Peru/Now my cat has abandonment issues

August 6, 2008

I must first admit that I am very lonely now that Ericka isn't online. :-( Boo.

Peru was fantastic. There's no other way to put it. The hotels were mostly nice, the members in my group were all so friendly, and the scenery was beyond words. Actually, for as beautiful as Peru was, I think it was the people I explored it with who made the experience so memorable. I made amazing friends, and have already added their cities to my Travelocity watch list. I predict there will be a party in Miami coming up soon!

Ginger is recovering from her two weeks at the "condo". She's curled up to me as close as she can get, and stares in fear each time I come within 20 feet of the front door. And she's taken up yowling for attention. My poor kid. Though she got her revenge by waking me up before 7 this morning because she was hungry. Twit.

And now, in the spectacular fashion that has become the staple of my blogs, I present you all with a list, because writing about what I loved would take days, and though I loved my first South American trip, I am so grateful to be home with my cat.

Things I Will Never Take for Granted Again Now That I've Been to Peru:
1. Toilet paper, toilet seats, and toilets that flush. Not to mention getting to pee for free.
2. Being able to not only drink my water, but also being able to brush my teeth in it and shower without being paranoid.
3. And speaking of the shower, I love water pressure and hot water. Something that doesn't seem to exist anywhere in the Andes.
4. Walking down the street without being accosted by people selling things or begging for money.
5. Traffic. Because compared to Lima, DC rush hour has the ferocity of a kitten.
6. Guinea pigs and alpaca. Yummy suckers.
7. Oxygen. You never realize how much you love oxygen until you're at 11,000 feet gasping for air.
8. The English language. Though actually, this applies to anyone who lives in their own country and speaks their own language. Because the second you go somewhere you don't speak the language, you discover what helpless feels like. (Thank you to my lovely Miami friends for ordering in the Chinese restaurant, because I would have never survived!)
9. Traffic cops. Mmmm.......some of the young men were gorgeous.
10. Jackets and sweaters. You never know how badly you need one until you forget it.

All in all, Peru was a thrill ride of mountains, ruins, new cuisine, Spongebob in Spanish, Pisco sours, and crippling hangovers. I'm completely in love with the country. Never before have I been so motivated to walk farther and climb higher in search of the next great discovery.


Today's lesson: You should never be afraid to try new things. Countries and people can surprise you. Not to mention Guinea pig and alpaca turn out to be extremely tasty!

This title isn't supposed to make sense...

July 10, 2008

It seems like a great deal of my blogs touch on the subject of old people. Today, I'm sad to inform you, is no different.

Actually, I went and had lunch with a girl Jerry used to date today. For as weird as it probably should have been, it definitely wasn't. It was so nice to sit down and have girl talk about our men and friends and religion and even a little politics. Not to mention Mexican food rocks my socks.
My favorite store called me a couple of days ago to let me know about a sale they were going to have today, and since I was already in Harrisonburg, I decided to stop on by. I'm so happy I did. I went into the mall through Penney's, because I love to dress shop there. So I called my grandma to chit chat, and started sorting through the racks. At some point there was an announcement over the loudspeaker, no clue what it was about. I kept talking, as I thought I was the only one there, and it was my grandmother, for goodness sake. All of a sudden, I heard what could only be described as a voilent shushing noise. This little old woman came up behind me to SHUSH me! SHUSH! First off, I'm not that loud. Second, I'm on the phone with my grandmother. Yeah, I'm one of those good granddaughters who calls her grandma, so don't shush me! I turned around, looked the woman in the eye, and said, "Oh my goodness, grandma, you won't believe this. I'm being SHUSHED by an old lady." I'm terrible. It's the mall. If I can't be on the phone at the mall, where can I be on the phone? Sheesh. So I walked around to the other side of the rack and kept on talking. Apparently, I'm just that rude. I swear the lady had to come from the other side of the store just to shush me, because I certainly didn't see her there before.
One more thing, to defend myself here. I generally have really great cell phone etiquette. I don't talk in restaurants, I don't answer when I'm visiting with other people, I turn off my ringer in theaters and church. I also don't talk on the phone when I'm paying for items at the checkout counter, because that always drove me insane when people did it to me. I'm not loud. My phone is always on vibrate because it takes forever to find my phone in my purse, and I don't want it to ring the entire time. And today, in a nearly empty department store, in the middle of the day, I decided to call my grandma to talk. Because I try not to talk on the phone when I drive, and my downtime while I shop is the perfect time to call, especially because it feels like we're shopping together even though she's in Florida and I'm here. So kiss my tush if I want to be on my phone at the mall.

