So where were we..... deep in the swamp!
Got up Monday morning and checked out of our cabin and said goodbye to the Stephen C. Foster State Park. Had a wonderful time there!
Drove back to Waycross, Ga., which I believe to be the home of Burt Reynolds, by the way, and once again hit the Starbucks in the Kroger store. (Is it just me, or does "Starbucks in Kroger in Waycross, Ga." sound odd?)
Anyway, instead of turning southwest towards the swamp, we headed due east and in about an hour or two (me driving) came to the beachy area. A HUGE bridge loomed ahead of us, but we turned off just short of it and took a shorter bridge over to Jekyll Island.
Lots of rich people have spent a lot of time on this island, and it shows. Relatively few hotels and restaurants. But lots of beautiful old live oaks absolutely dripping with Spanish moss -- very intriguing and fairy-tale like.
I think we drove all the way around the island. Unfortunately, the weather was awful. Dry and sunny, but cold and exceptionally heavy wind. We did pop out on the beach but only very briefly as it was really uncomfortable. The beach looked nice, though.
We "dined" at the Red Bug Pizza, and had an excellent hand-made pizza.
Back to the mainland Tuesday morning and headed south to Florida again. Hit A1A and drove east to the ocean, on Amelia Island. Our hotel, the Seaside Amelia Resort, was on the far northern tip of the island. We were not too satisfied with it. We checked in and went to our room, which was probably the tiniest double I have ever seen. There was about one foot of space around the bed, no chairs, and even the TV hung on the wall. It was impossible to think of spending two nights there.
Went down and were able to upgrade to another room. This one had a slightly larger bed area as you walked in, with small but compete bath, and then a living area with sink, counter, microwave, fridge, sofa, tv, etc.
But no lights! One tiny decorative lamp in the living room, which provided virtually no light! And only one lamp in the bedroom area. And to top it all off, the air conditioning died the second night. Fortunately there was a ceiling fan in the bedroom, so we were able to stay comfortable. But you can bet that I will be in touch with them about a few things........
Once again, the island didn't terribly impress us. Lots of OLD people, like really made me feel young! Nothing against old people, of course! Again, surprisingly few restaurants, and the one we ate it was not terribly good.
Wednesday morning we headed back to the shopping mall by the airport, which we had visited when we arrived. Had a wonderful time poking around in it, and yes, I did manage to buy a thing or two.....
The weather had finally decided to co-operate, so after a nap, it was bathing suit time for the first time this year! (Always a dreadful thought.....) We took of snow-white bodies down to the beach and stretched out for an hour or two. It felt so wonderful -- warmth, sun, the surf in the background. We aren't usually the types to lay on the beach, but this was good.
After our disappointing restaurant experience the previous night, we decided to dine on the snacks we had with us and which we didn't want to transport on the next leg of our trip.
Off to the Outer Banks tomorrow!
Friday, April 26, 2013
Monday, April 22, 2013
See you later, alligator!
Here is the swamp portion of our vacation! Photos will follow.....
Friday, April 19
Let's put it this way: 5 a.m. is not my time. I can function when needed, but it sure is not fun. Kitty was thrilled to have us up so early, tough, and got in an extra cuddle. Lucas was up before we left, so we could say goodbye to him. Left the house about 5:45.
Got to Düsseldorf airport and found a parking place rather easily. We had already checked in online, so we just had to turn in our suitcases. Sat for about an hour before boarding.
Flight was 100 percent full. There was an extremely strong headwind, so the flight took nearly 10 hours. Surprisingly, it seemed to go rather fast and we never had that “Oh god another five hours of torture” feeling.....thank goodness! It got rather bumpy as the flight went along.
Immigration in Atlanta went fast, but we had to wait about 10 minutes for our bags. This was bad, since the late arrival made it tight to catch our next flight. Then we had to wait what seemed like forever (but what was likely 5-10 minutes) to go through security again. From there we caught the train and literally ran to the gate, where they were calling final boarding. We were NOT the last people to board.
The flight was so bumpy they didn't offer any service at all. Since it was only about a 45 minute flight, it didn't really make any difference.
Jacksonville, Fla, is not a huge airport and we easily found our way to pick up our bags and then the rental car counter. Sadly, they had not mid-size SUV ready at the moment, we could either wait for one or take a free upgrade to a van right away. “Free” and “right away” hit the right notes, so we took that.
