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March 30, 2005
Catch-up..want fries with this?
It's Wednesday already and I have no idea where the time has gone. I think I lost more than 5 hours during that travel between Maui and Vermont. I still don't think my sleep schedule is on target yet and I have succumbed to " I feel a nap coming on" syndrome a couple of times; must be that age/recovery thing again BUT I'm NOT complaining..just explaining.
I'm liking the water filtration system we put in over the weekend..well, except for that one little incident on sunday right before Greg left for Nowhere. That sudden high pitched screaming noise (my subsequent high pitched screaming was a close match) and water gushing out from under the sink has rendered me a tad bit suspicious of it's reliability but so far so good. I might have mentioned I don't care for water where it doesn't belong before. At anyrate, it's also plumbed into the water tank for the superautomatic coffee maker so now we won't run out of water mid coffee brew. Whew another coffee crisis averted.
I have run out of acceptable places to store/display our collection of coffee pots...and yes there are still a few we don't have and eBay most graciously has them up for bid from time to time. Eh..someone even has a starter collection up right now. We don't need any of those...no really, we have them.
In a really weak moment I agreed to a Kirby vacuum cleaner demo...I didn't need it on Monday while recovering from traveling but actually I really thought I was getting a room of carpet cleaned for free. Ok, so he got the main part of the room. All I can say is GROSS...it is amazing how well these machines work but let me tell you a $1500 vacuum cleaner can work as well as a $250 one when all it does is sit in the closet. It's a real toss up between it and my iron for least used appliance but at least it's easier to find. The demo really was impressive...the demo guy was not, I felt sorry for him...anyway, the amount of dirt it sucked out of the carpet was amazing! I think I recognized some pig hairs and he's been gone for more than 10 years now. I admit to looking on eBay for a Kirby...yup, I can have one someday for a fraction of the going rate...maybe someday when I feel the need to vacuum.
In the meantime...spring has sprung; the sun is out, there is reports of possible 50 degree weather and I see signs of mud season fast approaching. No need to come to Vermont this month...we aren't at our best..time for that spring bath.
Have a good day all, I still need to catch up on stuff around here. Maybe even get around to unpacking my suitcase..yeah yeah sure sure whatever, I don't need those summer clothes around here for a bit, but I will need the suitcase.
Posted by frani at 07:46 AM | Comments (2)
March 27, 2005
Jiggity jig again
I know, I certainly was neglecting my reporting duties last week BUT with only 4 playing days left, leaving the shops and malls for the more interesting great outdoors, I was busy and worn out.
Monday, the first day of snorkeling was a bust. We fianlly got the Ulua beach, got set up, checked out the tide pool at lowest tide, then grabbed my snorkeling gear all set to see the fishies...mask? (check), fins?(check), snorkel?...um...no check. where's my pretty pink snorkel? I know I wrapped it in the towel when I packed. I was so annoyed; it must have plopped out onto the closet floor when I grabbed the towel out of my bag a few days before for a pool event. So of course, I was so bummed but when I got back to the condo and searched, it was no where to be found. Could I have left it home? nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, ( besides, now that I'm home I know it's not here.) The only explanation is during the inspection by TSA of the "long tube in towel" disguise, they didn't put it back in my bag. Yes, I had the little paper notice that TSA had been in my suitcases. So then I was more angry than bummed, it's not the value of the snorkel, it's that we are so much safer in the air now that they have uncovered the menace...and I was soooooo looking forward to swimming with whales. So I bought a new snorkel later that day.
Tuesday morning we finally went snorkeling..I heard whales songs, saw all my old fish friends but no turtles, eels or octopussies.
BTW..one morning, while sitting on the lanai with coffee, Lon and I were watching some good whale tail slapping across the bay...we could actually hear the report of the tail hitting the water..very cool. I had not heard that on my last trips before.
Tuesday night, Charlotte and I went out toad jacking....for you non hunter types, "jacking" is the act of shining lights in the eyes of the prey to keep them from moving so you can "get them". We only saw two toads out on the grounds but we left them alone. It's a far cry from the first time we were there in 1997 and there were so many toads out in the yard we could hardly walk. sigh....I suggested trying to jack whales but we decided it would be too difficult to sneak up on them.
Wednesday was more snorkeling ( found baby eels in the tide pools) then that evening went to Lahaina for dinner and a great show..Ulalena. Beautiful show with very talented performers ..dancers singers and musicians. The drummers were amazing....and it's just a very moving experience depicting the evolution of the islands of Hawaii.
