Tuesday, May 31, 2011

An Update to Tuesday's List

1. Return to butt camp. Yeah, that didn't happen. Here's what did happen:

Monday night: Steve (to me): "What time should I wake you up tomorrow?"
Me (to Steve): "Five o'clock."
Fast forward to this morning at 6:30:

Me (to Steve): "I thought you were going to wake me up."
Steve (to me): "I thought you set the alarm."

Oh well ...

2. Survive butt camp. Well, that wasn't hard, SINCE I DIDN'T GO!!!

3. Drive, sweaty, drink, blah, blah, blah. Didn't happen. Didn't need to. Didn't butt camp.

4. Bank account/pay bills - did it, beginning at 11 pm. Huge ordeal due to new computer, new software, new printer cartridges, and old person trying to coordinate it all. At late-thirty in the night.

5. Packed. At least I managed to do something right. Wonder what's in that suitcase, though ...

6. Bought clothes. Not happy about sizes. Should have gone to butt camp. Probably would have lost 50 pounds. In 60 minutes.

7. Didn't have to rethink packing suitcase, although I did opt for a larger one. Still not sure what I packed in it, though. New clothes, for sure.

8. Going to bed with packed suitcase and flabby muscles. Not sure which would be better, though - packed/flabby or unpacked/sore
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Today's blessings: getting hair trimmed by Adellia; running errands; finding some new cruise clothes; visiting Lindley at her house and Molly at her house; chatting with Maribeth and Aunt Laura on the phone

Monday, May 30, 2011

Tuesday's To Do List

1. Return to butt camp. After a 3-week absence. During which my only exercise was to lift sugar-laden food to my mouth.

2. Survive butt camp.

3. Drive home, change out of sweaty clothes, replenish bodily fluids, find couch, attempt to make amends with my body.

4. See if I have any money in checking account via balancing checkbook. Pay bills. Watch money in checking account take wings and fly out widow.

5. Consider packing for vacation. Since it begins on Wednesday.

6. Go to store to buy vacation clothes since 3 weeks of eating + no exercise = too tight clothes.

7. Rethink packing suitcase. Take nap instead.

8. Go to bed with sore muscles and unpacked suitcase, hoping suitcase elves (and fat-sucking elves) pay visit during the night.
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Today's blessings: mani/pedi with Molly; Panera with Sam, Lynnette, and Lindley; Molly's CFactory birthday dinner with Molly, Adam, Sam, Lynnette, Lindley, and Steve

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Almost As Delicious

Since I have spent most of today trying to scrapbook (that means slapping them in a scrapbook with a sticker or two - nothing at all fancy), I decided today you could just have a picture that was almost as mouth watering as yesterday's.

Well, not really, but this is a little more attainable.
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Today's blessings: Afternoon with Lindley, Sam, and Lynnette; Steve's Bubba burgers for dinner; Sonic treat via Molly; sweet gift from Charity

Saturday, May 28, 2011

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

Especially since you have none of your own. So, just enjoy this tonight!
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Today's blessings: Panera breakfast with Steve, Sam, Lindley, and Lynnette; scrapbooking Alaska cruise; Molly visit

Friday, May 27, 2011

Getting With The Program

Okay, so it's Friday. I did manage to complete a few tasks, but there are still about a zillion more things to be done. Like ...

*get on the exercise program so that when I go back to butt camp on Tuesday, I won't pass out during the beginning stretch

*lose the 20 pounds I was supposed to have lost since January

*eat all that healthy food that I know I should be eating because I did all that meal planning and grocery store lists so I could purchase all that healthy food

*get on that jogging schedule so that my next race will result in a personal best performance

I guess that gives me enough to do for tomorrow ...

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Today's blessings: Alaska pictures culled; laundry done; new laptop and lunch from Steve; telephone check-in from Maribeth

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Today's To Do List


Stuff I Needed to Do Today: Everything

Stuff I Accomplished Today: Nothing

The good news is that tomorrow is another day.

To do or not to do tomorrow - that will be the question!!




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Today's blessings: breakfast at Fido's with my booties; Sam/Lindley ferry; Steve/Molly furnishing lunch/dinner; Maribeth getting possible Antartica gig

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Me. Today. Post Vacation.

