beads. (Not.)
We stopped for drinks at Louie's Backyard, a place I've read about in many Florida noir novels. It's right on the beach, with Dog Beach next to it. Key West is very dog-friendly. We enjoyed looking over the ocean as we refreshed ourselves before heading back to the condo.
That night we ate at a nice little restaurant, then packed our stuff in preparation for leaving at 8 the next morning. ( I personally think that anything before noon should be banned.) We picked up our car in Ft. Lauderdale then drove to J.'s house to pick up little Marie, A.'s kitten. We brought her back to have her spayed before taking her back to A. in the summer. She was a wonderful little traveler.
Tom wanted to drive through again, so we got home at 5:45 Sunday morning. We didn't unpack the car, just went straight to bed.
All of my photos are on my laptop, but you can be sure that I'll upload some when I can. I know you can't wait.
I finished sock 1 from the Twilight sock yarn. I forgot to put the hearts on the top of it, so I put one on the top of the foot. I got the second sock right and knit 3-4" before it got too dark and I could turn on Twilight. The laptop won't turn up loud enough for me to hear it, but I could see it juuuuuuust fine. It's still not a well-made movie, but I like it just fine. Still reading New Moon too, even though I took several other books with me. I am doomed, I tell you.
But I'm happy. That counts for a lot.
Friday, August 01, 2008
Home again
Wow, it feels so good to be home again! I'd totally forgotten that I have a nice memory foam pillow. It's too heavy to carry on long trips. I slept so well last night!
We got home around 11 p.m. Tom actually got home the night before; I took A home, then spent a day sleeping (all day--10 or 11 hours after we got to her new house!), and off to the airport to fly home. I was almost bumped in Orlando, managed to be bumped in Atlanta for two roundtrip tickets anywhere Airtran flies (Tom did, too, on his way home, and signed up for the Airtran credit card, so we ended up with 5 free rountrip tickets!). I think I'll route as many flights through Atlanta as I can, when time permits. I ended up going through Dayton and got to Baltimore (ick--Beltway traffic, an hour extra driving time each way) just 1.5 hours later than originally scheduled. Right now, I love Airtran! I tried to get business class upgrades thrown in, but no go.
I'll take a photo of our new floor in a few minutes; no furniture in the room yet. I've spent the day in the bedroom with my laptop and snacks (not much food in the house!), shopping for a new, smaller, lighter-weight laptop, since this one will go back to school in one week and I'll be without. It will drive me crazy. I need a laptop, just like I need my books and my yarn stash. They're comforting.
Laundry is crazy; everything needs to be washed. But I learned that I don't need as many clothes as I thought I did; two pairs of shorts were uncomfortable, so I only wore one pair once, but I do need more lightweight easily washed and dried tops. I didn't use the "nice" outfit I packed, and it took up a lot of space. I didn't need the water shoes I took since the gold-panning package included boots.
All in all, it was a great trip (although it was exhausting), and I'm glad to be home.
Next trip needs to be all-inclusive in a Caribbean setting. No moving except to and from the beach and the restaurant. No running from one hotel to another. Just us and a beach.
And food and drink, of course.
We got home around 11 p.m. Tom actually got home the night before; I took A home, then spent a day sleeping (all day--10 or 11 hours after we got to her new house!), and off to the airport to fly home. I was almost bumped in Orlando, managed to be bumped in Atlanta for two roundtrip tickets anywhere Airtran flies (Tom did, too, on his way home, and signed up for the Airtran credit card, so we ended up with 5 free rountrip tickets!). I think I'll route as many flights through Atlanta as I can, when time permits. I ended up going through Dayton and got to Baltimore (ick--Beltway traffic, an hour extra driving time each way) just 1.5 hours later than originally scheduled. Right now, I love Airtran! I tried to get business class upgrades thrown in, but no go.
I'll take a photo of our new floor in a few minutes; no furniture in the room yet. I've spent the day in the bedroom with my laptop and snacks (not much food in the house!), shopping for a new, smaller, lighter-weight laptop, since this one will go back to school in one week and I'll be without. It will drive me crazy. I need a laptop, just like I need my books and my yarn stash. They're comforting.
