Saturday, April 23

I am celebrating my first two followers...Susan and Bill! How exciting! Susan tells me that Bill has seen some of my FB profile and finds me an interesting character. I don't think I am a very interesting person, actually. For example, I find it a great adventure to stay in a hotel for 3 nights in the middle of the PA boondocks while "on location" to coordinate a test site for cyber school students. Bill flies airplanes. I get a kick out of the ice machine in the hotel lobby. This does not make for an interesting character!

As much as possible, I like to take family members with me when I travel. I mean, the hotel room is being paid for anyway...may as well fill it up! Mom was my travel partner to Johnstown this week. Since she's older and doesn't really fly planes, bungee jump, or go on skiing excursions, hotel stays are a real thrill for her! One night she made us strawberry shortcake with little individual sized angel cakes and strawberries she had bought that day. When she comes with me, I work during the day, then we play in the evenings. One night we ate at a Chinese buffet which was quite good, and they had instrumental music playing...hymns, actually...the whole time. Mom really liked that. :)

The first day of testing I had a bit of a rough time of it. I tend to not pay attention to inconsequential little things while traveling like, say, exit numbers. I mean, the Gypsy (Jimmy's GPS) squeals at me every time I have to turn or divert from my forward track, so why should I think for myself? Well, this time it caught up with me. I got lost on 219 and drove back and forth a few times while getting more and more worked up. I finally figured out that I was on "off road" mode. I put the dang GPS away and didn't use it the rest of the week. The day only got worse though. I ended up leaving my computer behind at the conference center and had to go back for it. By now my contact person there...who is also named Bill!...knows me pretty well and told me they were considering trying to sell my computer on the street to see what price it would bring!

Mom and I decided that after that first day I needed some retail therapy, so we rummaged in some thrift stores and I ended up with a jean jacket with leopard print collar and cuffs that I don't think was ever worn at all. I also picked 4 like-new pairs of shoes. Now, I don't tell just ANYBODY that I sometimes shop in thrift stores, so I'm glad that like only two people are going to read this! By the time I have 1,000 followers, this post will be well buried and my secret will be safe! Anyway, the retail therapy worked. The rest of the week went great!

It has been nice to be home for the weekend. Steve had fresh flowers for me when I got home...in several different places, and with baby's breath from our own back yard! VERY thoughtful of him and so nice to come home to my family and the flowers!

Today we went to Lake Tobias Wildlife Park because it was Ben's training day. Families were invited to visit for free. It was very nice to have Jimmy along, and I think he had fun just relaxing and visiting with his old pals there...seeing the park from a visitor's standpoint rather than as an employee had to be refreshing. We enjoyed hanging out with him. I guess it wore him out though because he didn't spend much time with his little blonde friend later before he came home and went to bed. Usually we don't hear about his brief hospitalization due to mono last December unless he is using it to get out of something (I can't help Dad rebuild the brick incinerator...I have mono!) but sometimes I think it really does sneak up on him.

Tonight we had baked spaghetti for dinner, and then I spent some time stalking people on FB. I saw that Susan's camper is getting closer to being usable. I'm happy for her, but I'm still a tent dweller and I don't see that changing! I told her that when we camp together over Memorial Day, if it rains, I'm claiming the area under the camper!