tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76388271076139304032024-03-19T00:47:09.242-04:00THE RECOVERING BRITNickyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09128715948914256094noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638827107613930403.post-45828918575530338032011-03-27T14:30:00.000-04:002011-03-27T14:30:15.446-04:00I've Moved<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Hi Folks!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I have moved my blog over to Wordpress. <a href="http://therecoveringbrit.wordpress.com/">Please visit me at my new pad</a> & follow me there since I've so far been unsuccessful at easily transferring my "Followers" there.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">See you soon……..</span><br />
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</span>Nickyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09128715948914256094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638827107613930403.post-20816024147356920482011-03-24T20:27:00.004-04:002011-03-24T20:40:39.127-04:00A Ray Of Sunshine<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Well I'm still alive folks! I've been completely swamped under work and committee deadlines for the past couple of weeks, so all things non-priority have pretty much taken a back-burner in the meantime. Thankfully for my sanity I am emerging slowly from the ashes - the deadlines have all been successfully met, & I am beginning to see the light again. Hopefully I can resume blogging over the weekend.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I just came across this list of "<i>74 Simple Things You Can Do To Brighten Your Spouse's Day</i>" on my RSS list though & thought I'd share it with you all. It never hurts for any of us to even just be reminded to say something positive to our partner.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_n2VF9SpNGqnqtEPC0_fkWNQ0883wdXz5DfNVH6_Hml8-kV9afXQAT9e8cdjx5kZXfwpBUb7TC7aaMCdhBnfBAFI5Oqt7InIJVQMEI3e2iFhdp5JGLYA8XGtIMruEh5Y0QtQmrtM_oyt/s1600/pretzel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_n2VF9SpNGqnqtEPC0_fkWNQ0883wdXz5DfNVH6_Hml8-kV9afXQAT9e8cdjx5kZXfwpBUb7TC7aaMCdhBnfBAFI5Oqt7InIJVQMEI3e2iFhdp5JGLYA8XGtIMruEh5Y0QtQmrtM_oyt/s400/pretzel.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Those aeroplane pretzels ARE good for something after all<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">!</span></span><br />
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</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">1. Simply tell her one thing that makes her special to me!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">2. I could surprise my husband by taking him to the Irish Festival this afternoon. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">3. Texting him at work and keeping him from getting bored in the minutiae of the day.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">4. Declutter the bedroom <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">5. Take the kids to the park while they are on Spring Break and let her have a nap.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">6. Tell her how much I’m glad I married her (married 20 years).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">7. I could have the house clean and dinner ready when he comes home after his long day at work <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">8. Give him an encouraging note or email during the day.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">9. Compliment her via text every hour on the hour all day!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">10. I took the kids because she was sick. That way she could rest.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">11. One thing I could do to brighten my spouse’s day is to buy her some flowers.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">12. Dinner. Then dishes. She loves that!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">13. A simple thing I could do (and actually just did!) to brighten his day is give him a call, unexpectedly, just to tell him I love him & wish him a great day <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">14. One simple thing I can do? Compliment her sincerely on something specific with her appearance.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">15. One simple thing I could do to brighten her day is let her sleep in and get the kids ready for school.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">16. I could call him and tell him I love and miss him while he’s at work.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">17. My husband is easy. Smile at him and say, “I appreciate you, honey!” makes his day. I know I look grumpy much of the time with stress, pain and worries. I don’t smile enough. So when I do, it makes a difference!!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">18. A simple thing I can do to brighten my husband’s day is a phone call to simply remind him that I love and appreciate him.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">19. One thing I can do to brighten my husband’s day is to watch the BYU basketball game with him! Go Cougs!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">20. Send him a text message telling him what I’m looking forward to about our night tonight (especially if physical!) <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">21. A three-minute hug.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">22. Give her flowers for no special reason at all – apart, of course, from saying she’s the love of my life.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">23. I could send him a text message letting him know I’m thinking of him & offer support as he prepares for his final exam tomorrow!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">24. I could bring him coffee in the morning, pack his lunch and make his favorite dish for dinner.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">25. Empty the dishwasher before I leave for work.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">26. Call him and leave him a special voice mail!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">27. Greet him by dropping my work bag and showering him with hugs and kisses…for the rest of the evening!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">28. A quick 5-10 minute back rub can turn my wife around if she has had a bad day (or make her day great if she is having a good day already).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">29. To brighten my wife’s day, I can clean the bathroom. She hates to do it!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">30. Sending him a daily email while he is deployed with thoughts and moments from my day and letting him know I love him and I am proud of him.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">31. I will give him a massage tonight, just because, without him having to ask.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">32. Tell my wife how much I appreciate all she does for me, the kids and our home and that I pray for her constantly.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">33. Send a text message of the kids saying Hi and that we love him!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">34. Clean the toilets. Sexy, huh? Depends what I’m wearing while I do it – like a smile, for instance.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">35. I could draw funny faces on the eggs in the refrigerator. =)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">36. One simple thing I could do to brighten my husband’s day TODAY is locate a copy of Boondock Saints for us to watch!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">37. I can have dinner ready and a cheerful disposition when he comes home from work.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">38. I could get out of bed on time so we can get the kids ready more quickly and not make him late for work (being late is his pet peeve and I push the limits every day).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">39. To brighten my wife’s day I make her coffee in the morning.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">40. Practical: Put away the laundry. Fun: Make out session.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">41. I can tell him that I appreciate him and everything he does for us. Sometimes I get in the habit of complaining about what he’s not doing, and I forget that telling him what he is doing is 10 times more important!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">42. To brighten my spouse’s day I will wake up cheery, not grumpy and tell him how much I love him and how much he means to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">43. Have dinner waiting for him when he gets home.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">44. Drop by his office with a cupcake from the shop across the street on my lunch break. Just so he knows I’m thinking of him.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">45. Make Rice Krispie treats<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">46. My husband works night shift, so I buy a Red Bull (his fave pick me up) and put it in the fridge for him when I get in. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">47. Do his laundry while I’m working from home today!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">48. I can thank him for his awesome management of our finances and his hard work to pay off our student loans so that we can start a family! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">49. Put a Love note (post it) on his computer screen.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">50. When he came out of the bedroom to head to work (we were running late coming back from crew practice) – I had his toast ready, hot water in his tea thermos, and the tea was almost completed….<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">51. One thing I can do is let her know that I love through notes left around the house, emails, or flowers.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">52. Say “I love you”.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">53. Thank him for his support as I face challenges.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">54. I will look at my wife’s eyes, give her a kiss and say I LOVE YOU.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">55. One simple thing I sometimes do is pre-toothpaste his toothbrush. It saves him just like 4 seconds in his morning routine but when I do it I always hear him say “awww” from the bathroom. Haha. It’s silly, but it’s something. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">56. I had to work today at our church office, and he has been away since Monday. He’ll get home before me – so I have some delicious corned beef and cabbage cooking in the crockpot, so we he walks in the door he’ll be greeted with love cooking in the kitchen!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">57. I can make him a cup of coffee. I love it when he does it for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">58. Make him his favorite brown bread… and have it come out of the oven as he comes in the door.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">59. Make him his lunch before he goes to work <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">60. Be sure that your eyes light up when you see her.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">61. Let him sleep in!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">62. I could give my husband a back massage. I think I will. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">63. Today, I will keep my three year old awake in the afternoon, when he would normally want to nap. This means an earlier, easier bed time for him, and more time in the evening alone for my husband and I. I know he’ll really appreciate that, especially on a Friday.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">64. To brighten my spouse’s day, I could write him a love letter telling him why I married him, and why I love him!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">65. All I did was ask him if there was anything I could do for him today. I have never done this before, but I wanted to let him know that I am here for him and I want to help him if he needs something.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">66. I make my husband his favorite dinner and make sure to have warm water in his glass (his prefrence) when he gets home from work.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">67. Wash the dishes…Naked!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">68. Pray with him in the morning.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">69. Clean the house<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">70. I do my best to write a quick love note on a sticky note and hide it somewhere that my wife will find it each day.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">71. Write an encouraging sticky note for him to find when he gets in his truck to go to work!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">72. Something unexpected that she usually does, like perhaps cleaning a bathroom?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">73.Drive her to the training the morning and pick her up at the end of the day. It’s always exciting to see her get off the train and come home with me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13pt;">74. The one thing I can do is set his slippers out by the couch when he comes home from working all night so he doesn’t have to go into the bedroom to get them before he relaxes for a while.</span><br />
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</span></span></span></span></span></div>This list came from a post at </span><a href="http://www.engagedmarriage.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">www.engagedmarriage.com</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">. If you haven't checked it out yet, it often shares some interesting relationship posts. </span></span></span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">What other things do you guys do to spread the love with your partner? </span></span></span><br />
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</span></div>Nickyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09128715948914256094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638827107613930403.post-42936650868781102452011-03-01T21:10:00.006-05:002011-03-02T08:53:58.559-05:00The NZ Lowdown 6: Fiordland (Part II)<div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: large;"><b>The Spectacular Milford Sound</b></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Our day was off to an early start. Actually, earlier than necessary, because</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> a small pattern had begun to emerge. Like many men, M has a TV addiction. And the remote control serves as an accessory appendage for him. By now, each morning has begun earlier than required, with some cricket on TV. And likewise no bedtime had swung around without cricket highlights from the day. This was all quite bewildering to me due to his acute revelation on <a href="http://therecoveringbrit.blogspot.com/2011/02/nz-lowdown-christchurch-part-i.html">Day 1</a> of our trip! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">But anyway, the real purpose of our early start for the day was a guided day tour - the major focus being a cruise on Milford Sound. Our guide Andrew (oddly, a Welshman!) collected us at our hotel & a small group of us made the drive up from Te Anau to Milford Sound, stopping off occasionally at a few locations en-route for photo opportunities.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Milford Sound forms part of the Fiordland National Park (a World Heritage Site), and is reportedly the most famous tourist destination in NZ, in spite of its remote location on the southwest side of the South Island - literally at least 1-2 hours from anywhere. It is really something else to witness - Rudyard Kipling even described it as "The Eighth Wonder Of The World". It's actually a fiord, although was originally, wrongly named a sound by Captain Cook when he charted the area back in the 1770s.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In spite of the gorgeous weather the day before, our Milford Sound day was characteristically wet - the Fiordland National Park region experiences tremendous annual rainfalls, apparently on about 200 days or more of each year! Nevertheless though, the scenery was spectacular, & I imagine it wouldn't matter what kind of weather you visited this region in - each would bring its own, special mood to the region. I found the low clouds very mysterious during our cruise - very moody indeed.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBViLWgusMnIsSWfB7SXwio6oTJICwtylL8xWgz-uZikSnSlbshgg5zI3JWQAsUEo1CDnR3-nAg7RbMQS14IqwraChd8Vgoi0aknu5sA9wVrxk850dAE-eBXdYCOSlkQnvvYPiDoHWi3-W/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBViLWgusMnIsSWfB7SXwio6oTJICwtylL8xWgz-uZikSnSlbshgg5zI3JWQAsUEo1CDnR3-nAg7RbMQS14IqwraChd8Vgoi0aknu5sA9wVrxk850dAE-eBXdYCOSlkQnvvYPiDoHWi3-W/s400/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Moody Milford Sound</span></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We also saw plenty of wildlife during the trip - especially colonies of NZ fur seals on the rocks at the side of the water. They were thankfully completely unimpressed by the numerous boats cruising up and down the sound.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIIrtzQgnlb7plxLyIspeoMNK3aknczbjtnCcqQ80LTcA3LN_cZmFfZ-elQGyc-EQlwIIlt1u2g0SSfqfjFFsrim-ZP2Kj0-jlBW9sZeD-HK1EF7-H8Gb2ga49ELEfucyIingaTRpllFEt/s1600/7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIIrtzQgnlb7plxLyIspeoMNK3aknczbjtnCcqQ80LTcA3LN_cZmFfZ-elQGyc-EQlwIIlt1u2g0SSfqfjFFsrim-ZP2Kj0-jlBW9sZeD-HK1EF7-H8Gb2ga49ELEfucyIingaTRpllFEt/s400/7.