Day 30
On this last day of the month, I am thankful (as I am every year) that I don't have to come up with something specific that I'm thankful for anymore after today. I am thankful for so many things every day that it should be easy to pick one and post it. But it's not, or it doesn't seem to be for me (as evidenced by the fact that I just had to catch up on the last week's worth of these posts... doh!)
25 days until Christmas...
Friday, November 30, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Thankful
Day 29
Today, and every day, I am thankful that I have a well-paying job that I enjoy 99% of the time. I have a great boss, and the people I work with are, by and large, a good group of people. My commute is 15 minutes or less and I can work at home when I need to. Having a job that allows you to pay the bills, eat, and have a roof over your head is good. Having a job that allows all of that, that you enjoy, and that provides enough extra to indulge your family's hockey habit and eat out a couple times a week is wonderful. I am truly thankful.
Today, and every day, I am thankful that I have a well-paying job that I enjoy 99% of the time. I have a great boss, and the people I work with are, by and large, a good group of people. My commute is 15 minutes or less and I can work at home when I need to. Having a job that allows you to pay the bills, eat, and have a roof over your head is good. Having a job that allows all of that, that you enjoy, and that provides enough extra to indulge your family's hockey habit and eat out a couple times a week is wonderful. I am truly thankful.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Thankful
Day 28
Facebook. I know that sounds weird, but I feel so much more connected to my family and some of my friends from high school and college that I otherwise would have no idea what it going on in their lives. My favorite part of Facebook is the photos that people post. :)
Facebook. I know that sounds weird, but I feel so much more connected to my family and some of my friends from high school and college that I otherwise would have no idea what it going on in their lives. My favorite part of Facebook is the photos that people post. :)
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Monday, November 26, 2012
Thankful
Day 26
Today I am thankful that my kids are fairly self-sufficient at this point and CAN get along just fine when they want to. I came home from work with a migraine (the first full-blown migraine I've had in years) and promptly went to bed (at 3:30pm). I was unable to get up without feeling like I was going to vomit until 10:30pm. The boys remained quiet and did what they needed to do until Hubby got home.
Today I am thankful that my kids are fairly self-sufficient at this point and CAN get along just fine when they want to. I came home from work with a migraine (the first full-blown migraine I've had in years) and promptly went to bed (at 3:30pm). I was unable to get up without feeling like I was going to vomit until 10:30pm. The boys remained quiet and did what they needed to do until Hubby got home.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Thankful
Day 25
I am thankful for K-Dog, who seems to love us unconditionally, no matter how long we are gone on any given day. I truly believe she enjoys her alone time on any given "normal" day. However, some weekend days, like today, we are gone far longer than we would ideally like to leave her. And she's still happy to see us when we get home. :)
I am thankful for K-Dog, who seems to love us unconditionally, no matter how long we are gone on any given day. I truly believe she enjoys her alone time on any given "normal" day. However, some weekend days, like today, we are gone far longer than we would ideally like to leave her. And she's still happy to see us when we get home. :)
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Friday, November 23, 2012
Thankful
Day 23
Thankful for an activity that lights up J-Mav's and Keeper Boy's faces. J-Mav had a goal and two assists in one of his hockey games today and was on cloud nine!
Thankful for an activity that lights up J-Mav's and Keeper Boy's faces. J-Mav had a goal and two assists in one of his hockey games today and was on cloud nine!
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Thankful
Day 22
Today is THE day of Thanksgiving... a day for family, football, and food. I am thankful that I saw or spoke to much of my family today. I was at my parents' house, as was my brother and sister-in-law and one set of aunts and uncles. I got a text from another aunt. And we talked on the phone to our niece and her mom, as well as Hubby's brother, Uncle Hooter, our sister-in-law and our nephews and niece. I am super thankful that NEXT Thanksgiving we will all be in the same time zone!
Today is THE day of Thanksgiving... a day for family, football, and food. I am thankful that I saw or spoke to much of my family today. I was at my parents' house, as was my brother and sister-in-law and one set of aunts and uncles. I got a text from another aunt. And we talked on the phone to our niece and her mom, as well as Hubby's brother, Uncle Hooter, our sister-in-law and our nephews and niece. I am super thankful that NEXT Thanksgiving we will all be in the same time zone!
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Thankful
Day 21
Today we are thankful that SOMEONE is still playing hockey, bad though it was. Tonight we attended the Hershey Bears/Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins AHL hockey game. The Baby Pens outplayed the Bears from start to finish, but it was still great to be in an arena watching a live hockey game. :) (Extra bonus: Our cousins, who have season tickets, were there, too, and we sat with them for two periods.)
Now for the rest of the weekend we get to watch our favorite players play in a tournament -- J-Mav and Keeper Boy. :)
Today we are thankful that SOMEONE is still playing hockey, bad though it was. Tonight we attended the Hershey Bears/Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins AHL hockey game. The Baby Pens outplayed the Bears from start to finish, but it was still great to be in an arena watching a live hockey game. :) (Extra bonus: Our cousins, who have season tickets, were there, too, and we sat with them for two periods.)
Now for the rest of the weekend we get to watch our favorite players play in a tournament -- J-Mav and Keeper Boy. :)
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Thankful
Day 20
I am always thankful for our "hockey family." It grows every year, and some of dearest friends have been made through the boys' hockey teams over the years.
I am always thankful for our "hockey family." It grows every year, and some of dearest friends have been made through the boys' hockey teams over the years.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Thankful
Day 17
Today I am thankful for the vigilance of our credit card company. They changed our card number last month after a possible "third-party breach" of some sort. We started using our new cards on 10/30, destroying the old ones. The old number was going to stay valid until about November 10, I think, to give us time to activate the new one, change any auto-pay accounts we have set up, etc. Got our statement yesterday and there were five charges on 11/7 using the old number. So it appears it was a good thing they changed the number, even though it was a pain in the butt. And they are going to refund the approximately $300 in fraudulent charges that appeared on the statement. Sometimes you get good customer service without being a bitch about it. :)
In another excellent customer service story, I had to take the truck in for service yesterday morning as the check engine light came on and it was doing something weird. The dealership (because it's still under warranty, I schlepped all the way to the dealer) thought they might need to keep it at least overnight after running the initial diagnostic, so I went next door to get a rental car as we need two cars for our activities this weekend. I got a car under the weekend special, which would've had me keeping the car through Monday. I did this because the rental place is not open on Sundays. It was $5 cheaper than the daily rate for the same timeframe. However, they told me if I was able to return the car today I could just pay the daily rate. That was fine. I went back to work. Three hours later, the dealership called and said my truck was all fixed and ready to go. Doh! So I walked back into the rental car place exactly 3 hours and 56 minutes after I had walked out. It was the same two guys behind the counter. I made a joke about how I had the car less than four hours and drove it a whopping 11 miles. I didn't even need to put gas in it. Long story short, they only charged me $17 (instead of the $43 daily rate). The $17 is the "daily" rate for the weekend special. They are not supposed to use that rate on its own... only as the conglomerate weekend rate. But I was grateful. :) Way to go, Enterprise!
Today I am thankful for the vigilance of our credit card company. They changed our card number last month after a possible "third-party breach" of some sort. We started using our new cards on 10/30, destroying the old ones. The old number was going to stay valid until about November 10, I think, to give us time to activate the new one, change any auto-pay accounts we have set up, etc. Got our statement yesterday and there were five charges on 11/7 using the old number. So it appears it was a good thing they changed the number, even though it was a pain in the butt. And they are going to refund the approximately $300 in fraudulent charges that appeared on the statement. Sometimes you get good customer service without being a bitch about it. :)
In another excellent customer service story, I had to take the truck in for service yesterday morning as the check engine light came on and it was doing something weird. The dealership (because it's still under warranty, I schlepped all the way to the dealer) thought they might need to keep it at least overnight after running the initial diagnostic, so I went next door to get a rental car as we need two cars for our activities this weekend. I got a car under the weekend special, which would've had me keeping the car through Monday. I did this because the rental place is not open on Sundays. It was $5 cheaper than the daily rate for the same timeframe. However, they told me if I was able to return the car today I could just pay the daily rate. That was fine. I went back to work. Three hours later, the dealership called and said my truck was all fixed and ready to go. Doh! So I walked back into the rental car place exactly 3 hours and 56 minutes after I had walked out. It was the same two guys behind the counter. I made a joke about how I had the car less than four hours and drove it a whopping 11 miles. I didn't even need to put gas in it. Long story short, they only charged me $17 (instead of the $43 daily rate). The $17 is the "daily" rate for the weekend special. They are not supposed to use that rate on its own... only as the conglomerate weekend rate. But I was grateful. :) Way to go, Enterprise!
Friday, November 16, 2012
Thankful
Day 16
So many things to be thankful for today! A wonderful niece who turns 21 today... vehicle warranties... and the sun. :)
So many things to be thankful for today! A wonderful niece who turns 21 today... vehicle warranties... and the sun. :)
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Thankful
Day 15
Today I am thankful that I only need to eat two more elementary school Thanksgiving lunches. Ever.
Today I am thankful that I only need to eat two more elementary school Thanksgiving lunches. Ever.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Thankful
Day 14
Today I am thankful for the ability to play good cop, bad cop with my amazing hubby. I think I would've had a nervous breakdown by now if we didn't work together on this parenting thing.
Today I am thankful for the ability to play good cop, bad cop with my amazing hubby. I think I would've had a nervous breakdown by now if we didn't work together on this parenting thing.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Thankful
Day 13
Today I am thankful for my bestest friend, who is always there to listen to me complain, or cheer on my small or large victories. Love her!
Today I am thankful for my bestest friend, who is always there to listen to me complain, or cheer on my small or large victories. Love her!
Monday, November 12, 2012
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Thankful
Day 11
On this Veterans Day, I am thankful for all of the men and women who have served or are serving our country so that we may remain land of the free and home of the brave.
On this Veterans Day, I am thankful for all of the men and women who have served or are serving our country so that we may remain land of the free and home of the brave.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Thankful
Day 10
I am thankful to have a husband who doesn't believe chores around the house are "women's work."
I am thankful to have a husband who doesn't believe chores around the house are "women's work."
Friday, November 9, 2012
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Thankful
Day 8
I am thankful that, this year, I am not scrambling to get my Christmas shopping done for the niece and nephews in Hawaii so I can get the gifts mailed in time to beat the holiday mailing rush. Nor am I making purchasing decisions based on size and weight. Woo hoo!
I am thankful that, this year, I am not scrambling to get my Christmas shopping done for the niece and nephews in Hawaii so I can get the gifts mailed in time to beat the holiday mailing rush. Nor am I making purchasing decisions based on size and weight. Woo hoo!
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Thankful
Day 6
Today I am thankful for the right to vote... even though I wasn't dressed to wait for an hour in line OUTSIDE the polling place this morning at 7am. Seven hours later, I am just about thawed out, I think...
Today I am thankful for the right to vote... even though I wasn't dressed to wait for an hour in line OUTSIDE the polling place this morning at 7am. Seven hours later, I am just about thawed out, I think...
