Vacation Preparation

has begun!!!

96 hours from now, my plane should be touching down on the Mazatlan runway, so the countdown is on! I've done a few things to get ready: My travel-size toiletries have been bought, I visited the used book store and came out with a nice stack of reading material (mostly trashy novels and mysteries), I've been to the tanning bed enough that I won't spontaneously combust from sunburn when I get to the beach, and I've started making a pile of things to go in my suitcase.

I still have laundry to do, and will probably do some up until I leave so the guys I'm leaving at home won't have to deal with the washer and dryer for (knowing them) about a week after I leave. If they time it right, they might only have to do laundry once and then there will be a whole bunch waiting for me when I get back. Can you say Passive/Aggressive??? :o)

Two years ago I bought a nice, big suitcase that held everything I could possibly need for a two-week trip with room for stuff I didn't actually need plus plenty of room for whatever I discovered that absolutely had to come home with me. Shortly after this purchase the airlines came up with the stupid 50 pound limit and if you go over that you have to pay extra. We're already paying extra these days to even take a suitcase so the whole thing kind of makes me crazy. I've gone back to my older, not so roomy suitcase and my nice, big, newer one is now a really pretty (and pretty expensive) storage container in the guest room closet. Sigh. The Silver Lining is that it forces me to only take what I actually need, as opposed to all that stuff that I'd like to have with me just in case. And to be honest, which I try to be, I don't really need a whole lot - bathing suits and coverups, a couple of sundresses or skirt/top combos for nights out, my two favorite skorts with tops for any shopping or tours, maybe a pair of shorts and a tee shirt or two for just hanging around. The condo we'll be staying in does have its own washer and dryer which makes it even easier. I'm good at mixing and matching - this top goes with this skirt and also with this other skirt, etc., so I'm going to try really, really hard to keep the clothes to a minimum. I must confess, though, that in all the years I've been going to Mexico on vacation I always seem to take too many clothes. Maybe I can break that streak this year. I'm much better than when I started, though -the first time I went I remember taking a daytime outfit and a nighttime outfit for every day I was going to be there, and then spent most of the week in a bathing suit. You'd think I'd learn.

I have 92 days left until I go back to work. Does that sound good or what????

Lazy...

that's me.

Two days of vacation have passed and I've done basically nothing. If we get to the middle of July and I still haven't done a darn thing, maybe then I'll feel bad but right now it feels good.



I have been doing laundry (which never ends, no matter what) and I've been visiting my friend's tanning bed so I don't arrive in Mexico looking like I should be wearing a sign that says "sunburn waiting to happen". I did book the transportation from the airport to the resort. I love arriving in Mazatlan: the airport is pretty small and usually only one plane shows up at a time so there are no long lines for immigration, baggage claim, or customs. Last year I timed it - 22 minutes from the time the plane touched down on the runway until I was out the door on my way to the resort. Much better than the 90 minutes I spent coming through immigration and customs in Houston on my way back.



Here's a story about that: I am not a US citizen, so I have a green (it's actually beige, but who cares?) card and this card was issued about 26 years ago. Keep in mind there is no requirement to renew these cards. So, I was standing in line for immigration in Houston and the guy checking my passport and immigration card says "Did you ever think about getting a new one of these?" Since I travel with it once a year, twice if I happen to be able to visit my brother in England, I gave him an honest answer, "No." "Well maybe you should", he says, kind of snottily. "Why?", I asked. "Because this one is old.", he replied, even more snottily. So I asked him, in a very polite tone, "Is it a requirement to get a new one?" "Well, no.", he says back, "but maybe you should." "Why would I get a new one if I don't have to?", I asked him. "OK", he finally said, while scribbling something on my customs form. Then I get to customs, and the agent pulls me out and says you need to go to that room over there. So I went and waited and finally another guy comes up and asks for my form. I showed it to him and he asks"What agricultural products are you carrying?" I told him that I wasn't carrying agricultural products. So he looks at my form again and says that the immigration guy wrote a notation that I needed to be checked for agricultural products. That son-of-a-b**ch wrote on my form so I'd get pulled out of the customs line!!!!! Then this customs guy asks "Are you sure you're not carrying agricultural products?" My reply, "Unless tequila is an agricultural product, no, I'm not!" "Have you been to any farms?", he asks. "I've been to the beach!", I replied. We stared at each other for a few seconds and then he says, "OK, but you still have to send all your items through this more intense scanner." At that point, I was like "Whatever" but I just said "OK". And guess what? They didn't find any damn agricultural products. Seriously, how petty is that? That's 30 minutes or so of my life totally wasted because the immigration guy got mad about my old card that has no requirement to be renewed. Please. There was enough time before my connecting flight that I could have gone back and given him a piece of my mind, except that the way it's set up you can't go back to the immigration area once you've left it. Probably a good thing, because I was good and mad.



