Catch-up From July -- Part 1

I have been really busy this summer. Since the weekend BEFORE school got out until now, I've been on 5 driving trips, 6 states, 6 hotel rooms and 2 huge storms away from home! I'm tired!!

Now, it's back to school time already. Becca's sign up for volleyball and Nick's going to start Jr. High at Bethel (same Christian school that Becs has been going to for 3 years now). I'm still working in the Alton public school system so our days off will still be different (Spring Break is the biggest difference & PITA!)

So, 3 weeks ago, we went to Des Moines IA. I love the state of IA and would move to Dubuque in a HEARTBEAT! Des Moines was ok but not an overly friendly place. We stayed in what we now call the "Target Hotel". Very contemporary & very RED! I didn't think red was conducive to rest; why make a hotel red??? I swear, we were at a Target & they had a employment computer right near the check out. The screen saver was the EXACT carpet from the hotel!! Weird.

The best part of DM? Meeting up w/Cindy & Tracy at Archivers!!! TWICE!! Meeting up with a Shackie is just the BEST!! Putting a face w/the screen name and feeling like you really KNOW someone now. Not just an Internet acquaintance!! So very cool. We shopped & stamped & Cindy let me borrow her oval Nestabilites to work on ATC swaps. Oh, it was so much fun!!

When I was not w/"the girls", the kids & I got to do some fun things. Usually, when we go on audit trips with Scott, we have no vehicle. But, because of the number of miles he had to drive to GET to DM & then the amount of miles he had to travel WITHIN IA, he rented a car once we got there. The kids and I went to see a matinee showing of Wall*E. Nick & I loved it. Becca, who didn't think it would be that good to begin with didn't think it was super. She didn't hate it. She's 13, need I say more??

That same night, we went, along with Scott to go see Indiana Jones. It was an ok movie, not nearly as good as 1 & 3 but much better than 2!! I think Harrison Ford may have moved out of the "doable" category.

The kids and I also did some back to school shopping. Nick has to wear polos & khakis and needed more clothes. We found him 6 acceptable (to him) polos. When I got back to the hotel, I had an email from the school: stripes are now acceptable. We went back to the mall & bought him a striped polo (from Holister. ACK!!) Becca found a hoodie she liked (the "hip" stores don't cater to "round" teens!)

The best part of Iowa? Diet Vanilla Pepsi. They do not distribute DVP in the St Louis area. They have it in Bolivar MO, Jackson IL and Des Moines IA but NOT StL. So, I stocked up (forgetting that I had to pay a deposit on aluminum cans. Oh well).

More from July tomorrow

I must be the worlds WORST blogger!!

I haven't posted since we were in Cape Girardeau. Now, we're in Des Moines IA. LONG trip up here but I slept most of it; got a headache from trying to read online stuff in the car. Dh got a new interent connection card thing & now, we can surf from anywhere. But, alas, I can not as I get car sick doing ANYTHING in the car but sleeping.

Some time in the next 3 days, I'm gonna meet up w/Shackies Cindi & Tracy. We're gonna meet at a LSS and PLAY!!! Woohoo!! I can hardly wait. Plus, dh will have to mind the kids while I get to play. Not the way these trips usually work out. Usually, it's me in the hotel with no car w/the kids for 4 days while he goes to work. I guess that IS the whole point but, it's gonna be fun for me to get to go somewhere!

Tower Drop

Here are the pics from my dad. Unfortunately, he shrunk them down so small to email them to me that I can't make them bigger. Sorry.

I have no idea who the blonde is. Despite the look on my face, I am NOT happy! Happy to be down maybe and alive, but not happy with the ride. By the way, we went on a water ride just before this pic & my shirt is still soaked!

Vacation Snaps

Sorry, still no "craft posts" but here are some pics from my vacation. No shots of me falling off the tower thing (still can't believe I did that) but somewhere, there's one of me in a swim suit.

Days 1 & 2, Great Wolf Lodge, Mason OH

Day 3, Cincinatti, OH & Newport KY -- walking tour!

Day 4, Kings Island

Not many pictures here. I forgot to charge my camera battery & it died BEFORE I fell from the tower. Look how high it is!! ACK!!! Still scared even after the fact!!

Day 5, Newport Aquarium

No, my prince did NOT appear. Dang it!! Maybe I need to look for frogs wearing crowns??

Home again, home again, jiggety jig

We left Monday for Mason, OH/Cincinatti, OH/Erlanger, KY vacation. It was too fun but oh so tiring. My parents went with us. Talk about your double edged sword. Hopefully I'll get some cards/ATCs done while I'm home: we leave for Cape Girardeau, MO a week from tomorrow. I don't think I should even unpack!

SeaWorld -- Day 10 (final day of CA fun)

The night before, Scott & I washed all the clothes from the ocean trip. Didn't want blucky smelling ocean water in my clothes packed in w/clean clothes in the suitcases. I was not looking forward to SeaWorld. I had been there when I was a kid & didn't enjoy it much. It was hot & my parents didn't believe in overpaying for sodas so I remember being thirsty the whole time.

