One more day and January will be behind me. I really hope February starts better. If this month is any indication of how 2009 will shape up I can't take any more of it.
Brutal day today. We woke up late. My 11 a.m. appointment bumped me back an hour and left me running late all day. But on a positive note, Dillard's was having a great sale and I bought my 14th or so shirt in some shade of turquoise for just $16.
Now I'm sitting here trying to decide if that project I killed myself on in November and December and sacrificed so much time from my family for is worthy of entering in any national journalism contests. I'm thinking I spend far too much time on work.
It's cold again tonight. Someone has forgotten to tell Mother Nature it's Florida.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Could this day?
Could this day get any more gray? Rosie is so sick, I'm not well and neither is Steve. The house feels like it reeks with germs and it's raining.
On a positive note, the frame of the shed is up in the back yard and it's going to be enormous. Steve actually agreed to let me store the wedding supplies out there so that's great news.
I have to teach our women's group on Sunday. I'm thinking about discussing all the ways we can get rid of clutter in our lives and the improvement that brings.
On a positive note, the frame of the shed is up in the back yard and it's going to be enormous. Steve actually agreed to let me store the wedding supplies out there so that's great news.
I have to teach our women's group on Sunday. I'm thinking about discussing all the ways we can get rid of clutter in our lives and the improvement that brings.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Being sick
Because we have this nasty virus, the doc says we can't have any dairy products or anything with natural fruit juice for a week! What a challenge.
I love to see the sun's rays
shining from behind snowy white clouds. It's incredibly beautiful and makes me think I'm catching a glimpse of heaven.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Vacation slideshow
Here are a few of the photos from the hundreds we took on the trip. Mine were sent off today to be developed. You can double click on the first photo to open it to a larger screen with captions
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Day Six
We are exhausted. We're only going to get 6 hours sleep if we're lucky, but we've had a wonderful trip. We were bumped from the Radisson to the Hilton Garden Inn at the Phoenix Airport. Wish we could spend an extra night just resting!
Today we saw Canyon de Chelly, Four Corners and Petrified Forest. Absolutely divine. We love the Forest, which it isn't, even though we didn't expect to. Four Corners was fun but kind of hoky. Drove and drove and drove today it seemed but the drive through Arizona was startlingly lovely. Lots of mountains and snow.
Home Wednesday afternoon and will sleep for 24 hours straight!
Active links later.
Today we saw Canyon de Chelly, Four Corners and Petrified Forest. Absolutely divine. We love the Forest, which it isn't, even though we didn't expect to. Four Corners was fun but kind of hoky. Drove and drove and drove today it seemed but the drive through Arizona was startlingly lovely. Lots of mountains and snow.
Home Wednesday afternoon and will sleep for 24 hours straight!
Active links later.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Day Five
We're getting a late start today. It's 8:30 and we're not on the road yet. We stayed last night at a Comfort Suites and just finished up with the continental breakfast. The room was free courtesy of my Choice Privilege points, so that was cool. Steve has taken the truck to the car wash to erase the physical remnants of our brief excursion on Cottonwood Canyon Road! Then we'll be headed off to Canyonlands National Park.
One thing we've noticed. The sky here is like dark velvet, sprinkled with glittering stars and glowing planets. Beautiful. Virtually no light pollution. Even the street lamps in Moab were designed to pool the light on the sidewalk and not reflect it up.
Next time we're here, we're going to rent a Jeep.
Wow!!! Canyonlands is unbelievably awesome. As much as we loved Capitol Reef, we also loved Canyonlands. It even had an arch. Beautiful windswept mesa tops. Simply divine and we didn't want to leave. We left though and drove to Mesa Verde near Cortez, Colorado. A nervewracking drive up a snow covered mountain with icy road but the pueblo dwellings were really incredible. One was in this beautiful little green gorge, I could have moved right in though it would have been a little chilly. Pics later.
One thing we've noticed. The sky here is like dark velvet, sprinkled with glittering stars and glowing planets. Beautiful. Virtually no light pollution. Even the street lamps in Moab were designed to pool the light on the sidewalk and not reflect it up.
Next time we're here, we're going to rent a Jeep.
