BiddiesInMyBrain

South Carolina Shows Its Pride

I ran across this article on Gadling via AOL: Gay travel: South Carolina in an uproar over advertising campaign and thought three things:

1. Good on the Brits for getting SC to sign on to this. From the Stars and Bars and the General Lee to the Pride Flag in one fell swoop is a tremendous accomplishment. Gotta love the panache of this ad campaign and the cajones on the account manager at Amro Worldwide; it's not every day you place the whole of South Carolina and Big Gay Fun in the same category, yanno? Kudos!

2. Isn't tourism good for the economy, SC? Europeans with Euro-to-dollar exchanges - and plenty of it - ought to get your attention really quickly, I would think. Money, Money Money!! ALWAYS SUNNY!

3. Whaddya mean, SC, that your "market is families..." and that you seem to think your advertising dollars have been mis-spent. Are you implying, Mr. Smith, that gays and lesbians don't have families? :::pointed look::: I didn't think so. Because that would be bigoted, and I *know* you don't embrace *that* now, do you?

::thinking about a beach visit to South Carolina... just because:: BTW... were I to visit SC, I would let them know I did so *because* of the Amro Worldwide ad campaign. Just sayin'

:::smooches::: to Amro Worldwide on this coup. Y'all are just awesome.

Two Pics - C&TSRR

Here are two pics I have converted to B&W from the Cumbres and Toltec SRR trip. I think they turned out pretty well! (Click to enlarge)

Lunch at Osier 

Crossing Hangman's Trestle

Pics Are Up!

I haven't put up a HUGE number - after all, I do have bandwidth to worry about - but there are quite a few up there at Colorado '08.

Gotta run... Enjoy!

Home Again Home Again

Jiggety Jig!

We got home yesterday, about 5:15 - easy traffic across the I-40 bridge coming into Memphis, though we were a little unnerved by all the huge fires in eastern Arkansas. No clue what they were doing, but we saw at least 10 HUGE fires start and then get put out as we were driving from Little Rock to the state line. So weird. Couldn't figure it out - and nothing on the radio, so it must have been something business-as-usual - but what?

Came home and found everything in order - except that one of the burners on the stove had been accidentally jiggled in the morning when our house sitter came over and gas had been seeping into the house all day - freaked us out, but no harm done, thankfully. Took a good airing out, but all is well, and the kitties are just fine.

Turned in someone for driving erratically in a company van in western Arkansas, too... they had a "How Am I Driving?" sticker on the back of the van, so we told the folks at the 800 number just how they were doing! We've never done that before, and it was a little unnerving - Crash actually called it in, but it just had to be done - this woman was nuts. Driving 69 in a 70 - then 80 - then right on our butt (within a car length or two) for a mile or two - then slamming on her brakes and swerving out into the passing lane to pass us doing 80 - and doing the same with semis and other cars. For 25 or 30 miles. We finally had a opportunity to get the number down just before she got off the interstate. Hope she gets the book thrown at her.

The earache has subsided a lot, but I still went to the doc today - and she is sending me to an ENT on Friday... this has become chronic and must be dealt with by a specialist (another one???) at this point. Sinus infections and ear infections for six weeks straight? No thank you. We'll see what the ENT says and go from there. Can't believe the number of specialists I am collecting.

ANYWAY... about the trip! It was INCREDIBLE!! Two train rides (yes, I will get the pics up tonight or tomorrow - I took more than 250 and it will take a while to get through all of them), fantastic food (True Grits AKA the Shrine to John Wayne... and the SLV Brewing Company, both in Alamosa, CO, serve terrific food, and the home-cooked meals at Dad's were FANTASTIC), unparalleled company (gotta love my dad and stepmom, and my uncle)... and the wildlife. Saw deer, elk, TWO BEARS (I only saw one - a yearling - and saw it within about 20 feet - YIKES - Crash saw the second, larger one, from about a 1/4 mile), bighorn sheep, antelope, golden hawks, eagles... just incredible. But I am very tired - drove all but three hours of the 19 home - and with the earache, I am just beat. As I said, it will take me some time to get all this up on the website - and I will not be posting anywhere near all of them - just some select few of them - but you will get the idea. This was perhaps the most incredible trip I have taken in the past decade... really amazing.

It's good to be home to the kitties and Jenny, though. And my own bed and soft, soft sheets. But I surely do miss the mountains something awful. Did you know it was in the 40s at night and in the 70s during the day where we were? ::poking at all y'all who've been suffering through the nineties::. Yeah. But I'm in the land of the double and triple digits now too, and am looking back wistfully on the weather, the scenery and the company. What a treat.

