Another Trip Around the Sun

Yesterday was my 45th birthday and it was a fantabulous day.  Unlike some, I do not need presents or a big party to make it a great birthday.  In fact, for me, yesterday was about as good as it gets.

I only last week learned that we have something called Shenandoah National Forest pretty much in our backyard.  An hour and twenty minutes from home, it is a one hundred mile drive one way through some of the most beautiful country I have ever seen on the East coast.  Breathtaking views, deer a-plenty and bear sightings as well, it was just awesome.  It was just me, The Brit, the kids and my dog, but it was a damn near perfect day.  The humidity here at home has been rough the last week but in the mountains, the temps dropped to the mid-seventies, so it was windows down, fresh mountain air blowing through the hair and breathing in the smells of nature.  


We drove the whole Skyline Drive, which is 100 miles and that took us to about 4:00.  Well, we had lunch and the boys and I hiked six tenths of a mile down to a waterfall (and then all uphill on the way back but I did it and felt great for the experience).  So at 4:00, we elected that instead of grabbing the highway home, we would just turn around and drive the Skyline Drive back.  As twilight descended, even more wildlife ventured out, and our ride back was full of deer sighting; does and fawns and even some young bucks with velvet still covering their antlers, as well as an additional black bear sighting.


It was beautiful and breathtaking and we are doing it again in two weeks and are also planning a tour in the fall when the leaves are brilliant colors.


Don't give me cities.  My preference is always nature.   Beautiful and peaceful it makes me wonder how anyone can doubt the existence of God (and that is not a call for snarky remarks.  I don't bash anyone else's beliefs, so leave mine the hell alone) when I am watching a sky change colors after a storm or just listening to the sound of waves crashing onto the sand.  It's like the story of the watchmaker.  If you find a beautiful pocket watch on a log in the middle of the woods, you cannot prove that someone made it.  You cannot see the watchmaker, yet you know he exists.  For me, the same is true of creation.  It didn't just "happen".  Someone took the time to design it and in all its glory, it is infinitely glorious.

I'll show you pics when I get then downloaded.  Maybe even tomorrow.
 

This is it for awhile maybe

Okay, so today, I have to drop by both the kid's schools with emergency contact information for while we are away, call the alarm company and then get ready to head up the road two hours for the show.  I said good-bye to my kids this morning as I will be gone by the time they get home and The Brit will have to see them off to grandma's house. 

The pastor came in today to wish me a nice trip and during the conversation I mentioned that my mother was keeping the kids while we were away.  He said and I kid you not "I have to call her.  I don't know where she's been."  Really?  That clueless?  The church attempted to stone her daughter and he wonders where she has been.  Wanna place bets that the call to her never happens?

So tomorrow I am off for the west coast and I am insanely excited.  I am looking forward to exploring a new city I have never been to before, the weather will be a bit warmer than here (sixties all week) and it is time away from what has become a stressful part of my life; the church.  I'm looking forward to seeing Margaret, Doug and JJ (my sis in law, brother and nephew) and hopefully Ed (my great nephew).  I am again having dinner with my girls from elementary school on the 11th, which will be our last night there.

I just love to travel and wish I had the time and money to do it more often.  I just look at each trip as an adventure and I have always had an adventurous spirit anyway.  I love experiencing new things and have always thought that was part of what life was about anyway.  Experiences help us to grow in so many ways and I never want to be one of those people who are content with things to just always be the way they were.  Though I have never embraced flying, or rather, the possibility of crashing,  it is a way to get from point A to point B and sometimes the only way to get there.  If the alternative is not seeing new places, I will fly, like it or not.

Well, I am babbling now and impatient to get the day underway.  I do have at least one guest post from Jimnotmike to go up and I may try to blog on occasion next week.  Thank you all for following me here to this little private spot, which will one day go public again.  Hope you all get your shopping done next week (I haven't started yet which is kind of scary) and you stay warm if you are in one of the colder regions. 
Have a great week!

Oh and just for shits and grins, Jimnotmike, I am really looking forward to the tourist trap of Fisherman's Wharf and have no desire to see an old prison. ;)

California: Final Installment

Our final full day in California, we were up early, fed the dogs, grabbed breakfast and were out the door on our way to our half day fishing trip.� We didn't catch much, a few mackerel and The Genius caught a poisonous fish that had to be thrown back into the ocean.�



Many of you know I am now a die hard "Criminal Minds" fan and an even bigger fan of Derick Morgan from the show.� There was a deck hand on our boat that reminded me of him (though the real deal is way hotter) and gave me a little eye candy.� Jimnotmike has no idea who Morgan is, so for him, here is the real deal:







I mean, seriously...total hottness.



Now, I hate this picture of me, but The Brit was trying to get me and Morgan wannabe in a shot together:







Now, there is no doubt in my mind that Jimnotmike will not find either of them attractive, as that would be agreeing with me, but I am fine with that.� I can handle my celebrity crushes all by myself, thankyouverymuch.



After our boating trip, we did a little light shopping for last minute things to take home and we saw a guy we had seen earlier in the trip, hand feeding a squirrel...total California coolness:







We went to dinner at a very posh restaurant where I had nothing healthy and everything yummy.� Seafood mac and cheese?� I mean it doesn't get much better than that.







The Lawyer and The Genius at dinner.� I think they would flourish as California kids.



After dinner we watched a beautiful sunset:







So that was pretty much it.� The next morning at buttearly 'o clock, we were on our way to the airport.



So California, here's to you.







You got into my veins 31 years ago and are destined to remain there.� You will always be home where states are concerned and maybe one day I will reside with you again.� In the meantime, thank you to all my family and my oldest friends in the world for taking me in again, even if for a short time.� I love you all and miss you more than you know.�



California, I will see you in December and am already counting the days.

