Our kitchen fun began with a meal of fried flounder tacos and crab quesadillas - YUM! Hopefully we'll get more chances to cook together before their all too brief visit comes to a close.
Blog Writing as Therapy...?
8 months ago
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Resumption of the Cavalcade of Fun
Mimi and Devin arrived in town last week and we have had fun bumming around town together. We made dinner the other night and then went to The Distillery for dinner:
Our kitchen fun began with a meal of fried flounder tacos and crab quesadillas - YUM! Hopefully we'll get more chances to cook together before their all too brief visit comes to a close.
Our kitchen fun began with a meal of fried flounder tacos and crab quesadillas - YUM! Hopefully we'll get more chances to cook together before their all too brief visit comes to a close.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Vocational Test
I am evaluating my position in life. If I am doomed to be single forever I need to be able to live on my own, buy a house, and the other things one does as an adult usually with someone else, but if that's not to be the case then so be it. I love what I do. Teaching music to college students is satisfying and rewarding work and I love to see their progress as well as their love for what they do grow as they attain better skills in and more knowledge about music. The biggest problem I have with what I do is that I have yet to find a full time position. I am going on my fifth year since getting my doctorate and have not had the good fortune of a full-time job. I have been working part-time teaching jobs, eeking by and rolling the dice that next year will be the year. I think I am running out of next years. SO, I took some time today to take a vocational test to see what other things I may be suited for and would enjoy doing. My match came back with the over whelming result being - drum roll please......post secondary teacher in the creative arts. Damn. I guess I am doing what I am supposed to be doing - now what?
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Virginia is for Hikers
I just returned from my second vacation of June as well as my second wedding of June. My friends Andy and Mary were married on Saturday and my sister and I very much enjoyed the reception on Saturday evening. I am convinced the band is unemployed masters students from Shenandoah – they were awesome. But I digress – or actually I jump ahead. We arrived Thursday evening. Driving under the bossy influence of the GPS we arrived in Dulles around 7:00, checked into the hotel, put on clean shirts, and immediately went to Sweetwater Tavern for dinner and drinks (first visit of 3). We got our growler filled (sad story to come later) with one of their specialty brews called Wits End. Friday started off well. I got up early, no idea how, and went for a run in the hotel workout room. I got to watch Wimbledon while running so that made it a bit less horrible than usual. It was a bit overcast so we went shopping at Leesburg Outlets and drove around the old neighborhood. We had dinner in Clarendon (found courtesy of the bossy GPS) with Suzanne’s former work mate Kro and her boyfriend Felix. Clarendon is one of the many small towns now part of the DC commuter area. There is lots of good shopping and good eating in Clarendon if you should be in the area but are nervous about driving into the city. We managed to get back to the hotel and hit the sack after a long first day.
The weather turned beautiful on Saturday so we headed to Harpers Ferry to do a bit of hiking and sightseeing.
You can pick up the AT in Harpers Ferry and follow it into the historic town. It is a nice old civil war town. There is an active railroad station there and many interesting historical treasures. We hiked the mile or so to town, shopped around and then found a balcony on which to have lunch and watch the tourists walk the streets. After lunch we retraced out steps on the AT and drove back to Sterling to get ready for the evening wedding festivities. The reception was held at Clyde’s at Willow Creek in Ashburn Virginia. The have a covered patio and a nice bar. It was a lovely reception, great food, an open bar, and one of the best wedding bands I have ever heard. Also the tables were labeled with characters from Monty Pythons Holy Grail. This would have been funny by itself but it got better when the cake arrived and it was a replica of the castle in the Holy Grail complete with cow catapult and the Trojan rabbit….very funny. We ate, drank and danced the night away before heading back to the hotel to rest for another fun filled day.