Wow!!! Canyonlands is unbelievably awesome. As much as we loved Capitol Reef, we also loved Canyonlands. It even had an arch. Beautiful windswept mesa tops. Simply divine and we didn't want to leave. We left though and drove to Mesa Verde near Cortez, Colorado. A nervewracking drive up a snow covered mountain with icy road but the pueblo dwellings were really incredible. One was in this beautiful little green gorge, I could have moved right in though it would have been a little chilly. Pics later.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Day Four
Woke up in Escalante about 6 a.m., which would be 8 a.m. our time, and quickly packed the car to head back across to Boulder and Capitol Reef. Two of the three milks we bought as the convenience store was closing the night before were expired. So we left them on their front door step and headed out of town with one bottle of chocolate milk and our bag of Chips Ahoy. Everything in Escalante is closed on Sundays.
Capitol Reef was all that we had hoped it would be. Simply gorgeous. First we drove about 12 or 15 miles down Burr Trail, a famous road that takes you from Boulder out into the middle of the wilderness and then in a couple of different directions. We didn't try the whole road because we started seeing a lot of snow and had already had one harrowing experience. Plus we had limited time. We drove back out to Boulder and then headed to the main visitors center for Capitol Reef. We watched a film, stamped our passport and then did the scenice drive. Took two short hikes. Loved it.
Then I took a nap while Steve drove us to Moab and Arches National Park. He managed to somehow shave about 20 minutes off our estimated time of arrival while I was sleeping. We stopped at a rest area on the freeway and had what must have been our 5th snowball fight of the trip. It's almost like hanging a sign around your neck that says "we're from Florida." Still Rosie loves it.
Arches was spectacular. All snowed over and frigid cold but gorgeous and fun. We did two hikes on snowy frozen trails where we were literally slip slidin' away but it was totally fun. The best part is that most of these places are nearly deserted so we're skipping the crowds which makes us very happy.
Tonight we're enjoying the free hotel room at the Comfort Suites I've earned with our Choice Privilege points.
Capitol Reef was all that we had hoped it would be. Simply gorgeous. First we drove about 12 or 15 miles down Burr Trail, a famous road that takes you from Boulder out into the middle of the wilderness and then in a couple of different directions. We didn't try the whole road because we started seeing a lot of snow and had already had one harrowing experience. Plus we had limited time. We drove back out to Boulder and then headed to the main visitors center for Capitol Reef. We watched a film, stamped our passport and then did the scenice drive. Took two short hikes. Loved it.
Then I took a nap while Steve drove us to Moab and Arches National Park. He managed to somehow shave about 20 minutes off our estimated time of arrival while I was sleeping. We stopped at a rest area on the freeway and had what must have been our 5th snowball fight of the trip. It's almost like hanging a sign around your neck that says "we're from Florida." Still Rosie loves it.
Arches was spectacular. All snowed over and frigid cold but gorgeous and fun. We did two hikes on snowy frozen trails where we were literally slip slidin' away but it was totally fun. The best part is that most of these places are nearly deserted so we're skipping the crowds which makes us very happy.
Tonight we're enjoying the free hotel room at the Comfort Suites I've earned with our Choice Privilege points.
Day Three
We woke up at the crack of dawn and watched the light from the sunrise move across the canyon from our hotel room. Totally cool. Then we headed out to Hermit's Rest to see as much of the canyon as we could. We spotted a Western jay and a Juniper Titmouse, both new life birds for me. So that was really cool. The canyon is just amazing. Steve and I both kept thinking we'd like to hike to the bottom and we'd like to run the river.
We're really enjoying the National Geographic National Parks Guide Book which tells us which overlooks to stop at, which to hike at and which to skip. Great investment at $25.
We went back to the room and packed the car. We stopped by the canyon market but were decidedly unimpressed. We bought ham and cheese and ate roll ups for breakfast. Then we headed north to find our way up to Escalante, Utah. That proved quite the adventure. We stopped in Page, Arizona to grab food at McDonald's crossed the Colorado and found the dirt road that the GPS advised us to take to Escalante -- Cottonwood Canyon Road. The first two miles weren't bad and we were thinking this really would be a great thing. But then as we climbed higher, we got to deep clay areas, covered in snow that had started to melt. We slid through one and then got stuck in the second one. We were having visions of having to call a tow truck for our beautiful rented Saturn outlook. Not such a great option!
Fortunately, through my old country roots and Steve's excellent assistance from the passenger seat, we backed our way right out of that hole, turned around, sped through the first mud hole and headed for the highway. We wound up taking the long way around through Kanab. The whole purpose of this was to see Capitol Reef National park because two of my friends insisted it wasn't to be missed. At this point we weren't so sure. Still Utah is incredibly beautiful and driving anywhere in the state can't be all bad. We drove through Red Canyon and past Bryce Canyon, saw plenty of hoodoos and other beautiful canyons. We wound up staying in Escalante, after first driving past it to Boulder, only to find out that Boulder is basically a non-town. So we headed back to Escalante, across a narrow mountain pass after dark and past herds of deer that love to stand in the center of the road and play chicken.
