1. RUN. Goal: 18 runs. Current progress: 18 runs. 138 miles. I'm happy with myself!
2. Read. Goal: 3 books. Current progress: bust! Halfway done with The Know-It-All, and about 1/4 the way done with "Twisted". Need to do more reading next month!
3. Knit. Goal: 3 FOS. Current FO count: 2. Current *almost* FO count: 1...still need to do that last darn cuff on the Curly Purly soaker! I finished Bella's Mittens which will be a gift for a friend (but I had to finish them because I wanted to borrow them and wear them on Saturday before sending them out!) Also finished a pair of fingerless gloves, which I was "commissioned" to make for a good friend who moved away (today)...I work best with a deadline! I'm saying it now...TONIGHT I will carve out some time to finish that cuff and meet this goal.
4. Cook/Bake. Goal: 6 new recipes. Current progress: 2 new recipes. I'm pretty sure I am still stuck at 2 new recipes. I've been really busy helping out and going to functions for the friend that moved, and when I haven't been busy with that, I was busy making 7 dozen muffins (but a well-loved recipe, not a new one) Maybe this afternoon I'll make some new-to-me cookies, Pumpkin-Cranberry-Oatmeal cookies. Maybe.
5. Get a job. Progress: Well, one day I DID dress in "teacher clothes" because I had planned to go pick up a substitute teaching application...but I never quite made it there.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Things you never wondered about my reading habits.
The September goal that I am seriously slacking on is the one about reading 3 books. Today I came across a "book blogger" who answered this survey/meme, and I figured maybe if I act like a book blogger and answer questions about reading books, I might be a little more motivated to do some reading. (Plus, I need a break from trying to find the missing layer styles in PSE 5 before I gently place the laptop on my driveway and crush it into smithereens by running my car over it 300 times...although maybe not having a computer in the house would give me more time for reading.)
Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?
Not usually, because I'm usually reading before bed or first thing when I wake up. When I am reading on the couch during normal snacking hours, I tend to prefer popcorn!
Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
No, I don't write in my books... I was taught from a very young age that you're not supposed to do that! If I'm taking notes about something (for a book discussion, or just because) I'll do so on a post-it and flag the page.
How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears?Laying the book flat open?
Bookmark. My favoritest bookmarks are these little magnet ones that fold over the top of the page and stick in place. My friend Britt sent me my first ones (monkeys) and they are still my favorites. I have a new set (monsters)that I like a little bit less because they cover up more of the page than the monkey ones, so I have to slide them up to read the first 2 or 3 lines of most books.
Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?
Fiction. A little non-fiction here and there, but I'm sad to say, it usually bores me.
Hard copy or audiobooks?
Hard copy. I've tried audiobooks, but my mind wanders too much. I always wonder if that's what my students minds are doing when I read aloud to them!
Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point?
I almost always read to the end of a chapter or another place that I have deemed a logical stopping place. If a book has really long chapters, but has those little breaks with a big empty space or a little row of asterisks, I will stop there. Or, I will stop when a sentence ends at the end of a page.
If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?
No, I use context clues (just like I teach my 1st graders!) If the word is really tricky or interesting, I'll write it down on a post-it or slip of paper and look them all up later. I include the page number so I can go back and reread the sentence.
What are you currently reading?
The Know-It-All (A.J. Jacobs) and Cross Country (James Patterson... haven't been actively reading that one though)
What is the last book you bought?
I bought 5 books all at once, I think. Since I don't know which one rang up last, I'll list them all: Dewey, Firefly Lane, The Summer I Turned Pretty, I Before E Except After C: Old School Ways to Remember Stuff, and The Know-It-All.
Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?
I can read more than one at a time. I go through phases where I stick to one book and then go through another phase where I read multiples. Usually when I am working, I read 2 books at a time, one to leave in the classroom for lunchbreak, and one to leave at home.
Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read?
First thing in the morning, still snuggled and toasty under the covers!
Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?
Hmm... I like both. Series books are fun but take a lot of commitment, so I also like reading a book and being "done" with it.
Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?
Jodi Picoult, Sophie Kinsella. I haven't read it in a while, but the book I've probably read the most is The Promise by Danielle Steele.
How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)
Organize my books? I shove them wherever they will fit on the shelf, and when I get the urge to straighten up my shelf, I organize them by color. I like the way that looks, and usually when I'm thinking of a book I want to find, I can remember the cover and find it by color! My closet is organized by color too.
Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?
Not usually, because I'm usually reading before bed or first thing when I wake up. When I am reading on the couch during normal snacking hours, I tend to prefer popcorn!
Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
No, I don't write in my books... I was taught from a very young age that you're not supposed to do that! If I'm taking notes about something (for a book discussion, or just because) I'll do so on a post-it and flag the page.
How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears?Laying the book flat open?
Bookmark. My favoritest bookmarks are these little magnet ones that fold over the top of the page and stick in place. My friend Britt sent me my first ones (monkeys) and they are still my favorites. I have a new set (monsters)that I like a little bit less because they cover up more of the page than the monkey ones, so I have to slide them up to read the first 2 or 3 lines of most books.
Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?
Fiction. A little non-fiction here and there, but I'm sad to say, it usually bores me.
Hard copy or audiobooks?
Hard copy. I've tried audiobooks, but my mind wanders too much. I always wonder if that's what my students minds are doing when I read aloud to them!
Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point?
I almost always read to the end of a chapter or another place that I have deemed a logical stopping place. If a book has really long chapters, but has those little breaks with a big empty space or a little row of asterisks, I will stop there. Or, I will stop when a sentence ends at the end of a page.
If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?
No, I use context clues (just like I teach my 1st graders!) If the word is really tricky or interesting, I'll write it down on a post-it or slip of paper and look them all up later. I include the page number so I can go back and reread the sentence.
What are you currently reading?
The Know-It-All (A.J. Jacobs) and Cross Country (James Patterson... haven't been actively reading that one though)
What is the last book you bought?
I bought 5 books all at once, I think. Since I don't know which one rang up last, I'll list them all: Dewey, Firefly Lane, The Summer I Turned Pretty, I Before E Except After C: Old School Ways to Remember Stuff, and The Know-It-All.
Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?
I can read more than one at a time. I go through phases where I stick to one book and then go through another phase where I read multiples. Usually when I am working, I read 2 books at a time, one to leave in the classroom for lunchbreak, and one to leave at home.
Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read?
First thing in the morning, still snuggled and toasty under the covers!
Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?
Hmm... I like both. Series books are fun but take a lot of commitment, so I also like reading a book and being "done" with it.
Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?
Jodi Picoult, Sophie Kinsella. I haven't read it in a while, but the book I've probably read the most is The Promise by Danielle Steele.
How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)
Organize my books? I shove them wherever they will fit on the shelf, and when I get the urge to straighten up my shelf, I organize them by color. I like the way that looks, and usually when I'm thinking of a book I want to find, I can remember the cover and find it by color! My closet is organized by color too.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Goal Check-Up #2.
September is halfway over now, so I'm going to check up on my goals again. I should also add "do things that result in more interesting blog content" to my list of goals. Maybe in October.
