As I mentioned in Tea Time last week, I had a trip planned for this past weekend, and we had been planning it since May. Saturday morning, my bags were packed, I was at the airport before 6 am for my 7:15 am flight (after a fitful night of sleep anticipating the early alarm), and I was ready to go. I walk up to the self-checkout kiosk thingie, type in my reservation number, and am greeted with the following message:
"THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH YOUR RESERVATION. PLEASE SEE AN AGENT FOR ASSISTANCE."
Well grand. Not exactly what I want to see before I've had even a drop of tea. I take the little slip of paper that it printed it out, and limp over to the ticket agent. She greets me with a smile:
"Good morning!"
That remains to be seen.
"How can I help you?"
I smile and hand her my ominous slip of paper. She looks down at it, still smiling.
"ooohhhhh. You're flying into Newark? That flight is cancelled."
BOOM. I wished I could have slept in before dealing with all of this. 😱
"Oh."
That's the understatement of the morning.
"Let me just see for you when the next flight is that we could fit you in on."
She begins that nefarious practice of typing on her keyboard with the constant clickety clacking sound that inevitably takes 10 minutes, yet results in a concise announcement just like this:
"Tomorrow."
"Oh!"
I really needed caffeine. This had never happened to me before. It was *6 am*. And there's not a single flight I can get on within a 24 hour time period? Apparently not.
"Tomorrow? Really?"
"Yep. It's weather related."
That really didn't fully answer the question, but I was too tired to dig for further details.
"OK, well...put me on that one, please."
She's still clacking away, while I text Mike to ask him to come back and get me. Suddenly, I had a painful thought:
"What time did you say that flight was tomorrow?"
"6 am!"
She said that so brightly. I groaned.
I deliberately had not booked the 6 am flight because it would have meant getting up at about 3:30 am. And I was already operating on one abysmal night of sleep.
"Gosh, that's... a bit earlier than I'd like. What is the next flight out after that?"
More clacking.
"2 pm!"
*long suffering sigh*
So here I am, home and cranky. But safe. Everything happens for a reason, right?
You need to give me this one little solace to cling to, people. ;-)
In the meantime, I did have a lovely weekend with Mike and the kids. I've been getting more writing done on my Bible study. AND I have lots of stuff to talk to you about in Tea Time this week! Upcoming novenas, Third Orders, books, fall crafts. Horray!
How was your weekend, dear reader? Care to commiserate on cancelled flights?
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
A weekend of reflecting on love and marriage...
Well hello to you all, and I'm happy to be with you again after a long weekend! I was blissfully away on my little anniversary getaway with Mike for a few nights, and we were terribly sad to come back, though happy to be reunited with the kids. I unfortunately developed some sort of nasty cold right before we got back, so I'm typing my happy recollection post over here with an unfortunate fever rash. :( (Gross! Sorry, I know). The perils of having very fair skin, I'm afraid.
At any rate, I have LOTS to tell you all, but we'll get to all of that over the course of this week. Today I wanted to focus on my trip and some quick thoughts on wedding anniversaries. Got your beverage? I've just about sucked down my entire giant travel mug of coffee, but that's just the way things roll on the first day back to work after a long and glorious weekend.
Let's circle back to Friday. Mike and I dropped the kids with their grandparents and headed north to beautiful and quaint Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. We went last year as well, to commemorate our milestone 10th wedding anniversary. This year is not a milestone, but we figured "why not? life is short" and booked our reservations back in the fall.
In a fortuitous difference as compared to last year, the weather was beautifully seasonal and not Sear The Skin Off Your Face cold. I mean, as I described in last year's post, we're all about the winter weather, but the cold front that came through 12 months ago really knocked our socks off. The wind chill was dangerously frigid, and people were RUNNING from shop to shop to avoid having even the smallest bits of uncovered skin exposed to the elements. It was wild. This year we were like:
"Oh look, the lake! Let's go take a walk down by it."
Last year was:
"There's a lake here?!"
And when the lake in question is LAKE ONTARIO, one would think you would spot it pretty easily. But it was just all hazy with blowing and drifting snow last year, and you couldn't get *near* the water. This year, while cold and snowy, was very manageable and winter wonderland-like.
So we checked into the idyllic inn that we usually stay at, and headed to afternoon tea. If you've never been to Traditional Afternoon Tea at the historic Prince of Wales hotel, this is something you *must* check out should you ever be in the area. We settled into a cozy table and happily ordered our tea. It was sublime:
We lingered and chit chatted to our hearts' content before heading out to some of our favorite shops. Unsurprisingly, given my sweet tooth, my very favorite is the quaint fudge shop, where I procured multiple bricks of fudge for the kids and I. And herein we encountered something distinctly foreign (but good) to our American sensibilities: the mechanism for paying by credit card outside of the U.S. I've never traveled anywhere internationally aside from Canada, but I believe this applies pretty much everywhere. :) We're very behind the times when it comes to protecting against credit card fraud, to be sure. So in Canada, when you pay by credit card, they bring over this handheld credit card device, even right to your table in restaurants (where you can put the calculated tip in and everything, very convenient). And if you have a card with a chip in it (and not all Americans do; Mike and I have brand new cards that have a chip as of only a few months ago) there is apparently a separate slot for you to put it in, rather than swiping it. I did not know this. ;-) So when I went to pay for the fudge, the nice fudge lady brought that machine out, and I tried to look like I knew what I was doing, because the machine was different from the mounted ones I'm used to in stores. I carefully swiped, then accidentally switched the language to French when prompted, because, you know, I'm CLUELESS. And so I was staring at it innocently, hoping for an instruction to pop up that I could discern and discreetly maneuver my way back to my native tongue, when the fudge lady looked down at what I was doing and raised a knowing eyebrow:
"Are you from the U.S.?"
I wonder what tipped her off? :0
"Yes." *sheepish*
"Your card has a chip, so you have to put it in here, with the chip facing up. But I don't think you all have PIN's yet in the same way that we do, so it won't ask you for that. Then you just follow the directions, and it will tell you when to remove the card."
Whew. After that I could pretend a lot easier than I was adept at using those machines, I just had one further accidental switch to French in the liquor store. ;-)
With our fudge secured, we enjoyed a lovely walk up and down the main street, and some quiet time before dinner:
I'm not usually so pushy, but I asked our waiter to take a photo of us. It was a special occasion. :)
OK, SO! Highly amusing anecdote surrounding dinner. Mike and I are all blissful, contentedly eating our meals and sipping cocktails, when I notice something. Back story: last year on our anniversary trip, we were sitting in this very same restaurant, and during the course of our dinner, we spotted our neighbors from a few doors down sitting at the bar. That didn't seem particularly odd, as Niagara-on-the-Lake is not a long drive from where we live, and January is Ice Wine Festival season there. A bit of a coincidence, certainly, but nothing crazy. A number of people drive in to attend ice wine events and tastings, which are very well regarded in the Niagara wine region. They were chatting with another couple, so we didn't interrupt them to go say hello. Plus, it's not like we really *know* them anyway. We always greet each other politely if we encounter each other out on Halloween or at the annual Block Party, but that's about the extent of it. So, flash forward again to this past Friday night. Now, bear in mind, while still January, we're at Niagara-on-the-Lake on a totally different weekend than we were last year, due to having to switch our trip for Mike's grandma's funeral. I'm lifting a wedge of cheddar cheese to my mouth and nearly drop it back onto my plate:
"HONEY."
Mike is taking a sip of his drink and lifts an eyebrow at me in acknowledgement.
"I think that's one of our neighbors at the bar, the wife."
Mike turns and quietly chokes on his Manhattan.
"Well, that's definitely the husband next to her, so it has to be them."
"It's a different weekend, so I didn't think...what are the chances?!"
Different weekend, but yet we're in the exact same spot as them at the exact same time on a now annual basis? That's really uncanny.
"Do you think they're here for the ice wine festival?"
"I don't know, but now I'm dying to find out. Do you think we should go say hello?"
"That seems awkward, since they're with friends. But if we wait to mention this coincidence until the next time we happen to bump into them back at home... that seems even *weirder,* don't you think?! We'll look like stalkers."
Can you imagine the potential future encounter?
"Oh hey, how are you? Nice day we're having, yes. Say, we had occasion to notice that you like to travel to Niagara-on-the-Lake every January, two years running, and dine at the Prince of Wales lounge. Are you ice wine fans?"
It's like a scene out of a Hitchcock film.
It was a quandary, to be sure. In the end, like the introverts that we truly are, we left without saying anything to them. And then the next time we run into them in our neighborhood we'll totally freak them out by mentioning all of this, just you wait. That'll definitely be a bloggable moment. :0
Back in our room, we settled into our bliss:
I LOVED our room. (aside from the loud trio of groomsmen attending a local wedding situated across the hall from us). It had two wing back chairs by the gas fireplace, in addition to lots of other cute and homey built-ins and furnishings. As I mentioned above, Mike and I are both introverts, and we were VERY content to have what I call Parallel Solitude: me in one chair crocheting, he reading in the other. No TV, no music, just silence and an occasional noise from the fire. It was comforting knowing the other person was there, and we'd exchange thoughts every now and then as we sipped our wine. But the quiet time was just...so wonderful. When you have small kids, you come to really appreciate quiet moments. And Mike and I, in particular, are people who love quiet. And to be alone. I treasure having a partner who knows and understands that. Don't get me wrong, we enjoy our together time as well. We certainly had lots of occasion for that on this trip. ;-) But we can both comfortably rest in our own thoughts and recharge without the other feeling left out or lonely. Bliss, I tell you, the best of both worlds:
We had just a fantastic time. Oh! And we went to the vigil Mass on Saturday night, absolutely divine. On Sunday morning before we left, we took another walk down by the lake and spotted some adorable water fowl:
Lots of Canada geese and Mallards, to be sure. But I also spotted what looked to be some sort of Tern, and Bufflehead. We enjoyed watching and listening to them for a spell.