We snared one of the last hotel rooms in Escalante before they rolled up the streets at 8 p.m. We stopped at the Escalante Outfitters Cafe but they were out of food. The woman at the Subway at the gas station said Subway had closed 30 minutes earlier but she called the Mexican restaurant and talked the owner into staying open long enough for us to drive up the street and stop in.
Again, we fell into bed exhausted by about 11:30 our time.
Day Two
We left the hotel in Camp Verde, AZ and drove to Flagstaff, where we shopped at a Targ that was completely surrounded by snow. It was surreal! Then we drove to Wupatki National Monument. We took the scenic drive through the park, looked at the Sunset Crater Volcano and its lava flow and checked out the ancient Indian pueblo dwellings. From there we traveled on to the Grand Canyon, which was truly magnificent.
We got there in time to hike the rim trail from our hotel almost all the way to Maricopa Point and watched the light play across the canyon in the late afternoon sun. That was really cool. We saw four deer. We had dinner in the Bright Angel Lodge and then fell into bed.
We got there in time to hike the rim trail from our hotel almost all the way to Maricopa Point and watched the light play across the canyon in the late afternoon sun. That was really cool. We saw four deer. We had dinner in the Bright Angel Lodge and then fell into bed.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Here we are
So we landed uneventfully in Phoenix, after a very long flight from Charlotte. Thanks to a dose of nyquil I slept nearly the whole way with only occasional conversations with Rosie.
We can't get over the saguaros! They're huge and everywhere. It's the coolest. Spent the night in a beautifuly Comfort Inn in Camp Verde, Arizona that appears to have one of the cleanest rooms I've ever seen.
We can't get over the saguaros! They're huge and everywhere. It's the coolest. Spent the night in a beautifuly Comfort Inn in Camp Verde, Arizona that appears to have one of the cleanest rooms I've ever seen.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
January 15, 2009
So we actually put away almost all the Christmas boxes last night! Of course when I walked back into the living room, there was a box sitting as pretty as you please. Hopefully it will hold the little bits of Christmas I keep finding all over the house.
I finished packing at 3:30 a.m. Not bad two suitcases and two carryons. Probably too much for six days but you never know. We're each taking jackets and hiking boots or cuddly boots and I refuse to wear lace up shoes to fly. Steve's carryon is always filled with binoculars, cameras, the GPS and chargers. I can't believe how many electronic devices we "need" that we didn't even have 10 years ago. It's really funny.
Meanwhile this old song keeps running through my head and I can't remember who did it. "Went from Phoenix, Arizona all the way to Tacoma, Philadelphia, Atlanta, LA ... keep on a rockin me baby." Who sang that?
We have to be at the airport at 3:40 and we really hope US Air doesn't extend our layover in Charlotte. The last time we were there we spent 7.5 hours instead of the planned hour. I tried to check in online last night and somehow the reservation agent or the guy who booked seats for us two days later had never confirmed the tickets. But everything seems good to go. Now I'm just going to go do a bit of service for someone, vacuum and get a pedicure.
I finished packing at 3:30 a.m. Not bad two suitcases and two carryons. Probably too much for six days but you never know. We're each taking jackets and hiking boots or cuddly boots and I refuse to wear lace up shoes to fly. Steve's carryon is always filled with binoculars, cameras, the GPS and chargers. I can't believe how many electronic devices we "need" that we didn't even have 10 years ago. It's really funny.
Meanwhile this old song keeps running through my head and I can't remember who did it. "Went from Phoenix, Arizona all the way to Tacoma, Philadelphia, Atlanta, LA ... keep on a rockin me baby." Who sang that?
We have to be at the airport at 3:40 and we really hope US Air doesn't extend our layover in Charlotte. The last time we were there we spent 7.5 hours instead of the planned hour. I tried to check in online last night and somehow the reservation agent or the guy who booked seats for us two days later had never confirmed the tickets. But everything seems good to go. Now I'm just going to go do a bit of service for someone, vacuum and get a pedicure.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
January 14, 2008
Lots to be thankful for this week, first and foremost being the amazing response my brother-in-law Mike Pulver had to a stroke on Friday. He remained concious and talking throughout and appears set for an amazing recovery. That's a truly wonderful thing.
