tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11798125562747742452024-02-18T21:59:35.015-06:00Knot All ThatEileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11442325235793131536noreply@blogger.comBlogger189125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1179812556274774245.post-84651777758189032222011-08-29T22:29:00.002-05:002011-08-29T22:29:50.488-05:00Two DaysAfter a pretty horrid few weeks, I had a couple days this weekend to actually enjoy.<br />
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On Saturday Scott & I went to see "The Help", which we enjoyed very much. Great acting, interesting characters - at over two hours, the movie still seemed short. And of course, going to lunch and then to the movies doesn't take much energy or effort, which is a good thing.<br />
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On Sunday we broke out the scooter and hied ourselves to the <b>Great Minnesota Get-Together</b> - in other words, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_State_Fair">the MN State Fair</a>. We watched the equestrian competitions, we watched the lumberjack competitions, we saw Sean Emery do his Schtick On A Stick, and of course I spent a reasonable amount of time looking at the quilts and knitting and lace and beading and felting and crocheting and sculpting and glass. <br />
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We are old, and my system is messed up by chemo, so we didn't eat the junk food that we would have gorged on in Olden Times - over the 6.5 hours we were there, we split a sandwich, a bag of mini-donuts, a little Lingonberry Lefse roll with Swedish Meatballs... and we each had our own frozen apple cider pop from the Agriculture Building. That was it.<br />
<br />
But thanks to my scooter, a grand time was had by all ('all' being two of us). We recommend that you go, too, if you can. But get there early if you want a parking space close to the fairgrounds - there's plenty of 'Park & Ride' lots, but the Fairground lots are being taken up by Light Rail construction materials, so parking is at a premium and even at 7am we had a lot of trouble parking within five blocks or so of the nearest ticket booth. <br />
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Enjoy!!Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11442325235793131536noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1179812556274774245.post-15981319837371628192011-08-09T07:40:00.000-05:002011-08-09T07:40:44.069-05:00Is A PuzzlementAll my life, I've wanted to serve jury duty.<br />
<br />
Yes, I know that usually you just sit there forever in the waiting room, doing nothing. And you don't get paid for it (at least, not really). <br />
<br />
But it's a service to your community and your country, and I've always felt that service was a good thing. Paying back your community for all the things it provides you is something you should do, willingly and with a sense of satisfaction.<br />
<br />
And if I actually got to serve on a jury, even better. I'd be a good jury member. I'm fairly bright, I am fairly logical, I'm big on details, I respect at least the ideal of the law and justice, and I'm relatively driven to be as fair as possible to all sides. I enjoy doing things I'm good at.<br />
<br />
And I've worked from home for most of the last two decades, and have a flexible schedule, so it wouldn't inconvenience me in the least to serve, other than perhaps a certain soreness in the back or knees from sitting all day.<br />
<br />
During the last two decades my husband has worked either two jobs (sometimes two full time jobs) or one job with 10-hour days. He has been called to jury duty twice in that time. It's been a huge sacrifice for him, and although he is mindful of his duty, he really would have preferred not to have to take the time from work. Our finances have never been what you'd call comfortable, so it was a bit of a hardship for the family.<br />
<br />
Now my 21-year-old son has been called.<br />
<br />
I have never been called. Not once. And at this point I'm not likely to be allowed to serve, even if I am called before I fall off the perch - my physical condition would now prevent me from eligibility.<br />
<br />
Figures.**<br />
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<br />
**<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b><i>At least in this case, as the quote goes, the law is an ass. Why can't people volunteer to be on a 'will call' list for service when their time is flexible? Then if they are summoned again when it's less convenient, they can be excused on the basis that they have served in the last four years. It would be so much easier for people, and the courts would have to deal with fewer whiners and shirkers, saving time and frustration for everyone. I'm just saying...</i></b></span><br />
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</i></b></span>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11442325235793131536noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1179812556274774245.post-56626777173861943462011-07-23T21:20:00.000-05:002011-07-23T21:20:47.298-05:00She's Posting, She's Posting NotI seem to be completely out of control of both my life and my blogs at the moment, so I'm resorting to cross-linking. Sorry about that!! But not sorry enough to refrain from doing so...<br />
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If you want to know what's been going on lately, check out my other blog <a href="http://rosecoloredcancer.blogspot.com/2011/07/long-time-no-write.html">here</a>.<br />
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For decoration, I give you this photo. If you link to the other blog, you will see the reason.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFWhuOwhJxnLHP9N__od-VO68C8tGItmQ0GIsScEgJAYw5SI9Sk8PtSJkmCtc5ep5QafOaqIN1LWLkcgqHWvj8dMLMiSfqcA249ip00yrbg9tWGSNF9EviK7ZFDXEGqH89pAcDpS4laVnb/s1600/IMG_1489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFWhuOwhJxnLHP9N__od-VO68C8tGItmQ0GIsScEgJAYw5SI9Sk8PtSJkmCtc5ep5QafOaqIN1LWLkcgqHWvj8dMLMiSfqcA249ip00yrbg9tWGSNF9EviK7ZFDXEGqH89pAcDpS4laVnb/s320/IMG_1489.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11442325235793131536noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1179812556274774245.post-32800410912117238502011-07-02T23:50:00.001-05:002011-07-02T23:51:24.674-05:00Irony We Didn't NeedOkay, go look at the fine print at the bottom of our <a href="http://knotallthat.blogspot.com/2011/06/home-from-hills-part-2.html">last post</a>.<br />
<br />
Now, a week later:<br />
<br />
Someone (probably a youngish someone) broke into our van, and stole our stereo/cd player. They won't get $10 for it, but they used very rough tactics to get at it, completely destroying the entire center panel of the van. Which means we'll not only have to replace the stereo; we'll have to replace the center panel, the cupholders, the a/c and fan and heating and defrosting controls and wires and the entire center faceplate, plus a bit of the surrounding panels as well. The cost is going to be high - and so, unfortunately, is our deductible.<br />
<br />
Sadly to say, this is the least of our problems. But it's not a problem that we needed right now.<br />
<br />
It's the beginning of July, and I am already SO over this summer...<br />
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">----</div>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11442325235793131536noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1179812556274774245.post-19760647470416244872011-06-24T12:11:00.000-05:002011-06-24T12:11:14.810-05:00Home From The Hills, Part 2Up we got at daybreak, drove around the Badlands a bit, had our Indian Frybread with blueberry sauce, and then off we went to the Black Hills to see the <a href="http://www.allblackhills.com/mount_rushmore_national_memorial/">Rushmore</a> National Monument. After that, we headed straight for Wyoming and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devils_Tower_National_Monument">Devil's Tower</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4DLDxKwZy_JFyli9dMdJ6Dp9vnH8RvqXjAfwRu-FfZToBCGT-0QlcFsO02dMX7kxZ8FamTy90Q6lQOCZRXZcovae1c3Lj-E8CTnZpfxG2rnlLUv57YnawN1EZh5PDvM4FgzXnB3_jib_/s1600/deviltower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4DLDxKwZy_JFyli9dMdJ6Dp9vnH8RvqXjAfwRu-FfZToBCGT-0QlcFsO02dMX7kxZ8FamTy90Q6lQOCZRXZcovae1c3Lj-E8CTnZpfxG2rnlLUv57YnawN1EZh5PDvM4FgzXnB3_jib_/s320/deviltower.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The boys hiked to the bottom of the tower, but did not attempt an ascent. As you can see, the weather was gorgeous, the view was impressive, and a good time was being had by all.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For the rest of the day, our main goal was to reach our motel in Sheridan, in order to have a full day for sightseeing the next day. Good thing we gave ourselves daylight for that, because Sheridan had a lot of construction going on the roads, and much of the street that our motel was on was completely closed off to traffic - it took a while to find our stopping place!