California: Nearing the End

The run along the beach was magnificent and just what the doctor ordered.� The sky was overcast, the air cool and clean and there was an exercise community present at the early hour.� I passed runners, bikers, walkers, dog walkers and roller bladers, off every age, shape and size.� I was especially delighted to pass a runner who was slightly larger than me.� We do exist!� Runners who don't look like a typical runner!� Excellent!



The four of us headed downtown and found a great little place for breakfast called The Sugar Shack .� Very busy for a weekday, but the food was great.� I ordered a half of an english muffin with scrambled egg, tomato, avocado and�hollandaise sauce that was divine.� Everywhere in California they have avocado and I love the things!



We wandered around the town after breakfast and found a coupon for a whale watch in Newport Beach, which was just minutes down the road, for $15 a person, which was fabulous!� We booked our reservations and headed down the road.� Now, I have done several whale watches in my day, but this one had to be one of the very best.







We were surrounded by 100 plus of these beauties as they played in the waves alongside and behind our boat.







Then there were tons of these photo ops.� They give me goosebumps.









And our outing would not have been complete without California Sea Lions.



We ate lunch in a little place overlooking the harbor after our three hour tour (which ended well unlike the original) and then headed back to the house for one last dinner with family before we headed back to Vista to Doug's place.� We wanted to spend some more time with them as they were leaving to return to Vegas on Thursday night to be there for Jim's memorial service on Saturday afternoon.� As we were flying out Saturday morning, we would not be able to attend.



Wednesday, I rode with Margaret to take Chloe and Ed back to Ed's parents.� My nephew, Keith (Doug's middle son and Margaret's step-son) had been laid off from work that day.�� Good news seemed to follow us everywhere.� After dropping off the kids, we took our time coming home.� The Brit had taken JJ, both big and small one, and Aaron golfing for the afternoon, so Margaret and I popped in some shops so I could get some things to take home to people.� I needed a really good gift�for Robyn for dealing with the Jasmine issue and we finally found one.� We headed back and went to Doug's favorite pizza place for dinner and then home for wine and bed.



Thursday, we had a lovely mountain drive to Julian for pie...which I did not really like.� The pie.� Julian was delightful.� As for the pie, I opted for sugar free and it wasn't good.� Margaret told me it wasn't but as I have eaten sugar free here at home many times, I figured it would be fine as I like sugar free pie.� But it was really bad sugar free pie.� I have had much better at the Amish Market or at Railroad Junction here in town.� But the weather was great, the company was fabulous and that evening the Vista family packed up and left us for Vegas.� They left us in charge of the house and dogs.

California Phase 3...You Can't Really Go Home Again

Sunday after the news about Jim, we all headed for church for another amazing service at a second CA church.� Dynamic praise team and an amazing sermon.�



Following church, we headed to the Orange County Fair , which is a very big deal!� We apparently missed Adam Lambert by a week, which sucks as I love him.� But the fair is huge; rides, vendors, entertainment, food, wine, you name it.� We didn't even get through the whole thing.







The kids rode this, though Aaron came off it a wee bit green in the gills.







Which left me to have to ride this with JJ. Gotta love a Tilt-a-Whirl.� He hates it when I lean into the spin to try to make it go faster.



For the life of me, I cannot remember what we did for dinner that night, but Monday was a really busy day for us.� Beach Sister and Hubby were working, so we decided to head to my hometown of Monrovia .� So much had change, that I cannot even put it into words, but we did find my old house, which from the outside was still incredible.







I loved this house and they had apparently added a second floor, which was not there when we owned it.







My first disappointment was that, per the contractor who was on site, the inground pool we had put in had been filled in the week before and they were now making it a garage.� But even that could not prepare me for what I saw when I looked through the windows (the owner was not at home):







Every room we could see looked like this.� The contractor told us she was apparently a hoarder (Ya think?).� It was not a case of just moving in as she had lived there for five years.� The house had been on the market until just before our trip.� Cannot image why she could not sell it.� So disappointing.� It is a magnificent home and it deserves so much better.



From there, we went to my old school of First Lutheran .� The church was locked and there was a pull gate that separated us from the back of the school, which had just enough room for me to squeeze through.� My kids were freaking out by what I was doing but I could hear voices around the corner and wanted to see who was there and besides, I looked harmless enough.� Turns out, there were two adults and a bunch of kids there and the woman was nice and asked if she could help me.� I explained that I had gone to school here and was in California visiting.� She asked me what my last name had been and I told her and her face lit up and she said, "Kim!� It's Carla!"�



Carla and I had gone to school here together and she was the new principal.� I swear, this trip had me stepping back in time, to an amazing time in my life, before I had been torn away from my home.� Though I have wonderful friends in Maryland, the memories of being taken away from Monrovia more than once had been painful ones and for a day or two, it felt as if I had never left and that my parents had never been totally indecisive.� We chatted for a bit, she let me in the church and allowed me to tour the school, which was awesome.







The sanctuary.







My kindergarten room.



Sadly, I left Monrovia and we headed to the Griffith Conservatory , which was closed but we still had some great views of LA and most importantly, this semi-famous sign:







As it was Aaron's 15th birthday, we drove to the every lovely Malibu and treated him to a lobster lunch at Gladstones , which is known for celebrity sightings.� Sadly, we didn't see any, but I think Aaron enjoyed the lunch and the fabulous ocean view.







We drove back to Huntington Beach via the ever beautiful Pacific Coast Highway.� On the drive back to Huntington Beach, I got a call from Robyn that Jasmine, my sickly cat, was not doing well.