Monday, November 5, 2012
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Thankful
Day 4
"Falling back" once a year. Today it made getting up at 6:30 to drive to another state for a hockey game a LITTLE more tolerable.
"Falling back" once a year. Today it made getting up at 6:30 to drive to another state for a hockey game a LITTLE more tolerable.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Thankful...
Day 3
Today I am thankful that we have the means to allow our boys to play the sport they so dearly love. There will be time for other things ... later in life. :)
Today I am thankful that we have the means to allow our boys to play the sport they so dearly love. There will be time for other things ... later in life. :)
Friday, November 2, 2012
Thankful
Day 2
As my parents are en route here to watch the boys play hockey this weekend, I am thankful that all of my kids' grandparents enjoy being around them and watching their activities, and that they make it a point to do so. So many kids aren't so lucky.
As my parents are en route here to watch the boys play hockey this weekend, I am thankful that all of my kids' grandparents enjoy being around them and watching their activities, and that they make it a point to do so. So many kids aren't so lucky.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Thankful
It's that time of year again... the time when I vow to publicly say I'm thankful for something each day for an entire month. It always seems easier than it turns out to be, but here we go.
Day 1
In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, I am thankful that the storm tracked further north than originally expected, sparing us from something that could've been much worse. And I am thankful that my family in NJ, NY, and PA are all okay since some of them (or their property) took a direct hit.
Day 1
In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, I am thankful that the storm tracked further north than originally expected, sparing us from something that could've been much worse. And I am thankful that my family in NJ, NY, and PA are all okay since some of them (or their property) took a direct hit.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Frankenstorm 2012
Well, in comparison to what we were prepared for and expecting, Hurricane Sandy was kind of a non-event around these parts. At least around the parts that I frequent. Yes, it was windy. Yes, it rained. A lot. But frankly, the derecho storm this past June was much worse for us, personally.
Our power DID stay on after that 90-minute outage. (No one was more shocked than we were!) And we don't appear to have lost any siding, flashing, facia, or shingles. All good. We had a few small limbs down in yard. But that's about it.
I'll take that.
I'm still awaiting word on how my aunts' and uncles' homes at the NJ shore fared. I'm hopeful.
Our power DID stay on after that 90-minute outage. (No one was more shocked than we were!) And we don't appear to have lost any siding, flashing, facia, or shingles. All good. We had a few small limbs down in yard. But that's about it.
I'll take that.
I'm still awaiting word on how my aunts' and uncles' homes at the NJ shore fared. I'm hopeful.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Frankenstorm 2012
Day 2 - October 29
7:00am
Again, just rain. I guess there's a little bit of a breeze, but I wouldn't call it wind yet.
11:00am
Still raining. Very dark. Wind is picking up. Hubby's off today, but he got an email that is office is closing at 10:30am due to worsening weather conditions. His office NEVER closes. I am "ensconced" in my second floor office with a wall of windows... probably not the safest place to be, but we serve the government. Even though it is shut down, our proposal is still due on Wednesday...
2:30pm
Got an extension on the proposal until next Monday due to the weather conditions in the greater DC area. Heading home!
3:40-something
Power's out. Commencing our first game of Scrabble. Good thing I bought some fried chicken on the way home!
5:15pm
Hubby went out to try to set up a tarp to put the generator under while I dug out all of our candles to supplement the flashlight stockpile.
5:25-ish
POWER ON! Not sure how long it will STAY on, but we are feverishly making the planned dinner of hamburger stroganoff while we have power. Also cranked up the heat and plugged in our phones again to take advantage of power while we have it! Never did get the generator going. Hubby's plan for the tarp to cover it wasn't going to work, so we will work on a Plan B while we eat...
10pm
We still have power! I can't tell you how excited I am about this unexpected development. The boys just went to bed. I don't think I'll be far behind. Since we sleep with a fan on, I'll wake up the instant the electricity goes off if it does. I think (I hope) that if we make it another two or three hours that we'll be home free as far as the power goes. It is flickering some...
We have played more games tonight than we have in the last month! Scrabble, Blockus, Pass the Pigs... and I got some work done on the proposal when the power came back on. If there's power at the office tomorrow and it's no worse than it is out now, I'll probably head in to the office... but maybe not at 7am, like usual. :-)
7:00am
Again, just rain. I guess there's a little bit of a breeze, but I wouldn't call it wind yet.
11:00am
Still raining. Very dark. Wind is picking up. Hubby's off today, but he got an email that is office is closing at 10:30am due to worsening weather conditions. His office NEVER closes. I am "ensconced" in my second floor office with a wall of windows... probably not the safest place to be, but we serve the government. Even though it is shut down, our proposal is still due on Wednesday...
2:30pm
Got an extension on the proposal until next Monday due to the weather conditions in the greater DC area. Heading home!
3:40-something
Power's out. Commencing our first game of Scrabble. Good thing I bought some fried chicken on the way home!
5:15pm
Hubby went out to try to set up a tarp to put the generator under while I dug out all of our candles to supplement the flashlight stockpile.
5:25-ish
POWER ON! Not sure how long it will STAY on, but we are feverishly making the planned dinner of hamburger stroganoff while we have power. Also cranked up the heat and plugged in our phones again to take advantage of power while we have it! Never did get the generator going. Hubby's plan for the tarp to cover it wasn't going to work, so we will work on a Plan B while we eat...
10pm
We still have power! I can't tell you how excited I am about this unexpected development. The boys just went to bed. I don't think I'll be far behind. Since we sleep with a fan on, I'll wake up the instant the electricity goes off if it does. I think (I hope) that if we make it another two or three hours that we'll be home free as far as the power goes. It is flickering some...
We have played more games tonight than we have in the last month! Scrabble, Blockus, Pass the Pigs... and I got some work done on the proposal when the power came back on. If there's power at the office tomorrow and it's no worse than it is out now, I'll probably head in to the office... but maybe not at 7am, like usual. :-)
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Frankenstorm 2012
Day 1 - October 28
Well, our preparations have been made for this doozy of a hurricane they say is coming our way -- though it's no longer projected to be a direct hit on the DC area. Our "extensive" preparations consisted of:
So far, we just have rain...
Well, our preparations have been made for this doozy of a hurricane they say is coming our way -- though it's no longer projected to be a direct hit on the DC area. Our "extensive" preparations consisted of:
- Taking down the canopy on the back deck
- Making sure there is at least one extra full tank of propane in case we need to use our grill to cook for a few days
- Making sure the gas can is full so we can run the generator
- Making sure the gas tanks are full on the car and truck (although the truck was driven to Maryland and back twice today for hockey games AFTER it was filled up, so I should probably do that again)
- Locating all of our flashlights and putting them on the kitchen counter
- Tying the deck and patio furniture down
- Bringing in all of the potted plants, which are all dead or dormant now, anyway
- Bringing in all the sporting goods stuff that normally resides in our front yard and on our front porch
- Bringing in the trash can and recycling can
- Glancing to be sure we have water, Diet Coke, and Diet Doctor Pepper
- Locating the various things that Jack is using to make up his Halloween costume--this was very high on his priority list today
So far, we just have rain...
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Thinking...
Maybe, just MAYBE, J-Mav is growing out of his motion sickness. He and I drove to Richmond on Sunday and he rode both ways, without his sea bands, playing on his iPad, without getting sick. We were even in stop and go traffic for 45 minutes on the way home! Fingers crossed!
Monday, September 3, 2012
And that's a wrap...
Summer 2012 is pretty much done. It went by quick, although June seems like it was eons ago. Here's a random wrap-up.
Only one kid at home for five weeks... Sweet Frog... Camping... Surgery for K-dog (again)... Camper coming unhitched from truck on our first time out... Dinner out... French door fixed... Sweet Frog... Nats baseball... Pool... VA Beach... Dinner out... Allergies (?!?)... Avalon... School supplies... Hershey Park...Newseum... Birthdays... Sweet Frog... Long drive to and from Blacksburg... Work, work, work... Derecho and 26 hours without power (over J-Mav's birthday)... Bike rides... Reading...
Keeper Boy
CHS Spring League Champions... Braces off... Five weeks in Hawaii... Changed diapers for first time... 20-page Algebra packet... Long distance relationship... Surfing... Camp at Virginia Tech... First attempt at driving... VA Beach... Hockey mini-camp... Pool... Chargin' Ahead at CHS... Off-ice conditioning with CHS hockey team... The Odyssey... Camping in Avalon... Newseum... Hershey Park...
J-Mav
Camping in Reston... Laser tag birthday party... Sweet Frog... No power on birthday... Two weeks with favorite female babysitter... Two more weeks with favorite male babysitter... Lotsa pool time... Skating lessons... Camping in Harpers Ferry... ZIP LINE!... Horse races... Only child for five weeks... Camping in Richmond... Lots of play dates with best friend... New skates... Camping in Avalon... Virginia Beach... Camp at VA Tech... A week with Grandma... Finished reading Harry Potter 3... A week with Grandma and Grandpa... SACC...The Avengers with Dad... Newseum... Hershey Park... Nats games...
Only one kid at home for five weeks... Sweet Frog... Camping... Surgery for K-dog (again)... Camper coming unhitched from truck on our first time out... Dinner out... French door fixed... Sweet Frog... Nats baseball... Pool... VA Beach... Dinner out... Allergies (?!?)... Avalon... School supplies... Hershey Park...Newseum... Birthdays... Sweet Frog... Long drive to and from Blacksburg... Work, work, work... Derecho and 26 hours without power (over J-Mav's birthday)... Bike rides... Reading...
Keeper Boy
CHS Spring League Champions... Braces off... Five weeks in Hawaii... Changed diapers for first time... 20-page Algebra packet... Long distance relationship... Surfing... Camp at Virginia Tech... First attempt at driving... VA Beach... Hockey mini-camp... Pool... Chargin' Ahead at CHS... Off-ice conditioning with CHS hockey team... The Odyssey... Camping in Avalon... Newseum... Hershey Park...
J-Mav
Camping in Reston... Laser tag birthday party... Sweet Frog... No power on birthday... Two weeks with favorite female babysitter... Two more weeks with favorite male babysitter... Lotsa pool time... Skating lessons... Camping in Harpers Ferry... ZIP LINE!... Horse races... Only child for five weeks... Camping in Richmond... Lots of play dates with best friend... New skates... Camping in Avalon... Virginia Beach... Camp at VA Tech... A week with Grandma... Finished reading Harry Potter 3... A week with Grandma and Grandpa... SACC...The Avengers with Dad... Newseum... Hershey Park... Nats games...
Monday, July 23, 2012
Keeper Boy's Hawaiian Adventure, Day 33
I don't have a lot to update because I don't get a lot of updates. I know the kids love having Keeper Boy there, and Gma Geri says she thinks Jenrie is going to miss having Keeper Boy there, too. But Keeper Boy himself has not been the best at keeping in touch by phone, by text, by email, or by Facebook. Sigh. I guess this is what I have to look forward to when he goes off to college... information blackout!
I do know that they spent five days on the Big Island over Hubby's and my birthday weekend and that they saw and did a lot in those five days. Uncle Hooter posted a lot of awesome photos on Facebook from that mini-vacation.
