This is a view of Pike's Peak from one-third of the way up the Pike's Peak Toll Road. The white area in the foreground is a frozen lake. We couldn't get further than 11,000 feet (of 14,000) because of snow.
March 3, 1998
I'm going to Colorado! The company needs someone to be trained on the new marketing software, and I was selected.
And the training is in Colorado!
Boulder, to be specific.
I never get to go anywhere on business. This is cool.
Sometime in April.
I'm going to Colorado!
March 13, 1998
I've convinced the Husband to go with me to Colorado; we'll take a couple extra days and look around.
The training is from Sunday evening (4/19) through Wednesday afternoon (4/22). The company will fly us out Saturday (the tickets are cheaper if you stay over through Saturday night - and no, they're not paying for his ticket), so that gives us almost a free day. If we can fly out late Thursday, we'll only have to pay for one extra night in the hotel.
I've never been to Colorado, and I've only flown on business once. I'm really looking forward to this.
March 18, 1998
This Colorado trip is getting complicated. The Husband wants to see Pike's Peak, which is a 200-mile round trip from Boulder, and we really only have half-days to play with. I think it's too much; I suggested adding another day, but he doesn't want to spend the money.
We checked out Pike's Peak on the 'net, hoping for some inspiration:
The Husband decided there was more in that region that he wanted to see than in the Boulder/Denver area. But the cheapskate didn't want to pay for it.
And to further complicate matters, my sister's in-laws are having a big 50th wedding anniversary bash the Saturday we're supposed to leave, and we're invited.
This all started out so simple. I was going to Colorado on business.
March 23, 1998
Okay, I think we've got it figured out. We're staying in Colorado through Sunday. The Husband will fly out Thursday and meet me at the airport. I'll get a ride to the airport with the other people I'm going out with. We'll rent a car and drive to the Pike's Peak area and spend several days checking things out there. Because we'll be staying over the following Saturday, I don't need to fly out there on the previous Saturday, so I can attend the 50th Anniversay Party.
We'll be staying at a cute little bed and breakfast in Woodland Springs that has a beautiful view of Pike's Peak. It's called Pike's Peak Paradise (the travel agent said don't go by the name, it's really quite nice), and they even have their own website:
We're in the Peachtree room, with a canopy bed, if you wanna check out our lovely accommodations (and they have a clothing optional hot tub).
Less than four weeks to go!
March 31, 1998
I'm going to Texas!
A computer users convention; I only got to go to it twice before (once locally).
And the convention is in Texas!
San Antonio, to be specific.
http://www.cains.com/sa/tourism.html
I never used to get to go anywhere on business. This is cool. Colorado, then Texas.
Sometime in May.
I'm going to Texas!
April 1, 1998
I keep waiting for them to tell me that the San Antonio trip was an April Fool's joke. So far they haven't.
Update on the Colorado trip:
We're staying over 'til Monday now. I just felt we needed one more day to see everything without being rushed. What started out as the Husband accompanying me on a company-paid business trip with the only expense being his plane ticket and food, has turned into a $1400 five-day vacation with the only savings being the cost of one plane ticket.
But the opportunity was there, and we never would have done it otherwise.
Now I have to convince the Husband that the San Antonio trip will be like a free vacation.
April 9, 1998
Ten more days. To Colorado. Then it's less than three weeks 'til Texas.
I had to go through all kinds of insanity to get a flight to Denver for the Husband that would arrive before my group's plane left, and still be able to get us both seats on the same return flight. But I succeeded.
The Husband has agreed to join me in Texas. This time it will be like the Colorado trip was supposed to be, that is, we'll fly out together, stay in a company-paid hotel room, and leave together. The only expense will be his plane ticket and meals. And we'll split that.
Only ten more days! I'm not ready.
April 18, 1998
My sister from South Carolina was home this weekend (actually, she was on a business trip nearby and stayed over). She travels a lot on business, and she was giving me pointers.
Today was my other sister's in-laws 50th Anniversary party and it went well. My parents and my sisters (all 3 of them) were there too. Good food.
So tomorrow I have to catch a 10:40 flight to Denver. This is exciting.
I never mentioned that I was flying out of the Newark airport; it was $600 cheaper that way (although the airport is a 150-mile round trip from home). The Husband will take me tomorrow and my brother-in-law will take him on Thursday. What an operation.