Anyhow, I bought a cute sun dress and then headed to my favorite little store. And before I talk about how much I spent, I want to tell you how much I saved. I'm just so proud of my shopping today! By shopping at this sale instead of at any other time, I saved $471. Yeah. That's right. I completely rock. My favorite store completely rocks.

I managed to get 5 dresses, 4 skirts, 3 sweaters, 3 pairs of earrings, 2 necklaces, 2 dress shirts, and 1 very fabulous pair of petite dress pants, all for just over $300. I bought almost everything I took into the dressing room. The poor girl who set up my dressing room looked at me like I was one of those people who tries on 25 things and only buys one, so she gave me a big smile when I walked out of the dressing room with a pair of pants and top in one hand, and the pile of clothes that fit in the other, and handed her the small pile. On top of it all, I love this store. B. Moss is awesome, because they're kind of small, all the clothes are consistently sized, and their staff is so friendly. The outfits are already put together for you, and it so organized! And by shopping today and buying so much, I won't have to do any major clothes shopping for quite awhile.
And did I mention I bought all my dresses and skirts in size 8? I haven't worn a size 8 in many years. I'm so happy! YAY!

Now my only problem is finding room in my closet for this abundance of clothes.

Today's lesson: Sometimes you don't even know you need retail therapy until you're smack in the middle of it. And that therapy is twice as effective when you're paying half the price.

I am so happy!

June 25, 2008

I really am! I had the best day. It started with a little trip to the DMV in the next town over. I didn't want to go back to the DMV here in town for a couple of reasons. The first was that it was darn hard to find. The second was that the woman at the information desk was mean mean mean and made me cry.

So I put in a great CD and drove the 20 minutes to the next town with the window down. So what if I missed my turn and then ramped a curb trying to turn around? I got to the DMV with no TomTom. But if you've read my blogs about old people in southern groceries stores, you'll understand why it took me two hours to get done today. There was a little old woman and a little old man renewing their licenses, and the woman took 45 minutes to pass the vision test because she couldn't figure out that you had to actually press your head on the little machine to make it light up so you could see the letters. Then she was reading the letters from right to left. She was up there with her walker, and after all that they still gave her a license! Daytime driving only LOL.

However, everyone greeted me with a "how y'all doin' today" and called me hun. And when I got up to the window, the woman processing my application was an Air Force wife, and we chatted and she was wonderful. Best part was that after several trips to the DMV, she said I could have my Virginia license, and that she wouldn't have been nearly as picky as everyone else had been, seeing as we have had four different addresses in less than two years.

So I got my picture taken, and a couple minutes later, was handed my license. And my picture is GORGEOUS! So I skipped out the door, got in the car, and promptly turned to go out the wrong way. *grin*

When I got home, Jere was online so I got to talk to him for a good while. It's nice that he finally has access to the internet on his computer, instead of having to sit in his office until ten at night. Plus now I can IM with him, which is so nice, and so worth what we're having to pay for that privilege. And I found out I correctly recorded the boxing match correctly! Glad I hooked this DVD player up without getting the wires crossed.

And then, I decided to go find the liquor store. My grandma was talking about Bailey's and coffee, and I've been craving it ever since. But when I went to the door, there was a package for me from Jere! YAY more presents!

Let's see. I'll make the rest of this short. I bought Bailey's and Jameson. Went to Walmart and found the perfect clear glass mug. Came home and made the most perfect yummy dinner. And then Ericka told me she's definitely coming here for the 4th of July, YAY! Then amazon emailed to tell me my Playstation will be here tomorrow. And then I made my Irish coffee. And I'm so happy! And a little tipsy. I so need to use less whiskey in the coffee. Whoops. But it looked so pretty!

Anyhow, it's time for bed soon. Miss Ginger says so.

Today's lesson: Enough y'alls and darlin's, and even a hothead like me can have the patience of a saint. Even when it's patience for old people taking up the only two open windows at the DMV.

