I posted this a little differently than normal: the next four posts appear in order from Feb 19 to Feb 28, chronicling my trip to NC with my mom. I wanted it to read top to bottom, so a new post will appear at the bottom of the first three after the trip is over. Right now, we're in Detroit waiting for our flight and eating lunch.
Jp
ps... we're back! click on the link for the last one.
and pictures have been added.
posted at 8:43PM
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Travel Day
Friday, February 19
I didn't quite want to wake up, even though this was the morning. There were too many things I stayed up to do the night before... after packing and posting, I wrote out a three-page user's guide for a task at work that our new employee hasn't been trained on yet, that I had wanted to do all week, but never got around to. And when I finished that at 11:15, I remembered that I needed to take a shower still... and I was running on fumes already, so I went a little further. :)
I'm one of those who usually wakes up as soon as I get out of bed, and thankfully, that was the case today. Dad and Meg took us to the airport. It was a clear, cold morning, and we had easy sailing all the way there and an incredibly easy check-in, even though we checked bags. I paid for them when I checked in on Thursday, so all we needed to do was drop off our bags at the counter. And they had a counter for just that. The security lines were long, but moving steadily. I like watching people at airports... there are so many different kinds. There was a lady near us in line who was talking loudly in a British accent with her companion, and a guy right behind her dressed up as a monk.
Mom and I went to a new place for breakfast... I don't think the name is right, but it was Pallino? Or something like it... anyway, it was Italian, and I had an egg sandwich... scrambled egg fried with veggies and served on the lightest, softest, but crispy on the edges cibatta bread... and we shared a fruit & granola yogurt and an orange juice. It was the nicest!
By this time (7:30) the sun was all the way up and we could see every detail of the Olympic mountains out the windows to the west. It was a glorious morning. As we waited for a half-hour or so to board, I pulled out the book about Navy heritage I got in the mail the day before (wow, that was fast) and I got quickly engrossed in it. Between reading that and trying to shut my eyes for a bit, the flight went by before I knew it. The Houston airport really stretches out... and we had to ride their monorail to get to our next gate, just as we did the last time we rode Continental. We only stopped for a second to eat (I think it was the very same Mcy'D's I ate at with Natalie when we flew to Norman for the band trip) and I had Texas's own “home-style burger” which is the “Big N' Tasty” (hamburger, lettuce, tomato, onion) everywhere else, except with some special mustard on it. In fact, that is exactly what I had on that trip back in 2006... I was so surprised that McDonald's had something different on the menu somewhere else inside the US.
The next flight was on a little pea-shooter of an airplane, like normal (that's all that Asheville can handle). There were only three seats to a row; one on one side and two on the other. I read more of the Navy book for most of the way there, and the guy who sat on the other side of us asked me about it when we deplaned in Asheville. He said he was an intelligence officer for 6 years, and had just gotten out two years ago. I thought he was cute, when I saw him waiting in Houston. :)
Oh, it is good to be back! Grandpa and Grandma took us out to dinner at “J&S Cafeteria” directly. It was marvelous! I had a chicken and pasta Parmesan Alfredo with grilled onions. The place looked like a buffet, but you bought by the plate or side dish, instead of by the meal. Very nice indeed!
There is only a bit of snow on the ground... From the airplane I could see that it is only in the places where there are shadows. Grandpa said it only started really melting today! What excellent timing! All the roads are bare, and there are only little piles on the sides of the roads and in parking lots. But it is nice to see for the first time this year :) I've never been here when there was any... besides the summer, we've only been here in late March and early October. It's also very clear here. The crescent moon was brilliantly bright and I could see lots of stars when we walked out of the restaurant.
The first thing we always do when we come is sit down in the living room and talk. Just about anything under the sun... about an article in Time magazine or movies we've been getting on Netflix or about my brother, or the trip I took and the play I saw... and it's my favorite thing. Nobody does anything else but just listen and talk, and sometimes everyone is quiet and no one feels uncomfortable.
Jp
I didn't quite want to wake up, even though this was the morning. There were too many things I stayed up to do the night before... after packing and posting, I wrote out a three-page user's guide for a task at work that our new employee hasn't been trained on yet, that I had wanted to do all week, but never got around to. And when I finished that at 11:15, I remembered that I needed to take a shower still... and I was running on fumes already, so I went a little further. :)
I'm one of those who usually wakes up as soon as I get out of bed, and thankfully, that was the case today. Dad and Meg took us to the airport. It was a clear, cold morning, and we had easy sailing all the way there and an incredibly easy check-in, even though we checked bags. I paid for them when I checked in on Thursday, so all we needed to do was drop off our bags at the counter. And they had a counter for just that. The security lines were long, but moving steadily. I like watching people at airports... there are so many different kinds. There was a lady near us in line who was talking loudly in a British accent with her companion, and a guy right behind her dressed up as a monk.
Mom and I went to a new place for breakfast... I don't think the name is right, but it was Pallino? Or something like it... anyway, it was Italian, and I had an egg sandwich... scrambled egg fried with veggies and served on the lightest, softest, but crispy on the edges cibatta bread... and we shared a fruit & granola yogurt and an orange juice. It was the nicest!
By this time (7:30) the sun was all the way up and we could see every detail of the Olympic mountains out the windows to the west. It was a glorious morning. As we waited for a half-hour or so to board, I pulled out the book about Navy heritage I got in the mail the day before (wow, that was fast) and I got quickly engrossed in it. Between reading that and trying to shut my eyes for a bit, the flight went by before I knew it. The Houston airport really stretches out... and we had to ride their monorail to get to our next gate, just as we did the last time we rode Continental. We only stopped for a second to eat (I think it was the very same Mcy'D's I ate at with Natalie when we flew to Norman for the band trip) and I had Texas's own “home-style burger” which is the “Big N' Tasty” (hamburger, lettuce, tomato, onion) everywhere else, except with some special mustard on it. In fact, that is exactly what I had on that trip back in 2006... I was so surprised that McDonald's had something different on the menu somewhere else inside the US.
The next flight was on a little pea-shooter of an airplane, like normal (that's all that Asheville can handle). There were only three seats to a row; one on one side and two on the other. I read more of the Navy book for most of the way there, and the guy who sat on the other side of us asked me about it when we deplaned in Asheville. He said he was an intelligence officer for 6 years, and had just gotten out two years ago. I thought he was cute, when I saw him waiting in Houston. :)
Oh, it is good to be back! Grandpa and Grandma took us out to dinner at “J&S Cafeteria” directly. It was marvelous! I had a chicken and pasta Parmesan Alfredo with grilled onions. The place looked like a buffet, but you bought by the plate or side dish, instead of by the meal. Very nice indeed!
