I called home around 4:30 to tell H. that we were having turnips and fish for dinner. He actually had no reaction to the turnip part - perhaps he wasn't sure what they were? And then I added fish and he was like 'uh, oh, oooooooookkkkkkkkkkkk [really slowly with a 'tone'].
I said 'just kidding. I'm craving pizza so we're ordering Mountain Mike's'.
And a cheer was heard across the land.
The pizza was delicious. Cleanup was a breeze. First day back at work was good....but I'm glad it's over. Tomorrow will be the 2nd day back at work and it will go infinitely more quickly, I hope.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Small Steps
I implemented my plan and did make progress. Filled up the 'recycle' tray in our office a few times, culling through the mail stack. Cleared out the newspapers. Filed some bills. Paid some bills. Gave myself a manicure which I desperately needed - sun, surf, wind and salt are hard on your nails. Also gave myself a facial and felt my face was clean for the first time in a week. Picked up the floor of the garage, including moving things onto the 'new' shelves and off the floor.
I did not treat myself to a gingersnap cookie at Starbucks - so I gave myself 15 minutes of computer time. I also did not buy a Key Lime pie at Costco - another 15 minutes. I really should have given myself close to an hour for NOT buying that pie 'cuz I would have had more than one slice, but I'm trying to be 'fair' in my allocation of time as a 'treat' for not eating something I shouldn't. I cooked dinner, made strawberry shortcake for dessert; worked in the kitchen, unpacked, grocery shopped with J., went to the pet store, paid our property taxes (ouch!); worked in the yard a bit (so much to do back there).
I did NOT check work email nor get out my work laptop - which I should have done. But I just can't. Tomorrow will be here in just a few short hours and I'll have to just buckle down and work manically the next few days to get things done. Have to do what I have to do - and I refused to work on my vacation. There was consideration that I should work - but I didn't. We took two laptops with it as it was - and adding a third would have been ridiculous. Anything I wanted to do, I could have done had I hauled the paperwork with me to work on budget, etc. But I decided it was to be a TRUE vacation - and it was. Now, it's over.
It amazes me how just small, baby-steps of 'progress' make me feel so much better. I just 'dug in' - did not leave the computer on - turned it off and closed it up and left the room and worked somewhere else. There IS always plenty to do and I've got my 'list' going so I'll know where to start. It felt really good to be more productive - and to get some things DONE - I hope to stick to this new 'plan'.
Next phase is to add in some exercise time - and I will. As soon as possible. I ordered 'The Bean' - the same 'principle' as an exercise ball and the added benefit of flipping it over and using it to stretch out my back. The Bean has far more 'support' and stability than an inflated ball - and I never feel 'secure' on the ball - The Bean is going to help with that, I think.
We took Chloe to the groomer today for 'the works' - she's got her summer trim now - she looks so incredibly different with all of her long curls trimmed off. She's had a wash, a condition, nails trimmed, teeth brushed, etc. She looks great and smells so much better - the week at the 'dog camp' really had her looking pretty 'doggy'. She's been sleeping a lot - I think she's exhausted from her week of frolicking with the big dogs.
I'm heading upstairs shortly to start my pre-bed routine. The upstairs pets (cats and bird) need attention. Also need to get the 'gifts' I have for my co-workers ready for morning. And figuring out what to wear. And check on the kids - B. had a bunch of homework which he didn't start on until late this afternoon - he assures us he won't be up too late but history has shown he does not judge time very well so I expect he will be up fairly late.
OK - one more thing I keep meaning to comment on. The 'promos' for 'Deal or No Deal' are all hyped up again. We watched last week - the episode that was 'the one to watch'. We were SURE that episode would be a million dollar prize episode. The contestant DID have the million in her case but she stopped with an offer in the mid 300K - yes, a lot of money. But no, not a million. And therefore, not the episode to watch. So now, when they make it sound like THE NEXT episode is THE ONE, I'm kind of like 'yeah, right - I'm not falling for that again'. It would be a hard game to 'go all the way' - I mean, if you have a mid six figure offer as a 'for sure' vs. the chance - even a 50/50 chance at some point, if you can hold out that long - your instinct would be to take the sure thing. I know I would probably want the sure thing myself. So it's not likely anyone will EVER win the million. But it's getting kind of boring watching people NOT win over and over and over. So I don't think I'm going to watch again. If there's ever a winner, it will be on You Tube within a few days and we can watch it there.
Have a good week. To my friend J: I know tomorrow will be hard. It will all be OK. There's always a reason - and you will realize that somewhere down the road in the not too distant future. Hang in there. Get in, do what you need to do and get out. I am at work at my desk all day tomorrow - no meetings scheduled at this point, just plowing through my in basket, my emails, voice mails, etc. I'm available and can easily shut my door if you want to talk. Don't hesitate. I'm giving you a hug via the world-wide-web and wish I could see you tomorrow to give you a hug in person.