I was checking out HBO On Demand the other day and found this show called "True Blood" about vampires living like regular people. Except, of course, they can only come out at night. Anyway, it takes place in this little town in Louisiana and it's just crazy!!!!! There's a lot of violence and sex - vampires apparantly have a big sex drive, plus everybody else in this little town seems pretty obsessed with sex, too - but parts of it are hysterically funny. It's kind of like "The Sopranos" that way - violence mixed in with totally bizzare stuff that makes you laugh. Anyway, I watched the whole first season in three days and now I can't wait for season two next month. Guilty pleasure thy name is "True Blood". Maybe I've found something to fill the void where "The Sopranos" used to be, cuz I was totally addicted to that show.



Knitting: I ripped out all of the baby blanket I was doing - the yarn was just too fine for that big a project and it was boring me to death. So I'm using two strands of the same yarn on bigger needles, so hopefully it will go faster and I won't get as bored. Plus with it being so fine, the blanket wasn't going to have much substance, if you know what I mean. I think this will work out much better.



Not much else is going on. Just a whole bunch of nothin'!

Summertime...

and the livin' is easy.

At lease I hope it will be! I want a relaxing, stress free summer.

I have turned off my Monday through Friday alarm clock for the duration, the coffee maker has been reset to make that first pot of the day at a later time, and I'm at the very beginning of a long stretch of having no pressing obligations. Does that sound great, or what??!! I counted on the calendar - I have 97 days before I have to do the daily routine again. That's 14 days more than we normally get because the first day of school for next year has been pushed back to the last day of August instead of the mid-August start date we've had for a few years.

I have my list of "projects" I want to get done. Stuff like organize photos, clean out my closet, go through and categorize my recipes and at the same time "clean up" the bookcase with all my cookbooks. There's more, but you get the idea. Sadly, at least two of the things are left over from last summer's list. I'm keeping my fingers crossed but am self-aware enough to know that I'm a champion procrastinator so it would not surprise me if a future post contained lamentations about not getting anything done.

I've been knitting: I finished the baby blanket made from leftovers. I think it's pretty and I have a home picked out for it already. A good friend has a grandbaby due the end of the summer so it worked out well. Two projects ongoing right now: the sock-yarn strips for a blanket and another baby blanket; both are coming along. I dug out my digital camera because a.) I decided it was time to learn to use it and b.) I wanted to post some pictures but, while I found the camera and instructions, I can't find the damn box with the charger so it's deader than a doornail. I'll have to go and buy a new charger. So pictures will have to wait. :o(

Today is Memorial Day - a time to remember those who serve, those who did serve, and those who died in that service. We owe all of them more than can ever be repaid.

The Home Stretch

Well, we're on the home stretch now both at work and on American Idol.

We have two days of work left, and I expect to hear a collective sigh of relief in our building when that final dismissal bell rings. I'm also looking forward to waving at the school buses as they leave for the last time with horns honking and kids bouncing in the seats. I have to move to a new room for next year (not sure which one yet) so I've been packing up stuff and taking things off the walls. That's a job I'll definitely be glad to finish with, hopefully tomorrow.