To be honest, it was so idyllic I felt a bit melancholy coming back. It was a really wonderful weekend. And I'll get sappy for a moment. I've always loved and appreciated my husband. But this weekend made me reflect on that even further. We've been married for 11 years, together for 13 years counting dating and engagement. And after that time, I can honestly say that I am still VERY much in love with my husband. Very much. No marriage is perfect, nor any human person, and we're no exception to that. But 11 years ago, when I chose him, I chose well. I chose a sweet and loving partner who suits me well. Who makes me laugh every single day. Who I find irresistibly attractive. And I am very grateful to God for helping us to find each other.
How was your weekend, dear reader? Tomorrow is going to be a Catholic Book Club review day for Raising the Barre, looking forward to discussing it with you!
At any rate, I have LOTS to tell you all, but we'll get to all of that over the course of this week. Today I wanted to focus on my trip and some quick thoughts on wedding anniversaries. Got your beverage? I've just about sucked down my entire giant travel mug of coffee, but that's just the way things roll on the first day back to work after a long and glorious weekend.
Let's circle back to Friday. Mike and I dropped the kids with their grandparents and headed north to beautiful and quaint Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. We went last year as well, to commemorate our milestone 10th wedding anniversary. This year is not a milestone, but we figured "why not? life is short" and booked our reservations back in the fall.
In a fortuitous difference as compared to last year, the weather was beautifully seasonal and not Sear The Skin Off Your Face cold. I mean, as I described in last year's post, we're all about the winter weather, but the cold front that came through 12 months ago really knocked our socks off. The wind chill was dangerously frigid, and people were RUNNING from shop to shop to avoid having even the smallest bits of uncovered skin exposed to the elements. It was wild. This year we were like:
"Oh look, the lake! Let's go take a walk down by it."
Last year was:
"There's a lake here?!"
And when the lake in question is LAKE ONTARIO, one would think you would spot it pretty easily. But it was just all hazy with blowing and drifting snow last year, and you couldn't get *near* the water. This year, while cold and snowy, was very manageable and winter wonderland-like.
So we checked into the idyllic inn that we usually stay at, and headed to afternoon tea. If you've never been to Traditional Afternoon Tea at the historic Prince of Wales hotel, this is something you *must* check out should you ever be in the area. We settled into a cozy table and happily ordered our tea. It was sublime:
 |
| Adorable, right?? The tea was good too. ;-) |
"Are you from the U.S.?"
I wonder what tipped her off? :0
"Yes." *sheepish*
"Your card has a chip, so you have to put it in here, with the chip facing up. But I don't think you all have PIN's yet in the same way that we do, so it won't ask you for that. Then you just follow the directions, and it will tell you when to remove the card."
Whew. After that I could pretend a lot easier than I was adept at using those machines, I just had one further accidental switch to French in the liquor store. ;-)
With our fudge secured, we enjoyed a lovely walk up and down the main street, and some quiet time before dinner:
 |
| Dinner! |
OK, SO! Highly amusing anecdote surrounding dinner. Mike and I are all blissful, contentedly eating our meals and sipping cocktails, when I notice something. Back story: last year on our anniversary trip, we were sitting in this very same restaurant, and during the course of our dinner, we spotted our neighbors from a few doors down sitting at the bar. That didn't seem particularly odd, as Niagara-on-the-Lake is not a long drive from where we live, and January is Ice Wine Festival season there. A bit of a coincidence, certainly, but nothing crazy. A number of people drive in to attend ice wine events and tastings, which are very well regarded in the Niagara wine region. They were chatting with another couple, so we didn't interrupt them to go say hello. Plus, it's not like we really *know* them anyway. We always greet each other politely if we encounter each other out on Halloween or at the annual Block Party, but that's about the extent of it. So, flash forward again to this past Friday night. Now, bear in mind, while still January, we're at Niagara-on-the-Lake on a totally different weekend than we were last year, due to having to switch our trip for Mike's grandma's funeral. I'm lifting a wedge of cheddar cheese to my mouth and nearly drop it back onto my plate:
"HONEY."
Mike is taking a sip of his drink and lifts an eyebrow at me in acknowledgement.
"I think that's one of our neighbors at the bar, the wife."
Mike turns and quietly chokes on his Manhattan.
"Well, that's definitely the husband next to her, so it has to be them."
"It's a different weekend, so I didn't think...what are the chances?!"
Different weekend, but yet we're in the exact same spot as them at the exact same time on a now annual basis? That's really uncanny.
"Do you think they're here for the ice wine festival?"
"I don't know, but now I'm dying to find out. Do you think we should go say hello?"
"That seems awkward, since they're with friends. But if we wait to mention this coincidence until the next time we happen to bump into them back at home... that seems even *weirder,* don't you think?! We'll look like stalkers."
Can you imagine the potential future encounter?
"Oh hey, how are you? Nice day we're having, yes. Say, we had occasion to notice that you like to travel to Niagara-on-the-Lake every January, two years running, and dine at the Prince of Wales lounge. Are you ice wine fans?"
It's like a scene out of a Hitchcock film.
It was a quandary, to be sure. In the end, like the introverts that we truly are, we left without saying anything to them. And then the next time we run into them in our neighborhood we'll totally freak them out by mentioning all of this, just you wait. That'll definitely be a bloggable moment. :0
Back in our room, we settled into our bliss:
 |
| See my crocheting resting on the arm of the chair by the fire? Complete heaven, right there. |
 |
| "I need a picture for my blog!" He's such a good sport, is it any wonder why I adore him so much? |
To be honest, it was so idyllic I felt a bit melancholy coming back. It was a really wonderful weekend. And I'll get sappy for a moment. I've always loved and appreciated my husband. But this weekend made me reflect on that even further. We've been married for 11 years, together for 13 years counting dating and engagement. And after that time, I can honestly say that I am still VERY much in love with my husband. Very much. No marriage is perfect, nor any human person, and we're no exception to that. But 11 years ago, when I chose him, I chose well. I chose a sweet and loving partner who suits me well. Who makes me laugh every single day. Who I find irresistibly attractive. And I am very grateful to God for helping us to find each other.
How was your weekend, dear reader? Tomorrow is going to be a Catholic Book Club review day for Raising the Barre, looking forward to discussing it with you!
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Moose sightings, lighthouse visits & cake frosting debacles: Adventures in Maine...
Hello all, and I'm so happy to be back with you! Before I get into trip fodder, I have a few housekeeping announcements. First, today is Day 1 of the St. John Paul II novena! If you'd like to join in, now is the perfect time to get started. :)
Also, this is my week of being featured on Catholic Mom, and my new piece is a favorite of mine, that I updated and reworked. It's in my favored, humorous style of writing, and involves knitting (perfect seasonal topic!) so go check it out if you haven't already! And if you want to leave me a comment over at Catholic Mom, you know, I'd love that. ;-)
OK, so THE TRIP! I had a great time, it went real well. My flights were good, I did a little praying and no panicking, you would have been really proud of me. Of course, the complimentary drink coupons helped with that, I'll be the first to admit it, but you know, whatever works. ;-)
It was quite foggy and rainy when we landed in Portland, but we had a happy reunion with my sister Shauna'h, her husband, and my adorable twin nephews. Pizza and merrymaking abounded.
Saturday dawned an absolutely gorgeous fall day in New England:
Like us, their foliage is behind this year due to the weather, but they still have far more color than we do in WNY right now. I did LOTS of cuddling with both my human nephews, and my dog and cat nephews:
I get along well with Molson, the cat pictured here, and I like cats, I do. I have to say though that I do prefer dogs, and here is why:
Dogs love you unconditionally. They are not cagey about it, or in any way withholding of their affections. Cats may be affectionate with you one moment, but the next stalk away as if you have offended them in some way, and likely, you have. Dogs? Here was the scene Saturday morning as I woke up:
*Tiffany puts away her bedding*
*nails click up the staircase*
*black and tan head peeks around the corner*
Tiffany: "Oh, hi Roscoe! How are you, muffin?"
Roscoe's thought bubble: "Oh! You're here! I was SO HOPING that you were awake! Can I, I mean, CAN I COME OVER?! If you want me to, I WILL TOTALLY COME OVER!!"
Tiffany: "Do you want to..."
*big black body gallops over*
So precious. I miss having a dog.
Later that day, we all made a pilgrimage to Portland Head Light, which I've been wanting to do for years, and finally got my opportunity:
I absolutely love lighthouses, and was so excited to see one up close. I went through the whole museum, and lurked long enough in the gift shop to pick up a lighthouse magnet (I've developed a tradition of bringing home a Maine-themed magnet each year) and a book on the history of all Maine lighthouses, complete with photographs and author signature. The librarian was in heaven.
We lunched at a brewery, and then retired home for some rest. After the twins went to bed, we leapt into party prep mode. And see? Anytime there is baking, and *I* am involved, the results turn out rather unseemly. Shauna'h and I took on the task of baking the cakes, and I took the liberty of live tweeting:
I'll give you a spoiler: the cake actually turned out well. But the frosting? Well, we ran low on powdered sugar, and it was already late, and we were drinking wine, and so...let's just say that the chocolate fudge frosting turned into ACTUAL FUDGE. Rather...gritty, actual fudge. It went from liquidy, non-frosting consistency, to a full stop SOLID. An interesting chemistry experiment, but frosting it was *not*. My brother-in-law had to make an emergency frosting run to the grocery store in the morning, but the cakes did turn out well:
...and they coordinated perfectly with the outdoorsy theme of the party. We were at a wildlife park:
...and a great time was had by all, especially the kids.
We took the twins around to see some of the animals, all native to Maine, including my first ever moose sighting!
And wait for it, wait for it! This is the daddy moose, and his significant other was also present, although being shyer in the back. Thus, yes, THERE WAS A BABY MOOSE!! Or, at least a child-like moose, likely born last season. He or she was tucked away in a corner, so no good photo opportunity, but rest assured that much squealing occurred.