And, I got a video over the weekend of Keeper Boy and Spidey at some sort of water park running around inside what looked like giant hamster wheels in the water. Very amusing, and very tiring for them, I'm sure. Looked like they were having a blast!
I know Keeper Boy has taken surfing lessons twice, learned to use a push lawn mower, learned to change diapers (though I don't know that he's yet actually changed one), not gotten any better about using deodorant, is still lying about using soap/shampoo in the shower, and bought everyone pizza for dinner last Friday night.
I guess that's something...
I do know that they spent five days on the Big Island over Hubby's and my birthday weekend and that they saw and did a lot in those five days. Uncle Hooter posted a lot of awesome photos on Facebook from that mini-vacation.
And, I got a video over the weekend of Keeper Boy and Spidey at some sort of water park running around inside what looked like giant hamster wheels in the water. Very amusing, and very tiring for them, I'm sure. Looked like they were having a blast!
I know Keeper Boy has taken surfing lessons twice, learned to use a push lawn mower, learned to change diapers (though I don't know that he's yet actually changed one), not gotten any better about using deodorant, is still lying about using soap/shampoo in the shower, and bought everyone pizza for dinner last Friday night.
I guess that's something...
And they're off...
My parents left late last week for another amazing trip... this one is in early celebration of Mom's 70th birthday and is a Baltic cruise. They started in London and were to spend yesterday in Belgium. Tomorrow will see them in Germany (Berlin) before they move on to Finland, Russia, Estonia, Sweden, and Denmark, before heading back to London.
We got email from Mom from their hotel in London, so I know they arrived safely and were having a good time up until the time they boarded the cruise ship. I presume they are still having a great time! :)
We got email from Mom from their hotel in London, so I know they arrived safely and were having a good time up until the time they boarded the cruise ship. I presume they are still having a great time! :)
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Holy Derecho, Batman!
Have you ever heard of a storm called a Derecho? Yeah, me either. Until we experienced one over the weekend. Friday night to be exact.
So what is it? Well, according to an article on WTOP.com:
"Derecho is a Spanish word that means "straight." It is in reference to the storm's powerful straight-line winds. Derechos typically form along the top of a hot air mass and can move an average of 70 miles per hour. That wind speed is normally associated with a Category 1 hurricane. It is not only an unusual weather event for the region, but the circumstances surrounding the storm changed its pattern characteristics, according to ABC 7 Meterologist Mike Stinneford."
Um, lucky us?
I went to bed sometime after 10pm on Friday night. We had collected and strategically placed all of our flashlights around the house because we were under a severe storm watch. However, it was calm and nothing was happening. I was tired and tired of waiting for something to happen, so I went to bed. But I woke up about a half hour later when the power went out (because the house immediately becomes quiet when the fan, or "wind turbine," that we run at night in our room shuts off). We walked out to the living room and holy cow!
We couldn't see our neighbors house across the street because of the driving, blowing rain, and the trees were dancing, no undulating, like some crazed modern dancer. We just sat there and watched, hoping that the two large trees in our front yard did not end up on our house or either of our vehicles. We saw something resembling siding or flashing in our front yard, and hoped that it wasn't from our house. We checked on J-Mav, and amazingly, but not surprisingly, he was sound asleep.
The lightning was amazing and almost constant. Curiously, there was little thunder. But when it came, it was loud. Still, J-Mav slept. We just sat and watched from various windows. We listened to WTOP via my iPhone. Eventually, we went back to bed... just before midnight, I guess. The power clearly wasn't coming back on any time soon, and the worst of the storm seemed to be passed. J-Mav never woke up.
We all woke up earlier than normal on Saturday morning (J-Mav's birthday!) as the house was way more quiet than we are used to. Hubby made breakfast on the grill (that side burner finally came in handy) -- scrambled eggs. We conserved the number of times we opened the fridge, and then we remembered Duh! We have a generator. We got the freezer and fridge hooked up to the generator and all was good.
Next order of business was to see if the laser tag place was open for J-Mav's party. We weren't having much luck with our cell phones at the house. So I went up to Giant to pick up J-Mav's cake, and while I was up there my phone went berserk with all kinds of emails and texts that had been queued for delivery... for some reason, the service was better at the front of the subdivision than back at our house. Giant had no power and was running bare bones lighting on generators. All of the refrigerated stuff was off the shelves. I was, however, able to get J-Mav's cake, as well as call the laser tag place and confirm that the party was still on. I texted all of the invitees that it was on and headed back home.
Getting to the laser tag place was another story. Most of the traffic signals along Rte. 50 were out, so it was a tedious process to get through the intersections. We made it, and, amazingly, all of J-Mav's guests showed up to play some laser tag! A fun time was had by all (in the air conditioned laser tag arena).
Once back at home, we cleaned up downed limbs in the yard and then went inside to a surprisingly still cool house, considering the temperature outside was tickling 100 degrees. Hubby had to go get an emissions inspection on his car, so he did that while J-Mav and I made dinner on the grill again. After dinner, we went to Sweet Frog for birthday ice cream, and so I could jump on the free WiFi from Kinko's (next door) and renew Hubby's registration for his car, which expired on Saturday.
With the power still out, the temperature in the house was creeping up, but it was still a bearable 80 degrees upstairs. It was almost ten degrees cooler downstairs, though. Very comfortable. By Saturday afternoon, we had bought another extension cord, and figured out a better configuration (using a power strip) for the generator so that we could have the freezer and fridge plugged in without running any cords through windows. And we had a light, a fan, and our phone charger plugged in at various times as well. So we set up camp downstairs for Saturday night. J-Mav went to sleep instantly on the sofa bed. The power flickered on about 10:30 but went right back out. But at midnight, it came back on for good. Woo hoo!
We powered down the generator and plugged everything back into outlets, but left all of the extension cords in place in case it blew back out from heat or strain of everyone's homes coming back online. But it's been on and good ever since.
Unfortunately, we still have friends without power... some in our subdivision. And I am on Day 2 of working at home because there is no power at my office. So while life is mostly back to normal at our house, it isn't for many in the area. All told, 26 hours without power was not a big deal, largely because of the generator and the fact that we kept the windows closed and curtains/blinds drawn. Big help.
Another weird weather event for the DC area. That it happened to fall over J-Mav's birthday weekend was unfortunate, but it didn't really impact anything to severely. He said he still had a good birthday, so that's all that's important. :)
So what is it? Well, according to an article on WTOP.com:
"Derecho is a Spanish word that means "straight." It is in reference to the storm's powerful straight-line winds. Derechos typically form along the top of a hot air mass and can move an average of 70 miles per hour. That wind speed is normally associated with a Category 1 hurricane. It is not only an unusual weather event for the region, but the circumstances surrounding the storm changed its pattern characteristics, according to ABC 7 Meterologist Mike Stinneford."
Um, lucky us?
I went to bed sometime after 10pm on Friday night. We had collected and strategically placed all of our flashlights around the house because we were under a severe storm watch. However, it was calm and nothing was happening. I was tired and tired of waiting for something to happen, so I went to bed. But I woke up about a half hour later when the power went out (because the house immediately becomes quiet when the fan, or "wind turbine," that we run at night in our room shuts off). We walked out to the living room and holy cow!
We couldn't see our neighbors house across the street because of the driving, blowing rain, and the trees were dancing, no undulating, like some crazed modern dancer. We just sat there and watched, hoping that the two large trees in our front yard did not end up on our house or either of our vehicles. We saw something resembling siding or flashing in our front yard, and hoped that it wasn't from our house. We checked on J-Mav, and amazingly, but not surprisingly, he was sound asleep.
The lightning was amazing and almost constant. Curiously, there was little thunder. But when it came, it was loud. Still, J-Mav slept. We just sat and watched from various windows. We listened to WTOP via my iPhone. Eventually, we went back to bed... just before midnight, I guess. The power clearly wasn't coming back on any time soon, and the worst of the storm seemed to be passed. J-Mav never woke up.
We all woke up earlier than normal on Saturday morning (J-Mav's birthday!) as the house was way more quiet than we are used to. Hubby made breakfast on the grill (that side burner finally came in handy) -- scrambled eggs. We conserved the number of times we opened the fridge, and then we remembered Duh! We have a generator. We got the freezer and fridge hooked up to the generator and all was good.
Next order of business was to see if the laser tag place was open for J-Mav's party. We weren't having much luck with our cell phones at the house. So I went up to Giant to pick up J-Mav's cake, and while I was up there my phone went berserk with all kinds of emails and texts that had been queued for delivery... for some reason, the service was better at the front of the subdivision than back at our house. Giant had no power and was running bare bones lighting on generators. All of the refrigerated stuff was off the shelves. I was, however, able to get J-Mav's cake, as well as call the laser tag place and confirm that the party was still on. I texted all of the invitees that it was on and headed back home.
Getting to the laser tag place was another story. Most of the traffic signals along Rte. 50 were out, so it was a tedious process to get through the intersections. We made it, and, amazingly, all of J-Mav's guests showed up to play some laser tag! A fun time was had by all (in the air conditioned laser tag arena).
Once back at home, we cleaned up downed limbs in the yard and then went inside to a surprisingly still cool house, considering the temperature outside was tickling 100 degrees. Hubby had to go get an emissions inspection on his car, so he did that while J-Mav and I made dinner on the grill again. After dinner, we went to Sweet Frog for birthday ice cream, and so I could jump on the free WiFi from Kinko's (next door) and renew Hubby's registration for his car, which expired on Saturday.
With the power still out, the temperature in the house was creeping up, but it was still a bearable 80 degrees upstairs. It was almost ten degrees cooler downstairs, though. Very comfortable. By Saturday afternoon, we had bought another extension cord, and figured out a better configuration (using a power strip) for the generator so that we could have the freezer and fridge plugged in without running any cords through windows. And we had a light, a fan, and our phone charger plugged in at various times as well. So we set up camp downstairs for Saturday night. J-Mav went to sleep instantly on the sofa bed. The power flickered on about 10:30 but went right back out. But at midnight, it came back on for good. Woo hoo!
We powered down the generator and plugged everything back into outlets, but left all of the extension cords in place in case it blew back out from heat or strain of everyone's homes coming back online. But it's been on and good ever since.
Unfortunately, we still have friends without power... some in our subdivision. And I am on Day 2 of working at home because there is no power at my office. So while life is mostly back to normal at our house, it isn't for many in the area. All told, 26 hours without power was not a big deal, largely because of the generator and the fact that we kept the windows closed and curtains/blinds drawn. Big help.
Another weird weather event for the DC area. That it happened to fall over J-Mav's birthday weekend was unfortunate, but it didn't really impact anything to severely. He said he still had a good birthday, so that's all that's important. :)
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Happy Birthday, J-Mav!
Dear J-Mav -
Nine! Really?! How is that possible?!? I mean, I KNOW how it's possible, but it just doesn't seem possible. I feel like it was just yesterday that we were bringing you home from the hospital and hanging out with the neighbors a couple days later at the 4th of July block party. You were so long and gangly... a half inch longer than your brother was a birth; your brother, who at 14 is already taller than I am. What does that mean for your height five years from now? I fear I will soon be a midget in my own home. Sigh.