And here we are, just hours away from the final American Idol of the year. What a trip it's been! I so want Adam to win, but Kris may pull off the upset. I can hardly stand the wait! Those two are so different but both are good. I just think Adam has the bigger star potential. Here's a comparison of the two from Jacob at TelevisionWithoutPity.com - he explains it better than I ever could:
"I've been saying it's the best season ever since auditions, and you didn't believe me. Can you possibly join me now? Because check out your Top Two: KRIS and ADAM, which is the equivalent of winning two new cars in a raffle you forgot you entered. One of them goes really fast, changes from one just-invented color to another, gets its satellite radio from an unknown star, and takes you to wonderful, frightening lands of the future. The other has automatic transmission, sleek lines and touchable faux-leather interior, and always smells like heaven. And the biggest dilemma you face in your life is: which car am I going to drive today? That's a lot like having no problems at all. "
For me, I definitely want my Adam-car, racing toward those future lands. I did my best to help by voting as long as I could; I got through about ten times before I had about an hour of busy signals and just had to give up. Dial Idol has Kris marginally in the lead, so I don't know what to think. Last year they had a small lead for David Cook and he won by 12 million votes. I'm hoping for something similar, but with Adam coming out on top. As far as last night's show: I'm disappointed they had to sing something from a previous show. Both chose songs that were perfect the first time, so why try to improve on that? Note to Idol producers - let them pick something new! I thoroughly enjoyed Adam's "A Change is Gonna Come" and can't help but feel the emotion he felt about it was real; Kris' song didn't do much for me - too low key - but that's been his style most of the season. And the winner's song - don't get me started. OMG, can't they find someone to write a song that's upbeat and fun and sounds good????? I remember the very first show this year had a video clip of all these tween David Archuleta fans waiting for the final announcement. When David Cook's name was announced, one little girl's mouth dropped open in shock, another started crying, and another just stood there kind of spazzing out. I laughed out loud because it was really funny. Well, guess what? If Adam doesn't win, I'll be doing all three at once. And thank God no one will be videotaping me.
I know it's probably a little crazy for a woman my age to be so obsessed with a show and a singer, but we all have our issues, OK? Hey, I may not be totally normal, but at least I'm harmless. :o)
Silver Lining: If Adam doesn't win, he won't have to sing that awful song for his first single. (I still hope he wins, though).

Sunday Stuff

OK - I'm back and in a better mood.

I have heard from Austin via email and he made it safely to Iraq (via a two day layover in Spain, where he spent time at the beach) and is now living in a tent and working twelve-hour shifts with F-16s. I can think about him now without getting all upset and am focusing on his return. I send many, many, many positive thoughts his way every day.

As for the two sons still here: Ian's dad asked Ian to live with him while he's back here getting his life together. Their relationship hasn't been the best the last few years, and he asked Ian to stay with him so they could work on rebuilding their relationship. He's less than five minutes from my house, so I'll still see plenty of him and it would make me really happy if the two of them could get along better. Silver Lining - I can keep the guest room as a guest room. :o) Jordan had a busy week: He was elected to next year's Student Council, was inducted into the National Honor Society, and was hired as a lifeguard at the public pool. So, all in all, a good week child-wise.

American Idol: Adam and Kris in the finale. Kind of a surprise, but personally I'm glad Danny's gone. He seemed to irritate me more and more each week. Plus his singing was going downhill. I can't wait for the final show on Wednesday to see who wins!!!! I think they're singing three songs each on Tuesday and apparently there was some sort of coin toss which Kris won and he elected to have Adam sing first. When the show started in February, co-workers and I talked about the fact that the show would end during our last week of school; it seemed like such a long way off then, but here we are. What a great week, huh? The American Idol big finale and summer vacation begins! What more could I ask for? (Well, lots of stuff, but that's a rhetorical question.)

I joined NetFlix and decided to get the first season of two shows I've never watched: The X Files and Grey's Anatomy. The X Files isn't on any longer, of course, but I had some friends who watched it religiously so I thought I'd give it a try. I watched the first disc already and it's pretty good. I love cop shows and it's kind of like a cop show with Twilight Zone stuff mixed in. A whole bunch of my friends are into Grey's Anatomy and after watching the first few episodes I can see why. I can't wait for the next disc to show up in my mailbox!