After that we ate and opened presents, and brought two very exhausted 3-year olds home for a nap. The rest of us drank beer and watched football. :) Later in the evening, we made it to Sunday Mass, and a beautiful day was complete.
I packed up yesterday, a forlorn Henry and Roscoe by my side. Roscoe saw our bags and looked like someone had just shot his best friend, poor pumpkin. We sadly said goodbye to everyone and headed out for our flight. Anne and Mike were there to greet us when we landed, and Anne was SO HAPPY to see me:
"Mommy, I carried a picture of you and Henry with me for when I missed you. And I missed you. A LOT."
No guilt imposed there, yes? ;-) And so, although sad, I'm happy to be home. Work is a little overwhelming right now, but I'm trying not to dwell on that too much. I'm just making to-do lists for each day and working my way through them. That's all one can really do, right?
And so, how was YOUR weekend, dear reader? How has your autumn been so far? Have you participated in any fun fall activities? Do write in to tell me all about it. :)
Also, this is my week of being featured on Catholic Mom, and my new piece is a favorite of mine, that I updated and reworked. It's in my favored, humorous style of writing, and involves knitting (perfect seasonal topic!) so go check it out if you haven't already! And if you want to leave me a comment over at Catholic Mom, you know, I'd love that. ;-)
OK, so THE TRIP! I had a great time, it went real well. My flights were good, I did a little praying and no panicking, you would have been really proud of me. Of course, the complimentary drink coupons helped with that, I'll be the first to admit it, but you know, whatever works. ;-)
It was quite foggy and rainy when we landed in Portland, but we had a happy reunion with my sister Shauna'h, her husband, and my adorable twin nephews. Pizza and merrymaking abounded.
Saturday dawned an absolutely gorgeous fall day in New England:
 |
| The red and orange are my very favorite |
Like us, their foliage is behind this year due to the weather, but they still have far more color than we do in WNY right now. I did LOTS of cuddling with both my human nephews, and my dog and cat nephews:
 |
| Cat on lap, dog at feet, a common occurrence this past weekend... |
 |
| So much love... |
*Tiffany puts away her bedding*
*nails click up the staircase*
*black and tan head peeks around the corner*
Tiffany: "Oh, hi Roscoe! How are you, muffin?"
Roscoe's thought bubble: "Oh! You're here! I was SO HOPING that you were awake! Can I, I mean, CAN I COME OVER?! If you want me to, I WILL TOTALLY COME OVER!!"
Tiffany: "Do you want to..."
*big black body gallops over*
So precious. I miss having a dog.
Later that day, we all made a pilgrimage to Portland Head Light, which I've been wanting to do for years, and finally got my opportunity:
I absolutely love lighthouses, and was so excited to see one up close. I went through the whole museum, and lurked long enough in the gift shop to pick up a lighthouse magnet (I've developed a tradition of bringing home a Maine-themed magnet each year) and a book on the history of all Maine lighthouses, complete with photographs and author signature. The librarian was in heaven.
We lunched at a brewery, and then retired home for some rest. After the twins went to bed, we leapt into party prep mode. And see? Anytime there is baking, and *I* am involved, the results turn out rather unseemly. Shauna'h and I took on the task of baking the cakes, and I took the liberty of live tweeting:
 |
| Twin cakes with a camping theme... |
...and they coordinated perfectly with the outdoorsy theme of the party. We were at a wildlife park:
 |
| Henry and I posing at the entrance |
...and a great time was had by all, especially the kids.
 |
| Henry suddenly becomes alarmed by the duck flying overhead... |
 |
| He was very large |
After that we ate and opened presents, and brought two very exhausted 3-year olds home for a nap. The rest of us drank beer and watched football. :) Later in the evening, we made it to Sunday Mass, and a beautiful day was complete.
I packed up yesterday, a forlorn Henry and Roscoe by my side. Roscoe saw our bags and looked like someone had just shot his best friend, poor pumpkin. We sadly said goodbye to everyone and headed out for our flight. Anne and Mike were there to greet us when we landed, and Anne was SO HAPPY to see me:
"Mommy, I carried a picture of you and Henry with me for when I missed you. And I missed you. A LOT."
No guilt imposed there, yes? ;-) And so, although sad, I'm happy to be home. Work is a little overwhelming right now, but I'm trying not to dwell on that too much. I'm just making to-do lists for each day and working my way through them. That's all one can really do, right?
And so, how was YOUR weekend, dear reader? How has your autumn been so far? Have you participated in any fun fall activities? Do write in to tell me all about it. :)
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Tea Time with Tiffany #19 - An upcoming trip & traveling by air with the Catholic Librarian!
Hi all! It's Thursday, and the end of the week is approaching (thank goodness). This semester has taken on an arduous quality, to be sure. Not relating to the semester per se, ironically, but in many ways I'll be glad to see Thanksgiving come and things settle down a bit. We're getting there, but in the mean time I'm doing my best to take things one at a time (translation: not borrow worry), and to savor joy in everything that I can. One of those things is my trip coming up on Friday to visit my sister, which I discuss in our next installment of:
This particular trip entails me getting onto one of those ominous tubes we call airplanes. ;-) I'm an anxious flyer, and so what do I do to soothe myself in such situations? View on, dear viewer...
Items mentioned in this episode:
This particular trip entails me getting onto one of those ominous tubes we call airplanes. ;-) I'm an anxious flyer, and so what do I do to soothe myself in such situations? View on, dear viewer...
Items mentioned in this episode:
- Traveling by air. *steels self*
- St. John Paul II novena!
- Chaplets page. There are some recent additions, including the chaplet of St. John Paul II.
Monday, October 5, 2015
Trips to the movies and preparation for another kind of trip, a busy autumn weekend...
Hi all! Here with you on a dreary Monday afternoon, amidst a valiant attempt to keep my spirits high. That's no easy feat on Mondays this semester, but we're persevering and doing just fine.
#offeringitup
*halo* ;-)
And so today, I have my usual menagerie of teaching, reference shifts, dueling swim lessons for the kids, and finagling a dinner for them after we get home. Actually, that doesn't look that bad, what am I complaining about? It's not that bad, it's just a little tiring. And Monday is Mike's long teaching day too, so it's a family-wide tiring day. :)
But the weekend? The weekend was lovely. Gorgeous fall weather here. Getting cooler, leaves starting to change. The warm September that we had seems to be impacting the foliage in a negative manner, which is unfortunate, but I still have hope for a glorious second half of October. Saturday morning, Mike and Henry took on grocery store duty, and Anne and I headed to Carter's to get her some warm winter pj's since she had outgrown all of hers. Can I say that I just adore warm winter pajama shopping for young children? ADORABLE.
Those footed sleepers? *swoons* Gingerbread men and women abounded, along with cupcakes, princesses, foxes and owls. I got her a slew of jammies, along with some long sleeved tops, and because Mommy is a soft touch and Anne knows this, she also managed to procure a new stuffed animal. Here she is modeling one of the new sleepers, and showing off her new friend:
What do you think he is? An owl, right? A snowy owl? But with a pink beak and feet? That's what I think he is. Anne insists that he is "a chickie!" But I'm not convinced. ;-)
At any rate, after our little clothing adventure, I took both kids to the movie theater, my mom in tow, to see Hotel Transylvania 2. I have to say, I love this series. VERY cute and funny, for both kids and adults. I loved the first movie, and so was excited to take the kids to see the sequel. And the verdict is... I would recommend, once again. Just as cute and funny as the first one. All four of us had a great time.
My mom wanted to take the kids to see the 3D version as a treat, and although I usually don't see movies in 3D (it's a waste of money for me, since I have a vision impairment that impacts my ability to see 3D images on a screen. I know, lame, right?!) I agreed that it would be fun for the kids, so why not?
Well, Henry enjoyed the 3D. He popped his glasses on, and sat back happily munching popcorn for the entirety of the movie. My mom enjoyed the 3D. As for me, 3D means that the screen looks fuzzy, I pop the glasses on, and then it looks super clear, but nothing else. A little anti-climactic, to be sure. ;-) Anne?
"Mommy, I do not like these MOVIE THEATER SUNGLASSES!"
Of course, it makes the experience less than enjoyable when you muck around with the glasses while you're eating your buttery popcorn, and quickly, your glasses become coated with layers of gunk. Multiple times. And then Mommy has to put down her beloved popcorn and Diet Coke to *clean plastic glasses 3 times*. But overall, Anne did not want to be bothered with the perching of glasses on her tiny nose in order to watch the movie, so I don't think she'd vote for 3D a second time.
On Sunday, we went to our favorite 10 am Mass *blissful sigh* followed by the monthly parish coffee/donuts social. We kibitzed. Then we went home and drank beer and watched football. Or, at least that's what Mike and I did. ;-)
In other exciting news, in preparation for a trip I'm taking this weekend (more details about that below) I upgraded my e-reader to a Kindle Paperwhite, da da DA!
I had a Kindle Basic (that I coined "Patrick") which I loved, but which I was starting to have a difficult time seeing the screen in certain light conditions. I gave Patrick to Henry (who happily received him) and ordered this new Kindle Paperwhite, whose name, if you were wondering, is Francis. :0 And oh my goodness - SO MUCH BETTER! It's not just in dimly lit situations that I can see the screen more clearly now. I love it.
The reason this was on my mind is because I'm traveling on Friday, and when I travel, I read a lot on my Kindle. Traveling? Doesn't Tiffany not like hurtling through the sky on an airplane? Yes, yes, you would be correct, my friend. :) I don't really like doing that. BUT there are people that I love who do not live near me, and so I sometimes suck it up and force myself onto one of those tubes so that I can visit them. This time, I'm going to Maine (with Henry in tow) to visit my younger sister, brother-in-law, and twin nephews. I'm very excited, but you know, FLYING. And I'm going to miss Mike and Anne, who will be home enjoying a Daddy/Daughter weekend. *sad* But four airline tickets just wasn't in our budget right now.