8 dozen chocolate chip cookies and a lumpy arm

No matter what, I can't be write a blog as adorable and endearing as Kari's tonight LOL. Seriously, I would make the shake and bake people send you money for the lost chicken AND the pizza you had to order. Plus a settlement for emotional damage. :)

I have not had a pleasant few days. Thursday, I went to meet my new doctor, and let me tell you, she is fantastic. I walked in and was the only patient. This was after I couldn't find the place and the sweet receptionist stayed on the phone with me while I drove, just to make sure I found my way. The entire staff was chatty, and my doctor is a riot. We covered everything, and basically shot the breeze for 45 minutes. She even said if I want to start working on the fertility stuff in a few months, we can do that since she's affiliated with UVA.

She then sent in the nurse to do my vaccinations for my trip to Peru. Now, I haven't had a shot since I was 11, and I actually remember that trip. It was to the public health stand in the middle of our tiny mall, and my mother had to hold me down while I screamed. I don't do needles (says the tattooed girl). And I told my nurse that Thursday, so she nicely walked into the room hiding the needles behind her back, snuck up behind me, and stuck me in the arm where I couldn't see. I didn't feel a thing! And I didn't cry. Apparently it hurts more if you tense up your arm muscles when they're doing it, which is what brought on the screaming fit when I was 11. I'm good now.

Well, sort of good. I'm vaccinated, but I've been feeling terrible ever since. My doctor warned me it would probably happen, but I've been running a fever and trying to chase away a nasty, nauseating headache. And I've been eating nothing but Cheerios and ice cream. Plus one of the vaccines went crazy on me, and I have a lump there now, and am having trouble using my left arm. Pretty tough trying to prepare for this week's piano lesson. Clementi is kicking my ass.
I finally felt well enough tonight to do my weekly cookie baking, but discovered it's hard to stir with one arm. And I managed to break my favorite wooden spoon in the process! It doesn't matter, though, because I came out with eight dozen of the most beautiful cookies! I finally bought myself a sifter and a little ice cream scoop, and the cookies are gorgeous and uniform. And I sang and danced in the kitchen while I did them, of course.

Hopefully this burst of motivation and energy means the worst of the vaccination side effects are over. I just want this awful swelling to go down. And I want Ginger to quit jumping right on it. She's aiming, I tell you.

Today's lesson: Only when you have a lump the size of Virginia on your arm will your stuck up cat decide you're worth her affection.

Should have just painted a stupid target on the thing....

A delight for Freud

I'm just going to say, first off, that I will never get back the hours upon hours Windows Vista has taken from me. And that includes blogs I have spent time on and finished, only to have Vista shut down Explorer when I go to submit. I am now determined to write them in Word. Hey, at least I'll get spellchecked.

I haven't been sleeping particularly well lately. First it was a screwed up schedule, then it was strange dreams, and now it's nightmares. Not the really terrible ones that wake me up in a cold sweat. More uncomfortable nightmares, with people and places in them that I really don't want to see or think about. I think I need to lay off the caffeine.

Another scary development is this talking to myself thing that I only noticed yesterday. I'm not sure if I'm talking to myself, the computer, the television, or what. But part of me apparently needs to kill the quiet in here, so I'm yammering away at inanimate objects. Plus I'm having complete conversations with my cat. Yesterday we talked about which clothes I should hang and which I should fold and put in the dresser. She's not much for hanging my polo shirts. And she helped with the laundry, too!

There were so many things I meant to get done yesterday, but never got to. I did make it to the grocery store, which was probably why I didn't come home and accomplish what I'd planned. Spend two hours in the grocery store, and that can happen. But I walked out with so many wonderful things!

When I opened the door to leave, the air was so thick I could almost chew on it. I know I've used that phrase to describe Michigan humidity, but I was so wrong. This must be some kind of Valley phenomenon, like all the moisture coming down between the mountains just sits there, this sweet, hot wet that you can't brush away. I could actually feel the weight of it pressing on me.

Being a winter loving girl, I sometimes forget there are things about summer that I just adore. Sure, my electric bill is sky high and I'm paying a fortune for a gallon of gas, but this spectacular season brings the most delicious produce. Last night, I put together a bowl of sweet strawberries, raspberries, and grapes, sliced some thin cuts of gourmet swiss, grabbed some almonds, and went to bed with it. *grin*

It amazes me how fast my week has filled up. Party, hiking, theatre, I have a lot planned over the next few days. Which is nice, because I was staring at a completely blank calendar, a depressing sight.