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Today's blessings: unpacking my suitcases (a record, but probably only because I will need them again in a few days); Lindley's visit (along with her parents); WDW OKW ressies changed

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Reasons I'm Glad To Be Home

1. Teeny tiny plane (50 people, but more like an astro orbiter size to me)

2. Bumpity bumpity weather (thanks, Midwest)

3. Eating options in the Denver Airport (exactly where is your Hudson News?)

4. Longer flight due to bb weather + teeny plane + no dinner + crying baby + sitting thigh to thigh with total stranger dude thus creating thigh sweat

In other words, HELLO NASHVILLE!! I'M HOME!!!

Now if I could just figure out why there's a 2-quart Rubbermaid container on my kitchen counter with a single plain M&M in it ....
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Today's blessings: Safe, smooth ride from Vancouver to Denver and safe ride from Denver to Nashville; home sweet home; seeing Petar at breakfast; seeing Disney Wonder from plane as we left Vancouver; Molly's birthday

Monday, May 23, 2011

At Sea On Molly's Birthday, A Day Early



Today was our last day on the ship, and Molly's birthday is tomorrow, so we celebrated by doing what we do best - eat and sleep. We started the day with brunch with Petar serving at Palo (no explanation needed for those of you in the know) and ended with a rousing rendition sung by our wait staff (from left to right, Buyani, I Dunno Girl, James, and Daniel) - I don't think Hot Tea and Hot Water sang. Anyhoo, tomorrow it's back to reality - anybody going to come clean my room for me?
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Today's blessings: Petar and Palo; beautiful day to view the Alaska/Canada scenery; strawberry soup at dinner; Molly's birthday dinner celebration

Ketchikan



So today was our last port on our Alaskan cruise. Tomorrow is a sea day, and the Tuesday we'll head for home. Today we rode the duck tour (thanks Jeanne for that tip). Our "tour guide" was pretty pathetic - he told us George Clooney and Clint Eastwood own homes here, but the homes he was showing us at the time were just down the street from the dump, so I sort of doubt his claims. I think we learned more about his own history (got off a cruise ship and decided to stay, worked at some big financial place and decided to chuck all that to live here, blah, blah, blah). We also got to see a lot of Ketchikan's highlights, including the site of Sarah Palin's Bridge to Nowhere.

It's a beautiful, interesting place, this Alaska. The history and natural surroundings have been fascinating. I can see why people get off cruise ships and leave their financial place jobs to stay here. I'm just sorry that George Clooney wasn't in town today - I could have helped him pick up the trash in his yard!!
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Today's blessings: Duck tour and guide and touring Ketchikan; eagle sighting; special strawberry soup at dinner

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Juneau Where I Am?


Just another day in Alaska - the capital city, to be exact. Apparently there are no roads into Juneau - the only way to get here is via boat or plane. Molly and I walked around town, looking at the huge ravens, seeing mountain goats through the looking glass thingy, petting the statue of Sally Ann the Dog (who greeted cruise ships back in the day), watching people crowd into the skyway lift, and just absorbing the town.

Back on the ship, we attended the concierge reception - free drinks for all!, and had dinner at Palo (which needs no explanation for those of you in the know, and for those of you who aren't in the know, you really need to cruise Disney). During dinner, we also saw whales in the distance! Ana, our stateroom host, made Molly a towel birthday cake and put up a Happy Birthday banner (birthday is on Tuesday).

All in all, a pretty great Saturday!!
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Today's blessings: Juneau; Palo's and Peter; sweet Ana; trading vinyls; seeing whales

Skagway



Today we docked at our first port. Skagway is a gold-rush town. It is a quaint little town with wood plank sidewalks, trains, a bazillion jewelry stores, and a brother (well, a former brothel from the gold rush days). It is nestled in between the mountains, and was fun to wander about. It was a beautiful day and another great day in Alaska!
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Today's blessings: shopping in Skagway; actual greeting from tablemates Hot Tea and Hot Water

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Tracy Arm


Okay, so my travel blogging sucks. I could blame it on the price and availability of the internet, but that would be only partly true. It's also because everything is so beautiful in Alaska.

Today we cruised around Tracy Arm. We saw a big glacier and floated along in a fjord (first time ever for that) complete with ice chunks in the water (which you could feel when we rode over a few). We also saw a bald eagle in its nest. Molly saw baby dolphins in the water and a dude getting medi-vacced off the boat - of course, I was on the other side of the ship during both of these sightings.

Anyhow, it was a beautiful day. It was cold, but sunny, and a beautiful day to see Alaska.
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Today's blessings: snow-capped mountains, forests, nesting eagle; quiet dinners sans our table mates Hot Tea and Hot Water

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

And We’re Off!