I would lose her by morning.� Though it grieved me greatly, I made arrangements for the vet to keep her body until Emily's hubby, Dave, picked her up to bury her for me.� I just could not go home and deal with that part of it, without having been there for her when she left this world.� She had been ailing with thyroid and heart problems and I knew we were not winning the battle and I knew we would lose her to this.� I just wish she had waited until I had gotten home, but maybe with losing Jim, I wasn't meant to deal with it.�



That morning, after getting the news and shedding some tears, I crossed something off my bucket list.



I had a run alongside the ocean.

California Phase 3

Sorry about the lack of blogging yesterday but the church yard sale took over my life until evening and by then I was too tired to think.



So we departed Nevada on Saturday morning for Huntington Beach, the home of Beach Sister and husband.� I was feeling anxious as I was supposed to have a 6:00 dinner date with Renee and Gina, who I had not seen in 30 years, so not only was I worried about not getting there on time, I was nervous about how awkward it would be to see two friends I had not seen since childhood.�



But we arrived at Beach Sister's by 4:00, giving us time to talk with her and her hubby and for me to change clothes and freshen up for dinner.� The Brit, the kids and the Beach Couple were going to go to dinner right across the street from Dukes , where I was meeting the girls.



When I arrived, Renee was standing out in front of the restaurant and though I knew what she looked like now thanks to Facebook, I still would have recognized her.� She greeted me with a huge hug and much excitement on both our parts as we chatted and caught up...if you can indeed catch up on 30 years, while we waited for Gina.� Renee had driven two hours for this dinner, and Gina about an hour.� Gina had caught some traffic but soon arrived and more hugs were exchanged before we went in to get our table, which was supposed to overlook the ocean but the World Series of Surfing had erected a building in the way though we could still see the ocean through a little gap.



Dinner was amazing, both the food, the wine and the company and they insisted upon paying the bill.� Years seemed to slip away as we talked and laughed and for me, this dinner was the highlight of my trip.� After dinner, the girls came back to the beach house for a firepit with the rest of my family, where we continued to laugh and talk.� This was true friendship; the kind of friendship where years and 3000 miles just don't matter.� It was easy, no one was afraid of offending anyone, it felt natural.� Gina was still every bit as funny and Renee still the compassionate one.� These girls were still very much my friends and it was not the kind of friendship time and miles could erase.�When they left, after Renee called across the street that she loved me, I teared up, hating for them to go.�� One night just hadn't been enough to be in their company.







(Left to right, Renee, Gina and myself)



I went to bed that night happy and so thrilled to have had this experience and already counting the days until we could have another reunion.



The next morning, we got the call that Jim had passed away.� The good news was that Connie had not had to make a decision as it has happened all its own, in God's perfect timing.

Mostly Wordless Wednesday

I am mostly just going to catch you all up on some photos today, as I got them downloaded.� Also, I know you all have missed my defending my position to Jimnotmike, so without further adieu....Our meal at The Olde Spaghetti Factory was not in San Diego.� We drove back to Vista and ate there, primarily because we had five kids with us, two of them being very young.� The fact that this place is a chain is news to me because I had never been there before but I did enjoy the food.� Had we spent more time in that area, we would have tried some other places (we did see the place you recommeded), especially were it only for the four of us.�



Anyway, a few photos for you to bring you all up to date.� If you are friends with me on Facebook, there is a full photo album there and if you aren't friends with me there, please friend me if you want to see all the photos.� I have only chosen a few so that the blog doesn't take forever to load for you, my readers!







Lovely harbor town of Oceanside.� Lots of boats, shops and the beach around the corner....











This is my great-niece, Chloe, who I fell in love with....







...and my great-nephew, Ed, who I fell equally in love with.� This was my first time meeting these two kids.







The only thing I waited in line for at the zoo and it was totally worth it!







The breathtaking Hoover Dam, which charges you for everything...well, not the dam itself, but its people!



Okay, more tomorrow with photos!

California Phase Two

A more original title would be a good thing, but alas, I am not coming up with anything.�



I also forgot to mention church the day after we got to Vista, the day after our flight.� AMAZING!� Church consisted of a praise band "concert" for lack of a better word and a sermon that was actually interesting.� It didn't matter that it was 20 minutes long because when it is well prepared and brings the Bible into today's world, twenty minutes flies by!� I was actually jealous because I felt as if my spirit had not been fed by a pastor's words in a few years and it was good to finally have it happen.



Anyway, dinner on Monday after the zoo.� As a prequel to this, you should know that my sister, Connie and her hubby, Jim, live just outside of Las Vegas, NV in Henderson.� We had planned to pay them a visit on Tuesday or Wednesday and just stay about two days as I really wanted the bulk of my vacation to be in my state.� The Friday before we left for Cali, Jim was slated for a triple bypass, which was postponed because of his kidney values.� Jim has had problem with blood clots for years and he is diabetic, so in preparation for Friday's surgery, he was taken off his blood thinners and then the surgery was postponed until Monday, so that was additional time off the blood thinners.�



We didn't hear anything on how things went until we were at dinner at The Olde Spaghetti Factory when Margaret's cell phone rang.� Jim had come through the surgery fine...and then coded.� His blood had clotted in the new arteries to his heart and stopped his heart.� They were struggling to bring him back but finally had to place him on life support.� My sister was obviously hysterical and we all made the decision to drive to Henderson that night.



We went back to Doug's house and packed clothes and five kids into two cars to drive 4.5 hours in the middle of the night.� On the way, the Brit and I were calling to find a hotel as Connie would not be able to put all of us up and Connie and Doug are very close and it was best he be near her.� We found one at a casino/hotel off the strip (seriously, I don't think there are any hotels in Vegas without casinos.� There are even slot machines in the convenience stores for heaven's sake!) and continued driving, only stopping once for a bathroom break and once for coffee.