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next morning, we took off for the <a href="http://big%20horn%20mountains%20scenic%20byway/">Bighorn Scenic Byway</a>, which goes past Shell Falls and then over the spectacular Granite Pass. On our way up it was snowing, which frosted the trees and landscape beautifully. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCBlBJPlL5EnoCznOJFh_o-ICvWas5Cz89d9I4SjrpDEW4rsZsmkJzlyIGrHLbxZnawzojzPQHC5Ov_VtD6E57ryo_y7ixC6jY6iOPwZxikaExGIojNgm39fbHA960AjVYmOiE3bOtO92/s1600/frosted.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCBlBJPlL5EnoCznOJFh_o-ICvWas5Cz89d9I4SjrpDEW4rsZsmkJzlyIGrHLbxZnawzojzPQHC5Ov_VtD6E57ryo_y7ixC6jY6iOPwZxikaExGIojNgm39fbHA960AjVYmOiE3bOtO92/s320/frosted.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At the top, the snow stopped, and we were able to get out and really take in the view.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ulFVMJljYL-R1nSdIVVug9CkYh2vbjXKl7WOoz9lEQ5_0W8JuWJTQOvWVc7fxBI2lYhrd0EGZOvRCW5VY9SOPK_W4T3d42gBsUpu-bDldxRYCljJMA6nZXHw2fzmSHoGOREdC8BCMcuo/s1600/visibilitysketchy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ulFVMJljYL-R1nSdIVVug9CkYh2vbjXKl7WOoz9lEQ5_0W8JuWJTQOvWVc7fxBI2lYhrd0EGZOvRCW5VY9SOPK_W4T3d42gBsUpu-bDldxRYCljJMA6nZXHw2fzmSHoGOREdC8BCMcuo/s320/visibilitysketchy.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirY9nxZa9xDR-IbXHHA05APyZOuDOlhMsz6oDMpAE3S210QH3vTZlQv9whPdyj7y0Ykf2QL-Z0NkMIjQcAThlF6qrNVScewKKfe6MrAwWIMyKVf7mBUfdhy9vg_e4kricJjJBCAZ8rhEr8/s1600/startingtoclear.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirY9nxZa9xDR-IbXHHA05APyZOuDOlhMsz6oDMpAE3S210QH3vTZlQv9whPdyj7y0Ykf2QL-Z0NkMIjQcAThlF6qrNVScewKKfe6MrAwWIMyKVf7mBUfdhy9vg_e4kricJjJBCAZ8rhEr8/s320/startingtoclear.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Gradually the clouds cleared, and we enjoyed spectacular views of the Bighorn Mountains as we passed through them. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyoXoozjMefs4BoJJKkpaKWJWI_CYkXFGgMN5naRwnA9gJJfVoC0cV-wJ636WehEVwpNIvCyBLPdjhIKRMF-2Ruhyvs2WoKd7T7YDCO5qMVaR59dVjENvuLU38naYxgV3cu7rgB3A5lsoq/s1600/beautifulday.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyoXoozjMefs4BoJJKkpaKWJWI_CYkXFGgMN5naRwnA9gJJfVoC0cV-wJ636WehEVwpNIvCyBLPdjhIKRMF-2Ruhyvs2WoKd7T7YDCO5qMVaR59dVjENvuLU38naYxgV3cu7rgB3A5lsoq/s320/beautifulday.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So it was a very nice day as we got to the lovely town of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cody,_Wyoming">Cody, Wyoming</a>. We easily found our motel, the <a href="http://www.thecodycowboyvillage.com/">Cody Cowboy Village</a>, which was our favorite of the motels we stayed at on this vacation; the gal at the desk (we're pretty sure she never sleeps) was helpful and extremely friendly, the rooms were spacious and cozy and immaculate, and the boys <b><i>loved</i></b> the spa/hot tub! Our motel turned out to be right next to the <a href="http://www.thecodycattlecompany.com/">Cody Cattle Company</a>, and that was right next to the place where they hold the <a href="http://www.codywyomingnet.com/entertainment/rodeo.php">Cody Nite Rodeo</a>. So we figured we were set - we'd have dinner and a show next door, and then head for the rodeo.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO3kN6zff1KqeT1rc_ji3huthxda4rbaLdlcnPwDBgq9usyzGGPlrNRa8tHu20-4TjvmbK9bYA7B8D2nVuhiUQlDe92rmubhRFy91rtaW0WWyhp3uua9Oh9st_u2Si2ee_hl9g6rR0idXf/s1600/cowboy.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO3kN6zff1KqeT1rc_ji3huthxda4rbaLdlcnPwDBgq9usyzGGPlrNRa8tHu20-4TjvmbK9bYA7B8D2nVuhiUQlDe92rmubhRFy91rtaW0WWyhp3uua9Oh9st_u2Si2ee_hl9g6rR0idXf/s1600/cowboy.jpeg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well, we got the dinner and show. But unfortunately while we were settling in at our motel, the rain started up in earnest. It turned out that Wyoming has been getting the same generous precipitation this spring that the Badlands had been getting. Unfortunately, along with the green grass, they've also been getting mud - and since the Cody Nite Rodeo is not in an enclosed space, slippery mud can be a serious issue for the horses. So we found that for once, our plans had gone somewhat awry - the rodeo for that night was cancelled, for only the third time in the long memory of the fine people at the restaurant and motel.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We comforted ourselves with the fact that our next day's plans didn't require the rain to stop, and settled ourselves snugly into our comfy beds for a good night's rest - probably not a bad idea in any case, since by then I had developed a rotten cold.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next morning we said our goodbyes to our room and our hostess, and headed over to the <a href="http://www.bbhc.org/home/">Buffalo Bill Historical Center</a>, an impressive building holding several separate galleries, each devoted to their own collection. All of us enjoyed the exhibit dedicated to the history of Buffalo Bill and his exploits, but we each had our own favorite gallery. Handsome Son loved the firearms museum, which covered the history of American firearms from the Revolution through the World Wars. I particularly enjoyed the display of western art, including some wonderful paintings and sculptures by such luminaries as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Marion_Russell">Charles Russell</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederic_Remington">Frederick Remington</a>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Finally we tore ourselves away, and headed towards the east gate of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowstone_National_Park">Yellowstone National Park</a>, which had been closed the day before, but was now open. We quickly discovered why there were so many closings of roads and of Yellowstone gates:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5NhHxwPxfUvQdej_Vp1Y9Fo4_1PYJrh5EAczkXVEcBuZppYx3LVZbf7dOWgMZo_rS4iik-MA5GfRKZ1pMiLR-D7ZugsPBBAJ_sWMYb2ayDlGPeu-vB0xzA-Rgae5zZ84FiFWszxM5H_I5/s1600/snowinyellowstone.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5NhHxwPxfUvQdej_Vp1Y9Fo4_1PYJrh5EAczkXVEcBuZppYx3LVZbf7dOWgMZo_rS4iik-MA5GfRKZ1pMiLR-D7ZugsPBBAJ_sWMYb2ayDlGPeu-vB0xzA-Rgae5zZ84FiFWszxM5H_I5/s320/snowinyellowstone.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Still, we drove through Yellowstone without incident. Well, without <b><i>unpleasant</i></b> incident. We had incidents involving bears and wolves and other forms of (somewhat damp) wildlife, which was a thrill for all of us.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8shvLUvxawFbROE3hJ_nBb-vfysBNqn1zDIRUJ8Q1wwb2saxelI9GAJFUWZ8s7rzzT-Z8L0F6GQFXmNofNcG479qtaY9aq08iKsjXp4EDOutgQmq3tM4gaXou_DLSnbhHAoR7Mv2zrOYQ/s1600/wetelk.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8shvLUvxawFbROE3hJ_nBb-vfysBNqn1zDIRUJ8Q1wwb2saxelI9GAJFUWZ8s7rzzT-Z8L0F6GQFXmNofNcG479qtaY9aq08iKsjXp4EDOutgQmq3tM4gaXou_DLSnbhHAoR7Mv2zrOYQ/s320/wetelk.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We also spent nearly two hours touring around the hot springs and geyser basin area of the park. We arrived at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Faithful_Geyser">Old Faithful</a> just as it finished erupting, so we had 90 minutes or so to kill before the next eruption. Luckily they have paved a path around the area, so that those of us confined to scooters and wheelchairs could gawk at all the points of interest, of which there were many.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDVaemELLj_1_NfCB5JY2yJ97l-a0EHiP5JKgJGfGEl3GwV6mLQjnaDP4poxzLVQm_78QidbpgVJlJMlGVcOd0lCkPFVj4rDIxKUOlQQ-UiwFA-5fTNoMsMLwhIR5GqYU9bfMQoU_dwU9J/s1600/crankyguiser.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDVaemELLj_1_NfCB5JY2yJ97l-a0EHiP5JKgJGfGEl3GwV6mLQjnaDP4poxzLVQm_78QidbpgVJlJMlGVcOd0lCkPFVj4rDIxKUOlQQ-UiwFA-5fTNoMsMLwhIR5GqYU9bfMQoU_dwU9J/s320/crankyguiser.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I thought this looked like the face of a cranky old man squinting up into a cold sky...</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We got back from our tour just in time to see Old Faithful erupt in a very satisfying way, and then off we went, heading towards our hotel in Jackson Hole. But first we had to get something to eat, since it was dinner time and we hadn't eaten since our early brunch. On our way through the Teton Mountain range, we stopped at <a href="http://www.gtlc.com/dining/jackson-lake-lodge-the-mural-room.aspx">Jackson Lake Lodge's Mural Room</a>, where we ate an excellent (although not cheap) meal while gaping at the gorgeous scenery displayed through their panoramic picture windows (click the link to see the view from the windows - that isn't a painting, it's what you actually look at as you eat).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We spent a bit more time at the lodge, just looking out the windows and pottering about on the veranda, but eventually we had to head towards our lodgings. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson,_Wyoming">Jackson</a> is a tourist town, so I suppose there is some sort of logic to the street layout, but we were only starting to figure it out by the time we left. Luckily, you can get a free map of the town at any of the many restaurants or hotels - we suggest you do so sooner rather than later, if you plan to visit.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As it was, we were pretty tired and slightly cranky by the time we found our hotel, so the boys were grateful for a stint in the hot tub, and then we all just fell into bed. The next day we were up early and raring to go - and go we did, to Jenny Lake, a jewel gently set in the exquisite frame of the surrounding Teton Mountains.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGYgNt_Xg-_8KIXbNCTJO-b2UZ3n6KXOkepCVxb5PS5ttPdSHaF1boymq3cVW2HkH8_VDNsDHOY4GxvsjBIBjWbMg1uhYdhyNJ44Bc9BlHPQ7XISVcs_zahIKCfFwbeWJ9CuyPy28YwEhR/s1600/viewingtetons.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGYgNt_Xg-_8KIXbNCTJO-b2UZ3n6KXOkepCVxb5PS5ttPdSHaF1boymq3cVW2HkH8_VDNsDHOY4GxvsjBIBjWbMg1uhYdhyNJ44Bc9BlHPQ7XISVcs_zahIKCfFwbeWJ9CuyPy28YwEhR/s320/viewingtetons.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The boys left me lounging in comfort at the charming Jenny Lake Lodge, where I had a delicious lunch and then curled up in front of the cozy fire in the lounge (have a visit with the concierge if you are lucky enough to stop there - she is from the Twin Cities, and represents the best of Minnesota Nice). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Meanwhile the guys took the ferry from the <a href="http://www.jacksonholewy.net/lakes_rivers_falls/jenny_lake.php">Visitor Center</a> to the mountainous side of the lake, and from there they had a 3.5 hour hike and Guy Bonding Session around the rim of the lake - they also bonded with some very bold marmots and other smallish woodland critters, and saw a black bear at what was luckily a more comfortable distance.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBbaNHL6d2Xx-rgGBTixkIEn0kN6_-9PFT9GYsWjjHs90KHiW6-NfK0E_fYQLurNCZl3B2Gcym7W0gkzG2rVSl8Sg0cYNtZZUknSJggzMFjFo7iiwkDzgdGTmN2w5UVkvQ3yES-BirGW3/s1600/jennyhike2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBbaNHL6d2Xx-rgGBTixkIEn0kN6_-9PFT9GYsWjjHs90KHiW6-NfK0E_fYQLurNCZl3B2Gcym7W0gkzG2rVSl8Sg0cYNtZZUknSJggzMFjFo7iiwkDzgdGTmN2w5UVkvQ3yES-BirGW3/s320/jennyhike2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLnx6IwHKk0qXyqoZCNZV_zcXxA5ECp8w16omIFsUF4QyEUycwVemhJQZ0ltBhB5bc35pLWky1VYZrt1wq3pN2HZ0q4FowrqLG82O01fN_brpm128e8XpJALmiNDW4w82EhXyaQoYipQq/s1600/jennyhike1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLnx6IwHKk0qXyqoZCNZV_zcXxA5ECp8w16omIFsUF4QyEUycwVemhJQZ0ltBhB5bc35pLWky1VYZrt1wq3pN2HZ0q4FowrqLG82O01fN_brpm128e8XpJALmiNDW4w82EhXyaQoYipQq/s320/jennyhike1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After their long hike, the guys were happy to get back to Jackson Hole for a stint in the hot tub, a short nap, and a very generous serving of ribs from <a href="http://www.bubbasjh.com/">Bubba's BBQ</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>The next day was largely devoted to rest, hot tubbing, doing the laundry, and looking for a hat for Scott. In the evening, however, we went to the <a href="http://www.barjchuckwagon.com/Chuckwagon.html">Bar J Chuckwagon</a> for a traditional cowboy supper and a truly impressive music and comedy show by the <a href="http://www.barjchuckwagon.com/Wranglers.html">Bar J Wranglers</a>. We had a great time, and fell into bed that night full to the gills with food and entertainment.<br />
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Up at 4am, packed our gear into the van again, and it was time to hightail it for home. But we still had time along the way to see more wildlife, gawk at the sights...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8j4OqYksH4PfvFkr5DIv2U7pwYu7VL_BDhlUSY_u-5TK06UxrXSTdlxVfQvVyD8xyAv9wFWp6JI4LODlphMOq6C8pioZBz92CSkyA4k2A6ES5fnyTd58jBpoBylWucIJQSyvsJyLKs0Oi/s1600/drybuffalo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8j4OqYksH4PfvFkr5DIv2U7pwYu7VL_BDhlUSY_u-5TK06UxrXSTdlxVfQvVyD8xyAv9wFWp6JI4LODlphMOq6C8pioZBz92CSkyA4k2A6ES5fnyTd58jBpoBylWucIJQSyvsJyLKs0Oi/s320/drybuffalo.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">... and get ourselves in a minor scrape or two. About one mile outside the gates of Yellowstone, we (meaning 'I') locked ourselves out of the car, and were informed by the gift shop personnel that the rangers did not feel obligated to help anyone who was outside of the boundaries of the park proper. Great. The nearest locksmith or patrol car would have to come from Cody, at least an hour's drive away. Luckily I talked Impatient Spouse out of his 'let's break the windshield' idea; after a bit of a struggle with a wire hanger, Impatient Spouse's handy Leatherman, and with the help of a passing Cheesehead (we Midwesterners have to stick together), we were able to break into our own van and get back on the road in fairly short order.**</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Off we went again, and got past Cody with no further incidents... until we hit Shell, at which point we discovered that the highway we were on was closed further up, there were no alternate routes open, and we had to turn around and go back. But we are nothing if we are not flexible (when forced to be so), so we backtracked to Greybull, went south instead of north, and took a great big loop around the higher areas of the Bighorns in order to get back up to I90. A less scenic and much less direct route, but luckily the lower climes allowed for faster speeds, so although we added a lot of miles, we didn't add too much time to our trip. By nightfall we were safely ensconced in our motel in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall,_South_Dakota">Wall, SD</a>, home of ubiquitous signage and thus the famous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_Drug">Wall Drug</a>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Up at a more reasonable 6am the next morning, well in time for breakfast and ice water at Wall Drug, then off for another long stint of driving. Handsome Son took over the driving near the Minnesota border, just in time to spend more than three hours traveling with a spectacular thunderstorm that was heading towards the Twin Cities. He handled the stresses of straight-line winds and nearly zero visibility with grace, and we safely arrived at home by nightfall. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Goodbye and thank you, Wyoming and South Dakota. It was wonderful to meet you - we hope to visit again some day!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjme0SItMQzD3kth0CGPc6Ow5rtBzCVJBGPYlYtGRsLSBB5dpWhbjWNXNBj2eahbLiySO1pIg1CbBsYI93tKg9ZYWa10ypneQ2lyzF0b5EOoVPrU5RIieTJXXz34i5W3KxQ2b6oGiAqDdH0/s1600/goodbye.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjme0SItMQzD3kth0CGPc6Ow5rtBzCVJBGPYlYtGRsLSBB5dpWhbjWNXNBj2eahbLiySO1pIg1CbBsYI93tKg9ZYWa10ypneQ2lyzF0b5EOoVPrU5RIieTJXXz34i5W3KxQ2b6oGiAqDdH0/s320/goodbye.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">** <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>For what are probably obvious reasons, I'm not entirely certain this is a good thing, even though it allowed us to get on our way with minimal delay and expenditure. Let me point out, also for obvious reasons, that our van is more than ten years old and is a very basic model - the only semi-valuable thing in it is my similarly old and battered wheelchair scooter, which we got from a pawn shop at a very very low price, for good reason. I'm just sayin'...</i></span></div>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11442325235793131536noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1179812556274774245.post-67663715728365915722011-06-17T11:56:00.000-05:002011-06-17T11:56:04.652-05:00Home From The Hills, Part 1We weren't sure I was going to make it, right up until the day before we left. But finally the hip was painful-but-functional, and at 4am we packed up the van and took off for our little vacation in South Dakota and Wyoming. Wagon, ho!!<br />
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Scott took care of the first major stretch of driving, and then Handsome Son took a nice long stint, leaving his dad the last bit before we pulled into our first destination: the Badlands.<br />