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Basking NZ fur seals </span></span></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Mitre Peak is one of the most photographed mountains in the country - typically you'll see photos of it on clear blue sky days when it is reflected brilliantly in the water below. Our weather didn't allow us this privilege, but it still looked formidable, rising almost a mile out of the water into the clouds.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHgh5z4laRT6LH2VmMVGfbQzjV-RV3nP9a1XVhI3_yGTE7H9NWSOWOOl6HDZR4V7RofSuTHwE_qmmGYqvQsyL9PeqKOmxJa0jl0OI3ro_l9hKZ7U3DMBsA5EMXOasriDaVG1btQLQLADFU/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHgh5z4laRT6LH2VmMVGfbQzjV-RV3nP9a1XVhI3_yGTE7H9NWSOWOOl6HDZR4V7RofSuTHwE_qmmGYqvQsyL9PeqKOmxJa0jl0OI3ro_l9hKZ7U3DMBsA5EMXOasriDaVG1btQLQLADFU/s400/5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The famous Mitre Peak</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyfkIGnJ7TiVuoDQwyRUtm0Po_GBtwxuWCrNoyNJB5argPRmrRISnpmWdYrHenpXxHicxBpGxeA1tW1G57omOTUaiWSU6Ad-gYYJrqbAgpTPJdUyJqa17hzg2qtlx84k4wGDmbbdfStkYR/s1600/9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyfkIGnJ7TiVuoDQwyRUtm0Po_GBtwxuWCrNoyNJB5argPRmrRISnpmWdYrHenpXxHicxBpGxeA1tW1G57omOTUaiWSU6Ad-gYYJrqbAgpTPJdUyJqa17hzg2qtlx84k4wGDmbbdfStkYR/s400/9.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">M stole my small camera. A few hundred photos later…...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBAFogi_PgrTkhebwc0ifFCpXNBGHRd8d5-P-kXJ_P88Ehg6A1BVSQ9mpTN0Ezj9u1tqCxmJlU9sOMywgOkhZAdVJmdSq8oPyItpIcp0FcuGjeqJNKL7zFTxQSGatYbbQZqalyOaOYKcCp/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBAFogi_PgrTkhebwc0ifFCpXNBGHRd8d5-P-kXJ_P88Ehg6A1BVSQ9mpTN0Ezj9u1tqCxmJlU9sOMywgOkhZAdVJmdSq8oPyItpIcp0FcuGjeqJNKL7zFTxQSGatYbbQZqalyOaOYKcCp/s400/11.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The Lesser-Spotted Brit!</span></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We cruised along the sound for a couple of hours - it's about 16km long & opens out into the Tasman Sea - and on our moody weather day, you can imagine how rocky the sea was when we reached it. Quite a ride, let me tell you! But one of the benefits of the area's terrific rainfalls is that they really accentuate the waterfalls that fall from the sheer cliff faces rising either side of the sound. </span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhySVZ-B6xCqKn4fFmfjRHpLkvEyqqZo4akmGh1OICoP2yYSJWPzy4oEELAYOKiF0lbhn4KQd4q9u5kBcZi9nlitNBgPi_XKvVsHONJb_69k9PfwxnSWmFdDsTgAk8IBoLTrI87Eb4sZav-/s1600/IMG_0036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhySVZ-B6xCqKn4fFmfjRHpLkvEyqqZo4akmGh1OICoP2yYSJWPzy4oEELAYOKiF0lbhn4KQd4q9u5kBcZi9nlitNBgPi_XKvVsHONJb_69k9PfwxnSWmFdDsTgAk8IBoLTrI87Eb4sZav-/s400/IMG_0036.jpg" width="327" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The waterfalls were especially spectacular due to the day's rainfall</span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">After a bit of lunch and some coffee on the boat, we finished our cruise & met up again with our tour guide, & our small group drove south back toward Te Anau, with a few more stops en-route for yet more photo opportunities. </span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3gqMPORMtMdBqL2MiVg5stHRt09zWq7QxpfogPm6xqwYPCd0dE6YmNdbvpaROHmeTZGg1nqK5ahxXSpZ_axrPbyvF3612POhhyvv0G069ZVUhIm1JRgyhGKA0IaUQAYBe9p1ILDErjppb/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3gqMPORMtMdBqL2MiVg5stHRt09zWq7QxpfogPm6xqwYPCd0dE6YmNdbvpaROHmeTZGg1nqK5ahxXSpZ_axrPbyvF3612POhhyvv0G069ZVUhIm1JRgyhGKA0IaUQAYBe9p1ILDErjppb/s400/6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">More moody mountainous terrain on the drive back to Te Anau</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpToACDq_rKgQNqphqPN5HXE4IO7s50H5tqQM1evHRcN0PoY4_rBqDBEMSdEOqIrJLL9b37Xp_hbz14w_QR2xkknavnG5U7shISvUgNwlmWUUW48ILnYuGaXozFELhd5LCn3q0BGVwFUg/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpToACDq_rKgQNqphqPN5HXE4IO7s50H5tqQM1evHRcN0PoY4_rBqDBEMSdEOqIrJLL9b37Xp_hbz14w_QR2xkknavnG5U7shISvUgNwlmWUUW48ILnYuGaXozFELhd5LCn3q0BGVwFUg/s400/10.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Another stunning waterfall captured on the way home, off Milford Sound Highway</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48XsqkllHNbI8EESH3g4L-9OfadCc08hLLVCaPV_5N3fA8HwSt7IQKBqSnDZaaMAdkDa5zvLCfUK6EuR4QGDuREKK5cfRls84k3QPVg5eTIPHR4PdRqKsbhZvWkyCBj3HPsGYr5-s5EmA/s1600/8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48XsqkllHNbI8EESH3g4L-9OfadCc08hLLVCaPV_5N3fA8HwSt7IQKBqSnDZaaMAdkDa5zvLCfUK6EuR4QGDuREKK5cfRls84k3QPVg5eTIPHR4PdRqKsbhZvWkyCBj3HPsGYr5-s5EmA/s400/8.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">More scenes from the journey home.<br />
Still moody, but a little sunshine tried to break through by early afternoon</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">After we dried off back at the hotel, we decided to take a drive over to the Te Anau Wildlife Centre - a great little place to visit. We were lucky enough to see a rare, flightless takahe - a chunky bird that looks like a big blue chicken with a stout red beak. These fellas were thought to be extinct for the longest time, until a few pairs of them were spotted in the mid 1900s on the Murchison Mountains. They look a bit like bigger versions of the not-so-rare pukeko - and birds like this are thought to have been ancestors of the takahe. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0Sy9JrWL5MOEDRrKRcl03Mv0YbAr4_jpnpcZmhzO_918VbDltOLn11iYx3u-vtFk5jthbhX8ohsI9D4-k1pmRSbIFr-0mEv5Mdekwkv_y4lWykDFrOD685zsVeEkgYyF6vyl_bE9T63T/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0Sy9JrWL5MOEDRrKRcl03Mv0YbAr4_jpnpcZmhzO_918VbDltOLn11iYx3u-vtFk5jthbhX8ohsI9D4-k1pmRSbIFr-0mEv5Mdekwkv_y4lWykDFrOD685zsVeEkgYyF6vyl_bE9T63T/s400/3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A pukeko (left) and a takahe (right)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Afterwards we were feeling pretty exhausted to be honest, it had been a long day, although great fun and eventful. I should say that i</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">n addition to his cricket habit, M had begun to develop quite a taste for fast food "Commonwealth style" - pasties, meat pies, and fish & chips had become something he'd beg for each day! So for dinner I gave in to his addiction & we headed out so he could get his fish & chip fix for the day! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0d-4YzoxMMu2ZZWx_WANy2hPWVnAlXZNgwmZrZQXXw4282PwAusYTbqz_gGZxP7N_aEYi9kXk5pAB9XTWzobflMkAGIi1zB8ybO11moi1Fd8XVzjU5VLFxlxZpIG6wNGD8eDLQHUHAN4j/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0d-4YzoxMMu2ZZWx_WANy2hPWVnAlXZNgwmZrZQXXw4282PwAusYTbqz_gGZxP7N_aEYi9kXk5pAB9XTWzobflMkAGIi1zB8ybO11moi1Fd8XVzjU5VLFxlxZpIG6wNGD8eDLQHUHAN4j/s400/4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">He was also quite taken by the newspaper wrapping!</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In spite of the day's amazing scenery, I think this was the bit of the day that he treasured the most.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
</span></div></div>Nickyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09128715948914256094noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638827107613930403.post-56928486466392415352011-02-27T13:34:00.002-05:002011-03-02T08:53:45.214-05:00The NZ Lowdown 5: Fiordland (Part I)<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">After breakfast next morning, we said a sad goodbye to the lovely Queenstown scenery & drove southwest to spend a couple of days in the Fiordland National Park region.</span><br />
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<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Te Anau Was Our First Port Of Call</strong></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The weather was beautiful yet again all day - I think this was actually the warmest day of our trip, it was 80 degrees Farenheit, with an amazingly blue sky - just perfect. We checked into our hotel - a few hours early again, but once more without any hassle from the reception desk - and then we took off into the town to explore a little.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Lunch was followed by a drive around the lake & a little walk around town. And there may have been an ice cream stop at some point too! We'd also decided to take a tour of some Glowworm Caves in the region, so that trip pretty much occupied our afternoon.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The trip began with a cruise across to the western shore of Lake Te Anau. This is the 2nd largest lake in NZ by surface area, & it is beautiful, especially on a bright, sunny day like we were lucky enough to experience. It was so peaceful cruising across & enjoying the scenery aroundabout, as well as seeing all the jet-skiers in action as they'd rush into the wake of the ship to catch some great waves. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjofZLQluJjDSPNRoXIGpZZ5B_O9ePLD5q-wJexgYIeDNy3QaxnP27leKQAOT0_A8ZxJbYs8GdkVjMkMeJSVXSW1fLgIc5karrJW6_uyGI97XPUz-bwCMiDB609em4ZZL8C51wM7rNNEEQr/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjofZLQluJjDSPNRoXIGpZZ5B_O9ePLD5q-wJexgYIeDNy3QaxnP27leKQAOT0_A8ZxJbYs8GdkVjMkMeJSVXSW1fLgIc5karrJW6_uyGI97XPUz-bwCMiDB609em4ZZL8C51wM7rNNEEQr/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The beautiful Lake Te Anau</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The tour company took us to their Cavern House when we disembarked on the shore - that's the only thing there, except for the underground cave world that we visited next! They had a really informative & interesting set of displays there for tourists to see while waiting to take one of the small boats into the caves. Plenty of information about the life cycle of glowworms, as well as the history of the caves. And they had the obligatory coffee & snacks that never fail to make me happy! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheIRzlRILp5XngkL96IDjhqXdv7rvZNvHLGX7mzwquaEhIQYjM2LEOB0CIoOX3JjeHsJNaKg-GDE7CWt1pxnmAegkcxrGxAyWLiB6Ywp3vfb0TljOOiMcekStFUppXfpnctn5s84cxTgvK/s1600/g.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheIRzlRILp5XngkL96IDjhqXdv7rvZNvHLGX7mzwquaEhIQYjM2LEOB0CIoOX3JjeHsJNaKg-GDE7CWt1pxnmAegkcxrGxAyWLiB6Ywp3vfb0TljOOiMcekStFUppXfpnctn5s84cxTgvK/s400/g.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The shore in front of the Cavern House</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Small groups of about 14 of us at a time would then go off on a small boat with a guide to travel a little distance in the limestone caves. It's quite a spectacle - the cave labyrinth is amazing to experience as you walk through a small part of it to reach the boat. There's a fair bit of stooping & bending necessary in order to navigate the caves along the way, & the roar of the rushing water around you is phenomenal to hear. Very powerful.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Photography isn't allowed in the caves since the flash would compete with the light from the glowworms, and therefore prevent us seeing what we'd gone there to see! The glowworm lights are such simple things, but quite special to witness. At least for me anyway. And especially with the roaring water to boot. It all seemed so paradoxical in some ways - the water was so fierce & loud, and yet the glowworm lights were so tiny, delicate & peaceful. Very magical.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaVIRXRxapmaM3UB8e1HB-783aqE9yJiJZVKNBLEbQ3pYvfwgF6VM4N5frUM2gzacL7FTYA8BlFTtpSYeEySuwnrqnzb04OnpVHujTpWkv5_hzeNdPIZwv1Xh8mtfj8KM8pqAQyGSXy1We/s1600/s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaVIRXRxapmaM3UB8e1HB-783aqE9yJiJZVKNBLEbQ3pYvfwgF6VM4N5frUM2gzacL7FTYA8BlFTtpSYeEySuwnrqnzb04OnpVHujTpWkv5_hzeNdPIZwv1Xh8mtfj8KM8pqAQyGSXy1We/s400/s.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">More beautiful scenery around Lake Te Anau</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Once we returned to Te Anau we went off in search of goodies. Since it was such a gorgeous day we'd decided to make full use of it, as well as our surroundings, & so a picnic was in order. We'd scoped out a quiet spot on the lake earlier on our drive, so once we were armed with paper plates, glasses from the hotel room, wine, cheese, meats & crackers, we drove out there again. Once the wine was being chilled (in the lake!), we started snacking!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3D7grzTNCgIQd71LaxR2B3BwSVdEj9Dp0VZMoDUGnBAAdQP6C50n0bQBio7tjXSOklovvta1YG33CRH8DssOpHQ-8kFnxjlgoDqn7oPFvL_XhBcwtRvKnOUizk-jFYwg2fQsgZFXymRY/s1600/n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3D7grzTNCgIQd71LaxR2B3BwSVdEj9Dp0VZMoDUGnBAAdQP6C50n0bQBio7tjXSOklovvta1YG33CRH8DssOpHQ-8kFnxjlgoDqn7oPFvL_XhBcwtRvKnOUizk-jFYwg2fQsgZFXymRY/s400/n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Lakeside snacking</span></span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Afterwards we decided to catch an early night back at the hotel - the next day was due to be an early start for us as we headed north to Milford Sound.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">We'd had a perfect day though.</span><br />
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</span>Nickyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09128715948914256094noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638827107613930403.post-3185759697916045502011-02-24T10:25:00.001-05:002011-02-24T10:26:47.690-05:00The Fruits Of Our Labor<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>The Designated Donor</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">On Monday when I left NY, we packed my car full of as much of the weekend's unpacking as possible - I was the "DD". </span></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cU-G-JGE-p78vz1LBSlxGHbhjlx_C_ROjuHqYDGEdPtiBChKn6gRF4friYMmu_5cgyPg0OCPy3PweyEc1_CRZxm5vXj-2LQFABln35BfAUMImacKwo8M84LIBIBZUSVaaABy_z05jho6/s1600/Bags.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cU-G-JGE-p78vz1LBSlxGHbhjlx_C_ROjuHqYDGEdPtiBChKn6gRF4friYMmu_5cgyPg0OCPy3PweyEc1_CRZxm5vXj-2LQFABln35BfAUMImacKwo8M84LIBIBZUSVaaABy_z05jho6/s400/Bags.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Bags of Tricks</span></td></tr>
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Usually that acronym means I'm the alcohol-free driver for the night. Or that I'm in charge of doing the Dunkin' Donuts run for coffee & hot chocolate.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In this case, however, I was the Designated Donor - a</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> title that I'd bestowed upon myself, I must admit. Control freak that I am, I was pretty sure that if I didn't evacuate as much as possible from the house, that it would somehow find its way into M's permanent collection before my next visit.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">We'd bagged clothing separately from other items like bedding, pillows, blankets & towels. Then after work on Tuesday evening I did a DD run. "Buddy Dog Humane Shelter" in Sudbury, MA are the proud new owners of 8 huge trash bags filled with the bedding & towels etc. And our local Salvation Army were more than keen to relieve my car of the other 7 bags filled with clothes.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I think it's becoming increasingly uncommon now for people to just throw away clothes - I'm sure I speak for most of us in saying that it's probably a natural thought process to donate unwanted clothing. But it might not be second nature to think that way about old bedding & towels.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">As a veterinarian, I know first hand how animal shelters always cherish donations of bedding, towels & the like. So don't throw out your old stuff folks - I guarantee that even if you don't think it's fit for your bed or bathroom any more, it'll be welcomed with open arms by your local shelter. If you don't have one close by, you could even try your your local veterinarian's office, or "doggy daycare" type establishments too - they'll be put to great use!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Don't you just love the feelgood experience when you donate things that you no longer need?</span></div>Nickyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09128715948914256094noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638827107613930403.post-52750939191757665832011-02-21T21:59:00.004-05:002011-02-22T05:35:43.239-05:00Boxed In<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I was fortunate enough to have today off work, courtesy of Presidents' Day, so I'd driven up to upstate NY for the long weekend to see M. Since he has just relocated up to the "North Country" region, we'd signed a lease for a townhouse up there, & he physically moved in on February 1st, with just a couple of car-loads of belongings at that time. Sadly, however, the removal company delivered the rest of his life there last week. He warned me in advance that the whole downstairs area was completely filled with boxes, but I really wasn't quite prepared for the true extent of the carnage until I was face to face with the demons!</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The floor space here was really the only free space available downstairs!<br />