More later.

ADDENDUM: Forgot to mention the hummingbirds - probably between 18-23 at the feeders at the house, dining on a 2:1 sugar:water ratio. They were going through 8 cups of sugar/water mix every DAY AND A HALF when we left, and that wasn't even peak season. WOW. And so many different colors and varieties of hummingbirds up there. Just beautiful.

Hello!

Having an incredible time, but heading home tomorrow ::pout:: I will miss the mountains. Saw a bear today, and bighorn sheep yesterday. :::grin::: Love it.

Just haven't had a lot of time to blog, but have tons of pics and will post them when we get home. The train trip? Beyond wonderful... it really is the train trip to measure all steam train trips against. Fantastic! And lots of pics. LOTS AND LOTS. I think I took 200, so there are plenty to choose from.

Figured out the car trouble today - the (plastic) mounts holding the air filter in place are broken and will need to be replaced when we get home. Not happy. We can pop the thing in place but in the meantime, the sensor doesn't like it. The oil leak? A filter that needed tightening. Done.

Beyond that, I have had a relapse of the ear/sinus infection, but the doc gave me a round of antibiotics and antibiotic eardrops and painkillers before I left home three weeks ago thinking this might just happen again, so I will see her on Wednesday and figure out where to go from here. I'm feeling much better tonight than I was feeling last night.

We're planning on making it to Ok City tomorrow and Memphis on Monday. ::smile:: It's been a terrific trip.

Colorado Photoblogging

I've been remiss - we've been having a lovely time, but I haven't been taking the loads of pictures I had been planning on. We haven't gotten out a lot - the car is having issues and we need to get it into the shop, but tomorrow we will be heading deep into the mountains (in Dad's truck) and will have lots of opportunities to take lots of pics. We may be delaying the return home by a day just to get the car looked at, but we think it's an oil leak and nothing major - I had the oil changed just before we left home, and the stuff on the driveway appears to be oil... and is in the right place for a filter problem. Anyway, I hope that's all it is.

Back to the photos. The two random inside pics of a pretty day were taken on Sunday from the top of Dad's house looking over the western mountains... Crash and I had a quiet evening with wine, fruit and cheese up there and enjoyed the sunset and a young golden hawk with practically iridescent wings flying overhead - so beautiful. Almost made me cry it was so stunning. Lots of storms to the north of us, but a stunning sunset to the the southwest.

Yesterday was cold and very windy. I went into town (about 2500 feet lower in elevation) and hit a cloud bank you wouldn't believe. Could hardly see my hand before my face, but once I got up here, there were no problems seeing - clear skies; mostly sunny though very, very windy.

Today, however, we had a gentle, sweet picnic at the Rampart Reservoir in Teller El Paso County and took some pictures there, which are on the Colorado '08 photo album. It's been hazy and stormy here in the afternoons and the picture taking opportunities haven't been great even with good filters... but I did get some decent pics. I like the one of the thunderstorm building over the hills and the one of Crash in front of Pike's Peak.

The hummingbirds are going through a mix of 8 cups water/4 cups sugar every day and a half out of three feeders. No red dye, just pure sugar water and my, are they are greedy suckers - and it's not even peak season yet; at peak season Dad will be going through that amount of sugar water every day. These birds are beautiful, too - there are ruby throated ones, green ones, tan ones, ones with black bands around their necks and more... just a stunning array. I sit and watch them for half an hour or more at a time sometimes, and their communications are as complex as their pecking order - just amazing little creatures.

Crash has been taking long hikes every night - LONG hikes - sometimes we don't see him for hours, and it gets me to fussing, but he is enjoying playing out in the valley and into the crevasses and ravines. He has to be careful, though - the elk have very young ones and they are in the woods down in the valleys, and they will kill if anything inadvertently comes between them and their young.

Wildflowers are just now really coming out - hope to have some new pics of them soon. We'll see what's in the high country and further south. With the late Spring, things are terribly delayed. Usually we're here a little later in the year - early-to-mid-July - and everything is really in season or just past, but this year we're almost a half month too early and maybe more with the late snowstorms. The last snow here at Dad's was about two weeks ago and it has thrown things wildly out of whack. But, like I said, we'll see. The columbine and all may really be popping with the snow runoff just hitting in the high country. Will let you know when we return on Friday night or Saturday.

Speaking of... there will be radio silence for the next several days while we travel down to Antonito, CO / Chama, NM with the family - I am traveling very, very light and will not have the computer with me, but will have all the camera equipment, so never fear - there will be lots of pics. LOTS.