I did not treat myself to a gingersnap cookie at Starbucks - so I gave myself 15 minutes of computer time. I also did not buy a Key Lime pie at Costco - another 15 minutes. I really should have given myself close to an hour for NOT buying that pie 'cuz I would have had more than one slice, but I'm trying to be 'fair' in my allocation of time as a 'treat' for not eating something I shouldn't. I cooked dinner, made strawberry shortcake for dessert; worked in the kitchen, unpacked, grocery shopped with J., went to the pet store, paid our property taxes (ouch!); worked in the yard a bit (so much to do back there).
I did NOT check work email nor get out my work laptop - which I should have done. But I just can't. Tomorrow will be here in just a few short hours and I'll have to just buckle down and work manically the next few days to get things done. Have to do what I have to do - and I refused to work on my vacation. There was consideration that I should work - but I didn't. We took two laptops with it as it was - and adding a third would have been ridiculous. Anything I wanted to do, I could have done had I hauled the paperwork with me to work on budget, etc. But I decided it was to be a TRUE vacation - and it was. Now, it's over.
It amazes me how just small, baby-steps of 'progress' make me feel so much better. I just 'dug in' - did not leave the computer on - turned it off and closed it up and left the room and worked somewhere else. There IS always plenty to do and I've got my 'list' going so I'll know where to start. It felt really good to be more productive - and to get some things DONE - I hope to stick to this new 'plan'.
Next phase is to add in some exercise time - and I will. As soon as possible. I ordered 'The Bean' - the same 'principle' as an exercise ball and the added benefit of flipping it over and using it to stretch out my back. The Bean has far more 'support' and stability than an inflated ball - and I never feel 'secure' on the ball - The Bean is going to help with that, I think.
We took Chloe to the groomer today for 'the works' - she's got her summer trim now - she looks so incredibly different with all of her long curls trimmed off. She's had a wash, a condition, nails trimmed, teeth brushed, etc. She looks great and smells so much better - the week at the 'dog camp' really had her looking pretty 'doggy'. She's been sleeping a lot - I think she's exhausted from her week of frolicking with the big dogs.
I'm heading upstairs shortly to start my pre-bed routine. The upstairs pets (cats and bird) need attention. Also need to get the 'gifts' I have for my co-workers ready for morning. And figuring out what to wear. And check on the kids - B. had a bunch of homework which he didn't start on until late this afternoon - he assures us he won't be up too late but history has shown he does not judge time very well so I expect he will be up fairly late.
OK - one more thing I keep meaning to comment on. The 'promos' for 'Deal or No Deal' are all hyped up again. We watched last week - the episode that was 'the one to watch'. We were SURE that episode would be a million dollar prize episode. The contestant DID have the million in her case but she stopped with an offer in the mid 300K - yes, a lot of money. But no, not a million. And therefore, not the episode to watch. So now, when they make it sound like THE NEXT episode is THE ONE, I'm kind of like 'yeah, right - I'm not falling for that again'. It would be a hard game to 'go all the way' - I mean, if you have a mid six figure offer as a 'for sure' vs. the chance - even a 50/50 chance at some point, if you can hold out that long - your instinct would be to take the sure thing. I know I would probably want the sure thing myself. So it's not likely anyone will EVER win the million. But it's getting kind of boring watching people NOT win over and over and over. So I don't think I'm going to watch again. If there's ever a winner, it will be on You Tube within a few days and we can watch it there.
Have a good week. To my friend J: I know tomorrow will be hard. It will all be OK. There's always a reason - and you will realize that somewhere down the road in the not too distant future. Hang in there. Get in, do what you need to do and get out. I am at work at my desk all day tomorrow - no meetings scheduled at this point, just plowing through my in basket, my emails, voice mails, etc. I'm available and can easily shut my door if you want to talk. Don't hesitate. I'm giving you a hug via the world-wide-web and wish I could see you tomorrow to give you a hug in person.
Resolutions
I came home from Hawaii with a lot of 'resolutions' I want to implement. I know I'm already one quarter into the year and therefore, am 'behind' on things, but that's OK. It takes me awhile to reach the 'breaking point' on most things - but when I do, THAT'S when I can finally put things into action. And ACTION is what is needed. Serious, sustained action on a variety of things that are wearing me down and making me somewhat 'unhappy'. That unhappiness is nothing terribly overwhelming. It's just that I end up getting 'down' on myself. Thinking negative thoughts about myself. And it's not healthy. And I don't want to feel that way.
I am not a perfect mother. I know that shocks you (not). I mean, there really is NO perfect mother - we are all a muddled mass of confusion and mistakes and things we wish we could do differently. I have lists a mile long of things I wish I could re-do. There are many, MANY parts of my kids childhoods that I'd like to try again. But even as I say that, I think 'but they are relatively great kids (knocking on wood frantically) so I know I'm doing OK'.