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</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My heart sank when I walked in & saw all the boxes. I already knew that M was a hoarder, but I wasn't quite fully prepared for the full extent of it, & I knew it was going to be a very "long weekend"! M is a total procrastinator, although he does work well when motivated, & especially when he sees rewards from his labor. </span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I knew that if we were going to make any real headway here, I was going to have to find some happy medium between lighting a fire under his ass & hanging back & making the purging seem like it was his idea.</span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I used to think I was a pack-rat until this past weekend. Does anyone else own 3 clothes irons? And truthfully, with all the kitchenware I opened, you'd think Martha Stewart lived there - and I reminded him of this as I was trying to break my way into the kitchen through the pizza boxes & empty Arby's bags…..</span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Dozens of the boxes were literally filled with paperwork just thrown into them - receipts, unopened magazines & newspapers from many years ago, photos, random things like pens, pencils, notepads. You name it, it was probably there. And in multiples of multiples. I didn't know how the weekend was going to pan out. </span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The first day was a hard slog. You know how it feels when you start opening boxes after a move - you work for hours, & even though you feel the physical effects of your efforts, at the end of the day you really only "see" that a little bit of space has been cleared. So, f</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">or a couple of nights, even though I was able to get to the kitchen area to cook, we had no space to sit anywhere, so ate dinner standing against the counter. It usually takes a fair bit to get me to the point where I vocalize that I'm feeling overwhelmed by something, mostly because I tend to deal with stress by digging into the problem & trying to progress to reach some kind of resolution. By Friday evening, however, I was verbalizing my overwhelmed feeling. I felt like we were getting nowhere, & although I could see that boxes were being opened, I could also see that M was merely "relocating" their contents to different rooms! I did at least find some solace in our trash run though - we filled M's car with empty boxes & on our travels late Friday afternoon, we managed to find an empty dumpster to accept them! A small victory.</span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Oh & I was presented with some lovely flowers for my efforts too - what girl couldn't love a man who buys her flowers?</span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Bigger victories followed, however, and from day 2 onwards we managed to start making some serious headway. I don't know how it happened, but the purging began. Extra woks & other pans were allowed to be placed into a box for donation. Clothes were also allowed to be grouped into bags for donation too. I've seriously never known a man who owns so many clothes. I'd estimate that he owns about 10x the amount of clothes that I own, & I'm pretty sure that is an underestimation. And shoes. Jeezy peeps…..somehow I managed to get him to donate a box of old Army boots (about 12 pairs of them). And I lost count of the number of times I heard the phrase: "I've been looking for that!". Oh & let's not mention the 3 trash bags filled with (ancient) Army uniforms to donate. Many of which originated from his basic training days (M has been "Army" for 15 years).</span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Many of the boxes had actually never been opened in about 4 years - they'd been moved from IL to GA & never opened. Then they were placed in storage again while M was overseas last year, & there they remained until they were relocated up to NY last week. </span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sorry - I'm rambling now…...I can summarize the whole experience by telling you I was a little "in shock"! But I can also say that I was really proud of M for all the purging he did though. I understand completely how difficult it is to part with belongings, especially when you've been through life experiences that triggered some kind of "nesting" or "collecting" activity. But I could also tell that he really enjoyed seeing the fruits of his labor once he did start purging, & this kind of inspired him to continue (this shocked me too, I must say! I didn't think we'd purge half as much as we succeeded in dealing with). Although some things were clearly harder than others to part with, & were just sequestered away - like his Boy Scout sleeping mat from a few decades ago. And what 35 year old man doesn't need a Chicago Bears lunchbag?</span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I suggested that the saved lunchbag should hopefully curb the fast-food runs!</span></td></tr>
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</span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Eventually we carved out enough space to be able to open up a table downstairs. It was wonderful being able to sit down to eat dinner. By this point, my catchphrase had become "Go <a href="http://Army.com/">Army.com</a>" since I was sick & tired of opening bags & boxes of goodies with this phrase written on them. M was an Army recruiter in previous years, & still had a veritable collection of just about everything "Army" that you could wish for with that darn motto plastered on it. Pens, pencils, notepads, CDs, staplers, water bottles, T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, computer mousepads, breathalizer sticks……..oh my word, I'm hyperventilating again just thinking about it…..but at least by Day 3 there were even some "Go Army" lawn chairs for us to sit on at dinner time!</span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Anyway, by the time I left this afternoon, we had made a total of 10 dumpster runs, & additionally had filled the downstairs bathroom with trash bags of clothes & bedding to donate. There were many other boxes to donate too. As well as the 3 trash bags & one huge plastic tote box filled with shredded paper, courtesy of the gazillion bank documents etc, that had been kept from back in the days pre-abacus. </span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">At least after 3 days of solid work we were both feeling pretty good with the results, especially as we'd managed to visit some furniture stores over the weekend too, & had chosen some things. So yesterday we did a trash run, purged a heap of boxes & trash, & then headed to the furniture store to order a sofa, some chairs & a split box-spring that will be able to make its way up the stairs. Then we warded off cabin fever by heading out for an afternoon drive. We headed out to Sackets Harbor & watched some loonies walking out on Lake Ontario to do some ice fishing!</span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Walking on Lake Ontario</span></td></tr>
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</span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Ah well, if you're still with me now, thanks! There may even be some community service hours in it for you…….it's been a stressful few days watching the boy purge & not-purge, but overall I'm really proud of him because I know how stressful it is allowing "things" to just disappear from your life.</span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I just spent 5 hours driving back to Massachusetts, & he's playing video games & has been very quiet. I think that sums up how he's feeling about it all!</span><br />
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</span></div></div>Nickyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09128715948914256094noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638827107613930403.post-32726585826125000562011-02-13T17:06:00.000-05:002011-02-13T17:06:02.455-05:00Here's To Bacchus<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Eat, Drink & Be Merry</b></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It's been a stressful time recently since M has not only had to relocate his life to upstate New York in the past couple of weeks, but he's also been awaiting his final divorce settlement. The latter finally happened this past week, so it's been a big relief to both of us. Even though it obviously wasn't me going through it, I have been amazed at how it affected me emotionally too, just as the bystander. I don't think I've ever personally known anyone going through a divorce before. Anyway, it was quite draining on me even, so I'm not only relieved for him that it's over now & he can move on to the next chapter in his life, but also that I can kind of move on too.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I picked him up at the airport on Friday & we enjoyed some quiet time celebrating at home that evening.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We didn't do anything of any real excitement on Saturday, but we did celebrate our first Valentine's Day together - two days early, I know, but we won't get to see each other then, so we fast-forwarded a little! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We'd talked about going out since M wanted to take me out for dinner, but then I suggested staying home & cooking, & eventually we decided on a fondue night. I haven't done any fondue-ing for quite some time - I think the last time I had fondue was about 3 years ago for a birthday celebration. And I certainly haven't played fondue-chef myself for maybe a couple of decades!</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>For Starters</b></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We had a merry old time anyway - we started out with a wine-based, cheese & avocado fondue. I used Gruyere, Emmentaler & Comte cheeses, & that turned out delicious. If anyone is interested in trying it out, this was my simplified version of a few that I came across online:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">- Mix together 2 mashed avocadoes, 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, 1/4 cup of sour cream</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">- Warm up 1/2 cup of dry white wine & gradually add 1lb grated cheese, & keep stirring </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">- Gradually transfer in the avocado mix & continue stirring</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Other herbs/spices can obviously also be added according to preference - garlic, black pepper etc. And you also add extra wine or cheese to the mix if you need it to be thinned or thickened. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">For dippers, we had beef, crusty bread & veggies, but naturally "anything goes" with fondue!</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">For Dessert:</span></span></b></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">When it came to dessert, I couldn't resist a recipe that was shared recently by </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://mommiecooks.com/2011/02/04/family-friendly-fridays-toblerone-fondue">Mommie Cooks</a> on her fabulous site. I love all things chocolate, & you just can't beat Toblerone! Our dessert dippers included chunks of pineapple, melon & muffin! Delicious…..</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We had a lot of leftovers since we were just a twosome for dinner, but I can assure you there will be no waste!</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span>Nickyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09128715948914256094noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638827107613930403.post-24398279188149642662011-02-10T22:18:00.003-05:002011-03-01T21:14:39.063-05:00The NZ Lowdown 4: Destination Queenstown<div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">Lord Of The Rings Country</span></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We left Franz Josef Village early next morning, around 7am, on our way to Queenstown for a couple of days. We had a leisurely 5 or so hours drive, stopping off a fair bit for coffee, snacks & photo opportunities (of which there were very many). Interestingly our weather changed dramatically as we headed inland from the west coast - from characteristically wet with low clouds in the Glacier region, gradually morphing into sunny with blue skies as we progressed toward Queenstown. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But regardless of the location or conditions outside, the scenery was unrelentingly beautiful en-route.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">En-route to Queenstown</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still en-route to Queenstown</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We arrived in Queenstown around lunchtime & checked into our hotel after grabbing a quick bite to eat. Our hotel turned out to be in a great location - and we had a wonderful lake view from our window. Then we were soon on our way again - we'd booked with Nomad Safaris on an afternoon trip called "Safari of the Scenes" - a 4-wheel drive, off-road, guided tour of some of the local regions where scenes from Lord of the Rings was filmed. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There were 6 of us in the Jeep in addition to our guide - a young Brazilian fella called Ugo. He'd lived in NZ for about 5 years & seemed to just love it there, and certainly loved his job. He showed us some of the most amazing scenery, and the afternoon flew by before we knew it.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lord Of The Rings country</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More Lord Of The Rings country</td></tr>
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</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In the middle of the afternoon Ugo took us down by the river. Well actually, he took us into the river! At least where the water level was quite low, anyway. He Jeep'ed around on the water for a while which was quite entertaining. Then we stopped off at one location so we could all try our hand at gold-panning. It would've been wonderful to find our fortune there, but alas, it was not to be! I did find a smidgeon of gold though - just a speck basically, but Ugo kindly packed it in a little container for me to take home!</span></div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little gold-panning!</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The following morning we started out early & began our day on Lake Wakatipu. We cruised across to Walter Peak on TSS Earnslaw - an Edwardian vintage steamship. Quite a historical ship & really interesting to see - we watched the coal for the journey being loaded onto the ship beforehand too! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Wakatipu<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watching the fun on Lake Wakatipu</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yet more beautiful scenery around the lake</td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Across the other side, Walter Peak Station (named after a local mountain) was beautiful to see - a 25,758 hectare working, high country sheep farm on the southern shore of the lake. It has 1500 sheep & 1000 cattle, & the farm's homestead is used to host tourists like us that cruise the lake on the steamship. It's a mere 8 mile trip across the lake on the steamship, but bizarrely if you want to drive out there, its twisted route takes you for 77 miles!</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walter Peak Station</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">After lunch there, we wandered off to check out the animals & we got to feed the sheep, as well as watch the working dogs in action (something I always love to see) and then some sheep shearing and well as wool-spinning!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making friends with the locals</td></tr>
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</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Then it was time to head back across the lake to Queenstown. As soon as we landed & had hit the trough ourselves, we headed up to the Skyline Gondola. The views from the summit there, on Bob's Peak, were just stunning - made all the more beautiful thanks to the gorgeous weather we were having. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Wakatipu viewed from the gondola summit</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More fun over Lake Wakatipu</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A long way from anywhere!</td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">While we were at the summit, M decided he wanted to try his hand on their luge tracks. I wasn't prepared for this since I was wearing a skirt, so that kind of ruled me out of the game! But I certainly enjoyed just hanging out at the top for 40 minutes or so, enjoying the gorgeous, sunny day that we were having, & taking some photos (and having some peace & quiet from M for a while, hehe, but don't tell him I said that!).</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying out the luge at the gondola summit!</td></tr>