Yesterday, Molly and I got up, repacked our already stuffed bags, and decided to hike down to the port. We had successfully spent the previous 24 hours without having to get and/or use Canadian money, and so we decided to keep our streak and not use a cab. Right now I apologize to all those tourists that I snidely commented about in New York City and elsewhere – rolling your bag all over town is not stupid – in fact, it’s cool (only because I was the one doing it at this point).

We got to the port, managed to find where we were supposed to drop off our luggage, and got in line to board. We went through customs, checked in, and proceeded to the Supervisor’s Desk, where Molly had planned to see if we could get an upgrade for our cabin. The dude in line two people ahead of us apparently spoke no known language, or was trying to marry the Disney employee who was helping him, because he was taking FOREVER. Finally, he finished and soon it was our turn. We had a budget for our supposed upgrade, and sure enough, WE GOT IT!! We were now the happy recipients of a paid upgrade to a one-bedroom concierge room. We felt like Jed Clampett when he went searchin’ for some food and found some bubblin’ crude. We were going to live the high life!!

We boarded, met with our Concierge Host Thomas, had some lunch, and walked the deck. Soon we were off – complete with Mickey and Friends . We met our stateroom host Ana, who is very sweet. At dinner we met our tablemates Polly and Kim – mother and daughter from Hong Kong. Kim doesn’t appear to speak much English, and neither of them seem to want to talk to us too much. Our servers are James and Buyani (who remembered to bring my iced tea on the second night – first time that’s happened in the last several cruises).

Today we’ve been cruisin’ along, gazing at the beautiful scenery. Snow-capped mountains and heavily wooded forests are on each side as we travel. Today’s high was 50 degrees – a little different than the Caribbean cruise of last month. Anyhow, we’re on our way to Alaska.

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Today's blessings: Breakfast at Triton's with Molly and server dude; seeing James at lunch; Gnomeo and Juliet movie; DVC Member meeting; beautiful scenery

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Preview of Things to Come

Today Molly and I boarded the Disney Wonder to begin our cruise to Alaska. I would tell you all about it, but it's been a busy day, and we just ate dinner, and we're tired. So you'll just have to wait until tomorrow - maybe by then we'll have sorted through the gillion pictures we've already taken!
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Today's blessings: Walking to port with Molly; cabin upgrade; Ana our hostess; Polly and Kim at dinner

Monday, May 16, 2011

New Day, New Place

I'm in Canada, Vancouver to be specific. Molly and I flew here this morning to be fresh for boarding our ship tomorrow.

At the San Francisco airport, we only had to go about six different places to check in for our United flight. Upon arrival in Canada, we had to walk about six gillion miles for Customs. From the airport, we managed to figure the train thingy for downtown Vancouver and actually get to our desired destination, then walk another six gillion blocks to our hotel, where we've seen two famous actors. Of course, we're in our Beverly Hillbillies outfits, so I think the hotel people would prefer that we stay in our room.

We've eaten at some healthy place where we had a rice/carrot/shrimp combo thing and at Tim Horton's, which is apparently a big deal here. We also managed to wander about downtown in hopes of finding a mall. We were mildly successful, in the sense that we found some buildings that housed a collection of stores. However, a regular USA mall? I think not. Oh, and here could possibly be the densest concentration of Starbucks than I've ever seen.

Anyhoo, that's my take on Canada. Except that it's quite chilly, which means by the time I actually return to Nashville, it's going to seem really, really hot. Especially since I'll be in Alaska in between now and then!

Until tomorrow ....
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Today's blessings: Bart riding with Steve and Molly; United goings on with Molly; adventures in Vancouver and famous people sightings

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Bay to Breakers Recap

This morning I wogged the Bay to Breakers 12K. If you want actual info on this race go here. If you want to learn about the runners who run it sans clothes, go here. Now that you're fully informed, I'll tell you how my morning went - just in case you want to do this in 2012 - clothed or not!

The first thing is the tortilla toss. While you're waiting for the race to start, all the participants are tossing tortillas. You get hit in the head, the back, the wherever, and you pick it up and toss it back into the crowd. Fun stuff and gets you in the mood - for what, though, I don't know!!

