Practically No Time At All

I'm a little scattered today. Bear with me.

Work
I have three more shift left at work this week. In theory, this would be 30 hours. But I am really going to bust my butt on Saturday to get everything done and leave early. I did an OT shift yesterday, making enough calls so that we're calling 10 days in the future. Our goal is 7-10 days, and this means that even if my vacation replacement doesn't make any calls we won't be behind when I return. I feel very good about that. Plus possibly the best news of the day is that the part-timer that "we" interviewed has accepted the position and starts with us the week before Christmas. Baptism by fire, I guess!

Vacation
Scott and I have actually started packing. I'm rather impressed with us. Although this was a necessary step, since only he has off the day before the cruise and he's not really an expert at packing (for our Vero trip, he packed three shirts - a t-shirt, a polo, and a sweater - and it seemed he wore at least two of those every day!). I even have my dinner outfits picked out. The two really remarkable things about this are: I'll be wearing skirts or dresses every night, and NONE of these are outfits I wore on the last cruise.

Among items not yet packed are a bathing suit I bought online - 2 sizes smaller than my actual butt size because spandex stretches - that's still too freaking baggy! So we're going to wash it and dry it in the dryer to see if that helps. I also bought a ton of new underwear that have yet to go through the wash. There's a post coming on one of these. Too funny for words. But I have to take a picture to get the full effect. And a few pairs of pants - khakis and jeans and stuff - need to be washed before we can pack them.

I feel like we're in pretty good shape (packing-wise, not physical-fitness-wise) and won't be running around like crazy on Sunday morning.

NaBloPoMo
Today is the last day. And I did it! At least one post per day for the entire month of November. I deserve a cookie. I wonder how many of the participants actually made it through?

MY Weekend Assignment

I am convinced that Scalzi's Weekend Assignment has been custom-made for me! Do you enjoy traveling? Not the arriving and being where you're going, mind you; I'm asking if you enjoy the actual act of traveling from one place to another, by car or train or airplane or whatever. What I'm asking is if you enjoy the journey as much as you enjoy the destination.

The short answer is YES. But what fun is the short answer?

I love journeying. I recently suggested to Scott that we drive up to Atlanta for a three-day weekend - one day there, one day at the aquarium, one day back. He didn't go for it.

Frankly, as much as I cower at the thought of being a passenger in a vehicle tailgating another (or screaming at someone through the open window... or cutting someone off and then slamming on the brakes just to prove that your penis is bigger. which is all strictly hypothetical, because my husband is a good driver and would never do anything like that), I love to watch the world go by. I love weird city names, lame tourist traps (c'mon... what could be better than 600 miles of South of the Border billboards lining I-95??), and all of the associated rest stops filled with funny hats and knick knacks. We did a lot of driving vacations when I was a kid. I had the whole back seat filled up with books, activities, pillows and blankets. To me, it was like having my own tour bus. And someday I'd like to meander along Route 66.

I also love flying, and riding trains, and even have some fond memories of Greyhound rides between State College and Philly during college.

And of course, my favorite type of vacation is cruising. There's nothing in the world quite as amazing as going to sleep in the middle of the ocean and then waking up in another country. And the best part of a cruise for me is standing along the rails and watching the water woosh by.

Extra credit: Any more travel planned for 2006, or are you home for good for the rest of the year?

Funny you should ask! In fact, this time next week I'll be somewhere in the Atlantic enjoying a romantic dinner with my husband on our three-year anniversary. And trust me, on a cruise whose only international destination is Nassau, it's ALL about the journey, not the destination.

Pretty Things

Scalzi's Monday Photo Shoot: You know what you think is pretty. Show us. It can be a person, a place, or thing, just as long as the primary reaction you (and hopefully others) get from seeing it is, my, that's pretty.

My first instinct was to pick a picture from our cruise last march, like the one above. This is the snorkel lagoon at Castaway Cay, filled with tropical fish, interesting "sunken treasure," and a gazillion children. Incidentally, this is where you'll find me in exactly one week!

