I Get It

Yes, I have lots of things to do. 
Yes, I am behind on my previous list of things I needed to do.
Yes, with every thing that I have to do comes a list of addendum things that need to be done. 

No wonder I totally get this cartoon.

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The Good Stuff From Today:  coupons clipped; Everley time; airport run for Lynnette; Bill Crocs visit; couponing with Molly; Hal sighting

Projects

Apparently I have a lot of them on the burner. Maybe I should make a list.  And then prioritize the list.  And then get started on the first thing.

I love a plan.  Or at least making one ...

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The Good Stuff From Today:  2 miles with KB; catching up on bill-paying; Everley time

Just Because It's Monday ...

Fall - 2010

Summer 2013

... and I enjoy seeing how time flies when you're having fun!

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The Good Stuff From Today:  going with Maribeth and Everley to E's first day of school; beef tips dinner with most of the family; accomplishing a few tasks; cruise docs

Sleepless In Nashville

My intention last night was to go to bed by 10pm, fall asleep, and wake at 4:30am for our scheduled 12-mile training walk (yes, I planned to walk 12 miles after having a stomach catastrophe a few days prior).  Unfortunately, Insomnia decided to pay me a visit, and after getting out of bed and relocating to the den, watching tv, getting on the computer, and reading a magazine, I finally convinced the derelict to leave and let me sleep around 2am.  If you do the math, I got a few hours sleep before meeting the team at 5:15 and starting out.

Due to my recent sickness, I decided that I would cut short my planned miles, and ended up doing only 9.  But at least I got some in.  This morning's weather was perfect, which helped after last week's sun-hot temps.

Anyhow, I've put Insomnia on notice that I am not interested in entertaining him tonight.  Here's hoping that I fall asleep tonight and catch up on last night's robbed sleep. 

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The Good Stuff For Today:  Training walk with KB, Molly, and Ashley; Molly bringing Sonic; Lindley and Everley time; Sam's safe travel home; pizza night with most of the family

And The Fail Goes To ...

Here was the situation:  Maribeth had to work today delivering the mail and Mathieu had National Guard duty.  So that left Everley unattended until after lunch and therefore needing supervision.  Of course, PawPaw and LaLa volunteered for the task.  PawPaw volunteered to go over to their house at 6:30am when the parental units needed to leave, since he likes to get up early and LaLa was still wandering about the house hoping not to laugh or cough because her chest/back muscles were still sore from her recent late-night activity.

Eventually E woke up, PawPaw fed her some semblance of breakfast and brought her back to the Doik (our family home name, for those of you not in the know).  At some point Moo (aka Molly) came over to help and pick up LaLa for a Sonic run to meet up with Charity (cruise buddy) for some cruise notes.  PawPaw and E were going to stay home, take a ride in the wagon, and hang around until Moo and LaLa returned.

When Moo and LaLa returned, the sun had come out and PawPaw decided that he would take Everley to the Y pool.  Moo and LaLa said they would make a Target run and pick up Everley in about an hour.  Moo changed E into her swimming outfit (yes, outfit, as E has about as much natural sun protection as - well, she basically has none, so she basically needs something designed by NASA or a SPF of 200).  Anyhoo, the swim diaper and the swim suit got loaded onto the baby and PawPaw and E took off for the pool.

LaLa and Moo headed to Target and were there for approximately 15 minutes when PawPaw called wanting to know what they were doing.  When it was explained that they still had 45 minutes until pick-up and no, they had not planned to pick up E and THEN go to Target, then PawPaw was clear on the plan and said he would see them soon.

So, LaLa and Moo finished at Target and headed to the Y, talking with Lynnette and Lindley (who were headed to the Doik) about possible lunch.  A place was decided and Moo placed the order - which would be ready in about 45 minutes.  It seemed like a long time, but LaLa and Moo decided it was acceptable and headed on to the Y.

