Sunday, October 25, 2009

Welcome Home!

My Sunday morning started BRIGHT and early at 4:30 this morning! I know, I surprised myself with this insanity too!! I had said yes to helping with selling merchandise at the Columbus Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event, after saying there was no way I was going to help since it was the morning after we got back. Too bad people know I can’t say NO when asked to help out!

I needed to be downtown by COSI at 6:30 AM to start setting up. You forget how dark it is that early in the morning until you are trying to set up tables and items and can’t see anything! We got everything set up and participants started to come and buy things. YEAH! I think we had a good amount of sales but not sure how it compared to years past. It is amazing to see all the PINK out there!!!

I worked the event until about Noon and I headed off to Hilliard to have lunch with Stacy and Jimmy. They had walked the event and stopped by to see if I wanted to meet them when I was done. We met at Red Robin and had a nice lunch and got to catch up. We ended up being there for a few HOURS! It had been awhile, so it was nice to have that time.

Then I was off to Meijer to look for large cupcake pans and liners to make cupcakes for my Girl Scout meeting tomorrow night. I was so happy I quickly found the pans I was looking for and they only cost $5 each! At Wal-Mart they had been $10 each…and I really wanted to get 2 of them!! AND I also found the liners I could use there (I couldn’t find them at Wal-Mart) so I got some of those also.

By the time I got home it was close to 6 PM and I needed to make 2 cake mixes of large cupcakes!!! It didn’t take too long and they turned out yummy so all is good! Now I just need to get them packaged up to take to the meeting tomorrow.

So not much of a recover from vacation day! Glad all of our laundry was done on vacation!!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Random Day

Today was a rather random vacation day.

As most days we didn’t really have a plan when we left and ended up pulling off the road at a pull off by a bridge that I had seen multiple times and thought was neat and wanted to go get some pictures of. Dave decided that he was going to give some fishing a try in the area also. So he fished, I walked the trail and took some pictures. Then before we left I made him do a couple pictures of us on the bridge and down by the water.

We then started driving and looking for a place to pull over for some more fishing. I was going to leave him there and come back for him but I decided to just stay and sit in the car and read. Didn’t want to have to worry about turning around, coming back and finding him, etc.

We then came back to town to look for the Post Office and then back to the condo for spaghetti and meatballs for dinner.

After dinner we relaxed for about an hour and then we decided to go walking through Gatlinburg.

We found The Village which has a lot of really cute stores to walk through, and even made a few more purchases! We stopped for a coffee and a carmel apple cider.

On the way back we stopped and listened to a live Bluegrass band for a few before we came back to the room for the evening.

Only one more day…and it is supposed to be rainy L Oh well we did have good weather for most of the time!!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Cades Cove

This morning I got up bright and early at 7:30.WHAT is up with that. I am on vacation, I KNOW Dave will be sleeping in so WHY can't I? I watched some TV, made cinnamon rolls, realized I needed to shower, took a shower, watched some more TV and then Dave woke up. And I ended up taking a 30 minute nap!!

Yeah I know, me, nap, ODD! But it was nice!

We ended up leaving here around Noon, stopped by the Visitor Center, and decided that we wanted to head off to Cades Cove today. So off we went.

On the way we stopped at a pull off to take some pictures and check things out then we got back on the road.

We got to Cades Cove and before we started the loop we stopped to use the restroom and had our lunch. We took all of our stuff down and realized that all the picnic tables had been taken. So we sat on a log and had our lunch.

Dave wanted to head into the water to get some pictures, but found that the water was deeper than he thought so we left and started the loop.

It is a one way loop, that they said would take about 2-3 hours. There are a bunch of little pull off's on the way and we stopped at a few of those. We saw a few deer out in a field, I thought they
seemed a little on the small side from what we see in Ohio!

Towards the end of the loop we saw a rather large buck out in the field! We pulled off and took some pictures.and then Dave decided to head out into the field to the side of the deer to see if he could get a good picture. Well he did get some.and also got 2 Park Rangers coming out to visit him and another guy that had gone out to do the same time. The Rangers just asked them to get out of the field.