We had some badly needed rain today, which is great because the fire danger in the area has been inching up daily.
After spending an hour and a half on the phone with AT&T yesterday I got everything I wanted and more. They further bundled all of the services we have through them -- which is everything electronic except Dish which we don't have -- and they got us on a family plan for a very reasonable price. They just couldn't understand why I don't need unlimited text! How many ways can you say I don't need text! But now I'll have a nifty new pearl phone. The phones came in less than 18 hours! How crazy is that? We were absolutely stunned. The only down side is that I had to get a new phone number because my old phone number was locked by Verizon since it was David's old employee plan. Too bad...
Tonight we "studied" for Rosie's history final. Last night it was biology. I think I'm learning more from her high school biology than I learned from my own. It's really cool to open up her textbooks though and see people quoted that I know. It's kind of like going to the book store and reading the authors on the books in the Florida section and realizing how many I know or have met. I finally spent my $50 gift card for Barnes and Noble from LAST Christmas and still had to chip in $23 of my own money. I just love books and book stores. But I did manage to sort a bunch of books at the house and will donate them to the friends of the library sale or something. I think I'm even going to get rid of a few of the 200 or so cookbooks I own -- ones that I've never once used.
And yes, I SHOULD be packing instead of blogging but I'm just soooo tired. Today was a full day back at work and I wound up working 10.5 hours because I drove to Palatka for a water management district meeting. i seem to detect a definite change in the winds there. I'd like to think it had something to do with my stories but it's probably just the changes in the board and the different personality of this governor. Still they said they wanted to ramp up conservation at least a half-dozen times.
And besides packing is overwhelming because I'm not sure how I'm going to get enough warm clothes in the suitcases and I know Steve is going to gripe if I pack too much. I know they say 50 feels like 70 but I'm cold here all the time! Fortunately the bronchitis seems to be improving and I never had a fever all day long today as far as I know, a blessing for me. High temps are supposed to be in the low 40s! Shiver me timbers.
The sunset tonight was gorgeous. I should have stopped and grabbed the camera. All streaked orange and blue, making me think perhaps even the sky is a Gator fan!
Now if I can just get the Christmas decorations shoved aside to make room to lay out the suitcases ...
We had some badly needed rain today, which is great because the fire danger in the area has been inching up daily.
After spending an hour and a half on the phone with AT&T yesterday I got everything I wanted and more. They further bundled all of the services we have through them -- which is everything electronic except Dish which we don't have -- and they got us on a family plan for a very reasonable price. They just couldn't understand why I don't need unlimited text! How many ways can you say I don't need text! But now I'll have a nifty new pearl phone. The phones came in less than 18 hours! How crazy is that? We were absolutely stunned. The only down side is that I had to get a new phone number because my old phone number was locked by Verizon since it was David's old employee plan. Too bad...
Tonight we "studied" for Rosie's history final. Last night it was biology. I think I'm learning more from her high school biology than I learned from my own. It's really cool to open up her textbooks though and see people quoted that I know. It's kind of like going to the book store and reading the authors on the books in the Florida section and realizing how many I know or have met. I finally spent my $50 gift card for Barnes and Noble from LAST Christmas and still had to chip in $23 of my own money. I just love books and book stores. But I did manage to sort a bunch of books at the house and will donate them to the friends of the library sale or something. I think I'm even going to get rid of a few of the 200 or so cookbooks I own -- ones that I've never once used.
And yes, I SHOULD be packing instead of blogging but I'm just soooo tired. Today was a full day back at work and I wound up working 10.5 hours because I drove to Palatka for a water management district meeting. i seem to detect a definite change in the winds there. I'd like to think it had something to do with my stories but it's probably just the changes in the board and the different personality of this governor. Still they said they wanted to ramp up conservation at least a half-dozen times.
And besides packing is overwhelming because I'm not sure how I'm going to get enough warm clothes in the suitcases and I know Steve is going to gripe if I pack too much. I know they say 50 feels like 70 but I'm cold here all the time! Fortunately the bronchitis seems to be improving and I never had a fever all day long today as far as I know, a blessing for me. High temps are supposed to be in the low 40s! Shiver me timbers.
The sunset tonight was gorgeous. I should have stopped and grabbed the camera. All streaked orange and blue, making me think perhaps even the sky is a Gator fan!
Now if I can just get the Christmas decorations shoved aside to make room to lay out the suitcases ...
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Only one more day?