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Oh, it was both wonderfully familiar and magically different! In the autumn of two years ago, the grass was golden and blended beautifully with the weird and wonderful rock formations. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqoALc4CGb-4qPluTMPynN8AG9DZO08LdWNHU23mWg-a_Dp0xszfGXma_Paqn5J2DT8Ql-C4QI6saY3D0O_H3YM-ZHSt3YGEsCe_VKkVkHDzHggd2a9PhvAWqEv7UkLYNp6Cj7MUoty9R/s1600/goldenbl.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqoALc4CGb-4qPluTMPynN8AG9DZO08LdWNHU23mWg-a_Dp0xszfGXma_Paqn5J2DT8Ql-C4QI6saY3D0O_H3YM-ZHSt3YGEsCe_VKkVkHDzHggd2a9PhvAWqEv7UkLYNp6Cj7MUoty9R/s320/goldenbl.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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This spring, however, the rangers tell us that there is more green in the <a href="http://www.allblackhills.com/badlands_national_park/">Badlands</a> than there has been in living memory. Imagine, pools of water in the Badlands!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_rupPzzBW2MkVmHQ2CGhgg2NG-TGpfKX8LOVH6nbnBe1PiWXM2aiHlMpk6MndKmzopHTZN-ilxf6KUqnvYrlRkYPp1OMvXN1ISZ1fPU7M3HjQyKNBMRlNHw46NgNnwGwzpowzlGOQdx8a/s1600/green.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_rupPzzBW2MkVmHQ2CGhgg2NG-TGpfKX8LOVH6nbnBe1PiWXM2aiHlMpk6MndKmzopHTZN-ilxf6KUqnvYrlRkYPp1OMvXN1ISZ1fPU7M3HjQyKNBMRlNHw46NgNnwGwzpowzlGOQdx8a/s320/green.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was different, but it was still beautiful, and we all were very happy to be there. We stayed for two nights at <a href="http://www.allblackhills.com/badlands_national_park/cedar_pass_lodge.php">Cedar Pass Lodge</a> - the cabins were very small and basic, but there was a/c and very comfortable beds, and the view was gorgeous. What more could you want? Not much, obviously...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzbPmF5JGqHLqMV_2dAbNXq9jfruW15GsLuImw9m8CsVpOsoHagBlUdN9N7b7bYtPMRrcfJBOy0Wa2sHj9MfR54Ts4jczTQnFVByBjdpO1mnxZzQrwLy7ubOgrBck0aBBbokAsDjP_U79K/s1600/Sthrilled.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzbPmF5JGqHLqMV_2dAbNXq9jfruW15GsLuImw9m8CsVpOsoHagBlUdN9N7b7bYtPMRrcfJBOy0Wa2sHj9MfR54Ts4jczTQnFVByBjdpO1mnxZzQrwLy7ubOgrBck0aBBbokAsDjP_U79K/s320/Sthrilled.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSiYt40v1W1aCFMPSwfshhSXqmktR2GzYxISA2NpkAkxpYmE6mvyANewZKnwJN7Jp5XmK_FRx_tutQAEZoN6y9teRh6Z4BtSiNjFQ2EuhhB2N7WQvRSrdqb61j7y_LUBBGIjTl6ohr96Mo/s1600/Bthrilled.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSiYt40v1W1aCFMPSwfshhSXqmktR2GzYxISA2NpkAkxpYmE6mvyANewZKnwJN7Jp5XmK_FRx_tutQAEZoN6y9teRh6Z4BtSiNjFQ2EuhhB2N7WQvRSrdqb61j7y_LUBBGIjTl6ohr96Mo/s320/Bthrilled.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well, you might want some Indian Fry Bread. The Cedar Pass Lodge has a little cafe, where at night they have taco fixings on fry bread, and in the morning they have fry bread with a wonderful blueberry sauce. Not bad at all...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You also might want to attend the Night Sky talks at the ampitheatre near the campgrounds - a fun presentation is followed on clear nights by the opportunity to use some very nice telescopes, so that you can gape at distant galaxies and nebulas and planets. We didn't get the opportunity to use said telescopes this time around, but we did get a spectacular view of a close-passing storm - I've never seen pink lightning before!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On the day after we arrived - and after eating our fry bread and blueberries, of course - we drove through the Badlands Loop, and then spent time driving around the Black Hills. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit4c6c618MWo5Mtu-MNPGItZtUr-1ia0xAOY8_8eNJAzxTtl1mjiQG7GbJAV7YD4DsmKl7M-2WJFlDeQGFqGyOYx7CLhjko9-L6p4IgMWctjYuqdIv59a0ADquKpzRPbbuDOckGCLfXGfr/s1600/needles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit4c6c618MWo5Mtu-MNPGItZtUr-1ia0xAOY8_8eNJAzxTtl1mjiQG7GbJAV7YD4DsmKl7M-2WJFlDeQGFqGyOYx7CLhjko9-L6p4IgMWctjYuqdIv59a0ADquKpzRPbbuDOckGCLfXGfr/s320/needles.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Between driving on the <a href="http://www.allblackhills.com/scenic_drives/needles_highway.php">Needles Highway</a> and the <a href="http://www.allblackhills.com/scenic_drives/iron_mountain_road.php">Iron Mountain Road</a>, we stopped for a wine tasting and wonderful lunch at the <a href="http://www.prairieberry.com/history/">Prairie Berry Winery</a>. Then off we went for more Eye Candy. Along the way we met some old friends...<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And some new ones...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>And basically spent our time feeling at one with the universe.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbK5DoFgPapEpVIeQUIcsYnPqaKzXHxBXECw4gg6fj4BMPpaYmDn7eXUCfdCinfd5w2lzEeZHizHeaHczg8Pupqo9kHQN9qIaxjnR5QAnsVY2rsjnxUyjAfnjnJFVBjHMBQAYwTPWPivt/s1600/sunworship.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbK5DoFgPapEpVIeQUIcsYnPqaKzXHxBXECw4gg6fj4BMPpaYmDn7eXUCfdCinfd5w2lzEeZHizHeaHczg8Pupqo9kHQN9qIaxjnR5QAnsVY2rsjnxUyjAfnjnJFVBjHMBQAYwTPWPivt/s320/sunworship.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Then back to Cedar Pass for the night. What a wonderful time we were having!!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>to be continued...</i></span>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11442325235793131536noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1179812556274774245.post-83539668854082892852011-06-01T19:12:00.003-05:002011-06-01T19:31:20.717-05:00Poor Old KittyWe have had one type and size of cat for 15 years or so: small, feisty, pretty, dignified (for the most part, except when hysterically clumsy) and quite the character.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFtU8cTY8YMa4bmXJr9ti0KJmHUDTKd4He3UBfME4FTMqp-77SHoHKjFpe35OzuMK-lzx_OvHZpm8EGzU4xH_wG34Cj9ApfwoGzbgWQPcsxsOKs-HJqUnwmEJVrxguRGtGyLLoZjVlicLa/s1600/cat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFtU8cTY8YMa4bmXJr9ti0KJmHUDTKd4He3UBfME4FTMqp-77SHoHKjFpe35OzuMK-lzx_OvHZpm8EGzU4xH_wG34Cj9ApfwoGzbgWQPcsxsOKs-HJqUnwmEJVrxguRGtGyLLoZjVlicLa/s320/cat.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
She was well into adulthood when we got her in 1996, and so now she is an elder kitty, deserving of respect and care. <br />
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Unfortunately, for the last few months she has been unable to adequately clean herself, and has developed mats that were outrunning my ability to comb out. It would take me half an hour of fighting with her to get one mat cleared, and the next day there would be two to take its place. <br />
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It got to the point where it just couldn't be comfortable for her, poor old thing, and I was concerned that she might develop some sort of skin issue that would cause her actual pain. So off we took her to the groomers, and gave her a 'Lion Cut'.<br />
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</div>She won't let me take a photo of her in this condition - she is currently in a state of High Dudgeon.<br />
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Can't say that I blame her. Her head is literally twice as big as her body. Poor old thing, she deserves her dignity, and instead she looks entirely ridiculous. And pitiful - she is SO thin and bony. <br />
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I think of the three, she prefers being old and arthritic to being an object of ridicule. Too unfair that she has to put up with all three. <br />
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I can relate.Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11442325235793131536noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1179812556274774245.post-27923793472468582182011-05-22T14:54:00.000-05:002011-05-22T14:54:11.252-05:00Well, This Is Fun!A tornado touched down and traveled around a bit at Hwy 394 & 100, and now one is developing at Como Lake, which is right near our house, so we've got sirens and weather reports and all sorts of excitement at the moment. Which is delaying our trip to my folks' house, but providing entertainment that should give us something to talk about over the dinner table (once we actually get there).<br />
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Wheeeeee!!!Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11442325235793131536noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1179812556274774245.post-77723349213146454572011-05-16T01:06:00.000-05:002011-05-16T01:06:04.660-05:00Shepherd's HarvestIf you are curious about what the <a href="http://www.shepherdsharvestfestival.org/New_Site/">Shepherd's Harvest Sheep & Wool Festival</a> is like, my friend and boothmate, Denise of <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/woolalchemy">Wool Alchemy</a>, has put up a little <a href="http://eyesoftime.blogspot.com/2011/05/shepherds-harvest-2011-amazing-fiber.html">slide show of her festival experience</a>. You will see some of her fantastic felted Critters, plus a variety of critters of the live variety that she cooed at over the weekend (yes, even the silkworms!)<br />
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Enjoy!!Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11442325235793131536noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1179812556274774245.post-27490094692480299062011-05-01T22:13:00.002-05:002011-05-01T22:19:48.683-05:00Oops, No Camera...Oh, drat!! Mom and I went on our yearly trek to the Minneapolis Institute of Art for their wonderful <a href="http://www.artsmia.org/art-in-bloom-2011/">Art In Bloom</a>... and as is also our tradition, we both forgot to bring our cameras.<br />
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Poor you, to have missed the wonderfulness!! <br />