On the way back we stopped at The Sinks since we missed them on our way. And then headed back to the room.

We both just wanted to chill so we warmed up some BBQ pork sandwiches, saw the bear again and are just hanging out now.

A calm end to a calm day!

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Out and About

Today was Dave's pick and he decided he wanted to go to Oconaluftee which is at the OTHER side of the park!

So off we went this morning down the Newfound Gap Road. It was a VERY slow start out of Gatlinburg, the traffic was very backed up, but once we got on our way it went pretty fast, well as fast as you can when the speed limit was only 25 and 35 MPH.

We stopped at a few different road side stops on the way to take some pictures.

We arrived at Oconaluftee and it was gorgeous outside. Warm, sunny, blue skies, it was great! First we hit the gift shop and picked up a book on waterfalls and also our Christmas ornament.

I don't think we ever ended up on the actual trail there because Dave was, of course, drawn to the stream. Which worked out good we got some great pictures and it wasn't very busy.

Before we left we decided to go ahead and eat some lunch. We sat the chairs up behind the car in the parking lot and made out sandwiches and watchedthe people go by. It was a good time!!

Next we headed toward Cherokee to go to Mingo Falls. Can't say much about Mingo Falls because we never made it there!

We ended up going to Harrah's Casino to check it out. Dave hadn't been to a casino in 15-ish years so he wanted to see what it was like.

We ended up not even gambling while there.Yeah I know, weird, but that is us!!

We walked back to our car instead of taking the bus back and it was a nice stroll next to and over a stream.

We needed to make a stop and fill up the tank for a few reasons - we would be in the middle of the part in the evening/after dark, I wasn't really even sure how much gas we had as the gauge had been bouncing around all day. So Dave filled up the car and I went in looking for something to drink. I saw a pop called Cheerwine and mentioned it to Dave, who decided to pick up a
bottle. It was SOOOO good, so now I will be on the lookout for it!!

Next stop was Clingman Dome for sunset, but we got there VERY early! We decided not to go all the way up to the top but stop at the overlook by the parking lot. We set up the tripod and waited, and waited, and waited. We got to talk to some of the other people waiting for the sunset also.

It was beautiful and I am glad we did it, even if we only got a few pictures out of it!

Now the drive back wasn't as nice. We left before most of the people, which meant they all caught up with us on the LONG and DARK drive back. To say the least it was rather stressful and I was glad to be back!

We ended up going to Bubba Gumps for dinner. Dinner was yummy and the service was good. But the waiter for the table behind us drove us crazy! He spent more than half of our meal sitting talking to the table behind us. Story after story going on and on!! Ahhhh well, what can you do!

We walked around a little and came back home for the night around 9:30 and then the FUN began. We have been bear watching/tracking for awhile now. We have now seen 2 bears up close and personal. They are walking around outside out porch area and also in the hall in front of our door! Dave had to wait in the stairs area waiting for one to go the other way when he was coming back to from the parking garage as the bear was between the elevator and our door. I went to check it out when he called and the darn bear was right outside our door! Talk about an exciting end to a fun day!!!

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Happy Anniversary!

Today is our 1st Anniversary! I can't believe it has been a year already!!

And I am counting my blessings for how lucky we got on the weather, people thought it was chilly last year and it was in the low 60's. This year it was in the low 40's!!!!!

Being the good wife that I am I made Dave pancakes and sausages for breakfast to start his day. (I was up at 7:30-ish, he got up a little after 10.) We had decided yesterday to go to the Aquarium today since it was still supposed to be a on the cool side and the rest of the week it was
supposed to be a little warmer.

We walked down to the Aquarium and stopped at a few little shops on the way. WOW it is crazy how many little stores they have!! The Aquarium was nice, it had a really good glass "tunnel" to go through and we had a fun time taking pictures!

