Friday, July 29, 2005
fyi
I just posted a few reviews over at good english. In case you were wondering when I was ever going to read again.
One of my favorite parts of vacation was being able to read without feeling like I was neglecting housework. It's right up there with the beach on my "Greatest Vacation Things Ever" list.
One of my favorite parts of vacation was being able to read without feeling like I was neglecting housework. It's right up there with the beach on my "Greatest Vacation Things Ever" list.
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
How I Spent My Summer Vacation
(taking a break from self-imposed computer exile for a moment . . . )
Day 1: drive 12 hours (VA to AL). rest for 5 hours at a Days Inn and pay for a full night (bastards). pick up Clara, Ben's daughter. drive for 11 hours (AL to FL). thus Day 1 turns into . . .
Day 2: get settled into the in-laws' very lovely house where they graciously let us stay. watch two young kids while Ben sleeps for a couple of hours (he didmost all of the AL to FL driving). later that evening, go to arcade/tiny amusement park, where we discover that Rabbit? not so much a fan of park rides yet.
Day 3: go to the beach. have a lot of fun, drink a lot of salt water, get somersaulted by huge waves, want to come back every day. until we get in the car and discover that a) Ben DOES in fact sunburn, although he's in denial, and b) I have forgotten to lotion up my back, which is now the color of Christmas lights. worst sunburn in years. small price to pay for beach fun, though. however, the sand we've tracked with us has taken over the van and is, in fact, threatening to take over the world.
Day 4: laze about reading all day. go to dinner theater at night, which although touristy, is still the most fun thing ever. (plus -- buffalo!) decide true mission in life is to become a dancer in some sort of Spectacle.
Day 5: zoo day. primates are the best. big/medium cats are a close second. at night, Clara refuses to go to sleep and has her mom read to her over the phone until she falls asleep two hours later. meanwhile Ben goes to the nearest ER because his sunburn is itching beyond reason. (this is communicated by jumping up and down while trying to reach the middle of his back and swearing loudly. it will be funnier after he gets the medicine that is, quoting the label, "for icthing.")
Day 6: pack up while Ben and Clara go out for some quality father/daughter time. after their return, get dinner ready (spaghetti, and Clara doesn't like sauce, a discovery that will be made only two minutes before sauce meets noodles). kids get a bath while we clean up, finish laundry, vacuum. start the 11-hour trip back to AL. kids sleep, we drive. miss being a kid slacking off in the back seat. drive past numerous signs urging "Think TIFTON!" and laugh out loud each time. for no reason, really.
Day 7: hit AL, get some lunch, go to the duck park. it's a tradition. the ducks circle anyone who brings bread and it looks like an avian revival tent up in there. drop Clara off. go to the usual hotel and actually stay the night.
Day 8: drive to the halfway point (between AL and VA) and spend the night. before leaving, visit a BAM and buy unnecessary books. resist buying a few 3-for-2 Nancy Drews. allow Ben to get out of driving to the nearest B&N after he doesn't complain about your borrowing money to pay for the books.
Day 9: drive home. on the way home stop by the newlyweds' house for a cookout, since all of the in-laws are in town as well. get to the house and discover it has not caught on fire or been swept up by a freak Wizard of Oz tornado. rejoice. then sleep.
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A pretty good vacation, I have to say. The beach was especially fun, since I haven't been to one since my church's youth group trip to Grenada. Like, seven years ago. My back does look really gross though.
Originally we were going to FL, then Savannah, GA, but our plans got rearranged for us, which was a little upsetting, because I'd been looking forward to going to GA, plus I had to redo all the hotel reservations (and barely found one in AL -- you can tell because it's a Days Inn, which is my most-hated hotel choice). That's life, I guess. Some other time. The fun we had on the trip we ended up taking made up for it.
I'm serious about my destiny being to be a dancer in a Spectacle. It all makes sense now.
Day 1: drive 12 hours (VA to AL). rest for 5 hours at a Days Inn and pay for a full night (bastards). pick up Clara, Ben's daughter. drive for 11 hours (AL to FL). thus Day 1 turns into . . .
Day 2: get settled into the in-laws' very lovely house where they graciously let us stay. watch two young kids while Ben sleeps for a couple of hours (he did
Day 3: go to the beach. have a lot of fun, drink a lot of salt water, get somersaulted by huge waves, want to come back every day. until we get in the car and discover that a) Ben DOES in fact sunburn, although he's in denial, and b) I have forgotten to lotion up my back, which is now the color of Christmas lights. worst sunburn in years. small price to pay for beach fun, though. however, the sand we've tracked with us has taken over the van and is, in fact, threatening to take over the world.
Day 4: laze about reading all day. go to dinner theater at night, which although touristy, is still the most fun thing ever. (plus -- buffalo!) decide true mission in life is to become a dancer in some sort of Spectacle.
Day 5: zoo day. primates are the best. big/medium cats are a close second. at night, Clara refuses to go to sleep and has her mom read to her over the phone until she falls asleep two hours later. meanwhile Ben goes to the nearest ER because his sunburn is itching beyond reason. (this is communicated by jumping up and down while trying to reach the middle of his back and swearing loudly. it will be funnier after he gets the medicine that is, quoting the label, "for icthing.")
Day 6: pack up while Ben and Clara go out for some quality father/daughter time. after their return, get dinner ready (spaghetti, and Clara doesn't like sauce, a discovery that will be made only two minutes before sauce meets noodles). kids get a bath while we clean up, finish laundry, vacuum. start the 11-hour trip back to AL. kids sleep, we drive. miss being a kid slacking off in the back seat. drive past numerous signs urging "Think TIFTON!" and laugh out loud each time. for no reason, really.
Day 7: hit AL, get some lunch, go to the duck park. it's a tradition. the ducks circle anyone who brings bread and it looks like an avian revival tent up in there. drop Clara off. go to the usual hotel and actually stay the night.
Day 8: drive to the halfway point (between AL and VA) and spend the night. before leaving, visit a BAM and buy unnecessary books. resist buying a few 3-for-2 Nancy Drews. allow Ben to get out of driving to the nearest B&N after he doesn't complain about your borrowing money to pay for the books.
Day 9: drive home. on the way home stop by the newlyweds' house for a cookout, since all of the in-laws are in town as well. get to the house and discover it has not caught on fire or been swept up by a freak Wizard of Oz tornado. rejoice. then sleep.
-------------------------
A pretty good vacation, I have to say. The beach was especially fun, since I haven't been to one since my church's youth group trip to Grenada. Like, seven years ago. My back does look really gross though.
Originally we were going to FL, then Savannah, GA, but our plans got rearranged for us, which was a little upsetting, because I'd been looking forward to going to GA, plus I had to redo all the hotel reservations (and barely found one in AL -- you can tell because it's a Days Inn, which is my most-hated hotel choice). That's life, I guess. Some other time. The fun we had on the trip we ended up taking made up for it.
I'm serious about my destiny being to be a dancer in a Spectacle. It all makes sense now.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
now with 70% less grouchiness!
I'm on a computer vacation until the beginning of August (at least).
Here's a link to keep you company until then: The 11th Hour. It's a webzine that's a fun mixture of feminism and sci-fi nerdiness. It went kaput in early 2001 but there are nineteen past issues still archived. Enjoy!
I'm still updating good english, though.
Here's a link to keep you company until then: The 11th Hour. It's a webzine that's a fun mixture of feminism and sci-fi nerdiness. It went kaput in early 2001 but there are nineteen past issues still archived. Enjoy!
I'm still updating good english, though.