I have one more day before I have to get back into the work grind. I'm dreading it. I love being home, I'm never bored and I still have so much more to do. On top of that, the tone of e-mails from work has been decidedly negative over the past two weeks. The continuing effort to squeeze more work out of fewer people may wring the last bit of fun out of work for me. Why is it that so many people don't understand the principles of good management and apply them?
On a brighter note, I only have to work a week and then I'll be on vacation for a week as we head to the Grand Canyon. I truly can't wait. I'm deep in the throes of planning, finding quality hotels and great restaurants. Tomorrow I'm going to start packing.
After I finish organizing my closet. My friend and former sister-in-law Lori graciously agreed to help me out by standing over me to keep me focused and giving me permission to throw away things I hate that I keep hanging on to for who knows what reason.
I kept my grandson all day on Sunday because his parents were sick. What a sweet, sweet child. It's totally fun for all three of us to get to know him better. On New Year's Eve, Rosie and I watched my granddaughter. That was another great experience. She has quite a dynamic personality and is just adorable.
On a brighter note, I only have to work a week and then I'll be on vacation for a week as we head to the Grand Canyon. I truly can't wait. I'm deep in the throes of planning, finding quality hotels and great restaurants. Tomorrow I'm going to start packing.
After I finish organizing my closet. My friend and former sister-in-law Lori graciously agreed to help me out by standing over me to keep me focused and giving me permission to throw away things I hate that I keep hanging on to for who knows what reason.
I kept my grandson all day on Sunday because his parents were sick. What a sweet, sweet child. It's totally fun for all three of us to get to know him better. On New Year's Eve, Rosie and I watched my granddaughter. That was another great experience. She has quite a dynamic personality and is just adorable.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Some blogger I am
So it's been a month since I posted. So far this is going about as well as my journal keeping. I'm up far too late considering I'm supposed to be up for the Christmas bird count in the morning. I wonder if the ginger ale I drank at 10 p.m. had caffeine in it?
So I'm sleeping at 11:15 and the phone rings. The daughter-in-law of the couple across the street wanted me to check on them and call the hospital because they had received a call from some guy wanting to deliver medicine in the middle of the night. She just got out of the hospital today. Sure enough, the guy was legit but after standing outside for a half hour to make sure he arrived -- and left, I was wide awake.
Helped with an open house tonight for a girl from our church ward who was married last weekend. I look at these young couples anymore and see them from a completely different perspective. They look so YOUNG and full of hopes and dreams. At that stage in your life, you are so completely clueless about what all may happen to you in the next 30 years. It's pretty funny. If we did know, I guess we'd never get married or have babies.
I'm enjoying Facebook so much. It has been a lot of fun to reconnect with so many old friends.
I made mini key lime tarts for this open house tonight. They turned out spectacular if I do say so myself.
A friend from church came today to grind up all the stumps in our backyard from the 5 trees we took out for various reasons. I wish I'd been here to see it. It must have been amazing. All that's left is just a dirt spot in the front yard. Sure was a lot easier than digging and tugging like we did with the last stump. Now I just need to figure out what kind of trees to replant and where.
We're going to the Grand Canyon in two weeks, on a snap decision with our free tickets. I can't wait, it's going to be cold and cool! We're going to get to see those ancient Indian cliff dwellings too.
So I'm sleeping at 11:15 and the phone rings. The daughter-in-law of the couple across the street wanted me to check on them and call the hospital because they had received a call from some guy wanting to deliver medicine in the middle of the night. She just got out of the hospital today. Sure enough, the guy was legit but after standing outside for a half hour to make sure he arrived -- and left, I was wide awake.
Helped with an open house tonight for a girl from our church ward who was married last weekend. I look at these young couples anymore and see them from a completely different perspective. They look so YOUNG and full of hopes and dreams. At that stage in your life, you are so completely clueless about what all may happen to you in the next 30 years. It's pretty funny. If we did know, I guess we'd never get married or have babies.
I'm enjoying Facebook so much. It has been a lot of fun to reconnect with so many old friends.
I made mini key lime tarts for this open house tonight. They turned out spectacular if I do say so myself.
A friend from church came today to grind up all the stumps in our backyard from the 5 trees we took out for various reasons. I wish I'd been here to see it. It must have been amazing. All that's left is just a dirt spot in the front yard. Sure was a lot easier than digging and tugging like we did with the last stump. Now I just need to figure out what kind of trees to replant and where.
We're going to the Grand Canyon in two weeks, on a snap decision with our free tickets. I can't wait, it's going to be cold and cool! We're going to get to see those ancient Indian cliff dwellings too.
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