There is only a bit of snow on the ground... From the airplane I could see that it is only in the places where there are shadows. Grandpa said it only started really melting today! What excellent timing! All the roads are bare, and there are only little piles on the sides of the roads and in parking lots. But it is nice to see for the first time this year :) I've never been here when there was any... besides the summer, we've only been here in late March and early October. It's also very clear here. The crescent moon was brilliantly bright and I could see lots of stars when we walked out of the restaurant.
The first thing we always do when we come is sit down in the living room and talk. Just about anything under the sun... about an article in Time magazine or movies we've been getting on Netflix or about my brother, or the trip I took and the play I saw... and it's my favorite thing. Nobody does anything else but just listen and talk, and sometimes everyone is quiet and no one feels uncomfortable.
Jp
First Weekend, NC
Saturday, February 20:
We slept in til about 8:15 Eastern... heh! It's easy to adjust to the East Coast after a long travel day. There were bagels and bananas for breakfast, along with a long bit of our customary after-meal conversation. I don't know when we finally got up and cleaned up... it must have been an hour or two. I briefly checked my email to make sure my boss had got the document I sent (and she did), and then I worked on the puzzle of the 'black lab on a dock looking at a great big bass' in the
living room for the greater part of the day... interrupted by lunch, when we had turkey sandwiches, grapes and crackers. After this we watched an Olympic event that was on... men's cross country skiing... and that was incredible. How much power they had to use going up hills... holy cow! Two Swedish guys won, taking gold and bronze.
There was a bit more puzzling, a bit of reading in my Navy book, and then my Aunt and Uncle came over for dinner and brought french bread and a lovely salad to accompany the lasagna. Yum! At first our conversation at the dinner table felt a little forced, but it gradually grew to a regular fun one. They didn't stay long after dinner though... I guess everyone was a bit tired, and we shall be seeing them again tomorrow... hmm.
I'm missing my friends tonight though... it's chat time as I type this.
Sunday, February 21:
Before I went to sleep last night, I read a Word document I created of all my favorite Bible passages. It calmed me down and helped me to remember what is important... that being the Lord.
This morning my Aunt and Uncle arrived after we ate a quick breakfast in order to visit the Biltmore Estate all together. I drove with them while Mom went with my grandparents. We arrived at the house just after 11 am and went over a bit of the house. My grandparents had free tickets, since they are season ticket holders, and I had just been all over the house in August, so we only looked at what we wanted to instead of seeing all 5 floors. I went up to the third floor to look at the newer rooms again (the wall fabric and curtains are incredible) with everyone, came back down to the ground floor on the 125 year old original elevator with my mom, and then went around the first floor by myself. I enjoy the great hall and the library best of all. They are the most impressive to me at least. The banquet hall is shrouded in five gigantic Flemish tapestries from the 1500's, depicting scenes from mythology, and the high cement walls are adorned with ten elk heads and three moose heads, various flags from early America, and tall windows. On one end of the room is a mammoth, three-way fireplace and at the other is an ornate wood carving that makes up huge shelves with old pots and kettles that rises in carved pillars with lion heads at their tops that form the base of a giant pipe organ that played music by an automated computer system while I was there. It was much bigger than the one at the Seattle Symphony. There are statues of Joan of Arc and one of the medieval Kings of France on top of cement columns and medieval armor and weapons hanging at each of the four corners of the room. The great table had 22 chairs around it. My other favorites are the tapestry gallery and the library that it leads to. So much carved wood, including a twisting wooden staircase in the library. The three-foot globe has a manufacturing date of 1899 printed on it... and there is a chess set there once owned by Napoleon Bonaparte himself. The tapestry gallery has smaller fireplaces with a medieval hunting theme and many cozy chairs and sofas meant for reading books.
After this abbreviated tour, we all headed out to the winery, about four miles away from the house. The driver of our van said that the main gate was seven miles away... wow. Anyway, we went to “The Bistro” restaurant, where I had “mushroom ravioli” and a tomato basil soup. It was all incredibly tasty and quite fancy! At the wine shop afterwords, I got a bar of Godiva chocolate that I shared with mom... and it was the perfect afternoon! We also stopped by the petting barn to pet the goats and sheep and laugh at the silly chickens.
Upon returning home, I worked for a second on the puzzle and then picked up the part of Meg's dissertation that mom had already finished. And I found myself quite engrossed: I almost made it to the end of chapter two (page 48) in one sitting before we put on a movie. I brought Miss Potter with me, in case my grandparents hadn't seen it before, and they hadn't. I know it would be the sort of thing they would like, so we all enjoyed it and watched all the special features as well. They were surprised that they had not even heard of the movie before.
As we turned it off, we watched a bit of a masterpiece theater production of “Persuasion” on PBS before we turned it to the Olympics and saw the very end of the US/Canada hockey game and four performances in figure skating. I really loved the dances I saw, and agree with the first placing of the Canadian pair... they were... wow! The teams were doing cultural dances. The Americans did an Indian dance (from India) and the Canadians did Italian. Very neat! I had just recently watched a modern version of Persuasion, though, and thought the modern one much better. I do still need to read the book though.
But as for me tonight, it is time to sleep with peaceful thoughts about a Monday with no work.
Jp
We slept in til about 8:15 Eastern... heh! It's easy to adjust to the East Coast after a long travel day. There were bagels and bananas for breakfast, along with a long bit of our customary after-meal conversation. I don't know when we finally got up and cleaned up... it must have been an hour or two. I briefly checked my email to make sure my boss had got the document I sent (and she did), and then I worked on the puzzle of the 'black lab on a dock looking at a great big bass' in the
living room for the greater part of the day... interrupted by lunch, when we had turkey sandwiches, grapes and crackers. After this we watched an Olympic event that was on... men's cross country skiing... and that was incredible. How much power they had to use going up hills... holy cow! Two Swedish guys won, taking gold and bronze.There was a bit more puzzling, a bit of reading in my Navy book, and then my Aunt and Uncle came over for dinner and brought french bread and a lovely salad to accompany the lasagna. Yum! At first our conversation at the dinner table felt a little forced, but it gradually grew to a regular fun one. They didn't stay long after dinner though... I guess everyone was a bit tired, and we shall be seeing them again tomorrow... hmm.
I'm missing my friends tonight though... it's chat time as I type this.
Sunday, February 21:
Before I went to sleep last night, I read a Word document I created of all my favorite Bible passages. It calmed me down and helped me to remember what is important... that being the Lord.