I am a better mother than my mother was - and I know there are people reading this that will think 'what a horrible thing to say'. And it really isn't meant that way - it honestly isn't. My mother was an amazing woman who was widowed in her early 40's and found herself with 4 kids to raise - two teens and two under the age of 7. No job skills. And she picked herself up and moved forward, day after day - and did an amazing job raising 4 responsible, thoughtful, wonderful people. We are all great people. We are not close to each other - not like many 'families' are - and that hurts me in ways that I can't write about here. And there's a part of me that feels that SOME of that separation between us was fostered by our mother - not consciously, but yet it existed and persisted. Age has a lot to do with some of it - there is a 9 year age difference between me and my older sister - and a 13 (or 14? I'm not actually sure) year age difference between me the oldest sibling, our brother. So by the time my younger sister and I came along, the two of them were pretty much 'out of the house' and not in our daily lives as much. But losing a father affects all kids, no matter what their age. And I don't think the environment was there to create the 'bonding' that would normally happen in that situation. We all sort of retreated to our separate corners, where we stayed for most of our lives. And some of us still 'stay' there. It's safe. And easy. And I mean that about myself, as well.
So, I've made it my life's mission to be a 'better' mom. To be there more for my kids. And I have succeeded. We express love in this house all the time. We also express anger, disappointment, expectations and laughter. Not things that were present in the house I grew up in very much - we pretty much expressed NOTHING because that was easier. In this respect, we are doing 'better' with the kids.
But I am a selfish person - I am. It is very, VERY hard for me to be 'present' for the kids 24/7. It is a constant struggle. It's helped that they are older now and don't really want me 'present' all that much. But I wish I was doing things better for them. Small things - like cooking. Spending time organizing things. Etc.
And most importantly, I want to be healthier for them. I am overweight and completely out of shape. That was never more obvious than in the paradise we just returned from. Walking is hard for me at this point - my joints all hurt and when you're carrying around a bunch of extra weight, you just don't feel like walking - or swimming - or [insert physical activity here]. And I really, REALLY want to change that.
So, I'm creating a 'computer log' and allowing myself a set number of hours on the computer. I don't know what my 'limit' will be weekly - I do all our household finances on the computer, including tracking investments, bill paying, retirement modeling, etc. And I use the computer for news, weather. And I read blogs. And I write this blog. And I LOVE computer games - I LOVE them - Virtual Villagers, many, MANY bigfishgames.com games on my PC. They are my 'down time' from a long work day. My 'veg time' when my head needs a break. So I'm going to try to limit all those things and fit in what I have to do - with a small amount of time for things I want to do (like games) and then be up and moving around the house. There's always plenty to do - but I sort of 'lose track' of what needs to be done. I mean, we do dishes and laundry and grocery shop and cook and tidy up. But we have a cleaning crew that makes the day-to-day cleaning basically unnecessary. Still, there's tons to do. Lawn work (the gardener basically mows and edges - I want to fire him but J. doesn't) - so there's plenty of weeding and planting and pruning to do. And we have a 'cement pond' (ala Beverly Hillbillies) that I enjoy and should use more.
So I'm resolving to be more 'active' in this household. It is going to be hard. REALLY hard. The computer 'beckons' me and I honestly feel like I have no idea what else to do when I'm not on the PC. But change needs to happen and it has to start NOW.
This does not mean I won't be updating - I love to write and I will keep doing so - this is something I will not 'cut back on' - if anything, I'll probably write more because my days will be more purposeful and therefore, more things to update about. I hope.
I am hitting the 'publish post' button now before I chicken out. I figure making this resolution 'public' will help me stick with it. I'll keep you updated on how I'm doing. I hope I can move more. Do more. Exercise more. Spend more time outside in nature. I hope. The desire to do these things is not new - but the Hawaii trip was a huge eye opener for me - and so I'm hoping that by the time we go again next year, my psyche and my body will be in a completely different place.
I am not a perfect mother. I know that shocks you (not). I mean, there really is NO perfect mother - we are all a muddled mass of confusion and mistakes and things we wish we could do differently. I have lists a mile long of things I wish I could re-do. There are many, MANY parts of my kids childhoods that I'd like to try again. But even as I say that, I think 'but they are relatively great kids (knocking on wood frantically) so I know I'm doing OK'.
I am a better mother than my mother was - and I know there are people reading this that will think 'what a horrible thing to say'. And it really isn't meant that way - it honestly isn't. My mother was an amazing woman who was widowed in her early 40's and found herself with 4 kids to raise - two teens and two under the age of 7. No job skills. And she picked herself up and moved forward, day after day - and did an amazing job raising 4 responsible, thoughtful, wonderful people. We are all great people. We are not close to each other - not like many 'families' are - and that hurts me in ways that I can't write about here. And there's a part of me that feels that SOME of that separation between us was fostered by our mother - not consciously, but yet it existed and persisted. Age has a lot to do with some of it - there is a 9 year age difference between me and my older sister - and a 13 (or 14? I'm not actually sure) year age difference between me the oldest sibling, our brother. So by the time my younger sister and I came along, the two of them were pretty much 'out of the house' and not in our daily lives as much. But losing a father affects all kids, no matter what their age. And I don't think the environment was there to create the 'bonding' that would normally happen in that situation. We all sort of retreated to our separate corners, where we stayed for most of our lives. And some of us still 'stay' there. It's safe. And easy. And I mean that about myself, as well.