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</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">By the end of the day we were exhausted, we'd been out & on the move all day again, and although we were thoroughly loving it all, we're not as young as we used to be, so were definitely feeling weary. Thankfully though, we did at least have enough energy to find the local wine shop before making our way back to the hotel!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</div></div>Nickyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09128715948914256094noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638827107613930403.post-36666968189796790912011-02-08T21:50:00.000-05:002011-02-08T21:50:09.590-05:00Bottling It Up<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I've been having a minor grump this evening - you could call it a culmination of "bottled-up" frustrations of quite some time. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0rIAUZq8TRgfhyphenhyphenwq2MTegpIAlQzzr_RV8EGesSjUykUnyuoXUqk_8ckBWqxT-SGDfvg2jiIyxfQzZYNWzGj_Mo9L7kXg0U-ut540mgE5k_AwW4dc1n8kEdVNUOeq6rVrJ7MvX7vyemLg/s1600/Beer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0rIAUZq8TRgfhyphenhyphenwq2MTegpIAlQzzr_RV8EGesSjUykUnyuoXUqk_8ckBWqxT-SGDfvg2jiIyxfQzZYNWzGj_Mo9L7kXg0U-ut540mgE5k_AwW4dc1n8kEdVNUOeq6rVrJ7MvX7vyemLg/s400/Beer.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The Crux Of The Matter?</span></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My apartment complex has no recycling station (well, except for a trash can for cardboard), so even though it's easy enough to stay green & throw the occasional bottle into a recycling can when I'm on the move, my attempts to help preserve the environment have been somewhat hindered on the home front.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'm trying hard to make a huge concerted effort to recycle, but it's insane how difficult this town makes it! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Since the start of the year I've been separating my recycling & just collecting it in my (miniscule) kitchen, while trying to locate public recycling opportunities. I've been checking out options online, but s</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">o far, my only realistic options are either to take a shovel-load of stuff to a large company & pay to have it taken off my hands…..or take my stuff in dribs & drabs to work maybe & offload bottles, cans, paper etc in the public recycling bins.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So currently the trunk of my car is literally filled with recycling, & my kitchen floor is also continuing to get a bit crowded too! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It seems bizarre to me in this day & age that an apartment community wouldn't offer some streamlined recycling station at least. I'm getting really frustrated because I'm becoming the crazy lady who collects "empties", & I'm also frustrated that my apartment complex has no recycling facility - my town apparently "mandates" recycling, so it's odd that the complex can get away without offering recycling.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'll continue collecting cans in the meantime (I suppose it's better than collecting cats), but I'm very interested in hearing any potential resolutions that you guys can offer, especially if you've also encountered any similar obstacles in the past!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div>Nickyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09128715948914256094noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638827107613930403.post-36818532601393808622011-02-07T22:01:00.003-05:002011-03-01T21:14:29.591-05:00The NZ Lowdown 3: From Greymouth to Glacier Country<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">After 2 lovely days in Christchurch we were on the move. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">First We Headed West</span></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We took the TranzAlpine train across to Greymouth – this is reported to be one of the world’s greatest scenic railway trips, & I can believe it. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The 140 mile journey took about 4 and a half hours, but the time whizzed by so quickly due to the constant sensory-overload from outside. There was even an open air viewing carriage where you could really feel the wind whipping through your hair (but hold on to your caps!) as you clung on to take photographs.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The journey takes you from Christchurch on the east coast, to Greymouth on the west coast, & you get to enjoy a whole mixed bag of beautiful scenery – from farmland to gorges to valleys, as well as spectacular mountain views as you climb through NZ’s Southern Alps, and then finally you hit some rainforest regions, before reaching the final destination.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</span></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Seats are preassigned for you, so you may have a few carriages to walk through before reaching the open car, but we were very fortunate to be in the adjacent one. And similarly we were only a couple of cars away from the café - food onboard is actually very decent, as well as reasonably priced, although some folk had taken their own food along for the ride too.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 3 in NZ & M had already developed a taste for the local brew!</td></tr>
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Once we reached Greymouth, we collected our checked-in luggage & headed over to find our rental car. One thing that M & I constantly bicker about is driving. More specifically, his driving. I swear he’s always in combat mode. I’m not a nervous passenger, but he is one of the most aggressive drivers I’ve ever driven with. So we’d agreed in advance that I’d be the one to start off the driving on our trip since I’m English & therefore used to driving on the left side of the road in the right side of a car. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Although it was nice to feel more independently mobile again, knowing we could stop whenever we felt like & drive wherever we wanted, I’d now lost the ability to stare lovingly out of windows at the beautiful scenes around me. But at least we were both also in agreement about the fact that we were happy to stop wherever and whenever we felt like.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;"><b>Then South To Franz Josef</b></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And so we set off in our car, headed south to the Glacier Country of Westland National Park, specifically to Franz Josef Glacier. The car journey was lovely, taking us through spectacular rainforest areas. By the time we reached our hotel in the village of Franz Josef, it was raining quite nicely, with extremely low cloud cover that looked quite eerie, hanging over the mountains. We drove out to the Glacier region & went hiking, in spite of the weather - have raincoats, will travel!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The walk initially took us through some rain forest, then across a rocky path through the glacier valley, along the icy flow of the Waiho River. Eventually we reached the terminal face of Franz Josef Glacier, which remained an impressive sight, despite the weather. The top of the glacier was still a brilliant blue color, even in the grey, misty conditions – quite amazing to think that this glow represents a million tons of ice! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing the glacier valley toward the icy, terminal face</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arriving at the terminal face of Franz Josef Glacier</td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The glacier forms from heavy layers of snow that compact to produce the hard, blue ice. The combination of snow pressure and gravity force ice down the valley to within 200 meters of sea level where the face is constantly melting. Franz Josef is reportedly the most dynamic glacier in the world since its steepness & location allow it to respond very quickly to changes in temperature & precipitation.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It’s somewhat surreal knowing you are standing at the foot of an ice wall that’s as wide as a valley and has been known to be in the phase of advancing one meter each day.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We walked as far as we could, to within meters of the terminal face – the actual face is roped-off to tourists for safety reasons – to protect people from being caught by falling ice or river surges. Quite a sight though.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Eventually we realized we had soaked in more scenery during that day than we’d ever experienced in a single day previously. We hiked back to the car, & then it was off to our hotel to dry off before testing out some local cuisine & aperitifs to close out the evening!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div>Nickyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09128715948914256094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638827107613930403.post-11024720473857883022011-02-04T23:09:00.004-05:002011-03-01T21:14:20.990-05:00The NZ Lowdown 2: Christchurch (Part II)<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Our 2</span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">nd</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> day in the city brought a mix of entertainment:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">The Christchurch Gondola</span></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We started our day at the Christchurch Gondola - this is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city, & for very good reason too. The cars take you up high over the city, 1500 ft above sea level, where the views are just gorgeous.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The tourist center at the summit sits on the rim of Mount Cavendish, the extinct volcano that had formed Lyttelton Harbour. And around the rim there are numerous walking & mountain biking tracks. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lyttelton Harbour from the Gondola station at the summit</td></tr>
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The weather was beautiful when we were there, so we had some great 360 degree views out across the Southern Alps, as well as out toward the Pacific Ocean. We walked a little around part of the rim & then hit the café for a beer & some lunch before heading back down to earth again.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">Next Stop Was The Botanic Gardens</span></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This is a fantastic resource for the city. It was founded back in 1863, extends over about 30 hectares along the Avon River, & is open every day of the year since it’s not gated. It is such a beautiful environment - whether for enjoying the gardens themselves, for just walking around in general, or for picnicking in nice weather. I especially loved their Rose Garden though - it contains over 250 different roses.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>The Heart Of The Great Alone</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As we were leaving, we popped into the Canterbury Museum on the periphery of the gardens. They are currently hosting “The Heart Of The Great Alone” - an exhibition of the most amazing photographs of Antarctica, taken by Captain Robert Scott’s team photographers during their last expedition, “Terra Nova” (1910-1913) in which 5 of the team tragically died trying to return from the South Pole.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This exhibition was remarkable – the photos & narratives from Scott's last diary remain vivid in my mind. Many were exceptionally poignant – especially the story of one of the team, Edgar Evans. During their return from the South Pole, they encountered life-threatening blizzard conditions which hindered them significantly. Evans also became injured, which slowed their progress even further. He realized he was a burden to the rest of the team, & knew he was reducing their survival chances. Selflessly, he left their tent one night, saying “I am just going outside & may be some time.” He walked to his death in the blizzard. A truly amazing story that still brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</span></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>The Ice Bar</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Not content with a couple of hours of Antarctic ice, we hit the Below Zero Ice Bar in Christchurch’s city center on our way back to the hotel. Such a fun experience! Everything in the bar is made of ice – from the glasses for your vodka cocktails, to the seats you sit on! It’s very impressive – all hand-sculpted from about 20 tons of ice. They kit you out with a big furry jacket, gloves & furry boots before you go in though, so you get to stay relatively cozy inside.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So, another fun day in Christchurch for us. We wrapped up the day by heading to a local Irish bar for dinner before finally returning to the hotel to pack, ready for our next venture the following day.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div>Nickyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09128715948914256094noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638827107613930403.post-12516434378529962672011-02-02T22:44:00.005-05:002011-03-01T21:14:10.569-05:00The NZ Lowdown 1: Christchurch (Part I)<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It was first stop Christchurch as we began our adventure on the South Island. We landed there mid morning on Sunday & found the shuttle service that I’d booked to take us to our hotel in the city center. The hotel was also kind enough to allow us to check in very early at no extra cost – great news for us after being in transit for over 24 hours. I have to admit too, that this was somewhat of a recurring theme throughout the vacation – almost everywhere that we traveled, we arrived earlier than the scheduled hotel check-in time, yet every single hotel allowed us into our room early (often many hours early, as in this case). This has never happened to me anywhere else - a very nice bonus.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Despite being tired, we decided to keep going as long as possible so we could “get in the zone”, as it were. So after checking in, we checked out some cracks in the hotel’s corridor walls (courtesy of last September’s 7.1 magnitude earthquake), showered, had coffee, & rested a while. M discovered cricket on Sky TV. “What a terribly boring game”, he announced, & returned to the news channel.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We soon headed out though, & wandered into Cathedral Square since this was just minutes walk from our hotel. Whether you wanted architecture, street performers, food trucks, coffee, restaurants, bars, tourist information, or just a chance to sit & enjoy the sunshine, it was all right there. Along with a huge digital countdown clock heralding the upcoming Rugby World Cup, which will be in NZ this September. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Chalice" - the city's 18 meter high sculpture to celebrate the new millennium.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpDhbNOnXvVcYWCmPDoinau9Fn9afzvghi6s1kWEv926hNh2m1dCa-ihc6PGVdcxNzqdP-Mvyk2Oi4Uf-V8MOHc5XqYyomQCoroCo7J7lpTPB0gBMcsUL5KT-qf3Ow0wd0crKzTJEmmBs-/s1600/IMG_0023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpDhbNOnXvVcYWCmPDoinau9Fn9afzvghi6s1kWEv926hNh2m1dCa-ihc6PGVdcxNzqdP-Mvyk2Oi4Uf-V8MOHc5XqYyomQCoroCo7J7lpTPB0gBMcsUL5KT-qf3Ow0wd0crKzTJEmmBs-/s400/IMG_0023.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christchurch Cathedral</td></tr>
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">After some food we strangely decided to head straight back to the airport region - namely to the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.iceberg.co.nz/">Christchurch International Antarctic Centre</a>. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I’ve always been fascinated by the Antarctic, so this was a wonderful place for me to while away the afternoon. They have some great exhibit areas in general, as well as video footage to enjoy. Their 4D movie of an Antarctic cruise was hilarious – my first 4D experience - beautiful scenery & footage of Antarctica, but be prepared to be splashed in your seat!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Their indoor polar room was an experience – it’s chilled to -5 degrees Celsius with additional cycles of an Antarctic storm to “enjoy” every 30 minutes, providing 40km/hr winds courtesy of their wind chill machine. So all in all you get to be blown away by temperatures that take you down to -18 degrees Celsius! That was quite something – they provide you with warm jackets & rubber overshoes, but it’s still frigid! I just can’t imagine enduring those conditions for any length of time.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGr-Lp53KxufGjtHd1P_TmTB_axMEGHoY5c7U39dG1VcLLbfJDcQPftzmcoTAFmEhnPyfOsCU_bX9rFQREEtPbaBFp1CmRacu_7wEP7Z8kxu7xwJxFePO2zj9I7nesLq69_PJ6v0wT6jm2/s1600/IMG_0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGr-Lp53KxufGjtHd1P_TmTB_axMEGHoY5c7U39dG1VcLLbfJDcQPftzmcoTAFmEhnPyfOsCU_bX9rFQREEtPbaBFp1CmRacu_7wEP7Z8kxu7xwJxFePO2zj9I7nesLq69_PJ6v0wT6jm2/s400/IMG_0008.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I loved the motion blur on this photo when we got into the negative temperatures - so cold I couldn't even vaguely keep the camera still! M decided that maybe his pending relocation to upstate NY temperatures might not be so bad after all.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Sutb3NjvVL8CEb0-qC1qKMbNDMke4SAzGi_hQBftL8oA2mWGYGj3WBAyAljbjrQHhzu22uwnxZKFOiKVGteTMkTZ8mxn5tXFsnxzcmaT7YvBtVIEGEsutZ_tLlSTWOa5KNlcnVmfMWvT/s1600/IMG_0017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Sutb3NjvVL8CEb0-qC1qKMbNDMke4SAzGi_hQBftL8oA2mWGYGj3WBAyAljbjrQHhzu22uwnxZKFOiKVGteTMkTZ8mxn5tXFsnxzcmaT7YvBtVIEGEsutZ_tLlSTWOa5KNlcnVmfMWvT/s400/IMG_0017.jpg" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The centre's penguin mascot was all too keen to pose for photos - but at least he was a bit more at-home with the temperatures than the rest of us.</span></span></span></span></td></tr>
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Taking a ride in their Hagglund all-terrain vehicle </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">on their outdoor adventure course was something else too – <a href="http://www.iceberg.co.nz/pages/7/hagglund-ride.htm">this little video</a> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">will more quickly demonstrate it better than I can describe it.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGBS_jD8a0bxcT_D6AQgfMaIs3iWJl3Dq3Lx2fseZ-4Fli02cJHayKWQlUCrdsiAAfw9cZqgKPG6Rid79RrBsT1PKM1TaOmhpxskgExC779BJ8sVZojkIWOZGzgBP3qVJw9U17Tfs4AzNP/s1600/IMG_0021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGBS_jD8a0bxcT_D6AQgfMaIs3iWJl3Dq3Lx2fseZ-4Fli02cJHayKWQlUCrdsiAAfw9cZqgKPG6Rid79RrBsT1PKM1TaOmhpxskgExC779BJ8sVZojkIWOZGzgBP3qVJw9U17Tfs4AzNP/s400/IMG_0021.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hagglund vehicles outside the US Antarctic Program Building</td></tr>