I'll talk more about my trip likely in my video post for this week. In the meantime, how was your weekend? Did you go to a movie? Do tell. Have a Kindle Paperwhite? How do you like? :) Write all about it in the comments!
#offeringitup
*halo* ;-)
And so today, I have my usual menagerie of teaching, reference shifts, dueling swim lessons for the kids, and finagling a dinner for them after we get home. Actually, that doesn't look that bad, what am I complaining about? It's not that bad, it's just a little tiring. And Monday is Mike's long teaching day too, so it's a family-wide tiring day. :)
But the weekend? The weekend was lovely. Gorgeous fall weather here. Getting cooler, leaves starting to change. The warm September that we had seems to be impacting the foliage in a negative manner, which is unfortunate, but I still have hope for a glorious second half of October. Saturday morning, Mike and Henry took on grocery store duty, and Anne and I headed to Carter's to get her some warm winter pj's since she had outgrown all of hers. Can I say that I just adore warm winter pajama shopping for young children? ADORABLE.
Those footed sleepers? *swoons* Gingerbread men and women abounded, along with cupcakes, princesses, foxes and owls. I got her a slew of jammies, along with some long sleeved tops, and because Mommy is a soft touch and Anne knows this, she also managed to procure a new stuffed animal. Here she is modeling one of the new sleepers, and showing off her new friend:
What do you think he is? An owl, right? A snowy owl? But with a pink beak and feet? That's what I think he is. Anne insists that he is "a chickie!" But I'm not convinced. ;-)
At any rate, after our little clothing adventure, I took both kids to the movie theater, my mom in tow, to see Hotel Transylvania 2. I have to say, I love this series. VERY cute and funny, for both kids and adults. I loved the first movie, and so was excited to take the kids to see the sequel. And the verdict is... I would recommend, once again. Just as cute and funny as the first one. All four of us had a great time.
My mom wanted to take the kids to see the 3D version as a treat, and although I usually don't see movies in 3D (it's a waste of money for me, since I have a vision impairment that impacts my ability to see 3D images on a screen. I know, lame, right?!) I agreed that it would be fun for the kids, so why not?
Well, Henry enjoyed the 3D. He popped his glasses on, and sat back happily munching popcorn for the entirety of the movie. My mom enjoyed the 3D. As for me, 3D means that the screen looks fuzzy, I pop the glasses on, and then it looks super clear, but nothing else. A little anti-climactic, to be sure. ;-) Anne?
"Mommy, I do not like these MOVIE THEATER SUNGLASSES!"
Of course, it makes the experience less than enjoyable when you muck around with the glasses while you're eating your buttery popcorn, and quickly, your glasses become coated with layers of gunk. Multiple times. And then Mommy has to put down her beloved popcorn and Diet Coke to *clean plastic glasses 3 times*. But overall, Anne did not want to be bothered with the perching of glasses on her tiny nose in order to watch the movie, so I don't think she'd vote for 3D a second time.
On Sunday, we went to our favorite 10 am Mass *blissful sigh* followed by the monthly parish coffee/donuts social. We kibitzed. Then we went home and drank beer and watched football. Or, at least that's what Mike and I did. ;-)
In other exciting news, in preparation for a trip I'm taking this weekend (more details about that below) I upgraded my e-reader to a Kindle Paperwhite, da da DA!
 |
| An autumn scene, because I would have it be autumn year round ;-) |
 |
| Isn't he handsome with all of his customized collections? |
The reason this was on my mind is because I'm traveling on Friday, and when I travel, I read a lot on my Kindle. Traveling? Doesn't Tiffany not like hurtling through the sky on an airplane? Yes, yes, you would be correct, my friend. :) I don't really like doing that. BUT there are people that I love who do not live near me, and so I sometimes suck it up and force myself onto one of those tubes so that I can visit them. This time, I'm going to Maine (with Henry in tow) to visit my younger sister, brother-in-law, and twin nephews. I'm very excited, but you know, FLYING. And I'm going to miss Mike and Anne, who will be home enjoying a Daddy/Daughter weekend. *sad* But four airline tickets just wasn't in our budget right now.
I'll talk more about my trip likely in my video post for this week. In the meantime, how was your weekend? Did you go to a movie? Do tell. Have a Kindle Paperwhite? How do you like? :) Write all about it in the comments!
Friday, July 31, 2015
7 Quick Takes {Take 86} Traveling with the paranoid Catholic Librarian edition...
I'm so excited about my trip, truly I am. But the actual traveling part? My stomach is in knots. I never used to be this uptight about flying. Another age-related fun fact, I'm thinking. Joy. And so, here is the situation:
-1- Trip? What big trip?
I'm a nervous flyer. SO NERVOUS. The amount of anxiety I put into these feats is completely ridiculous. Denial is one of my defense mechanisms. :0
-2- To commence at approximately 11 am EDT tomorrow morning: SO MUCH SQUEALING
I can't fully imagine the emotion that will result from this trip, but I would imagine that it will likely: (1) involve tears, and (2) be very loud. :0 And also: (3) very fun. But before we get to the fun...
-3- "Where is my new blue and white blouse? Did Anne go through the laundry basket again?!"
...I have to pack. :-\ And to sum it up, I make packing WAY more complicated than it needs to be. I like to have options for outfits, dependent upon venue, weather, and a number of other factors that make sense only to me. I wanted to pack a dress to wear to Mass and dinner, and workout clothes, because we're taking some sort of fun class together. And then there's...well, you get the picture.
-4- "This lotion bottle isn't labeled. Do you think it's under 3.4 ounces?!"
Ugh. I do so hate this new travel world we live in, in which we all need to be so careful about the size of our water bottles and other toiletries. As if I'm not paranoid enough already about packing everything I think I'll need, this makes me extra paranoid that I'm going to forget about a container of hand sanitizer and be muscled aside for questioning. Of course though, I do bring a lot of this on myself, because...
-5- "I don't trust any of you people!"
I prefer not to check a bag. ;-) I could bring as much lotion as I wanted if only I had a checked bag to tuck it into. But instead, I insist on stuffing everything into my cute orange carry-on sized rolling bag so that I don't have to worry about anything getting lost. I like knowing with 100% certainty that all of my carefully packed stuff will be with me when I arrive at my destination. Thus, the obsessing over toiletry sizes. Alas.
-6- "I'm just going to listen to my soothing podcasts and/or squeeze my eyes shut to pray a rosary the whole time."
I'm a nervous flyer, it is true. And I checked in for my flight this morning and got a look at the planes assigned to my flights.
*terror*
I kind of knew this would be the case, since I'm taking a short, nonstop flight of under 2 hours. And so the planes are, you know, LITTLE. Smaller than the traditionally sized passenger jets. The smaller the airplane, the more anxiety-ridden your Catholic Librarian becomes. I haven't flown in one of these tiny
-7- "Ma'am, would you like a bag of peanuts? Oh, are you OK?!"
Indeed, I abstain from all snacks on these tiny flights. :) I never feel well when I fly on them, and so I stick my nose in my book and hope that it will all be over soon. And luckily, the flights are short. And indeed, the result is SO WORTH IT!
I'll be back to posting on the blog on Wednesday. The chaplet project is moving along *swimmingly* BTW, and I'm hoping to have news on that towards the end of next week. Until then, love to you all, dear readers!
Head to This Ain't the Lyceum for more 7 Quick Takes!
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
I'm back from my trip, and alive. :)
Hi all! I survived my air travel, as you have surmised. And I did fine. :) Very well in fact. I didn't whine once.
*halo*
I think I've discovered what makes me so ill at ease about flying - I don't like the sensation of taking off. After that, I was totally fine, small spaces and everything. Taking off just feels so precarious and unnatural to me, although I know that that absolutely isn't true. But overall, this was the best I've ever done in terms of my anxiety when traveling by air. And I think I deserve a gold star. *beams*
(the drink coupons also certainly didn't hurt, but sssshhhhhhhhh! ;-))
On the flight down, I did LOTS of knitting, I was just really feeling the Trick or Treat yarn:
Self-striping yarn is just so exciting. :0 One of the flight attendants stopped to ask me what I was working on, she was so intrigued by my yarn. I also listened to podcasts. I left my beloved iPod, John Paul, at home, and just brought my phone, so I did my homework by finding an app for Android where I can download and store podcasts completely separate from my iTunes account. I don't imagine that I'll move to this model full time just yet, but it's nice to have an option for my podcasts when I don't have my iPod with me/cannot synch to my iTunes library. I'm so reliant upon my podcasts for weekly entertainment that I'm thrilled to have more ways to listen to them depending upon my situation in any given week. So I listened to those and knitted on the way down.
I was traveling with both Henry and my mom, and Henry was just so excited by EVERYTHING. Including the air travel:
"Mommy, who is that, is that the pilot? Why is he doing that? What's this switch for, Mommy? Who's that guy out there, what is he doing with those bags? What's this switch here? Can I press it? Why not? Will they give us any food on here? Why is it taking so long for everyone to get on the plane, Mommy? How come we're not moving yet?"
:0
Then we arrived and the frivolity began in earnest. I was so excited to see my precious nephews, and I got to squeeze them tons (well, they didn't love it, but I did it anyway, ha! "Andrew, COME HERE MUFFIN, Aunt Tiffy wants to hold and kiss you..." "DOWN, DOWN!" :0), but they don't get to see me that often, and so they were mighty suspicious of this new interloper. When we do video chat, they sometimes think I'm Shauna'h, because we look a bit alike, but in person, THE JIG IS UP, my friends. The looks on their faces just scream:
"YOU'RE NOT MOMMY! PUT ME DOWN!!"
But my mom, on the other hand? SO INTO NANA.
"MORE NANA! MORE NANA!"
They see my mom a lot more often, and know her very well, so they were just beside themselves with excitement to have her there. So I tortured them a bit with the repeated squeezing and kissing, but hey! I'm unapologetic about the whole thing. ;-) And they got more used to me as each day passed.