Upon arrival at the Y, PawPaw spotted them and headed out to the car with a very wet Everley.  When the three adults met up (with one wet baby), a discussion was held about the following:  a towel to dry the baby (there was none); a pink backpack containing dry clothes for the baby (PawPaw did not have but LaLa had put in car#2 and brought), keys for car#1 (which PawPaw had driven to the Y because it had the car seats in but had left the keys in his chair by the pool but LaLa had forseen and had brought her extra keys), keys for car#2 (which LaLa was going to give to PawPaw but he had brought his set anyway and they were with car#1 keys lounging by the pool), and the kicker discussion topic - dry diapers (which were not in the pink backpack because the extra swim diaper was on the couch at the Doik because nobody thought to put it or any other diapers in the pink backpack).

So, the decision was to take off the swim diaper and put Everley in her dry shorts for a quick trip to Publix to buy diapers, hoping there would be no pee-age on the way.  Which was a great idea until Moo started to tear off the swim diapers (because the little buggars don't come loose and reattach like regular diapers) when she suddenly notice a little prize in the bottom of Everley's diaper (which makes me never want to go into a kiddie pool ever again).

So, here's the situation:  we have a wet baby with a poopy, half-torn off swim diaper (and at the moment, that was all she had on), who is still wet because there is no real towel to dry off (although we did yank out the towel under the car seat which is there to prevent toddler spill from said car seat from reaching the actual seat underneath, which probably says a lot about its cleanliness).  So we had to make a quick decision.

Somebody needs to answer for this!!!

Which was, we got the extra pair of shorts and put them over the half-torn-off saturated-from-poolwater diaper, put the questionably cleanish towel in the car seat with her sun-helmet-hat on top, put the baby in the seat and strapped her in, and headed to Publix, which happened to be a few doors down from the designated take-out place.

LaLa flew into Publix and got the necessary diapers and wipes (yes, wipes - we had some cleanin' to do).  While Moo went in to get the food, LaLa worked her magic and got the baby out of the yuckies and into some nice, dry, clean diapers and clothes (including a shirt) without incident, unless you count the slight boink on the head from the seat belt latch as she laid Everley down on the passenger front seat to perform her duties (which Moo was super-thrilled about upon her return to the car and realized that the poopy diaper dilemma had been solved on the seat upon where she was sitting).  Moo is a single lady and has no kids.

Anyhow, we were unsure as to whom to blame the day's activities on until on the way home, when Moo checked out the take out sack and discovered the two pieces of chocolate cake that were ordered were not in the sack.  Gee thanks, Zoe!!

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The Good Stuff From Today:  fun with Moo and Baby E; Lindley and Everley time

Maintaining ...

You know, after being icky sick, you have to make decisions like:

• should I eat it or not?
• did that make me sick?
• am I still contagious?
• did I get sick from him/her/it?
• am I going to throw up again?
• do I have a headache?
• should I get back in bed?

Anyhow, that's pretty much how I spent today, along with attempting to regain normal life - which I would do as soon as I figure out what that is ...

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The Good Stuff From Today: playing with Everley and Lindley on E's new swing set; Kroger-ing with Molly

Recovery

Finally, sometime around 9am, the worst of it was over.  It seemed that there would be no more of the activity that had kept me up for the past 12 hours.  Now it was time to attempt to regain some sense of humanity.

Of course, I must give a shout-out to all that kept me going during the "seige."  Thank you to Hefty trash bags, the ice maker in my frig, Canada Dry ginger ale, indoor plumbing, Nauzene Chewables (at least you tried), the cold wet bathcloths from my bathroom (an old family remedy for just about anything that ails you), and Maggie Cat and Minnie Cat (who stayed outside the entire time, although not entirely by choice). 

Anyhow, the worst was over, so now it was time to empty the trash, take a shower, and put clean sheets on the bed (Steve was returning today - yes, he was out of town for this stellar event - and who wants to sleep on sickly sheets - certainly not me!).  After managing to get all that done, it was time for a nap.  And maybe a cracker.  And a banana. 

It has been a busy day!

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The Good Stuff From Today:  being done with throwing up; Everley time; Molly helping with E, picking up Steve, and bringing ice and ginger ale; putting clean sheets on the bed; swingset people call for MB's house

In Lieu of Wednesday's Blog Post ...

... I decided to spend most of the night throwing up.  Or should I say it was decided for me.  Or forced on me.  At any rate, between the trips to the bathroom, the heaves, and the convulsing of my gastrointestinal system, I decided against sitting at my computer and writing.  Or should I say it was decided for me ...

