Team 6 - Team Ohana - Check in and introduce!

[chimera]

Jennifer...welcome to the family!

JenL...hope your mom is doing better. That's scary stuff.

Debra...how's your dad?

Maria...you can't scare us away.

This book analysis is fascinating. I never really thought much about Stephanie's family relationships or other characters in the female detective genre. I haven't read Paretsky or Grafton in awhile. The romantic relationship thing bugs me about female lead characters. They always seem to have some sort of romance that's a big part of the book but not always essential to the story. Why can't a strong female character just be that, does she always have to fall in love while tracking down serial killers or whatever?

And wow, what a news flash about Anne Rice! I read her vampire novels and Mayfair witch series back in the day but haven't read anything of hers in awhile. I had no idea she'd made such a sea change in her writing...and spiritual life. She has an essay on her website that kinda discusses the topic. I wonder what precipitated the change?

 

[JacobsMommy11002]

Trying to catch up and starting new....if I bring , am I forgiven for being such a slacker?

 

[FatElvis]

Trying to catch up and starting new....if I bring , am I forgiven for being such a slacker?

Flowers? Nope, not gonna help. Margaritas, on the other hand..... Although I've been such a slacker too, I probably ought to apologize my ownself.

I'm still battling this stinkin' calf injury. I was fearing it was a tear, since it's not getting any better. But Dr. Internet informs me that a tear generally results in bruising & swelling, and the calf itself is painful to touch. I don't have any of that, but just a sharp pain, like a cramp right in the middle of my muscle. It's been more than a week with no improvement. I think I'm calling my dr. tomorrow - in a way I feel silly doing that, but he's a runner and will probably understand. Plus I'm getting geared up for all my fall races and I don't want to mess around with a lingering injury.

So..... since I don't have any running to discuss, I'm loving all you book people! Maria, Debra, Mel, lots of others. Can you believe I've never read any of the Stephanie Plum books?! You've all got me convinced. And at least this way I can read 14 in a row without having to wait! Same for that other vampire series, Twilight (I think?) The hype is huge but I never thought about starting it - now I can do all 4! I did hold out on Harry Potter till #5, and the wait for 6 & 7 was interminable. Mel, I think it was me that recommended the Julie Kenner books - I'm so glad you enjoyed them!

I just checked out The Russian Concubine and the Accidental Mother. Haven't started either but they both look good. I'm reading Jane Boleyn (still) and a book by Meg Cabot, Queen of Babble. Light & fluffy but I enjoy it!

Hope everyone else is having a good week. Welcome Angela & Jen #3!

Kayci

 

[Jen117]

HI cousins. This is quick as I need to get to bed. My mom went downhill and will now be getting a high risk surgery. They are planning for the Monday following this coming Monday. The team will be hand picked as she is extremely high risk. I am at a loss as to what to do. We will be leaving on vacation 5 days following her surgery, so I pray everything goes well as I don't want my kids devastated.

I really need to get some sleep, but will try to catch up tomorrow. Thanks for listening.

 

[jbucci]

Jen-- Just wanted to send some good thoughts your way. The ICU is a scary place and having a sick family member really sucks. The best you can do is visit and let her know you care while trying to find a bit of time to take care of yourself also. I hope all goes well...

 

[FatElvis]

Jen, I hope your mom's surgery goes well. I'll be thinking about you both!

Kayci

 

[deekaypee]

Jen: I'm so, so sorry to hear about your mother. PD and prayers for her, you, and your whole family. I'll be thinking good thoughts that she'll get the best possible treatment in the ICU, for an surgery without complications, and for a quick and painless recovery. It sounds as if they're putting a good surgery team together, so that's good news. Please, please, please let us know if you need anything.


On to lighter topics:

Maria: Oh, I don't think you scared anyone away--it was me and my massive posting. (Don't worry, folks, my output dies down with the start of a new semester. ) And I don't think you're an opinionated--or overopinionated--reader. I don't think it's a good book discussion until someone throws their hands up and says, "I can't believe you just said that," another person downs their glass of wine in one shot, and a third starts confessing their deep, deep identification or crush on the protagonist! I'd love to have you in a book club because you'd make me think harder about things--including the relationship between Jersey big hair and its Pittsburgh version. (Not that there's anything wrong with big hair--I'm just too lazy to style mine.)

I do hope your dizziness is mostly gone. I can't imagine going to work if standing and moving were difficult. And are things going well for you this week at work?

Julie: I'm so glad you liked dingoes. I giggled like a schoolgirl when I wrote it--because I'm not very mature, I guess. So Stephanie is an average Jersey girl, huh? Wow, what I don't know about regional differences! (Or maybe that's the Boston p.o.v. talking? ) Regardless, remind me not to go rooting around in your cookie jar any time soon.

Good, good news about the hamstring. Have you been doing regular stretching as well as drinking? Stretching enough, and properly, is something I tend to shirk, too much. I keep reminding myself of the wisdom and lessons of Panda Dave. I fully credit him with my recent lack of shin-split pain.