Anyway, all is well (except the car) and I am terribly, terrifically happy. Lots to do when we get home, but I am not thinking too much about it at the moment. Too much wonderful stuff happening.

::smile::

Sign me,

Delirious in Colorado

ADDENDUM: Added two sunset photos from tonight.

Colorado High!

I am just in love with Colorado - had forgotten how much in love with it I have always been and being here is like a homecoming.

The only hitch? My allergies are in full force and I am having a terrible time with them - sneezing constantly. NEVER before have I had that problem, but this visit I am just having awful congestion - as is Crash. BUT, we're mananging, and getting out and having a wonderful time.

We got here day before yesterday after well over a 1700 miles in my car in two weeks - and another 1000+ to go before we get home next week. I can't keep track of days - no clue what day it is when I wake up - none - but I go with the flow and look to my PDA to make sure I am on track with the day's events.

Speaking of events :::grin::: So far... we have gone to Canon City and done the Royal Gorge Route Dinner Train The food was great and the selection of wines we had were from a local winery called the Abbey Winery which was a Benedictine Abbey until it closed in 2006. Very tasty wines - not world class - but very tasty. There are other wines in the area, but that was what I wanted to try. ANYWAY. I have a few pictures up in the Colorado '08 Album 

Today was a lazy day for the most part - we (just the two of us) watched much of the sunset from the topmost room in the house and loved every minute of it. Took up sushi, wine, cheese, crackers, two kinds of melon, a fruit pie... and just basked in the constantly changing scenery as the sun shone differently in the valleys and on the hilltops and mountains. SO restful. So peaceful, hearing the hummingbirds racing around and the wind through the aspens. ::smile:: I miss this place when we're not here.

Tomorrow we'll be helping Dad around the house, then wandering here around the property and nature conservancy that surrounds it. The next day we are going very early to a secret spot to watch bighorn sheep, mule deer, elk and a couple other animals. Have to do that *very* early in the morning. Then coming back here around 11 to get ready to go on a picnic with my family and then come home and go KAPUT. The following day is travel to Alamosa so we can take the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad from Antonito, CO to Chamas, NM. CANNOT WAIT!

More tomorrow, I hope!

Arrived in Louisville

OK, I had this terrific post typed out, and my permissions on the network at the hotel expired! DANGIT! So, you get the brief version tonight...

We arrived Louisville last night in oppressive heat, but well in time to sign in, get paperwork in order and split a meal a the Spaghetti Factory - good food, by the way, and a great atmosphere (the building is itself one of the prettiest in downtown Louisville - historic building with leaded glass windows and doors - just stunning).

Came back to the hotel and I couldn't sleep for the second or third night in a row... but got through it somehow.

Had the first day of training and grading today - learned how to grade according to ETS's performance assessment standards and then started grading - a very interesting experience, and no I cannot share it due to confidentiality issues.

Came back after grading and just zonked for three hours. Ann, my roomie from Memphis, brought me dinner from the deli (they had long since stopped serving dinner at the Convention Center) and here I am, freshly showered and ready to go back to bed.

I really hope I can sleep tonight. Because dang, am I pooped.

And wow, am I looking forward to grading tomorrow!

THIS is the Kind of Stuff I Put Up With... No, Really!

Thanks, Ann, for passing this gem along: Modern Humanist It's a "response" to a very poorly, yet creatively written, term paper. It might even outdo our President Henry from last semester...

Actually, Crash did the putting-up-with all day today.. I was crabby after chuch, at Costco, when we got home.... and until I went to bed for a nap. Got up and everything was fine, but dang... cranky is as cranky does.

Went through my entire closet, my tops drawer, my three drawers of slacks, shorts and capris (yes, I have an entire drawer of capris. How did that happen??) - and got rid of a LOT. GOODWILL! In the meantime, I discovered that some of my favorite clothes - clothes I really couldn't bear to be rid of (I bought a lot of them when I was up in Ohio taking care of my grandma when she broke her hip in 1999 and they fit for all of six months - some gorgeous stuff), but were too small the past several years - now fit beautifully. I have gotten rid of so many clothes the past two summers - all the 2x and 3x - including suits and dresses - lots of sweatshirts, slacks that are now oversize by five or six sizes.. the list goes on and on. Anyway we dropped off one bag yesterday, and have another bag for tomorrow. And if anything, these clothes are nicer than most of last summer's goodies; these are the ones I had saved for "just in case I gained the weight back," so they are in great shape and in materials I love. Ahhh, let someone have a go at them!