But then I realized that I've been focusing too much this week on the future. Why not share something pretty from TODAY? So that's what I'm going to do. Although I'm sure most people would agree that Scott and I don't have pretty feet, our toenails sure look pretty! (My nail color, by the way, matches my bathing suit.) We spent the day out and about buying things like sunscreen, shorts, and pet food. And we got pedicures. Life is sweet.

Conversing with My Husband

Actual telephone conversation between myself and my husband as I was driving home last night:

Me: Have you been to the Hess station since it reopened?
Him: No
Me: It's cool - they have hand sanitizer and other cleaning stuff inbetween the pumps.
Him: Oh yeah. By "no" I actually meant, "yes. I filled up there last night on my way home."

He's so weird!

Honestly, the station is really cool. They have these state of the art pumps (with a separate pump for each grade of gas). And the little island where the squeegees are has pumps of hand sanitizer, plastic mitts (in case you REALLY don't want to touch the pump?), and some kind of wipes. Hand sanitizer seems like a total no-brainer. I think that's pretty good customer service. I wonder why more places haven't installed anything like that.

One Week

One week from today, we'll be reenacting this scene:


I think that glorious thought calls for a countdown ticker. Don't you??

Extended Family

I know that I have some family members out there who read my blog. I don't know how regularly they are here, but every now and then I'll be somewhere and mention something about my life and I'll hear, "oh yeah, I read that in your blog."

Somehow this makes me paranoid. I really don't care if completely random strangers know if I'm not happy with a family member, but gossip travels rather quickly in my family and I know that saying anything like I'm about to say is ultimately going to get me in trouble. Eff it. If you can't be honest with your family, who can you be honest with? And so I'm going to rant:

If I have not heard from you in the past five years, it is not appropriate for you to call me and leave a voicemail asking for free or cheap theme park tickets. If I have e-mailed you, and it took you three months to write back ("oh and by the way, we're coming to town! can you help us out?"), you are going to get nothing from me. If you call me and leave a message and I don't call you back, TRY AGAIN. Don't have your mommy e-mail me and ask me to play nice.

I have mentioned before that I feel like the black sheep of my family. I flat-out refuse to have my cog in the extended family wheel be the one that's ignored until someone wants to go on vacation. Send me a damn Christmas card. Drop me an e-mail every six months. At least pretend that you didn't have to ask someone else how to get in touch with me so that you could solicit something from me.

And thus endeth the rant. Obviously my feelings have been a little hurt and that's something I'm going to have to deal with. But I know this too shall pass.

5-Star Thanksgiving

One word to describe the first half of my work day: SUCKED. If I had more of a word allowance, I might add a few more: sucked hairy monkey balls. Despite the fact that I was there to hold her hand through half of Wednesday, our part-timer seems to be leaving more and more work for me to clean up on Thursdays. I don't know if things are really as hectic as she says, or if she's just taking advantage because she knows I'll clean up the mess.

Of course, once I got that mess cleaned up and I realized that I wasn't going to be making any phone calls, the day fell into a comfortable rhythm - busy, hectic, but full of good cheer and happy people. And I wore a skirt. People seem to think I look good as a girl. Don't get me wrong - skirts are too much of a pain to do on a regular basis, and I fully intend to wear khakis tomorrow - but maybe I'll wear a skirt again for Christmas.

And in case you were wondering what they serve at a froo-froo restaurant on Thanksgiving, how does Roulade of Sonoma Turkey with Foie Gras-Cornbread Stuffing and Sweet Potato Purée sound? Well, it was one of the best dinners I've ever had. And I brought half the turkey and stuffing and most of the haricot verts (ok, green beans) home for Scott. Sadly for him, I licked the plate clean of the sweet potatoes and the fresh cranberry sauce.