So, I've made it my life's mission to be a 'better' mom. To be there more for my kids. And I have succeeded. We express love in this house all the time. We also express anger, disappointment, expectations and laughter. Not things that were present in the house I grew up in very much - we pretty much expressed NOTHING because that was easier. In this respect, we are doing 'better' with the kids.
But I am a selfish person - I am. It is very, VERY hard for me to be 'present' for the kids 24/7. It is a constant struggle. It's helped that they are older now and don't really want me 'present' all that much. But I wish I was doing things better for them. Small things - like cooking. Spending time organizing things. Etc.
And most importantly, I want to be healthier for them. I am overweight and completely out of shape. That was never more obvious than in the paradise we just returned from. Walking is hard for me at this point - my joints all hurt and when you're carrying around a bunch of extra weight, you just don't feel like walking - or swimming - or [insert physical activity here]. And I really, REALLY want to change that.
So, I'm creating a 'computer log' and allowing myself a set number of hours on the computer. I don't know what my 'limit' will be weekly - I do all our household finances on the computer, including tracking investments, bill paying, retirement modeling, etc. And I use the computer for news, weather. And I read blogs. And I write this blog. And I LOVE computer games - I LOVE them - Virtual Villagers, many, MANY bigfishgames.com games on my PC. They are my 'down time' from a long work day. My 'veg time' when my head needs a break. So I'm going to try to limit all those things and fit in what I have to do - with a small amount of time for things I want to do (like games) and then be up and moving around the house. There's always plenty to do - but I sort of 'lose track' of what needs to be done. I mean, we do dishes and laundry and grocery shop and cook and tidy up. But we have a cleaning crew that makes the day-to-day cleaning basically unnecessary. Still, there's tons to do. Lawn work (the gardener basically mows and edges - I want to fire him but J. doesn't) - so there's plenty of weeding and planting and pruning to do. And we have a 'cement pond' (ala Beverly Hillbillies) that I enjoy and should use more.
So I'm resolving to be more 'active' in this household. It is going to be hard. REALLY hard. The computer 'beckons' me and I honestly feel like I have no idea what else to do when I'm not on the PC. But change needs to happen and it has to start NOW.
This does not mean I won't be updating - I love to write and I will keep doing so - this is something I will not 'cut back on' - if anything, I'll probably write more because my days will be more purposeful and therefore, more things to update about. I hope.
I am hitting the 'publish post' button now before I chicken out. I figure making this resolution 'public' will help me stick with it. I'll keep you updated on how I'm doing. I hope I can move more. Do more. Exercise more. Spend more time outside in nature. I hope. The desire to do these things is not new - but the Hawaii trip was a huge eye opener for me - and so I'm hoping that by the time we go again next year, my psyche and my body will be in a completely different place.
Cousin
A big HELLO to my cousin Debby who has re-found my blog! She said she felt 'guilty' that it was anonymous but she knew it was me - hey, I'm FINE with people knowing this is my blog when you KNOW me. This town is a 'small' town in many ways and I work in the 'public sector' where every facet of my life is subject to public scrutiny. Seriously, you feel strange when people who 'know' you through your job peer into your grocery cart - God forbid, it's the day we're restocking the wine or the alcohol cabinet - which we do once in a blue moon. But you realize that people pay attention to things you wouldn't think they would....hence I try to lie low under the radar in things related to my opinions and feelings. It's just not something I 'broadcast'.
A few of my coworkers know I have a blog but I don't give them the address. In fact, our local paper actually linked to my blog for some time - I saw a few comments from people I didn't know and wondered. A couple weeks later, I received an email from the editor of the paper thanking me for 'allowing' the paper to link to my blog. I wrote her back and politely said that I thought it was 'amusing' to be thanked for granting permission to link when in fact I had never been asked nor given my permission. The link was down within an hour of her reading my email.
I WANT people to read - in some small way. I write because I love to write - and it's good 'therapy' for me to express my thoughts and hopes and fears somehow. But writing has no value if there's no one reading - so there's a part of me that WANTS people to read. And hopes they keep coming back to read day after day. If they're inclined. Heck, there are blogs out there that are now supporting entire families - that's the 'job' of the writer - to keep writing things people find interesting and generate revenue from ads, etc. I'm not going there - and probably never will, but wouldn't it be lovely to have a job that just involves staying in your PJs all day and writing about your life? That would be great fun!
Any readers out there: you are welcome to link to my blog on yours, if you're inclined. And you are welcome to pass on the web address to other friends and family you think might enjoy it. It's OK. 'Anonymous' will still be maintained 'cuz I'm not using my 'name' - if I'd married a guy with the last name of 'Smith' (and I dated a guy with that last name in college), then I'd have no worries. But I married a guy with a fairly unique last name - and every other person in the US with that last name are all related to us. EVERY SINGLE PERSON. So I try to NOT use my name - any of my actual names - and that helps keep me below the radar a bit. And the uniqueness of that name, combined with the small bit of knowledge of what I do for a living would make it VERY easy for a Google search to find me - and it's THAT I'm hoping to avoid. I don't want to be 'known' as in really KNOWN. But I LOVE that people are reading and hope they continue to read - and hope more people read, as time goes by.