When we did the bathroom stop in the middle of the desert at a rest stop, Margaret and I went in and did our business.� She came out of the stall before me and this horrible little light brown cockroach charged her!� She jumped out of the way and quickly went to wash her hands as he had now turned and was charging her again.� I came out of my stall and the little bastard turned on me and rushed in my direction.� I am uber terrified of bugs of any kind and jumped over to the sinks to wash up and here he was again, racing in my direction!� We high-tailed it out of the bathroom, which apparently, this little asshole owned.



We arrived at my sister's around 4:00 in the morning.� She was a mess, and we spent some time talking and praying with her before we headed to our hotel for what was left of the night.� The next morning we made a plan.� So Doug and Margaret could hold vigil with Connie at the hospital, we would take all five kids and try to find some entertainment for all ages as we had the age range of 3-16.� Not as easy as it looks!� We did Hoover Dam (BRit, I really could use those photos!), and took them back swimming at our hotel.� We did the lions at MGM casino and Circus Circus.� We did a park that had water features.� It was a lot of running back and forth between Vegas and Henderson and the scenery in the area is boring.� Very brown, lots of traffic lights, lots of strip malls.� The mountains are breathtaking however as was the dam (and there will soon be pictures, I promise!).� In the evenings, we met up with everyone, including my niece, Danette and her three children, for dinner.



There was a roller coaster ride with Jim.� There was concern about brain damage.� They had gotten his heart beating on its own, but he still had life support breathing for him.� On Tuesday, they were seeing involuntary leg activity, which was a good sign.� One doctor said his pupils were reacting to light; another good sign.� Then the next day, there was no involuntary movement even with stimulation and the main surgeon said they should not have been told his pupils were reacting to light because they were not.� So it was hope, then little hope.�



On a personal note, I hated Nevada.� The Brit says if it had just been the two of us, it would have been different and he is probably right, but there isn't a lot to do for kids there that does not cost a fortune.� If we had wanted a tour of the dam, it was $30 a person.� Even to go into the FREAKIN' VISITORS CENTER cost $8 a person, so we didn't go in there either.� Vegas is all about the casinos and some are very beautiful.� We did see the fountains at the Bellagio, which were stunning as was the Bellagio itself.� But in the Bellagio, between four of us, we had a soda, an orange juice and a small gellato for $20.� Incredibly expensive.



On Wednesday, they did a brain function test on Jim and results did not come in until Friday, so it was a long wait.� The Brit and I had already decided we were going to leave for California on Saturday morning.� It was a tough decision to make if you read my one blog post while I was away, but Doug and Margaret were leaving by Sunday and I had two boys with me, who had never met Jim.� I hadn't seen him in 15 years, not that it made it okay to go.� I agonized over the decision all week.� I wanted to help support my sister but I couldn't have two kids sitting in the hospital for another week.� Then there was the selfish side of me I really struggled with; the side of me who wanted to be back in California where I had dreamed of returning to for the last twenty years.� Hard stuff.



But we left on Saturday morning after a conversation with Connie Friday night.� She was distraught and begging God that she would not have to make the decision to take Jim off life support.� The brain scan had shown very little activity so the prognosis was not good, but no one would want to make the decision to let him go.� Connie wanted Jim to go on his own.� She kept apologizing to me about ruining my vacation, though I kept telling her no one could have foreseen anything and we were obviously placed here at this time for this reason.� She was still holding onto hope that a nurse had given her; telling Connie about all the miracles she had seen in her time as a nurse.� I was praying he would recover, but knew in my heart it was unlikely.� Before we left I reminded Connie that no matter how this turned out, Jim was going to be fine.

California Journey Phase One

On Saturday, the 24th of July, my birthday, we departed from Reagan Airport in DC for San Diego, California.� I was totally stoked about finally getting to go home and when I could see the bright lights of San Diego against the night sky as we began our descent, I got a little teary eyed.� Though I only lived on the West Coast for 13 years, I was born there and it has always been "home" where any state or location is concerned and I have missed it greatly.� I think in many ways, California is more than a state but a frame of mind that I have always had.� My mother, since I was a little girl, has always described me as "happy go lucky" and I think this attitude comes from being a West Coaster at heart.�



We got to Doug and Margaret's (my�oldest brother and sister in law)�at 1:00AM, which to our bodies was 4:00 AM and were greeted by not only them but JJ, their teenage son, and their two dogs, Isaac and Chester.� Upstairs sleeping were D & M's two grandkids, Ed who is 3 and Chloe, who is 5, who would be with them for the two weeks we were all on vacation. We talked for an hour and then retired, everyone exhausted.



The next morning, I helped Margaret make eggs, waffles and bacon for breakfast and then we took my two kids, and Chloe and Ed down to Oceanside to the harbor.� Though we had no big plans for the day due to some jetlag, Margaret wanted to make sure I got to see the ocean my first day (this was foreshadowing as I� would not see it again for awhile). While Margaret kept saying how hot it was, I found the temps to be amazing.� I actually needed a jacket in the�mornings and evenings as there was no humidity in the�air and

"hot" to Californians is the mid to high seventies!� So we walked around down there and did a little window shopping and treated the kids to ice cream.� Going back home, Keith who is Ed's dad and Ed's mom, Angie were there to join us for dinner.� We cooked out and had some fab steaks and seasoned potatoes.�



Monday morning we headed out early for Seaport Village in San Diego; lots of cute shops and things to see and from there we took all the kids to the San Diego Zoo.� The weather was wonderful; warm but not humid.� Perfect.� The zoo is huge so there was no way to see all of it, and I promise you pictures soon but The Brit has them all on his computer and has promised me a CD so I can have access (I am hoping this might happen today) to them.� But what we did see was wonderful, my favorite being the pandas.�



We left there around seven in the evening and went to The Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner.� It was toward the end of our meal when we got the phone call that would change our plans for the rest of the trip.

This Is It!