And I haven't finished packing. I don't know what to take; people tell me it's still skiing season out there. So I'm taking spring clothes and winter clothes, which means I'm taking twice as much luggage.
Full report on my return!
April 19-27, 1998
Gone to COLORADO!!!!!!!!!
April 29, 1998
Omigod!
What a place!
This is a view of Pike's Peak from one-third of
the way up the Pike's Peak Toll Road. The white area in the foreground
is a frozen lake. We couldn't get further than 11,000 feet (of
14,000) because of snow.
By chance we happened on a little mining town called Cripple Creek, which had legalized gambling, and the hundred-year-old store fronts were all fixed up like new, and every store was a gambling casino. We played fifty bucks each. I broke even; the Husband lost five bucks.
One of my favorite spots was Garden of the Gods; several square miles of unique rock formations. Pictures don't do it justice.
I spent over $200 at the Tradin' Post (Gift Shop)
And there was Manitou Springs, with seven different mineral springs for whatever ails you. And there were the Cliff Dwellings, which the ancient Anasazi Indians called home (more bucks dropped at the gift shop).
Thursday it was 80 degrees. Sunday we had 6 inches of snow.
We drove the ninety miles back to Denver Monday morning and arrived hours before our 5:00 flight, so we drove around Denver for a while, and happened upon the Denver Zoo (birthplace of Klondike and Snow; two polar bear cubs). We killed two hours there (it's a nice zoo, btw), then headed for the airport and home.
Great!
May 5, 1998
My sister's twins turned one year old today. They are such cuties. We had a small party for them tonight; the high point being when they got their hands on chocolate cake. And got the chocolate cake on everything else.
Of course they had no idea what was going on, but we were hysterical.
This was a small party on their actual birthday, because the big party isn't 'til the end of the month, when all the relatives and in-laws can attend, including us; we'll be back from Texas then.
Texas.
Seems like I just got back from Colorado. I did just get back from Colorado. And in 11 days we're flying to San Antonio. I'm not ready. At least it won't snow. Heh.
It'll probably be in the 90's.
Eleven days. Texas!
May 15, 1998
So tomorrow we're off to Texas. My father is taking us to the airport. Something a little more local this time. We have a stopover in Dallas, then continue on to San Antonio. The Husband doesn't like that. He says we should have flown to Dallas, rented a car and seen Dallas, Waco and Austin on the way to San Antonio. He says you experience being there more when you drive the distance.
That would have been a five hour drive. And he mentioned this after all the travel plans had been made, and I wasn't about to try rescheduling after the Colorado confusion. So next time we'll drive from Dallas to San Antonio.
San Antonio made the local news; farmers in Mexico and Central America had been clearing their land by burning, and the fires got out of control. So a huge smoke cloud drifted north of the border and settle smack on San Antonio. Texas issued health warnings and skies were smoky gray.
Into all this is where we're headed tomorrow. Should be fun.
May 16-21, 1998
I'm in TEXAS, pardner!!!!!
May 25, 1998
San Antonio sure knows how to treat her tourists. We arrived with three other people I work with who would be attending the convention and got taxied to the hotel (which was right on the Riverwalk).
The Husband left his wallet in the cab, but
a quick call to the cab company, the magic of two-way radio, and
the cabbie was back before he'd gotten around the block. A small
crisis averted.
This is my Husband at the Alamo, a must see
in San Antonio. The Alamo, not my Husband. San Antonians are very
serious about their Alamo; no loud talking; no eating or drinking;
gentlemen, please remove your hats. We toured it Sunday morning;
the convention started Sunday afternoon.
The Husband, sucking on one of many margaritas
consumed that week. This was at dinner in the Mercado,
the Mexican Marketplace. The food was fantastic. And we were serenaded
by a mariachi band while we dined.
This is Hemisfair Park, where a World's Fair
was held in 1968. The tower is slightly taller than the Space
Needle in Seattle. And of course we had to go up and view San
Antonio from on high. The whole tower blew around in the wind.
Eerie. This was on our last day there, and the skies had cleared
a bit, though still smoky.
A fleet of tourist trolleys runs around the city; you just have
to hop on (and deposit fifty cents), and you can get just about
anywhere. We never rented a car, and we did just fine.