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We also saw their Little Blue Penguins & were lucky enough to catch their feeding time. I love penguins & these little guys were adorable to watch – they are the smallest of all penguins & only grow to about 13 inches tall, & weigh only a couple of pounds. They are predominantly found along the coasts of NZ & Australia & their surrounding islands. The little fellas here have all been rescued from the wild due to illness or disabilities that would prevent them surviving in their natural habitat.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqPKAExOZmvljbuB_yYhbiRwxDkpPRSEH_3-5mZ5_Evg_KIKV3CGy8dFTel4NAchzJOl-aMten_m6B7gZXZiR0nF4Qx4NyHGRbRRsi16Eq-NeZ1rMZ4m-AyjqTZi5SWvC4U2Qhn-55V2J/s1600/IMG_0518-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqPKAExOZmvljbuB_yYhbiRwxDkpPRSEH_3-5mZ5_Evg_KIKV3CGy8dFTel4NAchzJOl-aMten_m6B7gZXZiR0nF4Qx4NyHGRbRRsi16Eq-NeZ1rMZ4m-AyjqTZi5SWvC4U2Qhn-55V2J/s400/IMG_0518-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some Little Blue Penguins</td></tr>
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Prior to our trip I’d read variable reports from other people about this center – many saying it wasn’t worth the admission fee of NZ$65 (about US$51 at the current exchange rate). In retrospect, I wonder if they were mostly folk who were expecting some kind of entertainment park, so their expectations were very different from reality. Maybe the place is best suited for someone who is interested in enhancing their learning about the continent, or using it as a learning tool for kids who are old enough to participate. Very young kids might be too young to really get anything more from the experience than just enjoying seeing the penguins. For me though, I found the place good value since I spent the entire afternoon there & thoroughly enjoyed the experience. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We left the center late afternoon & took a shuttle back to Cathedral Square. After some more food, we collected some goodies in the form of NZ wine & accompanying snacks to take back to the hotel. It didn’t take long for sleep to enter the agenda though. A small glass of wine & it was all over for the early evening.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div>Nickyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09128715948914256094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638827107613930403.post-28994847656682392062011-02-01T19:42:00.000-05:002011-02-01T19:42:17.312-05:00The NZ Lowdown: Getting There<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It's time to document our New Zealand trip! I’ve decided to recount the trip here while it’s fresh in my mind – it’ll serve as a fun reminder of a wonderful vacation whenever I look back on it.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This was my first visit to NZ – a country I’ve always looked forward to seeing, so it felt somewhat surreal to be finally heading there. We set out late afternoon on Friday Jan 7</span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">th</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> from Boston to San Francisco, & I was dreading the long flight out to Auckland since I don’t deal well with overnight international flights when I fly back to my native England – I never sleep, & end up horribly exhausted. The trans-Pacific flight was surprisingly ok though – I think the even longer flight enabled me to have enough time to eat, watch a movie & then snooze every so often, so I definitely didn’t feel as bad on arriving in Auckland as I’d expected to.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Air NZ were also great to fly with. Like with some other airlines, you have your own TV screen & a large choice of movies & TV programs. I found their seats slightly wider than average, and legroom was also slightly increased – definitely helpful for overnight comfort. Their food was also pretty decent, & they were very generous with complimentary wines & beers whenever we wanted them. Most importantly though, the crew was great – extremely pleasant, helpful & fun to chat to, & they even had a concierge on board who was available for the entire flight if passengers had questions about their NZ destination. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Their Safety Video was also awesome - check it out here, I guarantee it’ll give you a laugh!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9f1awn9vBZE?fs=1" width="425"></iframe></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Their luggage restrictions are very strict, but they do state this on their website, & they also reminded me of this when I spoke to them by phone beforehand. Your checked bag cannot exceed 50lb/23kg, so be mindful of this. I typically travel light, so didn’t expect this to be a problem, but my camera gear & tripod took me very close to the limit, so do weigh your bag at home as you’re packing.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Arriving in Auckland on the North Island early Sunday morning on the 9th was lovely – we’d left a cold, snowy Boston, & suddenly it’s balmy & people are wearing shorts. Unbelievably, we’d had no travel hitches, & arrived with plenty of time to navigate through customs & immigration & then on to a different terminal for a connecting flight to Christchurch to begin our South Island adventure.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It felt great to be there – but very odd to have lost Saturday in the meantime!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div>Nickyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09128715948914256094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638827107613930403.post-29087434511698433762011-01-28T08:45:00.005-05:002011-02-01T19:21:55.507-05:00Snow Joke<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Well there's nothing like walking on beaches one day, & then digging a couple of feet of snow the next! We finally arrived home from New Zealand late Tuesday night & laughed when we spotted our cars in the parking lot - actually they were more recognisable because they were the only two cars that weren't very visible due to being boxed in by snow.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So Wednesday afternoon brought on the Big Dig:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I always love the icicles this time of year - they remind me of huge stalactites!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Anyway, we had an absolutely fabulous trip & could've easily stayed much longer - there was no "we had a good time but are looking forward to being home" feeling. I could easily live very contentedly in NZ, it's a very beautiful country, with the most amazing scenery - you can go from rainforest to fiordland, mountain, sandy beach or city within a couple of hours of each other, it's quite spectacular. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I especially loved the relative solitude over there, even though it's their summer & high tourist season. NZ is about the same size as my homeland in the UK as far as landmass goes, but contains only 10% of the population. It was great being able to enjoy hanging out in bars or restaurants without being crowded, & similarly with regards to attractions that we visited. In my younger years I was always a city person when it came to where I wanted to live, enjoying the hustle bustle of activities that cities had to offer. But over the years I've come to much more prefer living in quieter regions & traveling into the city whenever I needed a "fix". So I could definitely appreciate living in some of the beautiful lake or mountain regions of NZ.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Two and a half weeks definitely wasn't enough for me, but it was certainly a great amount of time to get a good sampler of the different regions of the country. I'm going to gradually share photos here from the trip so those of you who've never visited NZ can enjoy some of the nice scenery by proxy at least!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In the meantime, it's back to reality in chilly New England. Shortly after Wednesday's Big Dig it started snowing again. A few hours later we'd had another foot or so of snow & my car required another 40 minutes of digging out at 5am before work yesterday morning (although I was very grateful to M who wrapped up warm to go & dig it out for me!). The snow piles are ridiculous right now:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And parking is even more of a nightmare - hehe!</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXo_LOkVAnWMw-vxXQStXfwlDZCBFF1-1UUYMAz6L0Uoz2nVT95dR6oud0xBi8bMuYx3BjEvOav1cApZzxKWNKpCrGXhqFes3sG0M2R3hzebAAcDxKZH7wYRjCFclkIGIPQ7mPTc_AL8k/s1600/snow2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXo_LOkVAnWMw-vxXQStXfwlDZCBFF1-1UUYMAz6L0Uoz2nVT95dR6oud0xBi8bMuYx3BjEvOav1cApZzxKWNKpCrGXhqFes3sG0M2R3hzebAAcDxKZH7wYRjCFclkIGIPQ7mPTc_AL8k/s320/snow2.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Hope you're all well folks - I'll try & catch up soon!</span></div><div align="center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><br />
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</div>Nickyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09128715948914256094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638827107613930403.post-4957760365558716162011-01-06T22:29:00.004-05:002011-02-01T19:22:11.525-05:00Roll Out The Barrell<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Well it's been a busy start to the year so far. We spent a couple of days in Boston to end 2010 and ring in 2011. The weather here over the New Year weekend was remarkably nice for this time of year - temperatures were in the high 40s to low 50s & it was bright & sunny - perfect for walking around comfortably without 6 layers of clothing!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We spent the afternoon of New Year's Eve at the Sam Adams Brewery in the city - despite having lived here for over 5 years, I'd never been to the brewery before. It was really busy that day - clearly many others had similar ideas on how to spend the day!</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Lots of fun though - tours last almost an hour & end in their drinking room with 3 samples of Mr Adams' finest on offer!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The city was busy around dinner time, unsurprisingly. Naturally we didn't have dinner reservations but did still manage to get a table at a lovely Italian restaurant in the North End. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We wandered back to the hotel after dinner, & despite having grand ideas about heading out in time for midnight fireworks at Boston Harbor, we were tucked up in bed & fast asleep by about 10:30pm!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Next morning we took advantage of the continued nice weather though & took a walk around Bunker Hill to take in some history before heading back home.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Since we'd fallen asleep early the previous evening, we'd missed out on our champagne, so we decided to have some sparkly stuff on Saturday evening instead - along with some tasty ice cream cake (we couldn't go wrong - it had peanut butter in it!), especially since we were celebrating my birthday a few days early due to M's absence on the day.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">He had to head back down to GA on Sunday to finish the clearing process on base down there. I'm pleased to say that he returned tonight though - and tomorrow we fly out to New Zealand!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span>Nickyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09128715948914256094noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638827107613930403.post-18051054397179678992011-01-02T15:39:00.006-05:002011-02-01T19:21:37.148-05:00Happy New Year<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Well Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas, with at least a day or two off to enjoy in your own special way. </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It's been a busy one for me, but very enjoyable. Last year I'd saved a bunch of vacation days to use at the end of the year & it gave me a lovely extended holiday, so I decided to do the same again this year. Last Christmas I visited the Grand Canyon & had decided to do something equally fun this year. Naturally though, I was unaware that I'd be having company this Christmas!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Regardless though, my saved vacation days this year enabled me to finish work on December 21st, & I don't return until tomorrow, January 3rd. Since I do have the privilege of having someone nice in my life now, I was lucky enough not to have to spend the holidays alone again. I've always been very resourceful on my own & always put my free time to good use - being single has never stopped me traveling or enjoying life. But I'm sure the majority of folk will agree that fun times are even better when enjoyed with good company.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This holiday just happens to also coincide with M's relocation - he is in the process of a PCS from GA to NY, so is using the time to enjoy a heap of his saved leave. So we decided to combine business with pleasure over Christmas, & drove out to Watertown, upstate NY for a couple of days to do some apartment-hunting. Then we continued on to spend a couple of days on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This was my 2nd trip to the Falls - I was there in July 2009, so as you can imagine, the scenery was quite different this time of year! I was excited about capturing the falls at night since they are lit up so beautifully. My wonderful man was a real trooper, in spite of the frigid temperatures, & humored me quite nicely by carrying my tripod and never complaining about freezing his bum off on Christmas Eve!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I loved the view of the Canadian or Horseshoe falls with the freezing mist rising up high!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBX7bLJsJNcj3QylcqIieBi-m0Vcf1EEa-T09SxPrQp0Efytx1qW46pEFPucttnKmz2x7MXCEbq-IEOb9Q4xVmygJOIuZHUWHxeZg9Q1cvwaV1cKTKtx0d0nk7yZyCgFD8vl1vDV3oc-DN/s1600/Niagara-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBX7bLJsJNcj3QylcqIieBi-m0Vcf1EEa-T09SxPrQp0Efytx1qW46pEFPucttnKmz2x7MXCEbq-IEOb9Q4xVmygJOIuZHUWHxeZg9Q1cvwaV1cKTKtx0d0nk7yZyCgFD8vl1vDV3oc-DN/s320/Niagara-1.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The American Falls & Bridal Veil Falls were kind of joined at the hip by chunks of ice, and looked fabulous, especially all lit up.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM0N5t-ZKFuVMTLEG3ApBk-ZamUXL88xJpmzJvY-BRc7FgjAF-Yw7r7FPvgUrUAjP4TtQGel802RVgopbSth2gz0W0r49VlKg8UxuKZ9SqqTvj6rfRqu1fERLAXmidEfLkbjWkiPzIl346/s1600/Niagara-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM0N5t-ZKFuVMTLEG3ApBk-ZamUXL88xJpmzJvY-BRc7FgjAF-Yw7r7FPvgUrUAjP4TtQGel802RVgopbSth2gz0W0r49VlKg8UxuKZ9SqqTvj6rfRqu1fERLAXmidEfLkbjWkiPzIl346/s320/Niagara-2.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We were also lucky enough to catch some fireworks over the Falls on Christmas Eve too!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheaXbDHKcRgZrcHzpz38Hb8edFRIO9BivU4wWKhtblIKh5Y51APx82vMlq_H76vb5W2zn5wNfF5z9a5HNQ-WfVzywaM6YpSPv6AVtzs10IoSZ7_f1romyaekyGYWucdf1sROP_WdTuEuD3/s1600/Niagara-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheaXbDHKcRgZrcHzpz38Hb8edFRIO9BivU4wWKhtblIKh5Y51APx82vMlq_H76vb5W2zn5wNfF5z9a5HNQ-WfVzywaM6YpSPv6AVtzs10IoSZ7_f1romyaekyGYWucdf1sROP_WdTuEuD3/s320/Niagara-3.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We went back for more freezing temperatures on Christmas morning to catch the scenery in daylight too. Needless to say, the mist remained the dominant feature of the Canadian Falls!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlhbeHLK4Ec0EnGWzd9G5DKvUbaXtFMJ8b4ilLF0YUQPA75YSdywguiYPVCmsCyXJl0opB30TWbajmurSsIxYu88hZOMfc06cvSb3oUycegxZ_dw2c-YLUhcDe6Mt_fp0pe1ZwwhZlenaF/s1600/Niagara-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlhbeHLK4Ec0EnGWzd9G5DKvUbaXtFMJ8b4ilLF0YUQPA75YSdywguiYPVCmsCyXJl0opB30TWbajmurSsIxYu88hZOMfc06cvSb3oUycegxZ_dw2c-YLUhcDe6Mt_fp0pe1ZwwhZlenaF/s320/Niagara-4.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I especially loved the white-out view of the Canadian Falls at Table Rock.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWnaxr56168xngPOuAi1Bw3d75KwcFrs6pBUZy7LCZZuLZQzuhOlXPYGCiAJVB310KUi-ix4lDLCNH1D_o1LLgj8E4de9J2E1f-d1HKOnV1p9NkhCc0OR03Z0dBVllcojYecmc6HKpppfm/s1600/Niagara-5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWnaxr56168xngPOuAi1Bw3d75KwcFrs6pBUZy7LCZZuLZQzuhOlXPYGCiAJVB310KUi-ix4lDLCNH1D_o1LLgj8E4de9J2E1f-d1HKOnV1p9NkhCc0OR03Z0dBVllcojYecmc6HKpppfm/s320/Niagara-5.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And it was also great to see the icy slabs over the American & Bridal Veil Falls in daylight too!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgN14m-ZzfuUld5UqlQ2kqB-BKZ6fFpymm394KMAoambFczStmTrvTB67_z92KUmUhnzKnoK_Sod6dYZ1nnw39NShKoQMX3iFJjFmgEaEJmmHnrwuwVro7GZw4D0RLiYFagwoOmW4Zv7YD/s1600/Niagara-6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgN14m-ZzfuUld5UqlQ2kqB-BKZ6fFpymm394KMAoambFczStmTrvTB67_z92KUmUhnzKnoK_Sod6dYZ1nnw39NShKoQMX3iFJjFmgEaEJmmHnrwuwVro7GZw4D0RLiYFagwoOmW4Zv7YD/s320/Niagara-6.