Thursday was my last full day to play..we went off to the Maui Ocean center so I could try out my new found ability to take videos with my camera. In the "you learn something new everday category"...I discovered my camera has SOUND with video! Well duh, if I don't hardly ever have the sound up on my laptop, how was I to know I had sound with my videos! Thank goodness for bad dial-up forcing me to turn up the sound to hear what was going sour with my connections, or else I'd probably still not realize all my videos had sound. Cool, not only do I have awesome waves in tide pool videos, I also have the music accompanying Maura as she was coming down the aisle in Morgan and Nora's wedding...oh yeah...Morgan and Nora too. (snort)
So all good things come to and end.. my flight was at midnight (or 5am EST) but I did have 3 seats to myself in economy plus all the way to LA. Too bad I didn't really sleep that much. We were delayed in LA by grounded flights into Chicago but that took up an hour of my 3 hour layover there anyway. I got home around 7pm...long day.
Greg and I installed an RO watersystem at home yesterday..with some other gizmo that puts good stuff back into the water to drink AND an attachment on the water tank of the coffee maker to auto fill. Yea...no more lugging water home or running out of water in the coffee maker. I like that.
So, Happy Easter all......I need to take photos of the new vac pots... for inventory ya know. There were a few boxes waiting for us when we got home BUT the numbers are dwindling...
Posted by frani at 09:09 AM | Comments (3)
March 21, 2005
So we've really seen and done other things than watch sunsets, but tonight's was especially beautiful.
We watched little hula girls in training this afternoon. I did manage to use the video part of my camera successfully BUT since I'm on dial-up at 19.2kbps, I think I might get home before the darn thing finishes uploading. I'll post it over it the weekend. One little girl in particular was quite the little diva!
My brothter turned 65 Friday so I treated us all to dinner and a night at the local theater featuring a "troupe" doing Broadway tunes. It got off to a little rocky start but turned out very well. I think these people might be a little long in the tooth...but then again, so was the audience for the most part. Charlotte agreed ...she thought I might have been the youngest one in the theater. Funny how the local theater divas come out to support the arts in the community..."Dahling...so nice to see you again..." Queen Bees are alive and well no matter where you are.
Tomorrow morning we finally head off for a little beaching and swimming and snorkeling. I can shop with the best of them but my Sister-in-law has me worn out. It's time to see some salt water more than just a walk along it at night. It's been rough though since she read about shark attacks....sigh.
Nighty night...we'll report on our adventure tomorrow...please pray we see no sharks..I'll never get near the water again.
Posted by frani at 02:42 AM | Comments (1)
March 19, 2005
Things I saw...
...and thankfully things I didn't see...here's the replacement image. No pervert here like last time.
Posted by frani at 12:19 PM | Comments (2)
March 16, 2005
Tonight's sunset...
We had MONSOONS today...wind like you would not believe and pouring down rain this morning
BUT...you'll never hear me say this again...I didn't mind the rain.
It wasn't snow, I wasn't wearing boots and gloves and freezing to death. Actually, it didn't rain all day either. Tomorrow is supposed to be back to Normal weather.
Oh yeah..the hot tub was way too crowded tonight but that didn't matter either since the pool was empty it must have been 90 degrees in there.
Enjoy the view...
Posted by frani at 01:53 AM | Comments (6)
March 14, 2005
I'm Maui-ed
No sun this morning...very windy...have seen no whales yet either.
Connect dial-up at 19.2Kbps eeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwww
BUT
No snow, no boots, no winter jacket
I'm loving it!
More later
Posted by frani at 03:03 PM | Comments (1)
March 12, 2005
o/'o/'o/' oh the weather....is inside
Of course it's still snowing albeit lightly. I would be surprised if flights were too disrupted. Word around here is the farther east in New England you are the worse it is. I WILL get out of here tomorrow morning! I will be in Maui by tomorrow evening and I will be on the beach Monday afternoon..ok..it's raining in Maui today and tomorrow morning BUT only Windy and 80+ on Monday..I can handle wind.