And I can't began to describe the Riverwalk. So
I'll leave that to the professionals:
The flight home was uneventful. As all flights should be.
May 31, 1998
My godmother died in Pittsburgh. She was 84 and had been ill for sometime. Still, death is never something that's welcome. And it was another plane flight to cope with. I'm really tired of airline travel for a while.
Now I need to get back to a normal routine. Yeah, right.
I got a phone call. A chance to do software consulting work with a company in North Carolina. I've never done consulting before, and they were offering good money for a few days work, and it was an opportunity. It was also another plane flight in less than two weeks. Airports don't hold the adventure they used to.
But I said yes anyway. This could be interesting.
Another month, another flight.
June 4, 1998
Today is the Husband's birthday. I took him out to dinner. No, he does not want to go to Fayetteville NC for three days. He used to live in North Carolina; I thought he might want to visit.
I checked with my boss at work, to make sure there wasn't some kind of conflict of interest to this consulting job, and he said go, with his blessing. So that's cool.
I'm not even sure I can help these people, but it sounds like I may be able to. So I agreed to fly down there Wednesday the 17th and return Friday the 19th. They made all the arrangements.
I could have flown directly to the Raleigh-Durham airport, which is about an hour's drive from Fayetteville. But that would have cost $700. Instead, they're putting me on a flight to Charlotte (200 miles from Fayetteville) from which I'll connect to a morning commuter flight from Charlotte to Pinehurst. then it's a 45-minute drive to Fayetteville. But the whole trip was less than $200. What a system.
Happy birthday, Hubby!
June 14, 1998
We celebrated the Husband's birthday with a party last week. It was the usual event; his family and my family meet at my sister's house (they have a pool), and the two families compare notes because they haven't seen each other since last year's birthday party. I got him one of those really small cell phones that fit a shirt pocket. He loved it.
A woman I work with got married Saturday a week ago, and the wedding had a country-western theme. The bride had a prairie-style wedding dress with fringe, and the groom wore a black tuxedo jacket, black jeans and a black Stetson hat. All their friends were accomplished country line dancers, and they were fun to watch. They had all the moves down pat. It was a fun time, and one of the most interesting weddings I've ever attended.
Yesterday, a friend's daughter was married, and this was a more traditional event. The ceremony took place in a church older than the United States. And almost as big. It was a very warm day. No it was hot, and we didn't hang around the church afterward. The reception didn't start for an hour and a half, so we came home and sat in the air conditioning.
We ended up at a fun table at the reception, and, unlike last week's wedding, I actually did some dancing at this one.
And in three days I get on a plane to Fayetteville. What am I getting into now?
June 18, 1998
I love the folks in Fayetteville. What nice people. And I can help them out. They're just not using the software to its full potential; all it will take is a little training. So I'll be going back around the beginning of September for a week to do just that. And they are graciously making it worth my while too.
So that's the end of the Fayetteville story, yes?
Nooooooooo. They offered me a full-time job with a generous salary. They offered my husband a job there as well, doing basically what he's doing now. It's a great opportunity. But I said no. My family is back home, where I'm watching all my nieces, nephews and godchildren grow up around me. We have no kids of our own. We have Opie, but it's not the same. So it would be like leaving my children behind to take a job. The Husband said he'll go if I want to, but I can't.
So that's the end of the Fayetteville story, yes?
Nooooooooo. I agree to return in September, and I'm being driven to the Pinehurst airport, when traffic comes to a halt because of an accident. I miss my flight. We call the travel agent; she can get me on a flight that will get me home by 10 pm. I'm supposed to be home by 3 pm. No good. So with a little tweaking, she can get me home by 8 pm. Okay.
It seems there were a mess of storms in the midwest that forced airport closings and flight cancellations. Subsequently, planes that were needed at specific destinations to provide service to other destinations weren't available. This forced other cancellations and delays. Unbeknownst to me, the Charlotte airport, my first destination, had been closed for a time. It reopened, but everything was chaos. The monitors said my flight home left from Gate B8. But the electronic sign at Gate B8 said the flight was boarding for New Orleans. And every five minutes my flight was delayed anther ten minutes.