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Afterwards on Christmas Day we had some indoor fun doing some </span><a href="http://niagarafreefall.com/freefall/index.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">indoor skydiving at this place!</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Sadly we couldn't take cameras inside, so I have no pics of us in action, but it was fabulous fun. There is a video on the webpage that you can check out though, so you can get an idea of how it works.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Later we drove out to Niagara On The Lake, a little way outside the Falls region, and visited Fort Niagara. Although it was ridiculously cold, we still really enjoyed wandering around the site, and the snowy scenes really added a very bleak perspective on how life must've been for soldiers there back in the day.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggkrABkaHfztRm8Lvbnjj33icDHSqEagsn7I7jDzDtO1P99FPwnP7afZ6TMqUYoHtXdmpLaPbL6r_vUSGG0BMPg8tHLjslAF7r4ZfyicaRK4Gqj5enH6mYgw2n1zYElNwHb_9yrBFkanSQ/s1600/Fort+Niagara-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggkrABkaHfztRm8Lvbnjj33icDHSqEagsn7I7jDzDtO1P99FPwnP7afZ6TMqUYoHtXdmpLaPbL6r_vUSGG0BMPg8tHLjslAF7r4ZfyicaRK4Gqj5enH6mYgw2n1zYElNwHb_9yrBFkanSQ/s320/Fort+Niagara-1.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Christmas evening brought a nice dinner at Canyon Creek, one of the restaurants in the Fallsview Casino. Any of you who've been to Niagara Falls will know that it's horrendously touristy and over-priced, especially when it comes to eating out. Combine this with a major holiday & you're left with less of a choice when it comes to where to eat for the evening! So we were doubly open-minded about what lay ahead, but ended up extremely happy with the outcome! We both had decent food & also managed to get a nice view of the Falls from the nearby window too!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBKZf75uZ4wFYdHlYqHno-3MpabLtp0uhjLNJ7gaiCDq2Q5N3Ap1N-yMU1Uacfl2DvqNOIJY4hH_rTGviZ5h99_CXxIcW6eEMbL4RUUM9cEEbX2GBgyeP6c_lvXO-_Byjo71IvGTUMKj5/s1600/Xmas+night-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBKZf75uZ4wFYdHlYqHno-3MpabLtp0uhjLNJ7gaiCDq2Q5N3Ap1N-yMU1Uacfl2DvqNOIJY4hH_rTGviZ5h99_CXxIcW6eEMbL4RUUM9cEEbX2GBgyeP6c_lvXO-_Byjo71IvGTUMKj5/s320/Xmas+night-2.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I mentioned earlier that we'd started out in Watertown, NY to do some apartment-hunting. We had a really busy day of this on the 23rd, & found 3 decent prospects; however, late afternoon we found a random apartment complex by accident that was very new, & decided it would be worth a look. Sadly they had already closed for the holiday, but we were both in agreement that we'd prefer to see it & not like it, than ignore it & always wonder!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So after our Canadian adventure, it was back to Watertown on the 26th to check out this place! We stayed over at The Inn at Fort Drum on the base, & then drove to the new apartment complex early on the 27th. We were so glad we'd taken the time to come back to it - their townhomes are beautiful & this place turned out to be the winner for us, & the paperwork was signed & made official there & then after we'd seen a couple of different home options.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Then we headed back to the Boston region & took the long but scenic route through the Adirondacks. Somewhere north of Lake Placid I caught this lovely snow scene:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKl5F6KnafpbKM0QHN-Y96X2gRPbcdHaGzb3UomK33NxiZRKIE3Rado6V8pGHZSUlwkChgs25XiuZRfY3aC16LifCEOSltKqZRF30eoj9UI1vqHgStSncVgqqmnk6hPoaTlbenO0t0wYnt/s1600/Lake+Placid+region.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKl5F6KnafpbKM0QHN-Y96X2gRPbcdHaGzb3UomK33NxiZRKIE3Rado6V8pGHZSUlwkChgs25XiuZRfY3aC16LifCEOSltKqZRF30eoj9UI1vqHgStSncVgqqmnk6hPoaTlbenO0t0wYnt/s320/Lake+Placid+region.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">OK folks, I'm going to end this post here, I'd hate to prolong it further & bore you you to tears with New Year's Eve's commentary too!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Hope you managed to ring out a great end to 2010 & ring in an even better 2011. Here's to a wonderfully prosperous year for us all.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span>Nickyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09128715948914256094noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638827107613930403.post-74625546373465709102010-12-19T19:05:00.003-05:002011-02-01T19:21:06.725-05:00The Drive-Thru<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Last month I had a really fun experience at Georgia's "Pine Mountain Wild Animal Park". I remember going to safari parks a lot when I was a kid because there's one located only about a 20 minute drive from where my parents live. But it's been decades since I last visited one.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO9GzAoShB8Yb8rlf2GHznIvemuDpKqVZJn8No-_sey1rMyxerYmfDzlijqxKeSFKpRVCPUYltmXW9d1DtC02x4bysEgr8KDvGwHlimeC7PQO_1y4FRm4RdVRSavZ_H1Sf5F8epki0ilCi/s1600/IMG_0076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO9GzAoShB8Yb8rlf2GHznIvemuDpKqVZJn8No-_sey1rMyxerYmfDzlijqxKeSFKpRVCPUYltmXW9d1DtC02x4bysEgr8KDvGwHlimeC7PQO_1y4FRm4RdVRSavZ_H1Sf5F8epki0ilCi/s320/IMG_0076.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It was a real treat spending the afternoon there. They even have dedicated vans that you can rent for your drive-thru so you don't have to risk your own car.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL6R42wHabvR3wCACg_w2MSMSGMNX4KEsyLk9owdcZSi3AxLeraTfev7nGLU0_69lh4bLNuFSTaaKeYJdPfjYTGE7iZMluwRbfiAYkZAu1EwhVtyJFCaarJqBKb03ADqHd_nOBhLUAeFdh/s1600/IMG_0011_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL6R42wHabvR3wCACg_w2MSMSGMNX4KEsyLk9owdcZSi3AxLeraTfev7nGLU0_69lh4bLNuFSTaaKeYJdPfjYTGE7iZMluwRbfiAYkZAu1EwhVtyJFCaarJqBKb03ADqHd_nOBhLUAeFdh/s320/IMG_0011_2.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">You just drive through the park on the designated road & enjoy seeing the animals flock to you! </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0u-KSvJlkUEJveBTi5VvNhHu6HfEQfjAz9GLKKjTCj2i3fsktBJRAR37RU1jF7gHJW4E4SGNRwxmFSb5ktGzx0CjyLEJA0PwJbajwjdaAY-dDUP4pNk_D7dOwC8ByPTlXbUpDnHr3T79g/s1600/IMG_0117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0u-KSvJlkUEJveBTi5VvNhHu6HfEQfjAz9GLKKjTCj2i3fsktBJRAR37RU1jF7gHJW4E4SGNRwxmFSb5ktGzx0CjyLEJA0PwJbajwjdaAY-dDUP4pNk_D7dOwC8ByPTlXbUpDnHr3T79g/s320/IMG_0117.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">They certainly are not shy - you can buy animal feed to throw out to them, so they are extremely accustomed to approaching you in the hope of getting a treat or three. Many of them have no problem sticking their heads into your window if there's enough room.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It's a real gem of a place - we only found it because we were doing some online research trying to find local places for day trips. It's kind of tucked away off the beaten track, & not too well signposted until you're almost right there.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We had such a fun time, it was just a drive full of laughs. I tell you, animals really bring out the best in me. I loved the whole experience, but I think my favorites were the pigs - especially the dozens of piglets that were kicking around at that time. I love those little things! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1cDXrQY5Purh_cd3_07pE7497L30uo1btXomaHtnzupKRYfMyLxGF1adZiRmM-TpfO5vXE7PhgY-Z-hxl0rIIztB5QhbCd-9ybE2C-0qdSmt2c6__KkfQ24RYtMaNUMJY9ivg7rAb-QV/s1600/IMG_0054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1cDXrQY5Purh_cd3_07pE7497L30uo1btXomaHtnzupKRYfMyLxGF1adZiRmM-TpfO5vXE7PhgY-Z-hxl0rIIztB5QhbCd-9ybE2C-0qdSmt2c6__KkfQ24RYtMaNUMJY9ivg7rAb-QV/s320/IMG_0054.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">They also have a separate section that you can walk through, & we were lucky enough to catch one of their latest additions having an afternoon snack - this "little" guy was only a month old!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB6XeRr3NEB66URqIhF6rzkrwBH6fF72ILovT9TBvXwifU3OVZE8M00Yw3mEF9JgfeijNSOMbbV45KqmS7cBBvh8JUOnc-DOU9T7kCFVAwj0n6M3RJJxdtCFgakox0Qdedek2iVUVZmXU8/s1600/IMG_0077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB6XeRr3NEB66URqIhF6rzkrwBH6fF72ILovT9TBvXwifU3OVZE8M00Yw3mEF9JgfeijNSOMbbV45KqmS7cBBvh8JUOnc-DOU9T7kCFVAwj0n6M3RJJxdtCFgakox0Qdedek2iVUVZmXU8/s320/IMG_0077.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So be sure to check it out if you're in the area - I guarantee you'll have a lot of laughs.</span><br />
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</span>Nickyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09128715948914256094noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638827107613930403.post-25925031821073542010-12-15T20:55:00.017-05:002011-02-01T19:20:43.601-05:00The Natives Are Revolting<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I want to share some photos from a visit we made in mid-October to</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Andersonville, GA. We spent the afternoon at Andersonville’s National Historic Site - or Camp Sumpter, the Confederate Prisoner of War Camp during Civil War times. It’s an amazing place to visit, & not only hosts the POW Camp, but also the National POW Museum, as well as the Andersonville National Cemetery. </span></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It was very awe-inspiring, especially thinking that it’s the final resting place for almost 13,000 Union soldiers who were imprisoned there during the war. Another place that I’d highly recommend visiting if you are in the area.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The little town of Andersonville itself, just a bit away from the site, is worth a visit too - quite quaint! They do have a store there that has some wonderful ice cream as well - great on a sunny day, especially when you want to lighten your spirits a bit after some heavy-hitting history.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'd recommend devoting a whole day to visit Andersonville if possible - best to have extra time available to you than be rushing through it at the end of the day. The POW Museum alone is so intriguing - I don't feel that I spent enough time there. It's a fascinating place.</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Outside the POW Museum</span></span></span></span></span></div></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Some amazing scenes from the Camp itself. </span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Can you imagine being imprisoned somewhere like this for so long?</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fQPZYbOPet0oKcj0Br_7dOu6fpSrXlQgBxCPyCHtLnbVTqP0JV4Xv-ra_UwVkATG-AlX2TaqtBXEHdly5Z1c-5T6zTNmn27mWpQp3gEFvCfhK4pf_QI2qVCj4zscQeIUw6PIjdFgz-Sl/s1600/Andersonville+Site-23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fQPZYbOPet0oKcj0Br_7dOu6fpSrXlQgBxCPyCHtLnbVTqP0JV4Xv-ra_UwVkATG-AlX2TaqtBXEHdly5Z1c-5T6zTNmn27mWpQp3gEFvCfhK4pf_QI2qVCj4zscQeIUw6PIjdFgz-Sl/s320/Andersonville+Site-23.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi73FYUHksR4dfiWzVxyDtL9SZPFYd1gSoCTy3Ln-_U_Yca6qw9-IyXFRw5a1uhGNRLVbquJgty_lTBne42dVpd3QJHj45TZTMFLaQ9ra5ekP1hOeah9nekrrC3N3ubQ01xurm5s6D9JthK/s1600/Andersonville+Site-31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi73FYUHksR4dfiWzVxyDtL9SZPFYd1gSoCTy3Ln-_U_Yca6qw9-IyXFRw5a1uhGNRLVbquJgty_lTBne42dVpd3QJHj45TZTMFLaQ9ra5ekP1hOeah9nekrrC3N3ubQ01xurm5s6D9JthK/s320/Andersonville+Site-31.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Time for a little post-ice cream light-heartedness in Andersonville town itself!</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCuO7kbBJeXbDslN1EvL1IeqPwXKN1mi2uReIrVEjZi-X5pccGO9TbeXUXjyplyXQZ3gKXs2emepH67aE-TxK1lhPYO6rBqu2yb5ut8d55GFkk_Yi2lKCx2XkzwuAKa8FKcGSnaUlVxlVU/s1600/Andersonville-1a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCuO7kbBJeXbDslN1EvL1IeqPwXKN1mi2uReIrVEjZi-X5pccGO9TbeXUXjyplyXQZ3gKXs2emepH67aE-TxK1lhPYO6rBqu2yb5ut8d55GFkk_Yi2lKCx2XkzwuAKa8FKcGSnaUlVxlVU/s320/Andersonville-1a.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div></span>Nickyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09128715948914256094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638827107613930403.post-6904701245898304602010-12-14T19:43:00.007-05:002011-02-13T17:12:47.889-05:00Fours<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b120f; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="color: #1b120f; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 20px;"></span></span><br />
<div style="color: black; line-height: 17px;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><span style="line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Well I was bullied by "It's a Dog Tag Wife Life" into posting my "fours", so here goes!</span></span></span></b></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><span style="line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></b></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><span style="line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></b></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><span style="line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></b></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><span style="line-height: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1. Four shows that you watch:</span></span></span></span></b></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><span style="line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">What Not To Wear</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><span style="line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">NCIS</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><span style="line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Law & Order, SVU</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><span style="line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">CSI</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><span style="line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></b></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><span style="line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></b></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">2. Four things you are passionate about:</span></span></span></span></b></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My job</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My volunteer work</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Photography</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Travel</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">3. Four phrases you say a lot:</span></span></span></span></b></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Not too much cream" (for my coffee order - Dunkin' Donuts love to give me anemic coffee)</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"When did you say you needed it for?" (at work)</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"For f$@#&'s sake!" (it's a British thing)</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Can we stop for a photograph?"</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">4. Four things you've learned from the past:</span></span></span></span></b></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Trust your gut instinct</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Watch what people do, not necessarily what they say</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Trust people only as much as they show they are worthy of</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Over-achieving at work only brings the reward of more work!</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">5. Four places you would like to go:</span></span></span></span></b></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Australia</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">South Africa</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Galapagos Islands</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Alaska</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">6. Four things you did yesterday:</span></span></span></span></b></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Finally made it home from Atlanta airport - it only took me 24 hours!</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Opened 11 doors on my chocolate advent calendar</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Did some editing of my most recent photographs</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Revised an itinerary for our January NZ trip</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">7. Four things you are looking forward to:</span></span></span></span></b></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My boyfriend arriving in a week</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Christmas vacation in Niagara Falls</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Some decent snowy days</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Our January NZ trip</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">8. Four things you love about winter:</span></span></span></span></b></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The snow</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Christmas foods & flavors</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Winter skies - you know, the clear, bright, blue skies (great for photography)</span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Festive lights </span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><br />