1. RUN. Goal: 18 runs. Current progress: 9 runs. OMG... I'm halfway through my goal and halfway through the month! Hooray! I've been running a whole lot because I've been working with a friend who wants to get started running. We meet about 3 times a week and mostly walk with some running thrown in. But I have to run to her house and back so usually I get in 4-5 miles in addition to the mileage we cover in our walk/runs. Plus, I found a running group that meets 3 days a week. I've only gone twice so far, but I have good intentions to go tomorrow!
2. Read. Goal: 3 books. Current progress: STILL about 1/4 way through the first book, "The Know-It-All" by AJ Jacobs...it really is good, I swear. I just haven't carved out much time for reading lately.
3. Knit. Goal: 3 FOS. Current FO count: still 0. Current *almost* FO count: 2...one more cuff to finish off on the soaker (I really don't know why I don't just take 20 minutes and knock this one out!) and about 30 rounds left to go on my 2nd mitten. I've also chosen the third project, so that's a start, right?!
4. Cook/Bake. Goal: 6 new recipes. Current progress: 2 new recipes. Chicken Corn Tortilla Soup from my new Robin Rescues Dinner cookbook, and Chocolate Zucchini Bread (recipe here)
5. Get a job. Progress: Putting this off...need to focus on my other, more enjoyable goals.
1. RUN. Goal: 18 runs. Current progress: 9 runs. OMG... I'm halfway through my goal and halfway through the month! Hooray! I've been running a whole lot because I've been working with a friend who wants to get started running. We meet about 3 times a week and mostly walk with some running thrown in. But I have to run to her house and back so usually I get in 4-5 miles in addition to the mileage we cover in our walk/runs. Plus, I found a running group that meets 3 days a week. I've only gone twice so far, but I have good intentions to go tomorrow!
2. Read. Goal: 3 books. Current progress: STILL about 1/4 way through the first book, "The Know-It-All" by AJ Jacobs...it really is good, I swear. I just haven't carved out much time for reading lately.
3. Knit. Goal: 3 FOS. Current FO count: still 0. Current *almost* FO count: 2...one more cuff to finish off on the soaker (I really don't know why I don't just take 20 minutes and knock this one out!) and about 30 rounds left to go on my 2nd mitten. I've also chosen the third project, so that's a start, right?!
4. Cook/Bake. Goal: 6 new recipes. Current progress: 2 new recipes. Chicken Corn Tortilla Soup from my new Robin Rescues Dinner cookbook, and Chocolate Zucchini Bread (recipe here)
5. Get a job. Progress: Putting this off...need to focus on my other, more enjoyable goals.
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Goal Check-Up
One week of September is over...so I thought I'd try to keep myself on track with the goals I set last week. Turns out, I'm not making a whole lot of progress just yet! Oops!
1. RUN. Goal: 18 runs. Current progress: 3 runs. 15 to go in the next 22 days.
2. Read. Goal: 3 books. Current progress: about 1/4 way through the first book, "The Know-It-All" by AJ Jacobs...it is really enjoyable so far!
3. Knit. Goal: 3 FOS. Current FO count: 0. Current *almost* FO count: 1...just about 4 inches of ribbing left on the Curly Purly Soaker. I also started some Bella's Mittens and picked up my Sugar Maple socks again. I highly doubt that I'll finish the socks this month because they're tedious.
4. Cook/Bake. Goal: 6 new recipes. Current progress: Does ordering Chinese count?
5. Get a job. Goal: Well, I had pushed this to October anyway... and a good thing too, because I still don't have that magical paper!
1. RUN. Goal: 18 runs. Current progress: 3 runs. 15 to go in the next 22 days.
2. Read. Goal: 3 books. Current progress: about 1/4 way through the first book, "The Know-It-All" by AJ Jacobs...it is really enjoyable so far!
3. Knit. Goal: 3 FOS. Current FO count: 0. Current *almost* FO count: 1...just about 4 inches of ribbing left on the Curly Purly Soaker. I also started some Bella's Mittens and picked up my Sugar Maple socks again. I highly doubt that I'll finish the socks this month because they're tedious.
4. Cook/Bake. Goal: 6 new recipes. Current progress: Does ordering Chinese count?
5. Get a job. Goal: Well, I had pushed this to October anyway... and a good thing too, because I still don't have that magical paper!
Friday, September 04, 2009
Because I can think of nothing else...
Blog-lifted this from one of the blogs I look at in Google Reader.
1. Your thoughts on truck drivers? I think they are usually pretty nice. They let me merge onto the highway and sometimes, if you do that arm thing, they'll honk for you.
2. Did you hear Michelle Duggar is pregnant for the 15th time? (but that will be kid #19 if you lost count....) I've heard.
3. Have you ever done something to hurt someone intentionally... just for the sole purpose of hurting them because you thought they deserved it? Maybe a paybacks a b*tch sort of thing?
Like physically hurt? Or hurt their feelings? Avoiding this question...
4. Is there anyone in your life that when you go to their place of residence, you just walk in without bother knocking? Does anyone just walk into your house without knocking? There used to be
5. Whats in the trunk of your car? Do you even have a clue? A bottle of windshield wiper fluid. And possibly some reusable commissary bags.
6. When you go to a family holiday get together (such as Christmas or Thanksgiving), about how many people are there? I don't know...25-35? And they are all really loud. :)
7. What is in your kitchen sink right at this very moment? Dishes
8. You go to a store to buy an expensive item... say $150. You pick up that item and a couple other this n' thats. You get to the register and the expensive item rings up at $40. The cashier doesn't seem to notice and tells you your total. Do you go with what they say and pay it or do you question the price difference? You know you would question it if your $40 item rang up at $150.... Well, I would either a)not really be paying attention to how much my items rang up as or b)if I did, assume it was on some special sale. Sales usually get marked DOWN in price, not UP, so that explains why I would mention it if I noticed that my $40 item rang up at $150.
9. Do you fold your underwear or do you just toss it in a drawer? Fold
10. There is a Harley-Davidson giveaway. Chances are $100 and they are only selling 250 tickets. Do you buy one? Well, if it was the kind that retails for 30-35,000, I might just buy ALL of the tickets, guarantee myself the win, and make some money off the sale of the bike. But if I didn't have enough cash on hand to do that, I probably just wouldn't enter.
11. Who is your favorite Disney character? Sully from Monsters Inc. Or maybe Belle. Or the mom gorilla in Tarzan.
12. It's September - most of the weekly sitcoms/dramas are starting new seasons again. Which one are you most looking forward to? Gossip Girl! And of course (even though it's not a sitcom/drama) SURVIVOR!!!
13. You are at a grocery store and are on your way out to your car with your cart full of grocery bags. On your way to your car you see a black kitten in an empty cart. What do you do? I don't know! I'd cry probably. And maybe if it seemed nice I would bring it home and love it!
14. Is there anything that you do for a hobby that you are asked to do for friends/family that most people would hire a professional to do? (example: cake decorating, fixing cars....) There is something that I don't do (cake decorating) that I was asked to do once. I didn't do it because, well, I don't do it.