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The Good Stuff From Today:  Taking Everley to pick up Lindley from school; Lindley's new playhouse; pedicure that made my toes look presentable again

Scenes From A Tuesday

My favorite - beautiful yellow roses - a thank-you from a sweet beautiful family!

Everley time - who clearly thinks of green beans as a yummy snack ...

My new medal rack - notice a theme??

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The Good Stuff From Today:  2 miles with KB; getting caught up on paperwork; Everley time; sweet visit from the Simmons family

When Cats Are Useful ...

Of course, I don't know if Maggie viewed Everley as a responsibility or prey ...

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The Good Stuff From Today:  10 second workout with KB at the little park; Everley time; MB bringing lunch

We Showed Up, We Walked, We Tired

Here are the facts ...   Team Udderly Pink met at my house at 6am for our scheduled 11-mile walk (it was actually scheduled for yesterday, but it didn't happen yesterday so it had to happen today).  It is the first truly long walk we've attempted - and very overdue.

As long as we were in the shade, it was bearable.  However, out in the sun it was sapping - as in energy sapping, hydration sapping, emotion sapping, and just general sapping over all.  But eventually we made it back to the house and into our cars and back to our homes.  Where we consumed great amounts of liquid, took cold showers/baths to cool our body temps, and fell into deep naps as long as we could make them. 

It was the good, the bad, and the ugly, but we got it done - and only skimmed off a half-mile at the end.  Now to figure out the 12-mile route for Saturday ...

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The Good Stuff From Today:  Lindley and Everley time; training walk with Team Up and Ashley; grocery store stop along the way; getting rid of some furniture thanks to Mathieu and David; post-walk shower and nap

Just Another Saturday Morning at LaLa's House

Saturdays are for pjs and headbands.  All day if necessary ...

Duh - it's a cow!!

Drums are for standing on to get stuff.

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The Good Stuff From Today:  Lindley and Everley time; Sam picking up Whitts for dinner for the family; couponing with Molly

Ode To The Mayo

Tonight's dissertation will be on mayonnaise.  I think it's one of those things you either like or you don't. I like it.  I like it in potato salad, in slaw, in casseroles (where somebody has already determined it to be a necessary ingredient), and in all kinds of sandwiches (including banana and pineapple sandwiches).   I like the mayo.

I grew up on Blue Plate Mayonnaise.  I don't think I ever knew there was another brand until I grew up and got married.  At that point, a co-worker told me that her husband (I have no idea exactly what he did) apparently worked or did something in various mayonnaise manufacturing places, and Kraft was the only mayo he would use.  That recommendation was good enough for me, and so I switched over.  I have no interest in what's in mayonnaise, or how it's made, or how unhealthy it is.  I also have no interest in making my own mayonnaise.  In fact, I think if I thought long and hard enough, I would probably be repulsed by mayonnaise.  So I guess I'd better wrap this up.

A few weeks ago while watching "Toddlers and Tiaras," I observed a pageant mom who was preparing her daughter for an upcoming pageant.  She did a "treatment" on the toddler's hair with mayonnaise, slathering it all over her head.  The program did not cover how in the heck one got all that mayo out of the hair.  But the mayo-hair-slathering was not the gross part.  The nearly swearing-off-mayonnaise part came when, as the mother was sticking her hand in the mayo jar and rubbing it in the child's hair, the child was also putting her hand in the jar and then putting the mayo in her (the child's) mouth.  I guess it was a mayo double-duty situation.

Anyhoo, this is all to say that no matter how you personally feel about eating mayonnaise, apparently it is good for a great many things - sort of like WD40, although I hate to think about the possible similarities between the two.  Just to help you out, here is a list of 20 uses for mayonnaise.  Best of luck with whatever your mayonnaise aspirations might be - just be sure to get Kraft or Blue Plate.

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The Good Stuff From Today:  Everley time; quick visits with Molly and Maribeth; Steve's safe travel to Columbus; brief workout with KB at the park

Stuff I Got Done Today

Worked out with KB.  Which means we walked around the cars and then went to Pancake Pantry for breakfast.

Installed a magnetic bar thingy on the picture ledge above my desk.