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<span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="color: #1b120f; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 20px;"><div style="color: black; line-height: 17px;"><span style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br style="line-height: 14px;" /></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b120f; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div></span></div>Nickyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09128715948914256094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638827107613930403.post-54239745667998166462010-12-07T17:39:00.005-05:002011-02-01T19:19:44.490-05:00Truffle Hound<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"></span><br />
<div style="line-height: 17px; text-indent: 0px !important;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">On Sunday I cooked dinner for 2 dear friends, a married couple, who are leaving me this coming weekend as they move south on a new venture - leaving MA for new jobs in GA. I'd been promising them for ages that I'd cook haggis, so it was now or never! </span></div></div><div style="line-height: 17px; text-indent: 0px !important;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div></div><div style="line-height: 17px; text-indent: 0px !important;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I spent a lot of time living in different parts of Scotland throughout my working life back in the UK, & I love all things Scottish - including haggis! A few years back I discovered a company, in Texas of all places, that sells canned haggis, & they have a convenient online ordering system too. </span></div></div><div style="line-height: 17px; text-indent: 0px !important;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I was a bit skeptical at first - dodgy enough risking buying haggis outside of Scotland anyway, but to order the canned stuff too. I was certainly taking risks at this stage. You can get a spectrum of haggis that ranges from "awful" to "fantastic" haggis, but let me tell you that this stuff from Texas is very fine indeed! I was just amazed at how good it was when I first ordered it a few years back, & I've used the same company multiple times now - it's been consistently good. My friends loved their "haggis, neeps & tatties" dinner anyway, it was a big hit!</span></div></div><div style="line-height: 17px; text-indent: 0px !important;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyt_mQ_S_P7a3_TJadn7vlwRGFaLuRE2Yhrr1bz3jFRCxnxmAEUeFGFcKXluM-GKI5XPmfkvX_xHJC9J4iFv0VGA4MAI6lYq5EUDmw7rFOozvIFBOco9rY16Jl3jIWXSCkjcx795rAdGV/s1600/Dec+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyt_mQ_S_P7a3_TJadn7vlwRGFaLuRE2Yhrr1bz3jFRCxnxmAEUeFGFcKXluM-GKI5XPmfkvX_xHJC9J4iFv0VGA4MAI6lYq5EUDmw7rFOozvIFBOco9rY16Jl3jIWXSCkjcx795rAdGV/s320/Dec+5.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="line-height: 17px; text-indent: 0px !important;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="line-height: 17px; text-indent: 0px !important;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 17px; text-indent: 0px !important;" /></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px; text-indent: 0px !important;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I also made some chocolate truffles for dessert & I thought I'd share the recipe with you - it's very simple, just how I like my recipes. I made way too many - I ended up packing most of them up to send in a care package to M. Naturally I saved a handful for me though! </span></div></div><div style="line-height: 17px; text-indent: 0px !important;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxyE-sWxA74PSO-mMsJsopa-_w0MsJG2Yd9CXYVsy0XM4y6SbkEKWLfNK1tCNQRK9srpsEwqzVnZa3JBffOSjq9_6LJ9oYjb4u6FDivNrIEHuX-el8M7dfrcwj0TnPyuyJoeUhxypp2s_9/s1600/IMG_0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxyE-sWxA74PSO-mMsJsopa-_w0MsJG2Yd9CXYVsy0XM4y6SbkEKWLfNK1tCNQRK9srpsEwqzVnZa3JBffOSjq9_6LJ9oYjb4u6FDivNrIEHuX-el8M7dfrcwj0TnPyuyJoeUhxypp2s_9/s320/IMG_0001.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjym0R5Uxc5lwJI2-fvIsgBeN9HUEB2UTXiQ0gQ8SmFRxUtsPXQrq4aB8mAwUvNhFmT01MuvMXD8Wck6sYic9V05I7mSHbYm1q3Lpi1DlDsw9VfDEHzV-EqNoCd5GkW1A1Ar5fcWT_FnF9S/s1600/Truffles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjym0R5Uxc5lwJI2-fvIsgBeN9HUEB2UTXiQ0gQ8SmFRxUtsPXQrq4aB8mAwUvNhFmT01MuvMXD8Wck6sYic9V05I7mSHbYm1q3Lpi1DlDsw9VfDEHzV-EqNoCd5GkW1A1Ar5fcWT_FnF9S/s320/Truffles.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4qAxcvq1r5cRNIAPqyvPS5WP-7L_IsYYrS1dah_KrOuXH27CK4uCdebsyiZS7JbONHGXwat4ULsoiWtlIRQhsuk735K13GsR5DCRuJoNKU7s7UmMlWBMfV_rxi90QZcq4r0BdKsLfVEAC/s1600/Recipe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4qAxcvq1r5cRNIAPqyvPS5WP-7L_IsYYrS1dah_KrOuXH27CK4uCdebsyiZS7JbONHGXwat4ULsoiWtlIRQhsuk735K13GsR5DCRuJoNKU7s7UmMlWBMfV_rxi90QZcq4r0BdKsLfVEAC/s320/Recipe.jpg" width="227" /></span></a></div><div style="line-height: 17px; text-indent: 0px !important;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="line-height: 17px; text-indent: 0px !important;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 17px; text-indent: 0px !important;" /></span></div><div style="line-height: 17px; text-indent: 0px !important;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">These are amazingly tasty treats for such a simple recipe.</span><br />
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</div>Nickyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09128715948914256094noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638827107613930403.post-30531694474200002372010-12-06T18:35:00.003-05:002011-02-01T19:19:20.646-05:00Road Trip<span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Over Columbus Day weekend we took a roadtrip. M’s car had been stored at his parents’ place in NC, so he’d used a rental car initially when he returned home from Iraq. The long weekend was a good time for him to drive up to NC & combine visiting his parents with collecting his car.</span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px;"></span></span><br />
<div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 17px;" /></span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">He’d asked me if I’d like to do a roadtrip with him on the way back, so he picked me up at Raleigh Airport early Saturday morning & we drove across to Asheville, NC. We booked into a hotel & later in the evening we headed off on a “Brews Cruise”! It was a fun, organized tour of a few local breweries, with lots of “sampling” to be done, as you can imagine. Thankfully we were able to take a taxi, so we were both free to do a little tasting through the night. </span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px;"></span></span><br />
<div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 17px;" /></span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Next day we spent some time in Asheville itself, wandering around the town, browsing the bookstores & coffeeshops. It was my first visit to Asheville, & I must say I really liked the little that we saw of it! The downtown area itself is quite quaint, with plenty of quirky shops, bars and restaurants to enjoy, & we decided on a local pub when it got to lunchtime.</span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px;"></span></span><br />
<div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 17px;" /></span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Afterwards we headed out along the Blue Ridge Parkway for some sightseeing - what a stunning drive we had along there! The scenery was just breathtaking, & we had such a beautiful day for driving & photographs. </span></span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicy-XDZcHkNEZagLXPi9PWtN-26VKHF7mDqw6eDB9ndhLfL9q0ohPwPdMHL7Jb-Fk6qjqyo042FRzOqgGHZPe9yp9U8Jbzi6VjUS2Xs8LYTiZmlYet79Fso8iwFRCVJwghr0vGBgD-tffh/s1600/BRM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicy-XDZcHkNEZagLXPi9PWtN-26VKHF7mDqw6eDB9ndhLfL9q0ohPwPdMHL7Jb-Fk6qjqyo042FRzOqgGHZPe9yp9U8Jbzi6VjUS2Xs8LYTiZmlYet79Fso8iwFRCVJwghr0vGBgD-tffh/s320/BRM.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">After a few hours driving & stopping off at different locations, we left the Parkway & headed off toward the northern, mountainous region of GA. We spent the night in Helen, a little town that is a re-creation of an Alpine village. It was a lot of fun, especially as we happened to arrive in the middle of Oktoberfest month. It’s quite a tacky, touristy town, but still fun, nevertheless, if you can keep an open mind. </span></span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0KYsmJu5NIepmKfkc2WQjzo762yA_f9TkotMvRSJVwvHm8AWg0eN3hGhC-dStP1VNka755-13N3K82r4rMdyjfP5sHQlLFse3vg0epvof8LAEiGQ6obQpIi3X3Jq-bbyFpeAn66La0HQN/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0KYsmJu5NIepmKfkc2WQjzo762yA_f9TkotMvRSJVwvHm8AWg0eN3hGhC-dStP1VNka755-13N3K82r4rMdyjfP5sHQlLFse3vg0epvof8LAEiGQ6obQpIi3X3Jq-bbyFpeAn66La0HQN/s320/3.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We certainly had some great beer & lovely German food while we were there anyway, & even visited an amazing model train exhibition by a German gentleman who has been here for a long time. He wanted to celebrate his love of model trains by putting together a set-up that represents Germany - from the North Sea to the Alps. It had taken him about 23 years to put together. A fabulous work of art to see.</span></span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0UA2_52V4pUsFEli7FroOA_IP3726U0F41AFxenUQb0D0tnwMgxb8NJJ_Opg1OhAL93l0XFvsmaQmHKvlTI9m1I-QtL__xuGO479S39FJhey8VH2xojByBZ7FswK-hDnbu5kQsA4zEQIa/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0UA2_52V4pUsFEli7FroOA_IP3726U0F41AFxenUQb0D0tnwMgxb8NJJ_Opg1OhAL93l0XFvsmaQmHKvlTI9m1I-QtL__xuGO479S39FJhey8VH2xojByBZ7FswK-hDnbu5kQsA4zEQIa/s320/4.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px;"><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Overall this weekend was really my first introduction to NC, & I was extremely pleasantly surprised. I’d always known that it boasted some beautiful regions, but it was even more lovely than I’d imagined. Ditto for the mountains region up in northern GA.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Monday afternoon we drove south, & M took me to the airport in Atlanta for my flight home, & then headed home himself. Another fun, but all-too-short, weekend!</span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px;"><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br style="line-height: 17px;" /></div></span></span>Nickyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09128715948914256094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638827107613930403.post-38854610113794782922010-12-03T21:27:00.007-05:002011-02-01T19:18:33.504-05:00Take Two<div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">After such a wonderful first weekend together, we’d decided to have a re-run the following weekend. In the middle, I was across the country in Iowa all week for a meeting, but we talked often, & both really enjoyed catching up a lot throughout each day.</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My meeting ended on Friday October 1st & I headed back to Columbus, & this time it was M’s turn to meet me at the airport</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">! I have to admit that I really enjoyed that bit - seeing him waiting at the bottom of the stairs wearing his uniform and a big smile was priceless. He took me out for a lovely dinner that evening, & we pretty much continued the weekend where we’d ended the previous one!</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">On the Saturday we met up with some of his friends for lunch as well as a wander around the Civil War Naval Museum at Port Columbus - another really interesting place with lots of cool Civil War history. Definitely worth a visit if you’re down that way (although I know not everyone is a history fan like me!). I do enjoy all kinds of stuff like that, so I’m usually very easily amused wherever I go, provided there is something historical to see.<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">M had also just moved into his new apartment midweek, so we spent a little time ferrying things out there that he needed & getting it a little more user-friendly for him. Overall I think his favorite new toy was the enormous LED TV that he bought over the weekend though! </span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We spent some of the evenings with a bottle of wine & some travel brochures - the start of some research into a trip to New Zealand that we’re hoping to take in January. We'd actually started talking about this trip back in the summer when we were having our phone dates while he was deployed. Visiting that part of the world has always been top of my list for "far away travel", and I discovered that M was also very keen to head out that way when he returned from his deployment. Somewhere along the line we came to the decision that we'd travel there together, probably in the New Year.</span></span><br />
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</span></span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I suppose he further confirmed for me that he is a man of his word when he presented me with a bunch of travel brochures he'd collected before I arrived that weekend!</span></span></span><br />
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</div></span>Nickyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09128715948914256094noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638827107613930403.post-1321758190778795802010-11-22T18:23:00.008-05:002011-02-01T19:18:12.378-05:00The Early Days<div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">After we found each other at the Homecoming Ceremony, we eventually realized we couldn't just stand there indefinitely, & would have to leave the Air Field at some point! It was still very early when we left - probably no later than 06:15 - but we wandered back to the car & M took me on a little guided tour around part of the base, albeit still in the dark!</span></span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As daylight began to break, we headed back to the hotel & snoozed a while. Then it was time for a late breakfast - M had made a special request for omelette & waffles, so off to a local diner we went, & he seemed to be in heaven! Afterwards we </span></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">hit the mall since he had no civilian clothes to wear - they were all either at his parents’ home in NC, or in a storage unit & apparently not easily accessible. I was impressed though with the ease by which he managed to choose enough clothes to get by for a few weeks. One of the reasons I hate shopping is because I hate trying on clothes & it always takes me forever (& a lot of trying-on) to find clothes that seem suitable for me. So the fact that we pretty much had a wardrobe's worth of clothing in under an hour was quite impressive to me.</span></span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I was then instructed to find a quiet corner of the mall's parking lot so M could change. That too was quite impressive (and amusing). Soon he</span></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> looked civilian, & we went off for our first lunch at one of his favorite Mexican restaurants. Seeing his excitement at eating some “real” food for the first time, both at breakfast & lunch, was a lot of fun. He'd told me that he felt they were well-fed while in Iraq, but I can only imagine that the ability to once again freely choose whatever you want to eat, as well as where you want to eat it, must be wonderful, if not somewhat overwhelming. M seemed to be doing a great job of hiding the overwhelmed bit though! </span></span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Later we had a lovely "first evenin</span></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">g" too - mostly courtesy of our champagne & chocolate. I’d brought champagne as part of his “Welcome Home” gift, & he’d brought some nice chocolate from Germany. We’d grabbed a fruit tray earlier that day (as well as some more chocolate), so we settled in for some tasty treats that night. Before I traveled down there I'd been looking for some travel-safe "wine glass-looking" things - you know, the plastic type ones that you often see in the summer that folk choose for around the pool etc. I couldn't find any though, so I decided to just pick up a couple of cheap wine glasses that I wouldn't object to finding shattered in my suitcase when I arrived in Columbus. Amazingly they'd survived the trip, all wrapped up in some bedsheets that I'd brought along too - I'd packed some things like this that I thought might be immediately useful for him until he could get into his storage unit at some point. So anyhow, it was actually quite nice having real glasses to drink from! </span></span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKinLgV0PCfywS2PDP7BkQadzcW0X26lOJQm5rP9f5no-mt2dVnO7vEm4JCHK78rE2rqkkzL0iykVOl-UVjsHRKCHQVKSZI4f3cxK2m_3mR5EyKFOkCSBC57VNCVvJuRK8jNEOnJ8yShM_/s1600/Winw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKinLgV0PCfywS2PDP7BkQadzcW0X26lOJQm5rP9f5no-mt2dVnO7vEm4JCHK78rE2rqkkzL0iykVOl-UVjsHRKCHQVKSZI4f3cxK2m_3mR5EyKFOkCSBC57VNCVvJuRK8jNEOnJ8yShM_/s1600/Winw.jpg" /></span></span></a></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The next couple of days brought a few more shopping trips so M could continue to gather odds & ends that he needed, as well as some preliminary investigation of his storage unit. As soon as I saw the unit, I realized why he would've had a hard time finding anything in there quickly - it was packed full, barely room for anything else other than maybe some flat objects at the front. I'd half expected a couple of long-lost relatives to emerge from the back at one point.....</span></span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We also checked out some apartments - he had a 10 day pass to the barracks upon return, but he was reluctant to even stay there for that short time since it was an open bay arrangement, sharing with who-knows-how-many other soldiers. Thankfully on my last day there, we found a place that he really liked. And I must admit I really like it too, I'm extremely glad he chose that location - the complex is relatively new, and it's close to the base so commuting is easy for him. All in all it's nice, modern & very well maintained. </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span><br />