Sunday was intended for another hike, but it was slightly rainy so we headed into Tyson’s Corner for more shopping. We hit the Trader Joes and got non-perishables then made our way to Tyson’s Mall – this is a big mall, but still just a mall really. We hit up the H&M (one of our favs), the L.L. Bean and Teavanna (a great tea store) before heading to Coastal Flats for lunch. Coastal Flats is one of the chain restaurants in the Great American chain. It is good, but we agree that Sweetwater is the best of the chain. We shopped as long as we could stand and then headed back to the hotel. We made plans to meet Linn at the Sweetwater in Centerville. We arrived a few minutes late and Linn was waiting at the bar. We didn’t have to wait very long for a table so we were happy about that. Our waitress had a funny voice – it was just under the pitch of a dog whistle, barely audible to human ears. I am sure this would have been a muppet character voice had she not been merely 12 years old. We enjoyed a great dinner – as usual, and good conversation. Linn gave me a bottle of Dennis’ last batch of wine which I am looking very forward to drinking and we headed back to the hotel. By this point in the trip we are pretty weary, but undaunted. We pre-pack since we have breakfast plans in the morning and hit the sack.
Monday morning came early! We rushed around getting ready to drive to Winchester to meet friends for breakfast. In our haste to pack and get out the door we left in the refrigerator a half full growler of Sweetwater beer. So not only did we leave beer behind, we left the growler – very sad indeed. I hope whoever cleaned the room makes good use of it! We made our way to Winchester to meet Janette (my former voice teacher from Shenandoah) and Grace (former classmate at Shenandoah for breakfast. We visited with them until almost lunchtime and then we had to get going. Before getting on the road we hit up the new bookstore on campus so I could replace my broken Shenandoah Conservatory mug. On the way out I ran into one of my theory teachers and had brief reunion. About 1:30 we got on I81 south and made our way to the Luray exit so we could enter the Shenandoah National Park at about the mid point. We found our trail at 3:20 and got in another beautiful hike. It was about 74 degrees in the park with very low humidity. Early on the hike we heard noises in the woods and managed to catch a couple of deer hiding in the brush – pretty cool – and oh, so glad it wasn’t a bear! We continued along the Rose River Trail as it descended over tree roots and rocks to a 67 foot cascade of waterfalls. Not ready to quit the hike we continued along to Doyle River Falls, but the lateness of the afternoon made us think better and we began to retrace our steps. This trail is deeply wooded so I didn’t want to get stuck trying to hike out in darkness or at feeding time for the animals since we were so close to the stream and had already seen deer and raccoons – I mean, how far behind could the bears really be? We pushed through and got back to the car a little after 6:00. We drove the 15 miles out of the park and then hooked back up with I81 South and turned toward Staunton to find a hotel and have dinner. We checked into the Days Inn and immediately headed to Baja Bean for margaritas and food. Much satisfied we headed back to the hotel to rest for the evening and prepare for the long drive home.
Tuesday morning we drove through Staunton to get some pics for Sandra before heading toward home. It was sad to leave the beauty of the mountains, but more sad to be driving in increasing heat. We got up to 96 degrees on the drive home and boy was it hot driving. Pulled into the driveway about 6:00 unpacked, greeted my sister’s cats and then I headed to the store to supplement dinner since the fridge was pretty barren. We tiredly watched the Braves pull out an extra inning win over the Phillies and then crawled to our own beds for a nice long rest. It was a good vacation, but I am happy to have some time at home since I only had one day between this trip and the previous one in Colorado. This is a small sampling of pics - if you want more, go here. There are lots more, but I am feeling lazy after these two fun trips.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Colorado Vacation/Wedding/Brief resumption of the Cavalcade of Fun
Day one began early. I arrived at the Savannah Airport about 6:45am, checked in, paid the stupid $15 to check a bag and then I was on my way. I am thinking that next time I travel I will wear all my clothes since I can weigh whatever with no extra charge, but my bag has to be a certain weight and size – that will save me the $30 (checking bags each way). Boarded the plane about 7:30 and I heard a familiar voice…it was one of my students from SCAD going home to Dallas for the summer…it is such a small world!