This morning my Aunt and Uncle arrived after we ate a quick breakfast in order to visit the Biltmore Estate all together. I drove with them while Mom went with my grandparents. We arrived at the house just after 11 am and went over a bit of the house. My grandparents had free tickets, since they are season ticket holders, and I had just been all over the house in August, so we only looked at what we wanted to instead of seeing all 5 floors. I went up to the third floor to look at the newer rooms again (the wall fabric and curtains are incredible) with everyone, came back down to the ground floor on the 125 year old original elevator with my mom, and then went around the first floor by myself. I enjoy the great hall and the library best of all. They are the most impressive to me at least. The banquet hall is shrouded in five gigantic Flemish tapestries from the 1500's, depicting scenes from mythology, and the high cement walls are adorned with ten elk heads and three moose heads, various flags from early America, and tall windows. On one end of the room is a mammoth, three-way fireplace and at the other is an ornate wood carving that makes up huge shelves with old pots and kettles that rises in carved pillars with lion heads at their tops that form the base of a giant pipe organ that played music by an automated computer system while I was there. It was much bigger than the one at the Seattle Symphony. There are statues of Joan of Arc and one of the medieval Kings of France on top of cement columns and medieval armor and weapons hanging at each of the four corners of the room. The great table had 22 chairs around it. My other favorites are the tapestry gallery and the library that it leads to. So much carved wood, including a twisting wooden staircase in the library. The three-foot globe has a manufacturing date of 1899 printed on it... and there is a chess set there once owned by Napoleon Bonaparte himself. The tapestry gallery has smaller fireplaces with a medieval hunting theme and many cozy chairs and sofas meant for reading books.
After this abbreviated tour, we all headed out to the winery, about four miles away from the house. The driver of our van said that the main gate was seven miles away... wow. Anyway, we went to “The Bistro” restaurant, where I had “mushroom ravioli” and a tomato basil soup. It was all incredibly tasty and quite fancy! At the wine shop afterwords, I got a bar of Godiva chocolate that I shared with mom... and it was the perfect afternoon! We also stopped by the petting barn to pet the goats and sheep and laugh at the silly chickens.
Upon returning home, I worked for a second on the puzzle and then picked up the part of Meg's dissertation that mom had already finished. And I found myself quite engrossed: I almost made it to the end of chapter two (page 48) in one sitting before we put on a movie. I brought Miss Potter with me, in case my grandparents hadn't seen it before, and they hadn't. I know it would be the sort of thing they would like, so we all enjoyed it and watched all the special features as well. They were surprised that they had not even heard of the movie before.
As we turned it off, we watched a bit of a masterpiece theater production of “Persuasion” on PBS before we turned it to the Olympics and saw the very end of the US/Canada hockey game and four performances in figure skating. I really loved the dances I saw, and agree with the first placing of the Canadian pair... they were... wow! The teams were doing cultural dances. The Americans did an Indian dance (from India) and the Canadians did Italian. Very neat! I had just recently watched a modern version of Persuasion, though, and thought the modern one much better. I do still need to read the book though.
But as for me tonight, it is time to sleep with peaceful thoughts about a Monday with no work.
Jp
Mon - Sat the Second
I had another bizarre dream again, but this time I couldn't quite recall it when I woke up, unlike the last two nights. Today breakfast was eggs and toast, and we again didn't get up from the table until about 10:30. Checked email, and tried to quickly post all I had written so far, but for some reason blogger does not like copy/paste from a text file. Worked on the puzzle a little more, and then by 12:45 or so we were out the door to visit the North Carolina Arboretum, not far away. We toured their greenhouse, which had these sliding tables that allowed most of the space to be covered with plants. They had a neat collection of Bonsai trees, and I enjoyed it all. We then went to their main building for a temporary featured display they had talking about the science of animal droppings called “The Scoop on Poop”, based on a children's book. I think we were all a little hesitant about if it would be much of anything to look at, but it ended up being quite a fun little exhibit. I learned that it only takes an elephant 8 hours to drop my weight in droppings... LOL. We stayed at the Arboretum until 3, and then headed back home as quick as we could so we could all have lunch and I could get changed to meet my Aunt at East Henderson High School where she teaches so she could take me to the Jazzercise class she was teaching. I had a lovely time with her, as always, and will do it again when she teaches on Thursday night. When I got back home, I had a quick snack of banana bread, cucumber and turkey bologna (separately, don't worry) and then went to work on the puzzle. We watched a bunch of the Olympics as I worked on it. Starting at 8 pm, first it was the downhill jump as we waited to see figure skating. Unfortunately, that didn't come on until a LOT later. Grandma commented how sports like that were ruined for her because they're all rich kids... and I thought they were pretty boring because every competitor looked exactly alike in what they did and I didn't understand how the sport really worked, or how they could be doing any bettor or worse. By the time the figure skating had come around I was close to being done with the puzzle, so that by the 2nd or 3rd pair it was all done. I really do enjoy watching some of the dancing though... even if the scoring seems completely random and based on prejudices on nationality... the dancers were very beautiful and graceful, and I'm glad that the couple from Canada won... they were great!
But now it is past curfew... and time for bed.
Tuesday, February 23:
Banana bread and cereal for breakfast this morning... and not quite as long a morning talk. We soon headed out to go take a look at Chimney Rock, northeast of where my grandparents live by roughly 15 miles. It's something I've always wanted to do ever since the first time I've come here. And was it a perfect day for it as well! There were clouds in the sky, but we could still see for miles. We finally found the park after winding along the highway for what seemed like forever. Once we got there, it was only 2.5 miles up the hill before we came
to the visitor's center. Only mom and I went up the elevator to the top of the rock... my grandma isn't too keen on heights. And I was the only one who went on the rock itself, but it was worth it. What a view! From an elevation of 2,280 feet I saw the entire valley with the long, stretched out lake and the blue ridge mountains off in the distance. They had the nicest collectible patch for my collection as well.
When we got home, it was pretty late in the afternoon. We had a tiny snack, and I took a nice, long, lovely nap as my mom talked to my sister on the phone. When I woke up, she was just finishing, and it was time to get dinner in the oven. I read a little while it was cooking, and then for dinner (tater-tot casserole, with hamburger, onions, cheese and cream of mushroom soup) we sat in the living room and watched their latest from Netflix, disc two of Captains and the Kings from 1976. I had never heard of such a thing, and it was very interesting. We watched all four episodes.
Wednesday, February 24:
A wonderfully slow day, really. Pretty much all of the day was taken up with meals at home and my working on the next puzzle, a maze of red and green plants around a red and green lizard. 
Mom and Grandma worked on making bracelets out of beads, and Grandpa worked outside. For our evening enjoyment, we watched another movie that I brought along, “Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day”. It's a romantic comedy from just a few years ago. I had first watched it on the plane going to Beijing. After the movie was over and everyone else went to bed, Grandpa and I stayed up and watched a bit of MSNBC, when they were talking about the healthcare issue of the following day. And I have to say that it really informed me as to what was going on. I generally don't pay much attention to the news since it's mostly entertainment. One of the hosts made a very moving point by talking about what he just went through with his father's illness.