This has been another year of big things and change for you. As mentioned above, you grew a lot! I suspect when you have your well-check, you will have gained about ten pounds and grown about 4 or 5 inches. We'll see. Which reminds me, I need to schedule your well check!
You finished 3rd grade with flying colors. Academically, you had almost all Os on your report card all year. And you got Pass/Advanced on both your Social Studies (521 out of 600) and Science (600 out of 600) SOLs. The "Work Habits" section of the report card was another story. But there was improvement toward the end of year. Areas that still need work for next year are:
- Exhibits Self Control
- Complies with Established Rules
- Listens to and Follows Directions
- Uses Time Constructively
You continue to have a large group of friends and you seem to be popular at school. Sometimes I don't always know that this is a good thing as I think sometimes your popularity stems from your love of making people laugh and getting a reaction. But you are a super smart and funny little guy, so I can see why people are drawn to you. Friendships with certain people ebb and flow, but you consistently remain tight with your buddy JE. At this point, you are more like brothers than just friends. :)
Athletically, you have had a break-out year with hockey. You tried out for and made the Mite Silver team last season and had a great year. You also played on a Mite House team, coached by Dad. You had fun with both... especially traveling to a tournament in Hershey with the Mite Silver. During the season, you committed to improving your skating and we signed you up for a weekly skating lesson. You rarely complained about getting up at 4:45am once a week and going for a skating lesson before school. And ya know what? Your hard work and dedication paid off. You made the Spring Development "A" team, and you were named to the Squirt Blue 2003 team for next season... the only player to be named who didn't play on the Mite Blue team last year. That's a huge accomplishment, and one that you can be proud of.
You also played "up" to AA baseball this spring. You had a good season with the Rattlers, and had a nice group of teammates. Your team had little success during the regular season, but pulled it together for the playoff game and made it into the championship game. You lost the championship game, but how great to end up with a runner-up trophy! I don't know if you will continue with baseball after this season; you seemed a little wishy-washy about it. I think, compared to hockey, it's kind of boring for you. At one point you told me that you "hated baseball because you just stand around waiting for something to happen." So we'll see. It's totally up to you.
You are a little mouthy with a little more attitude than I'd like at times, but you are also my sweet cuddler. You are always ready with a hug, and it's not hard to coax a smile out of you when you are being poopy. You love being home and doing things with your family. More often than not, you'd rather eat pasta at home than go out to dinner. And you love playing games. Any games will do. And puzzles. And, wow, are you a smart little cookie. So observant, too.
So happy birthday, J-Mav... enjoy your last year in single digits! I can't wait to see what this year brings!
Love,
Mom
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Keeper Boy's Hawaiian Adventure - Day 7
Day 7 - 6/26/12
We talked to Keeper Boy on FaceTime last night for a little while. It was quite an adventure with Spidey and CJ reaching for the iPod and such. We got disconnected a few times during the conversation. :)
But Keeper Boy looks good. He says he's wearing his retainer, showering, taking his meds, and keeping his room picked up. Jenrie concurred. ;-P He's watched the kids a few times already while Jenrie has run out to the commissary, and he keeps them entertained while she makes dinner. He's also serving as an able partner for Uncle Hooter to play X-box games that he normally has no one to play with. ;-P
Hubby's uncle, aunt, and two of their grandchildren are currently in Hawaii and Keeper Boy is going to go hang with them for the next couple of days, I guess. The grandchildren are around Keeper Boy's age. They are going to do the Remembrance Tour at Pearl Harbor tomorrow morning and then do all the war monuments and memorials that we did last summer when we were there. He is going to stay with them at their condo tomorrow night.
Other than that, nothing new. He seemed totally comfortable there and the kids seemed completely comfortable with him. Spidey was hanging all over him, just like a little brother. :) Keeper Boy and Spidey are the same age spread at Hubby and Uncle Hooter, so I think it's been funny for Uncle Hooter to watch the interaction from the perspective of an adult.
We talked to Keeper Boy on FaceTime last night for a little while. It was quite an adventure with Spidey and CJ reaching for the iPod and such. We got disconnected a few times during the conversation. :)
But Keeper Boy looks good. He says he's wearing his retainer, showering, taking his meds, and keeping his room picked up. Jenrie concurred. ;-P He's watched the kids a few times already while Jenrie has run out to the commissary, and he keeps them entertained while she makes dinner. He's also serving as an able partner for Uncle Hooter to play X-box games that he normally has no one to play with. ;-P
Hubby's uncle, aunt, and two of their grandchildren are currently in Hawaii and Keeper Boy is going to go hang with them for the next couple of days, I guess. The grandchildren are around Keeper Boy's age. They are going to do the Remembrance Tour at Pearl Harbor tomorrow morning and then do all the war monuments and memorials that we did last summer when we were there. He is going to stay with them at their condo tomorrow night.
Other than that, nothing new. He seemed totally comfortable there and the kids seemed completely comfortable with him. Spidey was hanging all over him, just like a little brother. :) Keeper Boy and Spidey are the same age spread at Hubby and Uncle Hooter, so I think it's been funny for Uncle Hooter to watch the interaction from the perspective of an adult.
Keeper Boy's Hawaiian Adventure: Day 6
Day 6 - 6/25/12
Hubby received this message from his brother (Uncle Hooter) yesterday...
The 'plan' was to call you guys or FaceTime yesterday, but [Keeper Boy] & I ended up at AlaMoana Mall for about three hours getting [JenRie] a new iPhone... [Keeper Boy] loves Jamba Juice which is nothing more than blended fruit in a cup.
He's doing really good ... helping [JenRie] out around the house and keeping the kids busy so she can get some stuff done during the day. We're starting a 'shower-a-day' regiment for him so he stays clean. I told him its always warm here so we're always sweaty and need to shower everyday...plus it's just the right thing to do. He's okay with that. He's wearing his retainer all the time and keeps good track of it when he's eating.
I don't know how [Spidey] will take [Keeper Boy] leaving when it comes time for him to head home! He missed [Keeper Boy] yesterday when we were at the mall for all of a few hours! Too funny.
We find it immensely amusing that Keeper Boy appears to like a drink that is nothing but fruit juice when he won't eat much in the way of fruit. But, hey... not complaining. :)
The "we're staring a 'shower-a-day' regiment" comment about killed us. We were laughing so hard. I'm not sure if he's not showering or if they are having to nag him about showering, or what. He was good about showering every morning throughout this school year... especially after he started dating his girlfriend. But, whatever they need to do... we're all about him showering every day. Ha ha.
I also got a text from Keeper Boy yesterday. They were driving around the base so that he could get an idea of where everything is. He's a little directionally challenged, so I'm not sure how much that will help, but it's a good idea nonetheless. He told me his retainers still hurt "a smidge," but that he's wearing them and that it's not too bad.
We are hoping to talk to him tonight on FaceTime...
Hubby received this message from his brother (Uncle Hooter) yesterday...
The 'plan' was to call you guys or FaceTime yesterday, but [Keeper Boy] & I ended up at AlaMoana Mall for about three hours getting [JenRie] a new iPhone... [Keeper Boy] loves Jamba Juice which is nothing more than blended fruit in a cup.
He's doing really good ... helping [JenRie] out around the house and keeping the kids busy so she can get some stuff done during the day. We're starting a 'shower-a-day' regiment for him so he stays clean. I told him its always warm here so we're always sweaty and need to shower everyday...plus it's just the right thing to do. He's okay with that. He's wearing his retainer all the time and keeps good track of it when he's eating.
I don't know how [Spidey] will take [Keeper Boy] leaving when it comes time for him to head home! He missed [Keeper Boy] yesterday when we were at the mall for all of a few hours! Too funny.
We find it immensely amusing that Keeper Boy appears to like a drink that is nothing but fruit juice when he won't eat much in the way of fruit. But, hey... not complaining. :)
The "we're staring a 'shower-a-day' regiment" comment about killed us. We were laughing so hard. I'm not sure if he's not showering or if they are having to nag him about showering, or what. He was good about showering every morning throughout this school year... especially after he started dating his girlfriend. But, whatever they need to do... we're all about him showering every day. Ha ha.
I also got a text from Keeper Boy yesterday. They were driving around the base so that he could get an idea of where everything is. He's a little directionally challenged, so I'm not sure how much that will help, but it's a good idea nonetheless. He told me his retainers still hurt "a smidge," but that he's wearing them and that it's not too bad.
We are hoping to talk to him tonight on FaceTime...
Monday, June 25, 2012
Our Camping Adventure
So we (Hubby, J-Mav, and I) took the camper out for the first time over the weekend. We had a great time, but it was not without adventure.
First off, the camper has been set up in our driveway since just before Memorial Day because we had intended to camp that weekend. It didn't work out because we couldn't get a reservation anywhere within an hour of here, and we needed to be around for hockey games that weekend. So, in alarmingly redneck style, we just left it up in the driveway.
I got out of work a couple hours early on Friday, so I went home and loaded stuff into the trailer and truck so that we'd be pretty much ready to go by the time Hubby got home. Once we had everything in the camper, J-Mav and I put it down and closed it up. We did very well if I do say so myself! ;-P When Hubby got home, we loaded the cooler in the truck, he changed his clothes, and we hooked the truck up to the camper. We checked that all was good with the hook-up and that all the lights worked, and off we went. We had an hour to get to the campground (which was 20 minutes away) before the office closed. No worries.
As we left our subdivision, however, we went over a very uneven cross road and immediately had a much bigger problem than making it to the campground by 7:00! The truck swerved to the left and we heard a horrible noise. As Hubby tried to get us stopped, I looked in the side view mirror and realized the camper was no longer hooked to the truck. Yikes! We were now stopped in the left lane of [thankfully, recently widened] two lanes heading toward Fairfax Co. Parkway.
Telling J-Mav to stay in the truck (it was rush hour, afterall), Hubby and I got out to assess the damage. The trailer was wedged up under the hitch, but the safety chains were still attached. J-Mav had just asked what they were for when we were hooked the trailer up. Now he saw in action just what they were for. I moved the truck up a little bit, and then went back, and together Hubby and I were able to lift the tongue of the trailer up and put it back on the hitch. We re-attached it, yanked on it to make sure it was really attached, and then plugged the lights back in to make sure they still worked. Amazingly, they did. We pulled into a church parking lot and drove around a bit over a couple speed bumps to make sure it was really hitched properly and then got on our way once again, albeit a bit nervously.
We arrived with no further issues, and received our assigned spot. As Hubby backed the camper in, we realized we were going to get a storm sooner rather than later, so we got to work getting set up. I think we were set up within about 30 or 45 minutes... just before the rain started. With the rain came a welcome drop in the temperature. J-Mav and I took off to grab some subs, leaving Hubby to make beds and put food away in the trailer. He had everything organized by the time we got back, and the rain shower had blown through by then, as well.