And once the dishwasher finishes with my coffee mug, I'll be ready to really start my day.

Today's lesson: There is a thrill in discovering seasons when you move from one place to another. You can learn something new each time you step out your front door.

Whoa. Wait. AW NO! EW!

I've been promising husband and friend's I'd write this blog so I didn't have to tell the stories over and over, but I kept flaking out. It's been an eventful couple of days, all on the amusing side.

First off, I need to find a new place to go hiking. I went to go hunt down those geocaches I missed last time I went up Betsy Bell, and got a bit of a surprise. Andrea had warned me jokingly that a lot of people use Betsy Bell park as a place to meet up with other people who aren't their spouses, but I didn't see anyone when I went up on Wednesday outside of a fat couple eating fried chicken on their lunch hour.

So I took off up the mountain, finding one of the tiny caches I'd missed, and headed to the top to get the last one. I got to the lookout, and there was a car parked empty along the road. So I kept going, as this is a pretty popular spot to hike and there are always vehicles around. But when I went toward the lookout, I could see a couple through the trees completely going at it! I turned around and hustled further along the trail to get away down the other side of the hill, only to encounter THREE MORE CARS with people actually in them. Doing exactly the same thing. I apparently need a less busy place to hike.

I went home, hung out with my cat, had some dinner, and settled in for some computer and TV time. But at around 10 PM, Ginger started to go nuts and a sound started to come from just outside the front door. I tried to look out the side windows to see what it was, but I couldn't find it, and the sound wouldn't stop. It was like the screech some very angry animal makes, and I was worried it was a bat (do they even actually make noise?) or a large mouse. There's also a nest of birds on my porch, and I thought it could be one of them. Then, of course, my mind went wild and started to wonder if it was someone making a noise so I'd walk out and they could club me and drag me away. So I called Andrea and woke her up (sorry!) and kept her on the phone while I opened the door and peeked out with my little flashlight.

It was a cricket. A tiny, loudmouth cricket. I was so embarassed and was laughing so hard, and Andrea was just glad I didn't call the cops because of a teeny little cricket freaking me out.

So that's my story. And other than that, it's pretty slow around here. I'm looking forward to Sunday and my paper and church. But it's too hot for this Michigan girl right now, so I'm hiding away in the central air.

Today's lesson: Big things come in small packages. And big freaky noises come from inch long ugly crickets.

Type, copy, paste

My wrist is so sore, I'm only going to write this once. I usually write the blog, and then write Jere his own email, but not tonight. Ouchies.

Monday I went to the DAR picnic in the park. I made so much food, all very health conscious. Whole wheat pasta salad, potato salad made with canola mayo (DO NOT tell my grandma that), cucumber sandwiches, onion wraps on flaxseed lavash bread. And not so healthy,

snickerdoodles. Which means, Jere, you'll be getting some of those in your next package. I got to meet even more of the chapter, and we gathered after the picnic to listen to the Stonewall Brigade Band's first concert of the season. I fell asleep in the middle of the park, of course, and went home early. It was getting past my bedtime.

Tuesday and Wednesday have been my at home days. I needed to catch up on some sleep and clean my kitchen. My overly expensive chair was delivered Tuesday, and I put pictures in the new folder. Today I decided to go geocaching on Betsy Bell, which turned out to be tons of fun, even though I only found one of the three caches I was looking for. But you know what? I got three good hours of exercise, great photographs with the new camera, and the last bit of the good weather before the thunderstorm came.

My favorite part of the day was walking out the door and finding a care package from my husband! Two postcards from Germany, one cute little can of Chef Boyardee (he enables me from afar), and four t-shirts from the Hard Rock Kuwait. Side note: Ericka, you wanted Hard Rock Baghdad, right? Or was it Kuwait? I can't remember.

I also managed to hook up the wireless router today, so I'm writing this from my bed. And Miss Ginger says it's time to put the computer away, because she's trying to lay on it.

Today's lesson: Sometimes you have to hike to the top of a mountain to get the best view. Then again, the view halfway up doesn't suck, either.