Friday has finally arrived!� It has been a hellacious week, but it is finally over!� I am going to get home, finish laundry, put out my packing, paint my toes, make "Oh Look Corn Dip" for tonight and make sure the house is tidy for Fire Pit Frenzy tonight.



The house in which I grew up in Monrovia, Ca is up for sale and my brother in law is a California real estate agent.� I am keeping my fingers�crossed for a showing as I would never be able to afford to buy this house ($864,000) and it will probably be my last chance to be inside of it.� I loved that place; 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, an indoor patio, office and kitchen, enclosed back porch,�inground pool, which we had put in when we lived there.� Makes my heart hurt thinking about it.



So I am happy as a lark today.� You all have put up with a lot of complaining this week, but it was a rough one.� Yesterday was also challenging with The Genius (lying) and The Chosen Ones (dinner went fine and was actually fun but that is part of the problem.� We get on well together when we are together and then they make no motion to see us again until a holiday and that is the stuff that makes me angry when they live twenty minutes from us).



Okay, too keyed up to blog properly and I want to go get a pedi, so I am outta here!� Will try to blog occasionally while away!� Stay safe and enjoy what is left of summer!

5 More Blog posts

...until my vacation!



I am really starting to get excited now with only looking at one more week of work.� I just about have my dinner with the girls all planned out and other than that, we are playing things by ear, which I love.� Though I have lived in Maryland the majority of my life, I always refer to California as home.� Though I love my friends here, I have never totally embraced the climate or the way of life here.� Things just felt different out west, even the last time I was there to visit, close or just over twenty years ago.� We shall see if it still holds true.� I can't wait to see family, to be out of the humidity, to be near the ocean, to see old friends.� I am so pumped!



I have no bloggers lined up, other than one Thursday 13 from Laurie .� So, if you are interested, hook up with me soon, otherwise it may be quiet here for two weeks.� I may blog from California, but I am not pressuring myself to do so.� If anyone is really die hard to know what I am up to those two weeks, look me up on Twitter under Knittergirl (Look at me acting like I have lots of readers!� Aren't I cute?) as I am going to try to be a better Tweeter.



Beach Sister even told my mother that she is excited we are coming so I am making every attempt to bury the hard feelings from two years ago .� It's time and I know it.� It was just such an awkward situation and made me feel so hurt, so it was difficult to let it go, but I'm getting there.



Next week, I will have to get up at Butt Early 'O Clock to run again as the kids are home.� One came home with attitude which seems to have blown over now.� Gotta love teenagers.� We'd worry if they didn't have an attitude.� But want to get some runs in as I only ran once this week.� That is, of course, if my kidney infection that I think I have clears up.� I hate cranberry juice but am sipping away at it.



Jimnotmike wants his own tag.� Maybe he needs his own blog .� See, if I give him a tag, then everyone else will want a tag and before I know it, I have more tags than I can keep up with!� It's either not give him one or quit talking about him on�here....kiddingm Jimnotmike, but no tag yet, Oh He Who Loves to Disagree With Me.



Happy weekend, peeps!� I will making a packing list and trying to get things in order to get the hell out of Dodge next weekend!



Sooooo EXCITED!

Thursday 13: California Dreamin' Edition

Cannot believe that vacation is just over two weeks away and I am stoked!� Especially given that the weather there this week is in the 70s and we are sweating our asses off here this week!



So, 13 things I am looking forward to about vacation!



1.� No humidity!� Love heat but can do without humidity especially with the dose of it we have been getting lately!



2.� Deep sea fishing.� My sister in law got us tickets and it is something we have never done before.� I am not so anxious to fish as I am to be on the water!



3.� Being near the ocean for more than a few hours.� It is my very favorite place to be ever.



4. Watch a sunset at La Jolla Cove.� I have read that they are magnificent.



5.� Stroll along Seaport Village in San Diego.� Lots of window shopping.



6.� Don't know if this one will happen for me, but I would love to have a run in Mission Bay Park.� Lots of trails for walking, biking and running apparently and it looks beautiful.



7. See family.



8.� Would love to scuba dive at La Jolla, but it is again a pipe dream.



9.� Have drinks and dinner with my two friends, Gina and Renee from elementary school. I am incredibly excited about this.



10.� Check out the tide pools at low tide in Point Loma.� I love this kind of stuff.



11.� Have a bonfire on the beach.� I have always wanted to do this.



12.� Go whale and dolphin watching.� I have not done this in years and it is one of my favorite things to do.



13.� See Monrovia, the town where I grew up.� Would especially like to see my two houses and my old Lutheran school.



T minus 16 days!

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It�s Not The Heat...It�s The Humanity

Jimnotmike became my friend as a byproduct of Fire Pit Frenzy.� We disagee on much (I will probably love Vegas when I see it this summer) if you have followed any of his comments but we agree on enough that he is a keeper!





It�s Not The Heat...It�s The Humanity

As I type this, I have just returned from Las Vegas on a Red-Eye Flight. There is a really really good reason they call them that! So, bear with me, I�m running off 4 hours of sleep on a plane, a 3 hour time difference, and very little else at this point.

Las Vegas, my least favorite city in the world! For years I have had to travel there for work. Thankfully, only about once a year. I�ve always thought it was the flashing lights, the casinos, or the incredibly expensive �everything� that turned me off. Maybe it was the fact that no one seems to be �From� there, even though the suburban sprawl spreads out for miles around The Strip. Finally, after 10 years at this job, and probably the same number of trips to this �Hive of scum and villainy� I have come up with the answer. I dislike Las Vegas because of it�s utter lack of humidity!

Stepping off the plain in the desert makes one immediately start searching their pockets for the lip balm they forgot to bring with them. The combination of hot dry air outside and the air conditioned cold dry air inside, I�m sure, is what keeps the lotion industry in business. Water evaporates so quickly there that people have to have Auto-Fillers on their swimming pools.