We then headed off to see if we could figure out where the restaurant was that I had picked to have dinner at. I had sent the address and phone number to Dave via an e-mail since my phone was dead and I wasn't planning to take it with me. What I didn't know was the e-mail I sent it from didn't really send because I am not on the RoadRunner network. Opppps!! I had looked at the map and THOUGHT it was near the aquarium so we kept looking. After about 30 minutes of wander we decided to head back to the hotel to get the correct info. On the way back we saw a Visitor's Center that included Gatlinburg and also The Great Smoky Mountains so we decided to
stop in. As we looked around we saw a phamphlet about the restaurant! Come to find out it was back the other way just past our hotel. So we headed back that way and decided to just do an early dinner.

We got to the restaurant about 3:30 and found out they opened at 4 and there was already a line. We decided to walk around to a few stores and then came back to wait for them to open. We went to Cherokee Grill which is part of a local "chain" of restaurants. We might have to try another one later in the week :)

We had a WONDERFUL meal including a great dessert! Our waitress was great, she took a picture of us, suggested that we take a picture in front of the fireplace (but that one didn't come out to good!) We decided to call it an early evening and head back to our "home for the week".

Dave got me 2 cards - one funny and one romantic and a gift card to REI and said that we would make a trip to Pennsylvania soon to actually go to the store!!

It was a WONDERFUL 1st Anniversary and start to our vacation!

Saturday, October 17, 2009

We Made It!!!

To Gatlinburg that is :)

We ended up leaving town about 11 AM. A little late for me, but I said I was just going to go with the flow and I did. Until I got a HORRIBLE headache and felt sick after being in the car as a passenger for 15 minutes. It might have been because I was trying to do Sudoku but I'm not sure.

I ended up going to sleep before we even got out of Columbus!! I woke up right before we got to Kentucky and to hear the "better" part of the OSU game!

I was OK the rest of the drive, but the most looking down I did was to check out Facebook every once and a while.

We stopped for lunch about 2:30 in Kentucky, and I think it was colder than we left home. The average all day was about 43 degrees - UGH!

We then stopped in a small town in TN to get some groceries at Wal-Mart. We got enough food for most of our meals to be in our room and sandwiches to take out with us when we go hiking.

Everything was going good for a 7 PM arrival..til we got to Sevierville!!

It took us about an hour to go 17 miles!!!!

I was driving at this time and it was horrible..slow and people going every which way. NOT happy!!

We finally got to our hotel about 8 PM and got checked it. Everything went well with check-in, which we had some worries about since it was a timeshare with a name change can at times cause problems.

As we checked in the woman told us that the last few nights a small bear had been coming to the area. Yep, from everything I have read there are is a good chance we should be seeing a bear.

Our room is great! It's very nice and even has a whirlpool tub!!

We got everything unpacked, put away, and now we are trying to decide what we want to do tomorrow!

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Is it time to go home yet??

This week at work is going SO slow! I think part of it is the gloomy weather, part of it is my work load is a little less for some reason, an the fianl part is I have thing at home I want to get DONE!!

We are leaving for vacation on Saturday AM and I am NOT ready yet. Yes I know it's only Thursday but I just feel behind, but I am making my lists so it should help a little. I guess somehow this week got busier than I thought it was going to be.

Monday - I had my Girl Scout meeting. Yet again it went pretty well. I was concerned going in, I had a headache already. But Kim was in charge which made it nice for me! She had a few crafts planned for the kids and they seemed to love them. They are putting together items to put in a basket to auction at a school raffle. The Brownies did colored/smelly salts for a bath and little bags of potpouri. The Juniors did soap. They carved old soap into smaller pieces to put into the big bars of soap. It was pretty cool and I have never done any of those things before! Next meeting - a birthday party theme! So now I am on to that. Got home and picked up a little bit but it was soon time for bed.

Tuesday - I went to Curves and then decided I really wanted Chinese. So I waited for Dave to get home to go there. We went in my car (I have been driving his) and start on our way and something wasn't right...it had a FLAT TIRE! UH! Just what we needed rgiht before leaving on vacation. So I freak out for a few and then when we got home and I calmed down when we rememebered we had a warranty on it and most likely the repair would be cheap or free.