15. Are we there yet? I have a lovely and annoying song by the same title to sing on long car trips.
1. Your thoughts on truck drivers? I think they are usually pretty nice. They let me merge onto the highway and sometimes, if you do that arm thing, they'll honk for you.
2. Did you hear Michelle Duggar is pregnant for the 15th time? (but that will be kid #19 if you lost count....) I've heard.
3. Have you ever done something to hurt someone intentionally... just for the sole purpose of hurting them because you thought they deserved it? Maybe a paybacks a b*tch sort of thing?
Like physically hurt? Or hurt their feelings? Avoiding this question...
4. Is there anyone in your life that when you go to their place of residence, you just walk in without bother knocking? Does anyone just walk into your house without knocking? There used to be
5. Whats in the trunk of your car? Do you even have a clue? A bottle of windshield wiper fluid. And possibly some reusable commissary bags.
6. When you go to a family holiday get together (such as Christmas or Thanksgiving), about how many people are there? I don't know...25-35? And they are all really loud. :)
7. What is in your kitchen sink right at this very moment? Dishes
8. You go to a store to buy an expensive item... say $150. You pick up that item and a couple other this n' thats. You get to the register and the expensive item rings up at $40. The cashier doesn't seem to notice and tells you your total. Do you go with what they say and pay it or do you question the price difference? You know you would question it if your $40 item rang up at $150.... Well, I would either a)not really be paying attention to how much my items rang up as or b)if I did, assume it was on some special sale. Sales usually get marked DOWN in price, not UP, so that explains why I would mention it if I noticed that my $40 item rang up at $150.
9. Do you fold your underwear or do you just toss it in a drawer? Fold
10. There is a Harley-Davidson giveaway. Chances are $100 and they are only selling 250 tickets. Do you buy one? Well, if it was the kind that retails for 30-35,000, I might just buy ALL of the tickets, guarantee myself the win, and make some money off the sale of the bike. But if I didn't have enough cash on hand to do that, I probably just wouldn't enter.
11. Who is your favorite Disney character? Sully from Monsters Inc. Or maybe Belle. Or the mom gorilla in Tarzan.
12. It's September - most of the weekly sitcoms/dramas are starting new seasons again. Which one are you most looking forward to? Gossip Girl! And of course (even though it's not a sitcom/drama) SURVIVOR!!!
13. You are at a grocery store and are on your way out to your car with your cart full of grocery bags. On your way to your car you see a black kitten in an empty cart. What do you do? I don't know! I'd cry probably. And maybe if it seemed nice I would bring it home and love it!
14. Is there anything that you do for a hobby that you are asked to do for friends/family that most people would hire a professional to do? (example: cake decorating, fixing cars....) There is something that I don't do (cake decorating) that I was asked to do once. I didn't do it because, well, I don't do it.
15. Are we there yet? I have a lovely and annoying song by the same title to sing on long car trips.
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
September September
I went for a run this morning and saw a bunch of kids waiting for the school bus at the corner. I didn't realize all those American kids lived in my neighborhood, although I do know one from my Wednesday night dinners.
Anyway, it made me a little bit sad, that they're going to school and I'm not...but also a little bit happy that at 7:30 a.m., I'm just starting a morning run and not driving to work. That would make for some very early morning runs!
So... it's September and I have a few goals for the month:
1. RUN. I've been a slacker lately and I want/need to stop being lazy and start living up to my reputation as a crazy runner girl. I think I'll aim for 18 runs this month...which will far exceed my August running, but still give me some leeway. I know there is a running group in a neighboring town, I found their meeting place once but didn't see any runners there.
2. Read. I just picked up a package from the post office today and so I've now been reunited with 3 books I bought but didn't read in the states. If I can finish reading 3 books (not necessarily those 3) in September, I'll be happy with myself.
3. Knit. After a bit of a drought, I've been back to knitting. I think I had one project that just didn't hold my interest, so rather than work on it I found other things to do...now that project is finished and I'm ready for more! Maybe finish 3 projects in September?? They don't have to be big!
4. Cook/Bake. Since I've come back from the states, there have been fewer cook-outs around here, and I've not really been inviting people over for dinner. So, I haven't been doing much cooking or baking. Although I did make some new and delicious cookies. In September, I think I should follow SIX NEW recipes.
5. Get a job. :) David should be able to send me the magical paper that will allow me to work "in a few days"(I've been hearing that for a few weeks...but as I discovered last fall/winter, waiting for magical papers is pretty much status quo). Then I can get my name on the sub list. My friend told me that there aren't always openings for subs at the elementary school, but that the other day the high school had a sign on the door saying "WE NEED SUBS!" Need to think about this... high schoolers are big and scary and probably don't give their teachers hugs and tell them "I love you". On the other hand, they also don't (probably) tattle on each other for eating boogers or pee their pants during recess because they just didn't want to stop playing.
On second thought... I might just be soooo busy with my first 4 goals that I should push #5 to October.
Anyway, it made me a little bit sad, that they're going to school and I'm not...but also a little bit happy that at 7:30 a.m., I'm just starting a morning run and not driving to work. That would make for some very early morning runs!
So... it's September and I have a few goals for the month:
1. RUN. I've been a slacker lately and I want/need to stop being lazy and start living up to my reputation as a crazy runner girl. I think I'll aim for 18 runs this month...which will far exceed my August running, but still give me some leeway. I know there is a running group in a neighboring town, I found their meeting place once but didn't see any runners there.
2. Read. I just picked up a package from the post office today and so I've now been reunited with 3 books I bought but didn't read in the states. If I can finish reading 3 books (not necessarily those 3) in September, I'll be happy with myself.
3. Knit. After a bit of a drought, I've been back to knitting. I think I had one project that just didn't hold my interest, so rather than work on it I found other things to do...now that project is finished and I'm ready for more! Maybe finish 3 projects in September?? They don't have to be big!
4. Cook/Bake. Since I've come back from the states, there have been fewer cook-outs around here, and I've not really been inviting people over for dinner. So, I haven't been doing much cooking or baking. Although I did make some new and delicious cookies. In September, I think I should follow SIX NEW recipes.
5. Get a job. :) David should be able to send me the magical paper that will allow me to work "in a few days"(I've been hearing that for a few weeks...but as I discovered last fall/winter, waiting for magical papers is pretty much status quo). Then I can get my name on the sub list. My friend told me that there aren't always openings for subs at the elementary school, but that the other day the high school had a sign on the door saying "WE NEED SUBS!" Need to think about this... high schoolers are big and scary and probably don't give their teachers hugs and tell them "I love you". On the other hand, they also don't (probably) tattle on each other for eating boogers or pee their pants during recess because they just didn't want to stop playing.
On second thought... I might just be soooo busy with my first 4 goals that I should push #5 to October.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Fill-in-the-blanks
Okay, so I really did do more on the cruise than just hang out on the Lido deck, but I don't feel like blogging about it right now.
I found this weekly Friday survey on another blog I read so I figured I would go ahead and post that. It's still Friday somewhere, right? Well, maybe not...but I'm posting it anyway.