It's been a low-key weekend. I've done all the laundry and have the rest of the day free from household tasks. USA network is having a Law & Order SVU marathon so I think I'll grab my knitting and turn on the TV.

Speaking of knitting: I knitted a total of six dishcloths and am back to working on the baby blanket. Now that I've started it, I think I'll just do the whole blanket in the variegated and use the "spotted" yarn for the edging. The blanket isn't really looking like it's done with variegated yarn, it's working up in a very muted way where all the colors seem to blend. Pretty.

I guess that's it for today. Now that I'm back to my "normal" self, I be blogging more than once a week.

Not in a Blogging Mood

I'm just not into writing today.

We saw Austin off to Iraq yesterday and it's left me sad and downhearted. We took him to the hanger where his unit was told to report, hung around for awhile, and then watched them all get on the transport plane. We waited by the fence outside the hanger until the plane took off and watched it until we couldn't see it anymore.

I have things going on the next couple of nights, so I probably won't be back until Thursday.

Here I Am

I'm sorry if you thought I'd deserted the blog - stuff came up and I got jammed up for time. I hate when that happens!!!!

Anyway, here I am. I took today as a personal day since I'm heading up north to spend some time with Austin before he leaves for Iraq. I would much prefer to take a personal day to fly to Vegas for a wild weekend. I'd even prefer to use a personal day on something totally, mind-numbingly, complete-waste-of-my-time, boring - like going to a hunting/fishing/camping expo. It goes without saying that it's not the spending time with Austin that I'd rather not do, it's the seeing him off to Iraq part. (Hmm, if it goes without saying, why did I say it?? Just how my mind works, I guess. Whatever.) So before I go I thought I'd spend some quality time with the old blog.

Let me address any hunters/fishers/campers out there who may look at the last paragraph and wonder why I wouldn't jump at the chance to visit such an expo. I don't do any of those things. Ever. Please don't start with how I'd really enjoy...let's say, camping...if I did it the right way. For me, there is no right way. It's camping. My aversion to camping actually started when I did my Army basic training all those years ago. We had to do a three-day bivouac (Army word for camping), complete with tents, sleeping bags, etc. We packed all our stuff on our backs and marched for hours to the campsite. I should also point out that it was August in Alabama. Nuff said about that. So we get to where we have to set up our tents and I get started. Tents and I don't get along, but I finally got the damn thing up and put the sleeping bags inside. As I was crawling out backwards (these were not big tents) I saw a snake and (city-girl that I was) totally freaked out. I got all tangled in the sleeping bag and then thE tent and after what seemed like an hour but was probably about 30 seconds I managed to get untangled, but the tent fell down and then I noticed it wasn't a snake after all, it was the zipper of my sleeping bag. The rest of the day we did our marching/training/whatever stuff and then I had to sleep in my re-erected tent. There were all kinds of middle-of-the-Alabama-woods noises, scary ones, and then it started to rain. I had managed to put the tent up right in the middle of some run-off area and the water ran through and everything (me, the sleeping bag, my clothes) got soaking wet. The next morning I was standing in formation in my wet uniform and the Alabama sun started to shine and pretty soon it looked like I was wearing a sauna-suit as the steam started to rise. I decided right then and there that I would never willingly do anything remotely connected with camping again. I've stuck to that all these years, except for one relapse in Italy when some guy I was seeing decided it would be fun to camp on a remote beach for a couple of days and I let him convince me I'd like it. Well I didn't like it, it still sucked, and I broke up with him after that. Now, if someone asks me if I camp (a legitimate question here in Colorado) I just look them dead in the eye and give them one of my two well-worn answers: 1. "Do I look like I camp?" or 2. "My idea of camping is staying in a hotel with no room service." The conversation always moves on to something else. Living in Colorado with all its outdoor beauty and activities, I've also been able to use a variation of #1 a few times: "Do I look like I fish?".

