Travel Tales

This week's scenic stop on The Airplane Ride That Is My Life finds me in Colorado.
Now believe me, I've heard ALL the horror stories about how the business travel life can get to you after a time, and it certainly is taxing emotionally (you've seen my girls and hub...you know.) But mostly I make the best of it, and enjoy some of the "me" time while I have it. I also marvel at the sheer adultness of making my own travel arrangements and reserving transportation, and heck, finding food for myself in strange cities...I still get a kick out of that! Sad, yes. But we tell it like it is here chez moi.

BUT, I am finding out that it's not really the typical bothers of business travel that get under my skin or make me feel haggard as a Road (Air?) Warrior. Middle seats and cramped spaces? Hey, the sooner I get there, the sooner I can high tail it home. Delayed flights? Knitting time. One client dinner after another? Um. Free food. I fail to see the issue.

But these things....these things are the things that sometimes make me want to pack it all in and go stack books at my local library instead of peddling computer widgets:

• Have you ever tried to find a non-dairy, low sugar, meat-free, low calorie, caffeine free breakfast option at a regional airport at 5:20am before your flight boards? Yeah. Exactly.
• Is it just me, or do 19 people on an airport shuttle or train wearing the same sports jacket and slacks, or pants suit and pointy shoes ensemble in 1 of 3 colors just make you want to wretch and catch a cab to a pub instead of getting in your rental and heading to a meeting (where inevitably you'll meet the same army of suited wonders in the lobby/office/conference room of your destination)?
• Do cab drivers really, really care where you're from? Seriously.
• I'm guessing that the proprietors of certain modern hotels feel that if they make you stay tethered to the office desk by making the internet access "wired" (please use the blue or red cord you'll find clothespinned to the dry cleaning bag in your closet), then you'll actually be more productive and work more, and consequently marvel at what a great service they provide for the business traveler. As opposed to say....I dunno...wireless surfing on knitting sites from your bed while eating the fried and salted selection from the evening's In Room Dining menu, and accomplishing exactly zippo?? Hmmm?
• Don't eat "fresh" fish in airports. Don't eat fish of any kind if you can help it. Just don't do it. Moving on!
• I'm finding that I'd really rather that the First Officer NOT go into any great technical detail about the mechanical error that's causing our delay, but is also being fixed (patched up) very quickly, just in time for us to take off (or deplane, which is more often the case).
• I think that I'm highly tolerant, but for some reason, there are time when someone asks me "They let you bring those knitting needles on the plane??!!" that I just want to stare back at them blankly and say, "Clearly."

Whether you travel a lot or a little, I'm guessing you have your own set of pet peeves that might not make any sense to anyone else. And you know what? That's ok. You can tell mama all about it, cuz trust me darlings...I feel ya. SMOOCHES!

Well Who Could Resist, Really

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink – not yet!
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said 'I love you' and meant it - several times a week, thank God
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights - Oh Canadaaaaaa!
15. Gone to a huge sports game - Rattler ' Til I die Baby (hey! that counts!); also hockey
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight - scarred, for life.
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly could - funny story...
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day LOL - does patois count?
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was shit faced - do unto others...
42. Had amazing friends - still do! MWAH!!
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach - one of the reasons I'm married to hub now
50. Gone sky diving - not yet!
51. Visited Ireland - I hear the wool supply is low...have to move it down on the list
52. Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your cds
57. Pretended to be a superhero - ahhh...I still remember my terry cloth cape
58. Sung karaoke - why do they humor these so-called friends?!
59. Lounged around in bed all day - oh good grief I miss that
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites - the "ancient ruins" of Cozumel baby
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party - bachelor party at that, apparently you're not allowed to touch the entertainment
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days - 14 days is my record
77. Made cookies from scratch - Martha look out!
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Gone white water rafting
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
83. Got flowers for no reason - see #49
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one-night stand - Do. Not. Ask.
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone - well, there was that gas price hike in JA that time
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship - Cruise Crew '05 BayBeh!! Who got next?!
94. Spoken more than one language fluently - oui oui!
95. Performed in Rocky Horror.
96. Raised children. - WIP
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Created and named your own constellation of stars
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country - the other great thing to do in Amsterdam
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over - well, just to start really (after college)
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking - I actually get more animated with an audience
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived - careened across a 4 lane highway during rush hour
105. Wrote articles for a large publication - ecology articles, the stuff of dreams (ha!)
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse - Cruise Crew '05 Baybeh!
119. Had major surgery - the baby factory has been shut down, all workers have been fired.
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi - I'd have some more right now.
128. Had your picture in the newspaper - and not with my coat tail over my face either!
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about - ...and now they are the love of our lives
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read - I still think some classical critics were pretty lenient
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions - a shame, really.
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146: Dyed your hair
147: Been a DJ
148: Shaved your head
149: Caused a car accident
150: Saved someone's life

Well whaddya know, I'm livin' and still have hope to do more! How about you?

Reading is Fun & Mental

I don't have much to blab about today, but I wanted to share some interesting articles that I have been sent / come across recently. Enjoy!!

Ladies - Stand up and ask for what you deserve (or "Make that Money Honey")
A woman's guide to salary negotiotions

Cyber Accountability (if you're nice I'll tell you my 10 things)
What are your 43 things?