Laundry is crazy; everything needs to be washed. But I learned that I don't need as many clothes as I thought I did; two pairs of shorts were uncomfortable, so I only wore one pair once, but I do need more lightweight easily washed and dried tops. I didn't use the "nice" outfit I packed, and it took up a lot of space. I didn't need the water shoes I took since the gold-panning package included boots.
All in all, it was a great trip (although it was exhausting), and I'm glad to be home.
Next trip needs to be all-inclusive in a Caribbean setting. No moving except to and from the beach and the restaurant. No running from one hotel to another. Just us and a beach.
And food and drink, of course.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Don't get a Garmin!
Before we left home, I kept telling Tom that we should buy a gps since we don't know where things are in California. He didn't, but when he picked us up at the airport two weeks ago, he'd rented one from Avis.
We rented a Prius, which averaged 46 mpg on a trip that included the Yosemite Valley and mountains and lots of climbing hills and mountains on our travels. Loved it.
But the Garmin--it has to be the cheapest model available. Alamo charges $10 a day for it, so in a month's time, they've paid for the thing and can still rent it to otherunsuspecting gullible easily lost travelers and make a mint. So, anyway, it's a piece of shit crap and shouldn't be allowed to clutter a car.
The first day we tried to find a Target or WalMart, and it couldn't find one. In all of San Diego. It managed to lead us almost to Costco, but it told us to turn left after we'd gone through the intersection, so we had to find our own way. We asked for a KMart; it took us to Sears and triumphantly announced "arrive at destination".
That night, we tried again. We wanted seafood, chose a restaurant it listed, and drove and drove till it told us that we were arriving at destination on right. Uh, no. Empty lot. Tried again. Another empty lot. Third time didn't work either, so we turned it off and ended up at Denny's. Not my restaurant of choice, especially on vacation.
Next night, it happened again. We gave up after it circled us around SD for an hour and took us back to our hotel. Which did not have a restaurant.
It did lead us directly to Disneyland, though, and to our motel nearby. One of two triumphs for Garmin (the other was the Cheesecake Factory today, although I have to add that it took us to the mall, not to the actual restaurant).
Other than that, it took us far out of our way every time we used it (westupidly naively kept giving it a try) and wasted hours of our time. It quickly got to the point that, when Tom said "ask the Ga--" I'd unplug it and stick it in the glove box.
So, when we turned the car in a few hours ago, Tom told the clerk at Alamo about our trials, and the dear man refunded the entire amount of the Garmin rental.
And they lived happily ever after. The end.
We rented a Prius, which averaged 46 mpg on a trip that included the Yosemite Valley and mountains and lots of climbing hills and mountains on our travels. Loved it.
But the Garmin--it has to be the cheapest model available. Alamo charges $10 a day for it, so in a month's time, they've paid for the thing and can still rent it to other
The first day we tried to find a Target or WalMart, and it couldn't find one. In all of San Diego. It managed to lead us almost to Costco, but it told us to turn left after we'd gone through the intersection, so we had to find our own way. We asked for a KMart; it took us to Sears and triumphantly announced "arrive at destination".
That night, we tried again. We wanted seafood, chose a restaurant it listed, and drove and drove till it told us that we were arriving at destination on right. Uh, no. Empty lot. Tried again. Another empty lot. Third time didn't work either, so we turned it off and ended up at Denny's. Not my restaurant of choice, especially on vacation.
Next night, it happened again. We gave up after it circled us around SD for an hour and took us back to our hotel. Which did not have a restaurant.
It did lead us directly to Disneyland, though, and to our motel nearby. One of two triumphs for Garmin (the other was the Cheesecake Factory today, although I have to add that it took us to the mall, not to the actual restaurant).
Other than that, it took us far out of our way every time we used it (we
So, when we turned the car in a few hours ago, Tom told the clerk at Alamo about our trials, and the dear man refunded the entire amount of the Garmin rental.
And they lived happily ever after. The end.