Debby, thanks for writing me. It was great to hear from you and I do hope you'll send me YOUR blog address. I'm honored you read and glad you enjoy it! It's a great medium for 'getting to know' people - and the fact that you're family and we haven't spent much time together over the years makes your reading very, very special to me. Thank you very much!
A few of my coworkers know I have a blog but I don't give them the address. In fact, our local paper actually linked to my blog for some time - I saw a few comments from people I didn't know and wondered. A couple weeks later, I received an email from the editor of the paper thanking me for 'allowing' the paper to link to my blog. I wrote her back and politely said that I thought it was 'amusing' to be thanked for granting permission to link when in fact I had never been asked nor given my permission. The link was down within an hour of her reading my email.
I WANT people to read - in some small way. I write because I love to write - and it's good 'therapy' for me to express my thoughts and hopes and fears somehow. But writing has no value if there's no one reading - so there's a part of me that WANTS people to read. And hopes they keep coming back to read day after day. If they're inclined. Heck, there are blogs out there that are now supporting entire families - that's the 'job' of the writer - to keep writing things people find interesting and generate revenue from ads, etc. I'm not going there - and probably never will, but wouldn't it be lovely to have a job that just involves staying in your PJs all day and writing about your life? That would be great fun!
Any readers out there: you are welcome to link to my blog on yours, if you're inclined. And you are welcome to pass on the web address to other friends and family you think might enjoy it. It's OK. 'Anonymous' will still be maintained 'cuz I'm not using my 'name' - if I'd married a guy with the last name of 'Smith' (and I dated a guy with that last name in college), then I'd have no worries. But I married a guy with a fairly unique last name - and every other person in the US with that last name are all related to us. EVERY SINGLE PERSON. So I try to NOT use my name - any of my actual names - and that helps keep me below the radar a bit. And the uniqueness of that name, combined with the small bit of knowledge of what I do for a living would make it VERY easy for a Google search to find me - and it's THAT I'm hoping to avoid. I don't want to be 'known' as in really KNOWN. But I LOVE that people are reading and hope they continue to read - and hope more people read, as time goes by.
Debby, thanks for writing me. It was great to hear from you and I do hope you'll send me YOUR blog address. I'm honored you read and glad you enjoy it! It's a great medium for 'getting to know' people - and the fact that you're family and we haven't spent much time together over the years makes your reading very, very special to me. Thank you very much!
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Home
First, I have to admit that somewhere between my previous post and heading home, I was hit with an overwhelming sense of melancholy over the vacation being 'over'. It hit me when J. and the kids were out of the condo at Poipu beach that this might be the 'last' family vacation we take. This time next year, B. will be looking at colleges - and who knows if our schedules will ever coincide again? Who knows if he'll WANT to be home and with us as an 'adult'. I was a teary mess when they got home - and wished I had gone with them. I didn't feel like going in the water and since I didn't want to swim, it just didn't seem to really 'matter' if I went or not - and you know me, I can always use some quiet time. But while they were gone, I was so sad I hadn't gone with them. I told B. when he got home 'I really don't want this to be our last vacation as a family' - he reassured me that he fully intends to accompany us wherever we go for years to come. But I know how it might turn out - I moved away from home at 18 and never went back. Though I did visit my family pretty often, my visits became more and more infrequent and I certainly 'outgrew' going on vacation with my mom.
We managed to pack up and leave on Friday morning in record time - though the morning was a rushed madhouse. Had to fill up the rental van ($75 for the entire week - not too bad); drop off the van, check in, etc. It was crazy. And so incredibly hot and humid - I wore long pants 'cuz I knew I'd be chilly on the plane so shorts were out.
Hawaii airports aren't like other airports. First, most of the baggage claim area and check in areas are basically outside - in the scorching heat and humidity. We lug 7 pieces of luggage onto the rental car shuttle, into the check in area - and made a couple wrong turns so lugged it back - it was hot and humid and gross. Then, ATA takes an average of TEN MINUTES per customer to check in. We kid you not - we timed them. After standing in line for close to an hour just to check in, we get to the counter and the agent very quietly asks 'would you be willing to spend another night in Hawaii on us and we'll get you on a flight in the morning out of Honolulu?'. I said 'how will we get to Honolulu?' And she replied 'we'll take care of that also - and your hotel, meals, etc. And give you each $300 towards the purchase of your next ATA flight'. THAT was the really tempting part, since that's 2/3 of a ticket EACH back next Spring. She kept insisting they weren't 'overbooked' - just too many passengers and something about 'over their limit because of the weather'. Huh? Anyway, I wanted to say 'well, if you had reached us this morning BEFORE we'd schlepped everything here, returned our rental car and waited close to an hour to get to this point, we might consider it.' Instead, we just said 'No, we want to go home'. And so we did.