Walked out to the garage and were given a Dodge Grand Caravan – a seven seater! That sucker is BIG! Ridiculous for the two of us, but hey, we took it!
Hot and humid, and it had rained a lot, obviously. It also rained overnight.
From there it was only a mile or two to the Best Western Jacksonville Airport. hotel. Checked in and then took off again to a nearby shopping center. Bought the necessities of life at Wal-Mart, including a nifty folding cooler. Bought dinner there, too, a burrito for Norbert and a sub sandwich for me. Ate in the hotel room. To bed by 8:15.
Saturday, April 20
Up at 5:45 or so. Took our time. Breakfast at hotel, before heading north on 95 for a few miles. Then headed northwest on the back roads, which are always so much fun. Flat and deserted landscape. I kept wondering why the schools were closed, until Norbert pointed it out that it was actually Saturday.......
We went through Folkston to the East Entrance of the Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Walked through the visitor's center and watched the glorious film. Booked a boat trip and waited about half an hour for it.
The weather was drippy and significantly cooler. I ended up wearing a tee-shirt, cardigan and rain jacket, and wasn't really warm enough.
We were lucky enough to have a private tour, that is, just the guide and the two of us. She was 29, had worked there 9 years and was quite passionate about nature, the swamp and the environment. The trip was wonderful. The swamp is incredible. It is impossible to describe. We saw alligators, owls, Sandhill crane, pitcher plants, sundews, all sorts of things. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. It ended up by going into what can only be described as a huge lake filled with water lilies – not blooming unfortunately, but still an incredible sight.
From there we backtracked to Folkston and hit the Burger King for lunch and Rite Aid for some cough medicine for me. Also hit Harvey's grocery store to get something for dinner.
Then we headed south and then west to Fargo, Ga., and the entrance to the Stephen C. Foster State Park. The main impression from the drive is that there is a lot of nothing in this area – but “nothing” can be fascinating, too.
Went straight to the Trading Post within the park and signed up for another boat trip, which started in about 5 minutes. One other family of four went with us. The first part was perhaps not so interesting, but when we went off into a side canal, it was gorgeous.
When we got back, we went ahead and checked in to our cabin. Dinner was chicken breasts, peas and yellow rice.
There are 8 cabins, and only five are in use. It is fine, with living room, dining room-kitchen, full bath and two bedrooms, with two beds each. The kitchen assortment is – interesting – but certainly adequate for our needs. There is a tv, with only about five stations! (how old-fashioned.....) And no internet, which is actually rather nice.
Saw several deer outside the cabin in the evening. There are also several squirrels who apparently live here, who we love to watch.
Sunday, April 21
Slept relatively well but up early, of course.We left about 8 and headed to Waycross, Ga. We passed a lot of fields of bushes, and berry processing places, and discovered later they were blueberries. Pretty impressive to see a field of hundreds if not thousands of blueberry bushes.
Once more, lots of nothing along the way, but still fascinating. ON the way out of the park, we saw several wild turkeys.
Waycross is a nice little town and we actually found out way without too many problems. Okefenokee Swamp Park is a semi-commercial place within the park. They have it really set up so you take the boat trip at 12, the train trip at 1 and then catch the nature show at 2. We had time first to look at the little zoo area – a bunch of gators – with several squirrels following us arounds and providing entertainment.
We also went out on the boardwalk into the swamp, which was beautiful. It continues, after a gate, on to a “low boardwalk”, at water level, which of course the critters can get on. fortunately, it was closed due to the recent rain. Not that I would have gone on it anyway!
The boat trip was full and the guide didn't stop talking. That didn't distract from the beauty of the swamp, though. And it was significantly warmer, which helped.
From there we drove back to Waycross, had lunch at Arby's and picked up dinner at Wal-Mart, and a coffee at Starbucks before heading home. Once “home”, we went to the nature walk within the park and saw a deer with a small fawn...... cuuuuuute. Then we hit the Trading Post where I bought a cookbook, a Christmas present for my brother, and some postcards.
We have enjoyed watching the wildlife out in back of the cabin. We have seen a number of deer and of course the squirrels. This evening we saw first a turkey, and then a flock of large birds, which we suspect were turkey buzzards. Fascinating! Two more deer showed up, too.