Saturday was their second birthday party, and Henry loved cavorting with his dog cousin, Roscoe:
Such mutual adoration there. I was very happy to squeeze toddlers where I possibly could, help out with party stuff, and sip wine. Boxed Chardonnay? I'm there.
I also snuggled my cat nephew, Molson:
He's a lovey. And of course, the highlight of the day:
Cake and little twin faces, does life get any better? There were 2 sets of twins present, including my nephews. :) On Sunday, we went to Mass and watched football.
#sublime
And then yesterday, of course, we traveled home. Wherein I once again did an admirable job of holding it together while traveling by air. The approach in and out of Portland, Maine has to be one of the prettiest in the entire country, I'm thinking. I was sad to leave, but SO happy to get home to Mike and Anne. Whereupon, my passing through security and towards a beaming Anne earned me:
"NANA!!!!"
*she rushes into my mom's arms*
Everybody loves Nana. :) Although my greeting wasn't nearly as dramatic, Anne was in fact very happy to see me, and showed this by clinging to me for the rest of the evening in a very emotional fashion, and waking up at 3 am to demand that I hold her. Good times, I felt cherished.
:0
All right everyone, it was tough to eke this post out with the work schedule I had today, but I really wanted to make it happen, and I managed it, don't you feel loved? I will return to you tomorrow, to talk about God knows what, but I'm sure inspiration will strike in the morning. ;-) Until then! How was your weekend? I won't wake you up in the middle of the night to demand an answer, but I'd love it if you would leave a comment. :)
*halo*
I think I've discovered what makes me so ill at ease about flying - I don't like the sensation of taking off. After that, I was totally fine, small spaces and everything. Taking off just feels so precarious and unnatural to me, although I know that that absolutely isn't true. But overall, this was the best I've ever done in terms of my anxiety when traveling by air. And I think I deserve a gold star. *beams*
(the drink coupons also certainly didn't hurt, but sssshhhhhhhhh! ;-))
On the flight down, I did LOTS of knitting, I was just really feeling the Trick or Treat yarn:
I was traveling with both Henry and my mom, and Henry was just so excited by EVERYTHING. Including the air travel:
"Mommy, who is that, is that the pilot? Why is he doing that? What's this switch for, Mommy? Who's that guy out there, what is he doing with those bags? What's this switch here? Can I press it? Why not? Will they give us any food on here? Why is it taking so long for everyone to get on the plane, Mommy? How come we're not moving yet?"
:0
Then we arrived and the frivolity began in earnest. I was so excited to see my precious nephews, and I got to squeeze them tons (well, they didn't love it, but I did it anyway, ha! "Andrew, COME HERE MUFFIN, Aunt Tiffy wants to hold and kiss you..." "DOWN, DOWN!" :0), but they don't get to see me that often, and so they were mighty suspicious of this new interloper. When we do video chat, they sometimes think I'm Shauna'h, because we look a bit alike, but in person, THE JIG IS UP, my friends. The looks on their faces just scream:
"YOU'RE NOT MOMMY! PUT ME DOWN!!"
But my mom, on the other hand? SO INTO NANA.
"MORE NANA! MORE NANA!"
They see my mom a lot more often, and know her very well, so they were just beside themselves with excitement to have her there. So I tortured them a bit with the repeated squeezing and kissing, but hey! I'm unapologetic about the whole thing. ;-) And they got more used to me as each day passed.
Saturday was their second birthday party, and Henry loved cavorting with his dog cousin, Roscoe:
 |
| He's *really* hoping that something falls off of that plate |
 |
| Self portrait with wine glass |
 |
| This is the life, to be sure |
 |
| Aren't they precious? |
#sublime
And then yesterday, of course, we traveled home. Wherein I once again did an admirable job of holding it together while traveling by air. The approach in and out of Portland, Maine has to be one of the prettiest in the entire country, I'm thinking. I was sad to leave, but SO happy to get home to Mike and Anne. Whereupon, my passing through security and towards a beaming Anne earned me:
"NANA!!!!"
*she rushes into my mom's arms*
Everybody loves Nana. :) Although my greeting wasn't nearly as dramatic, Anne was in fact very happy to see me, and showed this by clinging to me for the rest of the evening in a very emotional fashion, and waking up at 3 am to demand that I hold her. Good times, I felt cherished.
:0
All right everyone, it was tough to eke this post out with the work schedule I had today, but I really wanted to make it happen, and I managed it, don't you feel loved? I will return to you tomorrow, to talk about God knows what, but I'm sure inspiration will strike in the morning. ;-) Until then! How was your weekend? I won't wake you up in the middle of the night to demand an answer, but I'd love it if you would leave a comment. :)
Thursday, October 9, 2014
The Catholic Librarian travels by air - prepare yourselves for the posts to follow :0
At least, that's the hope, since the possibility of there being no posts next week is my greatest fear when flying. Yep - DEATH!!!! We're off to an uplifting start, no? ;-) I actually went to confession this week for this very reason. :0
#CrazyCatholic
Although, now that I think about it, I don't think death is actually my greatest fear with regard to flying. I think my greatest fear is being trapped on a full airplane (ironically, while it's still on the ground :0) for hours on end with no working bathrooms, and no way to get out. I have *this thing* about bathrooms. They must...exist. And be easily accessible, with lots of privacy. The optimal situation would be for no one to ever know that I even used the bathroom, but I'm digressing, aren't I? So, a possible lack of working restrooms plus a touch of claustrophobia, those two things. When I'm on an airplane, I feel like I have no personal space to even, you know, *breathe*, and it makes me so skittish. Let's not even combine all of these wacky fears plus my introverted personality and talk about the anxiety it causes me to have to ASK the person squashed next to me to GET UP and MOVE so that I can go to the bathroom.
*shudder!*
It's so, so awful. This is why I usually sit on the aisle. Although, frankly, my clear inability to function normally in society :0 has made it so that I pretty much have eliminated this situation from happening, because I demand a bladder of STEEL from my body, and it has obeyed my demands. Believe me it's much better than the alternative - the conversation I mentioned above. Good heavens.
Somewhat thwarting my efforts in this regard these days though are the drink coupons that printed out with my boarding passes. BOOYAH!! Any anxious traveler knows how indispensable these babies are. One per leg, yes sir. And my flights are less than an hour each, not to mention in the middle of the afternoon. *delicately clears throat* Indeed, I know how ridiculous I am, but please humor the Nervous Nelly.
I will also have my Kindle with me, loaded up with all sorts of soothing inspirational fiction, and my knitting. Behold - the magnificence of the Trick or Treat Halloween sock yarn:
I wound it last night and, throwing caution and all of my other pressing holiday gift crafting aside, cast on:
I wanted a solid start, so it wouldn't be all fiddly when I was in the airport, and ta da! It's so, so cute. So, should I start to feel anxious, me and my self-patterning sock yarn will go to my happy place.
Travel aside, I *am* looking forward to seeing my sister and squeezing my precious nephews, so I'll have lots to write about next week. You won't see any posts until next Tuesday since I'm traveling both Friday and Monday, but I promise a post on Tuesday afternoon with all the details. Until then my friends, I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend. I'll still be tweeting, so if you follow me on Twitter, you can be a part of all the fun, ha! I'll try to get a selfie of Henry and I in the airport. And wing up a prayer for us, if you would. ;-) Much appreciated!
#CrazyCatholic
Although, now that I think about it, I don't think death is actually my greatest fear with regard to flying. I think my greatest fear is being trapped on a full airplane (ironically, while it's still on the ground :0) for hours on end with no working bathrooms, and no way to get out. I have *this thing* about bathrooms. They must...exist. And be easily accessible, with lots of privacy. The optimal situation would be for no one to ever know that I even used the bathroom, but I'm digressing, aren't I? So, a possible lack of working restrooms plus a touch of claustrophobia, those two things. When I'm on an airplane, I feel like I have no personal space to even, you know, *breathe*, and it makes me so skittish. Let's not even combine all of these wacky fears plus my introverted personality and talk about the anxiety it causes me to have to ASK the person squashed next to me to GET UP and MOVE so that I can go to the bathroom.
*shudder!*
It's so, so awful. This is why I usually sit on the aisle. Although, frankly, my clear inability to function normally in society :0 has made it so that I pretty much have eliminated this situation from happening, because I demand a bladder of STEEL from my body, and it has obeyed my demands. Believe me it's much better than the alternative - the conversation I mentioned above. Good heavens.
Somewhat thwarting my efforts in this regard these days though are the drink coupons that printed out with my boarding passes. BOOYAH!! Any anxious traveler knows how indispensable these babies are. One per leg, yes sir. And my flights are less than an hour each, not to mention in the middle of the afternoon. *delicately clears throat* Indeed, I know how ridiculous I am, but please humor the Nervous Nelly.
I will also have my Kindle with me, loaded up with all sorts of soothing inspirational fiction, and my knitting. Behold - the magnificence of the Trick or Treat Halloween sock yarn:
Travel aside, I *am* looking forward to seeing my sister and squeezing my precious nephews, so I'll have lots to write about next week. You won't see any posts until next Tuesday since I'm traveling both Friday and Monday, but I promise a post on Tuesday afternoon with all the details. Until then my friends, I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend. I'll still be tweeting, so if you follow me on Twitter, you can be a part of all the fun, ha! I'll try to get a selfie of Henry and I in the airport. And wing up a prayer for us, if you would. ;-) Much appreciated!
Monday, June 23, 2014
"Stop it HENRY!!" A story of a weekend "getaway"...
You know, a "getaway" really implies a happy event, a voyage to a fun place where a good time was had by all, right?
;-)
Well, we're dealing with a stacked deck of negative energy here. Why, you ask? Well, we have, for your amusement, what I call The Big 3 working against us:
(1) Mike and I hate to travel. Nothing like starting off strong. :0 We have "Routine Withdrawal Syndrome," (hereinafter "RWS") and a very dire case of it indeed. There is something about not being in my usual happy space doing my usual happy stuff that gets me all agita. This is a term my Italian grandmother uses to describe a state in which one is anxious, antsy, and perhaps a bit wild eyed. That describes me being off routine to a tee. :0
RWS Case in Point: Mike and I lay despondently side-by-side on an inflated air mattress, trying not to jostle the other by moving and/or breathing too hard.