Mel: Thanks for asking about my dad. It's difficult to talk about, because he's now decided not to talk with me or my brother about things. All part of the coping, I guess, and pretty consistent with the family dynamics. (I know I'm the pot calling the kettle black by complaining he's not talking to me about his treatment; I did the same thing.) All I know is that he's doing the radiation seeds and is supposed to start treatment in August. Please keep him in your thoughts and my mom too, as she has to live with him.

Also, thanks for the heads-up on Rice's website. For some reason I never think to see what authors might say on their websites. Finally, how did your R&R/recovery work. Are you back to running?

Johanna: Nothing, nothing to forgive! We welcome you back to posting, and none of us think you're a slacker! I just hope nothing bad has kept you away from your cousins--just fun, sun, and relaxation! That said, I think Kayci's entirely right in that margaritas are ALWAYS welcomed. (She's a girl after my own heart.)

Kayci: I'm so sorry to hear about your calf injury! I hope it's not a tear, just because that sounds serious. Maybe I should say I hope whatever it is, it's not serious. I'm glad you have a doctor who's also a runner--I bet you don't need to hear endless admonitions about how bad running is for your joints. How many fall races do you have planned again?

I love your reading list. I try to balance my literary reads with light and fluffy. And I just can't handle the heavy stuff the way Maria can! (I skim.) I haven't started the Twilight series, in part because I like to do what you do--read a series straight through. I tried to do it with Harry Potter, but mistakenly started after book 6 was released. The wait for 7 wasn't pretty. But Nancy convinced me to give Meyers a try, even thought I'm one for action-oriented vampire books rather than romance.

JenB: What a wonderfully empathetic, articulate post to Jen.

PSA: The weekly thread has warnings to get your marathon weekend accommodations soon. Apparently, things are filling up. Hopefully, you've been smarter than me and have already made your reservations.

Robert: How are you feeling about your upcoming performance at the DL 1/2?

Christa: I just checked your WO log--congrats on your lead part, and take advantage of your rest day! JRT???

Shell: How's your R&R? Is surgery scheduled?

Corrina: I know you're journalling, but thought congratulations on doing several 5Ks over this summer.

Jeanne: for the many, many things you do, not the least of which is keeping up with all the Ohana Captain-ing!

As for me: Today was a running day for me. I'm trying to accept the fact that I'm slow and enjoy walk breaks, but sometimes have to struggle with the idea that I'm not "really" running. I know other people take walk breaks, or use a RW strategy, but I swear I'm the only person on the paths I see doing a RW. Someone beat some sense into me, okay?

And funny story. I ended up picking up two interlibrary loan books together: Two for the Dough (Evanovich) and Brideshead Revisited (Evelyn Waugh). The librarian looked at the titles and said, "Two very different titles, huh?" And I replied, "Guess which one I'm going to finish first?"

Some white space so those who aren't interested can ignore my ramblings...







Plum fans--Maria, Julie, and Mel: I find it significant you don't see Stephanie as being in the mode of the hard-boiled (HB) detective as you've read the whole series. It suggests the books develop in ways I wouldn't have expected. You're right, I've not read the series and I'm reading into the Plum books within the context of crime fiction. I love, love, love that you don't see it the same way and that you're suggesting the character is going to upset my expectations. Maybe she is the "fluff in a nutter sandwich"--love this phrase, Maria, and will use it whenever possible. The possibility that she doesn't grow fully into her HB potential isn't entirely unexpected, I guess, as the book clearly offers itself as a fun, pulpy take on the genre and Stephanie herself is presented almost comically at times. And I admit, I found it surprising that One for the Money was been nominated for the Shamus. (Shamus is slang for private detective, btw, and was used to describe Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon. There's your trivia for the day.)

Everything in the first novel sets her up to assume the HB detective role--the bounty-hunter occupation, the gritty underworld she lives in (even if NJ is a smaller, more provincial version of LA, NY, Chicago), her straddling the line between law enforcement and the criminal suburb, how many of the book's characters--even good ones--are themselves shady. Very noir-ish, too. I know in One for the Money she's a novice bounty hunter (detective) by default, and a duck out of water. Still, her actions--carrying a gun, stealing a car, tracking down the bad guys, being threatened--suggest the book is following the HB tropes.

One of the things I found compelling about the first book is its plot was a outsider-becomes-insider narrative. She's becoming the HB loner and we get to see the transformation. I totally could see her following in the HB detective footsteps and imagined the series developing her Stephanie as becoming more and more HB as she enters the underworld more. I even banked on her having to become more and more like Ranger to succeed, then having to embrace her law-abiding Morelli self (and her community) after becoming too much of a loner. So that you say she's not tough implies the series won't follow the trajectory I predicted. Very cool for me.