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Art In Bloom challenges local flower artists to make an arrangement that reflects in some way on a particular work of art displayed in the museum. This year more than 150 artists were assigned one particular painting or sculpture, which they then had to contemplate and then design an arrangement that in some way reflected upon the artwork itself.<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The displays were all pretty, some of them stunning, some of them inspirational or funny or even thought-provoking. Our particular favorite was a rather simple but beautifully done display of tall dark plum and white lilies in a stunning cobalt-to-purplish midnight blue vase, reflecting both the color and the movement of a Georgia O'Keef painting of tall skyscrapers - I always thought of O'Keef as a painter of flowers and other things natural, but somehow the painting still was distinctly hers. and the flower arrangement just carried the feeling along and complimented it perfectly. </div><br />
Click on the link above and see some little bit of the previous year's event - don't you wish you could have been there? Well, you can go next year (especially you, <a href="http://violethoarder.blogspot.com/">Ms. Violet Hoarder</a>, <a href="http://shepherdsvoice.blogspot.com/">sweet Nancy</a>, Kathy, <a href="http://knitthink.typepad.com/flyoverland/">Amy</a>, and anyone else who hails from MN), because luckily it's a yearly deal. <br />
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One hint: don't try to go there at the beginning of the first day (Thursday). We arrived at 10am on Thursday... well, no, that's a lie. We got about 3 blocks from the Institute, and then got stuck in completely stopped traffic. And even that far away, no parking spots (even handicapped spots) in sight. For people who are <i>not </i>completely crippled up, the temptation might be to walk an extra five blocks or so - but I would suggest coming back at a later time, when the huge opening crowd won't be jostling and pushing each other back from the displays.<br />
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Mom and I turned around and went back home - and returned on Saturday at around 1pm. It was crowded enough that the valet parking was full, and mom snagged the one remaining handicapped space (after fetching a wheelchair for me at the door - the MIA provides wheelchairs and even a few coveted scooters for free, bless their hearts. Call ahead to reserve those scooters, they are a very coveted commodity!) <br />
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But once we got in, we were mostly able to get next to the displays, either immediately or after a very short wait. And oh, it was sooooooo worth the bother!! Not only did we see a great deal of loveliness, but we also met a number of very interesting and sweet fellow gawkers, some of whom knew a participating floral artist or two and gave us the Inside Scoop, some of whom were just interesting and fun to talk to. One of the gals we talked to had a beautifully knitted Norwegian sweater of incredible intricacy, gifted to her by grateful and generous offspring, bless their hearts. We were suitably impressed, of course - after all, we are lovers of fiber as well as of the belle fleurs...<br />
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We went home replete with gorgeousness, and also with chai and maple shortbread from the in-house cafe. Hey, it takes a lot of energy to Ooo and Aaaah that much!!<br />
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And thanks, mom, for all the hard work you did in pushing me around. You are a trooper, and also a joy forever. I love you muchly, muchly indeed!Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11442325235793131536noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1179812556274774245.post-22081013647500133082011-04-27T00:24:00.003-05:002011-04-27T00:27:47.628-05:00In My Easter Bonnet...We had a lovely Easter. <br />
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We started out with an Easter Breakfast with Handsome Son and his new girlfriend, who was delightful.<br />
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I wore a truly exuberant Easter Bonnet, with all the frills upon it. It was truly impressive.<br />
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</div>Later in the afternoon we went to my cousins' house for lots of chatting, a bit of stuffing our faces with delicious goodies, a few games of Bocce Ball in the spring sunshine for those who could do such things (there was lots of laughing, which was wonderful), and the obligatory group photos.**<br />
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In front of the Easter Bonnet there is Lovable Sister and Charming Parent; in the middle - next to the Easter Bonnet - there is Handsome Son (who has enough hair for both of us) and Beloved Husband; and in the back - peering out from behind the Easter Bonnet, which apparently likes to chew up the scenery - is the other Charming Parent.<br />
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The Easter Bonnet had a grand time. I did, too. <br />
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**<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>And I mean 'obligatory' quite literally. Cousin Mary was very forceful in rounding us up and making us stand still, in all our squinting glory. It wasn't an easy job, but she was determined. She'd make a fantastic General. Thanks, Mary - we grumped about it at the time, but we're awfully grateful for the photos now!!</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>And many, many thanks to Mark and Polly for hosting the event. You pulled it all together brilliantly, as always - we never take that for granted. I am very, very lucky to be part of your family!</i></span>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11442325235793131536noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1179812556274774245.post-768113164091013612011-04-24T12:14:00.001-05:002011-04-24T12:15:26.817-05:00Happy Easter/Spring!!It's Spring, it's Minnesota... and the sun is evidently a Minnesotan, too, because it's obviously decided to skedaddle to someplace a little less unpredictable in the weather department. <br />
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You DON'T want to come here for Spring Break.<br />
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We've had our April showers - but mostly that's been snow showers, rather than the rain that supposedly brings May flowers. If I take my parents' lawn as evidence, April snow showers bring May moles. Which are rather antithetical to flowers, actually**. <br />
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So I'm thinking that in our case, April showers bring June/July/August mosquitos. Every state needs some sort of specialty crop, right?<br />
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Better enjoy May, folks. Moles and all...<br />
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**<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Although Moley rather enjoyed flowers, if my memories of "The Wind in the Willows" serves. That said, my parents' moles seem to be more interested in excavation than they seem to be inclined towards messing about in boats, regardless of the fact that they are located only a block or two from the river. So their taste in landscaping is probably similarly suspect.</i></span>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11442325235793131536noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1179812556274774245.post-11053030586270078962011-04-05T00:09:00.000-05:002011-04-05T00:09:55.364-05:00Summer HatsI've been wearing some really lovely hats this past five or so weeks, ever since the hair all fell out (see <a href="http://rosecoloredcancer.blogspot.com/">my cancer blog</a> for explanation of that, unless you've already been reading it). My friend Timary crocheted some lovely tams for me (see<a href="http://knotallthat.blogspot.com/2011/02/what-do-you-think.html"> post below</a> for photo of the one she made from my handspun), and I have a velvet hat that is just cute as a button (or at least, it is cute as a velvet hat with a big old flower on it).<br />
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Okay, you can't see that very well, but it's a hat with a band, to which the slightly poufy top is sewn above and to which the brim is sewn below, with the velvet rose attached (to hide the band's seam, as well as to look decorative). The brim can be left down all around, per this photo (taken with computer camera, which is why it's not very good) or the front can be folded upwards, which is jaunty and fun. <br />
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But these are all Cool Weather Hats, and suddenly after months and months of snow and ice and frigid temps, spring is coming in a huge rush. Now all my beloved hats are making my head sweat!!<br />
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Mom and I went to the local wig/hat store, and to Target. We searched for hats, we peered at hats, we patted and pinched and fondled hats, we even tried hats on. <br />