1. I remember going to the beach with my cousins and drowning. I swear I did drown...even though nobody believed me.___
2. Dear Container Store Phil (or was it Paul?) I want you to know that I'm still pretty PO'd about that whole "we-won't-ship-your-plastic-shoe-boxes" thing.
3. Is that my sink full of dishes?(I don't really understand this question)
4. I'm trying to resist the temptation of eating all of the cookies I bake
5. I'm saving a cookie just for you! (That was such a natural segue, I couldn't resist!)
6. If I made a birthday list,(and it just so happens that I do...or at least a Christmas list that doubles as a birthday list) the movie Enchanted would definitely be on it.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm going to (answering for Friday)browse Etsy and watch How I Met Your Mother season 3, tomorrow my plans include (this is today) baking cookies, watching Gossip Girl and more HIMYM, and Sunday I want to go with my friend Jessica to a "friend-making-picnic" on base.
I found this weekly Friday survey on another blog I read so I figured I would go ahead and post that. It's still Friday somewhere, right? Well, maybe not...but I'm posting it anyway.
1. I remember going to the beach with my cousins and drowning. I swear I did drown...even though nobody believed me.___
2. Dear Container Store Phil (or was it Paul?) I want you to know that I'm still pretty PO'd about that whole "we-won't-ship-your-plastic-shoe-boxes" thing.
3. Is that my sink full of dishes?(I don't really understand this question)
4. I'm trying to resist the temptation of eating all of the cookies I bake
5. I'm saving a cookie just for you! (That was such a natural segue, I couldn't resist!)
6. If I made a birthday list,(and it just so happens that I do...or at least a Christmas list that doubles as a birthday list) the movie Enchanted would definitely be on it.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm going to (answering for Friday)browse Etsy and watch How I Met Your Mother season 3, tomorrow my plans include (this is today) baking cookies, watching Gossip Girl and more HIMYM, and Sunday I want to go with my friend Jessica to a "friend-making-picnic" on base.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Lido Girl
My favorite daytime place on the Carnival Freedom was the Lido Deck.
I am so happy that I opted to SLEEP on the Lido Deck. Well, I slept in my cabin stateroom which was located on level 9, which happened to be the location of the Lido Deck. It made for very convenient access to the sun, the pool, the buffet, and the soft-serve ice cream machine.
I was ready to hit the (Lido) deck immediately upon getting on board. I had read at a cruise message board that it would take a while to be reunited with our luggage, so I wore my bathing suit as we waited in line to board and tossed my book and sunscreen in a carry-on tote. Made the world's quickest stop in the room just to pick up my towel and headed off in search of a pool chair. I was not the first one to claim a chair, but there weren't too many people out yet.
David WAS the first person to go down the water slide:
(I'm posting that picture twice to see if there is something going on with using Picasa to import photos to my blog or if there's just some weird thing about my blog and pictures right now.)
(do either or both of those work?)
I was pretty mad when I had to get off the boat on the first full day of the cruise. I told David that next time we cruise, I want to go to the same ports so I can just stay on the Lido Deck and not bother with seeing the sights on shore. I also wish there wouldn't be so many interesting activities on the boat. They really cut into my time in the sun. I also know that for my next cruise, I am selecting the late sitting for dinner. I was so bummed to have to leave Lido shortly after 5 each day to get ready for dinner! One night (Formal Night, I think) I changed into another bathing suit and went and laid out after dinner. Then the sun went down and High School Musical 3 played on the big screen. I started to get chilly so I wrapped up in my towel and took a really long and wonderful nap.
Although the Lido Deck was mostly a warm, sunny, happy place, there was almost a minor altercation there on the first sea day. The Capers newsletter said that you're not supposed to leave a pool chair empty for more than 1/2 hour. You can't save them for your friends for a super-long time. I would normally go to the deck, find a chair with lots of other chairs nearby, and if they were all taken by the time David came (he claimed his complexion couldn't handle too much time in the sun, so needed to spend more time in the casino, etc.) we'd try to move to another pair of chairs. This particular day, though, being a sea day there were NO chairs anywhere. Except for the one sitting next to me which had been "reserved" by a book and a magazine for over an hour. I was talking to this sweet cute girl next to me and David joined us. I told him probably he could just go ahead and move that book and magazine and sit there, and that if the person came back, he'd just get up and either he'd go in to get out of the sun or we would both try to move somewhere else. I thought it was perfectly reasonable and not at all mean or nasty.
So this lady comes up a few minutes later and says, "Was there a book and a magazine on that chair?" David says, "Yes, I can get up so you can have the chair. I just wanted to sit here until someone got back." Lady says, "No, that's alright. I just want the book and magazine." So we give it to her. And she proceeds to walk to HER lounge chair about 4-6 chairs down from where we are.
Then a man comes up. He is one of those little bulldog men, the kind who is a little shorter than average so likes to walk around with his chest puffed out and talking his tough-guy talk. So he comes us and says to David, "Hey man, was there a book and a magazine on that chair?" David says, "Yes, a lady just came to get it though. I already gave it to her." Puffy-Man says, "I don't care about the book and magazine. This is our chair." (Meanwhile, I am trying my super-hardest to refrain from something like "really? is your name on it?") David says, "I offered to give her the chair," but Puffy-Man can't hear him because he's too busy getting loud and saying, "You just can't go around moving stuff off of people's chairs" (geesh, it's not like we moved their towel and iPod...it was a book and a magazine!) So I pipe in and say, "Well, the chair had been empty for over an hour, so he just was going to sit here until someone came back for it" and then that mean and puffy bulldog man may have raised his voice at me! I do not do well with being yelled at and I'm pretty sure I almost cried a little. He said (very loudly), "Yeah well half of these chairs out here have been empty for blah blah blah" and so I said, "SIR, he tried to offer the chair to your wife." and David said, "I told her I would get up and she could have the chair." And Bulldog said, "I'm going to have my lunch. And when I come back, I'm GOING to take my chair."
And stomped off like a pouty little beeyotch.
And then, like a conniving little beeyotch, I looked at David and said, "Why save this guy's chair? You wanna go get lunch too?"
And we did.
We saw the man later and decided to be snotty and ask him if he got his chair. He said no it was taken when he got done with lunch, but admitted that he overreacted, claimed that his wife didn't mention the fact that we offered her the chair back, and said we're all here to be on vacation and have fun and need to not sweat the small stuff. This part may be just my imagination, but I'm also almost certain that he shook David's hand. Apparently Puffy-Man took his meds with lunch.
On the last day of the cruise, our original dinner-mates Joe and Nikki saved us pool chairs. Yep, after all that, we had someone save us pool chairs! :) We had a great day hanging out with them on the Lido Deck, we played Movie Trivia together on the big screen, went in the pool, ate lunch, etc. Such a fun last day!
Songs that will forever make me think of the Carnival Freedom Lido Deck:
I've Had the Time of My Life (or rather, the "I Have the Times of My Life" version)
Hotel California (is this an anthem on all cruises or did
That Dido song that goes, "I just want to thank you for giving me the best day of my life". But if you are singing on the Lido Deck, you have to sing "I just want to tank you".
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Our Ship Came In!
We spent one day in Fort Lauderdale...it wasn't quite as long as my travel day, but it still was a long, hot day.