It was a 5+ hour flight but we did get to see the movie Ratatouille - cute! And I tried to nap a bit but the gentleman next to J. was a maniac about folding his newspaper - over and over. We were seated middle, window in two rows - boys in one row, me and J. in the other. It was nice to just have time with J. 'alone' - and have his shoulder to snuggle up with.
We arrived in Oakland at 7PM and waited close to an hour for our luggage. One of our bags was the last to be offloaded - and it had clearly sat in the rain on the tarmac for some time. Yes, we arrived home to rain - as if the dismal reality of returning to our 'regular lives' wasn't enough, we had to be hit with cold, rainy, dreary weather to boot. Lovely. We stopped at a Taco Bell on the way home because we hadn't eaten anything much on the plane - the snack boxes available for purchase weren't appealing and we nibbled on the snacks we had. But two teenage boys and a long flight equal starvation. They (and us, too, admittedly) scarfed down $24 worth of fast food - the new 'Fiesta Platters' are GREAT - in a half hour. We were actually glad to have paid less than $50 for a meal since that had been our average daytime meal price. Dinners were many times more than that.
We commented on how strange it felt to be on a 4 lane freeway, vs. a 2 lane non-divided road. How odd all the lights were - street lights (Kauai has none, basically), billboard lights, city lights. Pulling over the Dublin grade and seeing the valley was incredibly bright - nothing like that on Kauai. Towns are teeny-tiny and spread out and the roads are lit only by your brights (when permitted) and other cars. So different.
Pulled into the driveway around 9:30 and unloaded just the bare essentials. I headed for bed around 10 to try to get back to 'normal'. Watched some of my taped shows from the week - Ace of Cakes! Then went into a great sleep - quiet, no surf noise.
We managed to pack up and leave on Friday morning in record time - though the morning was a rushed madhouse. Had to fill up the rental van ($75 for the entire week - not too bad); drop off the van, check in, etc. It was crazy. And so incredibly hot and humid - I wore long pants 'cuz I knew I'd be chilly on the plane so shorts were out.
Hawaii airports aren't like other airports. First, most of the baggage claim area and check in areas are basically outside - in the scorching heat and humidity. We lug 7 pieces of luggage onto the rental car shuttle, into the check in area - and made a couple wrong turns so lugged it back - it was hot and humid and gross. Then, ATA takes an average of TEN MINUTES per customer to check in. We kid you not - we timed them. After standing in line for close to an hour just to check in, we get to the counter and the agent very quietly asks 'would you be willing to spend another night in Hawaii on us and we'll get you on a flight in the morning out of Honolulu?'. I said 'how will we get to Honolulu?' And she replied 'we'll take care of that also - and your hotel, meals, etc. And give you each $300 towards the purchase of your next ATA flight'. THAT was the really tempting part, since that's 2/3 of a ticket EACH back next Spring. She kept insisting they weren't 'overbooked' - just too many passengers and something about 'over their limit because of the weather'. Huh? Anyway, I wanted to say 'well, if you had reached us this morning BEFORE we'd schlepped everything here, returned our rental car and waited close to an hour to get to this point, we might consider it.' Instead, we just said 'No, we want to go home'. And so we did.
It was a 5+ hour flight but we did get to see the movie Ratatouille - cute! And I tried to nap a bit but the gentleman next to J. was a maniac about folding his newspaper - over and over. We were seated middle, window in two rows - boys in one row, me and J. in the other. It was nice to just have time with J. 'alone' - and have his shoulder to snuggle up with.
We arrived in Oakland at 7PM and waited close to an hour for our luggage. One of our bags was the last to be offloaded - and it had clearly sat in the rain on the tarmac for some time. Yes, we arrived home to rain - as if the dismal reality of returning to our 'regular lives' wasn't enough, we had to be hit with cold, rainy, dreary weather to boot. Lovely. We stopped at a Taco Bell on the way home because we hadn't eaten anything much on the plane - the snack boxes available for purchase weren't appealing and we nibbled on the snacks we had. But two teenage boys and a long flight equal starvation. They (and us, too, admittedly) scarfed down $24 worth of fast food - the new 'Fiesta Platters' are GREAT - in a half hour. We were actually glad to have paid less than $50 for a meal since that had been our average daytime meal price. Dinners were many times more than that.
We commented on how strange it felt to be on a 4 lane freeway, vs. a 2 lane non-divided road. How odd all the lights were - street lights (Kauai has none, basically), billboard lights, city lights. Pulling over the Dublin grade and seeing the valley was incredibly bright - nothing like that on Kauai. Towns are teeny-tiny and spread out and the roads are lit only by your brights (when permitted) and other cars. So different.
Pulled into the driveway around 9:30 and unloaded just the bare essentials. I headed for bed around 10 to try to get back to 'normal'. Watched some of my taped shows from the week - Ace of Cakes! Then went into a great sleep - quiet, no surf noise.