Thursday, February 25:
Today after breakfast we went for a shopping trip to Biltmore Square Mall. We went to Belk's where, after a short half-hour, I found three new tops and a new pair of blue slippers, the kind with a back that don't fall off your feet. We then re-grouped and braved the icy wind and scattered flakes of snow to go to Dillard's at the other end of the mall. There I found the softest pajama set I had ever felt. It's blue and white plaid shirt and pants made of Portuguese fleece. And the best part: it was about 70% off the tag price (it's an outlet store) and only cost me $12 total. I also found another top that was a beautiful blend of purple, orange, red and white. For lunch we went across the street to “Papas & Beer”, a very successful, local chain of Mexican restaurants. I had a tasty grilled chicken burrito and we shared lots of guacamole. I worked more on the puzzle when I came home before we had to leave so I could go to Jazzercise again with my aunt. What a workout! I loved the planks and pushups we did... my triceps are rather tired! It was a lovely time to talk just with her while driving back and forth! When I got home, I made myself a sandwich and we all had some ice cream. Since we were out of movies to watch, we just watched TV. Grandpa had it on the MLB channel and we watched a program by Ken Burns about the history of baseball in the episode “The Seventh Inning” about the 1940's and 50's. I sure wish I could have experienced it back then. It was purer; it wasn't all about money.
Friday, February 26:
Today we went to Walmart. It is sort of a novelty for me, since the only one near where I live is at least a half-hour away to the north. We just don't ever go there. In browsing, I found some neat prints of fabric... one a fall maple leaf print and the other two different fish prints. I also found a $3 woven shirt and a $5 black leather jacket... yeah, real leather. I was a little surprised. We took the long way home and then I worked on the puzzle more. For dinner we had sandwich kits that my grandparents had picked up at Walmart, and mine was a yummy Parmesan cheese and turkey that I added a slice of tomato to. Pretty soon my aunt came by and we all left for Asheville to watch one of our favorite local actors in a play called “True West” by Sam Shepard. Goodness, it was strange! It was about desperation, power, discontentment and insanity, all highlighted in the lives of two brothers, one educated and one not, who switched roles when their circumstances changed. There were many parts that were very funny, but the ending left the younger, educated brother strangling his older brother. And I think we are left to assume that they just never stop fighting each other, but it was hard to tell.
I stayed in my new pajamas through breakfast and had another wonderfully relaxing day. Reading and puzzling and watching the horrible news about the disaster in Chile. I got all the hard part of the puzzle done and started work on the lizard before we stuck in the next disc of "Captains and the Kings" that had arrived from Netflix the day before. Before we got to the end, we stopped and went to see my aunt and uncle's house for drinks and snacks and to see the remodeling before going out to eat. There was a little snow around their pond/lake and a record twenty mallard ducks quacking and flapping around on it. My cousin Gus, who is a very friendly black lab, really wanted to play. So while we were all looking at the downstairs, my aunt threw a ball to him at the top of the stairs and he caught it and bounced it back down to her... it's one of his favorite games. LOL
Dinner was at a Greek pizza place and half of us had personal pizzas and the other half had huge plates of spaghetti. I was a pizza person. :) The food was good! My aunt and uncle treated us all.
Back at home we watched the end of "Captains" and I worked a bit
more on the famous puzzle... gosh, are you tired of hearing about it?... I just loved sitting there and working on it. It's so fun and relaxing when I'm not beating my brains out trying to find a piece. I did stop after a while and then picked up my Navy book to read while Grandpa and mom were watching a James Taylor concert on TV.
What a time we've had! What a glorious break!
Jp
Coming Home
Sunday, February 28th:
We got up a bit earlier this morning so we could pack our bags... everything fit in just fine, although we're coming home with more than we brought :)
So we had time for our last of long, breakfast conversations and then made sure the bags were alright and packed everything into the car and took off.
Asheville has free Internet, so I was able to start this post and post the previous one, only writing the Saturday portion as I kept up with writing pretty much every night. I was able to copy/paste, so that's how it worked out!
I spent the first flight finishing my Navy book and the second flight reading chapters 3 & 4 of Meg's dissertation. That pretty much took up the whole of both of the flights, so I did practically nothing else and they went rather quickly. Good thing too, because we had to wait for a de-icer truck to spray us in Asheville, and when we arrived in Detroit there was no crew to meet us, and when we took off from Detroit there was a delay in boarding and when we were seated, because the luggage crews were still finishing up. Gosh, I love Delta.
So we are home, safe and sound, and I'm unpacked and sorta ready to get up tomorrow for work. :) what a week!
Jp
We got up a bit earlier this morning so we could pack our bags... everything fit in just fine, although we're coming home with more than we brought :)
So we had time for our last of long, breakfast conversations and then made sure the bags were alright and packed everything into the car and took off.
Asheville has free Internet, so I was able to start this post and post the previous one, only writing the Saturday portion as I kept up with writing pretty much every night. I was able to copy/paste, so that's how it worked out!
I spent the first flight finishing my Navy book and the second flight reading chapters 3 & 4 of Meg's dissertation. That pretty much took up the whole of both of the flights, so I did practically nothing else and they went rather quickly. Good thing too, because we had to wait for a de-icer truck to spray us in Asheville, and when we arrived in Detroit there was no crew to meet us, and when we took off from Detroit there was a delay in boarding and when we were seated, because the luggage crews were still finishing up. Gosh, I love Delta.
So we are home, safe and sound, and I'm unpacked and sorta ready to get up tomorrow for work. :) what a week!
Jp
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Dragging, Then Springing Along
Well, I forgot to get into my pajamas last night. Just fell asleep on top of my bed... and didn't wake up until my Dad called to me at last chance to get up before work... or 6:30.
And I was practically half-asleep all morning. Gee... it was hard to go back to work after lunch at home. I had spent the morning getting errors fixed and MO's reviewed, and when I went back, it was time to do more training the new Document Control clerk. She has lots of experience though (and can navigate Excel far faster than I can), so it was incredibly easy to train her. She told me that I had a knack at making her giggle (in a nice way - lol) when she hasn't been able to much at her jobs in the past. That was very sweet of her. Both of our new people are very nice and very good at picking things up and doing it right. What a blessing!
So instead of make me more tired, training actually made me quite awake! I went from one job to the next the rest of the day and pretty nearly cleared off my desk (with a little help from my friends). :)
Last night after leftovers for dinner, Mom and Dad and I watched "Antwone Fisher" (2002, with Denzel Washington) from Netflix. It's about a young sailor who gets into fights and works through his past with a Navy psychiatrist. It's all about love, and working through your problems... and it was very beautiful. It also showed a bit of life in the modern Navy (sort of) and was very fun to watch on top of it being an excellent story.