On the road again
Or rather, waiting to fly again. We got to the airport early; our flight will probably begin to board in about an hour.
Awwww, a longhaired mini dachsund just ran by. He looks so happy to be out of his crate.
We spent the day running around San Diego, walking through the cactus garden near the museums, went through the Natural History Museum, Old Town, and ate lunch at the Cheesecake Factory (I think I've regained the pounds I lost) and dinner at a Mexican restaurant.
Time to go home!
Awwww, a longhaired mini dachsund just ran by. He looks so happy to be out of his crate.
We spent the day running around San Diego, walking through the cactus garden near the museums, went through the Natural History Museum, Old Town, and ate lunch at the Cheesecake Factory (I think I've regained the pounds I lost) and dinner at a Mexican restaurant.
Time to go home!
Last night in California
We've had such a wonderful time, but it's definitely time to go home. To take my little girl home (to a new home, at that; they've moved while we've been away!), to earn more money to pay for all we've spent, and to sleep. Ahhhh, to sleep! I'll have maybe two unencumbered days before I have to go back to work, so I'll have to sleep fast.
And there's so much to look forward to: a trip to visit my parents and sisters, then on to a Neil Diamond concert with my sisters, and then my new job, although I'm not anxious for that to start. Summer just got going well, and it's over for those of us who have to work in schools.
Oh well, it's certainly time to go home, no matter what! For a little girl who's never been away from mommy and daddy for more than one day, it's been a long two weeks, but she's never gotten homesick. Thank God for cell phones!
Elisa and Deedee, it was such a pleasure to meet you two. I'll write more when I have time; it's almost midnight and I have to go to bed.
Like I said earlier, jet lag is going to be a bitch, but with luck I'll get over it before school starts up again. A's lucky; she usually starts school two weeks before I do, but now that she's being homeschooled, that's no longer a problem.
And we're going home to new hardwood floors in the living room and hall. What a treat! The carpet was pristine till I moved an elderly Lhasa-terrier mix in, and in her final months, she pretty much destroyed the lovely berber. I'm so looking forward to new floors!
And there's so much to look forward to: a trip to visit my parents and sisters, then on to a Neil Diamond concert with my sisters, and then my new job, although I'm not anxious for that to start. Summer just got going well, and it's over for those of us who have to work in schools.
Oh well, it's certainly time to go home, no matter what! For a little girl who's never been away from mommy and daddy for more than one day, it's been a long two weeks, but she's never gotten homesick. Thank God for cell phones!
Elisa and Deedee, it was such a pleasure to meet you two. I'll write more when I have time; it's almost midnight and I have to go to bed.
Like I said earlier, jet lag is going to be a bitch, but with luck I'll get over it before school starts up again. A's lucky; she usually starts school two weeks before I do, but now that she's being homeschooled, that's no longer a problem.
And we're going home to new hardwood floors in the living room and hall. What a treat! The carpet was pristine till I moved an elderly Lhasa-terrier mix in, and in her final months, she pretty much destroyed the lovely berber. I'm so looking forward to new floors!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
I paid my $3
so I've been online for almost 6 hours. I think I'll just leave the computer on all night. So there, cheap-ass motel owners.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Online concert tonight
Well. Pay $100 for a room in a less-than-$100-per-room-quality motel, and you still have to pay $3 a day to use the internet. Color me pissed.
I stewed about it, but in the end I gave in. I had to check my email and stuff. I'm glad I did, because there's an email from Eric Brace (of Last Train Home) that he and Peter Cooper are live on Whole Wheat Radio (if you miss it, it'll be available as a podcast tomorrow) tonight at 11 EDT, which means 8 PDT our time (the jet lag, once I get home, will be a bitch). As I noted before, we missed last Friday's show at home, so this will help to make that up a bit.
Poor A is going to be so bored tonight.
Photo lifted from Whole Wheat Radio's website. Oh God, Peter, does this mean you cut that gorgeous hair???