The flight that would have gotten me home by ten p.m., that I said was no good, arrived before me. And the Husband waited patiently at the destination end of the trip until I arrived. Around 10:30.
I could have driven home faster.
I don't want to talk about it any more.
June 21, 1998
Happy Father's Day, Daddy.
I joined my family for breakfast out, but then I came right home, because we're celebrating Father's Day today, and I have to make dessert for the occasion. We always make a big deal out of Father's Day, exchanging presents among the fathers (even though the Husband is not a father, he usually gets something from the cat).
Today is another notable occasion. We uploaded the website today. It is functional. After all these months of experimentation and testing and compromising (and these mindless weekly notations) it's ready to unleash upon an unsuspecting web. Well, almost. We found a couple bugs in the links. And the Husband keeps thinking of things to add at the last minute. But basically, this is it. We have just given birth to a website.
One of a gazillion that crop up every day.
We hope you like it, so far.
It'll change.
June 30, 1998
I've been wanting a zip drive for my computer ever since I got it. I should have ordered one with it, but I didn't, so shoot me. So I convinced the Husband that we should get away from the computers for the evening and go shopping. I could tell he was thrilled with that idea. But I also had a coupon for $25 at a nice pizza restaurant, so he was convinced.
The restaurant was crowded, so we got the shopping out of the way first. I needed a new computer chair (the Husband had leaned back in the old one and it broke in half). I agonized over which one to get, but I finally found one, and we split a ten-pack of zip disks. Then it was off to the pet store for a flea collar for Opie (he was on the twelfth month of an eleven-month collar), but the Husband will only get the stretch kind, so our choices weren't great. But we only needed one, and we found it. We also got a scratching post (the Husband had been threatening to build one for months. Time's up).
By the time we got to the pizza restaurant we were pooped. And it was hot. So we couldn't finish our meals and ended up taking the leftovers home.
We wrapped up our romantic evening sitting on the living room floor, assembling the new computer chair, and occasionally belching.
Life is good.
July 17, 1998
I got promoted this week!
I got a raise this week!
I got a promotion and a raise this week!
I earned it!
.
But I'm speechless...
July 25, 1998
Today is my grandmother's 96th birthday. We had a small party for her last night with presents and ice cream and cake. Her kids were there (my dad and his brother), her middle-aged grandchildren, and her five great-grandchildren. It was fun.
I'd like to say something about my new job, but I really haven't started it yet; I'm still cleaning up the loose ends from my old work. I'm still excited about it, and looking forward to it, I just have to start doing it.
So as a transition, I'm taking a week off. My sisters and I rented a beach house at the Jersey shore for a week, and I'm going to use the time to reorganize. Or forget everything. I haven't decided which. I should be packing instead of writing, but I needed a break from that too. The Husband is not a shore person, and this is his busy time of year at work anyway, so I'll have to make do without him. :)
Opie has actually taken to the scratching post instead of the carpet. If this continues, I may actually get new carpet! It's the original carpet that came with the house, and it's held up pretty well, but it is fourteen years old, and it looks it!
Then, new furniture.
Until then ...
Look out Jersey shore, here I come!
July 25-31, 1998
I'm at the beach house with my sisters and loving it! Back Saturday.
August 12, 1998
Today is my mom's birthday. And tomorrow is my parents' anniversary. And I've been so busy with my new job that I haven't had a chance to buy them anything. This is not like me. But we're celebrating the occasions this weekend, so I still have a few days to get it all together.
My problem is that I have to train several people to do my old job, while learning the various pieces of my new job. It's going to be this way for a while, but it's getting better. And I'm more confident that I can do it all.
But the house is a disaster. Weeks of newspapers all over the couch, plants that need watering, laundry piling up. The husband tries to help out, but he's a male, and you know how that is. And he's working long hours too.
Now if we could just train the cat . . .
August 15, 1998
Today we celebrated my mother's birthday at my sister's house, which meant I got to spend time with those huggable, adorable twins. I took a lot of pictures of them. I think they were feeling particularly photogenic today. I hope so. A lot of my photos haven't turned out so well lately. Just coincidence. I hope.
The Husband felt ill and went home early. He was slightly feverish when I got home. I sure hope it's nothing contagious. I can't deal with contagion just now.
I went shopping with my sisters Thursday, and we got our mom a lot of coordinated outfits for her birthday, which, of course, she loved.