Made an Ursula dress from fabric from the yard sale, as requested by Lindley.  Complete with a train in the back.  And a matching cape.  It's amazing that with enough sparkles and sequins, the questionable actual seamstress quality of the finished product is completely overlooked by the 3-year-old client.

Harvested my tomato crop.  So far I've picked four tomatoes.  Delicious!!

Changed the sheets on my bed, at least I did once the Housekeeping Supervisor finished grooming herself and I relocated her.  It's time to change your sheets when you can't remember the last time you changed them.

Cooked dinner for the family.  Yep, you heard me.  Beef tips, mashed 'taters, cornbread, veggies, and brownies for dessert.  And iced tea to drink.  And watermelon to round it out.  I guess I can mark July off for cooking ...

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The Good Stuff From Today:  getting stuff accomplished; Lindley and Everley time; family dinner; Molly making her 3-Day BC Walk goal thanks to Jeff and Lisa

How Many Yawns Can An Old Lady Yawn ...

Before an old lady falls to sleep?  About three more and then I'm going to fall asleep somewhere, so I guess I'll head to bed.  Because as always, tomorrow is another day!!

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The Good Stuff from Today:  4 miles with KB; getting a few tasks accomplished at home and at Molly's; visiting Everley at her house; picking up Steve from the airport; mater sammich with a home-grown (my home) tomato; chocolate with nuts at Molly's house

Well, There You Go ...

It seems that I'm often waiting for "just the right moment" to get something started.  I keep deluding myself that there's going to be a moment in time, or "a sign", or an event that will spur me to action.  But it's all bull-mahoney because there have certainly been enough moments and signs and events that should have propelled me to a multitude of actions.

And then I saw this sign today.  And I realize that I'm not looking for a sign - I'm looking for an excuse for inaction.  I'm looking for anything that will keep in inert and immobile and certain in my belief that "it's just not the right time to gitterdun."

And the sad truth about the whole thing is that if I keep waiting for that moment, that sign, that event, it is never going to come because in reality, I don't want it to come.  I want to laze away in my inactivity, hoping that I won't have to do anything.

But apparently now I have seen the sign.  And it's time to get going.  I can't say that I'm happy, but I know one day I will be.  And when I get my stuff together, and people ask me what got me there, I'll just say that I saw the sign that said, "Get going."  And so I did.

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The Good Stuff From Today:  short walk with KB; Everley time; going with E to see Lindley's room update; travel planning; yard dudes cleaning up my yard

Just The Annual Lube And Oil

Yep, today was the day for my annual lady parts checkup.  It's amazing how fast a year can zoom past, especially when you weigh in at the gyno's office and swear you will be slimmer and trimmer when your next year's appointment comes around.  Too bad that year flies by and you find yourself no slimmer or trimmer and perhaps even more chubbier and chunkier.  Of all the things that go on during this appointment, mounting the scales is possibly the worst.

Anyhoo, that's the predicament that I found myself in today.  I've had ample time to attempt to shed pounds, or even ounces, but to no avail.  My only saving grace was that I weighed myself before I went in, so I could tell Nurse Weigh-Me-In a starting point, less she spend the next 30 minutes trying to adjust the weights on the machine.  She did say that she would deduct two pounds for my clothes, to which I said at my girth, two pounds really doesn't make a difference.  Once the magic number was procured, I proceeded to provide the necessary sample, and then retired to the exam room where my gown made of Kleenex and my tissue paper lap cover were waiting.

While waiting for Dr. Nice, I spent the time trying not to sweat lest my delicate paper garments rip and tear, since they are required to cover quite a large area.  Of course, at my age, sweating is pretty much as automatic as breathing, so I try to hold my arms out and thus avoid sweaty armpits.  It's a stellar sight.

Eventually Dr. N comes in and we exchange jolly comments, none of which are about my weight, which is a huge reason she is the best gyno ever.  She then proceeded to work her craft, and soon the whole thing was over.  After 55 years and 3 kids, everything is pretty much an open book.  We finish our conversation and she leaves me to change out of my now-tattered-from-sweat-drops paper rags.  I leave, swearing next year will be different - a slimmer and trimmer me.  After all, one always needs to have a goal ...