I arrived at the Dallas/Fort Worth airport without incident, set my watch ahead one hour and awaited my connection to Colorado Springs. I noticed many things in the DFW airport that Savannah is too small to have including a tequila bar (no, I didn’t go, it was 9:45 in the morning), and vending machines selling such items as GPS systems and ipods – with my luck I would buy one and it would get stuck in that spiral thingy. There were also birds in the airport. They seemed oblivious the fact that they weren’t supposed to be there. They chirped along happily and dive-bombed anyone who got too close to their nests. My question is where the heck did they get the twigs and stuff to build those nests…I have no idea.
As I am waiting to board I notice a gaggle of college basketball players waiting to board the same plane as me. The shortest of them was probably a 6’2” point guard – and yes, they sat in coach. I imagine them folded up in those seats – I did hear the flight attendants warn each other to watch out for feet and elbows.
I arrived in Colorado about 12:15 and Mimi and Devin were waiting for me at the top of the escalators – so awesome to see them again – it was a nice little reunion. After retrieving my $15 checked bag we jumped in the truck and headed into Pueblo for lunch before tackling the rest of the drive to Alamosa. Got to Alamosa maybe around 4:00pm and we put together a nutritious dinner of appetizers and I think I went to bed around 9:30 – not, of course, yet adjusted to the time change.
Day Two started with a leisurely breakfast. Mimi made pancakes and we went off to run errands before the wedding this afternoon. Devin’s family got in around 1:30 and we had a lunch of sandwiches before getting dressed and ready to go to the courthouse for the nuptials. Laden with cameras and the marriage license we arrived at the courthouse about 4:40 and took some pictures while waiting for the judge to arrive. She showed up right at the crack of 5:00 in her black robe and keen sandals (gotta love that!). I stood up for Mimi and Dev’s Dad was best man. The service lasted about 15 minutes and had the requisite number of sniffles and tears.
More pictures and then we were off to the brew pub for a celebratory drink and dinner. The photographers/friends brought a cake so we had the traditional cake cutting after dinner. Then for the honeymoon, the newly married Mimi and Devin took back to their apartment, his mother, father and sister and me and we all crowded in for the evening – very romantic beginning to their lives together We sat around for a while watching television and chatting before we all turned into pumpkins and went to bed. I was especially tired since I was still on Georgia time!
Day Three started with breakfast and Mr. and Mrs. Allen’s apartment. Bill, Eleanor, and Chandra (I claim them as friends now – so first name basis only) left a little after breakfast while Devin, Mimi and I puttered around the apartment packing and getting ready to follow behind to Montrose. We timed it perfectly to get to Crede, CO for a lunch at Kipp’s. If you are ever in Crede – you must go to lunch at Kipp’s – it is awesome. Dev and I got fish tacos and Mimi got pork tacos.
We walked around Crede for a while before getting back in the truck and continuing the trek toward Montrose. I made them stop at North Creek Falls as neither of them had ever seen it and then we tarried on, crossing the Continental Divide. We continued the drive along the Silver Thread highway all the way up to Slumgullion Summit (11, 530 ft), through the Gunnison National Forest and stopping at the Alfred Packer Massacre Site. We continued the journey along Highway 149 through Lake Fork, Blue Mesa Lake/Dam and made our way to Black Canyon. We entered the park from the South Rim. This is a really beautiful park – worthy of a visit if you are in the area. The canyon ranges from 1700 feet deep at Pulpit Rock to 2700 feet deep at Chasm View. I think we stopped at all of the overlooks. The comment of the day came from Mimi who pondered “if all these rivers keep cutting down into the canyons, will they eventually split the earth in two?”
We arrived in Montrose around dinner time. We timed our arrival with the beginning of the hog rally in Montrose so there were 100’s of Harleys in town. It was quite a long day of driving. We got to Devin’s parents house, staked our claim to sleeping spots and then headed out to pick up dinner before settling in for the evening. I think I was, again, the first person to go to bed. Still on Georgia time…very sleepy!
