Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Randomly Tuesday

Raining. Hubby taking the California Bar Exam this week. Good knitting progress. Cool Olympics. Making arrangements to sell Florida condo. Making plans to drive cross-country. Looking forward to Stitches West. Wishing I lived closer to dad. Glad I live in California. Realizing how big this house is when I'm the only one in it. Miss KW; even the excitement of Stitches doesn't change that.

Wow, that sounds sadder than I actually am. I'm fine, really. Just don't like rain and don't like KW being so far away; makes me melancholish. Think I'll go watch some Olympics.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Travelin' Fools

After all the travel we did last year, I thought for sure we'd cut back quite a bit this year. Apparently, that's not going to be the case.

Last month, we went on the lovely cruise to the Western Caribbean on Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas. We're home this month (KW will be taking the California Bar exam Feb. 23, 24, and 25 so we didn't want to go too far afield), and will be up in Healdsburg the first weekend in March, then off to Honolulu around mid-month (friends booked a home-exchange deal and invited us to join - yes! yes!).

We'll be home again for April, then in May, we'll fly to Florida and drive my aunt's car back home. We'll be doing a 'fairly' direct shot... I say 'fairly' because we'll stop in Texas to visit KW's son, at the Grand Canyon (onnacounta I've never been), in Las Vegas for a night or two (an early anniversary trip), then in Oxnard to visit KW's parentals. We need to be back by May 22, though, because that weekend is another knitting retreat, this time in Discovery Bay.

Nothing on the books yet for June, July, August, or September (it's early yet - I'm sure we can find SOMEplace to go), then in October it's off to the Eastern Caribbean (Nassau, St. Thomas, St. Maarten) on Carnival's new Dream. We've also been talking about taking another holiday cruise for Christmas/New Year's; still a possibility.

A gazillion thanks to RP for making all this even remotely possible.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Proud to be Canadien

Oh wait, I'm not. Sure wish I were; that Opening Ceremony was so cool. And I totally nailed who the torch-lighter would be - who else but The Great One??

I opted to not participate in neither the Knitting Olympics nor the Ravelympics. Don't really know why... although I seem to be in a finishing mood and - gasp - didn't feel like casting on anything right now. Weird, I know. I'll go lie down and maybe the feeling will pass. (Yes, I know I could have picked a WIP to finish, but I didn't have anything that would fit well in the 17 days.) Next time.

In other news, probate on my aunt's estate closed last week. We had the final phone conversation with the lawyer this morning. My brother and I now own half of a Florida condo, and dad hasn't decided yet if he wants to move into it. Tick-tock, tick-tock; if he doesn't want to, we're going to have to get it on the real estate market tout de suite before all the Snowbirds take off for their northern climes.

DH and I are now plotting our cross-country drive, likely some time in May. Yay! I'll finally get to see the Grand Canyon!

Wow; it's later than I thought. Thanks, NBC, for making those of us on the Left Coast watch the Opening Ceremonies on tape delay. WTH? Was that really necessary??

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Western Caribbean Cruise

Yes, we did go, and we are back. As a souvenir, I returned with a nasty cold and cough, which I'm still fighting (although it is getting better, thanks). Here are some snaps.


Dad and Ann's reaction when they saw us on the ship.


Our cabin. (We splurged a bit because we wanted a balcony. It's what Royal Caribbean calls a "Junior Suite." Sweet, indeed...)


KW demonstrates what you can do a lot of on a cruise. Doesn't he look just like an angel??


The marker in Key West designating the southernmost point in the continental U.S. (No, we have no idea who those people are. There was a line to take your picture next to the marker. We didn't want to wait, so we both took a shot of the same unknown people!)


The Key West yarn shop that got away. They were closed the day we were in port (Sunday), although there were people sitting inside (talking, not knitting) who ignored my charade of "please open?"


What a day at sea looks like when you're in the Caribbean (not when you're cruising between L.A. and Ensenada!).


That's about it for Cozumel. (Oh, okay, not really. We walked the 3 miles from the dock to the main part of town. It was a lovely walk along Front Street, which is right along the ocean.)


Me and the butt end of our ship, Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas. She really is a lovely ship.

So that's where we were and what we were doing. Sort of. We weren't as good taking pictures this time as we were on previous trips. But we did have a wonderful time, and we got to spend time with Dad and Ann.
Next cruise in October!