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Unfortunately, we learned a couple things.<br />
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1. I don't look particularly good in caps, and all the hats that are out currently seem to be either big froufrou Easter Bonnet/Go To Church hats (lovely, but not for general wear) or billed caps. I need a frame for my face, and to add some balance, since my head is relatively small in comparison to my body. Not a HUGE frame - those big 'garden hat' brims are hard to manage, and tend to want to fly away in even a slight breeze. I don't want to constantly hold onto my head, or worry about my poor bald scalp being exposed. The above hat serves the purpose well, while still sitting snugly on the head and not threatening to turn me into a remake of The Flying Nun (my goodness, I imagine that reference ages me!)<br />
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2. The colors this season seem to be brown, tan, brownish-gray, white, or red. I do not look good in brown or red, and even a nice silvery gray gets a bit dull and anonymous after a while. If I'm going to wear a hat, I want to look festive and I want to have fun with it. I like white well enough, but it gets dirty quickly when you are sweaty... and women with hot flashes sweat a <b>LOT</b> in Minnesota summers. Frankly, so do most of the rest of us Minnesnowtans. But let's face it, I am a woman with many, many hot flashes, and I am a woman who does not 'glow'. So even though white theoretically goes with just about everything, it's not going to work as a 'running errands and visiting friends' hat. And a whole wardrobe of white hats would be a bit monotonous.<br />
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So I'm wondering if anyone has some patterns for hats similar to the above (or knows where they might be obtained), so that mom and I could sew up a few in fabrics and decorations of my choice? Wide-brimmed cloches or moderately floppy-brimmed hats that can be folded up in front, that would look cute with flowers or pins or random balls of yarn stuck on them?**<br />
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** <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Well, okay, that last one was a joke. Probably. Except at a fiber arts gathering - then all bets are off.</span></i>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11442325235793131536noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1179812556274774245.post-26912980019927475982011-03-21T12:02:00.000-05:002011-03-21T12:02:00.551-05:00The Cat Issues A WarningMy dear friend Anne sent this to me, but The Cat says that really I should take it more seriously than Anne intended. <br />
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I probably should heed the warning. The Cat has disappeared into my knitting stash, and I'm hearing some rather suspicious clicking going on back there...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/h6CcxJQq1x8" title="YouTube video player" width="640"></iframe>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11442325235793131536noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1179812556274774245.post-70674100115888775722011-02-25T12:06:00.000-06:002011-02-25T12:06:46.229-06:00What Do You Think?** <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Warning: this post is in part a copy of a post over on <a href="http://rosecoloredcancer.blogspot.com/">my other blog</a>. I reward you for your patience with a homely picture of myself in cute charming hat. The photo does not do justice to the beauty of Timary's needlework or to the lovely colors and gloss of the yarn used (if I do say so, myself). It just sort of hints at it. You pays your money (or in this case, your attention) and you takes your chances, people...</span></i><br />
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Here is the darling beret that my brilliant friend Timary made for me. It's a new design of hers, so I hadn't seen it before. You can find her patterns (including this slouchy beanie beret) at<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/timaryart"> her Etsy store right here</a>. Go ahead and check it out, especially if you are a crocheter - you'll be glad you did.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div>Thing is, when I got the hat she sent, I thought, "Ooo, FUN!!" And then I thought, "Ooo, the colors are so ME!!" And then I thought, "Ooo, this yarn is so soft and pretty!!" And then I thought, "Hey, this yarn looks sort of familiar, actually..." And then I realized... Timary bought my yarn a while back, and put a lot of work into making something out of it, AND THEN SENT IT BACK TO ME. It was my own handspun yarn!!</div><div><br />
So now I am going to send her more. Some of it will be for her... and some of it will be for the <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/68338798/roaring-20s-flapper-hat-crochet-pattern">really cute 20's Flapper Hat</a>. Because I don't crochet, and am not up to learning how at the moment, but she has designed one darling hat, I must say!!<br />
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So, what do you think? Should I add a big fancy pin to one side? Or just leave it as it is?<br />
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</div><div><br />
</div><div>I also bought a couple really cute, silly, fun hats yesterday - just in time, since I lost about half my head overnight last night. I'll model those soon, but I know you shouldn't be expected to handle so much feminine pulchritude at once. (<i>koff, koff</i>...)<br />
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Now I have these really cute hats, and no place to store them properly (the only hat I've got stored/displayed currently is my floppy old straw hat, which is sitting on the head of my son's wooden rocking horse. It's very fetching, but not very protected). So if anybody just happens to have a nice big hatbox sitting around, and wants to donate it to a needy cause, I'm it. <br />
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</div>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11442325235793131536noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1179812556274774245.post-83197004953676411802011-02-19T17:31:00.000-06:002011-02-19T17:31:58.930-06:00Been There (Both Sides)With thanks to dear friend Debi, I give you this. Is it a tad manipulative and simplistic? Well, heck, yeah. Does that make it less true, or less important to remember? Well, heck, no...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0NzwbFQUsQ0" title="YouTube video player" width="640"></iframe>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11442325235793131536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1179812556274774245.post-27585089699513121422011-02-18T23:58:00.000-06:002011-02-18T23:58:18.247-06:00Why I Am Not HereThe last few weeks have been trying and difficult ones. I haven't had either the heart or the energy to post here, I'm afraid. I have, however, been reporting in on occasion over at <a href="http://rosecoloredcancer.blogspot.com/">my other blog</a>, so if you haven't visited there already, please do link on over and give me a little visit. Hopefully I will Get My Groove Back at some point in the future... so please stay tuned, my friends.Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11442325235793131536noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1179812556274774245.post-13268679547053344592011-01-22T13:18:00.001-06:002011-01-22T13:20:22.802-06:00Las Vegas Is Awesome, Part the LastYou thought I forgot, didn't you? But no, I do intend to finish our tale...<br />
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Last we saw our intrepid explorers, their message light was mysteriously flashing. It turns out that the reason my cousin - my only gal cousin, who lives in Reno and whom I hadn't seen in twenty years - hadn't answered my messages previous to our trip was that she was in Europe at the time. But now she had returned, and was wondering if it would be okay if she flew out to see us for a day?<br />
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Okay? It would be fabulous!!<br />
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So although the lovely Elizabeth had to leave before dawn, our sorrow was leavened by the knowledge that we were going to breakfast with my fabulous cousin, Christiane.<br />
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We met in Paris, and nearly immediately found ourselves in Venice. Well, in the Venetian, at any rate... as you can see from the photo, the wind blew us everywhere that day!<br />
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Inside, we watched 'street performers' and listened to the singing of the gondoliers, and visited a few of the more spectacular shops. I have a thing for masks, and there was a shop entirely devoted to that art form. I could have stayed there all day...<br />
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But we did eventually tear ourselves (me) away, and headed back out into the wider world. We visited quite a few hotels, and visited Tussaud's, where Scott was able to flirt with one of his favorite Pushy Broads.<br />