What is it about the swamp that is so fascinating? Hard to say. The tall cypresses enclosing everything, give it such a closed-in feeling. The water quite literally everywhere, but so little of it open water. Okefenokee translates as “the land of the trembling earth”, because so often what looks like solid earth absolutely isn't – just stuff floating on the water. It is mysterious, intriguing, and so much of it untouched by and indifferent to the human race.
And of course the wildlife. We really did see alligators in the wild, including several little ones. Believe me, they are truly scary creatures! But also Sandhill cranes (Huge!), deer, owls, chameleons and all sorts of birds. Even the ditches often have beautiful bright white egrets – their spotless shining white such a contrast to the muck.
The plants are equally fascinating. The cypress trees, dripping with Spanish moss, the thousands and thousands of water lilies, the pitcher plants, the sundew plants, the wild iris – and so many more that I don't recognize.
NOTE: I was told there are no buzzards in North America, and what we saw were Turkey Vultures.
Friday, April 19
Let's put it this way: 5 a.m. is not my time. I can function when needed, but it sure is not fun. Kitty was thrilled to have us up so early, tough, and got in an extra cuddle. Lucas was up before we left, so we could say goodbye to him. Left the house about 5:45.
Got to Düsseldorf airport and found a parking place rather easily. We had already checked in online, so we just had to turn in our suitcases. Sat for about an hour before boarding.
Flight was 100 percent full. There was an extremely strong headwind, so the flight took nearly 10 hours. Surprisingly, it seemed to go rather fast and we never had that “Oh god another five hours of torture” feeling.....thank goodness! It got rather bumpy as the flight went along.
Immigration in Atlanta went fast, but we had to wait about 10 minutes for our bags. This was bad, since the late arrival made it tight to catch our next flight. Then we had to wait what seemed like forever (but what was likely 5-10 minutes) to go through security again. From there we caught the train and literally ran to the gate, where they were calling final boarding. We were NOT the last people to board.
The flight was so bumpy they didn't offer any service at all. Since it was only about a 45 minute flight, it didn't really make any difference.
Jacksonville, Fla, is not a huge airport and we easily found our way to pick up our bags and then the rental car counter. Sadly, they had not mid-size SUV ready at the moment, we could either wait for one or take a free upgrade to a van right away. “Free” and “right away” hit the right notes, so we took that.
Walked out to the garage and were given a Dodge Grand Caravan – a seven seater! That sucker is BIG! Ridiculous for the two of us, but hey, we took it!
Hot and humid, and it had rained a lot, obviously. It also rained overnight.
From there it was only a mile or two to the Best Western Jacksonville Airport. hotel. Checked in and then took off again to a nearby shopping center. Bought the necessities of life at Wal-Mart, including a nifty folding cooler. Bought dinner there, too, a burrito for Norbert and a sub sandwich for me. Ate in the hotel room. To bed by 8:15.
Saturday, April 20
Up at 5:45 or so. Took our time. Breakfast at hotel, before heading north on 95 for a few miles. Then headed northwest on the back roads, which are always so much fun. Flat and deserted landscape. I kept wondering why the schools were closed, until Norbert pointed it out that it was actually Saturday.......
We went through Folkston to the East Entrance of the Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Walked through the visitor's center and watched the glorious film. Booked a boat trip and waited about half an hour for it.
The weather was drippy and significantly cooler. I ended up wearing a tee-shirt, cardigan and rain jacket, and wasn't really warm enough.
We were lucky enough to have a private tour, that is, just the guide and the two of us. She was 29, had worked there 9 years and was quite passionate about nature, the swamp and the environment. The trip was wonderful. The swamp is incredible. It is impossible to describe. We saw alligators, owls, Sandhill crane, pitcher plants, sundews, all sorts of things. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. It ended up by going into what can only be described as a huge lake filled with water lilies – not blooming unfortunately, but still an incredible sight.
From there we backtracked to Folkston and hit the Burger King for lunch and Rite Aid for some cough medicine for me. Also hit Harvey's grocery store to get something for dinner.
Then we headed south and then west to Fargo, Ga., and the entrance to the Stephen C. Foster State Park. The main impression from the drive is that there is a lot of nothing in this area – but “nothing” can be fascinating, too.
Went straight to the Trading Post within the park and signed up for another boat trip, which started in about 5 minutes. One other family of four went with us. The first part was perhaps not so interesting, but when we went off into a side canal, it was gorgeous.