Day Four we arose and had breakfast before heading out to Monument National Park. Saw a funny sign on the highway: “Correctional Facility, do not pick up hitchhikers.” It gave me a good chuckle. Arrived at the Monument and decided to do the Devil’s Kitchen trail. It was a pretty easy trail and we enjoyed the blooming prickly pear cactus plants all around. We saw collared lizards everywhere and some very noisy nesting ravens. About ¾ of the way down the trail we stopped to rest and noticed the rock formation at the top of the hill. We thought it looked like a space ship and Dev and I decided to hike up and explore. We got into the space ship but couldn’t quite scurry all the way up to what would be the cockpit. There were great views of the surrounding mountains. We made our way back down, collected Mimi and continued driving through the park. The road runs right along the rim of the canyon so there were a few white knuckle moments for me as I had never been there and didn’t really know what to expect. We stopped at several of the overlook sites and got pictures before winding our way to the visitors center where we had our picnic lunches and plotted the rest of the day. We decided to go into Palisades and tour some of the wineries. This particular area of Colorado stays a bit warmer than the other parts so there are numerous vineyards and fruit orchards in this area. We visited a couple of them, but the wines at this time of year were all fruit varieties and none of us wanted to try them. After looking over the map we found a distillery that gave tours and tastings as well as a nearby brewery that did the same. We made our way to Peach Street Distillery. We got a brief tour of the facilities and learned about the process. They distill vodka, gin, brandy and grappa. I tasted the gin and it was very good and Devin tasted the peach brandy which he like a good bit. We then headed over to the brewery. It was only about a 2 blocks away so we walked and got there about ½ hour before the tour time. I tried one of their brews while Mimi and Devin had a sarsaparilla. The tables had trivial pursuit cards (young edition) so we read through those while relaxing before the tour. When 4:00 arrived we took a brief tour of the brewery and learned about their brewing process. They (Palisades Brewery) distribute throughout the state and the beer I had was pretty tasty.
We decided that was enough for one day so we headed back to Montrose for the evening. We went to dinner at a Nepalese restaurant. I had some sort of potato, cauliflower dish with a spicy tomato base, Mimi had some vegetarian curry and Devin had a soup with lamb – we were all happy with our choices. The food was quite good and nice after a long day in the car and on the trails. We headed back to Dev’s parents house and visited for a while before turning in for the evening. Again, I think I was the first in bed.
Day Five was party day. We went to the grocery store and got supplies for the low-country boil for the afternoon. Everyone arrived by about 12:30 and Mimi and I were doing our thing – chopping ingredients, boiling the water and getting ready to feed the masses. Devin’s Mom had a tiered cake for the wedding celebration and also some balloons for Father’s day. Of course no party would be complete without silly string and bubbles. We also had the pleasure of watching a humming bird build a nest under the carport. The low-country was, of course, a huge success. Devin’s Mom made some delicious sangria and we had a nice afternoon. After everyone left, we rested around the house and then sort of grazed on leftovers for dinner. Pretty sure I was once again the first one to go to bed.
Day Six we had breakfast with Devin’s parents before packing up for the drive back to Alamosa. We agreed to take the quickest way back so we could go to the Sunday concert in the park. I don’t remember the name of band, but it was a nice evening. Mimi and I deconstructed the low-country boil and made dinner for a picnic. I cut the corn off the cob and mixed it with black beans, green chilies and some fresh cilantro and other spices, we collaborated on the potatoes and came up with a potato salad with a vinaigrette of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, wasabi, worchester sauce, apple cider vinegar and various spices we could reach, we separated out the shrimp and left the sausage for Devin for later in the week. We packed the picnic and a thermos of leftover sangria and headed for the park. The weather was perfect, sunny and a little breezy. The food was awesome (of course) and the sangria had festered nicely. We left the park around 7:30 and headed back the apartment, put on a Rockies game and unwound from days of travel and sightseeing. Pretty sure I was the first in bed again…sheesh!