This morning, J. is working on loads of laundry - thankful to have a 'giant' sized washer and dryer at his disposal vs. the smallish 'stackables' we had at the condo. Took forever to wash and dry there and I finally convinced him to just give up - leave it for home. So we'll be plowing through laundry over the next couple of days.
We picked up Chloe this morning and she had a blast. Made friends and was whining as we pulled out of the driveway, already missing her friends. But she's also glad to be home - has been sacked out near my feet after running through the whole house at full speed. We have an appointment with the groomer tomorrow 'cuz she's looking and smelling like she just spent a week out on the 'ranch' with a bunch of friends and they did a lot of carousing. She needs to be cleaned up a bit.
It's great to be home. It's always wonderful to come home, even if the vacation was just great! We had a ball and are already booking the same condo for next year - arriving April 10th and leaving April 18th. That way, I'll be SURE this wasn't the last family trip - and be sure to make the most of every minute of the next trip. J. has a slide show already formatted on the PC and I will work on getting some pics posted here - have tried it in the past and couldn't get it to work but will keep trying. There are some great shots I'd like to have you see.
Thanks for sticking through the 'vacation travel blog' of this past week - we'll be resume normal programming beginning Monday.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Chess Update
H. beat B. sometime last night. Not sure when - they didn't wake me up with their celebrating. So B. paid up his $2 and now they're doing 'double or nothing' that H. will win again before bedtime tonight. They've been playing every spare minute - though they're on the beach at the moment. But they'll play again when they get back.
We have a ton of packing to do. I need to get started on tidying up a bit. Though if I repack the way I packed for the trip, it will basically involve just literally 'tossing' stuff into the suitcase. When J. opened my suitcase upon our arrival, he was stunned - just 'piles' of stuff. Why fold it, etc. when it's just going to be wrinkled anyway? And I packed for the entire week in 5 minutes flat. Seriously. Hoping I can repeat that this evening, times 3 since I'll need to urge/help the boys.
Chloe is doing really well at the 'new' kennel. She's having a ball, I hear via email updates. She's had tons of 'friends' to play with and is enjoying lap time with the owners husband while he watches TV, much like she enjoys at home with us in the evenings. Can't wait to see her and we're picking her up on Saturday AM by 10.
We have a ton of packing to do. I need to get started on tidying up a bit. Though if I repack the way I packed for the trip, it will basically involve just literally 'tossing' stuff into the suitcase. When J. opened my suitcase upon our arrival, he was stunned - just 'piles' of stuff. Why fold it, etc. when it's just going to be wrinkled anyway? And I packed for the entire week in 5 minutes flat. Seriously. Hoping I can repeat that this evening, times 3 since I'll need to urge/help the boys.
Chloe is doing really well at the 'new' kennel. She's having a ball, I hear via email updates. She's had tons of 'friends' to play with and is enjoying lap time with the owners husband while he watches TV, much like she enjoys at home with us in the evenings. Can't wait to see her and we're picking her up on Saturday AM by 10.
Hawaii Trivia
Only in Hawaii do you see the rescue squad vehicles from the Fire Department with surfboards tied to the top. I assume for water rescue. Or maybe just a quick surf now and then if time permits?
We also saw one of those orange 'road repair' announcement signs - dated March, 2005 - so that 'project' has been going on now for 3 years? Yet we saw no visible signs of any work crew or other tell-tale signs of work. Think some project works director forgot to remove the sign? Or perhaps it is still in the works - just not on any part of the highway we drove on. It's possible. The highways are very long here, circling the island.
Surfers surf because they love the ocean and being out in nature. We have seen the same people surfing day after day - out before we get up in the morning and not coming in until darkness forces them to acknowledge that you can't catch a wave you can no longer see, even by moonlight. There are dozens of them out in the surf, all day, everyday. All ages, shapes and sizes. Some of the kids surfing look so incredibly 'small' against the waves - but they move like they are experts. Surfers catch relatively few waves compared to the time they are out on the water - waiting for the perfect wave. They wait and wait - and then catch what they can. They make it look so easy, though we know it's not. They are the definition of dedication to their sport. It's a lot of waiting around for a 10-20 second ride.
Whale spouts do not look like the white water crest of waves. Once you've mastered this concept, you stop thinking every cresting wave on the horizon is a whale. When it's a whale, you'll know it. Whale spouts look just like they do in cartoons - an 'ice cream cone' shape of water, wider at the top, narrow on the bottom. Trust me, you'll know it when you see it. Most whales travel with a 'friend' - and this time of year, it's usually mama whales and their babies. So if you see a spout, you'll likely see more spouts. It's so incredible, even when it's far off shore. They are just amazing creatures.
