Christmas Cruising 2005

[KKB]

Morning, all! Sitting here listening to Josh Groban & Mercy Me since we didn't go to church, needed some spiritual fullfillment!
Procrastinating an annual report I need to do...due by EOM, though district never worried if a bit late. I am good w/ a deadline, so it would be better if they were FIRM about it! We have a 4 day weekend next week, so I can wrap it up then.
Tanning...a fair friend of mine got sunsickness on their cruise, and knowing how I can burn, I opted for a base tan at the salon last year. I do NOT believe in tanning salons, but I figured it had to be better than getting a severe burn! Well, had a bit of a tan, slathered ourselves w/ 45 SPF everytime we went out in the sun...and never burned, and STILL got tan! Loved it! The sun is more potent down there, so ya gotta be careful. I did get a spray tan for a trip to Vegas. I really liked the results, but no sun protection from it. It is a weird experience. You have to hold your breath when it sprays. I have NEVER been a tanner, but being outside w/ the kids the last couple of summers, I found I can tan if it is gradual (I was one who wanted to be tan NOW, so just burned...). But I do NOT want a burn to ruin my vaca! SO I will begin tanning here soon. (only weekends left to get through! WOO HOO!)
Ebay is a BAD (good... ) thing...I went looking for a dress shirt & pants for Marcus...ended up buying several lots of clothes for each kid! I don't know that they actually NEEDED any of it...but I paid an average of $1-2 per item w/ shipping, so who can resist such a bargain! And Jack is blowing the knees out of pants weekly, so we may end up needing pants for him. And did get both boys some more tropical shirts. Figure in the long run I will probably make $ at garage sale or thrift shop. Much cheaper to buy lots of clothes due to the shipping costs (tough to justify $4-5 shipping for one pair of used pants!) Think I'll stay away for awhile!
Hmmm...since Aisling has started into professionial histories...I started in Business college, then decided I would go to law school...long story short, ended up in Teachers college, and had found home. I am in my fifth year at this school, the longest I have ever stayed in one building. I have taught sixth, fifth, Science (K-6), Kindergarten (NOT for me), Kindergarten specials (PE, music, computer, art, science, and been a facilitator for gifted education. I really love teaching, though I do not like the direction government is taking us these days. Hopefully we will get back to teaching KIDS again...I stayed home w/ Marcus for the first year and HATED it. I am not a good stay home mommy for a baby. I did teach part time for 3 years and LOVED it. Best balance of professionalism & mommy time. I did take time off after Jack was born, but had my shop at that time. Part time used to be a good gig, but is a little precarious these days. Plus, I, too, have gotten very used to the paycheck.
Well, I suppose, should be productive...
Bye!
Kris
Gee, I wanna go pack! I am what I call constructive procrastinator...one who does all sorts of things that EVENTUALLY need to be done in a effort to avoid what I NEED to do....guess it will all get done!

 

[domiii]

Kris - what football team do you tailgate at in your neck of the woods? I forgot. Inquiring minds need to know .... I have my reasons!

 

[minniegrl]

Hi all

Our buyers are doing the final walk through so that we can close on Wednesday. yay!

You sure have had an interesting career so far, Aisling! I always thought I'd like to have been a pharmacist after I had already graduated with a teaching degree. Its always good to hear how other people feel about their jobs...gives me some perspective. I'm at a similar point in my career. I just don't enjoy it anymore...too stressful, too much stuff dumped onto me with each passing year. I updated my resume last week, and am just waiting for the spring to post it online. I don't feel like I can quit mid-year after all my principal and instructional specialist have done for me, but I'm pretty sure I'm outta there after this year. Keeping my fingers crossed that a decent opportunity presents itself.

So I'm pretty white, too. I'm not ghost or redhead white, I'm pretty fair. My mom uses self tanning lotions with great success, but I'm afraid to use them. I might get some of the newer spray bottle tans, but that will be the extent of my pre-tanning. I have plenty of sunblock packed, so I may just take my chances.
I got sunburned on one of our excursions last time, but it wasn't really painful and had turned brown by the next day, although I did have to buy some aloe gel in one of the onboard stores for overnight treatments.

Well, buyers are here, so I'll close for now.

Dede

 

[tiggerwannabe]

Karen, I am very glad you liked the pin. These weren't on the pin displays, only at the cash registers. Mmmmm...cheesecake! We have a place called Mother's Kitchen here in Burlington, My FIL goes there for my birthday cake every year

Aisling, address recd. Thank you. PM returned.

I was able to stay home with my son alot longer than my daughter. Back then I wasn't into computers or photography as much as I am now. If I had these when my babies were little I probably NEVER would have gotten a real job.