I stewed about it, but in the end I gave in. I had to check my email and stuff. I'm glad I did, because there's an email from Eric Brace (of Last Train Home) that he and Peter Cooper are live on Whole Wheat Radio (if you miss it, it'll be available as a podcast tomorrow) tonight at 11 EDT, which means 8 PDT our time (the jet lag, once I get home, will be a bitch). As I noted before, we missed last Friday's show at home, so this will help to make that up a bit.
Poor A is going to be so bored tonight.
Photo lifted from Whole Wheat Radio's website. Oh God, Peter, does this mean you cut that gorgeous hair???
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
How pathetic am I?
that while I was enjoying Disneyland's two parks with A, I was thinking that I was missing Last Train Home in Virginia, in the very town where I work??? They came to Harrisonburg to Clementine for the second time, and here we were 3000 miles away.
Damn.
But I still enjoyed Disneyland.
Damn.
But I still enjoyed Disneyland.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Near Yosemite
Hey, all! Today we spent about 4 hours driving through Yosemite Park and another two hours driving out of it. I swear, there's no way out.
We saw two mule deer, a male first, then a female. They weren't terribly happy that I dove out of the car to take photos, but they didn't try to kill me, either.
Tonight we're meeting Elise from Concateknit and I can hardly wait! A is looking forward to playing with her puppers, Zorro and Allie. There will be photo ops.
Tomorrow on to gold panning and meeting Deedee and her granddaughter, who is a year younger than A. More photo ops!
I am so tired. But it's a good tired.
**UPDATE** Yes, I messed up the links, or rather, blogger did. It always does that and I try to remember to check them. But I think they're okay now.
We saw two mule deer, a male first, then a female. They weren't terribly happy that I dove out of the car to take photos, but they didn't try to kill me, either.
Tonight we're meeting Elise from Concateknit and I can hardly wait! A is looking forward to playing with her puppers, Zorro and Allie. There will be photo ops.
Tomorrow on to gold panning and meeting Deedee and her granddaughter, who is a year younger than A. More photo ops!
I am so tired. But it's a good tired.
**UPDATE** Yes, I messed up the links, or rather, blogger did. It always does that and I try to remember to check them. But I think they're okay now.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Hello from sunny California!
Let me tell you, Airtran's $99 business-class upgrade is worth every penny when you're traveling cross-country with an 8-year-old.
Not only did we get a lot of snacks and unlimited drinks, excellent service, and lots of leg room, we could enjoy ourselves. It was so nice to be able to reach out and not touch someone. I've never traveled anything but coach, so I didn't know that long flights could be comfortable and enjoyable. It wasn't a nonstop flight, but it was direct and we didn't have to get off the plane in Atlanta and run to another gate, usually all the way across the airport.
And my ankles didn't swell.
A and I took hundreds of photos today at the San Diego Zoo. She, Tom, and I spent 12 hours there today, from opening to closing. It was fun and exhausting-but-in-a-good-way.
The weather is so gorgeous, low 80s, low humidity, clear blue skies.
Excuse me now; I need to fall into bed. Tomorrow will be another big day.
Not only did we get a lot of snacks and unlimited drinks, excellent service, and lots of leg room, we could enjoy ourselves. It was so nice to be able to reach out and not touch someone. I've never traveled anything but coach, so I didn't know that long flights could be comfortable and enjoyable. It wasn't a nonstop flight, but it was direct and we didn't have to get off the plane in Atlanta and run to another gate, usually all the way across the airport.
And my ankles didn't swell.
A and I took hundreds of photos today at the San Diego Zoo. She, Tom, and I spent 12 hours there today, from opening to closing. It was fun and exhausting-but-in-a-good-way.
The weather is so gorgeous, low 80s, low humidity, clear blue skies.
Excuse me now; I need to fall into bed. Tomorrow will be another big day.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Fins to the left
Really. Look at this photo I took about an hour and a half ago.
I'll wait.
*elevator music plays*
It may be hard to see; I certainly didn't notice it when I took the photo. Just under the setting sun, a tiny bit to the left, there is a fin. I had to enlarge it to make sure of it, but it is.