By the time we were done eating, Hubby and J-Mav took a walk to the bathhouse (where J-Mav did not like the sign posted warning about copperhead snakes) and then J-Mav wen to bed and Hubby and I played Scrabble and made a list of things that we need to get before we go camping again (lights for the awning, more light bulbs, a hatchet, more blankets, extra pillows for propping up Hubby's arm when he lies on his side and my head if I'm congested...). Kdog was surprisingly calm, she laid on her blanket on the floor. I think having the fan on all weekend helped a lot. She probably couldn't hear every little noise, so she didn't bark and "woof" at every little thing.
We awoke [early] on Saturday to bright, hot sun... the way our site was, it was beating down on the picnic table/door side of the camper. One of the things we did was scope out other sites so that we can request a more shady site the next time we go there. We found one that we would love to have and it was empty all weekend. Hopefully it will be empty the next time we want to go there, as well.
Hubby and J-Mav went to the water park that is at this particular park. The plan was that they would go for a bit and then Hubby and I would switch off. However, when they came back for lunch, J-Mav didn't want to go back. That was fine because I had a pretty good headache going anyway. We decided, instead, to take walk/hike as this was a county park, there were also county trails to walk/bike on. We followed one and ended up, at the end of it, at the rink. Only we could take a hike and end up at the rink where the boys play hockey. They quick visit (we went in to get water and use the bathroom) meant that at least one of us had been at the rink every day for the past eight for one reason or another. But I digress...
When we got back to the site a couple hours later, I made macaroni salad for dinner while the guys built a fire so we could roast hot dogs and, later, s'mores. They did a great job, though J-Mav told Hubby every five minutes for a few hours that he thought the fire was going to go out. ;-) We ate dinner, and then one of J-Mav's hockey teammates (who lives within walking distance of where we were camping) came over with his mom for s'mores. We all visited for a couple hours before they left and J-Mav hit the sack again. I wasn't far behind as my headache had never gone away.
We actually got cold on Saturday night, and Hubby went and got the blanket that I keep in the truck! KDog was also more restless on Saturday night... lots of moving around and scratching and ear flapping. But we survived and slept a little longer on Sunday morning than we had on Saturday morning. But once we were up, we ate a quick breakfast and started packing up as the check-out time was 10am. Plus, J-Mav had a birthday part to go to at 12:30. Busy, busy.
We didn't have any trouble "breaking down" and I think it took about an hour. Maybe a little more. We made triple sure that we were securely hooked up before we took off, and headed home... our first camping adventure in the books. We are already planning our next weekend away in July...
First off, the camper has been set up in our driveway since just before Memorial Day because we had intended to camp that weekend. It didn't work out because we couldn't get a reservation anywhere within an hour of here, and we needed to be around for hockey games that weekend. So, in alarmingly redneck style, we just left it up in the driveway.
I got out of work a couple hours early on Friday, so I went home and loaded stuff into the trailer and truck so that we'd be pretty much ready to go by the time Hubby got home. Once we had everything in the camper, J-Mav and I put it down and closed it up. We did very well if I do say so myself! ;-P When Hubby got home, we loaded the cooler in the truck, he changed his clothes, and we hooked the truck up to the camper. We checked that all was good with the hook-up and that all the lights worked, and off we went. We had an hour to get to the campground (which was 20 minutes away) before the office closed. No worries.
As we left our subdivision, however, we went over a very uneven cross road and immediately had a much bigger problem than making it to the campground by 7:00! The truck swerved to the left and we heard a horrible noise. As Hubby tried to get us stopped, I looked in the side view mirror and realized the camper was no longer hooked to the truck. Yikes! We were now stopped in the left lane of [thankfully, recently widened] two lanes heading toward Fairfax Co. Parkway.
Telling J-Mav to stay in the truck (it was rush hour, afterall), Hubby and I got out to assess the damage. The trailer was wedged up under the hitch, but the safety chains were still attached. J-Mav had just asked what they were for when we were hooked the trailer up. Now he saw in action just what they were for. I moved the truck up a little bit, and then went back, and together Hubby and I were able to lift the tongue of the trailer up and put it back on the hitch. We re-attached it, yanked on it to make sure it was really attached, and then plugged the lights back in to make sure they still worked. Amazingly, they did. We pulled into a church parking lot and drove around a bit over a couple speed bumps to make sure it was really hitched properly and then got on our way once again, albeit a bit nervously.
We arrived with no further issues, and received our assigned spot. As Hubby backed the camper in, we realized we were going to get a storm sooner rather than later, so we got to work getting set up. I think we were set up within about 30 or 45 minutes... just before the rain started. With the rain came a welcome drop in the temperature. J-Mav and I took off to grab some subs, leaving Hubby to make beds and put food away in the trailer. He had everything organized by the time we got back, and the rain shower had blown through by then, as well.
By the time we were done eating, Hubby and J-Mav took a walk to the bathhouse (where J-Mav did not like the sign posted warning about copperhead snakes) and then J-Mav wen to bed and Hubby and I played Scrabble and made a list of things that we need to get before we go camping again (lights for the awning, more light bulbs, a hatchet, more blankets, extra pillows for propping up Hubby's arm when he lies on his side and my head if I'm congested...). Kdog was surprisingly calm, she laid on her blanket on the floor. I think having the fan on all weekend helped a lot. She probably couldn't hear every little noise, so she didn't bark and "woof" at every little thing.
We awoke [early] on Saturday to bright, hot sun... the way our site was, it was beating down on the picnic table/door side of the camper. One of the things we did was scope out other sites so that we can request a more shady site the next time we go there. We found one that we would love to have and it was empty all weekend. Hopefully it will be empty the next time we want to go there, as well.
Hubby and J-Mav went to the water park that is at this particular park. The plan was that they would go for a bit and then Hubby and I would switch off. However, when they came back for lunch, J-Mav didn't want to go back. That was fine because I had a pretty good headache going anyway. We decided, instead, to take walk/hike as this was a county park, there were also county trails to walk/bike on. We followed one and ended up, at the end of it, at the rink. Only we could take a hike and end up at the rink where the boys play hockey. They quick visit (we went in to get water and use the bathroom) meant that at least one of us had been at the rink every day for the past eight for one reason or another. But I digress...
When we got back to the site a couple hours later, I made macaroni salad for dinner while the guys built a fire so we could roast hot dogs and, later, s'mores. They did a great job, though J-Mav told Hubby every five minutes for a few hours that he thought the fire was going to go out. ;-) We ate dinner, and then one of J-Mav's hockey teammates (who lives within walking distance of where we were camping) came over with his mom for s'mores. We all visited for a couple hours before they left and J-Mav hit the sack again. I wasn't far behind as my headache had never gone away.
We actually got cold on Saturday night, and Hubby went and got the blanket that I keep in the truck! KDog was also more restless on Saturday night... lots of moving around and scratching and ear flapping. But we survived and slept a little longer on Sunday morning than we had on Saturday morning. But once we were up, we ate a quick breakfast and started packing up as the check-out time was 10am. Plus, J-Mav had a birthday part to go to at 12:30. Busy, busy.
We didn't have any trouble "breaking down" and I think it took about an hour. Maybe a little more. We made triple sure that we were securely hooked up before we took off, and headed home... our first camping adventure in the books. We are already planning our next weekend away in July...
Friday, June 22, 2012
Keeper Boy's Hawaiian Adventure: Day 3
Day 3 - 6/22/12
From Jenrie's Facebook page:
I figured out what's been missing in my life... a 14 year old that helps entertain the kids! I could get used to this!
From Jenrie's Facebook page:
I figured out what's been missing in my life... a 14 year old that helps entertain the kids! I could get used to this!
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Keeper Boy's Hawaiian Adventure: Day 1
I'll try to post any updates I get from Jenrie or Uncle Hooter here.
Day 1 - 6/20/12 - Arrival
Keeper Boy's flight landed a half hour early, and by the time he texted me to let me know he'd arrived, he was already at baggage claim and Uncle Hooter was still on his way to the airport. They connected via cell phone and made a plan... Keeper Boy got his luggage and met Uncle Hooter outside, where he was waiting in the car. He told me that he slept on the plane, watched some movies, had a cheeseburger for lunch, and ate most of the snacks I had put in his backpack... a package of beef jerky and an entire bag of goldfish. The only thing he didn't finish was the box of Nilla Wafers and a small bag of popcorn he'd gotten from the orthodontist when he got his braces off.
I got this email from Jenrie last night:
Day 1 - 6/20/12 - Arrival
Keeper Boy's flight landed a half hour early, and by the time he texted me to let me know he'd arrived, he was already at baggage claim and Uncle Hooter was still on his way to the airport. They connected via cell phone and made a plan... Keeper Boy got his luggage and met Uncle Hooter outside, where he was waiting in the car. He told me that he slept on the plane, watched some movies, had a cheeseburger for lunch, and ate most of the snacks I had put in his backpack... a package of beef jerky and an entire bag of goldfish. The only thing he didn't finish was the box of Nilla Wafers and a small bag of popcorn he'd gotten from the orthodontist when he got his braces off.
I got this email from Jenrie last night:
The kids were thrilled to see Justin, we had dinner and everyone is
watching a movie now. Peyton is cuddled up with her Justin! aww!
I just can't get over how deep his voice has gotten since last summer!
Tomorrow afternoon Josh's unit is doing a hike and family can join them so Justin is going along.
And so his big adventure begins!
And they're off...
Keeper Boy left yesterday for his five weeks in Hawaii. He made it safely, and met up with Uncle Hooter outside the airport. He got "home" to a house of excited cousins...and I'm sure he slept well last night after a 10-hour flight!
Friday, June 15, 2012
And they're off...
My parents, my aunt and uncle, and my cousin are off on yet another Alaskan adventure. They left on Wednesday and will be gone until 6/29. I got a call from Chicago when they were en route, and I've seen photos (from my cousin who is traveling with them) from their tour of Mt. Ranier yesterday, so I know they arrived in Seattle safely. They are boarding the cruise ship today.
Their travels this time will take them to Kodiak Island and Homer -- two places they've never been in all of their trips up there.
Their travels this time will take them to Kodiak Island and Homer -- two places they've never been in all of their trips up there.
And they're off...
A little belated as she's already been there and back, but Gma G headed to Hawaii at the beginning of the month -- her last trip there while Uncle Hooter, Jenrie, and the kids are living there. She loves Hawaii and she loves seeing the kids, but she HATES that trip! With good reason... something always happens either their or back, or both. This time, she got stuck in LA for six hours and it ended up taking her about 24 hours to get there. Oy!
But she got there. She had a great time. And she's safely home. No more trips to Hawaii for her.
But she got there. She had a great time. And she's safely home. No more trips to Hawaii for her.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
What I'm reading...
I've read several books since I last posted under this category...
I downloaded Open Ice to my Kindle and read that while we were gone. It's a collection of essays about ice hockey. Some were funny; some were poignant; some were informational. All were good.
About a month ago, Keeper Boy's English class started reading To Kill a Mocking Bird. He finished the book long before he needed to have it done for class. In fact, the last chapters of the book aren't due to be read until this week! But once he was done and had finished the assignments for the book, I decided to read it. As an English major, I've long been somewhat embarrassed by the fact that I've never read Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. So I did. And it really was as good as everyone says it is. It's one I'll definitely go back and re-read again some day.