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The Good Stuff From Today:  good checkup with Dr. N; Everley time; afternoon power nap

Ummm, Yeah!!

But's it's been great!!

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The Good Stuff From Today:  pool time for Everley and Lindley at E's house; Lindley and Everley time at the Doik; drink deliveries via Molly and Sam; 4 miles and Fido with KB and Sharon

The Last - I Mean Latest - Yard Sale

After last night's walk, I wondered if anybody would be able to get up and come to my house at our agreed-upon time of 6am.  Because I have such stellar teammates, I needn't have wondered.  KB and Sharon showed up as planned and Molly came soon after bringing needed Diet Cokes and breakfast.

Our Temporary Treasurer

We quickly sorted and priced (thankfully we didn't have all that much) and soon the yard sale was on.  Our enthusiasm was not exactly off the charts, but our main sellers KB and Moo did manage to coax some $$$ out of some buyers.  At noon we loaded the leftovers into Sharon's car and she took off for the Goodwill Collection Center.

In the end, we made a little money for our 3-Day Walk, got rid of some junk, and swore we'd never do it again.  At least until the next time ...

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The Good Stuff From Today:  UP yard sale and buyers; Everley and Lindley time; Jet's Pizza for lunch

A Successful Experiment

Team Udderly Pink is entering the heart of our training.  That means we are starting to rack up the miles - theoretically, anyway.   With team members being out of town, our actual schedule has been a little off, but it's time to get with the program.  Along with entering the heart of our mileage, we're also entering the heart of the summer in Nashville.  That means that it's getting hot here.  So, the simple equation of long mileage plus hot temperatures equals not such a pleasurable experience.  So, we decided to try an experiment and do a long walk in the evening, when the temperatures would be a little cooler.

Tonight was our scheduled evening walk.  We decided to start at 6pm, for unknown reasons.  Maybe because we thought that would give everyone time to get home from work and prepped for the walk.  Maybe because we thought the temperatures would magically drop 30 degrees in the hour between 5 and 6.  Maybe we thought some of us needed a Happy Hour before we walked.  But for whatever reasons we decided to start at 6, and met in our designated parking lot and set out along with a guest walker friend of Molly's.  Who entirely had way to much energy for us old folks.

Several hours later, we determined our "night walk experiment" a success.  That means we will never do it again for any walks over 6 miles.  Why?  Let me list the reasons ..

1.  Unless you are in the bed sleeping all day, you will probably be busy doing stuff all day, so if you are planning to walk 10 miles beginning at 6pm, you're probably going to start tired.  And just get tired-er.

2.  If you've had a bad day mainly talking at (notice I did not say "to") stupid ignorant people, you're not going to want to talk to anybody for the hours and hours that it's going to take you to walk 10 miles.  Not that was a problem for us because we are all such wonderful women.  But it could be. 

3.  Hot is relative.  Especially if you're menapausal.  That means that some people would be hot walking in January in Alaska.  But I'm not naming names.  Let's just say that 6pm didn't make a whole lot of a difference.

4.  News Flash - when one starts walking 10 miles as slow as some do, it's going to get dark before one finishes said 10 miles.  Unless you're walking in Alaska.  Which we weren't.  Dark is not so much fun to walk in, except that it possibly hides the foul silent language that might be coming from the mouths of some of the participants.  Again, not anybody that I might know ...

Anyhow, we managed to get our walk in without getting hit by any vehicle while walking in the dark on a road with no sidewalks.  We also decided that we probably wouldn't do it again, and instead go back to getting up at the crack of dawn to get the big miles done.

But the best part of the walk was AFTER, when we all went to my house to prepare for tomorrow's yard sale.  It wasn't pretty, but we managed to pull everything out of the sun room and into the carport, and promised to meet in the morning to sort it out. It's going to be epic yard sale, just about as epic as tonight's walk ...

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The Good Stuff From Today:  Everley time and MB/Everley sleepover; UP training walk; taking Steve to airport

When Will I Learn????

In particular, when will I learn to shut my mouth and stop saying that I will never do (fill in the blank) again?  If you said never, then you are probably correct.  For instance, I am having another yard sale.  In two days.  That we planned yesterday while out walking.  You know, the yard sale that I said I would never do another one? 