"What are we doing tomorrow?"
*agonized sigh* "My parents are insisting on taking the kids to that animal preserve. We're going to have to go too."
"Oh. It's like an hour away, right?" *resists the urge to whine*
"YES. And by time it opens and we get there, we'll be coming up against Anne's usual nap time, and she's already WAY overtired."
"Fabulous."
*long suffering sigh*
"Have you seen my hair straightener? If I don't find it, I'll look like Bozo the clown tomorrow."
"Isn't it over there in that pile?"
"No. I had to move that pile to make way for all the clothes Anne is dirtying. Now I can't find it."
"Sorry."
Ugh.
(2) I have all kinds of weird phobias. This isn't exactly the most flattering thing to admit, but it's very, very true, and I address it here so that all of you weird phobia sufferers out there no longer have to suffer alone. ;-) There are things that we don't speak of like Fear of Not Having Bathroom Privacy. You know what I mean. The only bathroom being located right in a main, densely populated household space where PEOPLE WILL KNOW HOW LONG YOU'VE BEEN IN THERE. The very thought makes my heart stop. Then there is the Fear of Having Dirty Sheets. Anything other than dust that my legs have to slip amongst in sheets that aren't mine and my skin crawls. Little pebble things, dirt or otherwise foreign objects? Can't sleep. Or move, for that matter. There is also the Fear of Gross Showers. I'm sensing a dirt-related theme here. #OCD
Freakish Phobia Case in Point: Tiffany is poised to take a shower. As I go to place all of my shower stuff into the stall (all that girly business: shower gel, shampoo and conditioner, razor, yadda) I notice the floor rug/mat in front. I gasp a little bit.
"Oh. There's "stuff" embedded into the rug. What is...Oh God. Can I shake it out anywhere?! No, someone would see me and that would be rude. Can I...oh dear. I can't step on this with bare feet, especially *wet* bare feet, I wouldn't be able to sleep for days. I'm going to have to move it and just step on the bare floor. Which will get the floor wet, but it can't be helped. I'll wipe it up with my towel when I'm done. Uh oh. There's stuff *underneath* the mat too! I'm just going to have to carefully step around...*executes Twister-like movement*"
I nearly killed myself getting out when my feet were wet duplicating this scenario, fyi. Try at your own risk.
(3) We have young children who like to make each other miserable. If there is anything I fear more than having my own routine hacked into pieces it's having the routines of my small children disrupted. My sanity hinges upon a regular nap time and bedtime so that we can have adult fun time. And now we're in someone else's house, and so the children have to sleep in the same room. Where they can talk to and otherwise annoy each other and prevent each other from sleeping. Then they are even crankier and less willing to sleep than ever the next day.
Major.Mew.
Children On the Edge Case in Point: The room Mike and I were staying in was connected to Henry and Anne's room via a vent. 6:15 am Sunday morning we hear:
*high pitched whispering*
*Chorus of "Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes" struck up loudly*
"ANNE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
"Nothing HENRY!"
"ANNE! I'M TRYING TO SLEEP! YOU ARE SO LOUD!"
"Stop it HENRY!"
*high pitched back-and-forth interspersed with lots of acclamations of "Shut up!" and "SSSSTTTTTOOOPPPP!"*
Mike turns to me, air mattress squeaking loudly in his wake: "There is a ban on traveling with the kids for at least the next year."
And let's not even speak of the car ride, I think I'm scarred for life.
But we made it. Last night we collapsed onto our couch, cocktails in hand, and basked in our space and our Sunday night routine. Which is to say watching old episodes of Columbo and drinking. And yammered on about how happy we were to be home. One would have thought we'd been away at a hard labor camp for the past decade. Nope. Gone less than 48 hours.
We're insane.
;-)
Well, we're dealing with a stacked deck of negative energy here. Why, you ask? Well, we have, for your amusement, what I call The Big 3 working against us:
(1) Mike and I hate to travel. Nothing like starting off strong. :0 We have "Routine Withdrawal Syndrome," (hereinafter "RWS") and a very dire case of it indeed. There is something about not being in my usual happy space doing my usual happy stuff that gets me all agita. This is a term my Italian grandmother uses to describe a state in which one is anxious, antsy, and perhaps a bit wild eyed. That describes me being off routine to a tee. :0
RWS Case in Point: Mike and I lay despondently side-by-side on an inflated air mattress, trying not to jostle the other by moving and/or breathing too hard.
"What are we doing tomorrow?"
*agonized sigh* "My parents are insisting on taking the kids to that animal preserve. We're going to have to go too."
"Oh. It's like an hour away, right?" *resists the urge to whine*
"YES. And by time it opens and we get there, we'll be coming up against Anne's usual nap time, and she's already WAY overtired."
"Fabulous."
*long suffering sigh*
"Have you seen my hair straightener? If I don't find it, I'll look like Bozo the clown tomorrow."
"Isn't it over there in that pile?"
"No. I had to move that pile to make way for all the clothes Anne is dirtying. Now I can't find it."
"Sorry."
Ugh.
(2) I have all kinds of weird phobias. This isn't exactly the most flattering thing to admit, but it's very, very true, and I address it here so that all of you weird phobia sufferers out there no longer have to suffer alone. ;-) There are things that we don't speak of like Fear of Not Having Bathroom Privacy. You know what I mean. The only bathroom being located right in a main, densely populated household space where PEOPLE WILL KNOW HOW LONG YOU'VE BEEN IN THERE. The very thought makes my heart stop. Then there is the Fear of Having Dirty Sheets. Anything other than dust that my legs have to slip amongst in sheets that aren't mine and my skin crawls. Little pebble things, dirt or otherwise foreign objects? Can't sleep. Or move, for that matter. There is also the Fear of Gross Showers. I'm sensing a dirt-related theme here. #OCD
Freakish Phobia Case in Point: Tiffany is poised to take a shower. As I go to place all of my shower stuff into the stall (all that girly business: shower gel, shampoo and conditioner, razor, yadda) I notice the floor rug/mat in front. I gasp a little bit.
"Oh. There's "stuff" embedded into the rug. What is...Oh God. Can I shake it out anywhere?! No, someone would see me and that would be rude. Can I...oh dear. I can't step on this with bare feet, especially *wet* bare feet, I wouldn't be able to sleep for days. I'm going to have to move it and just step on the bare floor. Which will get the floor wet, but it can't be helped. I'll wipe it up with my towel when I'm done. Uh oh. There's stuff *underneath* the mat too! I'm just going to have to carefully step around...*executes Twister-like movement*"
I nearly killed myself getting out when my feet were wet duplicating this scenario, fyi. Try at your own risk.
(3) We have young children who like to make each other miserable. If there is anything I fear more than having my own routine hacked into pieces it's having the routines of my small children disrupted. My sanity hinges upon a regular nap time and bedtime so that we can have adult fun time. And now we're in someone else's house, and so the children have to sleep in the same room. Where they can talk to and otherwise annoy each other and prevent each other from sleeping. Then they are even crankier and less willing to sleep than ever the next day.
Major.Mew.
Children On the Edge Case in Point: The room Mike and I were staying in was connected to Henry and Anne's room via a vent. 6:15 am Sunday morning we hear:
*high pitched whispering*
*Chorus of "Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes" struck up loudly*
"ANNE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
"Nothing HENRY!"
"ANNE! I'M TRYING TO SLEEP! YOU ARE SO LOUD!"
"Stop it HENRY!"
*high pitched back-and-forth interspersed with lots of acclamations of "Shut up!" and "SSSSTTTTTOOOPPPP!"*
Mike turns to me, air mattress squeaking loudly in his wake: "There is a ban on traveling with the kids for at least the next year."
And let's not even speak of the car ride, I think I'm scarred for life.
But we made it. Last night we collapsed onto our couch, cocktails in hand, and basked in our space and our Sunday night routine. Which is to say watching old episodes of Columbo and drinking. And yammered on about how happy we were to be home. One would have thought we'd been away at a hard labor camp for the past decade. Nope. Gone less than 48 hours.
We're insane.
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Travels with your Catholic Librarian...
Originally posted on January 2, 2010 :)
___________________________________
Mike, Henry and I are in central Florida, visiting Mike's parents, and are having an excellent time. We arrived, exhausted, on New Years Eve. I was fearful of a terrible flying experience just given the current craziness of our airport security situation, but actually everything wasn't bad. I particularly hate airport security in the winter. Where we're from, at least, winter translates into wet, muddy puddles on the floor from everyone's wet boots. And of course, at airport security, we all have to take our shoes off, which I HATE. I normally love being shoeless, but not with soaking wet socks in the middle of the airport. And then we have the Henry factor, and traveling by air is a big fat wet blanket.
"Are we there yet, Mommy?"
"When are we going to be there, Mommy?"
"Is the plane landing yet, Mommy?"
"Is it time to be there yet, Mommy?"
It's too bad they don't sell valium in those little airplane drink bottles.
At any rate, we arrived safely, and that's all that matters. We had a nice new year celebration, and I went to Mass with my mother-in-law yesterday to her local parish. There's definitely a dearth of traditional Catholic churches down here. Well, actually, there aren't that many Catholic churches here at all. I'm used to the northeast, where the majority of the population is Catholic. There was much guitar strumming and audience practicing of the responsorial psalm prior to Mass beginning, but I can't complain. A girl with a beautiful voice sang accompaniment, the priest had an awesome Irish accent, and the Mass was lovely. I was just grateful to be there.