And my 96-year-old Grandmother is still visiting from Pittsburgh, so it was a treat that she could be there too.
It helped me forgot about job pressures and laundry and stuff for a while.
Until I just brought it up. It's almost midnight; do I have time to do a load of laundry?
August 22, 1998
Yesterday was my niece's 3rd birthday, which means another party today, which means I get to see all the nieces and nephews again, which keeps me happy. And the other side of the family was there too, and they're always fun. Lots of kids running around. And it was a sunny day, and my sister has a pool, so what could be better?
My older sister from South Carolina was there too. She was on her way back from some meeting in New York, so the timing was excellent.
We got our niece an adorable little wooden doll house which she absolutely loved. It was a Kodak moment. Her pretty little face lit up like neon. What a cutie!
We got a birthday cake that had a computer-generated picture of the birthday girl done in icing. I work with computer-generated pics every day, but I'm still amazed at what they can do with them.
It's last weekend all over again. It's almost midnight, and I still have laundry to do. Some things never change.
August 29, 1998
Today is my sister's birthday, so another party and another few hours with the nieces and nephews. This week's party is at her house; all our parties are at her house because she has the most room. And a swimming pool. But I'm the one giving the party; she can't have her own party. And I can't invite anyone over to this dump.
So I'm cooking ribs and making homemade bread and peeling shrimp in preparation. And writing website entries in between. The laundry is pretty much caught up (it's only really ever caught up for the few minutes after the last load is hauled back upstairs).
A friend of mine got tickets to Beauty and the Beast on Broadway, so we took off work Wednesday and shuttled up to the Big Apple. We spent the day being tourists; we went to the new huge Disney Store, then to FAO Schwartz and we had a late lunch/early dinner at Jekyll and Hyde, a horror-themed eatery around 58th and Fifth.
The play was fantastic! I don't know what I was expecting, but it turned out to be more. The scenery was very elaborate for a play, the costumes were perfect, and the girl singing Belle's part was excellent (Toni Braxton takes over that role next month, and I like Toni Braxton, but this Belle was no slouch!). I bought the over-priced CD of the play's music at intermission.
Unlike the last two weeks, it is now just past noon, and I have to go check on my ribs.
September 13, 1998
Today is my nephew's 7th birthday. And of course we had a party,
and of course all the other nieces and nephews showed up, and
of course we had it at my sister's house (the one with the pool),
and of course we all had a good time.
The nephew wanted, for his birthday dinner, soup. Yes, soup. Three different kinds: New England Clam Chowder, Cream of Broccoli and Chicken Noodle. I volunteered to make the New England Clam Chowder (none of that stuff from a can; the soups had to be homemade), so I bought all the necessary ingredients and got up early to make up a big pot from scratch.
My new job is getting more demanding. No, I haven't changed the subject. Someone called with a computer problem that I couldn't handle over the phone, so I had to put the soup on hold and go into work. It was a satellite downloading glitch that I was unfamiliar with, and I had to call the night person (she just happened to be the one most familiar with it) and we worked through it. And while it was a pain having to go into work to sort it out, it was another learning experience for me, and one less unknown element to cope with. So in that respect, I was glad to have gone in.
Until I got back to the soup and realized that I was going to be late. But I rationalized that my younger sister (the one with three kids under three) is always late, so I didn't worry about. Until she called wondering where we were.
So we ate late. But my soup was the biggest hit. We also had shrimp and a huge antepasto. And ice cream and cake and presents. And fun.
And that about wraps up the birthdays until November. Which will be MINE! Gimme presents!
September 20, 1998
Okay, I lied; I think I said last time that there were no more birthdays to celebrate until mine. I forgot about my brother-in-law (father of last week's party honoree); sorry, bro-in-law. So another weekend, another party. Is this getting repititious? I don't care, I'm enjoying it. Nieces, nephews, ice cream, cake. But at the other sister's this time (the one without the pool, but with the twins). And it was fun, as expected. And that was yesterday.
Today is my company picnic. It's a bit later than traditional picnics, but a lot cooler (still kind of humid, though). And it's a sunny day, so it should be fun. The Husband's company picnic was in June; the temperature was in the 90's, as was the humidity. Sucked. So this should be much better.
