Home Again

Spring break 2009, Sanibel Island, Florida.

It was the best of times.


It was the worst of times.

But the prospect of 60 degrees by this weekend is helping just a wee bit. And honestly, a girl can only party for so long before it's time to come home and live in the real world again. And I am - rested and relaxed - ready to live in the real world again.

Counting Down

No matter how you count it, we leave for Florida, our much-loved Sanibel Island getaway, on Thursday for 8 days. Jon and Kathryn count-down the full days here in Minnesota. Therefore, their countdown calendar always looks so optimistic.

I always think of how much there is to do and how many days, full or partial, I have to get it all done. So, I say there are three days until we leave. I'm always one to throw a wet blanket on the fun! Others I know would count the number of "sleeps" until we leave: 2 sleeps.

No matter how you count it, we leave for Florida on Thursday!

Week In Pictures

Home

Dragged kicking and screaming, I have returned home. And although today it doesn't seem so bad, last week was hell. The snow, the sheer amount of catching up required when one takes five extra, unplanned days of vacation (yes, I know how that sounds) was enough to send me over the edge. But the sun is warming the air and melting the snow and I suddenly feel as if I may be able to handle all this again.

Then again - maybe not.

Spring . . .

. . . refuses to come to Minnesota. So I shall go find it in Florida. Maybe a few posts while we play in the sun, sand, and surf of Sanibel Island. Otherwise - carry on until April 7.

Faces

Despite the long drive and the rainy days, Rapid City and the Black Hills of South Dakota was a great vacation. Being the patriotic freak that I am, Mt. Rushmore was by far my favorite place. I loved walking all the trails and listened with fascination to all the "extra stuff" on the audio tour - unlike my traveling companions who skipped ahead to see if they were going to get to climb in someone's nose or something fun like that.There was a Naturalization Ceremony on the day of our visit. Sixty people, many of them servicemen and women, were sworn in as American citizens that day, under the watchful gazes of George, Thomas, Theodore and Abe. I cried. It's not an unexpected response at moments like those. The Crazy Horse Memorial - well c'mon, let's get movin'. It's been sixty years in the making and this is how much is left to go. Yes, it's significantly bigger than Mt. Rushmore but, ....'nuff said.This guy walked along side our car for a while, sort of like an escort, while at Bear Country, USA. (Remember - traveling with a 10-year old means only so much historical stuff and the rest is touristy stuff!!), Then, I guess he just got tired. Truth be told, Bear Country was my second favorite place. A zoo that you drive through. The animals get really close to your car, stop in the middle of the road, walk along side your car, follow your car, etc. Your totally safe (if you follow the rules!) and you still get to see them up close and personal and running free (sort of).Then there was this wiener guy, not Jon, the one in the bun. Jon's afraid the wiener might go blind doing this. It's rare when you get an autograph of a president. Rarer still when you get one from a dead president. Rapid City is staking a claim as the City of Presidents by placing bronze statues of presidents on the street corners throughout the city. You can run into John Quincy Adams on one Corner and Jimmy Carter on another. "To Jon: Dude you saved my butt with that awesome opening to the Declaration of Independence. "We the people in order to for a more perfect union ... blah, blah, blah." I mean, that rocked!" Thanks again, Thom."


Sometimes, the best faces are the ones that don't know you're watching. I'm so glad to have had this time with my family. It's the end of the summer and there are big changes brewing here. Not just the usual end-of-summer changes but big ones and they have me, out of sorts and full of anxiety and woe.

Trip Planning

Travelling with Jon can evoke memories of a Griswold vacation. Especially when we travel by car. All the electronic gadgets and their adaptors, the mini car refrigerator, the two GPS devices (apparently we'll need them!). You get the picture. I prefer to be in my own little world and make my own little simple travel list.
1. Clothes
2. Toiletries
3. iPod
4. Book
5. Knitting project
6. List of local yarn stores at destination

I knew this book would come in handy for item number six. It was in our goody bags at Stitch 'n Pitch in July and it's quite handy indeed: A quick check on the first leg of the trip:We are heading south out of the Twin Cities so it seems only natural that we would be heading away from most of the yarn stores. We plan to leave at 0:dark hundred hours tomorrow morning so I'm fairly certain the one in Owatonna won't be open plus I'd be hard pressed to get my travel companions to stop this early in the trip anyway. As we cross the border in to South Dakota:Um. This is quite unacceptable. Sioux Falls is not scheduled until the return trip home. Aberdeen looks a little bit out of the way. Spearfish - not on the schedule at all. Really, is this it?? Someone please tell me this spending money in my pocket won't have to go to a casino!

Revised travel list:

Suitcase 1:
1. Clothes
2. Toiletries
3. iPod
4. Book

Suitcase 2:
Knitting projects

I'm not sure if we're taking a computer with us or not so if I don't post from the road, I'll be back next week.