That's not really what I'd planned to write today, but my mind goes off of these tangents and sends words to my fingers to type and this is what I ended up with.

Let's get caught up on American Idol. I cannot believe that Danny is still around after butchering "Dream On" so badly. "Dream On" is my number one favorite song ever; I've even instructed my family to play it at my funeral, that's how much it means to me. It's all wrapped up with the words and how it came out when I was a teenager and it just speaks to me as a perfect song for my life. There I go again on a tangent detour. Sorry. So, Danny's in the top three after that and Allison is gone. There is no justice. Adam was his normal awesome self and continues his march to the Idol victory. Kris was his normal cute self. I still can't bring myself to pick on him because of his cuteness. As for the duets, Kris and Danny: why did they even bother?, Adam and Allison: Bravo! Record something together and I'll buy it!

In keeping with this Idol conversation, here's this week's Fill-Ins:
1. Apples are to oranges as Adam is to Danny.
2. Adam better be the next American Idol and that's all I have to say about that.
3. I think I hear Ryan Seacrest announcing You-Know-Who is the new American Idol.
4. Kris and Danny, just start waving the white flag.
5. Do what you want to do, but make sure you vote for Adam.

Knitting news: I made another dishcloth and then started the baby blanket for my pregnant friend. I only have a couple of rows done so far. The baby's not due until October - good news for me! I'm using a variegated baby yarn in shades of green, yellow, and lavender (non-gender-specific, obviously) and will alternate with another yarn that's basically white with "dots" of the same colors. I'm making it up as I go, but if the result matches the vision in my head it will be a really pretty blanket.

Enjoy the weekend!

Tiptoe Through the Tulips on Tuesday

I'm not tiptoeing and I don't have any tulips. But if I did, I would. Plus I feel alliterative today.

Today was another mostly ordinary day. I got a call from middle son Ian that his father is driving up there this afternoon and moving him back home. When Ian was here last weekend we discussed this possibility, but I didn't think it would be quite so soon. I've talked to other parents and apparently this is a common occurrence - kids move out and then they move back in. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he finds a job quickly so he can get back on his feet and make some plans for the future. Work-wise things moved along well. Thirteen days to go. One of my students gives me the countdown status every morning. Bless his heart. Little does he know that I've probably been counting down longer than he has. I've got to find my Alice Cooper CD so I can play "School's Out" really, really loud on our last day.

Tonight is Rock night on American Idol. Slash from Guns-n-Roses is the mentor this week; he never did anything for me, but it should be interesting to see what he tells the contestants. And I have to admit, Adam singing "Welcome to the Jungle" would probably be a performance to remember. In my opinion, Danny and Kris will probably have the hardest time - rock just doesn't seem like their thing. Plus we get duets. It should be an interesting show.

Knitting: finished one dishcloth last night and started another. They're fun, easy, and quick! I can resort to dishcloths when my knitting ADD gets out of control to feel like I'm accomplishing something. That could be a Silver Lining, right?

That's it for now - I'm tiptoeing on out of here. :o)

First Monday of May

Not much going on. It's Monday. This head cold continues to sap my energy and drag me down. I fell asleep yesterday afternoon while doing laundry and never did get it all done. I fluffed up what was in the dryer (hubby's shirts) this morning and got them put away, but I still have about three loads left. There were a couple of shows I had planned to watch last night, but at the last minute I set the DVR because I knew I'd never be able to concentrate on them. It's a good thing I did, because I pretty much dozed off and on through the evening and finally gave up and went to bed about 9:30.



On a brighter note, the family turkey dinner was enjoyable, if typical: 5 hours of cooking and preparation for 15 minutes of actual eating. But we had fun around the dinner table and that's what counts, right? An added bonus was that because I did all that cooking, the boys did the clean-up. Since it was Saturday night all of them had place to go and people to see, which was actually OK with me since I was starting to feel the effects of this darn cold again. So they all went out while I watched TV and knit a dishcloth. Is my life exciting, or what????