LifeHacker - It Gets In You
(warning: if someone is paying you or expecting you to be productive for several consecutive hours, do not click this link)
Try this example for planning a group trip

Wool - who knew?
The Fiber fundamentals

The Stitches that Bind

I have posted before about my quest for an attitude of gratitude, and for a better appreciation of the present and all the good things it holds. With recent world news of another tsunami and the news of a great friend in my Creative Memories family with lung cancer, I'm calling on the powers of our cyber connection and reminding you that giving is so critical. Even though we're in the internet age with email and wireless EVERYthing, we can still be/feel so disconnected. Yet I have seen on this very screen the proof that total strangers will reach out to each other or to others they don't know and give heartily and without restraint. If you haven't done that lately and would like to, just hop on Google, or ask a friend, there is much out there to be done (and many that are doing it and would love your help!). For those of you that spend much of your time giving to others with your hours, your craft, your prayers, your kind words without a thank you - THANK YOU! We all benefit from the positive energy you're putting back into the balance of the universe.

I'm going to start planning a comfort gift for my friend to use while she's in treatment, and if you'd like to contribute to someone who could use your kindness, the ladies from the Orlando Knitting Group I attended would love your help for a friend of theirs (info below).

Love openly and give much my darlings - it comes back to you!
-------------------
Dear Fellow Knitters,
As members of the Orlando Area Knitters and Spinners (OAKS), we have started a fundraiser for our very sick friend and fellow member, Dale Jarrett, who is undergoing a bone marrow transplant.

Please visit our blog at http://chip-n--for-dale.blogspot.com/ as well as Dale's Journal at http://www.jarrett.ws/dale. Please post and/or distribute the letter below to the members of your guild. Thanking you in advance for your assistance.

-Jackie and Janette

You Know You've Found the Right Hobby When

The mailman brings you this from a person you've never met:

Now I know how the girls feel at birthday and Christmas time. No idea what's inside, but once you get it open, you automatically LOVE IT! These is my 2nd of 2 packages from Carolina Red, my Yarn Swap buddy over at the Knitting Help Forum. I can't say enough great things about the community of knitters and other fiber lovers over there. Check it out for yourself, you won't be sorry!

In other crafty news, I finally have a picture of my most recent project as an amateur seamstress

A size 5 skirt for Adachi with some plain rick rack trim and an elastic waist. This was great practice for pattern reading and adding elastic, etc. And the fact that it's already stained tells me that it will definitely get it's worth in wear.

More project progress pics (say that 5 times fast) coming soon!

First Fruits & False Starts

Another quickie (didn't think you'd mind). I'm only hours back from my last work trip, which was preceded by a completely terrific week of auntying in Orlando. Tomorrow I feed another one of my hobby needs with an all day scrapbooking workshop, followed by a slumber party with my girls at grandma's house. Loving life!

Let's start with some shame-free bragging on hubby. Or as I like to call him, Sir Plants-A-Lot. Direct from our yard, I give you this...

That's pineapple #1 out of the 30 in our yard and mmmmmmmm MMMM! It was TOO good. Wish I could send you just a slice! Next year we'll have to sell these since they seem to grow so easily and come out oh so sweet (organic too!)

As the universe craves balance, with the joys of first fruits comes the blahs of knitting foibles. Now, granted...I was pretty happy with this sweater when I first knit it because I had not made a full size knit garment for myself before, and it was really quite an experience. It's the Easy V-Neck Pullover from Glampyre, an ultra clever pattern. Trouble is...I forced this Cascade 220 yarn to be something it did NOT want to be. And with all my instincts nagging me to quit, I still pressed on...even stubbornly added stripes that will be a pain when I unravel this.

A yarn close-up:

I knit this for the Knitting World Cup, but no me gusta! I am seriously considering unraveling it and making it into something else. I would love any feedback from my knitting buddies on this. Have you done it before? Was the agony of frogging worth it? *Sigh*. Help.

At least there are more pineapples to look forward to, and much more yarn to mess with.

Support Local Artists III

I just had to post some photos of one of the best handmade gifts I've received recently. I also wanted to share them here to promote my friend Nancy's skills at sewing artistry.

Here are some shots of a roll up Needle Case and a Knitting/Sewing Tote Nancy made for me from some fabric I picked out:

Exteriors

Interiors (click for larger images)








Want one of your own? Yes. I thought you might.

Check out Nancy's totes, baby slings and other fine fabric originals at Emerald Lane Creations, or shop online at her Etsy shop.

Snapshots

I'm in Orlando with my sister and my nephew The Right Adorable Joshua Morgan.
And what better way to say "sorry for my radio silence" than to post some baby pictures!

Forgive me? Yes. I thought you might.

And lest you think the crafty chicks have been at rest, fear not...we've been busy!

Handmade hats, journals and jewelry, compliments of my little ones.









Life is good. I have even braved sewing recently(2 pillows and a skirt so far). I have truly caught the bug I tell you. As my work gets more technical, my spirit yearns for more creative outlets. Here's a shot of the machine I'm learning on (circa 1949).



What's new with you? Let me know if you've done some crafting lately using things around the house, or parts of your stash. I'm always open to new ideas, and you see what can be done with paper, yarn, and leftover Easter baskets?? Dream big! If you're not the crafting sort, tell me how YOU break away from the everyday humdrum of this techno-crazy world we live in.

Smooches!!