The drive to SW is BEAUTIFUL. The morning fog was out & it was just nice. We got there shortly before they opened. As soon as we got in, we headed straight for the new ride "Journey to Atlantis". The line was not long but, they warned us the whole time we would get wet. It was still cool out & I was worried I was going to freeze all day long. The ride was ok. Not very long & we really didn't get that wet. Which was good because I discovered that one of pairs of denim shorts are too big & when they get WET, they tend to want to fall off. Not a pretty picture!

After that, we did the Arctic Expedition thing & then walked around the penguin place. They had penguin OUTSIDE??? What's up w/that??? I thought penguins had to be kept cold. I guess some of them don't. Probably the ones that were in that surfing movie???

The Shamu show started in about 20 minutes so we headed for his stadium. We decided to sit in the "soak zone" 'cause it was HOT & how bad could it be. A little spray never hurt anyone. Famous last words! I didn't realize the whales were trained to flap their tales & splash you, just for the sake of splashing!!! Soak Zone was right. I was soaked clear thru to my Undies. My purse was soaked. Luckily, I had my handy-dandy waterproof camera so all was good! It was a really good show & a cool story.

After that, we went to look at the dolphin observation thing. Cool. Then we did the dolphin show (no splash zone there, although, I could have used a cooling off. There was very little splashing at the show, we could have stood that) the shark encounter (Scott's favorite), the manatee rescue and then the otter show. By that time, I was sick of amusement parks, partial sick to my stomach & SICK TO DEATH of amusement park food!!! We had brought some water & snacks & decided to leave kinda early & go do dinner somewhere nice.

We were all soaked & tired & hungry & crabby. We decided it would be best to drive back to the hotel, shower & then eat. Of course, La Jolla has only fancy-pants restaurants, as Taco Bell and a Jack in the Box. So, we drove almost all the way back to SeaWorld to eat. By the time we got all that done, it was after regular dinner time. So much for an early dinner.

Back to the hotel, packed our stuff & got ready for an early start back to Anaheim & the airport. All of our clothes from SeaWorld were ICKY!! So much for not having wet, blucky, smelly clothes in our suit cases. I finally just embraced the fact that I'd have to wash EVERYTHING when we got back home.

La Jolla Beach, Day 9

Today was a more relaxing day. We got up & ate breakfast then took the kids down to the beach by the hotel. It was still early & still cool so we didn't plan on getting wet. The kids were as enthralled by the waves as we were. Becca found several pieces of sea glass. I think that made the whole trip a success as far as she was concerned. Of course, while we're wading in the surf, a GIANT wave comes & soaks the kids & I. Oh well, I was planning on washing the clothes before we leave.

We go back to our room & change. Then we drive out to dh's home office. He has to try to exchange his computer for a working one. The kids & I want to meet his assistant and his boss. The building is at the top of this canyon like area. For some reason, I left my camera in the car when we went up there. There were some gorgeous views from up there. We only got to meet Mercedes, dh's contact on the "inside" (dh is a remote examiner. He works from home, the office is in San Diego. Mercedes mails him everything he needs & takes care of anything that needs to be done in office for dh) but his boss was out of the office. At least I can now put a face w/Mercedes name. The only other Mercedes I'd ever heard of was the actress Mercedes Ruehl and I always pictured here when dh spoke of his Mercedes.

Anyway, we left dh's office (w/his new computer) and went to lunch. Then, we loaded up the car & drove down to the beach. Parking is a joke! There is no where to park. You just drive in circles praying that someone will leave. Like the mall at Christmas. Finally, someone left & we got a spot.

This beach was different that the one in LA. The waves hit a little furthter out. You could stand in the shallow water & not be knocked over. Plus the sand was much finer! There were no shells of any sort. And, there was a lot more vegitation. I gotta tell you, seaweed CREEPS ME OUT!!! I hated it touching me. BLUCK!!! But, we had tons o'fun!! Nick litterally ROLLED in the sand. Becca kept wanting to go out further & further to get hit by the waves. It was a perfect day!!

Here is a Suzi eye view of what it's like to get hit by the waves.

La Jolla, CA (still day 8)

We drove down to San Diego after the Wild Animal Park. Scott had stayed in this hotel before but it had been remodled since then. It was an old hotel and they really tried to make it nice. It was just too small for 4 people! But, since we're only staying for 2 days & 3 nights and most of the days we will be gone. The big, Big, BIG plus is that the hotel is only 1 block from the OCEAN.

After dinner, Scott & I walked down to the beach. Ah, the beach. At dusk (we missed the sunset). Beautiful!!!!!! I could live there. I think I need a summer home in La Jolla! We just sat on a rock & watched the waves. There were little kids swimming in the surf. I don't know how, it was COLD!!!!!! And we were dry. I love this place!!!

On the way home, we walked past an apartment for rent. It was one of 4 in a "house" so it couldn't be that big. Rent was $2900 a month. Sure, I can afford that!!!