The dudes with the yellow balloons are the "Bare to Breakers." If you did your homework, then you know what I'm talking about. This morning started off a bit chilly, hence the reason these dudes were clothed. At this point, they were starting to shed their layers. Luckily they had backpacks in which to store their layers. By the way, these dudes are all middle-aged. Or older.

The aforementioned yellow baloon dudes, having fully stored their layers. There's nothing to wake you up in the morning than the sight of a nekkid dude running past you. Trust me.

These are the salmon. They run against the stream of runners. You can learn more about them here. I don't know when they started, but they passed me at Mile 2.

This is Hayes Street Hill. It is very steep. If you look at the elevation profile, this is the part after Mile 2 that looks like you should be mountain climbing at this point. This picture is looking down - much more rewarding than at the bottom looking up!!

Young bare butt dude. Whatevs.

Two bare butt dudes. I called them Harry and Smooth. Get it??

There were lots of costumes - some in the race and some on the side. We even had a few dignitaries show up!!

I don't know what this place was, but it was really pretty with the flowers.
Very natural - just like some of the runners!

Waterfall - oooh, pretty! Yep, that's why my race time was so slow -
I stopped to take pictures. Yep, that's it.

These are the bison along the course. They were only slightly faster than me.

Ah - the "breakers" of Bay to Breakers.
In other words, "We Almost Done!"

And there it is - THE FINISH!!!!

I hope you enjoyed my pictorial rehash of the race. It was fun, it was entertaining, it was illuminating. And boy, were there a lot of sights to see!
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Today's blessings: Race people, scenery, supporters, parties, finish, medal, bus ride back downtown; Subway lunch and washing clothes; chatting with fellow racers at the hotel; wandering around town with a sack with Molly, looking for a FedEx place; ; Steve picking up Thai for dinner

Saturday, May 14, 2011

The Mouse, The Golden Gate, and Me

After spending a week at Walt Disney World and then flying to San Francisco, one might think that the Disney magic would be gone. One would be wrong.

Here's how San Francisco has some Disney magic:

1. It has a Disney store with San Francisco Disney pins. If you don't know what I'm talking about, this blog post is not for you.

2. The MUNI bus system is similar to the Disney resort bus system. You wait for the bus for where you want to go and board with any number of people - from very few to a packed busload. In some cases, the inside of the bus looks just like a Disney bus (even with fussy babies)!

3. The Walt Disney Family Museum - 'nuf said.

4. In my hotel, there are NO Disney channels on the television. However, while I do not get to see the Top Ten Things To Do At Disney World, there are eighty-eleven ESPN channels - just like WDW. I don't like it any better here than there.

So maybe I thought that San Francisco would be a Disney-less break until to my Disney cruise. I thought wrong. The Mouse - he is everywhere!
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Today's blessings: riding the bus with Steve; Walt Disney Family Museum; seeing the Golden Gate Bridge; lunch at Rocco's; Disney pin from Steve

Friday, May 13, 2011

The Little Suitcase That Could

This is my little red suitcase (and Jeanne, I hope you're reading). And this is the story of how it said, "I think I can, I think I can," and how it could. Be forewarned - this story is a bit long, so grab a snack and read on.

It all starts over a year ago. Steve, in all his timeshare wheeling and dealing, said that he could get a one-bedroom at Disney's Old Key West in Orlando for a week in May 2011 (Friday-Friday). It sounded like a great idea, so I said, "Book it, Steve-o," (only meaningful for you who remember Hawaii Five-O in the old days). He did, and that's where it began - even before I got the little red suitcase.

Fast forward a few weeks, and Disney announced the date for Expedition Everest Challenge 2011. Guess what - it would be on the Saturday of the week that Steve had already booked. Since we usually arrive on the Thursday before these races, we reserved the room an extra day early and now we had an 9-day vacation on the calendar.

Fast foward a few more weeks, and Bay to Breakers announced the date for the 100th anniversary of that event. Guess what - it would be on the Sunday following our Disney vacation. We did this race several years ago and it was amazing. Partly because it's in San Francisco and a real party event, and partly because there's a bunch called "Bare to Breakers" that run it, and they run it nekkid!! I had no camera when I ran it the first time and was determined that I would run it again, camera in hand, so I knew I had to run the 100th anniversary. Besides, they were also going to give out finisher medals this year, so this was truly a must-do. It did involve flying from Orlando to San Francisco, not something I was looking forward to, but a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do - you know, to run with the nekkids. So, we booked San Francisco from Thursday through Monday (technically our Disney vacay would be not be up until that Friday, but there was no way I was going to fly on Friday the 13th, so we left a day early). Now, in case you're not keeping track, we've gone from an 8-day trip to a 9-day trip to a 12-day trip.