When we got back, we went ahead and checked in to our cabin. Dinner was chicken breasts, peas and yellow rice.
There are 8 cabins, and only five are in use. It is fine, with living room, dining room-kitchen, full bath and two bedrooms, with two beds each. The kitchen assortment is – interesting – but certainly adequate for our needs. There is a tv, with only about five stations! (how old-fashioned.....) And no internet, which is actually rather nice.
Saw several deer outside the cabin in the evening. There are also several squirrels who apparently live here, who we love to watch.
Sunday, April 21
Slept relatively well but up early, of course.We left about 8 and headed to Waycross, Ga. We passed a lot of fields of bushes, and berry processing places, and discovered later they were blueberries. Pretty impressive to see a field of hundreds if not thousands of blueberry bushes.
Once more, lots of nothing along the way, but still fascinating. ON the way out of the park, we saw several wild turkeys.
Waycross is a nice little town and we actually found out way without too many problems. Okefenokee Swamp Park is a semi-commercial place within the park. They have it really set up so you take the boat trip at 12, the train trip at 1 and then catch the nature show at 2. We had time first to look at the little zoo area – a bunch of gators – with several squirrels following us arounds and providing entertainment.
We also went out on the boardwalk into the swamp, which was beautiful. It continues, after a gate, on to a “low boardwalk”, at water level, which of course the critters can get on. fortunately, it was closed due to the recent rain. Not that I would have gone on it anyway!
The boat trip was full and the guide didn't stop talking. That didn't distract from the beauty of the swamp, though. And it was significantly warmer, which helped.
From there we drove back to Waycross, had lunch at Arby's and picked up dinner at Wal-Mart, and a coffee at Starbucks before heading home. Once “home”, we went to the nature walk within the park and saw a deer with a small fawn...... cuuuuuute. Then we hit the Trading Post where I bought a cookbook, a Christmas present for my brother, and some postcards.
We have enjoyed watching the wildlife out in back of the cabin. We have seen a number of deer and of course the squirrels. This evening we saw first a turkey, and then a flock of large birds, which we suspect were turkey buzzards. Fascinating! Two more deer showed up, too.
What is it about the swamp that is so fascinating? Hard to say. The tall cypresses enclosing everything, give it such a closed-in feeling. The water quite literally everywhere, but so little of it open water. Okefenokee translates as “the land of the trembling earth”, because so often what looks like solid earth absolutely isn't – just stuff floating on the water. It is mysterious, intriguing, and so much of it untouched by and indifferent to the human race.
And of course the wildlife. We really did see alligators in the wild, including several little ones. Believe me, they are truly scary creatures! But also Sandhill cranes (Huge!), deer, owls, chameleons and all sorts of birds. Even the ditches often have beautiful bright white egrets – their spotless shining white such a contrast to the muck.
The plants are equally fascinating. The cypress trees, dripping with Spanish moss, the thousands and thousands of water lilies, the pitcher plants, the sundew plants, the wild iris – and so many more that I don't recognize.
NOTE: I was told there are no buzzards in North America, and what we saw were Turkey Vultures.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Real life is what happens......
...while we are busy making plans, as John Lennon is alleged to have said.
Several weeks ago I was happily anticipating the next vacation, chuckling over our crazy schedule, and idly wondering whether I really wanted to retire this year.
The first call from my brother on the afternoon of Saturday, March 30, saying that Mom was being helicoptered to the heart clinic put a halt to all that, with the next call at nearly midnight saying she hadn't made it stoppping everything.
Plans were hastily made and after an exceptionally long day of airplanes and airports, I arrived in Edenton at about 11 pm Tuesday night. Norbert and Lucas flew over on Thursday and brought Cindy down with them Friday morning. The funeral was Saturday.
All went smoothly and it wasn't as difficult as it could have been. It was truly touching to hear from so many people all around the world about how much they loved Mom.
Losing Mom is quite an experience – and talking to other women who have lost their mothers has been an enormous help. Everyone from good friends to high school friends to aiport guards had words of love and sympathy. It has certainly given me strength.
We got home again Friday morning, April 12, rather groggy and me with a very bad cold. Still, home is always the best! And Kitty was overjoyed to be back in her beloved home with her people around her.
