Best Available Alternate Flight

I was on the East Coast for the earthquake, and I got out just before the hurricane.  Because of the 'you can't get there from here' fact of where I live, I had three flights which were carefully choreographed to get me from Rochester NY to the small city an hour from Dodge City via Washington DC and Denver CO in just under 9 hours.  The problem was the DELAYED status of my first flight.  Which left me begging the flight attendant to open the the door before the plane came to a complete stop on the tarmac in DC and sprinting through the Dulles airport.  (I was very glad for my couch to 5k training, because it is roughly 3.1 miles from gate B8 to gate C17.)   It was not pretty, but it was effective, as my flight status on my Denver connection was NOW BOARDING.  When I finally had a chance to power on my electronic device I was already in Denver, and I had a voice mail from United Airlines saying that because of the delay on my flight from Rochester they had booked me on the best available alternate flights which would have me spend the night in Washington and spend another 24 hours en route.  I got just two things to say to that:

1.  Clearly they underestimated me. 
2.  It's good to be home.

Side note:  I could tell what city I was in by the people in the airport:
Cody:  Older Japanese Americans wearing Yellowstone sweatshirts, Cowboys with hats
Denver: Burly men in camouflage with fly rods as carryons
Cleveland:  Amish men in suits
Rochester:  Businessmen in suits and ties
Washington, DC:  Blurry men, slow people
Denver:  Tourists with cowboy hats
Cody:  The STP waiting with a kiss and a hug--See #2 above

D.A.D.D.

Saw this on the front of a t-shirt.
Dads Against Daughters Dating
The STP may have been a member of this organization if he had known of its existence 10 years ago.
The back of the t-shirt said:
If you knew my son you would understand.

Yarn on a Plane

Lacking a Kindle, I occupied my traveling time today with a skein of yarn and two plastic TSA-approved knitting needles.  Sitting in the Cleveland airport, I glanced up to see two 9 year old boys curiously watching me as I wrapped the yarn around my needles and knit and purled to connect the cuff back to the gusset on my slipper. 
"Ah", I explained to them, "It's like an old-fashioned video game."

I used to spend hours sitting on the couch knitting when I was a child.  Weird.

Cherries in Cups

You know I have a thing about cherries with stems in little cups.  Well, I have found something I like better. Stemless, pitted cherries in a glass measuring cup.

Ready to be folded into gluten free muffin batter.

Baked in reusable silicon muffin cups, served warm from the oven with chai tea.

(Reason # 192 that I'm the STP's favorite wife!)

FYI--I purchased the measuring cup and the baking cups at yard sales this summer.  Two things on my mental 'want list' that I was not willing to pay full price for.  Because of my new job I had a short garage sale season, but it was a good one. 

The Vacuum and Kayak Pictures

Cleaning and scrubbing can wait 'til tomorrow...

For summer days end, we have learned to our sorrow.

So today was the day to head to the lake.

 Because we are just the kind of people who live on the edge, we took the camera out in the kayaks today and took these shots of each other and the front of our kayaks.  The STP and I also pulled our kayaks alongside each other and took a few 'facebook' shots of ourselves, but it turns out that bizarre upside down close-ups of our faces are not our most flattering shots.   So I will spare you. 

(Thinking we need a tandem.)

Day Off Decisions

 Vacuum or kayak? 
Not many summer days left.  And vacuuming was not even on the list of things I wanted to do this summer.
Lunch packed.  Sunscreen slathered. 
Guess who's going kayaking!

In Lieu of a Muffler Man

(Just when you think I cannot top Carhenge.)

Among the wonderful places I visited on vacation was the Mother's Memorial in Ashland, PA.  A bronze statue of Whistler's Mother set high upon a hillside since 1938 and dedicated to all mothers past and present.  Inspired by a YouTube video, I made my own video of our visit. But I am clueless how to post it.  So I will just have to settle for a few still shots.

Because the 4SS know how to plan a good sisters' weekend.

A scary view of Whistler's Mother in Bronze.

I think that says it all.

Are you amazed you didn't even know this existed?

Okay, go ahead and search for the youtube video.  It's just like being there. 

Teaberry Ice Cream

in a pretzel cone. 

 I need to find a local supplier.

Home Food

Must confess I do not know a lot about economics.  Except that the law of supply and demand effects my food choices.  Things my body demanded this week (that I was happy to supply): 
Galliker's Diet Iced Tea 
Lebanon bologna
Potato rolls
Mid's chocolates
Grilled stickies
Smiley cookies
Each of these things has a story and a place and time attached to it. None of them are readily available in Dodge City. 
Leaving home again today.  Headed home.  Have two smiley cookies in my carry-on to ease the transition.

Fit For Ducks

One full day at the lakehouse.  

One day of pouring rain.

This day called for more chocolate.

.

Pickin'

The plan to go on the World's Longest Yardsale with my three delightful sisters fell through.  But today the four of us did do some antique picking.  We were limited by the inability to transport, the amount of money in our wallets, and the thought of explaining our purchases to our husbands.  Nonetheless, we returned to the cabin with 2 rubber jar rings, 5 porcelain door knobs (with matching escutcheons!), 4 church pew hat clips, 3 cake plates, a bass drum, and a six foot board (possibly from a pear tree). 

total spent             $55.25

estimated value   $525.25

time with my sisters   PRICELESS



All These Trees and Other Reasons To Smile

 Welcome to Pennsylvania.

Park Pics

Our oldest child, the Slovakian Princess, was our favorite from the start. 

Our youngest, the Goob, is our current favorite still at home. 

They might have been hatched from the same eggs.

Shark Week

Celebrated Shark Week with a day wave hopping and boogie boarding in the Atlantic.  Ended up looking like lobsters. Obviously not enough slathering or reapplying going on. 

Back In Time

The first time we visited Colonial Williamsburg was kind of like having your teeth extracted without anesthetic (after waiting in long lines in 120 degree weather without any airconditioning, ice, or shade trees).

Yesterday we went back.  And we all agreed it wasn't nearly as bad as our memories.  There was still some horse hockey.  (Claire Marie said, "Those horses should have holded it."),

but there was also dancing in the streets. (and shade trees)

And the wigmakers shop was OPEN!

Of course, there was  a tech based scavenger hunt. (and the threat of tar and feathers over our heads)

And the promise of the water park.

But maybe we have all matured a little bit over the past ten years.

So we have taken Colonial Williamsburg off our list of 'places we wouldn't visit again even if they are the last place on earth'.

Who Knows When...

We haven't posed for a group picture each place we have been, but the vests were just such a nice touch that this one was irresistable.  Not sure if this will be the Christmas pic or not.  After all, we have 3 more days together.