I did get my hair done over the weekend. Got rid of those pesky gray hairs. I've long since forgotten what my actual hair color is (I've streaked, frosted, highlighted, lowlighted, and sometimes completely dyed my hair since I was 16), but until I get so old that I actually forget that I care about it I will not have gray hair.

I'm still in a holding pattern as far as the trip to Mexico. Nobody has backed out yet, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed we can go as planned. Apparently the World Health Organization may declare a world-wide pandemic. What is that? A combination of the words panic and epidemic that freaks everybody out?? I think we'll be OK unless travel to Mexico is actually banned by the government.

Since I'm tired and my head can't come up with anything else to talk about, I'm taking a shortcut and giving you a Monday Medley, with my answers in bold italics. Substitute your own answers if you like.



1. The first rule of working in an office and getting along is own the office.



2. Spaghetti vongole is the best way to eat clams.



3. When I think of carnivals I think of riding the Ferris wheel at night.



4. Tulips: my favorite spring flower.



5. Things on my desk include a Happy Bunny daily calendar, 3 things made by my kids, folders, notepads, computer monitor and keyboard, mousepad, school mascot stuffed animal.... I need a bigger desk.

Turkey in May

As I write this, I have a turkey in the oven. It's a nice, big Thanksgiving-size turkey. It's going to be offered up as the main dish for dinner tonight as we all gather round to have a last family dinner with Austin before he goes to Iraq next week. Emotionally, I'm torn. I'm happy to have all the kids but one (Shea has finals, plus a nasty case of bronchitis, so she stayed up north) home for the weekend, but I'm unhappy about the reason they're all here. I'm still not thinking about the whole Iraq thing. Yes, I am well aware that denial is not just a river in Egypt, but at this particular moment in time denial is my friend. Let's just leave it at that, shall we?

I also have a terrible head cold. I haven't had one in quite a long time, and the timing of this is aggravating. I read somewhere that the older we get, the less colds we catch because there are only so many cold germs out there and as we go through life we eventually expose ourselves to most of them, so when we meet them again it's kind of a "been there, done that" thing both for us and the germs and we don't catch colds. So how did this particular cold germ that I've never met before manage to track me down? It's so unfair. Getting fewer colds was one of the aspects of getting older that I was actually be happy about.

I have recovered from Wednesday night's scare when Adam was in the bottom two on American Idol. I got so panicked, I went to the live website to see the final results. I normally don't do that since I (usually) enjoy watching the show unfold. But when it was Adam in danger, I couldn't help myself. Probably a good thing I don't live in the Eastern Time Zone - I might have worked myself into a panic attack. I'm still not sure I believe he was actually the second lowest vote-getter; a cynical part of me thinks that it was all done for drama and ratings. Whatever. With rock music the theme for the coming week, he should be back on top in no time.

On the knitting front, the guy blanket is now completely finished!!!! I did a couple of rows of single crochet and one row of crocheted shell stitch around the edge and called it good. It survived a trip through the washer and dryer and is now draped over the bed. I decided to take a quick break from the other things waiting for me to finish them and make a few dishcloths for the kitchen instead. When I got a clean one out the other day I noticed I only have three that are in decent shape. I have at least four skeins of Sugar and Cream cotton yarn so it makes sense to whip up a few instead of going out and buying any. I have never made a dishcloth before but over the years I bought them at various craft fairs, and they seem to last longer than store ones.

Even though it's now May, our weather is back to cloudy and much cooler. Thursday afternoon it was sunny and close to 80 and today it's in the low 40's. The Blossom Festival Parade is today and I feel bad for the marching bands - it must be even harder to march and play when your fingers are turning blue. This parade is in its 72nd year and it goes on no matter what. Some years we worry about the marchers passing out from heat stroke and other years we worry about frostbite. I've seen them march in everything: sunshine, cloud cover, light rain, heavy rain, wind, snow. On a personal note, I'm glad my kids are older and can get themselves downtown. I have no desire to sit and shiver while watching a parade.

The aroma of roasting turkey is making its way through the house. I love that smell. To me it means family and I'm going to do my best to focus on that rather than the actual reason for the dinner.