I jumped immediately into work the next day, and have worked – more or less – every day since then. But this will prove to be my lowest income month ever, with a total of just six days' work!
That is because Norbert and I get back on airplane and fly back to the US tomorrow morning, on our regularly scheduled vacation! What timing...... I don't think I have ever done so little last-minute planning as I have for this trip. Of course the trip itself was planned earlier, but many of the usual last-minute things won't get their usual attention.
And nevertheless we will have a great time!
We will have internet access for most (but not all) of the trip, so I will blog here as we go along. Please keep an eye out for it!
Susan
Several weeks ago I was happily anticipating the next vacation, chuckling over our crazy schedule, and idly wondering whether I really wanted to retire this year.
The first call from my brother on the afternoon of Saturday, March 30, saying that Mom was being helicoptered to the heart clinic put a halt to all that, with the next call at nearly midnight saying she hadn't made it stoppping everything.
Plans were hastily made and after an exceptionally long day of airplanes and airports, I arrived in Edenton at about 11 pm Tuesday night. Norbert and Lucas flew over on Thursday and brought Cindy down with them Friday morning. The funeral was Saturday.
All went smoothly and it wasn't as difficult as it could have been. It was truly touching to hear from so many people all around the world about how much they loved Mom.
Losing Mom is quite an experience – and talking to other women who have lost their mothers has been an enormous help. Everyone from good friends to high school friends to aiport guards had words of love and sympathy. It has certainly given me strength.
We got home again Friday morning, April 12, rather groggy and me with a very bad cold. Still, home is always the best! And Kitty was overjoyed to be back in her beloved home with her people around her.
I jumped immediately into work the next day, and have worked – more or less – every day since then. But this will prove to be my lowest income month ever, with a total of just six days' work!
That is because Norbert and I get back on airplane and fly back to the US tomorrow morning, on our regularly scheduled vacation! What timing...... I don't think I have ever done so little last-minute planning as I have for this trip. Of course the trip itself was planned earlier, but many of the usual last-minute things won't get their usual attention.
And nevertheless we will have a great time!
We will have internet access for most (but not all) of the trip, so I will blog here as we go along. Please keep an eye out for it!
Susan
Friday, March 29, 2013
Good Friday: We ALL love tuna!
To continue the food theme from yesterday....
Good Friday means no meat. We had cereal for breakfast and grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch. But I admit I eyed the leftover bratwurst in the fridge -- guess they will taste just as good on Saturday, though.
In the evening, the tuna steaks were unpacked, and they were gorgeous.
To go along with them, we decided on homemade potato wedges, which I forgot to photograph until they were in the oven.
Oops, as a glasses-wearer I ought to know what happens when you open the oven....
That looks better.
As they ended up. I think they might have needed a bit longer in the oven, but on the other hand, there were none left over.
And here a tuna steak with potato wedge side:
More tuna steaks in the pan:
In the pan? Over there?
I WANT them. NOW.
And more in the pan. They were so beautiful....
Bah, these silly people think only of themselves and not of ME.
To sum up: delicious! The tuna pieces were brushed with garlic and thyme which soaked in a little olive oil for about 20 minutes. The potatoes were seasoned with an herb-salt mixture.
No one left the table hungry, not even Kitty.
Susan
Good Friday means no meat. We had cereal for breakfast and grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch. But I admit I eyed the leftover bratwurst in the fridge -- guess they will taste just as good on Saturday, though.
In the evening, the tuna steaks were unpacked, and they were gorgeous.
To go along with them, we decided on homemade potato wedges, which I forgot to photograph until they were in the oven.
Oops, as a glasses-wearer I ought to know what happens when you open the oven....
That looks better.
As they ended up. I think they might have needed a bit longer in the oven, but on the other hand, there were none left over.
And here a tuna steak with potato wedge side:
More tuna steaks in the pan:
In the pan? Over there?
I WANT them. NOW.
And more in the pan. They were so beautiful....
Bah, these silly people think only of themselves and not of ME.
To sum up: delicious! The tuna pieces were brushed with garlic and thyme which soaked in a little olive oil for about 20 minutes. The potatoes were seasoned with an herb-salt mixture.
No one left the table hungry, not even Kitty.
Susan
Thursday, March 28, 2013
The Blog lives!