Day Seven Mimi mad French toast for breakfast and then Devin and I headed out to explore Penitente Canyon. We explored the canyon for a couple of hours, seeing everything as advertised except the rock art, but it was a nice day. We headed back toward town stopping at Kristi’s Mountain Sports store where I got a new skort and then heading next door to the co-op where I got tea for Mom and some roasted red peppers for Dad. We got back and had lunch before heading to the grocery store for the first and only meal Mimi and I would cook together. I made zucchini cakes and Mimi made a focaccia and Devin grilled chicken. We decided to go down the park and walk off dinner. It was again a nice night. We walked along the river (no idea which river it is) and enjoyed the breeze. We checked on the garden at Polston Elementary and then headed back toward the river. We noticed something unusual swimming in the river which at first we thought was maybe fish, but it turned out to be a family of beavers. Of course neither Mimi nor I had our cameras (first time all week) so we didn’t get any pictures. We watched them swim for a while and it was pretty cool until I got stung by a giant ant that crawled into my sandal. It burned BADLY. We headed back to the house and I medicated with Benadryl and Advil and then iced my foot. It helped a little when Devin brought me a bowl of homemade ice cream that Mimi had put together earlier. I got showered and continued to ice my foot until the Benadryl kicked in and I went to bed.
Day Eight I got up and re-packed my suitcase for the trip back home. We ate breakfast and left the house around 8:15. We made our way back through Fort Garland, over the La Veda pass through Pueblo and into Colorado Springs at about 11:15. Devin helped me check in and then we sadly parted ways at the gate before I went to stand in line at security. I made it through undetected and boarded the plane back to Dallas. I had about a 2 hour layover in Dallas. The gate for the Savannah flight changed about four times but I managed to keep track of it and it luckily it never changed concourses. I arrived back in Savannah about 9:20 in the evening and Suzanne was waiting for me. We got home and visited for a while before I was too pooped to hang on any longer and I went to bed.
Today I unpacked and did laundry and ran a few errands because tomorrow I leave again. This time headed for Northern Virginia to see another good friend tie the knot.
You can check out more pictures here
I arrived at the Dallas/Fort Worth airport without incident, set my watch ahead one hour and awaited my connection to Colorado Springs. I noticed many things in the DFW airport that Savannah is too small to have including a tequila bar (no, I didn’t go, it was 9:45 in the morning), and vending machines selling such items as GPS systems and ipods – with my luck I would buy one and it would get stuck in that spiral thingy. There were also birds in the airport. They seemed oblivious the fact that they weren’t supposed to be there. They chirped along happily and dive-bombed anyone who got too close to their nests. My question is where the heck did they get the twigs and stuff to build those nests…I have no idea.
As I am waiting to board I notice a gaggle of college basketball players waiting to board the same plane as me. The shortest of them was probably a 6’2” point guard – and yes, they sat in coach. I imagine them folded up in those seats – I did hear the flight attendants warn each other to watch out for feet and elbows.
I arrived in Colorado about 12:15 and Mimi and Devin were waiting for me at the top of the escalators – so awesome to see them again – it was a nice little reunion. After retrieving my $15 checked bag we jumped in the truck and headed into Pueblo for lunch before tackling the rest of the drive to Alamosa. Got to Alamosa maybe around 4:00pm and we put together a nutritious dinner of appetizers and I think I went to bed around 9:30 – not, of course, yet adjusted to the time change.
Day Two started with a leisurely breakfast. Mimi made pancakes and we went off to run errands before the wedding this afternoon. Devin’s family got in around 1:30 and we had a lunch of sandwiches before getting dressed and ready to go to the courthouse for the nuptials. Laden with cameras and the marriage license we arrived at the courthouse about 4:40 and took some pictures while waiting for the judge to arrive. She showed up right at the crack of 5:00 in her black robe and keen sandals (gotta love that!). I stood up for Mimi and Dev’s Dad was best man. The service lasted about 15 minutes and had the requisite number of sniffles and tears.