Your nose winds up feeling as tho it is lined with sand paper. Your eyes develop the complete inability to create tears, and I won�t even go into the chaffing that occurs on �other� areas of the body. It was 104 degrees yesterday in Las Vegas...104! I know, everyones says, �But it�s a dry heat.� Im sorry, but heat is heat is heat in my book!

None of this really occurred to me until I arrived back at Dulles today. Stepping off the plane in DC, I was greeted, as I always am, by the pollen. But amazingly enough...for the first time in 5 days it reminded me that my nose is on my head to create and produce mucilaginous fluids, that and hold up my glasses. There was finally something there to sniff back or blow out! That wasn�t the least of it. I hurried outside for my first cigarette in 4 hours(addict!) and as I exited the door I found myself wrapped in the warm moist blanket that can only be identified as East Coast Summer. As strange as it sounds it sent a chill down my spine. It was if I could feel every pore on my body drinking deeply of the humidity�s heady brew. I was flooded by such a mixture of relief and joy I wanted to take off my shirt (which I hardly ever do) and spin around like Mary Tyler Moore, tossing the hat I wasn�t wearing into the air. The fountain of humidity had revived me as my cells lapped at it�s intoxicating richness.

I, quite suddenly, felt human again.

JimNotMike

Totally Stoked!

So finally, after about a kabillion years, I am heading home to Southern California for vacation this summer!� We will be gone for two weeks, seeing family, visiting places and I am planning one night to hook up with my two oldest friends in the world from elementary school. So looking forward to the whole adventure and I am telling all my men "No attitudes allowed about anything!"



But before that trip, there is the mission trip coming up in less than two weeks that I am still not ready for.� Still need to pick up�a few things; toiletries and snacks mostly.� Would love to tell myself I will get up in the mornings to run while I am there and I guess it could happen, but we'll see.� The days are long and the work is hard.� The days start early and end late, so anything could happen.� We'll just have to see.� The Genius is coming again this year and I am hoping he puts some work effort in this time as last time he didn't so much.� We are making sure he is in the same group with his idol in the youth group, and I don't think he would want his idol showing him up.� Hopefully it will be better than last year.



Weekend was good.� Drank far too much wine at Fire pit Friday and went to bed with a horrible headache that I'd had since running at about 4:00 that day.� Saturday, did some charity shops with my mother which is always fun and found a few things.� Hmmm...wonder what the charity shops are like in California!� They are my ultimate shopping experience!



The boys come back from camping tomorrow night and maybe have burned out some energy as I have them all to myself again next week.� Thankfully, this Saturday is scheduled as a girl's day out, so I can have a tiny break before single parenting again.� The Brit will get back on Friday the 25th and The Genius and I leave on the 27th for North Carolina.� Two ships passing in the night for awhile!



Okay, boring blog post today but I had to make myself do it as I really wasn't in the mood.� Have stuff to talk about tomorrow though~!

Annapolis or Bust and Thursday 13

So today was the Annapolis trip and it had a rough-ish start for me.� Nothing major, just reminders that my mind is indeed 43.� Case in point, mixing up my Crystal Lite water and then leaving it sit on the kitchen counter.� Or grabbing an issue of Runner's World to read on the bus and grabbing the issue I had already read instead of the new one.� Stupid stuff.



But we got there and my group of five kids was paired off with another woman's group of four kids.� Now these field trips are kind of frenzied in my opinion, but it is the nature of the beast.� Two hour bus ride so we arrived in the state capitol at 10:30 and we have until 12:15 to do any of the following things:



Tour the Naval Academy

Tour the State House

Shop

Have ice cream



Like nine 4th graders can decide to do only one thing and do it well.� Just san'.� So we headed for the Academy, gave it a lick and a promise to do it better one day and spent a good twenty minutes in the gift shop.� My purchase?� A water bottle.� JJ's purchase? Freeze dried ice cream.



Then we bust to moved to the State House.� The kids learned nothing as we had to be quiet and keeping nine 4th graders focused is like herding chickens.� Had a lot of trouble keeping their volume down, so we got out of there pretty fast.



A word about my co-chaperone, who was another parent.� Rather useless.� We were told our two groups had to stay together, so she is mapping out where her group wants to go, ignoring my group and then she just takes off with her four kids.� I roll my eyes, and herd my peeps to keep up with her as we go to the Naval Academy...and she gets lost getting there.� So I take over, follow the signs and get us to the Visitor's Center.� Once inside, she and her kids keep wandering off, even though her kids were longing to get to the gift shop.� We had already viewed the exhibits once and she was trying to get them through again.



Then she gets lost on the way to the State House, so again, I take over, ask directions and lead the way.� She is letting her kids run all over the grass at the State House, which is blocked off, and I am insisting they get back on the walk way.� Seriously?� We get to the front of the State House and she starts moaning because there are a lot of steep steps, so as I was about done with her, I raced the kids up and we all laughed and had a good time, while waiting for her and one other boy, which I will talk about in a minute.



So we get out of the State House and chicky babe again takes the lead and gets us lost.� So I ask directions from a lady and get us back down to the harbor and to the ice cream shop. One little girl only had two dollars to spend which would not even get her an ice cream cone, so I covered her.� The kids and chicky babe all got ice cream and I got the guy working to fill up my water bottle.�� YAY water!



From there another gift shop and then it was lunch time at the docks.







Ohhhh...pretty.







Me trying to take a pic of JJ and myself.



After eating, it was board the boat for a 40 minute boat ride, which for the kids was less about the history and more about the snack bar, but it was relaxing and the weather was awesome.� At the end of the tour, they played line dancing music and JJ's teacher boogied down with her students.