Fast forward a few months and now Disney has announced new itineraries for their ship, The Wonder. It will be on the West Coast during the spring of 2011, and then in May, it will head to ALASKA!! I've always thought I'd go on an Alaskan cruise, and now Disney is going to have them? Along with the nekkid runners, this was a no-brainer. And, guess what - I'll be in California during that time, which is only a couple of hours flight to Vancouver, where the cruise departs (so I wouldn't have to make that long flight multiple times). The only problem is that the nekkid runner race is on Sunday, which is usually when cruises depart. But guess what - I checked out the website, and the Alaska cruises leave on TUESDAYS!!! So, I can run and take pictures, rest up, fly to Vancouver the next day and have a day to tour, and then cruise away on Tuesday.

Well, at first I was going to do it. Then I decided I'd better not, since I would be gone for nearly two weeks with Disney World/San Francisco. Besides, I'm also on Lindley pickup duty a few days a week. So I just decided to let it go until 2012. But guess what - Maribeth would be in town for Lindley duty, and the week I'm cruising is when Lynnette's schedule changes and she gets off work earlier. So I decided to consider it again, and Molly said she'd go along, so guess what - I booked it. Now, I've extended my vacation from 7 to 8 to 11 to 19 days. Or, if it makes it easier, I flew out of Nashville on May 5 and will return on May 24.

By this time, I've purchased the little red suitcase (on a random pass-thru the Tumi outlet in Vidalia, Georgia). It is a carry-on which I hoped would fit in any overhead luggage compartment. When I started planning my current vacation, I decided to use this suitcase, since I would only fly Southwest (which allows me to check two bags free) once, and would be flying other airlines (which allow me to carry on a suitcase for free - anything checked requires it's own payment). I am cheap (I must have money for Disney stuff), and this was my way of saving money.

Which brings me (finally) to the point of my story. I packed for 19 days in a carry-on bag. Keep in mind that I also have to pack for climates from Florida (think 90 degrees) to San Francisco (think windy 50 degrees) to Alaska (think brrr when it gets dark). I also have to pack running shoes for two races, something "nice" (and that requires a little more than "clean") for the formal dinner aboard the ship, and any other assorted clothing that I might need. And yes, I put the shoes in front of the suitcase to give you some perspective, and no, my feet are not that big.

But guess what - I did it! Sure, the seams look a bit stressed (sort of like the seams of my bathing suit when I put it on), but so far they've held. I probably have no room for any souvenirs, which may be a good thing - I certainly don't need more stuff (fat chance, though). But maybe the best thing is that I've seen what I may actually need, and it's not that much. Of course, the little red suitcase probably thinks I could use even less!
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Today's blessings: Breakfast at Dottie's Cafe with Steve and bus riding; lunch at In-N-Out; Bay to Breakers packet pickup; nice bike lady who stopped to see if we needed directions; funny cable car driver; bush scare man; potatoes and clam chowder via Steve

Thursday, May 12, 2011

San Fran

Apparently Blogger has had a few issues the past few days. Wednesday's brilliant (ha!) post apparently was deleted (as was everyone's) but was restored. This post was submitted, but didn't show up, so I'm doing it again.

I'm posting this on Friday, but labeling it as Thursday's, since I had a post that I wanted to write on Thursday, but couldn't because Blogger was down with maintenance issues. Oh, and the fact that I normally live in Central Time, had just spent a week in Eastern Time, got up at 4am to make an early flight to San Francisco, flew 5+ hours (losing/gaining 3 hours in the process), went to a Giants game where I was so hungry (my stomach didn't know what time it was, except that it was eatin' time) that I nearly told the dude behind the concession stand to just throw everything in a trough and I would just dive into it like a pig, ditto the Ghiradelli stand dude), so that by the time we returned to the Courtyard, it was all I could do to keep my eyes open to see the bed, much less stay awake to keep you people entertained.

So what was yesterday's blog supposed to be about? I forgot, but I do have a pretty picture:

And the Giants won!!
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Today's blessings: Smooth, safe flight; BART ride; hotel room ready upon arrival; Giants game with Steve; usher lady

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Until Tomorrow ...


My pictures won't load and my computer is slow, so tonight's brilliant blog post will be delayed. Tomorrow I change cities, so maybe computer issues will be resolved.