Tonight it's pretty much just getting ready for our trip tomorrow morning. Mom made a fabulous dinner... a big, fresh salad to make use of the tomato and greens before we leave, and tilapia, baked with spices, and then some freshly steamed asparagus. YUM! Tomorrow, the flight leaves at 8:30 AM Pacific and we arrive at 6:30 PM Eastern, because of a plane change in Houston. I just packed, and it didn't take long. Only took an hour to pick everything out and put it together... including going back and forth on what books I'm taking. :)
There will be pretty nearly an Internet black-out for me these coming ten days. My grandparents don't believe in spending much of any time on the Internet, save for checking e-mail once in a while. I may be able to post a line or two, but that will be all. But be prepared for a barrage when I get back though. :) And that will be the evening of Sunday the 28th.
Everyone have a swell week and then some!
I'll keep you in my prayers, especially those of you who are not feeling well.
Love,
Jp
And I was practically half-asleep all morning. Gee... it was hard to go back to work after lunch at home. I had spent the morning getting errors fixed and MO's reviewed, and when I went back, it was time to do more training the new Document Control clerk. She has lots of experience though (and can navigate Excel far faster than I can), so it was incredibly easy to train her. She told me that I had a knack at making her giggle (in a nice way - lol) when she hasn't been able to much at her jobs in the past. That was very sweet of her. Both of our new people are very nice and very good at picking things up and doing it right. What a blessing!
So instead of make me more tired, training actually made me quite awake! I went from one job to the next the rest of the day and pretty nearly cleared off my desk (with a little help from my friends). :)
Last night after leftovers for dinner, Mom and Dad and I watched "Antwone Fisher" (2002, with Denzel Washington) from Netflix. It's about a young sailor who gets into fights and works through his past with a Navy psychiatrist. It's all about love, and working through your problems... and it was very beautiful. It also showed a bit of life in the modern Navy (sort of) and was very fun to watch on top of it being an excellent story.
Tonight it's pretty much just getting ready for our trip tomorrow morning. Mom made a fabulous dinner... a big, fresh salad to make use of the tomato and greens before we leave, and tilapia, baked with spices, and then some freshly steamed asparagus. YUM! Tomorrow, the flight leaves at 8:30 AM Pacific and we arrive at 6:30 PM Eastern, because of a plane change in Houston. I just packed, and it didn't take long. Only took an hour to pick everything out and put it together... including going back and forth on what books I'm taking. :)
There will be pretty nearly an Internet black-out for me these coming ten days. My grandparents don't believe in spending much of any time on the Internet, save for checking e-mail once in a while. I may be able to post a line or two, but that will be all. But be prepared for a barrage when I get back though. :) And that will be the evening of Sunday the 28th.
Everyone have a swell week and then some!
I'll keep you in my prayers, especially those of you who are not feeling well.
Love,
Jp
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
It's Gone!
I got tired of long hair this week. It's been a long time in growing out, and I really miss the no-hassle hairdo of a couple years ago. This one's a bit different though... instead, it's only shortened to just past my ears. So on Monday night, Mom did a lovely job of it, and my head feels so much lighter.
And speaking of being tired, I got to work an hour early on Monday, because I thought something needed to be done ASAP that morning... which ended up being ASAP Tuesday morning... gosh. At least it was done beforehand... :) And then that evening I went for a run before dinner because I got home and it was still light out (because I was early), and it was a nice change of pace after all. But gosh, I've been pretty tired these last couple days even though I've been getting to bed around 10 pm each night!
In family happenings this week, Dad and I went and played some cards with my Grandma in Monroe on Monday night. We played three hands of Skip-Bo, and we each won one. It was really good to see my Grandma again. She just turned 96 last month and her aging is accelerating. It's hard for her to pick up the cards because her hands are stiff and she gets dizzy when she stands up, so that she's practically going to fall over. It's amazing she's doing as well as she is though. She's always been a vibrant person.
At home, my parents and I have been re-watching A&E's Horatio Hornblower series. We've done one each night this week, and it's been fun. Always will enjoy that.
Work has been pretty crazy this week. I've been doing a lot of training the new folks in our department and working on data books for my co-worker's program (who is off this week). I've been getting pretty darn worn out by the end of the day... I hope I can clear off my desk on Thursday before Mom and I take off on Friday.
We're going to take off this Friday morning for North Carolina to visit my Grandparents for ten days. It will be a good mid-winter break, to relax, visit and not think about work or things like that for a good while. Don't think I've ever seen snow on the ground there before... so this will be way fun! And it will be my first snow this whole winter! (sorry for all you blizzard-bound folks... I know it's nothing much to get excited about :)
Jp
And speaking of being tired, I got to work an hour early on Monday, because I thought something needed to be done ASAP that morning... which ended up being ASAP Tuesday morning... gosh. At least it was done beforehand... :) And then that evening I went for a run before dinner because I got home and it was still light out (because I was early), and it was a nice change of pace after all. But gosh, I've been pretty tired these last couple days even though I've been getting to bed around 10 pm each night!
In family happenings this week, Dad and I went and played some cards with my Grandma in Monroe on Monday night. We played three hands of Skip-Bo, and we each won one. It was really good to see my Grandma again. She just turned 96 last month and her aging is accelerating. It's hard for her to pick up the cards because her hands are stiff and she gets dizzy when she stands up, so that she's practically going to fall over. It's amazing she's doing as well as she is though. She's always been a vibrant person.
At home, my parents and I have been re-watching A&E's Horatio Hornblower series. We've done one each night this week, and it's been fun. Always will enjoy that.
Work has been pretty crazy this week. I've been doing a lot of training the new folks in our department and working on data books for my co-worker's program (who is off this week). I've been getting pretty darn worn out by the end of the day... I hope I can clear off my desk on Thursday before Mom and I take off on Friday.
We're going to take off this Friday morning for North Carolina to visit my Grandparents for ten days. It will be a good mid-winter break, to relax, visit and not think about work or things like that for a good while. Don't think I've ever seen snow on the ground there before... so this will be way fun! And it will be my first snow this whole winter! (sorry for all you blizzard-bound folks... I know it's nothing much to get excited about :)
Jp
Sunday, February 14, 2010
What Do You Know...
I get to church and he's interrupting the series to talk about Loneliness. It's a plug for the small groups they're trying to get everyone into... and the sermon is about how we are supposed to love one another (with emphasis on our fellow believers).
First verse he mentions: John 13:34, the one before one of the ones mentioned in the last post. "...love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another."
And the other day my Mom found this pin at a store she was at with my oldest sister and she gave it to me today:
I suppose the topic of love and heart pins are appropriate for today.
LOL
Happy Heart Day, Everyone!
Jp
First verse he mentions: John 13:34, the one before one of the ones mentioned in the last post. "...love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another."
And the other day my Mom found this pin at a store she was at with my oldest sister and she gave it to me today:
I suppose the topic of love and heart pins are appropriate for today.
LOL
Happy Heart Day, Everyone!