I sent an e-mail to some of my old work friends this afternoon, wishing them a happy Thanksgiving and hoping they were all fat and happy (except for John, who is still a little anorexic - I wished a pumpkin-flavored rice cake). John sent back such a funny reply I just had to share it:

Thank you for the sentiment. I despise pumpkin, though. It's a squash. Squash is not an acceptable component of any dessert. We don't eat broccoli cake nor do we eat green bean pudding, so whose bright idea was it to turn a squash into a pie?

On top of that…Thanksgiving is too close to Halloween, but not nearly far enough away, for me to be wholly convinced that the same nasty pumpkin that we gutted in mid-October and let rot on the front porch with a candle inside didn't end up on a crust with some allspice.

He's got a point. I hate it when he does that!

Happy Thanksgiving

...to anyone out there who wasn't eating turkey at my house on Tuesday. Not that you *can't* or *shouldn't* have a happy Thanksgiving... But it's really just another work day here in the ParkHopper household. (is it wrong that I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a hand-out at work today??) At least Scott's area is having a potluck! Anyway, it's time for me to scrounge for leftovers to take to work.

Maybe next year I'll use a picture other than this emu for my Thanksgiving entry. Probably not... I do love it so!

Mornings Are Evil

I have officially worked afternoon shifts for too long. I worked 9-5 today and have been falling asleep on the couch since around 6:30. And so here I am, trying to toothpick my eyelids open just to stay awake for Top Chef.

Hmm...Top Chef or 12 hours of sleep? I like sleep...

Please Pass the Tums

It's all over... except for the leftovers.

What's truly great about the amount of food in the fridge is that we sent everyone home with extra food. AND we pawned off some other leftovers on Mom and Michael. And I snagged some of Janette's sweet potatoes. I think that'll be breakfast tomorrow. Since Scott and I are both working, we're going to carpool. I'm setting my own hours - I only wish that his hours weren't quite so early. At least we'll be home in time for dinner.

And for anyone who might be wondering what I'll be doing two weeks from today, I'll be eating burgers at Cookie's Barbeque.

Adventures in Pie Making

3:15 - finally get started no-baking pies after morning out with Scott, stop at Publix (**shudder**), and crazy drive surrounded by rock trucks

3:35 - finished coring, peeling, and "finely chopping" 1 1/2 apples (recipe calls for 1, but I "cored" an awful lot out), rinse cranberries, pop one into mouth only to find out that cranberries are the most sour food EVER!

3:37 - mix apples, cranberries, and other ingredients in saucepan, wait anxiously for boil (because immediately after the boil I have to turn down to simmer or else!)

3:40 - let cats out on balcony to enjoy beautiful fall weather

3:43 - Milo cries to be let in, so I let him in.

3:44 - Milo cries to be let back out, so I open the door and he looks up at me as if to say, "are you CRAZY? it's cold out there!" Kilo, with his orca-like insulation, remains on the balcony.

3:53 - add entire "optional" tablespoon of sugar to cran-apple recipe, realizing that cranberries have NO place in civilized desserts. remove fruit from stovetop to cool.

Start pie #2

3:55 - realize cool whip for pie #2 was supposed to be thawed. go watch last night's Desperate Housewives, come back later!

Start pie #2 again!

5:20 - start whisking cream cheese, milk, and sugar for bottom layer of pumpkin pie, realize that perhaps the fridge-temperature of our apartment wasn't warm enough to soften said cream cheese

5:30 - marvel that the lead story on the 5:30 newscast was the mouse infestation of Apopka. that's right - there's officially no news tonight in Orlando!

5:38 - give up on "silky smooth" texture for pie bottom, decide that cottage cheese is close enough.

5:45 - finish goo for second layer of pumpkin pie, dump on top and smooth

5:47 - get creative and decide to plop the leftover white goo in the middle of the pie, like a delicate cloud of whipped cream in a sky of pumpkin

5:48 - realize "delicate cloud" looks more like a plop of cottage cheese

5:50 - pour cooled fruit mixture (I tasted it - it tastes like apple pie!) on top of bottom layer, which is made of plain yogurt, sour cream, sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon extract (and tastes just like vanilla yogurt!).