Now, to find a brilliant blog post before tomorrow ...
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Today's blessings: Brunch and pictures with Jeanne and meeting Bea; bird on alligator; leftover pizza; GDiz's successful procedure

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Bravo Ladies!!

Today I decided to throw caution (and propriety) to the wind and go with Steve to one of Disney's water parks. I put on my bathing suit made by Nashville Tent and Awning, wondering at which point would the ever-cheerful Disney lifeguards point to me and say, "Um, ma'am, we don't have floats in your size for the lazy river."

I needn't have worried. About a minute after entering the park, I saw bathing suits on bodies of all shapes and sizes. Many were like me, opting for some sort of bathing suit that would suck in the most body fat, while covering up all the rest. Some women my size opted for a traditional swimsuit, bulges be damned. There were several women my size who chose a two piece tankini - evidenced by the strain of the bathing suit to cover the body's midsection. And then there were my heroines - those large women who wore full-scale bikinis which covered the important lady parts and little else. By little else, I mean all the rest of the body that spilled out over the bikini parts.

I have to believe that these women have a healthy sense of self to be able to wear whatever they want at a place filled with Skinny Minnies parading their wares for all to see. My bikini-clad peeps obviously were not concerned with what anyone else thought - they were simply there for a good time in the sun.

Many of us who want to lose weight have the desire to look good in a bathing suit, and long for the day that we can wear a cute one. Sometimes we don't allow ourselves the fun we deserve, because we don't think we look the part. We're waiting, and by waiting we're missing out on life. But maybe, if we're brave, we can like who we are and go forth and enjoy. Because in the end, happiness shouldn't have to wait on a bathing suit size - it should happen now.
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Today's blessings: Typhoon Lagoon with Steve and mini donuts; Steve's pizza delivery

Monday, May 9, 2011

Busy Monday?

After a busy weekend of park hopping and 5K-ing and obstacle course-ing, I decided to take today off. I took naps and watched tv and then took some more naps. It was great.

Sometimes you really have to do stop and do absolutely nothing - and I mean nothing. There are certainly a million possibilities of things to do - and I just kept telling myself that they could all wait until another day.

Was today a waste of the day? Nope - I got everything on my list completed. What a great day!!
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Today's blessings: Molly's and Charity's safe return to Nashville; couch-ing it all day; Steve picking up dinner; Mickey bar

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Happy Mother's Day!!

Time sure flies when you're having fun!!

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Today's blessings: AK safari with Steve, Molly, and Charity; bus and boat waiting and riding with Molly; flower and fruit arrangements from Mathieu and Maribeth; phone call from Sam; chipmunk video starring Sam and Maribeth; Kouzzina dinner with Steve, Molly, and Charity

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Another 5K In The Books

And a good time was had by all - once the 5K was finished, the obstacle course was completed, all the clues in the scavenger hunt were solved, and we crossed the finish line and received our medals. A pretty fun night for all!
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Today's blessings: Hollywood Studios with Molly and Charity; Everest Challenge with Steve, Molly, and Charity

Friday, May 6, 2011

Note To Self ...

... choosing a chocolate milkshake (that ends up being large enough for 3 glassfuls) for your drink at dinner is NEVER a good idea. Of course, following that with "Mama's Special" (roast beef/fried chicken/meatloaf) is just adding stupider to stupid. I'd tell you to just ask Molly, but I think she's gone to bed with her new boyfriend, Pepto Bismol.

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Today's blessings: MK with Molly and Charity; ridunkulous transportation to pick up race packets; fellow travelers on aforementioned transportation; dinner with Molly, Charity, and Steve (the company, not the actual food); vinyl trading

Thursday, May 5, 2011

The Start of Vacation

I managed to get packed, mostly by walking past something and stuffing it in my suitcase, all the while hoping that my luggage will not be chosen by TSA for a random check - they will never get all that stuff back in the bag!

We arrived in Orlando and made it to Old Key West and spent the next two hours trying to get Molly/Charity's room reservation straight. Once Charity finally had a room (Molly was still in Nashville, waiting for her plane to arrive so she could join the fun), she and I made it to Epcot so we could eat like pigs in France.

Once we were finished there, we waddled around the World Showcase and found a place to sit until Illuminations, which was spectacular, as usual.