I'm at St. Petersburg Beach (Florida) with my daughter and her family. We're staying in a hotel on the beach, so the kids and I went out after dinner to spend a few minutes frolicking. I've never been able to take a decent sunset photo, so I tried again.
I'm pretty happy with it.
I'm pretty sure that's a dolphin out there. I didn't hear any screams or see blood spreading over the surface of the water.
I'll wait.
*elevator music plays*
It may be hard to see; I certainly didn't notice it when I took the photo. Just under the setting sun, a tiny bit to the left, there is a fin. I had to enlarge it to make sure of it, but it is.I'm at St. Petersburg Beach (Florida) with my daughter and her family. We're staying in a hotel on the beach, so the kids and I went out after dinner to spend a few minutes frolicking. I've never been able to take a decent sunset photo, so I tried again.
I'm pretty happy with it.
I'm pretty sure that's a dolphin out there. I didn't hear any screams or see blood spreading over the surface of the water.
Monday, July 07, 2008
The packing
Oh, the packing. I hate packing. I really hate trying to squish three weeks' worth of stuff into one little carryon with one personal item.
In order to get the laptop in, I'm going to have to take out some clothes. Not taking the laptop is not an option. Not. An. Option. I need it, like I need my knitting (and enough to keep me busy for 3 weeks) (and extra). I'm taking a giant leap of faith by leaving my Denise needles at home. Except the two that are in my current project, Tropical Tee. What if I finish that and don't have anything else to work on? Oh, yeah. I left some sock yarn at my daughter's house, so I can pick that up. I'll take out a bunch of books I'm taking to the kids, so that'll even out.
It's rained for four days, so the three tops that I'm trying to air-dry aren't air-drying. I guess they'll have to go in separate plastic bags so they don't mess up the other clothes in the suitcase. (Suitcase? It wouldn't hold a suit.)
Should I take out a bathing suit? I have two in there. But that would mean I'd have to try one on, and it's too humid to try to wrestle that thing over my hips.
I'm only *cringe* taking the sandals I'll wear and a pair of rougher shoes for the gold panning. Gotta have rougher shoes for that.
I haven't even put in a jacket yet. San Francisco was very cold when we were there 4 years ago (in June; that wind is wicked there) and we were wishing we'd taken jackets. It can get chilly at night in some parts of California (quit laughing, Californians. I hear it's been hot there this summer, what with all the fires and things, but I have to pack for every eventuality).
Books? I have the one I'm reading and one other. Never work. Two more should come in the mail next week; if they do, Tom can bring them with him.
I gave myself a hit-and-miss pedicure today; that should hold till I get back. I found this cool pen called Little White Lies that has white polish in it; it won't hold up to close scrutiny, but no one's going that close to my toes.
Taking medicines with me is a nightmare. I have to make sure I have enough for more than three weeks; I don't want to run out of xanax. I'm sure I'll need that. (How many times did Tom tell me to take one this weekend?)
I took everything out of my purse and scattered around my tote bag, my camera bag, and my knitting bag. I'll never find anything again. Now I have to gather the gels and liquids and put them in a quart-sized ziplock bag, if I can find one. Fortunately I bought philosophy bath and body products last time I was in Orlando and left them at J's house. When we get to California, one of the first things we'll have to do is stop somewhere and buy bath and body stuff to last while we're out there; I can't carry enough 3-ounce bottles to last two weeks! I need my Amazing Grace body-firming lotion! Crap, I can't buy that and then throw it away in an airport.
I've got to quit this rambling and get back to packing. I hate packing. Did I mention that?
In order to get the laptop in, I'm going to have to take out some clothes. Not taking the laptop is not an option. Not. An. Option. I need it, like I need my knitting (and enough to keep me busy for 3 weeks) (and extra). I'm taking a giant leap of faith by leaving my Denise needles at home. Except the two that are in my current project, Tropical Tee. What if I finish that and don't have anything else to work on? Oh, yeah. I left some sock yarn at my daughter's house, so I can pick that up. I'll take out a bunch of books I'm taking to the kids, so that'll even out.