More pictures and then we were off to the brew pub for a celebratory drink and dinner. The photographers/friends brought a cake so we had the traditional cake cutting after dinner. Then for the honeymoon, the newly married Mimi and Devin took back to their apartment, his mother, father and sister and me and we all crowded in for the evening – very romantic beginning to their lives together We sat around for a while watching television and chatting before we all turned into pumpkins and went to bed. I was especially tired since I was still on Georgia time!
Day Three started with breakfast and Mr. and Mrs. Allen’s apartment. Bill, Eleanor, and Chandra (I claim them as friends now – so first name basis only) left a little after breakfast while Devin, Mimi and I puttered around the apartment packing and getting ready to follow behind to Montrose. We timed it perfectly to get to Crede, CO for a lunch at Kipp’s. If you are ever in Crede – you must go to lunch at Kipp’s – it is awesome. Dev and I got fish tacos and Mimi got pork tacos.
We walked around Crede for a while before getting back in the truck and continuing the trek toward Montrose. I made them stop at North Creek Falls as neither of them had ever seen it and then we tarried on, crossing the Continental Divide. We continued the drive along the Silver Thread highway all the way up to Slumgullion Summit (11, 530 ft), through the Gunnison National Forest and stopping at the Alfred Packer Massacre Site. We continued the journey along Highway 149 through Lake Fork, Blue Mesa Lake/Dam and made our way to Black Canyon. We entered the park from the South Rim. This is a really beautiful park – worthy of a visit if you are in the area. The canyon ranges from 1700 feet deep at Pulpit Rock to 2700 feet deep at Chasm View. I think we stopped at all of the overlooks. The comment of the day came from Mimi who pondered “if all these rivers keep cutting down into the canyons, will they eventually split the earth in two?”
We arrived in Montrose around dinner time. We timed our arrival with the beginning of the hog rally in Montrose so there were 100’s of Harleys in town. It was quite a long day of driving. We got to Devin’s parents house, staked our claim to sleeping spots and then headed out to pick up dinner before settling in for the evening. I think I was, again, the first person to go to bed. Still on Georgia time…very sleepy!
Day Four we arose and had breakfast before heading out to Monument National Park. Saw a funny sign on the highway: “Correctional Facility, do not pick up hitchhikers.” It gave me a good chuckle. Arrived at the Monument and decided to do the Devil’s Kitchen trail. It was a pretty easy trail and we enjoyed the blooming prickly pear cactus plants all around. We saw collared lizards everywhere and some very noisy nesting ravens. About ¾ of the way down the trail we stopped to rest and noticed the rock formation at the top of the hill. We thought it looked like a space ship and Dev and I decided to hike up and explore. We got into the space ship but couldn’t quite scurry all the way up to what would be the cockpit. There were great views of the surrounding mountains. We made our way back down, collected Mimi and continued driving through the park. The road runs right along the rim of the canyon so there were a few white knuckle moments for me as I had never been there and didn’t really know what to expect. We stopped at several of the overlook sites and got pictures before winding our way to the visitors center where we had our picnic lunches and plotted the rest of the day. We decided to go into Palisades and tour some of the wineries. This particular area of Colorado stays a bit warmer than the other parts so there are numerous vineyards and fruit orchards in this area. We visited a couple of them, but the wines at this time of year were all fruit varieties and none of us wanted to try them. After looking over the map we found a distillery that gave tours and tastings as well as a nearby brewery that did the same. We made our way to Peach Street Distillery. We got a brief tour of the facilities and learned about the process. They distill vodka, gin, brandy and grappa. I tasted the gin and it was very good and Devin tasted the peach brandy which he like a good bit. We then headed over to the brewery. It was only about a 2 blocks away so we walked and got there about ½ hour before the tour time. I tried one of their brews while Mimi and Devin had a sarsaparilla. The tables had trivial pursuit cards (young edition) so we read through those while relaxing before the tour. When 4:00 arrived we took a brief tour of the brewery and learned about their brewing process. They (Palisades Brewery) distribute throughout the state and the beer I had was pretty tasty.