Jp
Today
I slept in a bit, and had a great little breakfast of orange juice, a little dish of cottage cheese, a banana and some wheat toast with butter & jam. I'm feeling pretty good, because I've been dropping a little weight lately. I haven't been doing anything special; I've just been watching my portions in size and quantity.
And after that I listened to an online sermon from my church about God's refining fire, as spoken about in Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, referring to Jesus. I've been terrible about getting to church, and some of that is just because I'm wrestling with the whole idea still... how important is it to go? I'm not exactly sure. But I know it is good to have corporate time with other Christians, so I think I will go to the 6pm service tonight.
I've had this on my mind recently: what is the difference between believing in God and actually being saved from sin? Many people would say that they are Christians... but how do you tell?
John 15:5 > "I am the vine, you are the branches. He that abides in me and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit; for without me you can do nothing." And verse 8 > "Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; so shall you be my disciples."
What is fruit? Galations 5:22-23> "Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance." Not in this passage, but also important (and mentioned in many places) is the fear of God, his power and greatness.
And James 1:22 > "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." And what does it say? It says the greatest commandments are to love God and your neighbor... How do you love God, who you cannot see? We love him by keeping his commandment to love each other. John 13:35 > "By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another."
What is this kind of love? It's not a feeling. Often times, I really don't like some people. Sometimes I don't even like myself. All hope of having perfect love would depend on how you're feeling that day... and that is madness. The sort of love he wants us to have is the kind that treats people with kindness all the time, even when you don't feel like it. It is an action that is decided upon, and with God's help it is possible. Defining "kindness" precisely is a little beyond me... but I think you know what I mean.
Salvation changes the way you think and speak and act. It is fashioning yourself after the Lord's character in order to please him. It's in trusting him that he is good and that he helps us and forgives us from sin if we turn from our sin and ask forgiveness.
It's a change that he requires, because he is holy. His holiness must punish sin because he is just. Why would anyone not want to share in his holiness that he offers through trust in Jesus? All I can say is that it's a life full of peace. Hope isn't lost if things go bad, or if someone is mean, because he is always there. And joy is full because he is good.
Jp
And after that I listened to an online sermon from my church about God's refining fire, as spoken about in Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, referring to Jesus. I've been terrible about getting to church, and some of that is just because I'm wrestling with the whole idea still... how important is it to go? I'm not exactly sure. But I know it is good to have corporate time with other Christians, so I think I will go to the 6pm service tonight.
I've had this on my mind recently: what is the difference between believing in God and actually being saved from sin? Many people would say that they are Christians... but how do you tell?
John 15:5 > "I am the vine, you are the branches. He that abides in me and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit; for without me you can do nothing." And verse 8 > "Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; so shall you be my disciples."
What is fruit? Galations 5:22-23> "Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance." Not in this passage, but also important (and mentioned in many places) is the fear of God, his power and greatness.
And James 1:22 > "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." And what does it say? It says the greatest commandments are to love God and your neighbor... How do you love God, who you cannot see? We love him by keeping his commandment to love each other. John 13:35 > "By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another."
What is this kind of love? It's not a feeling. Often times, I really don't like some people. Sometimes I don't even like myself. All hope of having perfect love would depend on how you're feeling that day... and that is madness. The sort of love he wants us to have is the kind that treats people with kindness all the time, even when you don't feel like it. It is an action that is decided upon, and with God's help it is possible. Defining "kindness" precisely is a little beyond me... but I think you know what I mean.
Salvation changes the way you think and speak and act. It is fashioning yourself after the Lord's character in order to please him. It's in trusting him that he is good and that he helps us and forgives us from sin if we turn from our sin and ask forgiveness.
It's a change that he requires, because he is holy. His holiness must punish sin because he is just. Why would anyone not want to share in his holiness that he offers through trust in Jesus? All I can say is that it's a life full of peace. Hope isn't lost if things go bad, or if someone is mean, because he is always there. And joy is full because he is good.
Jp
A Little Time to Myself
Friday, almost all day I worked on a new project... to be unveiled later... and while continuing to work on it, we watched a bit of the Olympic Opening Ceremony, and then a WWII propaganda movie (Confessions of a Nazi Spy) and then the actual torch lighting ceremony after the movie was over... it was a long ceremony, as always. :) I stayed up until about 3 am, doing more on my project, so I slept in rather late in the morning. I was still so tired, that when I woke up, I felt that it was night-time again.
My plan for the day was to go ride my horse, pay for this month and next month's upkeep and listen to over an hour of the Bible on the beautiful drive there (it's beautiful even when it's dull gray and rainy out - in it's own way). I had a short breakfast, wasted some time online, and then headed out. Unfortunately, Roo had thrown his front left shoe, and part of the hoof wall was broken, since it was so long. So riding was out. But I thoroughly enjoyed just going up there, picking their feet and watching them. Even if I had been able to ride, I would have been confined to the paddock and the driveway since I was alone. And it was rainy and mucky... so it wasn't a catastrophe. On the way back home through Redmond, I stopped at Panera Bread for the veggie sandwich, stopped at Hobby Town USA to look at the models (and decided against three or four of them :), and stopped for a couple hours at Half Price Books. I spent a bunch of time looking at photography books, and I almost felt like I was back in class. They had a couple of really neat books there from photographers from the 1930's... It was a great time.
When I got back I was so inspired I took my tripod out and took a couple pictures outside, even though it was very dark. Oh, photography! So fun! Time got a bit away from me, so I got onto chat a bit late. When I turned on the TV to watch Das Boot, the Olympics were on and I got to see a speed-skating heat with Apollo Ohno, from Seattle. And he was impressive, flying by everyone on the outside right at the end, finishing a half-lap ahead.
Jp
My plan for the day was to go ride my horse, pay for this month and next month's upkeep and listen to over an hour of the Bible on the beautiful drive there (it's beautiful even when it's dull gray and rainy out - in it's own way). I had a short breakfast, wasted some time online, and then headed out. Unfortunately, Roo had thrown his front left shoe, and part of the hoof wall was broken, since it was so long. So riding was out. But I thoroughly enjoyed just going up there, picking their feet and watching them. Even if I had been able to ride, I would have been confined to the paddock and the driveway since I was alone. And it was rainy and mucky... so it wasn't a catastrophe. On the way back home through Redmond, I stopped at Panera Bread for the veggie sandwich, stopped at Hobby Town USA to look at the models (and decided against three or four of them :), and stopped for a couple hours at Half Price Books. I spent a bunch of time looking at photography books, and I almost felt like I was back in class. They had a couple of really neat books there from photographers from the 1930's... It was a great time.
When I got back I was so inspired I took my tripod out and took a couple pictures outside, even though it was very dark. Oh, photography! So fun! Time got a bit away from me, so I got onto chat a bit late. When I turned on the TV to watch Das Boot, the Olympics were on and I got to see a speed-skating heat with Apollo Ohno, from Seattle. And he was impressive, flying by everyone on the outside right at the end, finishing a half-lap ahead.