Molly finally arrived two hours late, and had to check her bag because the flight attendant didn't like the way it was fitting into the overhead compartment. Then, upon leaving the plane (or walking through the airport), Molly was complimented on her shoes by an 80-year-old woman - who was wearing the same shoes.

Now it is time for bed to rest up for tomorrow - another exciting day in a Davidson Disney vacation!
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Today's blessings: safe, smooth flight to Orlando; all the cast members I encountered while trying to secure Molly and Charity's room; Chefs de France; Illuminations

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Packing, Or The Lack Thereof

Tomorrow I will be headed to Alaska - via Orlando, San Francisco, and Vancouver. One would think that I would be all aflutter with packing. One would be wrong. One cannot get all aflutter if one has not yet begun to pack.

Tomorrow morning should be interesting ...
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Today's blessings: Butt camp with my buds; Maribeth's broccoli salad; cleaning up the house a bit; afternoon time with Lindley; beef tip dinner with Lynnette, Lindley, Molly, Maribeth, and Adam; picking up Steve at the airport

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Give, and Let It Go

Today I went to the Red Cross for my regular appointment to give my pint of blood. I read the same packet of information, signed in, and was soon taken back for processing. Kanisha checked my blood pressure and temperature, checked my iron level, left me to complete the computer checklist, and then deemed me eligible to donate. Soon I was on the gurney and Katrina started the donation process.

At one point, Katrina called over Kamina and asked her to check the labels on the various tubes and bags. Apparently I am A+ and the label listed O or something that was not A+. Kamina assured her it was okay, that the label didn't matter because every so often they needed something back for QC on the machine. In other words, from what I understood (and of course I didn't ask questions, so this could be totally off base), my blood was not going to save someone's life, but for a quality check on some machine in the back.

At first I was a little concerned. I mean, here I was, gladly donating a pint of my blood - but for a person, not a machine. Wasn't this a waste of a life-saving pint of blood?

And then I thought a little more. I don't know what the machine in question was, but it obviously had something to do with the blood donation process. Quality control would be very important, if donated blood were to be used to save a life. And how could quality control be achieved, unless real blood was used? So maybe my blood ultimately saved many lives, because it assured that whatever the machine does for the whole process, that machine was right on target.

I guess the moral of my story is this - sometimes we give thinking that our donation has to be used in a certain way. But in reality, our only job is to give. How our donation is used to help others is best left to those who know what to do. We just have to get the ball rolling and give.
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Today's blessings: sleeping in via Karen's text message; giving blood at Red Cross; Cracker Barrel lunch with Maribeth; Logans dinner with Maribeth and Molly; new camera delivery; packing list; Pinkberry with Lindley

Monday, May 2, 2011

And Then There Was Monday ...

After a spectacular weekend, the inevitable had to happen - Monday came.

It wasn't so bad. I managed to get up too early and make it to butt camp. My half-marathon wogging buddy Karen also made it, so we did our best to stretch out our stiff muscles, still vowing never to do that half-marathon again.

After camp, I went to the post office to use the automated postage machine so I could mail a package. I noticed it was a little slow and should have just left. Instead, I wasted about 20 minutes waiting for the postage to be printed - only to watch the screen turn to a display of "This machine is out of order."

The rest of the morning was spent taking Steve to the airport, packing up the last of Maribeth's stuff and taking it to her house, chatting with Matt about the yard, picking up Lindley and taking her to Pinkberry and watch her eat a small container by herself, and making a Target run with Maribeth.

Now a cold front has breezed through Nashville, causing the temperature to drop. My sinuses have decided to clog up and I'm sleepy. So I'm going to bed - and we'll see if I wake up for butt camp in the morning. There's still a bunch of stuff to get done before we leave on Thursday.

Oh - did I not mention I'm going on vacation on Thursday?
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Today's blessings: butt camp and buds; taking Steve to the airport: spending time with Lindley and Maribeth; a little bit of hoiuse cleaning

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Now That Was A Great Weekend

Friday - getting up early early early for the big wedding, working at the expo with a cool volunteer dude and meeting many interesting runners

Saturday - 13.1 miles with my buds, seeing cool volunteer dude at the water station, seeing old friends before the race, finishing those 13.1 bleeping miles, spending the afternoon with the family

Sunday - donuts at Maribeth's with the family, building Maribeth's coffee table with her, catching up on paperwork

Thank you God for a great weekend!
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Today's blessings: donuts with the family; Home Depot and table building with Maribeth; catching up on stuff