Now there is still that pesky little issue of ice build up on our roof...5-6 inches worth in a no sun corner is not good, so, when the melting snow wants to go somewhere, the only place left is inside. My hero crawled out the bathroom window and for more than 2 hours directed an intense spray of warm water onto the ice. Cut up some fine blocks and got them off the roof, he did..igloo makings, free to good home. I suspect the 3 dripping areas in the hall and den will be stopping any time now...please. I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned this before, but I really, really dislike water where it doesn't belong. In my opinion it does not belong dripping from my bow window frame and in my front hallway..especially near my new kitchen floor. gggrrr...it WILL stop now.
In the meantime, I've also got us mostly packed...just a few last minute things to go in AND I've got room for a few extras on the way home. Coffee beans, ya know. Actually, what I really want to take home with me is a little color on my skin. ..and before you start scolding me, I wear sunscreen and a hat and they are packed along with my snorkel, mask and fins. I take some precautions.
Hopefully, my next post will be from Maui...ta ta.
Posted by frani at 05:03 PM | Comments (4)
March 11, 2005
Time flies when you don't have much
This week at home has flown by! We've had snow and more snow...more expected tonight and tomorrow. It had just better be fine by 6:45 am sunday morning when my plane leaves for Chicago then Maui. Keep your collected fingers crossed. Actually look for cleared up weather enough Saturday night to get my sunday morning plane up here first! We're picky like that around here...it's hard for those early morning flights to leave on time if the late night flight didn't arrive the night before. Geesh.
Highlights of the week were getting tax documents off to the accountants...finding someone to remove ice and snow buid-up on the roof before it freezes and backs up..opps too late. gggrrr...yup, the hallway ceiling took a direct hit..again. Damn that corner of the house..maybe we ought to install an artificial sun to shine there. Orrr maybe one of these years we'll spend a nice day in August putting up some of those heater wires. Ya think?
In the meantime it's been the usual catch-up being home for a week except I have yet to get our suitcases unpacked, made more of a mess with stray packing materials from eBay purchases. Some of those peanuts are quite the kling-ons and won't even go in the bag much less get off my person. The cats are completely amok. They haven't helped contain the packing peanuts to one room either; if they aren't intentionally batting them around, a few are hitching a ride on their backside or tail from the static. (...and too think we were told our house was too moist at one time..Ha! we've dried this sucker out to a fault!)Actually Poor ~Elmo found one of the ant traps placed behind the couch by the ant man...yup he had his paw stuck to the goo on the inside of little carboard box and having some difficulty getting it off. No ants though.
So I still have a few new bills to pay...finally get my prescriptions picked up ( you know this was the week where those got screwed up by the pharmacy) get around to packing for Maui for me and New Haven for Greg. I also have to make sure my modem is working and find a short term dial-up ISP ...no I'm not doing 2 weeks cold turkey and really don't want to run around Maui with my laptop in hand looking for Hotspots although I have googled for locations and found some close-by the condo.
Of course I'll take photos and post a few entries. I can't wait to see the whales! I'll also find the coffee plantation that is rebuilding and hopefully get some green beans to carry or send home. will have to check into the agricultural rules first. Wouldn't want to be in the position of having my beans pulled from my suitcase at the airport. I'm sure my SIL will drag me off to a few jewelry stores and I'll drag her off to antique stores looking for vacuum brewers. A fun time will be had by all...my brother will read books, nap and cook fish and bask in the knowledge that Char and I will be out of his hair for a few hours. I may have to beg for a few more snorkeling trips but I can also go by myself if need be - I love listening to the whale songs while snorkeling too...absolutely awesome. Umm...and last but not least I HAVE GOT to replace my last visual from our 2001 trip with a new one....please let me get the memory of the perv with the t-shirt over his head, pants at his ankles trapping me out on the spit while "doing his thing" OUT of my head..some flowers would be nice.
Have a good weekend all...I may not post until Monday from Maui...but then again if I don't get out of here on schedule Sunday you may hear from me again...it won't be pretty. Ta Ta!
Posted by frani at 08:52 AM | Comments (1)
March 07, 2005
Monday Musings
I bet you all thought I got swallowed up in boxes and packing material! Close. it took Liz and I nearly 2 hours to unpack the 21 boxes of coffee pots and such...bag up the peanuts and styrofoam and flatten the cardboard. Work work work...I'm not sure I can convince her to join in that kind of fun again. Two more boxes came on Saturday...yea, eBay.