5:55 - take picture of pie triumph


6:00 - blog

Still to Come Tonight:

I promised Scott I would make the cornbread for his cornbread dressing (which we "Yankees" would call stuffing). The benefit for me is that I get to turn the oven on. My hands may warm up a little during the baking process!

I need to clean the cat box. Fa la la.

I should clean up the crap all over the apartment. Need to find some empty boxes to stow stuff for 24 hours...

I can almost smell the turkey!

mmm...Turkey...

Scalzi's Weekend Assignment: It's time for Thanksgiving dinner! Which do you prefer -- white meat, or dark meat? Explain your answer. Because it seems that most people have a preference one way or another, and sometimes they can get testy about it.

I believe that each meat has its strengths. On Thanksgiving day, I like pretty slices of white meat on my plate. Of course, I'm not sure if any single piece of turkey ever makes it into my mouth without at least one of the following dolloped on top: mashed potato, sweet potato or cranberry sauce.

For sandwiches, casseroles, and all that jazz, I prefer the little chunks of dark meat. They are also the best ones for reaching in the fridge and shoving in your mouth when no one is looking. :o)

And lucky me - I get to enjoy this feast two days earlier than the rest of the world. Gotta love the hospitality industry!

Extra credit: Being Thanksgiving, note one thing you've been thankful for in 2006.

I'm thankful that Scott and I are FINALLY able to go on vacation on our honeymoon... three years late. The year we got married, we were broke from moving and paying for a party for everyone we knew. The next year, I had a $700 hospital bill to contend with. The next year, my car had a $1500 breakdown. Now we get to sail away into the sunset together. (this doesn't mean I'm not thankful for our health, or the love of our families, or any of that stuff. I figured I'd stray from the standard cliche answers)

No-Baking for the Holidays

Somehow our guest list for Thanksgiving on Tuesday is now sitting at an amazing SEVEN. Last year, it was just me and Scott in our own little food orgy. Now we'll be surrounded by family. That's great, in a non-traditional sitting-around-the-living-room-floor sort of way.

My original plan was to make the no-bake (because have YOU ever tried to get near the oven on Thanksgiving?) pumpkin cheesecake I made last year. It was oh-so-tasty, and Scott and I have been jonesing for one since about September. With seven people, you need more than one pie though, especially when the pie is so tasty. And I figured it wouldn't be proper to have two of the same pie. So I did an AOL search for "no bake pie" and came up with a gajillion recipes. Blueberry? nah. Pumpkin? got that covered. Cranberry Apple? hey... now we're talking!

Unlike the pumpkin pie, which requires no more culinary skill than "measure, stir, dump, chill, slice," this pie requires a little chopping, some boiling, and some adding sugar "to taste." (mmm... I wish to taste a lot of sugar!) I feel that I am up to the task, and am sending Scott to the store for the ingredients.

I think Pie Day will be Monday, although my schedule keeps getting tighter and tighter. Wish me luck!

Sucking Slightly Less

This picture has nothing to do with anything. I just wanted to throw it out there for all the world to see. And to remind me how nice it was to be on vacation.

The dentist (who, by the way, I still love, despite the fact that he was wearing Florida Gators scrubs today) says I might have a sinus infection pressing on the nerve of my tooth that's still "riled up" from what he did to it last month. Or there might be a little infection in the tooth causing the pain. So he gave me a prescription for a week's worth of amoxicillin (yogurt... must remember to buy more yogurt...), and a new pain prescription.

The sad thing about Hydrocodone - you can't take it at work. But there's always Motrin for the day time.

Work was a little better too. I still haven't made any confirmation calls this week, but I only have seven saved voicemails left from my days off, and have dealt with all of the calls that came in during my shift.