We decided that was enough for one day so we headed back to Montrose for the evening. We went to dinner at a Nepalese restaurant. I had some sort of potato, cauliflower dish with a spicy tomato base, Mimi had some vegetarian curry and Devin had a soup with lamb – we were all happy with our choices. The food was quite good and nice after a long day in the car and on the trails. We headed back to Dev’s parents house and visited for a while before turning in for the evening. Again, I think I was the first in bed.
Day Five was party day. We went to the grocery store and got supplies for the low-country boil for the afternoon. Everyone arrived by about 12:30 and Mimi and I were doing our thing – chopping ingredients, boiling the water and getting ready to feed the masses. Devin’s Mom had a tiered cake for the wedding celebration and also some balloons for Father’s day. Of course no party would be complete without silly string and bubbles. We also had the pleasure of watching a humming bird build a nest under the carport. The low-country was, of course, a huge success. Devin’s Mom made some delicious sangria and we had a nice afternoon. After everyone left, we rested around the house and then sort of grazed on leftovers for dinner. Pretty sure I was once again the first one to go to bed.
Day Six we had breakfast with Devin’s parents before packing up for the drive back to Alamosa. We agreed to take the quickest way back so we could go to the Sunday concert in the park. I don’t remember the name of band, but it was a nice evening. Mimi and I deconstructed the low-country boil and made dinner for a picnic. I cut the corn off the cob and mixed it with black beans, green chilies and some fresh cilantro and other spices, we collaborated on the potatoes and came up with a potato salad with a vinaigrette of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, wasabi, worchester sauce, apple cider vinegar and various spices we could reach, we separated out the shrimp and left the sausage for Devin for later in the week. We packed the picnic and a thermos of leftover sangria and headed for the park. The weather was perfect, sunny and a little breezy. The food was awesome (of course) and the sangria had festered nicely. We left the park around 7:30 and headed back the apartment, put on a Rockies game and unwound from days of travel and sightseeing. Pretty sure I was the first in bed again…sheesh!
Day Seven Mimi mad French toast for breakfast and then Devin and I headed out to explore Penitente Canyon. We explored the canyon for a couple of hours, seeing everything as advertised except the rock art, but it was a nice day. We headed back toward town stopping at Kristi’s Mountain Sports store where I got a new skort and then heading next door to the co-op where I got tea for Mom and some roasted red peppers for Dad. We got back and had lunch before heading to the grocery store for the first and only meal Mimi and I would cook together. I made zucchini cakes and Mimi made a focaccia and Devin grilled chicken. We decided to go down the park and walk off dinner. It was again a nice night. We walked along the river (no idea which river it is) and enjoyed the breeze. We checked on the garden at Polston Elementary and then headed back toward the river. We noticed something unusual swimming in the river which at first we thought was maybe fish, but it turned out to be a family of beavers. Of course neither Mimi nor I had our cameras (first time all week) so we didn’t get any pictures. We watched them swim for a while and it was pretty cool until I got stung by a giant ant that crawled into my sandal. It burned BADLY. We headed back to the house and I medicated with Benadryl and Advil and then iced my foot. It helped a little when Devin brought me a bowl of homemade ice cream that Mimi had put together earlier. I got showered and continued to ice my foot until the Benadryl kicked in and I went to bed.
Day Eight I got up and re-packed my suitcase for the trip back home. We ate breakfast and left the house around 8:15. We made our way back through Fort Garland, over the La Veda pass through Pueblo and into Colorado Springs at about 11:15. Devin helped me check in and then we sadly parted ways at the gate before I went to stand in line at security. I made it through undetected and boarded the plane back to Dallas. I had about a 2 hour layover in Dallas. The gate for the Savannah flight changed about four times but I managed to keep track of it and it luckily it never changed concourses. I arrived back in Savannah about 9:20 in the evening and Suzanne was waiting for me. We got home and visited for a while before I was too pooped to hang on any longer and I went to bed.