Thought it was time to rescue my blog from its winter hibernation. Now that I am working fewer hours (yeah!) I ought to have lots of free time to do other fun things, like blogging. Ha ha ha, funny how it doesn't work that way.
I was off today -- that is, not working for Cyclingnews -- so it was kitchen day. The stores here are closed on Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, so Norbert (who was also off) and I made an early morning run to the grocery stores. We spent a ton of money, but got some really good looking things.
One of the most expensive was this roast beef for Easter dinner:
One of the other stores has sweet potatoes on sale, we will pick them up Saturday.
The most expensive item was the fresh tuna steaks for tomorrow. The Catholic tradition is to eat no meat on Good Friday, and although we are not at all religious (and I am acutally not at all Catholic), we go along with that. We usually eat fish once a week anyway, but becuase we love it so much!
No photo (yet) of the tuna, it is all sealed up.
Back home, I moved into the kitchen. First thing up was a batch of Jumbo Coffee Cake Muffins.
It only made about 9 or 10, which really isn't enough. As you can see, they are disappearing fast and there are now even fewer than when I took the picture.
Lunch was a batch of Nürnberger Bratwurst, the little spicy ones. Yum! I love me a nice fatty Bratwurst every now and then.
After lunch I finally made the peanut butter pie, the recipe from Tale of the Whale at the Outer Banks. I made it rather late to eat it this afternoon. I stuck it in the freezer, but it still hadn't properly set by 4 pm. This didn't stop Lucas and me from eating it, needless to say.
I usually make it with a chocolate crumb crust, but didn't have any extra chocolate cookies on hand.
I also made a batch of ranch dip,but you can guess what that looks like.
Norbert volunteered to make dinner tonight, one of his specialties: shrimps in cream sauce with spaghetti. Lucas doesn't always eat dinner with us, but you can sure bet he did tonight!
We then shoved everything except the wooden spoon and one plastic measuring cup into the dishwasher and retired to the living room with a glass of wine.
More on the rest of the weekend's food goodness to come.....
Susan
I was off today -- that is, not working for Cyclingnews -- so it was kitchen day. The stores here are closed on Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, so Norbert (who was also off) and I made an early morning run to the grocery stores. We spent a ton of money, but got some really good looking things.
One of the most expensive was this roast beef for Easter dinner:
One of the other stores has sweet potatoes on sale, we will pick them up Saturday.
The most expensive item was the fresh tuna steaks for tomorrow. The Catholic tradition is to eat no meat on Good Friday, and although we are not at all religious (and I am acutally not at all Catholic), we go along with that. We usually eat fish once a week anyway, but becuase we love it so much!
No photo (yet) of the tuna, it is all sealed up.
Back home, I moved into the kitchen. First thing up was a batch of Jumbo Coffee Cake Muffins.
It only made about 9 or 10, which really isn't enough. As you can see, they are disappearing fast and there are now even fewer than when I took the picture.
Lunch was a batch of Nürnberger Bratwurst, the little spicy ones. Yum! I love me a nice fatty Bratwurst every now and then.
After lunch I finally made the peanut butter pie, the recipe from Tale of the Whale at the Outer Banks. I made it rather late to eat it this afternoon. I stuck it in the freezer, but it still hadn't properly set by 4 pm. This didn't stop Lucas and me from eating it, needless to say.
I usually make it with a chocolate crumb crust, but didn't have any extra chocolate cookies on hand.
I also made a batch of ranch dip,but you can guess what that looks like.
Norbert volunteered to make dinner tonight, one of his specialties: shrimps in cream sauce with spaghetti. Lucas doesn't always eat dinner with us, but you can sure bet he did tonight!
We then shoved everything except the wooden spoon and one plastic measuring cup into the dishwasher and retired to the living room with a glass of wine.
More on the rest of the weekend's food goodness to come.....
Susan
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
"Changes in attitudes"
I think about paris when Im high on red wine
I wish I could jump on a plane
So many nights I just dream of the ocean
God I wish I was sailin again
Oh, yesterdays over my shoulder
So I can't look back for too long
There's just too much to see waiting in front of me
And I know that I just can't go wrong
With these changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes
Nothing remains quite the same
With all of my running and all of my cunning
If I couldn't laugh I just would go insane
If we couldn't laugh we just would go insane
If we weren't all crazy we would go insane
All hail Jimmy Buffett..........
There have been some changes in attitudes around here, and so much of these lyrics strike home.