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My cousin, who hosts a political talk radio show, was able to offer her skills where they were most needed...<br />
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And we generally just enjoyed ourselves as much as it seems possible to do. We ended the day by taking my cousin to 'our buffet', and rolled back to the hotel sated and entirely ready to soak in our wonderful tub.<br />
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After breakfast with my cousin the next morning, we dropped her off at the airport and headed out into the countryside. This time we went to the Valley of Fire, which we absolutely adored.<br />
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I was extremely proud of myself, since I managed to climb all the way up the several flights of stairs going up to the petroglyphs. <i><b>Totally</b></i> worth the pain, I must say!<br />
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Scott, on the other hand, took things a bit easier...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHgamwOdbitWhjL_1wwMhLVA5JOfz4cuMGu28lYuT8kEKUak6Gabn-gsZ-8Z1JTMc3jQJrn_Ql57alvpKM4qVSMW2YQ89pimxiV94sr63BdB7FPPH_Ay-8mD89loPAcAXRJjVSTChYvYb/s1600/beehive.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHgamwOdbitWhjL_1wwMhLVA5JOfz4cuMGu28lYuT8kEKUak6Gabn-gsZ-8Z1JTMc3jQJrn_Ql57alvpKM4qVSMW2YQ89pimxiV94sr63BdB7FPPH_Ay-8mD89loPAcAXRJjVSTChYvYb/s320/beehive.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Generally, we had a fabulous time. We hit Hoover Dam briefly, just as the sun went down, and then back we went for dinner (guess where) and spent the rest of the evening taking in the breathtaking show <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_R%C3%AAve_%28show%29">Le Reve</a>.<br />
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Home again, home again, the next morning.<br />
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Have to say, love doing the tourist thing - at least, love it the way we do it. I can't imagine better companions, and there isn't a single thing that I wish I had skipped or traded for something else. We had a fabulous time, as we always do. The only thing that could improve the experience is to have it again!!Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11442325235793131536noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1179812556274774245.post-46026024766393961562011-01-22T01:08:00.000-06:002011-01-22T01:08:07.486-06:00Oh, All Right...<div style="text-align: center;">Since Nancy is bored and expecting me to entertain her, I give her this:</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoaaJDuD871oCSjgJtsf6isPSxwZck2nw4_hPKKqn8S399DYgkEFURNR6LAg81555r3CtTEp39ypsz2lsViydJ2vbTYrYsNx1HF2s3rUunt-748tnMTXobH9_-wlcPtPRrQ3b82w0EyaPG/s1600/hat2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoaaJDuD871oCSjgJtsf6isPSxwZck2nw4_hPKKqn8S399DYgkEFURNR6LAg81555r3CtTEp39ypsz2lsViydJ2vbTYrYsNx1HF2s3rUunt-748tnMTXobH9_-wlcPtPRrQ3b82w0EyaPG/s320/hat2.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Handsome Son With New Hat</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
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</b></div>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11442325235793131536noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1179812556274774245.post-40915761035379401362011-01-08T10:35:00.000-06:002011-01-08T10:35:06.696-06:00The New Year Begins NicelyLook at what I found in the mail last night!!!<br />
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This is the prize for the recent contest on the <a href="http://knitty.com/">Knitty.com</a> <a href="http://knittyblog.com/">blog</a> (click the blog link to see some really cool 'guerilla knitting' and other wonderful fiber-related stuff) - two lovely, soft, huggable skeins from the <a href="http://www.theloopyewe.com/">Loopy Ewe</a> with which to make <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEdf10/PATTcuckoo.php">Cuckoo Mittens</a> (click on the link to get the pattern for yourself - <a href="http://knitty.com/">Knitty.com</a> is a wonderful online magazine full of great patterns and informative articles. Not only that, but they pay their designers decently and then provide the patterns to us for free. Please support this community-minded effort by also supporting their advertisers and sponsors - we definitely want <a href="http://knitty.com/">Knitty.com</a> to stay around for a long, long time!)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhacxDOZCpY8kXUW6ffpEid8nS0o2hwCRCt9kssFrKpSJTNSep62CfQpZcvvncXvatjIjZkUxdhebw-sekVjNVj0ETAhc-LrzMkQgEEbrLcJOPvWoLEpRvYXQQesCPbwn6BB5L1Szvuzd9K/s1600/cuckoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhacxDOZCpY8kXUW6ffpEid8nS0o2hwCRCt9kssFrKpSJTNSep62CfQpZcvvncXvatjIjZkUxdhebw-sekVjNVj0ETAhc-LrzMkQgEEbrLcJOPvWoLEpRvYXQQesCPbwn6BB5L1Szvuzd9K/s320/cuckoo.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br />
I want to put in a special plug for the incredibly efficient and kindly folks at the <a href="http://www.theloopyewe.com/">Loopy Ewe</a>. They must have mailed off the package about one second after they got my address... and I almost suspect they asked Scotty to Beam It Up, it got to me so quickly. Not only that, but the prize itself was only supposed to be the yarn - but as you can see, they thoughtfully added an extra special treat to the mix. How cool is that?Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11442325235793131536noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1179812556274774245.post-49318817767886103512010-12-31T16:20:00.000-06:002010-12-31T16:20:29.369-06:00How do they do that?<a href="http://1800gotjunk.com/genie/">How do they do this??</a> (try it with different numbers - it still works, as long as you do do the simple math equation, even if you choose completely different numbers, which lead to completely different answers)Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11442325235793131536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1179812556274774245.post-2499673511880304022010-12-15T00:32:00.000-06:002010-12-15T00:32:17.571-06:00Christmas Flash Mob!!!I <i><b>love</b></i> flash mobs... at least, I love the artistic sort.<br />
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Hopefully you love them, too, because I'm about to subject you to one. My thanks to the wonderful <a href="http://violethoarder.blogspot.com/">Violet Hoarder</a> for pointing this particular bit of joy out!<br />
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<object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SXh7JR9oKVE?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SXh7JR9oKVE?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11442325235793131536noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1179812556274774245.post-38800271164144314242010-12-06T08:44:00.000-06:002010-12-06T08:44:06.504-06:00Las Vegas Is Awesome, Part the FourthOn our first full day in Las Vegas, we decided to just do a general tour of the town, so the three of us (myself, the husband, and the beautiful Elizabeth) toddled off for our first adventure. <br />
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</div><div>Well, the two of them toddled. I scooted in my rented wheelchair. I was a bit of a terror at first - electric wheelchairs are not necessarily as easy to steer as one might assume, and Las Vegas is surprisingly wheelchair-unfriendly. They have lots of escalators and moving walkways and elevated walkways so that you can get over streets, but wheelchairs are (quite reasonably) not allowed on the first two, and the elevators to the latter are not always as convenient or as roomy as one could wish. Most doors were very narrow - barely wide enough to scrape one's chair through if it was aimed exactly right - and in most cases there were no electric door-openers, so that one had to have a companion to open the door in order to gain entrance at all. And that's if you can actually find the elevators or stairless doors - Caesar's Palace, for instance was pretty much impossible to get into. I'm sure there must have been one door that wasn't flanked by stairs, but we walked completely around it and were unable to find it.</div><div><br />
</div><div>That said, I'm very glad I rented a chair, as I wouldn't have gotten more than a block otherwise. As it was, we walked from Mandalay Bay to Caesar's Palace, and all points in-between. We saw lions,<br />