We rode the water taxi, went to a museum, had lunch, went shopping and rode the water taxi some more. Both of us were sweating, and I was dreaming about being in the pool. I was tempted to just cancel the cruise and just hang out for a week by the Hilton's pool.
We were fairly exhausted by the time we got back to the hotel to "change for dinner" so we decided to get pizza delivery instead!
The next day I woke up and looked out on the balcony:
It was our ride! So neat to see our big ship sitting there waiting for us! (We could see it better in real life... it's the one over my shoulder with the "whale tail" sticking up. And, I have no idea why I look so strangely shaped in this photo.
David woke up and looked in the pizza box. Cold pizza for breakfast might hit the spot.
I don't know if this part of the story is true, but I didn't care to check it out... he said there was a giant Okinawa-style cockroach in our pizza box!!!!
I was completely disgusted. David tried to comfort me by saying "but I'm sure it didn't come with the pizza. It must've already been in the room somewhere."
Suddenly, any inkling I had of just staying in Fort Lauderdale instead of cruising was gone!
We walked to Walgreens, stopped for a quick, roach-free brunch at Einstein Brothers Bagels (David had a Ruben, I had a toasted bagel w/honey butter and a yummy strawberry creme drink)
After a super-quick cab ride, here we were:
We rode the water taxi, went to a museum, had lunch, went shopping and rode the water taxi some more. Both of us were sweating, and I was dreaming about being in the pool. I was tempted to just cancel the cruise and just hang out for a week by the Hilton's pool.
We were fairly exhausted by the time we got back to the hotel to "change for dinner" so we decided to get pizza delivery instead!
The next day I woke up and looked out on the balcony:
It was our ride! So neat to see our big ship sitting there waiting for us! (We could see it better in real life... it's the one over my shoulder with the "whale tail" sticking up. And, I have no idea why I look so strangely shaped in this photo.
David woke up and looked in the pizza box. Cold pizza for breakfast might hit the spot.
I don't know if this part of the story is true, but I didn't care to check it out... he said there was a giant Okinawa-style cockroach in our pizza box!!!!
I was completely disgusted. David tried to comfort me by saying "but I'm sure it didn't come with the pizza. It must've already been in the room somewhere."
Suddenly, any inkling I had of just staying in Fort Lauderdale instead of cruising was gone!
We walked to Walgreens, stopped for a quick, roach-free brunch at Einstein Brothers Bagels (David had a Ruben, I had a toasted bagel w/honey butter and a yummy strawberry creme drink)
After a super-quick cab ride, here we were:
Starting off on the right foot
I'm taking a break from my busy schedule of playing Mario Party 8 on the Wii I have finally been reunited with, eating chocolate cookies, and catching up on "Tivo'd" episodes of Ugly Betty, True Blood & Don't Forget the Lyrics to share some photos & stories from our cruise.
So I set out on my journey at shortly after 4 am on July 9. I had to make it to base by 5:15 to catch the bus to the airport. There's a later shuttle, but I didn't want to take a chance on traffic or some other strange occurrence that might make me miss my flight. So I slept on the bus and hunkered down for about 5 hours in the airport. I had breakfast and talked to my friend Jessica on the phone, because that is our morning routine. I did a little knitting and read part of The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares. (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants author)
I got on the plane (aisle seat!) and was ready to sleep some more, but there were so many movies I felt like watching, so I ended up not getting much sleep. I regretted that decision later. I don't remember all the movies I watched (except I know I watched 17 Again and Ferris Bueller's Day Off), but I do remember how tired I was in the Newark Airport.
When I booked my tickets, I chose a later flight out of Newark, just in case there was some sort of delay with my flight from London. We ended up landing in Newark a little early, so I had even more than the 5 hours I was expecting to wait. I thought about seeing if I could get switched to the 4:30 flight instead, but figured that my luggage was already checked through for the 8:30 flight and either I'd have to wait for it to arrive, they'd remove it from the plane, or it might get lost in the shuffle of changes. So, I decided I'd just stick it out and wait until 8:30.
The Newark Airport was actually not too bad. There were LOTS of shops to go in and out of, so that kept me busy for a while. I ate some yummy Auntie Annie's pretzel sticks, read the back of a lot of books at Borders, and smelled every flavor of lotion at The Body Shop. But still I was growing bored and wanted desperately to make friends with someone who had one of those fancy cell phones that can access the internet.
When it was close to boarding time, I sat by my gate. When it was really close to boarding time, I was still sitting by my gate. When it was boarding time, I continued to sit by my gate. About 10-15 minutes after boarding time, I began to really wonder why I was still sitting by my gate. That's when the first of many announcements was made... our plane had arrived at the airport, but it was sitting at another gate. And the piece of equipment that was needed to tow the plane was broken, so we'd have a slight delay while they tried to fix it. I couldn't help but wonder if it wouldn't have been faster for them to try to move US instead of the plane.
Finally, the plane arrives, we all get on and I'm happy... we're leaving! About 40 minutes late, but that's not too bad I guess. David will be waiting for me at the Fort Lauderdale airport and in just a few hours, my looooong day of travel would be over.
I buckled my seatbelt and started to nod off. I woke up to the sound of the captain's voice, thinking he's making that, "We've reached our cruising altitude" announcement. But we weren't actually moving yet. Captain says that the jetway is stuck on our plane...so basically we couldn't take off without taking off the wall of the airport I guess. So it would be 5-10 minutes until they resolved the issue, just sit tight.
About 5-10 minutes later, the captain announces that they're having a little more trouble than they thought, so anyone who wants to stretch their legs can go ahead and "deboard the aircraft" for a little while.
By now, it's after 10 and most of the shops are closed, so I just walked around the concourse a few times.
We were rescheduled for takeoff at 11:00. Just 2 and a half hours after our scheduled departure time. And what do you know, just 57 minutes before our originally scheduled arrival. Trying to stay positive... trying to stay awake until I get back onto the plane...and trying not to kick myself for not trying for the 4:30 flight after all. By this point, I would have gladly sacrificed my luggage.
Back on the plane, we begin to taxi. Taxi, taxi, taxi. I begin to think that this is the longest taxi EVER. Seriously. In the history of taxiing, this has GOT to be the longest. But there's a good reason for that... we taxied out, then taxied right back in to where we started.
You see, there was a passenger on the plane who had to be removed.
Imagine, a disgruntled passenger at this point. (It wasn't me)
I didn't even get to see or hear any of the ruckus, so I don't know what was going on. The annoying man across the aisle from me tried to pump the flight attendant for information but she wasn't giving any. She was obviously getting a little tired and cranky herself.
The passenger is removed, but still, we can't leave. Because now we have used up a whole bunch of gas and need to wait for the fuel truck to come top us off.
Lovely.
I decide to just give up hope that we're ever leaving Newark. I'm not even sure I believe it when our wheels finally go up at about 20 minutes past 12.
Hahahahaha, and then our pilot...that funny, funny guy...makes his "we've now reached cruising altitude" speech and adds, "It looks like we've got a good tailwind and clear airspace, so we should be landing at our destination a few minutes ahead of schedule." Either the man has a very strange sense of humor, can not tell time, or was referring to our "revised" schedule.