Today I unpacked and did laundry and ran a few errands because tomorrow I leave again. This time headed for Northern Virginia to see another good friend tie the knot.
You can check out more pictures here
Monday, June 15, 2009
Summer Vacation (s)
I am almost done packing (I think) for a trip to Colorado which has turned into a trip to a wedding which has turned into a bit more madness than I was probably prepared for, but all in all, I am sure it will be a great week with Mimi and Devin. I am back after that for about a day - enough time to do laundry and then load the car for drive up to Northern Virginia for another wedding! Two weeks, two weddings - whew. My hope in Colorado is that the altitude doesn't prevent me from getting in at least one great hike - I am hoping we have time built in for this. I also want to spend some time in the kitchen with Mimi - no telling what gourmet treasures we will invent or reinvent - but one thing for sure - it will be fun and it will be more than edible!
Virginia promises some visits with old friends and some favorite restaurants left behind. There is also a fair bit of awesome shopping within walking distance of the hotel so that has some promise. Hope too to get some time to spend in DC weather permitting - and a trek through the Shenandoah Mountains. This may be too much to two weeks but I undoubtedly end up wiht lots of good pictures and a few stories to share upon my return. I don't think I am going to try to take my computer with me to Colorado because it sounds like we will be in the car a lot, but I will take good notes so I can recreate my travels when I get home.
Safe travels to all of you as well!
Virginia promises some visits with old friends and some favorite restaurants left behind. There is also a fair bit of awesome shopping within walking distance of the hotel so that has some promise. Hope too to get some time to spend in DC weather permitting - and a trek through the Shenandoah Mountains. This may be too much to two weeks but I undoubtedly end up wiht lots of good pictures and a few stories to share upon my return. I don't think I am going to try to take my computer with me to Colorado because it sounds like we will be in the car a lot, but I will take good notes so I can recreate my travels when I get home.
Safe travels to all of you as well!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Denim Blues
Why do jean companies insist on putting lycra and/or spandex in their jeans? I can't find any 100% cotton jeans except in the mens department which is good because they are cheaper, but they look decidedly un-feminine - not I suppose, that any jeans look feminine, but sheesh! Oh and do they all also have to be super low waisted on top of that? The pants keep getting lower but shirts aren't getting any longer so my choice is mens jeans or women's jeans with stretch and my belly showing because my shirt isn't long enough to cover - grrrr.
OK - I am off to one more place to see if I can find something suitable. Wish me luck.
OK - I am off to one more place to see if I can find something suitable. Wish me luck.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
A day at the beach
Spent today avoiding productivity. I did pretty well - went to the beach, started a new book and bought some terrific fresh shrimp on the way home.
It was a nice day and It brought to mind this stanza - albiet about 3 months too late, but hey, I've been busy - from Swinburne's poem Chorus from 'Atalanta'
"For winter's rains and ruins are over,
And all the season of snows and sins;
The days dividing lover and lover,
The light that loses, the night that wins;
And time remember'd is grief forgotten,
And frosts are slain and flowers begotten,
And in green underwood and cover
Blossom by blossom the spring begins."
With the soaking rains we have of late this seemed to echo in my ears today.
It was a nice day and It brought to mind this stanza - albiet about 3 months too late, but hey, I've been busy - from Swinburne's poem Chorus from 'Atalanta'
"For winter's rains and ruins are over,
And all the season of snows and sins;
The days dividing lover and lover,
The light that loses, the night that wins;
And time remember'd is grief forgotten,
And frosts are slain and flowers begotten,
And in green underwood and cover
Blossom by blossom the spring begins."
With the soaking rains we have of late this seemed to echo in my ears today.
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