But that's just the preliminary for today. We have to leave early to get me to the airport; this coming week I am a consultant. I'm helping a company in North Carolina cope with a particularly complex piece of software (which I may immodestly say I am quite good with). They're paying me good money for this too, so I want to dazzle them. I'm a bit excited about all this. I could get used to this life. I didn't give the mouse that Opie turned loose in the house yesterday a second thought.
So now I have to go pack. I'm losing a vacation week doing this, but I'm enjoying it, and that's what vacations are for, right? Plus I'll be making money. This is too cool.
A full report next time. Wish me luck.
September 26, 1998
I'm back and I'm a success. The company in North Carolina liked me and the way I helped out with their software. And I liked them. So we worked well together and made progress.
I'm still not used to the more laid-back approach of Southerners. In my experience, if you aren't hectic and stressed, you're not trying. But they take things in stride and move ahead. I'm not complaining about that, I'm just not used to it.
Even their mainframe computer had a laid-back approach; it ran much slower than I was used to (which meant that the very lengthy reports that the software would generate took hours longer to print than I had planned on). But we got through it okay.
And the people were so nice; they let me explain everything, then asked questions. I was a little concerned that the one person who would be using the software most often was not asking questions. To my surprise, she had picked up on everything instantly and was able to understand the concepts and operations fully from my explanations. I was impressed; she's going to be very good at this.
And my contact person had invited me to have dinner with her family every night. Southern hospitality, I guess. We did go out to a restaurant on my last night there, with all the personnel I had been training. I felt very appreciated.
Still, there's no place like home, and I'm glad to be back.
September 30, 1998
I'm babysitting the twins tonight. The Husband is home sick, or I would invite him to join me. Not that he would. Babysitting does not fit him well. Although on previous occasions he has showed up long enough to get a free meal out of the situation. But he can keep his germs home tonight.
The more I learn about my new job, the more I know I can do it. I was born to do this.
It's nice to be appreciated, you know?
But tonight is for the twins and I've got to get moving.
See you in October.
November 11, 1998
It's Veterans' Day. Thanks veterans.
It's also painting day. The guy showed up, ready to go, at eight this morning. Both the Husband and I took off work to make sure everything worked out (I was being very protective of my new carpet; the Husband just wanted an excuse to stay home).
So while the painter did his thing, the Husband and I retired to our separate computers and surfed. I went out to check on how things were going, and I panicked. He was painting the ceiling over unprotected areas of carpet! I tried to say something, but my mouth didn't work. Then he carried a brush full of paint across the carpet. Then a trowel full of spackling compound! And I worried when the Husband carried a cup of coffee over the carpet. I retreated back to the computer and stayed there all day. I was afraid to go out there again.
I did have to go out grocery shopping after noon, but I tried not to look at anything when I left. I was a nervous wreck. I got the Husband to bring in the groceries when I got back so I could go run and hide at my computer.
The painter finished up for the day around six. He put two coats on the ceiling, and "cut in" the wall color around the trim. He'll be back Friday to finish up. I had the Husband do a quick carpet inspection and he reported all okay. Somewhat relieved, I did my own inspection. I was impressed. The guy did all the edge and trim work with a brush and no masking. And no drips on the carpet. My heart rate returned to normal.
I won't be here Friday when he finishes; that's the Husband's job. I'll be in Pittsburgh, visiting my Grandmother. And I'll be riding out there (six hours) with the twins. We're going to have fun!
And the painting will be done and the Husband will have all the furniture and stuff back in place and all will be well when I get back.
It better be.
November 21, 1998
Today completed the trilogy (carpet, paint, upholstery). All we
had to do was pick up the furniture cushions at their warehouse
and the mini-remodeling was done.
But I was up late last night (this morning) chatting with a teacher from Texas. I hadn't talked to him recently, so we had some catching up to do. That lasted 'til after 3 a.m. (my time).
Being a Saturday, I decided to sleep in, because I could. But I was also anxious to get my cushions. So I finally got myself together and we were on the road shortly after ten. We arrived at the warehouse, presented the receipt, and waited. And waited. And waited.
Almost exactly one hour later they showed up. The guy apologized profusely for the delay but offered no real explanation. And one of the seat back covers had a damaged zipper. So they offered me a cushion from a different style seat back, but in the same fabric, to hold me over until a new cushion could be sent. I didn't care. Let me out of here.
