I'm Still Here

Well, it has been a long....LONG time since I have written.  I didn't intend to not keep up with this blog but I am the type that has a hard time finishing what I start.  My Myers-Briggs profile is INFP and their prayer is "Lord, help me to finish what I..." 

It has been so long that I have forgotten how to work this site!! A lot has happened since I last wrote.  Way too much to go into detail.  But some of the highlights and lowlights are....

Highlight- My nephew got married at the end of August.  It was a beautiful wedding and I was honored to be able to help with it.  Lots of fun!

 

 

 

 

Highlight--In October 2013 I took a road trip with a friend to New Orleans.  New Orleans is one of my top favorite cities and I had not been there in years.  The goal was to go the Crescent City Blues Festival to see Sonny Landreth and Jonny Lang.  And to also add some Hard Rock Cafes to my list.  We made it to the HRs in Nashville, Memphis, New Orleans (I had been to the NOLA one before but they moved it into the French Quarter so it counts as a new one!), Biloxi, Destin and Atlanta.  We spent a couple days in Lafayette, LA where we saw Sonny perform.  On our way back home we stopped in Bethesda, Maryland to go to Georgetown Cupcakes and then to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy in Harper's Ferry, WV.  A place that I have been waiting to visit!

 

 

Highlight--In April 2014 my friend and I drove my father down to Washington DC so that he could see the monuments.  He had been many years ago but he hadn't see the new memorials such as the Korean Memorial.  Since he fought in the Korean War he really wanted to see it.  We stayed at the same hotel I stayed in the last time I was in DC.  We had rented a wheelchair to cart my father around since he doesn't have the strength to walk very far.  We had good weather and the cherry blossoms were in full bloom.  The best part of the trip was how many people came up to my father (who was wearing his Navy hat) to thank him for his service.

Highlight-- I was able to take another trip to Disney World in June with my niece.  Her boyfriend came along this time.  It had been 3.5 years since we were last there.  We took the train down, as usual.  It was hot while we were there but it only rained heavy the first day.  It was fun but a very different trip for me.  I have another trip booked for August 2015 with my niece, my brother and his kids.  Its a long way out but it will give us time to pay for it.

Lowlight-- My father's health is going down hill and he requires more care than before.  We bought a wheelchair and he uses it every time he goes out now.  His lack of mobility has cut back on how often he gets out now because the friend he used to hang out with can't manage the wheelchair on her own. 

Huge Lowlight-- I lost my job at the end of August.  I was told back in March that it "might" happen but I thought deep down that it would not happen.  An instance where the Law of Attraction did not work for me.  Early August I was told it was going to happen and by the end of August I was done.  I have a severance package which is saving me financially and mentally.  About six weeks later and there is no job in sight.  Yeah, it terrifies me.  I stay in jobs probably longer than I should because I prize stability above all.  To not be anchored to a moor is debilitating to me.  I have been using the services of a career counseling service...taken umpteen webinars and online classes.  I have only applied to four jobs (but didn't get them) but I have been reworking my resume with the help of the service and it is looking pretty nice.  So, most of my days are spent getting myself ready to apply and interview for jobs.  If I don't get one soon I will go insane!!

Lowlight--My healthy eating has gone out the window.  I struggled for the past year but I wasn't gaining.  When I was told back in March that my job was in jeopardy that was the beginning of the end.  I didn't do too poorly until I went to Disney World.  Since then I eat as if I am a person on death row.  Not pretty! I keep planning to get back on the wagon but, honestly, right now I am having trouble just keeping my head above water.  My priorities are different.  On the flip side I KNOW I feel better about myself when I am eating healthy and exercising.  So, it is not helping me to eat crap and gain weight.

Lowlight--I lost a lot of friends over the year.  My little group of friends that enjoyed so much decided that I wasn't worthy of them, I guess, and one by one they just left my life.  Because of this my interest in Girl Scouts has hit an all time low (these friends I met thru GS) and I am looking to get out.  This year will most likely be my last.  And there are other friends who have drifted out, as well.  I honestly do not know what I have done.  But I am tired of bending to what others think I should be.  Too old for that crap.

Highlight or Lowlight depending on how you look at it-- I have been writing again. Period. End of story.