After a health scare – which, thank Deity, turned out just to be a scare – I have decided it is time to make a few changes. After all, I am now 59 years old and it occurs to me that I really am no longer young and that I have less time ahead of me than I have behind me. I want to use that time to my advantage, and enjoy it!
So what will I do to change?
1)Set priorities. What do I want to do? Work myself to death? Worry myself to death? Fat chance! More like: enjoy! relax! Do what I want to do and enjoy doing, rather than what I feel I must do. Of course there are still obligations that must be filled, and they will be, but isn't it better to do it with a light heart than a grudging one?
2)Stop obsessing over work. Cyclingnews survives without me! I don't get paid to work 24/7, so I don't need to worry about every story out there getting covered, or be hurt when someone complains about the site – or even worry that they don't miss me when I'm not around! Yes, it is my job and I take it seriously, but not all THAT seriously!
3)Cut back on my professional obligations. This is the tough one that has yet to be answered. Lots of possibilities, but no definite decision. Yet.
4)Hobbies! I love to bake and cook. So do it! Don't sit there every evening and think, darn, I didn't bake anything today. Do it instead. This morning I was up early, the guys were gone by 7 am. and CN work didn't start until 10. Three whole hours that could go to waste – so I baked chocolate chip cookies and re-discovered the joys of eating a cookie fresh out of the oven.......
5)Turn the computer off? Don't know what else to do, then just mindlessly surf the net, and check the emails every few minutes “just in case.” What a waste of time and mental energy! Where's that self-control?
6)Take care of the house. I hate to clean house, let's be frank. But it has to be done. Doesn't mean I have to scour things from top to bottom every day, but a few minutes here, a few minutes there, and things will get done. And there must be some way of making it fun, but I am still waiting to discover that secret!
7)Take care of me and us. We brag about never going to the doctor, and while it is true we have few health problems, we have also ignore all the routine check-ups. I spent a lot time this morning setting up appointments and still need to make more. I want to make sure that Norbert and I spend as many years together as possible!
8)To quote another song, “You've got to move it , move it!” Exercise has always been my biggest failure. I am definitely more sloth-like than anything else – ironic for a sports journalist, yes? I am not sure how I want to tackle this, although weather permitting I will try and start walking every day. Perhaps we will invest in a stationary bike or something. We do have bikes and could give them the once-over. The problem right now is that the weather is not at all inviting to go out in, so need to find some kind of indoor solution. I will look for some sort of exercise class, too.
Whew, that's enough. This has given me a lot to think about, as well, and I hope to refine these points to my own satisfaction to make them as concrete as possible. Don't just think good deeds, do them, right?
And above all, stay relaxed and light-hearted. As Jimmy says,
“If I couldn't laugh I just would go insane
If we couldn't laugh we just would go insane
If we weren't all crazy we would go insane”
Susan
I wish I could jump on a plane
So many nights I just dream of the ocean
God I wish I was sailin again
Oh, yesterdays over my shoulder
So I can't look back for too long
There's just too much to see waiting in front of me
And I know that I just can't go wrong
With these changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes
Nothing remains quite the same
With all of my running and all of my cunning
If I couldn't laugh I just would go insane
If we couldn't laugh we just would go insane
If we weren't all crazy we would go insane
All hail Jimmy Buffett..........
There have been some changes in attitudes around here, and so much of these lyrics strike home.
After a health scare – which, thank Deity, turned out just to be a scare – I have decided it is time to make a few changes. After all, I am now 59 years old and it occurs to me that I really am no longer young and that I have less time ahead of me than I have behind me. I want to use that time to my advantage, and enjoy it!
So what will I do to change?
1)Set priorities. What do I want to do? Work myself to death? Worry myself to death? Fat chance! More like: enjoy! relax! Do what I want to do and enjoy doing, rather than what I feel I must do. Of course there are still obligations that must be filled, and they will be, but isn't it better to do it with a light heart than a grudging one?
2)Stop obsessing over work. Cyclingnews survives without me! I don't get paid to work 24/7, so I don't need to worry about every story out there getting covered, or be hurt when someone complains about the site – or even worry that they don't miss me when I'm not around! Yes, it is my job and I take it seriously, but not all THAT seriously!
3)Cut back on my professional obligations. This is the tough one that has yet to be answered. Lots of possibilities, but no definite decision. Yet.