I understand the effects that environment must have on you. Stress is stress and it's not healthy for anyone. If leaving is what you need to do to get your sanity back and you have that option I say go for it.

Nan, I found 4 spaces...am still working on getting you 5. Persistance usually pays off, we'll see what I can come up with before you thank me. The person with 4 has me in mind if her 2 that snuck in before me cancel.

Travel Coordinator is something Rose and I talk about doing full time. Hubby's aunt called me last night cause she needed to find a decent airfare for her hubby and son. The ost for airfare is still inda high right now. The cheapest I could find was southwest for $140 one way to Orlando. Her hubby gets the senior rate, his was $127.

Maybe when I switch over to working the sporting goods store I will have more time to create our travel services company including our own website.

 

[Aisling]

I am chairperson for the Cheescake fundraiser so after today's performance (the last one, YEAH!), I'll be counting cheesecakes and getting them all ordered! I know you are all jealous of me!

Karen, I love cheesecake, and yes I am jealous of you! I hope you make buckets of money. I went back to our old thread and saw there was a photo of Lynn and Keith (hi you two! ), so you can get an idea if T shirt sizes. Tig, didn't you say you were good at that?

Nan, I'm only now getting up our Halloween decorations. And I have a visual of Wilson and his friend, the Mutt and Jeff pair! (Insert cheek-pinching smilie!)

There's a spray-on product that's supposed to make your legs look like you're wearing hose; anyone know what I'm talking about? I have to do a search for it, I don't know what it's called, but I want to try it before we leave and maybe use it for dinner when I wear a dress.

Gotta go. BBL

 

[tiggerwannabe]

Britt looked at the spray on hose...very expensive compared to normal hose.

I obviously don't have tanning issues. My Mom is as pale as you all, I got my Daddy's color. I built my tan up in August, recharged it this past trip to Florida-we spent every chance we got to sit out in the sunshine and grab a few rays. I do use sunscreen tho, esp on my face. I also wear my visor hats to protect my face from too much sun.

My only advice is to sun in the am, up until about noon and go back outside after 3pm. Those are the suns strongest hours. Even if you're in the shade from 12 to 3 you MUST wear your sunblock people!

Congrats again Dede on your closing. New chapters all around.

As I keep being told lately, the only thing constant is change

Aisling, you actually found something I do not have...can you point me to the pic of Lynn and Keith? Either copy the url address or copy the photo properties for me and post it here? If not that, at least tell me what page you found them on and I'll give you my guesstimate on their sizes.

Kris, my boy was just like your Marcus on clothing.I don't care how tough the pants were that I bought for him, he was always tougher

 

[trinibjill]

I just watched a concert with Janis Joplin & the Grateful Dead. It probably shows my age. But, I love the music from the 70's & there are some great memories from then. Partys, concerts & all the stuff that goes with the excitement.

I missed Woodstock by 3,000 miles. I was in SanFrancisco & then San Diego.

I love listening to classic rock.

Below is a writeup about the concert.

The vintage concert footage alone makes Festival Express a memorable and worthwhile endeavor, offering scintillating performances by Janis Joplin, the Band (their rollicking version of "Slippin' and Slidin'" is particularly mind-blowing), the Grateful Dead, Buddy Guy, and others (remember Mashmakhan?). In 1970, during the heyday of the rock festival, promoter Ken Walker decided to organize a traveling musical revue, bringing the mountain to Mohammed, as it were. In five days' time, the festival played in three Canadian cities with the entire conglomeration traveling, playing, and getting smashed together the whole way. Nearly as rewarding as the live performances are the candid scenes of the train ride itself, an endless jam session and party during which musicians of all shapes and sizes let their hair down--musically and otherwise. The contemporary interviews with Walker and some of the surviving musicians aren't particularly noteworthy, except as a way to prove that it all actually happened. Walker comes off as a hero in the film: he treated the musicians like royalty and insisted that the train roll on even though he was losing his shirt. (His financial failure is a large reason why this material stayed in the vaults for so long.) Perhaps the most remarkable scene is an off-the-cuff, LSD-fueled train jam featuring Joplin, the Band's Rick Danko, and the Dead's Jerry Garcia playing the old chestnut "Ain't No More Cane." Danko is so obliterated that even Janis has to ask him if he's OK--when Janis is worried about your state of mind, you must be pretty messed up. --Marc Greilsamer

Glad everyones life is going good right now.