The only bad thing I've experience so far is the climate. It's not new news that I just don't like the climate here. The summer is excruciating, that goes without saying. But even the winter is just...odd. The air still carries a tremendous amount of moisture, and consequently it's all chilly and damp. And my HAIR; my God, my hair. The moisture in the air is killer on my hair. Did you ever see that episode of Friends where they all go to a tropical island and in each scene, Monica's hair looks more and more ridiculous? People keep asking her what's wrong with her hair, and she keeps saying "it's the *humidity*!" That's me. Every time I look in a mirror, I cringe. Even tied back in a bun or ponytail, little strands manage to curl up and make my head look like a giant Q-tip. It's bad, it's really bad.
Sigh. Tonight, Mike and I are going out to dinner, which I'm excited about. We're having a great time, but I'll be happy to get back to snow and single digit temperatures. Crazy, crazy girl that I am.
___________________________________
Mike, Henry and I are in central Florida, visiting Mike's parents, and are having an excellent time. We arrived, exhausted, on New Years Eve. I was fearful of a terrible flying experience just given the current craziness of our airport security situation, but actually everything wasn't bad. I particularly hate airport security in the winter. Where we're from, at least, winter translates into wet, muddy puddles on the floor from everyone's wet boots. And of course, at airport security, we all have to take our shoes off, which I HATE. I normally love being shoeless, but not with soaking wet socks in the middle of the airport. And then we have the Henry factor, and traveling by air is a big fat wet blanket.
"Are we there yet, Mommy?"
"When are we going to be there, Mommy?"
"Is the plane landing yet, Mommy?"
"Is it time to be there yet, Mommy?"
It's too bad they don't sell valium in those little airplane drink bottles.
At any rate, we arrived safely, and that's all that matters. We had a nice new year celebration, and I went to Mass with my mother-in-law yesterday to her local parish. There's definitely a dearth of traditional Catholic churches down here. Well, actually, there aren't that many Catholic churches here at all. I'm used to the northeast, where the majority of the population is Catholic. There was much guitar strumming and audience practicing of the responsorial psalm prior to Mass beginning, but I can't complain. A girl with a beautiful voice sang accompaniment, the priest had an awesome Irish accent, and the Mass was lovely. I was just grateful to be there.
The only bad thing I've experience so far is the climate. It's not new news that I just don't like the climate here. The summer is excruciating, that goes without saying. But even the winter is just...odd. The air still carries a tremendous amount of moisture, and consequently it's all chilly and damp. And my HAIR; my God, my hair. The moisture in the air is killer on my hair. Did you ever see that episode of Friends where they all go to a tropical island and in each scene, Monica's hair looks more and more ridiculous? People keep asking her what's wrong with her hair, and she keeps saying "it's the *humidity*!" That's me. Every time I look in a mirror, I cringe. Even tied back in a bun or ponytail, little strands manage to curl up and make my head look like a giant Q-tip. It's bad, it's really bad.
Sigh. Tonight, Mike and I are going out to dinner, which I'm excited about. We're having a great time, but I'll be happy to get back to snow and single digit temperatures. Crazy, crazy girl that I am.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Back, but feeling frantic
I was returning from our family trip over the weekend to northern Pennsylvania for a baby shower. Let's just say that at one point, when Anne was sobbing in the back from within her car seat, Mike turned to me and said:
"Remember how you wanted to drive 10 hours to Maine in the fall to see your sister? When you think about that again, just remember THIS MOMENT."
By which Mike isn't advocating that I not visit my sister, just that I should fly there on an airplane while he stays behind to care for the children. He thinks Anne just isn't ready for such a long car trip, and before this weekend, I thought he was wrong. I've changed my opinion. Sigh.
Anyway, it was tough to get a lot of knitting in this weekend, but I did do some after the kids went to bed and we were sitting around socializing. Mitten #2 just needs the finger holes (which I have discovered that I loathe knitting, but it's too late to turn back now) and my sweater is:
Almost done!
I'm on the yoke, and am 8 rounds into the colorwork. There are 17 more rounds on the color chart, and then a small color decrease chart. After that chart is done, it's to the bind off! I really hope I get everything done. I'm optimistic, but I'm cutting it a bit close.
I'll report back in tomorrow, and hopefully I'll be close to done on both projects. Lots of knitting to commence this evening.
"Remember how you wanted to drive 10 hours to Maine in the fall to see your sister? When you think about that again, just remember THIS MOMENT."
By which Mike isn't advocating that I not visit my sister, just that I should fly there on an airplane while he stays behind to care for the children. He thinks Anne just isn't ready for such a long car trip, and before this weekend, I thought he was wrong. I've changed my opinion. Sigh.
Anyway, it was tough to get a lot of knitting in this weekend, but I did do some after the kids went to bed and we were sitting around socializing. Mitten #2 just needs the finger holes (which I have discovered that I loathe knitting, but it's too late to turn back now) and my sweater is:
Almost done!
I'm on the yoke, and am 8 rounds into the colorwork. There are 17 more rounds on the color chart, and then a small color decrease chart. After that chart is done, it's to the bind off! I really hope I get everything done. I'm optimistic, but I'm cutting it a bit close.
I'll report back in tomorrow, and hopefully I'll be close to done on both projects. Lots of knitting to commence this evening.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Back from Easter, and headcovering debriefing...
Ah, back at work from a weekend away. I'm happy to report that our travel, and our trip, went very well. On the way up, I smugly held my tongue as Mike squirmed in his seat and suggested that we make a rest stop. *My* bladder was fine, but I thought it best not to mention this fact. He and Hank hurried to the Mens Room while I daintily combed my hair in the ladies "lounge." What is it with highway rest stops? In New York they're actually somewhat decent. They maintain them and keep them pretty clean. But others, *shudder*. How hard is it to squirt toilet bowl cleaner and maybe take a mop to the floor once a week? Not hard, as we all know. But alas. They'd rather us wallow in squallor.
For the remainder of the trip, I felt quite nauseous. I have notoriously bad motion sickness, yet I get amnesia about this fact before every trip, because I never have the over-the-counter dramamine that I need. I munched on my snacks and sipped my iced tea, and this would keep the nausea at bay for periods of time. And, the portable DVD player resulted in Henry being an *outstanding* boy for the trip, both ways. Gosh, it feels good to be right. *coy smile*
I brought my knitting in the car this time, wondering if, despite the fact that I cannot read in the car due to my motion issue, perhaps I could knit. Yeah. No more wondering on that issue. I can't. Immediate doom-feeling nausea after barely 5 stitches.
On the way back yesterday, we stopped off at Rite Aid for some dramamine, which I immediately consumed. It knocked me out a few hours later, and I napped for pretty much the duration of our foray into central New York. It felt good to get home.
So. My Lenten headcovering experiment. I said I would write fully about this after Easter, and here we are. Overall, I really enjoyed my employment of headcoverings at Mass. I felt that I was more focused at Mass this Lent; that preparing myself by covering my head prior to attending Mass forced me to focus on how very important it is. It made me feel that I was making more of an effort to concentrate at, and appreciate Mass, and that I was trying harder to hear God's voice at that time.
And I got zero strange looks or comments. Granted, this may be because I was wearing fairly subtle headcoverings, in the form of larger headbands and scarves. I do not have a traditional mantilla. Also, I live in a region with a lot of cradle Catholics, and even if most women choose not to cover, they're familiar with the phenomenon and don't think it odd if another woman does. As well, there are a small number of women in my parish that do wear hats to Mass. Thus, I really didn't "stick out" the way I always feared, which was the reason I chose not to cover in the past.
So, with that all in mind, I plan to continue to cover my head during Mass from this point forward. At some point, I'll pick up a few more headcoverings so that I have plenty of options depending on what I'm wearing, and I'll definitely get them from Garlands of Grace. I'm very happy with the ones that I bought from there. I enjoyed this experiment and will continue to blog about it as events transpire :)
For the remainder of the trip, I felt quite nauseous. I have notoriously bad motion sickness, yet I get amnesia about this fact before every trip, because I never have the over-the-counter dramamine that I need. I munched on my snacks and sipped my iced tea, and this would keep the nausea at bay for periods of time. And, the portable DVD player resulted in Henry being an *outstanding* boy for the trip, both ways. Gosh, it feels good to be right. *coy smile*
I brought my knitting in the car this time, wondering if, despite the fact that I cannot read in the car due to my motion issue, perhaps I could knit. Yeah. No more wondering on that issue. I can't. Immediate doom-feeling nausea after barely 5 stitches.
On the way back yesterday, we stopped off at Rite Aid for some dramamine, which I immediately consumed. It knocked me out a few hours later, and I napped for pretty much the duration of our foray into central New York. It felt good to get home.
So. My Lenten headcovering experiment. I said I would write fully about this after Easter, and here we are. Overall, I really enjoyed my employment of headcoverings at Mass. I felt that I was more focused at Mass this Lent; that preparing myself by covering my head prior to attending Mass forced me to focus on how very important it is. It made me feel that I was making more of an effort to concentrate at, and appreciate Mass, and that I was trying harder to hear God's voice at that time.
And I got zero strange looks or comments. Granted, this may be because I was wearing fairly subtle headcoverings, in the form of larger headbands and scarves. I do not have a traditional mantilla. Also, I live in a region with a lot of cradle Catholics, and even if most women choose not to cover, they're familiar with the phenomenon and don't think it odd if another woman does. As well, there are a small number of women in my parish that do wear hats to Mass. Thus, I really didn't "stick out" the way I always feared, which was the reason I chose not to cover in the past.
So, with that all in mind, I plan to continue to cover my head during Mass from this point forward. At some point, I'll pick up a few more headcoverings so that I have plenty of options depending on what I'm wearing, and I'll definitely get them from Garlands of Grace. I'm very happy with the ones that I bought from there. I enjoyed this experiment and will continue to blog about it as events transpire :)
Friday, April 2, 2010
It's Good Friday, and your Catholic Librarian prepares for Easter travel...