It's rained for four days, so the three tops that I'm trying to air-dry aren't air-drying. I guess they'll have to go in separate plastic bags so they don't mess up the other clothes in the suitcase. (Suitcase? It wouldn't hold a suit.)
Should I take out a bathing suit? I have two in there. But that would mean I'd have to try one on, and it's too humid to try to wrestle that thing over my hips.
I'm only *cringe* taking the sandals I'll wear and a pair of rougher shoes for the gold panning. Gotta have rougher shoes for that.
I haven't even put in a jacket yet. San Francisco was very cold when we were there 4 years ago (in June; that wind is wicked there) and we were wishing we'd taken jackets. It can get chilly at night in some parts of California (quit laughing, Californians. I hear it's been hot there this summer, what with all the fires and things, but I have to pack for every eventuality).
Books? I have the one I'm reading and one other. Never work. Two more should come in the mail next week; if they do, Tom can bring them with him.
I gave myself a hit-and-miss pedicure today; that should hold till I get back. I found this cool pen called Little White Lies that has white polish in it; it won't hold up to close scrutiny, but no one's going that close to my toes.
Taking medicines with me is a nightmare. I have to make sure I have enough for more than three weeks; I don't want to run out of xanax. I'm sure I'll need that. (How many times did Tom tell me to take one this weekend?)
I took everything out of my purse and scattered around my tote bag, my camera bag, and my knitting bag. I'll never find anything again. Now I have to gather the gels and liquids and put them in a quart-sized ziplock bag, if I can find one. Fortunately I bought philosophy bath and body products last time I was in Orlando and left them at J's house. When we get to California, one of the first things we'll have to do is stop somewhere and buy bath and body stuff to last while we're out there; I can't carry enough 3-ounce bottles to last two weeks! I need my Amazing Grace body-firming lotion! Crap, I can't buy that and then throw it away in an airport.
I've got to quit this rambling and get back to packing. I hate packing. Did I mention that?
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Honor roll girl
Yesterday was the awards ceremony at A's elementary school. She got the spelling award--A, who has always been a creative speller, got the spelling award. J said that her reading has improved dramatically; maybe the spelling has too.
And--tada--she's on the A-B Honor Roll for the whole year! After being in the lowest 4 in her class at the beginning of the year (I think I've written about this before), she's on the honor roll for the entire year. That means--Disneyland!!! Two weeks in California with MomMom and Tom!
And--homeschooling for the next year or two, at least. She doesn't know it yet, but she and I are going to keep journals of our trip this summer. That's a start on the portfolio J will have to keep in case FL officials need documention that the child is learning. I'll have her do some research (love wireless laptops!) on Eleanor Cameron who lived in the Monterey/Pacific Grove area (Mushroom Planet series) and we'll once again attempt to find where she lived in Monterey (we failed four years ago). Maps drawn, journal, research--hahahahahahahaha we'll be learning while having fun!
Who'da thunk that a fun trip would become a homeschooling field trip? I bet A hasn't thought of that yet!
And--tada--she's on the A-B Honor Roll for the whole year! After being in the lowest 4 in her class at the beginning of the year (I think I've written about this before), she's on the honor roll for the entire year. That means--Disneyland!!! Two weeks in California with MomMom and Tom!
And--homeschooling for the next year or two, at least. She doesn't know it yet, but she and I are going to keep journals of our trip this summer. That's a start on the portfolio J will have to keep in case FL officials need documention that the child is learning. I'll have her do some research (love wireless laptops!) on Eleanor Cameron who lived in the Monterey/Pacific Grove area (Mushroom Planet series) and we'll once again attempt to find where she lived in Monterey (we failed four years ago). Maps drawn, journal, research--hahahahahahahaha we'll be learning while having fun!
Who'da thunk that a fun trip would become a homeschooling field trip? I bet A hasn't thought of that yet!
Monday, March 31, 2008
Another FO!
I finished those (black)hearted socks yesterday on the way home. YES!!! Goal achieved!
In the truck just after I finished them:
And on my feet today (shoe shopping in Ft. Lauderdale--a dream! Three pairs.):
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