Jill

 

[KKB]

we are supposed to go to the Pumpkin patch for scouts...but it is 46 and very breezy & cloudy...may try to hold them off until next weekend.
Dede--wow, you really are thinking of taking the plunge! Unfortunately I doubt anyone is willing to pay me what I make after 15 years & still give me Xmas & summers off! Trade offs....
I have used self-tanners very successfully. The key is to smooth the cream every which way to avoid streaks. Exfoliated skin helps, too. I have used cream, mousse & spray...all good. Practice at home, first. But again, no sun protection here. Jergens makes a Natural Glow lotion that seems to have a touch of self-tanner in it. Not as much of a streak issue (although it can....)
Well, not sure what to do w/ myself. Kinda thinking of baking..that kind of day.
Of course yesterday we ate ALL day at our LOSING football party.
This STINKS so bad...we were a hotshot team for SO many years...and we stink and cannot seem to get better...
Thats NEBRASKA I'm talking about...I think that is why they started lettting us tailgate on campus a few years ago. Figured if we were so bad, they had to give the fans another reason to come to the games! (I realize that there are worse teams...we are just so used to winning!)
Kris

 

[Aisling]

The red X is all I can get when I tried to post the photo. Lynn, are you out there?
Page 135 on our old thread.

Hi Kris!

Jill, Mel is crazy about that era, and that music. Sometimes they show a Woodstock documentary on PBS, and I always try to tape it, but never catch it in time. I'm going to check the TV listing to see if your show is going to play again.

 

[trinibjill]

Aisling - It was on showtime

 

[tiggerwannabe]

 

[tiggerwannabe]

Hi everyone
Work has been a little hectic and I've been away for a couple of 3 nighters as well.
We're free on the friday night if you are pplanning anything let us know, we won't do an illuminations cruise as we are doing that earlier in the week with Jim and his family.

Would love tee shirts but not sure about sizes? Keith is a 38-40 inch chest, I'm 44 inches and wear plus sizes not sure if it'll fit ........let me know.

Can't wait for the cruise we leave for wdw 8 weeeks today
speak to you all soon
lynn

By this and your photos I'd say Keith is an XL and Lynn is a 2X. You two look like you wear your shirts a little loose.

Just a side note, our swap total is at 13. Are there any family members without DISnames that want to participate? I have yet to receive any of the swap items. Please give me a heads up when you do ship your swap items so I know to look for your package. I have a regular mailbox and packages get left on my front step.

 

[tiggerwannabe]

Sorry ... Editing ... We have 9 spots left in the swap ... check the list in my sig for who's in.

 

[Aisling]

Tig, I'm almost finished gathering my items. I'll let you know when they're on the way. You have to send me your address first!

Lynn, where did you do the horseback riding?

 

[tiggerwannabe]

I'm not sure if we'll see Lynn anymore today. It's about 6 hours ahead there, 11pm ish.

PM with my address on its way ...

 

[minniegrl]

Tig- I'm working on my swap items...waiting for a response from the sellers. I hope to have them to you in the next 2 weeks! They will all be identical items from Arizona...I didn't get the part about them being different....just noticed it this week.


Kris- I am definitely thinking about taking a big plunge. This is my 12th year teaching and I always said that I would quit when I no longer enjoyed it. If I could just teach, it would be ok, but I'm tired of having to be a constant disciplinarian and babysitter instead of being a teacher. I don't even care about summers off anymore. I just want to be able to come home at night and on the weekends and not feel like I have to be constantly working. At this point, I feel like I'm being sucked dry....and its not a good feeling!

I know that I can find something that truly makes me happy, and I don't really care how much it pays as long as it is reasonable and won't put all the financial responsibility on Grim.

I worked on my door decorations this weekend. They turned out really cute! I totally agree with you, Aisling. It is so fun and relaxing to just play around with design activities. If I was more artistic, I would love to go back to school to be a graphic designer. I can spend hours on my computer creating posters, cards, etc.

For anyone who hasn't heard of it, Letteringdelights.com is a really cool site where you can buy cute fonts and such.

Bye for now!

Dede

 

[tiggerwannabe]

The items can be all the same, mine will be a variety. It only matters that you contribute

Go with your gut Dede and you'll never be disappointed

It helps to have a supportive spouse to get you thru making tough decisions like this and I know you have that in Grim.

I am also a closet graphics designer...I only wish I had the time to produce what's in my head.

 

[grimgrinnin]

It helps to have a supportive spouse to get you thru making tough decisions like this and I know you have that in Grim.

What??? My Sugar Mamma better not be quitting!!!

I needs me some bacon!


grim

 

[trinibjill]

C OMEDY CENTRAL TONIGHT IS HILARIOUS
iJeff Foxworthy)

 

[Aisling]

C OMEDY CENTRAL TONIGHT IS HILARIOUS
iJeff Foxworthy)

Jill, I don't know what they're watching, but Chad and Jesse are laughing so much, I bet they're watching Comedy Central.