Once that was done, I was looking for a new book to read. I'm Still trying to get through Pride and Prejudice. It's been on my Kindle for MONTHS and I'm only 28% through the book. I just cannot get into it. At. All. I will finish it some day. I always finish books. But geez.
Late last week, I decided to peruse the "cloud" to see what books Keeper Boy has previously purchased and read that I could download to my Kindle. He has this thing for dystopian society literature, which I always said I didn't like. But I loved The Hunger Games, so I decided to take a chance on another trilogy he had read. And I found another trilogy that I couldn't put down. Over the weekend I read Scott Westerfeld's Uglies trilogy. The first book was definitely the strongest of the three, but I enjoyed them all. And I was thrilled to find out that he actually wrote a fourth book that takes place a few years after the third one ended. I will be downloading that very soon. Maybe even tonight!
He's got six or seven more books in "the cloud" that I didn't think I had any interest in... but now I'm not so sure. Perhaps I should give them a try!
- The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)
- Catching Fire (Suzanne Collins)
- Mocking Jay (Suzanne Collins)
- Open Ice (Jack Falla)
- To Kill a Mocking Bird (Harper Lee)
- Uglies (Scott Westerfeld)
- Pretties (Scott Westerfeld)
- Specials (Scott Westerfeld)
I downloaded Open Ice to my Kindle and read that while we were gone. It's a collection of essays about ice hockey. Some were funny; some were poignant; some were informational. All were good.
About a month ago, Keeper Boy's English class started reading To Kill a Mocking Bird. He finished the book long before he needed to have it done for class. In fact, the last chapters of the book aren't due to be read until this week! But once he was done and had finished the assignments for the book, I decided to read it. As an English major, I've long been somewhat embarrassed by the fact that I've never read Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. So I did. And it really was as good as everyone says it is. It's one I'll definitely go back and re-read again some day.
Once that was done, I was looking for a new book to read. I'm Still trying to get through Pride and Prejudice. It's been on my Kindle for MONTHS and I'm only 28% through the book. I just cannot get into it. At. All. I will finish it some day. I always finish books. But geez.
Late last week, I decided to peruse the "cloud" to see what books Keeper Boy has previously purchased and read that I could download to my Kindle. He has this thing for dystopian society literature, which I always said I didn't like. But I loved The Hunger Games, so I decided to take a chance on another trilogy he had read. And I found another trilogy that I couldn't put down. Over the weekend I read Scott Westerfeld's Uglies trilogy. The first book was definitely the strongest of the three, but I enjoyed them all. And I was thrilled to find out that he actually wrote a fourth book that takes place a few years after the third one ended. I will be downloading that very soon. Maybe even tonight!
He's got six or seven more books in "the cloud" that I didn't think I had any interest in... but now I'm not so sure. Perhaps I should give them a try!
Monday, April 23, 2012
Thinking...
At least if I was going to go raid the vending machine to stave off mid-afternoon starvation I walked down and back up four flights of stairs instead of the elevator. That cancels it out, right?
Monday, April 9, 2012
Heard...
Waiting to cross an intersection yesterday while out on a bike ride with J-Mav and Hubby. J-Mav reads a sign out loud with disbelief in his voice: "In-home torturing?!?"
Hubby and I cracked up. It was, of course, a sign for in-home TUTORING. (Though I suspect some would agree with J-Mav's assessment...)
Hubby and I cracked up. It was, of course, a sign for in-home TUTORING. (Though I suspect some would agree with J-Mav's assessment...)
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Spring Break '12: Day 5
Day 5: Heading Home
We slept in this morning thinking we weren't in a rush; however, at 9am I happened to look at the guest services book and we realized the complimentary breakfast ended at 9:30. So we threw on clothes, brushed our teeth and headed downstairs for breakfast.
Sufficiently stuffed, we went back up and showered, packed up what little we'd unpacked, and headed back to Orlando to catch our flight home. :-( We had a little traffic, but got to the airport in plenty of time. Again, we didn't have to check anything and we had printed our boarding passes at the hotel before we left. So we got through security (long line) and headed straight to our gate for our non-stop flight back to DC.
As we flew home on a different airline than we left on, we had to walk all the way through the terminal to get back to the truck. But we found the truck, paid an arm and a leg for the time we left it parked at the airport, and headed home. We were early enough that we went and picked K-Dog up instead of leaving her at the kennel an extra night. We were also able to pick up Hubby's car from the mechanic. We had left it to be inspected while we were gone. And then we went to grab some dinner... J-Mav chose Olive Garden. Really? We JUST ate there the other night. Sigh.
So our short trip is done. We packed a lot into what was, essentially, three days, and yet, we still had a relaxing time. We've been following the blog about Gma G and Keeper Boy's trip, and I think they are going at a much more frantic pace. But it looks like they are having a great time!!
Already thinking about spring break '13!!!
We slept in this morning thinking we weren't in a rush; however, at 9am I happened to look at the guest services book and we realized the complimentary breakfast ended at 9:30. So we threw on clothes, brushed our teeth and headed downstairs for breakfast.
Sufficiently stuffed, we went back up and showered, packed up what little we'd unpacked, and headed back to Orlando to catch our flight home. :-( We had a little traffic, but got to the airport in plenty of time. Again, we didn't have to check anything and we had printed our boarding passes at the hotel before we left. So we got through security (long line) and headed straight to our gate for our non-stop flight back to DC.
As we flew home on a different airline than we left on, we had to walk all the way through the terminal to get back to the truck. But we found the truck, paid an arm and a leg for the time we left it parked at the airport, and headed home. We were early enough that we went and picked K-Dog up instead of leaving her at the kennel an extra night. We were also able to pick up Hubby's car from the mechanic. We had left it to be inspected while we were gone. And then we went to grab some dinner... J-Mav chose Olive Garden. Really? We JUST ate there the other night. Sigh.
So our short trip is done. We packed a lot into what was, essentially, three days, and yet, we still had a relaxing time. We've been following the blog about Gma G and Keeper Boy's trip, and I think they are going at a much more frantic pace. But it looks like they are having a great time!!
Already thinking about spring break '13!!!
Monday, April 2, 2012
Spring Break '12: Day 4
Day 4: Miniature Golf / Caps game
Today we had to check out of the villa so we could head to Tampa and see the Caps take on the Lightning... the impetus for this entire trip! We had another leisurely morning without an alarm. We packed up, checked out, and headed to the local Sizzler for the $4.99 breakfast buffet. Woo hoo!
Next stop was Pirate Cove Miniature Golf, where we had to decide between the easier, hillier course and the more difficult course. J-Mav chose more difficult. None of us thought it was all THAT difficult, but we had fun! The 16th hole ate both J-Mav's and Hubby's golf balls, which was rather humorous. But a guy came with a leaf blower and got them out of the tubing and play resumed. We also had fun chasing some little lizards around at one of the holes.
After we were done, we got in the car and turned the A/C up full blast to try to cool down. And then programmed the GPS and headed for Tampa. It took a little longer than it should have due to traffic around Disney, but not much, and it was a nice drive. We arrived at our hotel without incident, handed the car over to the valet (the only parking option we had), and proceeded to the desk to check in.
While we were checking in, I saw Joe Benenati (the Caps TV play-by-play guy) walk through the lobby in workout clothes, and at that point we knew the Caps had stayed in the same hotel the previous night. Pretty cool. We checked in and went to our room (on the 15th floor), passing (in the glass elevator) a skinny little pool outside on about the 8th or 9th floor.
We got situated in our room, changed into our Caps gear, and headed down to the lobby to try to find somewhere close by to grab an early dinner before the game. While perusing google maps in the computer kiosk in the lobby, we saw Karl Alzner and John Carlson (Caps defensemen) heading out to the team bus to ride the whole block to the arena. We didn't see anyone else, but we didn't go searching, either.
Also while we were standing there, a woman came up to us and asked if the Caps were staying at this hotel. We told her yes, but that it appeared they were heading toward the team bus and on to the arena with suitcases, so it didn't appear they would be staying that night. She went on to tell us that they were from England and her grandson plays hockey and is a huge Ovechkin fan. They were in Orlando and drove to Tampa to try to get his book signed. They didn't even have tickets to the game! We told her to go out by the bus and see if they could get it signed. We left to go find food, but I hope that he got to meet his favorite player! :)
We walked to the other side of the arena, to an area that is essentially the Tampa cruise port. Several restaurants that had been there appear to have closed down, so we just ate at a Hooters. Our food was actually very good. :-) After dinner, we headed back over to the arena. The doors weren't open yet... we had about 15 minutes. But there was a band and a little fan appreciation festival going on outside the arena. We were surprised at how many red jerseys we saw. :)
Once they opened the doors, we headed in, stopping (against J-Mav's wishes) to get a picture with Thunder Bug, the Lightning's mascot. The arena is fairly new, and it's very nice. We found out seats and they were awesome! Right by the tunnel from the Caps locker room. J-Mav even got a puck from one of the Caps trainers!
While we were waiting for warmups to start, we chatted with other Caps fans, and even ran into teammates from home... one kid from J-Mav's winter house team, and a kid from Keeper Boy's travel team. Small world, hockey fans. :) When the Caps came out of the tunnel for warm-ups, J-Mav leaned over the rail and got to do fist bumps with almost all of them. How cool. :) We also saw Olie Kolzig (who is now the Associate Goalie Coach for the Caps). Love him!
The game didn't end up in our favor, but we had a great time... and we were on TV during the first intermission. (One of John's friends sent a text with a picture of his TV, and there we are in our Caps jerseys... later, several other friends texted or posted on Facebook that they'd seen us on TV. Too funny.) We picked up a souvenir puck for Keeper Boy at the end of the game, and walked the block back to our hotel.
Another fun day in Florida done.
Today we had to check out of the villa so we could head to Tampa and see the Caps take on the Lightning... the impetus for this entire trip! We had another leisurely morning without an alarm. We packed up, checked out, and headed to the local Sizzler for the $4.99 breakfast buffet. Woo hoo!
Next stop was Pirate Cove Miniature Golf, where we had to decide between the easier, hillier course and the more difficult course. J-Mav chose more difficult. None of us thought it was all THAT difficult, but we had fun! The 16th hole ate both J-Mav's and Hubby's golf balls, which was rather humorous. But a guy came with a leaf blower and got them out of the tubing and play resumed. We also had fun chasing some little lizards around at one of the holes.
After we were done, we got in the car and turned the A/C up full blast to try to cool down. And then programmed the GPS and headed for Tampa. It took a little longer than it should have due to traffic around Disney, but not much, and it was a nice drive. We arrived at our hotel without incident, handed the car over to the valet (the only parking option we had), and proceeded to the desk to check in.
While we were checking in, I saw Joe Benenati (the Caps TV play-by-play guy) walk through the lobby in workout clothes, and at that point we knew the Caps had stayed in the same hotel the previous night. Pretty cool. We checked in and went to our room (on the 15th floor), passing (in the glass elevator) a skinny little pool outside on about the 8th or 9th floor.