Welp, that's all the pictures I can post until I can figure out how to get more of them off my phone and onto Google!

DC Vacation and CUCB!!

I haven't kept up with this blog but since no one but me is reading it didn't seem like a big deal.  A little has happened since I last wrote.  I had a birthday which turned out to be disappointing.  I have had some personal issues that were pretty shattering.  And I just got back from Washington DC and the Credit Union Cherry Blossom race.

We left on Thursday, April 4th so that we could spend some time vacationing in DC.  Out first stop was at Fed Ex Field since my friend and her little one are huge Redskins fans.  I am not a football fan at all.  But I had to go to the bathroom something fierce so I got to pee in Redskins territory.  The gift shop was big and my friends were in their glory!

Redskins Gift Shop



Fed Ex Field


Next it was on to our hotel which was in Virginia just over the bridge from Georgetown.  We were on the fifth floor with a decent view into DC. We got settled in and then walked over the Key Memorial Bridge into Georgetown.  Our destination was Georgetown Cupcakes!! There was a line to get in but it was not bad.  We were speaking with the girl at the door and told her that we had been to the G-Town Cupcakes in Boston. She said she had been there last summer, too, and the little one recognized her as waiting on us there.  We got our dozen cupcakes and then walked the streets looking for a place to eat.  I had never been to Georgetown before and I just loved it.  All the shops and restaurants! We ended up eating at Martin's Tavern.  I was on vacation so all the healthy eating options went out the window!! I even had a roll with butter which is something I rarely eat these days! The meal was good and I was stuffed.  We walked back to the hotel. And we changed rooms! My friend wanted a better view so we were changed to a room on the 10th floor! Now we had a really good view into DC and the Washington Monument!

 I took the little one to the pool while my friend did some work.  

Friday we headed back into Georgetown and these--

Another line but, again, not bad.  We went shopping--first stopping at Lululemon's.  I got a pair of running socks since I did not have any.  The little one got a headband. We went to Buffalo Exchange -- I had heard of it and really wanted to check it out.  My friend found a beautiful dress that was even half off the sticker price.  I ended up getting a maxi skirt and a pair of Minnetonka mocassins.  There was a Kate Spade bag that I would have loved but it was very worn. 

We stopped in at Lush because that was on my list of spaces to shop. There were a couple things I wanted and figured I'd save myself a shipping charge by going to the store directly.  The person who waited on us was a bit over the top.  To the point of being annoying.  I picked up what I had wanted and we got out of there. 

We went into a few more stores and then into Sprinkles Cupcakes.  We were on a Cupcake Crawl!! I knew of Sprinkles (I watch Cupcake Wars!) but had never had one.  They had a cinnamon cupcake and cinnamon is my favorite so I had to get it!



Triple Cinnamon Cupcake

Unfortunately, it was not very good.  My cupcakes felt like it was underdone and the frosting was way too sweet! I love cupcakes and will try them all.  But Georgetown Cupcakes keeps coming up the winner!

We stopped in the Old Stone House which is supposed to be the oldest house in DC.  We got stamps in our National Parks Passport Book. 






After a visit through the house we stopped at Pinkberry! Another place I had heard of but had never been to.  If you are keeoing track so far I have eaten two cupcakes and frozen yogurt.  No real food at all! Ah, the joys of being on vacation!

We headed back over the bridge named after Francis Scott Key and dropped off our stuff at the hotel.  Then we went to the Metro to go into DC.  We headed for the Expo to pick up our packets and check out the expo.  Didn't buy too much there.  This was actually my first expo and it was a little overwhelming.  We bought patches, bandanas and head scarves.  We got some samples of chips, granola, and Lara Bars!

After we left there we were on a mission to find Cherry Blossom margaritas! We had stopped at many places along our travels and no one seemed to have them! We ended up in a restaurant in Chinatown.  Since it was Friday night the place was packed and NOISY! The restaurant was upstairs but the bar was downstairs so we sat in the bar and had a drink. I don't know how people go out drinking in DC! Two drinks and a soda came to over $30!!

We didn't hang around because Chinatown was just a scary place to be! So, it was back to the hotel where we ordered pizza for dinner.   And, of course, cupcakes!! That is the end of our second day in DC!

To be continued....