Suitcase is packed (mostly) and the miscellaneous loose ends I need to tie up in the next two days don't seem too onerous. Had to pack the suitcase to last me three weeks and three different climate zones. It's going to be interesting - and it's a lot more than I wanted to bring! But, I got all the clothes into one suitcase, and the toiletries into a bag I use just for that purpose... and have my black messenger bag filled and at the ready. All that remains is to put in the loose bathroom stuff I use every day into the toiletries bag on Wednesday morning. Am finally looking forward to getting up to Louisville, now that I have a couple days to think about it and rest a little before the chaos hits. Then it's scoot back here the following Wednesday (arriving early Thursday - early enough to catch a few hours' sleep, I hope) then head out for Colorado. Whee! Mustn't forget the fresh spearmint, peppermint and rosemary from our garden. They won't let me in the house in Colorado without them. LOL

Tomorrow? I have to go to the tire and service place to have the car checked to make sure all is well for the trip. Then I am going to vacuum, wash and wax it. Then come home and take a nap since I am up this late and need to be up early early tomorrow. Hope to help clean the house some, too - like mopping floors, cleaning bathrooms, etc... - to help Crash while I am gone, and to help him leave the house neat when I come get him next week; all the way around this takes a lot of burden off him, as he already has a Honey-Do list that is quite lengthy.

Had a terrific time in services this morning - really terrific - great sermon (yay Rev Bill!) and the music? We were *ON* today. This was the second-to-last Sunday for our Director of Music and we went all out trying to show him what we have learned while we have been under his tutelage. He is incredible, as is his wife, and we will miss them dearly. FTR, it was after the postlude that I really started getting crabby. Hungry and tired - and coming down from an incredible musical high - was not a good combo.

I am afraid that Sophia the outdoor kitty appears to have met with an accident... that, or some kind soul has adopted her, for she is gone. She has been gone for several days now, and every morning we open the door, hoping against hope she will be there, but no luck. Such a sweet girl. My heart is just a little bit broken over this.

Not much else to report - I think this is enough for one sitting! Will start posting a travelogue when I get up and running with the trips (no pics for the first part of the trip, though; I am not taking camera equipment to Louisville).

I feel terrific tonight, and wish all my days were like this. ::smile::

I'm On It Already!!!!

Sinus/ear infection got worse today... hurts all the way around the ears and down into the neck on both sides and my face is poofy. Doc changed the meds yesterday (did I say that already?) but also said it may take a day or two for them to kick in. I'm on a Cipro/Dex antibiotic/steroidal ear drop, and a big gun oral antibiotic in the Cipro family. This has *got* to knock this out! Meanwhile, compresses, lortab and lots of bed time.

Had two friends in different parts of the nation call today asking if I have been tested for C. diff... the "superbug" that is in the news today which causes such severe intestinal problems - problems remarkably similar to what I have been dealing with. However, I have been tested three times for C. diff... I wonder, though... could there be a new strain and they just can't quite get it with the cultures they have tested?? And could that explain why my immune system is so depressed that I am catching every little bug that comes down the line??

OK.. enough of that. Had dinner with my in-laws and youngest SIL - and Crash. He is remarkably defensive about EVERYTHING when he is around his sister... much moreso than I (though I admit it, I took the easy way out; there's a reason for xanax!) I just pleasantly sailed through the conversation and the meal (OMG what a meal) and gently took my leave of them. My FIL is not in good shape - he was very short on words tonight (VERY unusual) and obviously in pain from the hip he refuses to get checked. ::sigh:: If he doesn't do these things, life will REALLY suck for him, and soon. And somehow, he thinks he is going to Switzerland ALONE early next year to deal with some business there. Um. He's in his eighties and can't make it from the car to the grocery store unassisted; I don't see a SwissAir flight being particularly easier. ::is worried:: And I thought his middle daughter was stubborn. Damn.

Meeting with my prof today was, well, okay. It could have been so much better, but he and I got off on the wrong foot - I asserted something in my paper he didn't agree with, and I wouldn't back down... which led to a VERY spirited argument and finally a truce. For the rest of the hour and a half he just GRILLED me on the finer points of the books... and oh my, was he tough on me. Ahh well... take it as one more bump on the road to preparation for comps.

Suggested to Crash that we go downtown to the National Ornamental Metal Museum tomorrow. The day looks good weather-wise, and I am really itching to get out and go someplace different. We have the time - neither of us has a commitment tomorrow - so this might be the ideal day. Who knows when summer will be fully upon us?

Looking forward to a light weekend... and a chance to pack at a more leisurely pace than I usually have for trips like this. Don't get me wrong - there's lots to do - but I think I can manage this and not get all nuts over it.

Now, I think I will head to bed. Take care, y'all!