It's Good Friday, and I find myself thinking about how quickly Lent has gone by. I've had a good Lent, but I do feel that I've slipped somewhat with the depth of my prayer life. That's something that I'd like to use Easter season to jump start me into remedying. Overall though, I did enjoy my Lent, and I enjoyed my headcovering experiment. I will post fully on that next week. I enjoyed sacrificing eating meat, as well, and I found that this year I really appreciated more how each action that I took throughout the season towards my Lenten promises made me feel that I was joining in Jesus' journey.
This Living Faith reading is from yesterday, Holy Thursday, but I find it resonating with me especially this morning:
"We Remember
He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end. John 13:1
This holy night, when we celebrate the Lord's Supper, is rich with remembrance. There is no need to ask, 'What would Jesus do?' for Jesus himself, in word, symbol and action, holds up for us what is most dear to his heart. He chooses to spend his last remaining hours with his disciples. He faces betrayal. He washes feet. He breaks bread. He gives us his enduring presence in the Eucharist, so that he will always, always remain with us.
This night is a testament to what matters. Filled with love and profound compassion, it is a tender, final moment that our faith calls us to celebrate over and over. It is Jesus' legacy of witness and unending presence.
Jesus, thank you for loving me and remaining withi me always. "
More than my personal prayer life this Lent, I feel that I grew in appreciation of my public prayer life, through attending Sunday Mass. And the focus on the Eucharist in this passage brought that point home to me.
Aside from dwelling on Good Friday, I've been preparing to travel to my sister Rhonda's home for Easter this weekend. This is the longest car trip we will have taken with Henry, so my normally spastic preparation process has been keyed up a notch. Yesterday, I stopped off at the grocery store to purchase little packs of veggie chips and animal crackers, and bottles of iced tea for each of us to drink. Mike, always the realist, pointed out that the large bottles that I squirreled away were bound to make us have to stop multiple times to use those nasty roadside reststops, but alas. I wanted to make sure that we wouldn't be thirsty :)
I also have Easter gifts to pack, fixins' for Henry's basket, a full vehicle entertainment toolkit for Henry, including a portable DVD player that I have to set up, DVD's, books, and action figures, and knitting for myself. It'll be a busy evening.
This Living Faith reading is from yesterday, Holy Thursday, but I find it resonating with me especially this morning:
"We Remember
He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end. John 13:1
This holy night, when we celebrate the Lord's Supper, is rich with remembrance. There is no need to ask, 'What would Jesus do?' for Jesus himself, in word, symbol and action, holds up for us what is most dear to his heart. He chooses to spend his last remaining hours with his disciples. He faces betrayal. He washes feet. He breaks bread. He gives us his enduring presence in the Eucharist, so that he will always, always remain with us.
This night is a testament to what matters. Filled with love and profound compassion, it is a tender, final moment that our faith calls us to celebrate over and over. It is Jesus' legacy of witness and unending presence.
Jesus, thank you for loving me and remaining withi me always. "
More than my personal prayer life this Lent, I feel that I grew in appreciation of my public prayer life, through attending Sunday Mass. And the focus on the Eucharist in this passage brought that point home to me.
Aside from dwelling on Good Friday, I've been preparing to travel to my sister Rhonda's home for Easter this weekend. This is the longest car trip we will have taken with Henry, so my normally spastic preparation process has been keyed up a notch. Yesterday, I stopped off at the grocery store to purchase little packs of veggie chips and animal crackers, and bottles of iced tea for each of us to drink. Mike, always the realist, pointed out that the large bottles that I squirreled away were bound to make us have to stop multiple times to use those nasty roadside reststops, but alas. I wanted to make sure that we wouldn't be thirsty :)
I also have Easter gifts to pack, fixins' for Henry's basket, a full vehicle entertainment toolkit for Henry, including a portable DVD player that I have to set up, DVD's, books, and action figures, and knitting for myself. It'll be a busy evening.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Vacation preparations
Mike, Henry and I are preparing to leave tomorrow for a week long vacation to visit my in-laws in central Florida. I'm happy about this, but my excitement is dampened a bit by the fact that I just experienced coughing attack #137. Since Saturday. It was one of those wherein you cough so rapidly that you actually cause yourself to choke. While all of this unpleasantness is ongoing, I'm actually in the ladies room. Someone comes in and just casually walks into the stall *directly next to mine* despite the fact that there are *4* other perfectly good stalls that don't involve being next to someone who is so clearly suffering and in need of air. Isn't this against all unspoken but known bathroom etiquette? Is it just me? I avoid being directly next to someone at all costs. It just seems like we're in a place in which extra personal space is particularly imporatant. Anyway, I digress.We're leaving tomorrow afternoon, and I'm:
(1) cranky,
(2) pathetically sickly,
(3) incapable of a single rational thought, and
(4) utterly exhausted from coughing-induced lack of sleep.
Last night, I was all hopeful. (This is going to be a long post; just prepare yourself now. I'm not capable of shutting off my incoherent brain at present). I talked Mike into staying in bed with me, rather than retreat to the guest room for cough avoidance, because Hank and I were totally cough-less the night before. Sounds ominous, right? Yep. Hank comes in around midnight to bed down on our floor and promptly begins to complain. About what, I'm not certain, because I was totally out of it. I covered him, did a soothe, and attempted to revert back to my sleeping state. Hank starts to cough. He coughs and coughs. He coughs on and off for probably twenty minutes. You know, one of those terrible patterns where he's quiet for a few minutes and you start to doze, and then he coughs again and your eyes pop back open. Finally, he falls asleep and so do I. Mike has slept through pretty much the whole exchange.
About 30 minutes later, I awaken. Immediately, I feel the thing all sick people dread - THE TICKLE. Please God no, not the tickle. I cough. I cough again. I get up and fetch some water, hoping it will soothe my irritated throat. I climb into bed with the agility and concentration of a balance beam gymnast, determined not to do anything to upset the delicate state of my throat. I lay my head upon the pillow, and feel - the tickle. *sobs* I had to go down to the guest room, where I crankily spent the rest of the night, tossing and turning and coughing til morning. I am beyond exhausted, and somehow I have to pack for a week away, for both me and Henry.
When we learned that we would in fact have to pay a charge to check each bag (thievery), Mike declared that maybe we should try to all squeeze into one suitcase. I didn't even justify that suggestion with a response, other then an exhausted snort. But we will be trying to squeeze all 3 of us into 2 bags, so I have that challenge ahead of me as well.
Why a challenge, you ask? Reasonably, I might add. Well, I'm going away for a week. You know what this means. I simply must, MUST I tell you, have more than enough reading material to get me through 2 airport waiting periods, 2 plane rides, and 7 days in which I actually have a ton of time to read since Henry is blissfully distracted by his doting grandparents. Otherwise, I may waste away and die. I have probably 10 pounds just in books to pack. I also have a 5 book Amish series to give my mother-in-law, so we're really getting up there in poundage.
I made a run to the public library recently to obtain a hit for my obvious book addiction, and did quite well. I have to bring with me:
(1) 2 Christian fiction novels;
(2) a fiction novel about a quilting club;
(3) a memoir about growing up in an evangelical Christian home;
(4) a historical romance that I'm reading right now;
(5) an Amish fiction novel;
(6) a memoir about living a Catholic life.
Frankly, I'm not certain that even all of these will be enough. Knowing myself, I'll toss a few things from my bookcase in for good measure. Of course, I'll also need my Bible and Catechism, and prayer journal. It's true, I'm a crazy woman. I also picked up 2 Curious George books for Henry as well as a Bob the Builder compilation and a look-and-find book featuring Lightening McQueen. Henry takes after his librarian, book-loving, mommy and I'm very proud of him for that.
So, I also need to pack clothes. That would help. I need to throw my toiletries bag together, and remember all those little, but crucial, things like my hair straightener and deodorant. Frankly, I'm not quite certain how I'm going to be able to get through dinner and take a shower with the way I feel right now. Sigh.
I'm not sure when I'll be posting while I'm away, but most likely I will. I'll need to complain about the sheer torture that it now entails to travel by air and successfully make it through airport security, so you'll have that to look forward to. Until then :)
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
The nerdy Catholic Librarian prepares to travel...
For most normal people, preparing to go on vacation means that they pack sunscreen, their bathing suit, and put their carry-on toiletries into those ridiculous little 3 oz. containers and subseqnent ziploc bag that the airline industry subjects us to. What does the Catholic Librarian do, you ask?
(1) Go to the public library and obtain a small army of romance and religious fiction, and Catholic non-fiction to read.
(2) Charge up my beloved iPod Nano, Max, (Mike claims I love Max more than him) and synch him up with some new French music Shauna'h gave me.
(3) Use super speedy librarian powers to find a free rosary podcast through iTunes, and subscribe happily. I am now loaded up with the Sorrowful Mysteries.
(4) Refresh my Vatican Radio podcast list so that I'll have a few to listen to at the airport; this, of course, is assuming that Hank is unconscious or something. Otherwise, how on earth would I be able to listen to anything?
(5) Make sure that my binoculars and east coast bird reference volume are in the "to be packed" pile. I've spotted many a snowy egret from the car on the way back from the airport.
So, I think I'm ready. I'd rather sleep in the same clothes for three straight days then not have a book with me or anything to listen to. I shudder at the thought.
(1) Go to the public library and obtain a small army of romance and religious fiction, and Catholic non-fiction to read.
(2) Charge up my beloved iPod Nano, Max, (Mike claims I love Max more than him) and synch him up with some new French music Shauna'h gave me.
(3) Use super speedy librarian powers to find a free rosary podcast through iTunes, and subscribe happily. I am now loaded up with the Sorrowful Mysteries.
(4) Refresh my Vatican Radio podcast list so that I'll have a few to listen to at the airport; this, of course, is assuming that Hank is unconscious or something. Otherwise, how on earth would I be able to listen to anything?
(5) Make sure that my binoculars and east coast bird reference volume are in the "to be packed" pile. I've spotted many a snowy egret from the car on the way back from the airport.
So, I think I'm ready. I'd rather sleep in the same clothes for three straight days then not have a book with me or anything to listen to. I shudder at the thought.
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