Wednesday - I left work at 2 and went home and called AAA to have them change the tire. I figure we pay for it every year we should go ahead and use it instead of having Dave out there in the dark, rain, and cold. Then I went to Curves and left from there to make my 5 o'clock appt to get the tire looked at. It was just a nail in the tire. They patched it up and said it should be good to go. I ended up going to Panera so I could work on some paperwork and try to get some things done. Went to the Y to get a Program membership so I can take water aerobics. Found out I can't sign up for the class til Saturday though :( But I SHOULD be able to do it on-line. I sure hope so!!! went home and picked up the living room and ran the vaccum, much to the cats dismay. Just when they thought I was done I would turn it on again....hehehe. I went up to bed at 10 because I had been so darn tired all week!!!

Today - Well I can't decide what all I am going to do. I need to do a few different things but not sure how it is all going to work out....I just want to start getting our stuff ready so we aren't freaking out on Saturday AM!!!!

Sunday, October 11, 2009

10/10/09 - 7/7/12

101 Things in 1001 Days

I have seen this in different blogs a few times this year and I keep thinking it sounds interesting. But then I don't make the list. So I am finally doing it. Making the list was harder than I thought it would be!!!

10/10/09 - 7/7/12

Marriage & Family
1. "Date night" with Dave once a month (1/33)10/18/09,
2. Surprise my husband with a gift just because
3. See Dave's parents once a month (0/33)
4. Take my parents out for dinner at a nice restaurant
5. See Stella at least 4 times a year (0/10)
6. Do a puzzle with Dave



Mind, Body & Soul
7. Take multi-vitamins everyday for a month
8. Don't eat fast food for one week each month [0/15]
9. Eat dinner with the television off for one week
10. Personal
11. Get through one week a month without eating a single frozen lunch (1/33)
12. Complete some form of exercise at least 3 times per week (2/146)
13. Read 10 books (0/10)
14. Get a massage
15. Indulge in a few pedicures (0/5)
16. Buy a bike
17. Do a 5K Walk
18. Do a 10K Walk
19. Do Avon 2 Day Walk
20. Take water aerobics class - Starts 10/28/09
21. Get CPR certified
22. Run a mile outside without stopping.
23. Equip my car with an emergency kit



Home Is Where the Heart Is
24. Reorganize kitchen cabinets
25. Go through my Totes in storage; recycle, pitch, & donate [0/6]
26. Move
27. Have a yard sale each summer (0/3)
28. Get a new TV
29. Empty entire fridge, clean it, then put everything back in



All Work, No Play
30. Get a better job
31. Redo resume

Hit the Open Road and Explore
32. Go to Marblehead Lighthouse
33. Go Kayaking
34. Go canoeing
35. Take a day trip to a state park we have never been to and have a picnic
36. Visit a zoo other the Columbus
37. Travel to at least four different cities for weekend getaways/vacations (0/4) Gatlinburg 10/17/09
38. Visit Niagara Falls
39. Ride on a train to somewhere
40. Road Trip - 2 Nights, No Reservations
41. Go camping twice a summer (0/5)



I Love Food
42. Pick Apples
43. Try at least two new recipes a month (0/66) Oct 09 - Italian Subs
44. Take a cooking class
45. Eat at 5 new restaurants a year (0/15) 09 - Cherokee Grill, Bubba Gumps,
Smoky Mountain Brewery
46. For one week, make meals that can only be made with ingredients already
in our cupboards (excluding perishables-vegetables and dairy)
47. Make homemade pasta
48. Visit a Farmers Market 5 times (0/5)
60. Make homemade jam


Friends Are Forever
49. Send out Christmas Cards by December 1st (0/2)
50. Go to Amish country with the girls
51. Catch up with an old friend
52. Send birthday cards to all friends/family in 2010
53. Send 10 "Just Because" postcards to friends or family [0/10]


Pinching Pennies
54. Pay off 3 Credit Cards
55. Put $50 a month into savings [$0/$1650]
56. Put $1 in savings for every task completed [$0/$101]
57. Don't buy anything I don't need for a month (/3)