We got situated in our room, changed into our Caps gear, and headed down to the lobby to try to find somewhere close by to grab an early dinner before the game. While perusing google maps in the computer kiosk in the lobby, we saw Karl Alzner and John Carlson (Caps defensemen) heading out to the team bus to ride the whole block to the arena. We didn't see anyone else, but we didn't go searching, either.
Also while we were standing there, a woman came up to us and asked if the Caps were staying at this hotel. We told her yes, but that it appeared they were heading toward the team bus and on to the arena with suitcases, so it didn't appear they would be staying that night. She went on to tell us that they were from England and her grandson plays hockey and is a huge Ovechkin fan. They were in Orlando and drove to Tampa to try to get his book signed. They didn't even have tickets to the game! We told her to go out by the bus and see if they could get it signed. We left to go find food, but I hope that he got to meet his favorite player! :)
We walked to the other side of the arena, to an area that is essentially the Tampa cruise port. Several restaurants that had been there appear to have closed down, so we just ate at a Hooters. Our food was actually very good. :-) After dinner, we headed back over to the arena. The doors weren't open yet... we had about 15 minutes. But there was a band and a little fan appreciation festival going on outside the arena. We were surprised at how many red jerseys we saw. :)
Once they opened the doors, we headed in, stopping (against J-Mav's wishes) to get a picture with Thunder Bug, the Lightning's mascot. The arena is fairly new, and it's very nice. We found out seats and they were awesome! Right by the tunnel from the Caps locker room. J-Mav even got a puck from one of the Caps trainers!
While we were waiting for warmups to start, we chatted with other Caps fans, and even ran into teammates from home... one kid from J-Mav's winter house team, and a kid from Keeper Boy's travel team. Small world, hockey fans. :) When the Caps came out of the tunnel for warm-ups, J-Mav leaned over the rail and got to do fist bumps with almost all of them. How cool. :) We also saw Olie Kolzig (who is now the Associate Goalie Coach for the Caps). Love him!
The game didn't end up in our favor, but we had a great time... and we were on TV during the first intermission. (One of John's friends sent a text with a picture of his TV, and there we are in our Caps jerseys... later, several other friends texted or posted on Facebook that they'd seen us on TV. Too funny.) We picked up a souvenir puck for Keeper Boy at the end of the game, and walked the block back to our hotel.
Another fun day in Florida done.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Spring Break '12: Day 3
Day 3: Pool / Baseball / Sea World
Today we didn't set an alarm. We got up when we got up, and then went and grabbed a light breakfast at Dunkin' Donuts before heading back to spend a couple of hours at the resort pool.
After J-Mav was sufficiently water-logged, we got cleaned up and headed over to the Disney ESPN Sports Complex to see some pre-season baseball: Phillies vs. Braves. We bought lawn seats and laid claim to a nice, sunny, HOT patch of lawn behind left field. It was a GREAT venue and we had a really fun time. We ate the requisite hot dogs and peanuts and cheered on the Phillies (well, *I* did). Alas, they blew a 5-run lead in the bottom of the ninth and ended the game tied. I guess pre-season games don't go into extra innings.
From there, we went directly back to Sea World. We got a second admission free with the tickets I had purchased online. Bonus! We knew we wanted to see the Shamu One World show, the Shamu Rocks show (which is at night), and the sea lion show in which they parody the other shows/rides at the park. J-Mav wanted to ride Kracken again. And there were a couple exhibits we didn't see yesterday. So we had a plan... and we had until the park closed at 10.
We did it! We saw everything we wanted to. The shows were all great. We liked the Shamu Rocks show better than the Shamu One World show, but they were both good. It is amazing to me that those HUGE animals can be trained. The Sea Lion show was hilarious. I think that might've been our favorite one overall. We saw an artic exhibit that we missed yesterday (polar bear and a ginormous walrus). We went and saw the dolphin place, which is somewhat out of the way and which we never made it to yesterday. We bought J-Mav a stuffed Shamu, which is what he wanted. And we rode Kracken again. J-Mav rode it twice... once with each of us. The change machine was out of order, so we couldn't get a locker. Thus, we just took turns riding with J-Mav. I think he would've gone again had we not had to head out. On the way out, we stopped and petted some sting rays (they are slimy... turns out they are covered in mucous... gross!).
We hadn't had anything to eat since the hot dogs, so we ran through McDonald's on the way back to the villa. Nothing like eating McDonald's at 10pm. Amazingly, no heartburn. I think J-Mav was asleep before his head even touched the pillow, arms tightly around Shamu. :)
Another great day!
Today we didn't set an alarm. We got up when we got up, and then went and grabbed a light breakfast at Dunkin' Donuts before heading back to spend a couple of hours at the resort pool.
After J-Mav was sufficiently water-logged, we got cleaned up and headed over to the Disney ESPN Sports Complex to see some pre-season baseball: Phillies vs. Braves. We bought lawn seats and laid claim to a nice, sunny, HOT patch of lawn behind left field. It was a GREAT venue and we had a really fun time. We ate the requisite hot dogs and peanuts and cheered on the Phillies (well, *I* did). Alas, they blew a 5-run lead in the bottom of the ninth and ended the game tied. I guess pre-season games don't go into extra innings.
From there, we went directly back to Sea World. We got a second admission free with the tickets I had purchased online. Bonus! We knew we wanted to see the Shamu One World show, the Shamu Rocks show (which is at night), and the sea lion show in which they parody the other shows/rides at the park. J-Mav wanted to ride Kracken again. And there were a couple exhibits we didn't see yesterday. So we had a plan... and we had until the park closed at 10.
We did it! We saw everything we wanted to. The shows were all great. We liked the Shamu Rocks show better than the Shamu One World show, but they were both good. It is amazing to me that those HUGE animals can be trained. The Sea Lion show was hilarious. I think that might've been our favorite one overall. We saw an artic exhibit that we missed yesterday (polar bear and a ginormous walrus). We went and saw the dolphin place, which is somewhat out of the way and which we never made it to yesterday. We bought J-Mav a stuffed Shamu, which is what he wanted. And we rode Kracken again. J-Mav rode it twice... once with each of us. The change machine was out of order, so we couldn't get a locker. Thus, we just took turns riding with J-Mav. I think he would've gone again had we not had to head out. On the way out, we stopped and petted some sting rays (they are slimy... turns out they are covered in mucous... gross!).
We hadn't had anything to eat since the hot dogs, so we ran through McDonald's on the way back to the villa. Nothing like eating McDonald's at 10pm. Amazingly, no heartburn. I think J-Mav was asleep before his head even touched the pillow, arms tightly around Shamu. :)
Another great day!
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Spring Break '12: Day 2
Day 2: Sea World / Blue Man Group
We actually set our alarm this morning. We got up at 7:30 and were sitting in IHOP by shortly after 8. We had a nice big breakfast and headed to Sea World. Traffic around here is awful... like the Beltway at rush hour. I understand the preference to stay on Disney property when visiting the area (at least if you're visiting Disney).
We arrived and parked with no problem. We slathered on sunscreen and went into the park. We saw shows, walked around, and saw various marine life. And we rode a roller coaster. More on that later.
We watched baby dolphins frolic in the dolphin nursery. We got a kick out of the sea lions (they are very vocal when they see people with fish for them... it's hilarious). We walked through a shark tank where the sharks were swimming all around us while we stood on a moving walkway. We saw a dolphin and whale show. We saw a sea lion and otter show. We saw lots of various fish and marine life. All very cool.
We went toward the log flume after the sea lion show because we were so hot. But there was a 50 minute wait to ride it. So we said, how about we ride the Kracken? (It's a fairly long roller coaster with several loops and barrel rolls.) J-Mav said no, but we said, "come on... it'll be fun!" And then after thinking about it for a minute, he just turned and started walking toward the entrance to the coaster. Hubby and I looked at each other in amazement and followed.
No loose items are allowed on the coaster, so we got a locker and stowed everything. We got in line (only 10 minutes). J-Mav was getting nervous as we waited, but he didn't cry and he didn't balk. We sat down and got buckled in. J-Mav was holding on white-knuckled. But after the first long hill and loop, we heard him yell, "this is awesome!" Woo hoo! We were so proud of him! It was a great roller coaster.
The last thing we planned to do at Sea World that day was see the Shamu One World show. Then we were heading back to the villa to shower and get ready for the Blue Man Group Show. We got into Shamu Stadium and sat down. And it started raining. And then it started raining harder. And it got really windy... to the point that we were soaked (sitting nowhere near the splash zone) and cold. They started and stopped the show twice (because there was lightning within three miles). We left after the second delay because they said they'd cancel it if the weather didn't move out in the next 5-10 minutes, and it didn't look like it was going to. Plus, we were on a time crunch.
We sloshed out to the car. We were soaked! We actually turned the heat on in the car. The GPS took us back to the villa on a back road, which was awesome. We used that road over and over again during the time we were there to avoid the interstate that was always slow with traffic.
After we all took hot showers, we headed back out to get something to eat and go to Universal Studios for The Blue Man Group. We didn't really know what The Blue Man Group was, but it always sounds interesting. We went to Olive Garden for dinner and we had the slowest waiter on the face of the planet. Then we had the traffic getting to Universal. And we had to park in a parking garage that we could tell was a hike from where we needed to be. I was really stressing out about making it because we didn't have our tickets... they were at will call, and we were to be there at least 15 minutes prior to show time to get them. I finally jumped out of the car and told Hubby and J-Mav to meet me at the box office so I could get the tickets.
I had no idea where I was going, so I just followed the crowd. I half walked, half ran (in flip flops). I kept asking where the Blue Man Group theatre was. I had to run around a big body of water. I finally got there about ten minutes before the show was to start. I got the tickets with no issue, and Hubby and J-Mav joined me about five minutes later. We were actually in our seats with time to spare (and the show started a few minutes late).
What a fabulous show! It was a mixture of music, comedy, crowd interaction, and science. We had good seats and we loved every minute of it. We were about to get pictures with the Blue Men after the show, and we strolled (much more leisurely) back out to our car talking about our favorite parts of the show.
We had promised J-Mav ice cream, so we found a Dairy Queen with the help of the GPS and had Blizzards. Then it was back to the villa and into bed to get ready for our next day of fun. :)
We actually set our alarm this morning. We got up at 7:30 and were sitting in IHOP by shortly after 8. We had a nice big breakfast and headed to Sea World. Traffic around here is awful... like the Beltway at rush hour. I understand the preference to stay on Disney property when visiting the area (at least if you're visiting Disney).
We arrived and parked with no problem. We slathered on sunscreen and went into the park. We saw shows, walked around, and saw various marine life. And we rode a roller coaster. More on that later.
We watched baby dolphins frolic in the dolphin nursery. We got a kick out of the sea lions (they are very vocal when they see people with fish for them... it's hilarious). We walked through a shark tank where the sharks were swimming all around us while we stood on a moving walkway. We saw a dolphin and whale show. We saw a sea lion and otter show. We saw lots of various fish and marine life. All very cool.
We went toward the log flume after the sea lion show because we were so hot. But there was a 50 minute wait to ride it. So we said, how about we ride the Kracken? (It's a fairly long roller coaster with several loops and barrel rolls.) J-Mav said no, but we said, "come on... it'll be fun!" And then after thinking about it for a minute, he just turned and started walking toward the entrance to the coaster. Hubby and I looked at each other in amazement and followed.