Jp
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Goodbye, Friend!
Today at work I only did a couple things, but they all took a long time. First I moved around shelves and filing cabinets in my downstairs office for all the rejected hardware; we call it "MRB" for Material Review Board. I even worked up a sweat! And my hands were so filthy! There's an overhead heater system in that little room that spews out all sorts of sooty dirt... and it's constant, noisy rumbling can really get to you sometimes... my right ear was ringing nearly all day. I swear I heard some beeping too... like you hear during a hearing test... that was a little freaky.
All during the day I entered around 75 part numbers into our system. That took forever. Around 4 o'clock, Nicole was frantically getting everything she could done before she had to go to her exit interview. She teared up when she started to take things off her wall. Poor dear! I will miss her a ton! I get to take over her program that's shipping in a couple days... so she tied in with me on that.
The party was at the "Lucky 7 Saloon" in Totem Lake. Zoe and Jeanne were already there when I walked in, and soon, there was a large crowd. I had a BLT sandwich with avocado, because I was very hungry. Only had a P&J for lunch because I wanted to make up for lost time on Wednesday. I tried two different beers from the pitchers on the table. One light and one darker, and I think I liked the darker one better. It was fun just to sit and talk and watch everyone. I am so not used to the bar scene. :)
Goodness, I am going to miss her! We had about four different hugs when we said goodbye... Nicole and I. We've worked pretty closely for the last 3 and a half years: all my time at Aerojet. Monday will be shocking when she's not there.
Jp
PS... I watched "Gentleman's Agreement" for the first time last night... another one that I had seen on ads a long time ago and never got around to. I think I love Gregory Peck. What an incredible, thoughtful movie!
All during the day I entered around 75 part numbers into our system. That took forever. Around 4 o'clock, Nicole was frantically getting everything she could done before she had to go to her exit interview. She teared up when she started to take things off her wall. Poor dear! I will miss her a ton! I get to take over her program that's shipping in a couple days... so she tied in with me on that.
The party was at the "Lucky 7 Saloon" in Totem Lake. Zoe and Jeanne were already there when I walked in, and soon, there was a large crowd. I had a BLT sandwich with avocado, because I was very hungry. Only had a P&J for lunch because I wanted to make up for lost time on Wednesday. I tried two different beers from the pitchers on the table. One light and one darker, and I think I liked the darker one better. It was fun just to sit and talk and watch everyone. I am so not used to the bar scene. :)
Goodness, I am going to miss her! We had about four different hugs when we said goodbye... Nicole and I. We've worked pretty closely for the last 3 and a half years: all my time at Aerojet. Monday will be shocking when she's not there.
Jp
PS... I watched "Gentleman's Agreement" for the first time last night... another one that I had seen on ads a long time ago and never got around to. I think I love Gregory Peck. What an incredible, thoughtful movie!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Snoring and Swallowing
Yesterday I was so wiped out... I was thinking of getting up for Denny's free Grand Slam, and I totally forgot Monday night and woke up barely in time to get to work. At work I wrote a user's guide for reviewing and filing our material certifications that come in; I think it may have fried my brain! When I got home I picked up my room a bit and then laid down for a minute before having leftovers for dinner. And after dinner my parents were talking about something and I couldn't take any conversation. I went and laid down again... and I fell deeply asleep and didn't wake up til about 8:30, when my parents came home again from an errand they were going to do. Heh! I guess I needed it! So they came home, we did our Bible reading, and by that time I was thoroughly awake again, so we watched "Road to Utopia" and it was a hoot! :) But all of you know that already!
I think I got enough sleep last night... I was able to wake myself up. So our department boss had his 50th birthday today, so my boss and some coworkers brought in this fabulous breakfast... homemade sausage, egg and potato casserole, lots of fruit - big slices of fresh oranges, most importantly - and blueberry crumble, and doughnuts, and muffins... and it was a lot. I only had a bite of most things, but I had a ton of orange slices. And then tomorrow is my coworker's last day, so we and our two new employees went out to Coho's Cafe (our usual haunt) and I tried the ginger chicken lettuce wraps (along with my customary Seafood Bisque) and it was excellent!
I'm feeling rested and satisfied!
Jp
I think I got enough sleep last night... I was able to wake myself up. So our department boss had his 50th birthday today, so my boss and some coworkers brought in this fabulous breakfast... homemade sausage, egg and potato casserole, lots of fruit - big slices of fresh oranges, most importantly - and blueberry crumble, and doughnuts, and muffins... and it was a lot. I only had a bite of most things, but I had a ton of orange slices. And then tomorrow is my coworker's last day, so we and our two new employees went out to Coho's Cafe (our usual haunt) and I tried the ginger chicken lettuce wraps (along with my customary Seafood Bisque) and it was excellent!
I'm feeling rested and satisfied!
Jp
Monday, February 8, 2010
Surprise!
Well, today was full of the unexpected!
In the first half-hour of work, I was trying to find a spec for an engineer... and when my coworker and I were looking for it in the old KM files, we happened upon yet another stash of documents, released and unreleased from our former Doc. Control clerk who left the company 11 months ago. It took up nearly the entire morning, sorting it out and cleaning it up.
I spent the rest of the day doing all sorts of jobs... scrapping parts, entering part numbers, completing change requests, finding paperwork... and then, near the end of the day, as we were getting ready for our new employees to make it over from HR, I go to my boss's office to give her a change request of hers, and she and her boss ask me to come back in. And then they tell me all our jobs in the Data Center have been re-assessed by the company, and they're giving us a 6% raise... effective today! How utterly unexpected!
Yesterday was uneventful... besides a nice little celebration for Meg, for her birthday this week - we had steak for dinner and chocolate cake for dessert - otherwise, I spent a lot of the day sleeping. There comes a time every month where I greatly dislike being a woman... and yesterday was it. I slept on the comfy chair in the kitchen for hours... and then I laid down on the couch and watched the last quarter and a half of the Super Bowl with Dad. A rather good game, actually. Both sides played really well; there was lots of movement on the field, lots of 1st downs.
Later on, Mom and Dad and I watched "The Caine Mutiny" (1954) Bogart. It was very interesting, and I liked it a lot. Very different role for Bogart, compared to the roles I've seen him in. Oh, and tonight, Mom and I watched "Bringing up Baby" (1938) which I was completely unfamiliar with... and I was a bit surprised by the storyline, but I spent nearly the whole thing laughing. :)
Jp
In the first half-hour of work, I was trying to find a spec for an engineer... and when my coworker and I were looking for it in the old KM files, we happened upon yet another stash of documents, released and unreleased from our former Doc. Control clerk who left the company 11 months ago. It took up nearly the entire morning, sorting it out and cleaning it up.