Pay It Forward
58. Donate blood
59. Clean out closet twice a year and donate old clothes to charity (0/6)
61. Mail packages to soldiers through Operation Baking Gals (0/6)
62. Do 15 random acts of kindness [0/15]
63. Volunteer for 5 separate charity events [0/5] 9/25/09 - Making Strides


Just for Fun
64. Watch a sunrise with Dave
65. Watch a sunset with Dave
66. Discover 5 geocoins [0/5]
67. Find 10 geocaches [0/10]
68. Make a geocache and hide it
69. Buy a Nintendo Wii
70. Go to a comedy show
71. Pick Strawberries each summer (0/3)
72. Attend a local theatre show
73. Go to a local museum
74. Go to a drive-in movie


Hobbies & Skills
75. Attend 2 MPEG events a year (0/5)
76. Do a wedding photobook
77. Blog at least 15 times per month (0/33)
78. Complete a Photography class
79. Tag all photos on computer
80. Learn to knit
81. Sew something
82. Make a quilt
83. Create a honeymoon digital scrapbook
84. Take a cake decorating class
85. Girl Scouts Earn Super Troop
86. Go camping with Girl Scouts
87. Be in a parade


Go Green
88. Start a compost pile
89. Start a rain barrel
90. Go with organic cleaners


Capture the Memories
91. Take 6 pictures of Dave and I a year (1/18)
92. Create photobook for each year (0/2)
93. Get pictures printed to put in frames and hang
94. Design a honeymoon album and get it printed


No More Procrastinating
95. Inventory all possession, put online with approximate replacement value
96. Get important papers in safe
97. Get a passport
98. Backup all photos on my harddrive to DVD


101 in 1001
99. Celebrate day 1001
100. Donate $5 to charity for every item on this list that I do not complete
101. Start a new 101 Things in 1001 Days list once this one is completed

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Home More??

It is hard to believe that a year ago at this time was finalizing plans for our wedding. I really do kinda miss it! Yes at time it was stressful but overall it was great. I love to plan events, and right now I don’t have one to plan so it makes me miss it even more! I have even been having wedding dreams again – HOW weird that??
I have been going through stuff trying to clean up and thin things out. I keep randomly finding things that remind me of it. Too bad I can’t find the paperwork from where we bought my rings! I need to get them cleaned, checked, and dipped and they won’t do it without that darn paperwork. ARGH!!!
This is just making me realize HOW much I need to get organized this winter. Now that I am home more it bugs me more. Time to get rid of some stuff and organize what is left to find easier. We had a yard sale in August and only brought back in 5 things and donated the rest and it only seemed to make a dent. So I am starting the boxes for Yard Sale 2010! How sad it that? But whatever it takes I guess!

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Girls Night Out

Tonight was out bi-monthly girls night out at Spaghetti Warehouse for their Mystery Dinner.

We don’t really MEAN for it to be a Girl’s Night Out, but for some reason we keep ending up with just us girls! But I am OK with that really, it makes for a fun and relaxing evening!

We go every other month because the Mystery Dinner portion runs for 2 months and we don’t want to miss a show!

We started going about 2 years ago and we have been going every month. It is normally Jackie and myself and whoever decides that they would like to join us.

We have gotten to know the actors that put on the show very well over the last few years so it is like going to see friends!

I can’t wait til the next show. I always like the Holiday show!!


Saturday, October 3, 2009

First Brownie Outing

This year I finally took the step and signed up to be a Brownie Go-Leader with the Girl Scouts. I have been thinking about it for a few years but this year actually did it! I am working with a group of 2nd and 3rd graders and at times helping with a group of Juniors which are 4th-6th graders. I like dealing with the littler girls better so far!
We have had 2 meetings and 2 Service Unit meetings so far, and today we went on our first outing! And so far I am having a good time and I think (HOPE) the girls are too!
We went to a local Corn Maze for the afternoon. They had a lot of different things for the kids to do and I think they could have stayed for a lot longer if we would have let them!
For the Maize I did end up with the 2 older girls who went, but it still went pretty well. We all went different ways we when we started….but somehow we ended up all coming out together in the end! After that we ended the day with a hayride and picking a pumpkin. The hayride was really boring really - I think we could have all skipped that part!