No loose items are allowed on the coaster, so we got a locker and stowed everything. We got in line (only 10 minutes). J-Mav was getting nervous as we waited, but he didn't cry and he didn't balk. We sat down and got buckled in. J-Mav was holding on white-knuckled. But after the first long hill and loop, we heard him yell, "this is awesome!" Woo hoo! We were so proud of him! It was a great roller coaster.
The last thing we planned to do at Sea World that day was see the Shamu One World show. Then we were heading back to the villa to shower and get ready for the Blue Man Group Show. We got into Shamu Stadium and sat down. And it started raining. And then it started raining harder. And it got really windy... to the point that we were soaked (sitting nowhere near the splash zone) and cold. They started and stopped the show twice (because there was lightning within three miles). We left after the second delay because they said they'd cancel it if the weather didn't move out in the next 5-10 minutes, and it didn't look like it was going to. Plus, we were on a time crunch.
We sloshed out to the car. We were soaked! We actually turned the heat on in the car. The GPS took us back to the villa on a back road, which was awesome. We used that road over and over again during the time we were there to avoid the interstate that was always slow with traffic.
After we all took hot showers, we headed back out to get something to eat and go to Universal Studios for The Blue Man Group. We didn't really know what The Blue Man Group was, but it always sounds interesting. We went to Olive Garden for dinner and we had the slowest waiter on the face of the planet. Then we had the traffic getting to Universal. And we had to park in a parking garage that we could tell was a hike from where we needed to be. I was really stressing out about making it because we didn't have our tickets... they were at will call, and we were to be there at least 15 minutes prior to show time to get them. I finally jumped out of the car and told Hubby and J-Mav to meet me at the box office so I could get the tickets.
I had no idea where I was going, so I just followed the crowd. I half walked, half ran (in flip flops). I kept asking where the Blue Man Group theatre was. I had to run around a big body of water. I finally got there about ten minutes before the show was to start. I got the tickets with no issue, and Hubby and J-Mav joined me about five minutes later. We were actually in our seats with time to spare (and the show started a few minutes late).
What a fabulous show! It was a mixture of music, comedy, crowd interaction, and science. We had good seats and we loved every minute of it. We were about to get pictures with the Blue Men after the show, and we strolled (much more leisurely) back out to our car talking about our favorite parts of the show.
We had promised J-Mav ice cream, so we found a Dairy Queen with the help of the GPS and had Blizzards. Then it was back to the villa and into bed to get ready for our next day of fun. :)
Friday, March 30, 2012
Spring Break '12: Day 1
Day 1: Getaway Day
Today was getaway day, not only for us, but for Keeper Boy and Gma G, who are en route to an awesome Spring Break in Europe! We sent Keeper Boy to school and kept J-Mav home. Keeper Boy was able to get 3/4 of his school day in (and he had two tests). J-Mav would've been in school for less than two hours. Didn't see the point.
I picked Keeper Boy up from school a little after Noon. Hubby, J-Mav, and I left for the airport shortly thereafter. We had no traffic getting downtown, got through security with no issues and no real wait, and were at our gate in plenty of time. Keeper Boy texted when the car arrived to pick them up. That was the first of two potentially stressful items. And it was great to know that the car had arrived (15 minutes early!) and got them to the airport.
Traveling without checked luggage is great. Print the boarding passes ahead of time, and you're good to go! Our flight to Atlanta was uneventful. We changed planes and had another uneventful flight to Orlando.
We found the rental car counter, let J-Mav pick our car (a grey Chevy Impala) and off we went. We found our resort with no problem and I went to check in, hoping that our reservation (made via a Groupon) was there. It was! No problem. I politely declined the push to go to a timeshare presentation and off we went to find our villa.
The villa was beautiful. A small living/kitchen area, a bedroom, a huge bathroom, and a small lanai. We dropped our stuff and went to get something to eat. We opted for Chili's as it was getting late and it was across the street. :)
Looking into the bedroom (to the right) from the kitchen/living area. The lanai is through the door on the far side.
Looking into the bedroom (to the left) from the kitchen/living area. The bathroom is through the door on the far side.
Looking into the kitchen from the bedroom. You can just see the foot of the sofa bed on the left... it folded out and left a small path between it and the table to get to the door. There was a flat screen TV mounted on the wall above the table (you can just see the bottom of it).
Looking into the bathroom from the bedroom. Closet, double sinks, sunken tub, shower (to the left of the towel rack on the far wall), and a separate room with the toilet (door to the right of the towel rack).
Looking into the living area (J-Mav's room) from the bedroom. You can see the edge of the "front door" on the far wall.
Today was getaway day, not only for us, but for Keeper Boy and Gma G, who are en route to an awesome Spring Break in Europe! We sent Keeper Boy to school and kept J-Mav home. Keeper Boy was able to get 3/4 of his school day in (and he had two tests). J-Mav would've been in school for less than two hours. Didn't see the point.
I picked Keeper Boy up from school a little after Noon. Hubby, J-Mav, and I left for the airport shortly thereafter. We had no traffic getting downtown, got through security with no issues and no real wait, and were at our gate in plenty of time. Keeper Boy texted when the car arrived to pick them up. That was the first of two potentially stressful items. And it was great to know that the car had arrived (15 minutes early!) and got them to the airport.
Traveling without checked luggage is great. Print the boarding passes ahead of time, and you're good to go! Our flight to Atlanta was uneventful. We changed planes and had another uneventful flight to Orlando.
We found the rental car counter, let J-Mav pick our car (a grey Chevy Impala) and off we went. We found our resort with no problem and I went to check in, hoping that our reservation (made via a Groupon) was there. It was! No problem. I politely declined the push to go to a timeshare presentation and off we went to find our villa.
The villa was beautiful. A small living/kitchen area, a bedroom, a huge bathroom, and a small lanai. We dropped our stuff and went to get something to eat. We opted for Chili's as it was getting late and it was across the street. :)
Looking into the bedroom (to the right) from the kitchen/living area. The lanai is through the door on the far side.
Looking into the bedroom (to the left) from the kitchen/living area. The bathroom is through the door on the far side.
Looking into the kitchen from the bedroom. You can just see the foot of the sofa bed on the left... it folded out and left a small path between it and the table to get to the door. There was a flat screen TV mounted on the wall above the table (you can just see the bottom of it).
Looking into the bathroom from the bedroom. Closet, double sinks, sunken tub, shower (to the left of the towel rack on the far wall), and a separate room with the toilet (door to the right of the towel rack).
Looking into the living area (J-Mav's room) from the bedroom. You can see the edge of the "front door" on the far wall.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Happy Spring!
While it's really been spring for about a month around here (my crocuses came and went weeks ago), the tulips at the entrance to my office building really came into their own earlier this week.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Seen...
Yeah... I would bet he's gonna lose that toe nail. :-(
Over the weekend we were at a tournament with J-Mav's hockey team. Keeper Boy was in line for food on Saturday night (we catered in and had a party in one of the hotel meeting rooms), when one of J-Mav's teammates dropped his [very heavy, standard hotel] plate of food on Keeper Boy's very naked big toe. And no, I don't know why Keeper Boy wasn't wearing any shoes. He was in A LOT of pain on Saturday night, Sunday, and Monday. However, Tuesday it started feeling better... to the point where he did P.E. at school and participated in hockey practice that night. But while it may be FEELING better by the day, it's still LOOKING worse by the day...
Over the weekend we were at a tournament with J-Mav's hockey team. Keeper Boy was in line for food on Saturday night (we catered in and had a party in one of the hotel meeting rooms), when one of J-Mav's teammates dropped his [very heavy, standard hotel] plate of food on Keeper Boy's very naked big toe. And no, I don't know why Keeper Boy wasn't wearing any shoes. He was in A LOT of pain on Saturday night, Sunday, and Monday. However, Tuesday it started feeling better... to the point where he did P.E. at school and participated in hockey practice that night. But while it may be FEELING better by the day, it's still LOOKING worse by the day...
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Seen...
One day last week, I decided to stack almost every silver bracelet I own on the same day. I had on a pink skirt and a white top. It worked, though it was pretty heavy...
Left to Right (or from elbow side to wrist side):
Silver ball bracelet, Stella and Dot
Turquoise bracelet, gift from Gma G
Silver ball bracelet with heart dangle, gift from Hubby
Grey "pearl" bracelet, Stella and Dot
Black and silver bracelet with K dangle, gift from Gma G
Left to Right (or from elbow side to wrist side):
Silver ball bracelet, Stella and Dot
Turquoise bracelet, gift from Gma G
Silver ball bracelet with heart dangle, gift from Hubby
Grey "pearl" bracelet, Stella and Dot
Black and silver bracelet with K dangle, gift from Gma G
Seen... and Heard...
I actually took this photo on my phone almost two weeks ago, and just remembered that I took it. The crocuses (croci?) have come and gone...
Today it is March 15 and it is 80+ degrees outside. On the way to school this morning J-Mav said to me, "Mom, this is the springyest winter we've ever had." I think he just might be right.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
February Photo Challenge: Day 29
Something you're listening to
Every morning at 9am I get the privilege of listening to a conference call in the conference room across from my office...
I guess the photo challenge is over... thanks for playing along. :-)
Every morning at 9am I get the privilege of listening to a conference call in the conference room across from my office...
I guess the photo challenge is over... thanks for playing along. :-)
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
February Photo Challenge: Day 27
Something you ate
I simultaneously love and hate this time of the year...
I simultaneously love and hate this time of the year...
Sunday, February 26, 2012
February Photo Challenge: Day 26
Night
Back to the archives for this one... this was the pre-Christmas blizzard in 2009. I was still trying to figure out how to use the camera, so it's quite blurry...
Back to the archives for this one... this was the pre-Christmas blizzard in 2009. I was still trying to figure out how to use the camera, so it's quite blurry...
Seen...
We saw this in the parking lot at Christiana Mall over Presidents Day weekend. Now that's a serious fan...
Saturday, February 25, 2012
February Photo Challenge: Day 25
Green
Our St. Valen-trik-ster tree..
Or, to go in another direction with "Green"... this is Mike Green of the Washington Capitals.
Our St. Valen-trik-ster tree..
Or, to go in another direction with "Green"... this is Mike Green of the Washington Capitals.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
February Photo Challenge: Day 23
Your Shoes
I LOVE these shoes! I got them off the clearance rack at the Bass Outlet several years ago and wear them all the time. They are really comfortable and they can be dressed up or down. Not sure how long they will last... I've already had a tear in the leather repaired once, and the stitching are pulling...
I LOVE these shoes! I got them off the clearance rack at the Bass Outlet several years ago and wear them all the time. They are really comfortable and they can be dressed up or down. Not sure how long they will last... I've already had a tear in the leather repaired once, and the stitching are pulling...
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
February Photo Challenge: Day 22
Were I work
This is the wall behind the receptionist's desk. She wondered why I was taking a picture over the top of her head...
This is the wall behind the receptionist's desk. She wondered why I was taking a picture over the top of her head...
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