I spent the rest of the day doing all sorts of jobs... scrapping parts, entering part numbers, completing change requests, finding paperwork... and then, near the end of the day, as we were getting ready for our new employees to make it over from HR, I go to my boss's office to give her a change request of hers, and she and her boss ask me to come back in. And then they tell me all our jobs in the Data Center have been re-assessed by the company, and they're giving us a 6% raise... effective today! How utterly unexpected!
Yesterday was uneventful... besides a nice little celebration for Meg, for her birthday this week - we had steak for dinner and chocolate cake for dessert - otherwise, I spent a lot of the day sleeping. There comes a time every month where I greatly dislike being a woman... and yesterday was it. I slept on the comfy chair in the kitchen for hours... and then I laid down on the couch and watched the last quarter and a half of the Super Bowl with Dad. A rather good game, actually. Both sides played really well; there was lots of movement on the field, lots of 1st downs.
Later on, Mom and Dad and I watched "The Caine Mutiny" (1954) Bogart. It was very interesting, and I liked it a lot. Very different role for Bogart, compared to the roles I've seen him in. Oh, and tonight, Mom and I watched "Bringing up Baby" (1938) which I was completely unfamiliar with... and I was a bit surprised by the storyline, but I spent nearly the whole thing laughing. :)
Jp
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
Don't Quite Know
I didn't know what I wanted to do today after work. I spent a lot of time just sitting in the living room with my parents, talking and having quiet. I posted pictures from the trip on Facebook, played a game with Dad and Meg, read a book for a little bit, but generally felt like doing nothing at all. It took a bunch of time to figure out what to eat for dinner... So often I don't feel like doing anything when I have the time, and when I don't have the time, I do. Oh, what will I do?
I didn't remember that Mr. Goldstein was on the chat a while ago... how I wish I had! Reading his story, it sounds like he was simply a wonderful person. I had a beloved "Mr. G" for a high school band director myself... so that made everything rather poignant. And after reading Linda's WENNlist post, I get on Facebook and find to my joy that Ms. Naughton had replied to me about my Casablanca question. I think I'll wait til tomorrow to pass on what she said. So I went from feeling quite sad to laughing out loud, she was so hysterically funny. And I didn't quite know how to feel.
Dad keeps asking to watch one of my "oldies", so tonight we put on "The Whole Town's Talking" (1935) and we were treated to lots of comments about Aunt Agatha. :)
I'm going to try and sleep; I think I am tired.
Jp
I didn't remember that Mr. Goldstein was on the chat a while ago... how I wish I had! Reading his story, it sounds like he was simply a wonderful person. I had a beloved "Mr. G" for a high school band director myself... so that made everything rather poignant. And after reading Linda's WENNlist post, I get on Facebook and find to my joy that Ms. Naughton had replied to me about my Casablanca question. I think I'll wait til tomorrow to pass on what she said. So I went from feeling quite sad to laughing out loud, she was so hysterically funny. And I didn't quite know how to feel.
Dad keeps asking to watch one of my "oldies", so tonight we put on "The Whole Town's Talking" (1935) and we were treated to lots of comments about Aunt Agatha. :)
I'm going to try and sleep; I think I am tired.
Jp
Thursday, February 4, 2010
......
I was just browsing on Facebook...
and I happened to visit the fan group for Rupert.
This was posted. His father died last Wednesday...
:(
Jp
and I happened to visit the fan group for Rupert.
This was posted. His father died last Wednesday...
:(
Jp
Movie Times
I haven't said much this week, because much hasn't happened to me. But that's not too bad... I did have (as Ms. Naughton said) a "very exciting" weekend. Oh, would you look at the time... (as Meg -and then I- said in return).
I had a lovely time with my mom this week, though... on Monday, the two of us watched "It Happened One Night" (1934, Clark Gable) before my dad came home. It was just delightful! And then on Wednesday night, I took her out to the Olive Garden for a belated, little birthday treat. We both had their Zuppa Toscana soup, salad and bread-sticks. And we had a lovely time!
Upon getting home (we did go to Michael's for frames and Trader Joe's for tomatoes while we were out), we watched our recent acquisition from Netflix: "Laura" (1944). Goodness! I loved it! I had seen many commercials for it on AMC (way back when) and had always been interested. Can't believe it took me this long! I quickly closed my eyes for the most tense few seconds at the end because I don't handle that sort of thing well... nightmares in the past, actually.
And I'm proud of myself: I actually got up on Wed. morning and did a mile run around our block! It helped that it was around 40 degrees and dry, instead of 35, windy and wet as last week was. And tonight I went to Jazzercise again (I'm liking this evening thing... much nicer!). I took myself out to my favorite sandwich shop a bit down the street (Panera Bread) afterwords. Had the Mediterranean Veggie! Yum! And when I got home I was feeling exhilarated and I ran another mile. That did me in! :) Dad wanted to watch another old movie when I got in, but it was already later than it should be for starting a movie on a work night, so I suggested WENN. Mom said "sure!" and dad laughed, but he acquiesced. Mom suggested "From the Pen...", since that was the one Amanda talked about... and it was grand.
Jp
I had a lovely time with my mom this week, though... on Monday, the two of us watched "It Happened One Night" (1934, Clark Gable) before my dad came home. It was just delightful! And then on Wednesday night, I took her out to the Olive Garden for a belated, little birthday treat. We both had their Zuppa Toscana soup, salad and bread-sticks. And we had a lovely time!
Upon getting home (we did go to Michael's for frames and Trader Joe's for tomatoes while we were out), we watched our recent acquisition from Netflix: "Laura" (1944). Goodness! I loved it! I had seen many commercials for it on AMC (way back when) and had always been interested. Can't believe it took me this long! I quickly closed my eyes for the most tense few seconds at the end because I don't handle that sort of thing well... nightmares in the past, actually.
And I'm proud of myself: I actually got up on Wed. morning and did a mile run around our block! It helped that it was around 40 degrees and dry, instead of 35, windy and wet as last week was. And tonight I went to Jazzercise again (I'm liking this evening thing... much nicer!). I took myself out to my favorite sandwich shop a bit down the street (Panera Bread) afterwords. Had the Mediterranean Veggie! Yum! And when I got home I was feeling exhilarated and I ran another mile. That did me in! :) Dad wanted to watch another old movie when I got in, but it was already later than it should be for starting a movie on a work night, so I suggested WENN. Mom said "sure!" and dad laughed, but he acquiesced. Mom suggested "From the Pen...", since that was the one Amanda talked about... and it was grand.
Jp
Monday, February 1, 2010
Back At It
It must have been a hangover of happiness that made today alright :)
I did stay pretty busy, and didn't really mind.
Jp
I did stay pretty busy, and didn't really mind.
Jp
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