4)Hobbies! I love to bake and cook. So do it! Don't sit there every evening and think, darn, I didn't bake anything today. Do it instead. This morning I was up early, the guys were gone by 7 am. and CN work didn't start until 10. Three whole hours that could go to waste – so I baked chocolate chip cookies and re-discovered the joys of eating a cookie fresh out of the oven.......
5)Turn the computer off? Don't know what else to do, then just mindlessly surf the net, and check the emails every few minutes “just in case.” What a waste of time and mental energy! Where's that self-control?
6)Take care of the house. I hate to clean house, let's be frank. But it has to be done. Doesn't mean I have to scour things from top to bottom every day, but a few minutes here, a few minutes there, and things will get done. And there must be some way of making it fun, but I am still waiting to discover that secret!
7)Take care of me and us. We brag about never going to the doctor, and while it is true we have few health problems, we have also ignore all the routine check-ups. I spent a lot time this morning setting up appointments and still need to make more. I want to make sure that Norbert and I spend as many years together as possible!
8)To quote another song, “You've got to move it , move it!” Exercise has always been my biggest failure. I am definitely more sloth-like than anything else – ironic for a sports journalist, yes? I am not sure how I want to tackle this, although weather permitting I will try and start walking every day. Perhaps we will invest in a stationary bike or something. We do have bikes and could give them the once-over. The problem right now is that the weather is not at all inviting to go out in, so need to find some kind of indoor solution. I will look for some sort of exercise class, too.
Whew, that's enough. This has given me a lot to think about, as well, and I hope to refine these points to my own satisfaction to make them as concrete as possible. Don't just think good deeds, do them, right?
And above all, stay relaxed and light-hearted. As Jimmy says,
“If I couldn't laugh I just would go insane
If we couldn't laugh we just would go insane
If we weren't all crazy we would go insane”
Susan
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Another "Feed the Freezer" day
I was finally getting tired of chicken, and fortunately ground meat was on sale. You can buy ground beef, ground pork and mixed -- we use the latter.
Having decided on my recipes, I made lists and went shopping.
And this too:
Plus:
Ok, so the strawberries were just because they were on sale and a strawberry shortcake is always good, right?
First thing I did was not meat-related. I made a double batch of baked rice, which is basically throwing rice and onion soup (or your choice of other seasonings) in the oven for an hour.
I then made double batches of: sauce for penne bolognese casserole, spaghetti bolognese sauce, and Texas hash.
That's how they looked cooling, and this is how they looked packaged up for the freezer:
That was the morning's work. Took a break and ate lunch and then got back to work. First up were the two Mexican lasagnes.
And they too got wrapped up for the freezer.
I wanted to make two regular lasagnes, but I was running low on meat by this point, and we looooove our lasagne, so I made one big one:
All the lasagnes will get a grated cheese topping before they get baked and eaten.
Finally, we had to eat that day too, so I tried out a recipe for Taco soup. Turned out more like Taco stew, think I will add more liquids next time. Norbert absolutely loved it, so there will definitely be a next time.
And finally, a non-cooking photo, just because we have the cutest Kitty in the whole wide world:
See her hiding in there?
Susan
Having decided on my recipes, I made lists and went shopping.
And this too:
Plus:
Ok, so the strawberries were just because they were on sale and a strawberry shortcake is always good, right?
First thing I did was not meat-related. I made a double batch of baked rice, which is basically throwing rice and onion soup (or your choice of other seasonings) in the oven for an hour.
I then made double batches of: sauce for penne bolognese casserole, spaghetti bolognese sauce, and Texas hash.
That's how they looked cooling, and this is how they looked packaged up for the freezer:
That was the morning's work. Took a break and ate lunch and then got back to work. First up were the two Mexican lasagnes.
And they too got wrapped up for the freezer.
I wanted to make two regular lasagnes, but I was running low on meat by this point, and we looooove our lasagne, so I made one big one:
All the lasagnes will get a grated cheese topping before they get baked and eaten.
Finally, we had to eat that day too, so I tried out a recipe for Taco soup. Turned out more like Taco stew, think I will add more liquids next time. Norbert absolutely loved it, so there will definitely be a next time.
And finally, a non-cooking photo, just because we have the cutest Kitty in the whole wide world:
See her hiding in there?
Susan
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