It seems that my house, aka "The Repository For Unwanted Stuff From Other People's Houses", has accumulated some items that I need to get out of my house.  Add to the mix that we still have a few Udderly Pink members that need to reach their fundraising goals, and you have all the necessary ingredients for a yard sale.  At my house.  That I said I would never do again.

Oh well, there you have it.  We're having a yard sale.  Saturday.  If I say on Saturday that I will never have another yard sale, ignore me.  Apparently that is about as effective as saying I will never eat chocolate again.

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The Good Stuff From Today:  working out at the park with KB; picking up Lindley from school; Lindley and Everley time; Everley eating two plates of food for dinner; Color Me Rad entries; catching up on paperwork; Sonic cranberry green ice tea via Maribeth; Sharon making her 3-Day goal

Plumb Tuckered Out

In Southern speak, that means I am tired.  I am also worn out, exhausted, and sleepy.  Why?  I don't know - maybe vacay withdrawal, maybe I emptied the trash and overexerted myself.  Maybe my overweight, middle-aged body decided that it has had enough for today.  But for whatever the reason, when one takes a nap about an hour before one's bedtime, perhaps one should just go ahead and call it a night!

And so one shall.  G'Night John Boy!

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The Good Stuff From Today:  4 miles down Belmont with KB; intake lady at mammogram center; mammo tech; airport pickups for Steve and then Sam, Lynnette, and Lindley; MB's family bday party; Lindley and Everley time; big rain shower

Maggie Makes A Statement

Maggie seems adamant that (a) there be no vacation trips in the near future, or (b) should there be any vacation trips in the near future, she be a part of said trip.

At least she chose not to pee in the suitcase.  At least not yet ...

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The Good Stuff from Today:  watching Everley's swim lesson; working with Maribeth to overhaul Everley's room; brief visit from Molly and Micaela with coupon goodies

How To Tell You've Been On Vacation

1.  The suitcase is still unpacked because you cannot face unpacking all the stuff you came home with, much of which you didn't use because you wore the same clothes several days in a row.
2.  The only thing unpacked from your cosmetic bag is your toothbrush and deoderant.
3.  The cats are permanently attached to your leg or the keyboard of your computer as you try to type.
4.  The hamburger patties you cooked before you left are still in the refrigerator because nobody wanted to eat them, making you realize you should have gone ahead and thrown them out before you left.
5.  The dishwasher is loaded in a totally crazy way, meaning somebody else loaded it who is not as anal retentive as you are (which means instead of having all the spoons in one compartment and all the glasses arranged by size, the glasses are all willy-nilly and the forks and spoons are cohabiting in the same compartment).
6.  Your mail slot is full of bills, and they're not even your vacation bills.
7.  By the end of the day, not only can you barely remember what you did on vacation, it seems like it was a million years ago!

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The Good Stuff From Today:  celebrating Maribeth's birthday with lunch at J Alex; Everley time; getting a task complete (out of a task list of thousand of things to do)

Return Road Trip

This morning, Molly and I got up, packed the car, and headed North.  Our vacation is over and it was time to head back with all the stuff we accumulated in the past week.

We had a good trip, even with intermittent rain and traffic as we passed through Atlanta and Chattanooga.  We stopped twice for gas and food and maybe a quick run into a store or two.  We played trivia, tried to listen to a DVD (the remote thingy needed a new battery), and made future birthday plans.

All in all, it was a great ending to a fun vacation.  Now to recover from the vacation so we can start dreaming about the next vacation!

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The Good Stuff From Today:  Packing the car; trivia games; Atlanta Starbucks and new drinks; Zaxby's lunch; bathroom with tank flusher; safe road trip home

Just Another Day In The Magic Kingdom

  Step-sisters, carousels, princess dresses, fairies, pixie dust, and cupcakes for dinner.

Did you expect anything else?

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The Good Stuff from today:  MK with Sam, Lynnette, Lindley, and Molly; Lindley-sitting with Molly; last-minute shopping with Molly

Always Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide!

Good advice, but also handy because I got a picture of Jiminy during the parade.  And as usual, I am blogging late and needed a filler.  So today you get advice.

You're welcome!