We landed at about quarter past 2 (I think... It was getting too depressing to look at my watch by this point) and I hustled to the baggage claim where David was waiting for me!! I was SO happy to see him! Not only because I hadn't seen the man in nearly 5 months, but also because 1-it meant I didn't have to get on another plane for a whole entire week! and 2-it meant that I wouldn't have to sleep in the airport. I had begun to worry during one of the nearly 4 hours of our delay that David might not realize that I didn't know what hotel we were going to and he might not be waiting at the airport, thinking I'd just cab-it to the hotel on my own. It would've been pretty out-of-character for him to do that, but still...I was slightly nervous. He did leave the airport, showered at the hotel (but knew he'd better not lay down or he'd fall asleep!) and then came back to get me.
I asked him if he'd seen which baggage carousel my flight was going to be on, and he said, "Your bag is already here. I saw it when I was here earlier."
What!?!?!??!
My bag had inadvertently made it on the 4:30 flight! I didn't even have the energy at the time to be irritated by the irony of this. I was just thrilled that we could immediately get out of the airport, into a cab, and to the hotel!
It took just under 28 hours to get from London to Florida. That's even longer than the trips home from Okinawa!!!
So I set out on my journey at shortly after 4 am on July 9. I had to make it to base by 5:15 to catch the bus to the airport. There's a later shuttle, but I didn't want to take a chance on traffic or some other strange occurrence that might make me miss my flight. So I slept on the bus and hunkered down for about 5 hours in the airport. I had breakfast and talked to my friend Jessica on the phone, because that is our morning routine. I did a little knitting and read part of The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares. (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants author)
I got on the plane (aisle seat!) and was ready to sleep some more, but there were so many movies I felt like watching, so I ended up not getting much sleep. I regretted that decision later. I don't remember all the movies I watched (except I know I watched 17 Again and Ferris Bueller's Day Off), but I do remember how tired I was in the Newark Airport.
When I booked my tickets, I chose a later flight out of Newark, just in case there was some sort of delay with my flight from London. We ended up landing in Newark a little early, so I had even more than the 5 hours I was expecting to wait. I thought about seeing if I could get switched to the 4:30 flight instead, but figured that my luggage was already checked through for the 8:30 flight and either I'd have to wait for it to arrive, they'd remove it from the plane, or it might get lost in the shuffle of changes. So, I decided I'd just stick it out and wait until 8:30.
The Newark Airport was actually not too bad. There were LOTS of shops to go in and out of, so that kept me busy for a while. I ate some yummy Auntie Annie's pretzel sticks, read the back of a lot of books at Borders, and smelled every flavor of lotion at The Body Shop. But still I was growing bored and wanted desperately to make friends with someone who had one of those fancy cell phones that can access the internet.
When it was close to boarding time, I sat by my gate. When it was really close to boarding time, I was still sitting by my gate. When it was boarding time, I continued to sit by my gate. About 10-15 minutes after boarding time, I began to really wonder why I was still sitting by my gate. That's when the first of many announcements was made... our plane had arrived at the airport, but it was sitting at another gate. And the piece of equipment that was needed to tow the plane was broken, so we'd have a slight delay while they tried to fix it. I couldn't help but wonder if it wouldn't have been faster for them to try to move US instead of the plane.
Finally, the plane arrives, we all get on and I'm happy... we're leaving! About 40 minutes late, but that's not too bad I guess. David will be waiting for me at the Fort Lauderdale airport and in just a few hours, my looooong day of travel would be over.
I buckled my seatbelt and started to nod off. I woke up to the sound of the captain's voice, thinking he's making that, "We've reached our cruising altitude" announcement. But we weren't actually moving yet. Captain says that the jetway is stuck on our plane...so basically we couldn't take off without taking off the wall of the airport I guess. So it would be 5-10 minutes until they resolved the issue, just sit tight.
About 5-10 minutes later, the captain announces that they're having a little more trouble than they thought, so anyone who wants to stretch their legs can go ahead and "deboard the aircraft" for a little while.
By now, it's after 10 and most of the shops are closed, so I just walked around the concourse a few times.
We were rescheduled for takeoff at 11:00. Just 2 and a half hours after our scheduled departure time. And what do you know, just 57 minutes before our originally scheduled arrival. Trying to stay positive... trying to stay awake until I get back onto the plane...and trying not to kick myself for not trying for the 4:30 flight after all. By this point, I would have gladly sacrificed my luggage.
Back on the plane, we begin to taxi. Taxi, taxi, taxi. I begin to think that this is the longest taxi EVER. Seriously. In the history of taxiing, this has GOT to be the longest. But there's a good reason for that... we taxied out, then taxied right back in to where we started.
You see, there was a passenger on the plane who had to be removed.
Imagine, a disgruntled passenger at this point. (It wasn't me)
I didn't even get to see or hear any of the ruckus, so I don't know what was going on. The annoying man across the aisle from me tried to pump the flight attendant for information but she wasn't giving any. She was obviously getting a little tired and cranky herself.
The passenger is removed, but still, we can't leave. Because now we have used up a whole bunch of gas and need to wait for the fuel truck to come top us off.
Lovely.
I decide to just give up hope that we're ever leaving Newark. I'm not even sure I believe it when our wheels finally go up at about 20 minutes past 12.
Hahahahaha, and then our pilot...that funny, funny guy...makes his "we've now reached cruising altitude" speech and adds, "It looks like we've got a good tailwind and clear airspace, so we should be landing at our destination a few minutes ahead of schedule." Either the man has a very strange sense of humor, can not tell time, or was referring to our "revised" schedule.
We landed at about quarter past 2 (I think... It was getting too depressing to look at my watch by this point) and I hustled to the baggage claim where David was waiting for me!! I was SO happy to see him! Not only because I hadn't seen the man in nearly 5 months, but also because 1-it meant I didn't have to get on another plane for a whole entire week! and 2-it meant that I wouldn't have to sleep in the airport. I had begun to worry during one of the nearly 4 hours of our delay that David might not realize that I didn't know what hotel we were going to and he might not be waiting at the airport, thinking I'd just cab-it to the hotel on my own. It would've been pretty out-of-character for him to do that, but still...I was slightly nervous. He did leave the airport, showered at the hotel (but knew he'd better not lay down or he'd fall asleep!) and then came back to get me.
I asked him if he'd seen which baggage carousel my flight was going to be on, and he said, "Your bag is already here. I saw it when I was here earlier."
What!?!?!??!
My bag had inadvertently made it on the 4:30 flight! I didn't even have the energy at the time to be irritated by the irony of this. I was just thrilled that we could immediately get out of the airport, into a cab, and to the hotel!
It took just under 28 hours to get from London to Florida. That's even longer than the trips home from Okinawa!!!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Step One: Check!
Why is it that when I actually have something *moderately* exciting, or at least interesting, to blog about, I can't do it!?!
I didn't want to post about my cruise without any photos, but I couldn't post any photos without my USB cord! My USB cord is stuck in my friend Jessica's house while she is away on vacation. Rather than breaking-and-entering, I decided to find another extra one in the box with all the other computer-related cords in it. And what do you know? I did find one!