We hurried home and discovered something not noticed before. The new covers, while nice, were not as nicely tailored as the 14-year-old covers we were replacing. Comparing the two side by side, the new covers looked cheap. And the foam in the new cushions was more dense; it didn't give to fit the furniture neatly. It made the cushions look like they were laying on the furniture, rather than being part of the design. The seat back from the wrong style looked better than the rest of the seat backs. I wasn't happy.
But we got everything in place and cleaned up the packaging and looked at the living room as a whole, and I mellowed out a bit. It looked nice, although I was still annoyed by the fit (or lack thereof) of the new cushions. But I reserve judgement for later. They just need time to settle in. Then they'll look fine.
They better.
November 26, 1998
Thanksgiving Day.
I'm thankful for many things this year; the new carpet and upholstery, my new job, new friends on the 'net. But mostly I'm thankful that I don't have to cook. This year I'm joining the Husband and his family in Delaware; we don't get to see them often, so it should be fun.
I am making a couple desserts, but that's easy. So while other wives are spending hours preparing a huge meal, I'm surfing the 'net, waiting for the pineapple upside down cake to signal that it's done.
Then tomorrow it's shop-'til-you-drop day. I generally get all my Christmas shopping done by the Sunday after Thanksgiving. It's hectic, but it's worth it. I'm joining my sisters (including the one from SC who's home for the holidays) for a shopping blitz beginning at 7:30 am and continuing 'til way after dark.
Then the day after that is my birthday, and my family is giving me a party. It interrupts the shopping, but I'll make time for it. :-)
And before you know it, it's Christmas and everyone's gained ten pounds, and we have to find places to store all the new clothes and decide which of the old ones gets recycled.
Then it's a new year. What happened? I was just baking a pineapple upside down cake.
November 30, 1998
Saturday was my birthday, but it was also the official start of
the Christmas season. Once my presents were opened, of course.
I got a really nice leather coat from the Husband (I picked it out; he paid). And other fun stuff. Mostly clothes.
And of course there's all that wonderful Christmas shopping to do now. My sisters and I put a major dent in the whole process this weekend. We covered all the major malls in a twenty-mile radius, and there are a lot of them. We got to the first one at 8 am and parked near the entrance and didn't leave 'til the afternoon. And being near the entrance, we were able to haul packages out to the car and return for more.
Which got interesting as the day went on. The parking lot filled early, and cars lined up at the mall entrance and followed shopping-bag laden consumers to their cars to get their parking spot when they left. I imagine we ticked off a lot of people when they thought they would get our spot near the entrance, then we threw our stuff in the trunk and returned to the mall. :)
We were exhausted when we got home that night, but happy. And we were out the next morning doing it all again. Including ticking off the people who wanted our parking space.
December 5, 1998
Today is my dad's birthday; we're celebrating at my sister's house,
as usual. It's also my brother-in-law's birthday, so it'll be
a joint celebration. It's a dinner celebration, and I have to
make the main course. Which means I have to go grocery shopping.
Other than that, I'm ready to celebrate. Birthdays.
Christmas is a dilemma of a different color. We celebrate Christmas in a big way. And I always have a big tree (I get new ornaments every year, so every year the tree gets bigger to accommodate the ornaments), but I am approaching the point of diminishing returns.
Getting big trees into the house has always been a hassle, and we usually end up scraping the walls maneuvering the thing around. With the new paint this year, I don't want that to happen. So I'm considering getting a smaller, more manageable tree this year, and just using selected ornaments.
But I have my reputation to consider. I always get compliments on my tree. It's always huge and crammed with lights and twenty years of ornaments. I'm really undecided at this point. So we're not getting the tree today, as planned.
The Husband is outside on a wobbly step-ladder stringing lights on a very tall cypress by the front door. In a t-shirt. It's seventy degrees outside. Getting the Christmas spirit requires at least a coat. How do you folks in southern California and Florida handle this?
Happy holidays.