I left all the vac pots on the kitchen table to spend Saturday afternoon at the annual Flower show. March in Vermont..ugh, cabin fever abounds, people are surly; one saving grace(?) is that there is still too much snow around so it's not ugly and brown. So the flower show was a perk us up type of affair...beautiful lilacs, tulips, daffodils, lillies...hey what's this? Silk flowers? Who uses silk flowers at a flower show? That's just wrong! I paid $10 to see silk flowers?? Huh? Someone selling their dips and sauces? Jewelry? hey! I thought this was the flower show, not the craft show! I want flowers...fresh flowers and I want them now! Geesh...at least I bought some daffies and tulips...they are brightening up my living room. whew.
So yesterday it was back to organizing; I had to get those vacuum pots off my table if we ever expected to eat there again. We "consolidated"..created a couple of better specimens from good ones by exchanging tops and stoves. The extra tops and bottoms went into a parts box and off to the basement..one piece got thrown out..one pot found it's way to Liz's house. I still need to find permanent spots for a few "mint in original box" types but I have managed to pack more than 40 vac pots into my cabinets. yes there are more on the way...10 by my last count that are undelivered as yet, I think. I think we have finally reached the quality not quantity of our searches though....
Busy Busy week...finish tax stuff, dentists, need a hair trim and then pack for Maui! Yes, it's my brother and SIL's annual 2 weeks in Maui and I get to go this year. Bah Humbug, Greg can't make it but going was my birthday present. I really really thought we were going to pull off his being able to go at the last minute. sigh..oh well, it's not the last minute yet.
Have a good Monday all.....
Posted by frani at 08:16 AM | Comments (2)
March 04, 2005
Bye Bye New London
I'm actually going to miss this view from the couch while having my morning coffee...I haven't seen a submarine these last few weeks either. There is still time while I finish packing.
Along with checking all the drawers and closets in the apartment, I went downtown yesterday to make one last run through a couple of antique shops...maybe there would be an elusive coffee pot. Nope, and I just wish I didn't always have to park my car in front of the adult xxx rated book/video shop when I go there. willies
I'm almost packed..I still have to shut down the laptop, modem, router etc...sigh. I'll feel so disconnected!
Have a good weekend all and I'll see you from Vermont!
Posted by frani at 07:51 AM | Comments (8)
March 01, 2005
Tuesday Mumblings...
Snow again...I guess our only saving grace is that right outside our New London apartment, there is maybe an inch of snow. ooopppss, I speak too soon...the second wave has hit and it's snowing again; we didn't get much with yesterday's storm, maybe today's will be gentle as well. I'm just afraid there is nasty ice under it all since we are so close to the water. No fear for myself, I'm not planning on going out there any time soon but a commute to New Haven could be dangerous.
The birthday pictures could have been better but some little folk move very quickly...I'm lucky I got the photos I did. Yes, that is blue marker on Kieran's face...and hands. Yes, we all thought he had a washable marker; I even asked to make sure! However, he was making the best circles and even a snail type circle...we weren't about to disturb the budding genius!
Kieran is not the nurturer that Maura is; she will share with him even when she really doesn't want to, offering up to him whatever is in dispute. Kieran was NOT about to share his brand new T-ball and bat with her for anything. He was giving her the eye when he was opening his present in the photo below. It's soooooo hard being the big sibling at the birthday celebration! I remember Demian practically vibrating at Morgan's second birthday.
Sigh.
Maura got her share of treats of course. We made a necklace for her with beads that spelled out her name. Grandma Jean bought her a princess cell phone...oh yeah, she has the moves down pat. I always buy books for the kids too since I love books. The one for Kieran was called Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin.
hhhmmm..our snow fall total accumulation has doubled in the last hour.
I loved the purple tulips and perky yellow daffodils I bought last friday for Lori's dining room table...it looked so Springlike. Snow is not springlike! hhmmm...did I mention I have a ticket to Maui for March 13th?? I'm ready.......
I seemed to have picked up a cough...Greg has had germs as did both my old roomies last week...I didn't stand a chance of coming out unscathed with all those germs. I can handle a cough, no sore throat please...I hate that.
Today will be a good day to throw on pull up pants, warm socks and shirt and putter around the apt. I still have tax stuff to finish and I could gather up some of our belongings in anticipation of moving out on Friday. Woo Woo...fun time had by all.
There, this post seems to have the right flavor of disjointedness I was striving for....Have a good day all..and enjoy!
Posted by frani at 07:44 AM | Comments (1)