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and we saw Lions...<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We saw large impressive sights,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And sights that were more inspiring close-up...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJnMChHioQH0-2a6M5QWFXh8Ra-JY3LKaxaRX2ogl3mJk_tgzL_LL6JvpsPWBpvJAWQXS2i_eFLj0Dyih29pPvXfzcsUO8etIYiV4R0xmYidRL4ePa9LgJT1unQidSQ826f4_mCowyVvk/s1600/dessert.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJnMChHioQH0-2a6M5QWFXh8Ra-JY3LKaxaRX2ogl3mJk_tgzL_LL6JvpsPWBpvJAWQXS2i_eFLj0Dyih29pPvXfzcsUO8etIYiV4R0xmYidRL4ePa9LgJT1unQidSQ826f4_mCowyVvk/s320/dessert.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At the end of the day, we did find that Las Vegas does have at least one handy wheelchair-friendly service, which is their handicapped taxi fleet - it was cheaper and faster to get a wheelchair-accessible taxi to take us all back to our hotel than it would have been for us to take the monorail.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That night we took Elizabeth to the buffet at Studio B, which was counted a great success. Once again we waddled back to the hotel, completely sated and ready for bed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next day was spent in exploring Las Vegas' surrounding environs. After picking up picnic fixings at Whole Foods, we took off in our rented car. First we went to the mountainous desert area of Red Rock Canyon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPBiLTPcfy-gyy1p39qUpGZ-Xfo4U7pYzCwKCPW_iWmgq8uGpkc0mRO6jvwmYiY1941dA3VSGr2ptM3kNJn4ISt6xf5sgCVwSRdvEsXExDxAt7cwo4Mvn1-ZHrmeHFVqTAANl0fHEy3QS/s1600/redrock.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPBiLTPcfy-gyy1p39qUpGZ-Xfo4U7pYzCwKCPW_iWmgq8uGpkc0mRO6jvwmYiY1941dA3VSGr2ptM3kNJn4ISt6xf5sgCVwSRdvEsXExDxAt7cwo4Mvn1-ZHrmeHFVqTAANl0fHEy3QS/s320/redrock.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was a beautiful day. Scott got a chance to commune with a few wild burros, Elizabeth was able to pick up quite a few educational brochures for her kids at the visitor's center, and I was able to take lots and lots of photos, to which I will not subject you, faithful readers. Let's just say that it was gorgeous and fascinating, and leave it at that.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We also went to the top of Mount Charles,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDBzPpe9CEsIOYGZdsXx_ny2rI_JYgtRcB-VdAZuNUCCtfEoRDFKrRz4kSexSX6iSmXS-YfkgVO6B0Cnmlm03qMVeFDIK2p2WAWqThSythDkV3VEkpkfXz6cLCRqZ0TAJVOTW7SZ2EzUT/s1600/charles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDBzPpe9CEsIOYGZdsXx_ny2rI_JYgtRcB-VdAZuNUCCtfEoRDFKrRz4kSexSX6iSmXS-YfkgVO6B0Cnmlm03qMVeFDIK2p2WAWqThSythDkV3VEkpkfXz6cLCRqZ0TAJVOTW7SZ2EzUT/s320/charles.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">which Scott was able to navigate without anyone being overly concerned for life and limb.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All in all, it was a perfectly lovely day. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We arrived back at the hotel, satisfied, but a bit sad to know that our friend was going to be gone when we got up in the morning. Luckily for our spirits, the message light was flashing on our phone, and we were about to get a wonderful surprise...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>to be continued!</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11442325235793131536noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1179812556274774245.post-91244182899212201522010-12-04T09:51:00.000-06:002010-12-04T09:51:30.327-06:00Las Vegas Is Awesome, Part the ThirdOkay! Yesterday I discovered that I could use the charge cord from our Playstation to get the photos out of my camera and onto my computer. So here is another portion of my report on our vacation in Las Vegas:<br />
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We had some major glitches getting into town. On one hand, the husband had some problems making it to the gate on time for departure (whew!) and we had some major problems with the car rental agency - on the other, we were met at the plane's exit by a person bearing a sign with my name on it and a wheelchair, and then whisked to the shuttles through a complex route that I never would have been able to figure out on my own, but that saved us tons of time (thanks, Levon!)<br />
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Once we got to our hotel, there was still a bit of confusion. Our 'non-smoking' room was right next door to the hotel's meeting rooms, so that smoke still permeated the hallways and adjoining rooms. So we had to go through two long waits in order to get a room that wouldn't make me sick - and then the bellhop brought up the wrong wheelchairs, and it took a while longer in order to get that straightened out.<br />
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But once all that was taken care of, we were able to enjoy the luxury of our surroundings. We stayed at THEhotel at Mandalay Bay (yes, that's how it's spelled), a very swanky all-suite hotel at the end of the strip, next door to the Luxor.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVVVJt5MiDyCunPFOReTXMjdtIy8AcNDInRa7lbA6_ctOltP7SWy3KIaPvss_aZltx6L_uUJIWTSQrtVzkGf9P_VunJiT4t5JeVr_LrDOqqpeMA6J0UOZ77D4QxicCJaQoy4dWNhp4KjR/s1600/view.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVVVJt5MiDyCunPFOReTXMjdtIy8AcNDInRa7lbA6_ctOltP7SWy3KIaPvss_aZltx6L_uUJIWTSQrtVzkGf9P_VunJiT4t5JeVr_LrDOqqpeMA6J0UOZ77D4QxicCJaQoy4dWNhp4KjR/s320/view.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">View from our living room window</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIncWVYuDZmuXnB37tIYAf-40k7ctn6Nc3PKZW0k9K5H0uHhrG3OACgAbaebpy2Z4_n7KLbKa_xAZ1LRbkTJFx80EjbSaadDzlBMEzpCHZ9xmlLh9Zl1RQoCrigZaw5mc_ATa-oGmnW_i/s1600/IMG_1786.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIncWVYuDZmuXnB37tIYAf-40k7ctn6Nc3PKZW0k9K5H0uHhrG3OACgAbaebpy2Z4_n7KLbKa_xAZ1LRbkTJFx80EjbSaadDzlBMEzpCHZ9xmlLh9Zl1RQoCrigZaw5mc_ATa-oGmnW_i/s320/IMG_1786.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">View from our bedroom window</span></i></div><br />
Inside everything was made of marble and glass (including our walk-in shower, in our bathroom with the television that we could watch as we soaked in our luxury-bath-salted tub). <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5FqDaOeykC8egKQOtdh5aZqLjk5UMJvyB5fIlx1Eb6Kh2RcsWXMH4Za-pD6K_1ib71rqvcwDlMRapRnCLldFHzmSDJwySmsN7ZiwiTucdWl8zDdZbXDy3zuVy1cyHFNN8SCSvgkPA1D43/s1600/IMG_1769.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5FqDaOeykC8egKQOtdh5aZqLjk5UMJvyB5fIlx1Eb6Kh2RcsWXMH4Za-pD6K_1ib71rqvcwDlMRapRnCLldFHzmSDJwySmsN7ZiwiTucdWl8zDdZbXDy3zuVy1cyHFNN8SCSvgkPA1D43/s320/IMG_1769.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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The lobby level was set up like a high-end art museum, and surrounding the hotel was a beautiful temple and fountain area in which to spend quiet time contemplating our cleverness in finding a great place to stay.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7Cial69jkWVAzt2jUsy-VIevW1BXo-n4TV_20Plxb7kh6TCL-mxLSgbCin-aZHV0dlcUfv4HYIcKw59eH_YlAyv7gJKYoApkwVlOOHZaJXSLtsrKIMhRPHKlccBnR44pBjBQnDjf9ZWn/s1600/hotel1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7Cial69jkWVAzt2jUsy-VIevW1BXo-n4TV_20Plxb7kh6TCL-mxLSgbCin-aZHV0dlcUfv4HYIcKw59eH_YlAyv7gJKYoApkwVlOOHZaJXSLtsrKIMhRPHKlccBnR44pBjBQnDjf9ZWn/s320/hotel1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDlbr0fQUekrjb4iasCfUQchmUbf6_AVlD4igKQbr6Z1qNYFcdH2SjtESx-sW4WRfhN06mldvZBUSwAtqtHi3zoHj2puw2PoSCWIFzC7XBOI125OTgkKOWspHBHoGKV4FrLLP1KwhP1gAy/s1600/hotel2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDlbr0fQUekrjb4iasCfUQchmUbf6_AVlD4igKQbr6Z1qNYFcdH2SjtESx-sW4WRfhN06mldvZBUSwAtqtHi3zoHj2puw2PoSCWIFzC7XBOI125OTgkKOWspHBHoGKV4FrLLP1KwhP1gAy/s320/hotel2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Ohhhhhhmmmmmmm...</span></i></div><br />
I had also cleverly researched the area, so we knew where to go for dinner - Studio B in the M Resort Spa Casino, which has often been voted the best buffet in Las Vegas. For good reason! Over 200 entree choices later (no, we didn't have them ALL, but we tried!), and stuffed full of their entirely fabulous desserts, we waddled home to greet our lovely friend Elizabeth, who joined us for the next two days of our trip.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">To be continued...</span></i>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11442325235793131536noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1179812556274774245.post-35850189542557139972010-12-03T17:00:00.000-06:002010-12-03T17:00:56.395-06:00Why Can't We All Just Get Along?My new roommates have taken to fighting constantly, and it's driving me batty.<br />
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It doesn't help that the heating ducts create a magnifying resonance to their voices, so that I can hear them swearing at each other very clearly from nearly anywhere in the house. <br />
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I guess it's their business if they want to beat up on each other (I can hear the blows falling), but it would help if they weren't so da*ned shrill.<br />
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I wish the cat would put a stop to it, but she's old and deaf, and sleeps right through the altercations.<br />
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Sometimes I hate winter.<br />
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Stupid mice.Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11442325235793131536noreply@blogger.com5