There are lots of wild chickens running around this island. They are everywhere - wandering the streets, in parking lots, nesting under shrubs. We can't figure out why they are 'around' nor why they stay - but they are here. J. thinks he read somewhere that there are no mongoose on this island, so the chickens have a much higher survival rate. It is funny to see them all day, everyday, wherever we go. And the roosters apparently have no concept of time - they crow all the time, whenever the mood strikes them. It's funny. Thankfully, there aren't any wandering too near our 'home' or they'd be annoying crowing all the time. We just see and hear them when we're out running around.
We are on our last day and I'm finally just now feeling like I'm on vacation. And finally just today 'used' to the time difference. And sadly, we are going home tomorrow. And back to work on Monday. It's sad. Very sad. But it is what it is.
I didn't get a lot of sun today and I'm going to have to 'fake it' by getting sun in the backyard at home. I'm sure I'm just a bit 'more tan' - but the water is a bit too cool for me and hence, I haven't spent hours on the beach. It's OK. I'm sitting here watching the waves break on the rocks, with a zillion surfers out today. It's beautiful and still 'beachy' even if I'm not sitting down there frying at the moment.
I bought some Kauia coffee and some Kona coffee for home. Would have loved to have given THOSE as gifts to everyone but that's a bit pricey. We still have a couple kids gifts to get for friends of the boys. We'll head to Honolulu Surf tonight before dinner. Not sure where we're eating - our last night here. Feels like we should make it 'special' but most of the dinners, while great, have been hugely expensive. It's hard for me to spend $200+ on dinner - it's just not 'us'. But we'll see what we can find and enjoy it, whatever the cost.
I am dreading going back to work on Monday. I have no reason to 'dread' it, but I am. And I do. I hate that. I hate that I feel that way about the place I spend 50+ hours each week.
We also saw one of those orange 'road repair' announcement signs - dated March, 2005 - so that 'project' has been going on now for 3 years? Yet we saw no visible signs of any work crew or other tell-tale signs of work. Think some project works director forgot to remove the sign? Or perhaps it is still in the works - just not on any part of the highway we drove on. It's possible. The highways are very long here, circling the island.
Surfers surf because they love the ocean and being out in nature. We have seen the same people surfing day after day - out before we get up in the morning and not coming in until darkness forces them to acknowledge that you can't catch a wave you can no longer see, even by moonlight. There are dozens of them out in the surf, all day, everyday. All ages, shapes and sizes. Some of the kids surfing look so incredibly 'small' against the waves - but they move like they are experts. Surfers catch relatively few waves compared to the time they are out on the water - waiting for the perfect wave. They wait and wait - and then catch what they can. They make it look so easy, though we know it's not. They are the definition of dedication to their sport. It's a lot of waiting around for a 10-20 second ride.
Whale spouts do not look like the white water crest of waves. Once you've mastered this concept, you stop thinking every cresting wave on the horizon is a whale. When it's a whale, you'll know it. Whale spouts look just like they do in cartoons - an 'ice cream cone' shape of water, wider at the top, narrow on the bottom. Trust me, you'll know it when you see it. Most whales travel with a 'friend' - and this time of year, it's usually mama whales and their babies. So if you see a spout, you'll likely see more spouts. It's so incredible, even when it's far off shore. They are just amazing creatures.
There are lots of wild chickens running around this island. They are everywhere - wandering the streets, in parking lots, nesting under shrubs. We can't figure out why they are 'around' nor why they stay - but they are here. J. thinks he read somewhere that there are no mongoose on this island, so the chickens have a much higher survival rate. It is funny to see them all day, everyday, wherever we go. And the roosters apparently have no concept of time - they crow all the time, whenever the mood strikes them. It's funny. Thankfully, there aren't any wandering too near our 'home' or they'd be annoying crowing all the time. We just see and hear them when we're out running around.
We are on our last day and I'm finally just now feeling like I'm on vacation. And finally just today 'used' to the time difference. And sadly, we are going home tomorrow. And back to work on Monday. It's sad. Very sad. But it is what it is.
I didn't get a lot of sun today and I'm going to have to 'fake it' by getting sun in the backyard at home. I'm sure I'm just a bit 'more tan' - but the water is a bit too cool for me and hence, I haven't spent hours on the beach. It's OK. I'm sitting here watching the waves break on the rocks, with a zillion surfers out today. It's beautiful and still 'beachy' even if I'm not sitting down there frying at the moment.
I bought some Kauia coffee and some Kona coffee for home. Would have loved to have given THOSE as gifts to everyone but that's a bit pricey. We still have a couple kids gifts to get for friends of the boys. We'll head to Honolulu Surf tonight before dinner. Not sure where we're eating - our last night here. Feels like we should make it 'special' but most of the dinners, while great, have been hugely expensive. It's hard for me to spend $200+ on dinner - it's just not 'us'. But we'll see what we can find and enjoy it, whatever the cost.
I am dreading going back to work on Monday. I have no reason to 'dread' it, but I am. And I do. I hate that. I hate that I feel that way about the place I spend 50+ hours each week.
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Tales of Helpers
Our cleaning lady D. is here today - she wears earbuds and chats on the phone while she works. She is the third cleaning 'person(s)...