So now my photos are on my computer and I can share my cruise experience in excruciating detail.
But, I've been sitting here at the computer for SO long, loading, saving and naming my pictures that I just can't sit here any longer.
A longer, prettier blog entry will just have to wait until tomorrow. AFTER I go to the commissary, ATM & library. I have no food, no money (and I owe my friend 20 pounds...but another friend owes me 20 pounds, I just remembered), and overdue books. So, I am determined not to have any bloggy-fun until I'm done with my chores!
I didn't want to post about my cruise without any photos, but I couldn't post any photos without my USB cord! My USB cord is stuck in my friend Jessica's house while she is away on vacation. Rather than breaking-and-entering, I decided to find another extra one in the box with all the other computer-related cords in it. And what do you know? I did find one!
So now my photos are on my computer and I can share my cruise experience in excruciating detail.
But, I've been sitting here at the computer for SO long, loading, saving and naming my pictures that I just can't sit here any longer.
A longer, prettier blog entry will just have to wait until tomorrow. AFTER I go to the commissary, ATM & library. I have no food, no money (and I owe my friend 20 pounds...but another friend owes me 20 pounds, I just remembered), and overdue books. So, I am determined not to have any bloggy-fun until I'm done with my chores!
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Stateside Shopping
Making this list here because I'll be more likely to "find" it than if I wrote it on a post-it or something!
Pre-cruise (David thinks we will see a movie the day we are in Ft. Laud. Hahahaha...he can see the movie while I shop if the theater is in the mall!):
black flats
sarong/cover-up/board shorts
new Salomons (I just knew I'd regret tossing them when I left Oki!)
sunglasses
some kind of bag with a zipper that I can take to the pool or out to the ports. Something that a book, sunscreen, etc. will fit in.
and I wouldn't be sad if a really cute sundress or two hopped into my shopping bag.
Post-cruise:
Vera Bradley coin purse. I love using my clip-zip ID case for my id & cards and maybe a 20 dollar bill, but I don't like having coins and more bills stuffed in there. I have a coin purse, but it would be too irritating to use the same one for pounds and dollars.
New books- I'm taking 2 for the plane/cruise (if they both fit!), but I'll probably be ready for more. I'm hoping to find the Sookie Stackhouse novels (by Charlaine Harris) in paperback. Starting with Dead Until Dark, Living Dead in Dallas, Club Dead and Dead to the World. There are 5 other books in the series, but at least that would be a good start.
Yarn and lots of it: (I figure I have plenty of time to knit right now, I might as well make a stock-pile of gifties for showers and the like) If you're not a knitter (and even if you are) this will probably bore you...it's mostly for my information, so I don't have to keep track of a piece of notebook paper. If you are a knitter and decide to keep reading, let me know if you've made any of the projects and recommend or un-recommend one of the yarns I have listed! And I'm not actually buying yarn for all of these projects! But it will be good to have a list so if I'm inspired by a color combo or in the mood for a certain project, I'll know what I need, without having to do more research on Ravelry...after all, I am making good use of the time I should be using to pack for my trip right now by doing my research on Rav.
(# of skeins x # of colors)
For dishcloths- Lion Cotton, Lily Sugar & Cream, Bernat Bamboo, Bernat CottonTots, Peaches & Cream, Bernat Organic Cotton
For baby blankies--I think all of these patterns are crochet! I loved how fast the blankie I made for a friend's shower this spring worked up!
(Tiramisu) TLC Cotton Plus 5x1 + 1x1/Lion Brand Cotton Ease 5x1/Caron Simply Soft 3x1 or 2x1 + 1x1
(Ripple) Bernat CottonTots 3x3
(Wool Eater) Caron Simply Soft 5xWhite + 1x7
(Vintage Vertical Stripe) Vanna's Choice 2x2 + 4x2
(Round Ripple) Caron Simply Soft 1x7 or 2x2 or 1x5/Bernat Softee Baby 2x2
(Sweet Pea) Vanna's Choice Baby 2x3
(Beth's Little Star Afghan...this is the one I made for my friend. Think it could be SO MUCH cuter in different color combos!!) Caron Simply Soft 1x4 + 2x2 or 1x3 + 2x1/TLC Baby Amore 1x8/Vanna's Choice 2x3 or 2x4 or 2x1+3x1
For baby hats:
(general) Bernat Softee Baby/Lion Brand Cotton Ease/Caron Simply Soft/Bernat CottonTots 1x1
(Inca Snowflake) Noro Kureyon 1x1
(Little Pumpkin/Apple Hat) Vanna's Choice/RedHeart Soft yarn 1x3 (red or orange, brown, green)
(Cherry-O) Rowan Handknit DK Cotton 1x3
For soakers (two of my friends are having babies this summer and cloth diapering):
Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool/Cascade 220/Paton's Classic Wool Merino 1x1 or 1x2
For misc. baby gifties:
(Saartje's Booties) Bernat Softee Baby/Lion Brand Cotton Ease 1x1 or 1x2
(Ribbed Baby Jacket) Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran (for a special baby!) 3-4x1/Vanna's Choice 2x1
(Legwarmies) Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino/Berocco Comfort DK 1xeach stripe color
For mittens:
(Bella's Mittens) Lion Brand Jiffy 2x1
(Evangeline) Lion Brand Wool Ease/Cascade 220/Patons Classic Wool Merino 1x1
For legwarmers:
(Mosey) Paton's Classic Wool Merino 3x1
(Some Cloudy Day) Paton's Classic Wool Merino 2x1
(Winter Legs) Vanna's Choice 1x2
(Cabled Legwarmers) Vanna's Choice 2x1
For a treat for myself:
(Rusted Root) Lion Brand Cotton Ease 3x1
And, if I happen upon a super-sale:
(Simply Marilyn) Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Super Chunky 10x1
(Noro Striped Scarf) Noro Silk Garden 1x2 + 2x1
Pre-cruise (David thinks we will see a movie the day we are in Ft. Laud. Hahahaha...he can see the movie while I shop if the theater is in the mall!):
black flats
sarong/cover-up/board shorts
new Salomons (I just knew I'd regret tossing them when I left Oki!)
sunglasses
some kind of bag with a zipper that I can take to the pool or out to the ports. Something that a book, sunscreen, etc. will fit in.
and I wouldn't be sad if a really cute sundress or two hopped into my shopping bag.
Post-cruise:
Vera Bradley coin purse. I love using my clip-zip ID case for my id & cards and maybe a 20 dollar bill, but I don't like having coins and more bills stuffed in there. I have a coin purse, but it would be too irritating to use the same one for pounds and dollars.
New books- I'm taking 2 for the plane/cruise (if they both fit!), but I'll probably be ready for more. I'm hoping to find the Sookie Stackhouse novels (by Charlaine Harris) in paperback. Starting with Dead Until Dark, Living Dead in Dallas, Club Dead and Dead to the World. There are 5 other books in the series, but at least that would be a good start.