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The Good Stuff From Today:  trips to the airport for departures and arrivals; AKL for Sam, Lynnette, and Lindley; Boma with S, the Ls, and Molly; coupon shopping; Tinkerbell entries

Happy July 4th!!

Molly and I had a plan.  We had Magic Kingdom tickets, a Disney resort reservation, and a Crystal Palace reservation for dinner.  We were bound and determined to get into the MK for the July 4 special fireworks show.  We had heard that this was the one of the two busiest days of the year (the other being Christmas Day) and a day that could be a Stage 4 Closure (this is Disney speak where Stage 1 is parking lot closure - you can only enter on Disney transportation; Stage 2 is ticket booth closure - only pre-purchased ticket holders can enter;  Stage 3 is only open to annual passholders, dining reservations, and Disney resort guests; and Stage 4 means you have to be a blood Disney relative).

Anyhow, we did not want to spend 12 hours in the park and wanted to get there with only a few hours to kill.  Sure, we could ride the rides, but with that many people in the park (and might I mention the hot, muggy park from the recent afternoon rain) we did not want to wait in the 90 minute wait lines.  Instead, we headed over to the Magic Kingdom around 3pm and entered with no problem.  We walked around a bit and had dinner at 5.  Then came the important decision - where to park ourselves for the best view?  We decided on the area that is actually designated as the smoking area, but was open for all on this night.  The tables and chairs were already taken, so we sat on the floor with the magazines we had brought to read - for the next three hours.  We weren't disappointed, as the views were beautiful and we had a front row seat (just ask the bazillions of people who crowded in behind us).  Here are just a few of the pictures Molly was able to take ...

 

 

 It was an awesome show, well worth the wait - we'll see you here next year!!

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The Good Stuff From Today:  fireworks at the MK; chatter on the bus on the way home; dinner with Tigger

Vacation Reality

It always happens - I say that I will get organized/start an exercise routine/start eating healthy/blah blah blah  while I'm on vacation.  In other words, I'm just full of good intentions.  And then I get on vacation and all my good intentions seem to fly out the window.  And then I start thinking, "Just wait until I get home and get settled again.  Then I will be able to get organized/start a exercise routine/start eating healthy/blah blah blah.

In other words, I'm just full of it (you figure out what I'm full of)!!

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The Good Stuff From Today:  Molly's return to Disney; cute pictures of Everley and GDiz; getting vacation stuff done

Pessoptimist?

Most of my life, I think I was a pessimist.  I got to the point where in an unknown situation, I would always imagine the worst possible outcome.  That way, if the worst happened, I was prepared.  If the worst didn't happen, I was pleasantly surprised.  It wasn't the most fun way to live.

Then a few years ago, I started listing all the good things that happened everyday. No matter how awful the day, there was (and is) always something to be thankful for. 

So now, I'm not totally sure of what I am.  I mean, I see that glass as half full.  I just wonder if somebody spit in it!!

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The Good Stuff From Today:  getting some errands accomplished; picking up Steve from the airport

Yup, Just Another Davidson Vacay

Friday morning, Molly and I started our road trip to Orlando, eventually checking in to Port Orleans.  Sunday morning we checked out of Port Orleans and checked in to Old Key West.  This morning I took Molly to the airport to return to Nashville.  Tomorrow night, Steve will fly down and I will pick him up and return to OKW.   Wednesday night Molly will fly back down and I will pick her up and bring her back to the resort (where her clothes have remained so she wouldn't have to bother with luggage).  Friday morning Steve will fly to Alabama and rent a car to go visit his dad in Mississippi for the weekend.  Meanwhile, Sam, Lynnette, and Lindley will fly down to Orlando on Friday afternoon and check in to Kidani Village.  Sunday morning, Molly and I will check out of OKW and road trip it back to Nashville.  Steve will be driving back to Nashville from Columbus.  Sam, Lynnette, and Lindley will hang around until Wednesday when they will fly back to Nashville.

Meanwhile, Maribeth, Mathieu, and Everley will hold down the fort in Nashville, hopefully still stomach-bug free. We Davidsons know how to have a good time!!

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The Good Stuff From Today:  Molly's safe travel home; IKEA shopping; Emily's family check in at AKL; Container Store clerk; Orlando rainy day; finishing coupon project