December 10, 1998
I have a cold. I also have a lot of vacation time accrued that
I have to use by the end of the year. My new job has made scheduling
vacation time none too easy. And it's probably gonna screw up
our planned trip to Alaska next year. New system being installed
in May; have to get it up and running and user-friendly (God I
hate that term) by the end of August. Prime Alaska travel time
(actually, the only Alaska travel time if you want to cruise the
glaciers).
So I took today and tomorrow off. I'm going to have the tree trimmed and all the kids' stuff bought by Sunday. I still have no idea what to get the Husband. He always says he's easy to buy for ("Get the latest gadget"), I say he's not. Only my dad is more difficult to buy for. No, I think they're a tie.
I went shopping most of the day with my sister; we got a lot done, but she had to be home by three when the kids returned, so I came home and started going through the boxes of tree ornaments.
The Husband put the lights on the tree last night and it looks good. I put a few ornaments on it, then began sorting through the lot, planning my attack. The tree is pretty big, but not as big as we usually get, so I have to be judicious in my planning.
Then I got tired of that, and I came in here to type this. Can't get more up to date than that, can you?
Happy Holidays, everyone.
December 18, 1998
It's getting close now. But all my Christmas shopping is done,
the house is clean and decorated, and I can relax. Sort of.
Every year I make huge batches of Christmas cookies. Except last year got so busy and hectic that I didn't have time to make any. I was surprised by how many people expressed disappointment that I had no cookies to pass around at Christmastime. So I vowed that this year that would not happen.
That was before my new job with all its time-demanding details. But a vow is a vow. I have much untaken vacation time that has to be used by the end of the year or it's forfeit, so I'm using it. And I'm baking cookies with it. I took off yesterday and today, and I'll be off Monday too. And Tuesday and Wednesday if I feel like it. Ho ho ho.
Different folks like different kinds of cookies, so I usually end up making several different kinds to appeal to everyone. Whenever someone says they particularly like a specific type of cookie that I've baked, it automatically goes on the permanent list; I'm up to eight or nine kinds now.
So I've set aside four straight days of cookie baking. Because I need to. I missed the appreciation of them last year. It's my chance to spread some Christmas cheer my way.
Cheers and cookies to everyone.
December 25, 1998
Merry Christmas, world wide web.
Technically, it's Christmas Day, but only by a few minutes. To me, it's Christmas Eve, and I've still gotta make two of the breakfast entrees for Christmas breakfast at my sister's.
But everything else is done, and I'm just about ready. I just have to make breakfast before I go to bed.
So I'm waiting for the timer to ding; and when it does I'm liable to quit right here in mid-sentence, 'cause I'm bushed.
I had to go into work today at 7 a.m. It's always something. But I wanted to be a boss. So I go in at 7 a.m. Merry Christmas.
But that's all over and done with. It's Christmas Day, and I plan on having a good time. Just as soon as breakfast is cooked and I can get the rest I need.
Ding. See ya.
Have a very merry Christmas!
December 31, 1998
We were considering visiting our friends in Lancaster over the
New Year's holiday, but the Husband got himself a nasty cold (which
I'm probably gonna get), so that sort of squelched that idea.
So I decided I'd have my own quiet New Year's Eve celebration and invite my family. Turns out my sister had the same idea. So New Year's Eve will be at her house. So why did I spend all this money on carpet and paint and upholstery if no one's going to come over? So I'm having a Sunday afternoon get-together for my family.
I'm also having a bunch of friends over Saturday to exchange pollyanna (secret Santa, whatever you want to call it) gifts. We do this the week after Christmas each year, and we take turns hosting. This year was my turn.
My Christmas goodies this year amount to some fun stuff.
--A rewriteable CD-ROM drive for my computer. Took a bit of setting up, but it works, and I burned my first cd (a test file). It takes over an hour to format a rewritable disk. Geez. From the Husband. Bet he thinks he'll get to use it too.
--The Bruce Springsteen box set; lots of previously unreleased stuff.
--Turbo Tax. I do the taxes, and Turbo Tax is great! An unsolicited testimonial.
--A new phone for the kitchen with a Caller ID display. Before I used to have to run into the living room to see who was calling. Really annoying when I'm cooking.
--Lots of new outfits befitting my new executive image at work. :)
--Lots of music CD's, just because I asked for them.
And other fun stuff. This was a good Christmas. And considering that this is the last day of the year, I can say I had a pretty good year too!
Happy New Year everyone!