Yarn and lots of it: (I figure I have plenty of time to knit right now, I might as well make a stock-pile of gifties for showers and the like) If you're not a knitter (and even if you are) this will probably bore you...it's mostly for my information, so I don't have to keep track of a piece of notebook paper. If you are a knitter and decide to keep reading, let me know if you've made any of the projects and recommend or un-recommend one of the yarns I have listed! And I'm not actually buying yarn for all of these projects! But it will be good to have a list so if I'm inspired by a color combo or in the mood for a certain project, I'll know what I need, without having to do more research on Ravelry...after all, I am making good use of the time I should be using to pack for my trip right now by doing my research on Rav.
(# of skeins x # of colors)
For dishcloths- Lion Cotton, Lily Sugar & Cream, Bernat Bamboo, Bernat CottonTots, Peaches & Cream, Bernat Organic Cotton
For baby blankies--I think all of these patterns are crochet! I loved how fast the blankie I made for a friend's shower this spring worked up!
(Tiramisu) TLC Cotton Plus 5x1 + 1x1/Lion Brand Cotton Ease 5x1/Caron Simply Soft 3x1 or 2x1 + 1x1
(Ripple) Bernat CottonTots 3x3
(Wool Eater) Caron Simply Soft 5xWhite + 1x7
(Vintage Vertical Stripe) Vanna's Choice 2x2 + 4x2
(Round Ripple) Caron Simply Soft 1x7 or 2x2 or 1x5/Bernat Softee Baby 2x2
(Sweet Pea) Vanna's Choice Baby 2x3
(Beth's Little Star Afghan...this is the one I made for my friend. Think it could be SO MUCH cuter in different color combos!!) Caron Simply Soft 1x4 + 2x2 or 1x3 + 2x1/TLC Baby Amore 1x8/Vanna's Choice 2x3 or 2x4 or 2x1+3x1
For baby hats:
(general) Bernat Softee Baby/Lion Brand Cotton Ease/Caron Simply Soft/Bernat CottonTots 1x1
(Inca Snowflake) Noro Kureyon 1x1
(Little Pumpkin/Apple Hat) Vanna's Choice/RedHeart Soft yarn 1x3 (red or orange, brown, green)
(Cherry-O) Rowan Handknit DK Cotton 1x3
For soakers (two of my friends are having babies this summer and cloth diapering):
Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool/Cascade 220/Paton's Classic Wool Merino 1x1 or 1x2
For misc. baby gifties:
(Saartje's Booties) Bernat Softee Baby/Lion Brand Cotton Ease 1x1 or 1x2
(Ribbed Baby Jacket) Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran (for a special baby!) 3-4x1/Vanna's Choice 2x1
(Legwarmies) Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino/Berocco Comfort DK 1xeach stripe color
For mittens:
(Bella's Mittens) Lion Brand Jiffy 2x1
(Evangeline) Lion Brand Wool Ease/Cascade 220/Patons Classic Wool Merino 1x1
For legwarmers:
(Mosey) Paton's Classic Wool Merino 3x1
(Some Cloudy Day) Paton's Classic Wool Merino 2x1
(Winter Legs) Vanna's Choice 1x2
(Cabled Legwarmers) Vanna's Choice 2x1
For a treat for myself:
(Rusted Root) Lion Brand Cotton Ease 3x1
And, if I happen upon a super-sale:
(Simply Marilyn) Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Super Chunky 10x1
(Noro Striped Scarf) Noro Silk Garden 1x2 + 2x1
Crossing the Pond
Heading back to the USA tomorrow, only to leave it on Sunday.
I have to leave sooooooooo early in the morning to catch the base shuttle to the airport @ 5:15. Aiming to leave the house at 4:00, that way I'll be sure to leave by 4:30. Gosh that's early. That should get me to the airport by 7:30...my flight is at noon, but the next shuttle doesn't arrive until 10, and that's if traffic is good and I hear there's construction. I'd rather busy myself with knitting (wanted to finish a cardigan to wear on my trip anyway) or reading at the airport for a few hours than freak out that I might miss my flight...and my subsequent flight.
David should be waiting for me @ the airport in Fort Lauderdale when I get there at midnight. We have one day to spend on dry land before we hop on the cruise ship. I'm beginning to wish that we would've just gone with the all-inclusive resort. I'm sure the cruise will be awesome and fun, but packing for it is a real pain! I'm trying to take the same tiny suitcase that I took to Cabo (and I'm pretty sure I was there longer than the cruise) and it's not working!
Also... when I was in Cabo, everyday was HOT and sunny. Checked the weather for my trip and what do you know... the day we're in Ft. Lauderdale, rain. The day we're in Key West, rain. The day we're in Ocho Rios, rain. Pretty sad when I'd have a better chance at a sunny vacation if I just stayed here!!
I have to leave sooooooooo early in the morning to catch the base shuttle to the airport @ 5:15. Aiming to leave the house at 4:00, that way I'll be sure to leave by 4:30. Gosh that's early. That should get me to the airport by 7:30...my flight is at noon, but the next shuttle doesn't arrive until 10, and that's if traffic is good and I hear there's construction. I'd rather busy myself with knitting (wanted to finish a cardigan to wear on my trip anyway) or reading at the airport for a few hours than freak out that I might miss my flight...and my subsequent flight.
David should be waiting for me @ the airport in Fort Lauderdale when I get there at midnight. We have one day to spend on dry land before we hop on the cruise ship. I'm beginning to wish that we would've just gone with the all-inclusive resort. I'm sure the cruise will be awesome and fun, but packing for it is a real pain! I'm trying to take the same tiny suitcase that I took to Cabo (and I'm pretty sure I was there longer than the cruise) and it's not working!
Also... when I was in Cabo, everyday was HOT and sunny. Checked the weather for my trip and what do you know... the day we're in Ft. Lauderdale, rain. The day we're in Key West, rain. The day we're in Ocho Rios, rain. Pretty sad when I'd have a better chance at a sunny vacation if I just stayed here!!
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Since I don't want to clear my table...
I've been spending some time digi-scrapping. I love it! A-I love being on the computer. B-I love that I don't have to clean up after myself before (or after) (or leave the mess out for three weeks) C-You can change things over and over again and never have "cutters remorse" or busy yourself trying to pull up something you already stuck down and changed your mind about. D-You can collect lots of supplies for FREE! I love free! E-You can buy even more supplies on-line and get them right that very minute! No waiting for shipping or driving 25 minutes to the mailbox! F-I can e-mail them right to my friends that are in the pictures and they feel special. G-You can "tag" your digi supplies (I'm using Picasa and LOVE it!) and the computer keeps them way more organized than you could ever dream of keeping your real supplies. H-(this goes along with g)-If you're looking for a yellow flower, you just type "yellow flower" and the search engine pulls a bunch of them out of your file in like .011 seconds, rather than finding your box of flowers, digging through to find a yellow one (maybe), forgetting where you were even planning to put the yellow flower, and then having to put it all away (or leave it out). I-Digi-LOs make an excellent computer screensaver!
But don't worry... I still love my paper-scrapping too and I'm not giving it up!
But don't worry... I still love my paper-scrapping too and I'm not giving it up!
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