To be young and that cute.



Then when we left Annapolis, we apparently took a wrong turn because we wound up going over the Bay Bridge and then having to come back and cross it again.� I think our driver was distracted by all the noise on the bus.



One kid today ripped my heart out.� Ten years old, easily 160 pounds.� He was always in the back of the pack and judging by his lunch, his parents have no idea about nutrition, or can't afford to know much about it.� Though the kid was dressed well, he had a LARGE bag of sour cream and onion chips to go along with his lunch and he polished it off.� Not sure what else he had as I had other kids vying for my attention, but I just felt so bad for him.� Been there, done that, though he was far heavier than I was at that age.� Just wish I could start a revolution here for elementary school kids.� With any luck, this kid will have a major growth spurt and even out some, but I dunno.� Sometimes I just wish I could help.



But all in all, a good day.� Now, bring on Friday!



I don't want to forget Thursday 13, so today, I was thankful for these 13 things:

 

1. Great weather.� Not too hot, not too cold.� Just right.


2. Getting to watch JJ interact with his friends.� Too cute.


3. For the little girl who told JJ "Your mom looks cute."� Way better than looking old!


4. For having a rapport with the kids.


5. For JJ's teacher, who can really engage the kids.


6. For being able to race up the steps to the Capitol


7. For the amazing boat ride


8. For knowing I could have bought a Navy t-shirt and could have found one to fit...but I was not going to spend $17.95.


9. For a safe journey to and from Annapolis


10. For a new water bottle and for now being such a stickler for water that not having one was simply not acceptable!


11. For my crockpot which had dinner ready when we got home


12. For peace and quiet at this very minute


13. For tomorrow being Friday and a fun filled weekend planned!

If you want to play Thursday 13, you can join us here!

 

As Promised

Okay, a strange photo op....

Shell and I after Friday night's conference went back to the hotel room and split a bottle of wine.  In the midst of that, Shell needed a cigarette and it was a bit of a problem because the hotel was non-smoking, we were on the seventh floor and we were both in our pajamas. She wanted me to come down with her but I refused to put on a bra, so I threw on a Women of Faith fleece top over my very obviously pajama bottoms.  Shell did throw her bra back on beneath an over sized Betty Boop night shirt and pj pants.  Now, the first night we got there we realized our hotel was right across the street from a very busy nightclub where people actually stood in line to get inside, so of course, they were lined up there Friday night as well.

So we are standing out in the front of the hotel in our jammies and me in a fleece jacket in ninety degree weather and this cute guy in his mid-twenties comes across the street and asks to take our picture.  We have had a bottle of wine, so we laugh and agree and then he hugs us both and goes back across the street. 

Wonder what the caption for that picture would say?

Mandisa!  Amazing!  Did not think I would enjoy her music, though I did think she had amazing talent on American Idol, but I more than enjoyed her...I loved her!  She told the story about Simon Cowell and her idol experience, filling in some small not known to me details.  Mandisa had wanted to audition for AI for years but her fear of Simon ridiculing her for her weight held her back.  She admits to being a food addict due to child molestation and being raped as a teen, but she has recently lost about 80 pounds and is still working on it.  Finally, she talked herself into auditioning despite her fear of Simon and after her audition, Simon praised her; told her she had a beautiful face and voice and she was all he'd hoped she'd be when she walked in the room.  Not one comment about her weight and she was over the moon.

Fast forward to the premier of the show that season and Mandisa had organized a party of her friends as the season premier just happened to be her city.  So there she was amongst all her friends when Simon praised her...and does anyone remember what he said AFTER she left the room?

"We're going to need a bigger stage."

Mandisa heard that behind her back comment for the first time, along with her friends...and millions of viewers.

Now do you remember what happened next?  The next time Mandisa came face to face with Simon, she bravely and honestly told him that she knew what he'd said about her and as Jesus had forgiven her sins, that she, in turn, forgave Simon for what he'd said.  Simon stated he was humbled and that he felt about two inches high but for Mandisa the best part was that they aired the entire confrontation, including the name of Jesus on National television.

Itching, nose picking and stretching.

Now this is probably mean, especially considering it was from two girls who had just come from a Christian women's conference, but I am a sinner and thankfully forgiven and I'm sorry but it was really funny.  We were riding the metro home and we have about 12-ish stops between our starting and ending point.  About halfway through, this girl got on the metro in a not very nice blue shirt and a pair of plaid shorts.  She carried a backpack, wore hiking books and her hair was braided down her back.  She immediately pulled out a book that I could not see the title of and began to read
(I always love knowing what people are reading).  My first impression was that maybe she had been hiking in DC or something.  But after a few stops, Shell called my attention to the fact that this girl would read for a few seconds and then scratch something....her hair, her nose, her leg, her arm, her face, something.  Not scratch it hard, but more like it was a minor irritation.  BUT IT WAS Continuous.  Shell and I were so amused we started counting the number of times she was scratching.  Somewhere near the number of 50, her finger shot up her nose to dig around and we almost killed ourselves giggling.  Somewhere in the midst of this a young couple sitting across from Miss Itchy, caught onto what was going on and they were amused.  Suddenly Miss Itch got up and it seemed she was going to move back a row as it had just become empty.  Well, she sort of stretched out on the floor as the train is moving, with her hands on the seat, her legs stretched out and her rear end up in the air, pretty much in the face of cute couple guy.  There were now four of us on the train trying to contain laughter.  Sometimes Miss Itch would do a combination move....like lightly scratch chin, nose, run hand through hair to itch back of head and of course, this counted as three itches in our tally.  When we got off the train, in a matter of 5 stops, she had itched 105 times.  Yeah, okay, she may have had a real problem like a nervous tick, but it certainly caused our train ride to fly by and besides, God gave me my sense of humor!