On the bright side, we (yes, we - although I only got to ask one question) interviewed one lady for the open part-time position on Thursday, and I think the boss has another interview on Tuesday. The one that I got to speak to was nice, professional, and didn't have that vacant look accompanied by a string of drool that NG always had. I'm a big fan. I guess it's unrealistic to expect to have someone hired and trained in time to help with the holiday crush (it's already started), but my hope is to have someone hired by the beginning of the year. I might even ask to go back to a five-day week. I love having a 3-day weekend, but the OT days I have been working are really starting to take a toll.

So it occurs to me that this pain pill I took before I started this entry may have kicked in. I've been writing paragraph upon paragraph in my mind, but none of it has come out onto the computer screen. I guess that means it's time for bed. Sorry I couldn't wait up for you, honey. I'm a little stoned!

Reality Sucks

Yes, it's true. Work on Thursdays is always a little rough because I have to clean up the messes created on my days off. They were nice enough to save me 20-30 voicemails, they failed to call to confirm a reservation for a party of six that ended up having two vegans in it (our chefs can prepare an awesome vegan meal, including dessert, with a day's notice. these people got a fruit plate for dessert).

To top it all off, I haven't mentioned it before, but one side of my mouth has been giving me trouble for about two weeks. In that time, I've been popping ibuprofen like it's candy. And of course, this has started making an impact on my stomach. So I called the dentist yesterday and set up an appointment for this morning at 9:30. I'm hoping that it's the nerve on the one top tooth that I got worked on before that's somehow getting rubbed and is sending pain messages to the bottom jaw. And even if it is, I doubt this is going to be a pleasant trip. He's going to shoot my mouth with that damn cold air and it's probably going to make me cry.

...and then I get to set off on another fun-filled day at the office.

Mojito!

As I previously mentioned, Scott found a new favorite beverage while we were down at the beach - the mojito.

Personally, I didn't see the charm. It's just rum, simple syrup, mint leaves, and a little fizzy water. I prefer my alcohol fruit-based.

...although I guarantee that in 5 hours or less I'll be sitting at my desk wishing that I could get my hands on a mojito, or anything else to take the sting out of the first day back to work.

Home!

It is with deep regret that Mr. and Mrs. ParkHopper announce that they have returned from their mini vacation. What did we do?

We sat out on our balcony and watched the waves (see above)

We napped, listening to the waves

We walked on the beach, occasionally getting our feet wet in the waves

We read books, listening to the waves

We slept with the balcony door open, lulled to sleep by the sound of the waves

We realized that each of us thought the other had fed the cats (they're fine... and they were oh so very glad to see us!)

We played a 9-hole round of mini golf (both of us were over par! sheesh!)

We ate... lots

We filled a bag with seashells

We went in the jacuzzi

Scott discovered the Mojito

What we didn't do:

We didn't leave resort property

We didn't do anything work-related

We didn't swim (ocean temp. was 72. it felt nice on the feet, but I wouldn't have wanted to stick my whole body in it!)

The resort was absolutely beautiful. And as you may have already guessed, we pretty much spent our time 90% relaxing, 10% doing other stuff. Maybe 10% is too high an estimate! I guess I can understand how people are willing to live on the coast, despite the risk of hurricanes. It's pretty spectacular.

Life's a Beach!

I'm at the beach. Of course, it's November, so it's not really a traditional "beach" vacation. The important thing is that I'M the tourist. I'M the one asking stupid questions. And I'm NOT the one catering to some dumb tourist's every whim.

Try not to miss me too much. I'll be back tomorrow.

All My Bags Are Packed...

I hope I packed enough!

Milo is in charge until we get back.

No wild kitty parties,
No peeing on the carpet,
No sneaking into the bedroom and eating ZoePig.

...and while it looks like the weather isn't too favorable for swimsuits, I might actually get to wear my green suede jacket.

That's What I Get...

I dreamed last night that I had my stomach pumped. I hadn't been poisoned or anything - I had just eaten too much and I asked to have it done. I figure this is my subconscious reaching out and slapping me to say either

a) beware Thanksgiving, or

b) no more Taco Bell at 11pm.

I think I'm going with b.