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</span></span> </span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In the meantime, however, we managed to enjoy some more nice lunches & dinners together, as well as having some fun during the day. M showed me around some more of the base at Fort Benning, & we visited the National Infantry Museum which is fabulous - I recommend it highly if you ever get the chance to visit. It's a great museum in its own right, & is pretty big too, with some great exhibitions. </span></span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLLTOQ0guTOUzFmdm0FGduUcBfcaFxFuXumK9jH260I-583sIMt7t0iaNA8TmBg69hFlpkIYmLQ5V0J77jh5GHGb1NKrQyH9h6DtbwxaB5uoi61ft6ypAFlMnF3z5mbeUtMe1I3NkQ7Y_/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLLTOQ0guTOUzFmdm0FGduUcBfcaFxFuXumK9jH260I-583sIMt7t0iaNA8TmBg69hFlpkIYmLQ5V0J77jh5GHGb1NKrQyH9h6DtbwxaB5uoi61ft6ypAFlMnF3z5mbeUtMe1I3NkQ7Y_/s320/4.jpg" width="320" /></span></span></a></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">They are more than "just" a museum though - they have an IMAX theater, & we popped in there to see "Lewis & Clark's Great Journey West" - stunning scenery as well as an interesting, historical recap of their exploration to the Pacific Ocean & back east. In one part of the museum there's even a shooting range that you can try your skills at - it's a rifle simulator, so no live ammunition, but was quite a treat for me. I'd never even held a gun before, so it was all new & exciting. I was actually pleased at how relatively well I managed to do too! Although I was also mightily relieved that M did way better than me! Yes, I definitely prefer it when our US soldiers perform better than me with a rifle.</span></span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">You should also make a point to enjoy the museum's nice restaurant, The Fife & Drum, at some point if you visit. The grounds outside are lovely too, and you may even be lucky enough to get to catch a graduation ceremony taking place while you're there. </span></span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">All in all, our first long weekend together whizzed by quickly, & soon it was time for me to head back to MA on the Sunday evening. We checked out of the hotel & picked up a rental car for M (since his was in NC with his parents). I drove back to Atlanta for my flight & he headed off to stay with a friend & his wife for a few nights until his new apartment was ready. </span></span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I have to say though, that while I really enjoyed the fun things we'd done during our first few days, I enjoyed the </span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">little things just as much - things like just watching our first sunset together with a glass of wine, or chatting at the poolside & in the jacuzzi. </span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 13px Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I suspected that was a good start.</span></span></span></span><br />
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</div></div>Nickyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09128715948914256094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638827107613930403.post-20846107537591868742010-11-15T21:16:00.006-05:002011-02-01T19:17:08.028-05:00Special Delivery<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">T</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">he morning was finally here. After leaping out of bed & not really knowing where to start, I decided to go back to first principles. After all, I do this every day (get out of bed, I mean), so once I focused, it wasn't too much of a stretch to just jump in the shower. </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">About an hour later I was caffeinated & dressed, & looking as semi-decent as one can manage to look at 4:30 in the morning. I felt kind of hungover, even though the strongest drink I'd had the previous evening was decaffeinated coffee! Clearly terror & a lack of sleep do funny things to your brain.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Around 05:00 I gathered the bits & pieces that I'd need for the morning & wandered outside to see if I could recognize the rental car again. It was already hot & muggy, & before I'd even managed to switch on the a/c, I was wondering why I'd just bothered even trying to make my hair look like it belonged on my head. I decided denial was the best approach & refused to check out the newly frizzed look in the mirror. If all else failed, there was always the Sox cap on the passenger seat….</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">After locating the base address on my GPS, I was soon on my way. The traffic was surprisingly heavy for so early in the morning, but I guess it was around the time that life on a military base started happening for the day, so I probably shouldn't have been too surprised. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Thankfully I managed to get on base without any problems though, & in retrospect the early homecoming was a blessing - I’ve since seen the queues of visitor traffic trying to get access a bit later in the day, & it’s not pretty. So driving through at 05:30 was a dream in comparison. A quick stop at the visitor center & I was all set with base access for the day. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I followed the printed directions that I'd brought along with me, & at </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">05:45 I was at Fort Benning’s Lawson Air Field, ready for M’s homecoming ceremony. This marked not only his return from a 12 month deployment in Iraq, but also the first time we’d ever met in person. Yikes. Was I insane? I felt sure that I'd be institutionalized on the spot if anyone caught wind of my story. This is the stuff that only the crazies are made of.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In between listening to the voices in my head, I had occasional moments of clarity. Everything was going to be great. I still had 5 minutes before the scheduled start, & there was no way it was going to be on time. I'd wander around the hall, relax a bit, & enjoy people-watching while all the families waited excitedly. Just as I parked & emerged from the car, I heard my phone peep. It was a text message from M. "Here we come". Sh*t!! I wasn't even in the building. Luckily I was only a few meters from the door & I scurried in. Thankfully the only soldiers around were the ones playing "security", trying to stop the screaming families from barging through the main doors at the back.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I found a spot along the front line & could still hear my heart beating, even over the combined noise of the Army band & the excited people. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One thing that M & I had discussed previously was finding each other on the day. Potentially it could’ve been mayhem at the air field - with hundreds of excited families running around trying to find their loved ones. So speaking on the phone could have been problematic. We decided that if it was noisy, we could use text messages to locate each other. And M decided that if ultimately it meant we had to wait to be the last 2 people standing, then so-be-it!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 120%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">All this was going through my mind again as the band changed its tune & someone official yelled something. I can't remember a word of what he shouted, but I knew it meant they were on their way out. Soon I was wishing I'd brought ear plugs, but thankfully I was quickly distracted by the sight of a few hundred soldiers marching around a corner. As soon as they turned, I saw him immediately. He was right there in the front row, & w</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">hen they stopped for their Commander’s speech, he was literally just a few people to my right. Perfect.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcl7Zpxy12k_apH9oelTkqmdu9UZ4_ruCY1ElwWlhOrl13uyRG-855PVgJ0qyAXNDu5UwjrHMYDBMcV3RICsrZA0XNhB93hoH5xjFw5mPdp6lySTEJbkSdMMT8wX4K88RMXzD-ZRaTYWFz/s1600/Welcome+Home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcl7Zpxy12k_apH9oelTkqmdu9UZ4_ruCY1ElwWlhOrl13uyRG-855PVgJ0qyAXNDu5UwjrHMYDBMcV3RICsrZA0XNhB93hoH5xjFw5mPdp6lySTEJbkSdMMT8wX4K88RMXzD-ZRaTYWFz/s320/Welcome+Home.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 120%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The only word I remember hearing the Commander saying was: "Dismissed!". He reached this verdict very quickly (a wise move - I think there would’ve been a stampede of families to deal with otherwise) & the secured area was opened up to the families. It was bedlam for a little while, with folk running everywhere, so I had to keep my eye on M to make sure I didn't lose him. I called his name but he couldn't hear me (naturally), & I just managed to get to him as he was obviously deciding to go walkabout to look for me. I think we were both just so pleased (or relieved) to finally see each other in person. And I know I was quite overwhelmed by the whole thing - no matter how much we’d talked, and how close we’d become by phone, meeting in the flesh for the first time is a whole, new ball game. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 120%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Nevertheless it was a very special moment, one that I will never forget. M hugged me & kissed me & we just stood there smiling for a while. He shared with me that he’d had a travel companion with him on the flight home - “Cheeky” is a small finger puppet monkey that I sent him in a care package at one point while he was deployed. And he’d spent the entire flight in his pocket! M has a fun sense of humor, & is very cheeky sometimes, so when we wrote I often commented that he was a “Cheeky Monkey” in response to some of his comments. That kind of became his nickname quite quickly. It was cute that he'd even kept the little fella, let alone thought to carry him on the plane with him! This silliness was interrupted when we both suddenly became aware that we weren't alone as we chatted. Apparently someone from the Family Readiness Group was taking photos of us (we still haven't managed to locate them though!). </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 120%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 120%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Once we'd shaken them off, M </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">also presented me with some fabulous European chocolate that he’d picked up for me (or “us”, as I later discovered ;-) in Germany. He’d bought wine too, but ended up having to return it before flying out, courtesy of Army regulations. They'd been told in advance that they were not allowed to drink alcohol en-route, but no mention of not being able to buy any to take home. Seemingly they were supposed to interpret that bit. But my absolute favorite gift from him was a beautiful stone, shaped into a heart. I carry it with me all the time, & will treasure it forever, along with the memory of our first meeting in person.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglnpQ4DbvfNimA_9-vaiTqOYHIyelGOlZFL0nBa-Ktenl4C9BJ8oH7Xnp4aTHD6crWMeQMb6tWs-WeLn28NPRMRnrvrNW_MgTS8uI8pTVW_-bLcIg8LdFzw9aBR4XicpGGEi8ZOW12Wkl8/s1600/heart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglnpQ4DbvfNimA_9-vaiTqOYHIyelGOlZFL0nBa-Ktenl4C9BJ8oH7Xnp4aTHD6crWMeQMb6tWs-WeLn28NPRMRnrvrNW_MgTS8uI8pTVW_-bLcIg8LdFzw9aBR4XicpGGEi8ZOW12Wkl8/s320/heart.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Welcome home 1-10 Field Artillery, 3rd Infantry Division! </span></span><br />
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</div>Nickyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09128715948914256094noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638827107613930403.post-22879335943189438562010-11-08T18:54:00.008-05:002011-02-01T19:16:35.307-05:00Homecoming Queen<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">On Wednesday September 22</span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">nd</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> I flew from Boston to Atlanta, ready for M’s homecoming ceremony the next day. Call me old fashioned, but I’d not exactly envisaged our first real date to be in the wee hours of the morning, especially after a lack of sleep. But the US Army had other plans with a ceremony scheduled for 05:50, so I had to go with the flow & hope that M didn’t book himself onto the next flight back to Iraq when he first caught sight of me. </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As I was en route to Boston's Logan Airport for my flight, M called me shortly after landing in Germany. I was just relieved to know that he was not only safely tucked away on "friendly" European soil, but also that he was indeed in transit, & that his return to the US was going according to plan (or at least the latest change of plan!). Everything was going to go fine now, right?</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sure! Well, at least until I landed in Atlanta that evening & found a voicemail message from my Columbus hotel. They were very sorry, but there was a server problem when I booked online 4 days previously, & they were overbooked for the duration of my stay. I seemed to be homeless in Georgia, but although I wasn’t yet in worry-mode, I was in wondering-mode - there are a gazillion hotels in the Columbus region, but the decent and semi-decent ones were filling up very quickly back when I booked (there are always various weekend ceremonies at the Army base, & these apparently keep the hotel business nicely afloat, which is all good for the local economy, but not when I can’t get a room!). And M had already warned me off a few regions, since they tend to host the type of motel that is kind enough to, shall we say, “rent its rooms by the hour”…..so I did wonder if I’d now end up with one of those by default. Luckily when I called, I discovered that they had been good enough to relocate me to a nearby Holiday Inn, so I was all set. No hourly rates for me! </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I collected my rental car from the airport & made the 90 minute drive to Columbus. I remember enjoying the relative solitude of “rush hour in Atlanta” – it was quite different from trying to emerge from Boston airport at that time. Quite painless in comparison, although I was somewhat fascinated by the huge stretches of highway that had large pieces of what can only be described as "discarded truck" in the breakdown lane. </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I eventually found the Holiday Inn around 9pm (after a detour to find a liquor store & some food) (and in that order too) & was looking forward to falling onto a soft bed ready for my very early start next morning. Then the nice lady at reception informed me that I was only booked in there for one night. She must’ve heard my heart fall into my boots because she hurriedly told me not to worry, she was sure they could accommodate me for my whole stay. The 2 minute wait felt like an hour, but they did indeed have a room for me for all 4 nights. OK, so if I hit the hay now, I can sleep for about 6 hours before getting up & trying to make myself look respectable for the homecoming. Because everyone can look great when they emerge from bed at about 03:30. Yes, that was my story & I was sticking to it.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So after a quick decaf & a wrestle with the ironing board, off to bed I went. </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-53BdBgxuMh9s6lFqG8-wBX3XTRk__aJJpcD3uOFkxoGQnDcpTja_Yo9_9YkIJ7udiXtI5bfhmoUulTBlZZV9iq26IY4g0s8PbT2_z_3vxNHbowR3xVRVYnnMLNNBEiiDwvdGZ_WYLq91/s1600/Coffee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-53BdBgxuMh9s6lFqG8-wBX3XTRk__aJJpcD3uOFkxoGQnDcpTja_Yo9_9YkIJ7udiXtI5bfhmoUulTBlZZV9iq26IY4g0s8PbT2_z_3vxNHbowR3xVRVYnnMLNNBEiiDwvdGZ_WYLq91/s320/Coffee.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span> </div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I slept like a baby until my phone began peeping at me. I was in disbelief that it was already time for 03:30 alarm call – I felt like I’d just fallen asleep. After eventually locating my phone, I discovered it was in fact only 12:09, & that a text message had awoken me: “Wheels down in USA”. M had arrived on home soil! How exciting for him. I sent a “Welcome home” reply & he immediately phoned me when he realized I was awake. “I'm in your neck of the woods - I’ve just landed in Bangor, Maine”, he told me, & then asked “Where exactly is Bangor?”. “Oh, it’s almost in Canada”, I told him. We both laughed, but we did think it was kind of funny that he had just landed “close” to where I’d left off earlier that day. And how cute to be having our first conversation in the same time zone!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I slept poorly after this though, mostly due to a slick combination of excitement & abject terror. But when my 03:30 alarm call eventually came around for real, I can tell you that I awoke with a shot of adrenaline that no amount of caffeine could even vaguely hope to compete with!</span><br />
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</div>Nickyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09128715948914256094noreply@blogger.com6