The rest of the conference was great and Shell and I are all signed up for next year.  It is so spiritually uplifting and honestly, I so rarely get that kind of uplift from church.  These speakers know how to grab you, make you laugh, make you cry and know how to make the gospel alive for us TODAY.  They tell personal stories that demonstrates what God is doing in their lives, through both the good and the bad and it is all just so good.  I wish most pastors would meet with these gals for tips on sermons and delivery.  They know how to keep it relevant and it is amazing. 

I just always feel so reminded when I leave there of how loved I am, of how the God of the universe loves me right where I am all the time.  I felt so filled from the weekend that today when we took the boat out for Aaron's birthday with most of the youth kids, as I sat there in the front of the boat, looking at the green trees, the blue sky, the cliffs along the side and the reflection it all made in the water, I leaned my head back and just said "Thank you, God."

He is so amazing.

Wine and Pizza

So we have safely arrived in DC and it is hot and humid with rain in the forecast tomorrow. 
But it is still all good.  I am in DC with a good friend and we are having a great time.  We got a late start leaving as we stopped to visit with Shell's parents as I had not seen them in quite awhile but that meant that the metro was not busy so it was a smooth ride into DC.  Our hotel was literally half a block from our metro stop, so for the first time in years, I had no trouble finding the place. 

We checked in and as all Shelley had for dinner was an herbal life shake, we went down to the restaurant for a bite to eat and split a small but awesome pizza and of course there was some wine involved for me.  It was quite good.  We then went outside as Shell needed a smoke and we got to chatting with this other lady who is here for the conference who now thinks Shell and I are lesbian lovers.  This is because we were talking about leg shaving and those of you who don't know, I am as obsessive about that as I am about vacuuming.  Shell also knows this about me and said in front of said lady, "Well, I brought my razor because I know how you are about that."

Okie dokie.

So we are now back up in the room and ready for bed and I am loving my little pink house as Deyse calls it (meaning my little Acer computer) which came along with me for blogging purposes.  We have to be at the Verizon Center at 10:00 in the morning for the pre-conference and then we have some free time until the next part at 7:00 tomorrow night.  Good food and a glass of wine will probably be involved.

A shout out to Susan who is doing fabulous with her exercise and Susan, you can totally hit that 100 pounds down by your one year surgiversary.  And you know what?  Even if you don't so what.  This is not a sprint, but a marathon and all you can do is run it well, and you will.

G'night all. 
peace out!

Home

Short and sweet tonight.

We are home.

It's 9:33pm

My body time is 2:33AM, so I'm really tired.

Last night was awesome.

Today was really long.

Better blogging tomorrow after sleep.

G'night.

Packing it in

So the bags are nearly packed, the last of the shopping is completed and now we are just trying to sort out tonight.  We have to be up butt early in the morning in order to leave for Heathrow by 6:00.  The kids are currently with Adrian, which was a Godsend as it gave us the ability to pack and do laundry today without them being bored and underfoot.  The problem now is that we have to work out getting the kids back from Adrian's but not miss out on saying goodbye to anyone else.  It could be tricky.

So that is it for me until I am back in the USA.  We fly out at 11:00AM UK time and arrive home at 3:00pm US time, so it will be a long day. 

But the visit here was wonderful.  Much fun and many awe-inspiring moments.  Favorite things had to be London and The New Forest.  Special thanks and much love to all who made this visit so special.  

See you on the other side of the pond. 

Monday Funny

Today, they made me go look at cars at Beaulieu.  Now I can respect that there are women out there who are enthralled with cars throughout history.  I get that.  However, I am not one of them.  It would be the equivalent of me taking The Brit to a yarn shop and oohing and aahing over different colors, textures and worsted weights.  He would simply not get it and that is okay with me.  On the other hand, I don't get the male fascination with cars; it is just one of the those male/female differences. 

So I enjoyed the first part of the day to the very best of my ability.  The second part though we did get to visit the abbey, the Palace House and the gardens, all of which were lovely.  We then drove the kids to Stonehenge so they could see it and then onto a pub for dinner.

JJ must have been under the impression we were going some place else as this conversation happened in the car...

JJ: Are we at dolphins yet?

Me: What?

JJ: dolphins.  Are we at dolphins yet?

The Brit: Dolphins?  What are you talking about?

JJ:  You know, dolphins!  Where granddad was born!

Aaron:  JJ, you mean Wales.

**
Tomorrow is our final day here and we will be doing laundry and packing and I still need to pick up one thing for someone back home.  My mind is already making up lists of what I need to do when I get home, what I need to pack for the mission trip (still cannot believe I am off again on Sunday!) and the things I want to do once my life settles down again.

And you know what else I have discovered today?  I am sick and tired of food and eating.  I'm not even enjoying it much at the moment.  I have eaten more in the last three weeks than I have eaten in a year.  Okay, slight exaggeration, but it feels that way.  I have had a few meals here that were fabulous and that I truly enjoyed.  But when you are on the go all the time, especially with male children, you have to manage three meals a day.  At home, they can fix themselves a sandwich and if I'm not hungry, I'll just grab something when I am.  When you are traveling and sight seeing it is more complicated. 

Thankfully, all my clothes still fit and nothing is tight or uncomfortable, but I am not going to weigh myself until three weeks after being home.  Let me have the same amount of time I have had here, to get myself back in proper eating/exercising order before I see where I stand. 

Bloggy friends, I will catch up with you though it may not be till after July 3rd.  I will also continue with my England exploits after that date as well.  Days are suddenly numbered and things are getting busy again in a different way.  I have to get home and get myself over any jet lag in three days.  I am also back at work the day after we fly home, then need to have myself mentally ready for five days of mission work.

I'm ready for my plate to not be full...in more ways than one.