The romantic relationships in detective fiction. I often think about things, especially in contrast to male HB detectives of the golden era of crime fiction (Hammett, Chandler) and beyond. Romantic, or at least sexual, relationships are a minor part of these books, too. But it seems like romance takes a much more central role in HB-female detective novels. I read it from a feminist perspective. Women trying to juggle their professional and personal identities--and to be a detective means they can claim control over their sexuality but can't maintain a stable romantic relationship. Sometimes they even get involved suspects themselves (which is like Hammett, Chandler, Spillane). Fits very well with the loner aspect of the HB detective, but also with the concerns found in feminist literature of the 19th and 20th centuries. Not a great answer as it's my academic one. As a reader, I find the romantic subplots kind of annoying most of the time unless it's central to the novel.

The family and feminist thing--I can see your qualms with that. I don't think she's feminist like, say, Paretsky. But she's certainly opposed to her Jersey status-quo in her choice of occupation, her self-proclaimed sexuality, and her rejection of the traditional marriage path set out by her mom. It strikes me as important that she is so much closer to Grandma (who would have been a young woman during the 1930s/1940s--feminist heyday--and is clearly unconventional) than her own mother. Of course, that could be typical family dynamics, but Grandma has her own fascination with guns. So I still think she can be read through a feminist lens, if not the Feminism with a capital f.

Too much time on my hands, I know. I'll just shut up now.

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Super quick post before I head back to shark week -- ds10 seriously loves it, for some odd reason...

Jen -- I am sending you all the hugs and pixie dust you can hold! I know how horrible and out of phase you are feeling right now, and how hard it is. We love you dearly, and we are all with you. Be brave, my friend. With you, we are.

Maria

 

[chimera]

Jen, do you know what type of surgery your mom is having? for her and you and the rest of the family.

 

[jeanneg]

Hello cousins!

JenL: lots of pixie dust and hugs to you and your family. Hoping and praying that all goes well with your mom's surgery.

Debra: to YOU! I cannot believe how prolific a writer you are. Good grief, a post like that would take me 2 hours to type! I just love all your musings....and I'm a big fan of Memento also (even though that was mentioned on another thread) I have not been following the Anne Rice saga. I read those books of hers over 10 years ago. Right now I belong to 2 different book clubs and would eagerly invite you as a guest to either. One serves wine; the other doesn't.......but you can bring your own scotch to either! Sending pixie dust for your dad also. Sorry to hear that you need to do so much consulting to arrange your January vacation. I would think a strong independent woman like you should have no trouble just planning what you want and if it coincides with "their" plans, well that's just great. But if it doesn't, tough turds!

Maria: hope your feeling better and the dizziness has improved. I plan to watch that show tonight.....I'll give you the post mortem tomorrow.

Mel: welcome back....we missed you girl!

Joanna: welcome back to the workout world!

Kayci: take care of yourself!

Everyone else: "Hi!"

 

[JacobsMommy11002]

Kayci: Ahhh, margaritas . My favorites. Next time, I will be prepared!

Jen: I am so sorry to hear about your mom ! She is in my prayers. I am an OR nurse, so if I can try ad help, just let me know....

Debra: I like to read, but your insights....wow! And people do R/W...but I know what you mean. I want to run...and taking walk breaks makes me feel "weak" which is so wrong, because I know so many walkers stronger than myself. There is nothing weak about them. Its just part of the mental game we play with ourselves.

Jeanneg: Hi to you, too !

To all my other cousins, hello, and lets catch up soon!

As for moi, I just finished packing. I am in a wedding in NH on Saturday, so I am heading down tomorrow AM to do all kinds of girly things with the wedding party...getting manis/pedis and lots of good fun. Positive for me note: I left work at 3 today...overcast, threatening to thunder and lightening . So I came home, got my running shoes, and headed back to the indoor track at the community center. 36 laps later, and I completed my 3 miles. It was the most painful, boring 3 laps I have ever run, but I did it, and I am darn proud of myself! Hope you all have a fab weekend, I will be back on Sunday!

 

[tiberius]

Richard: I think you'd be a blast to hang with in January. Funny, well-read, a little crazy.... (Another race the following week??!!) It sounds like your PT is helping a lot, and is helping you progress at a challenging but non-injurious pace.

Ah, flattery will get you everywhere!

For those, of us fortunate to be running Disney in January, has anyone put together a Team meeting yet? (i.e. - Did I miss something?)

I got myself a room at POFQ, never been there, but have been wanting to try it.

As for me, my physical therapist has added weight training to my back therapy and says I am coming along nicely, so I may yet be able to hit the road and start running again by mid-August! However, I had no idea there were so many levels of healing that would allow me to continually improve, without actually being all healed yet.

 

[Jen117]

Hi everyone. I wanted to let you all know that my mom's surgery is now this Monday as long as she makes it. She went back on the respirator this morning as her CO2 levels were extremely high. The whole thing breaks my heart as I don't want her to ever give up, but I can understand if she did. So if I disappear for a bit, it's because I have hard time expressing myself as I am very emotional.

I am thinking of you all... you wonderful teammates and I promise to totally disappear. PLUS, I found the hawaiian fabric and I need to make some bandana's for those that want them.

 

[padisneyfan]

Jen--Prayers for your Mom. Hugs to you.

Johanna-- I didn't realize that you were a OR nurse. I am a WOCN/ET Nurse. Have a good time at the wedding.

Debra-- It took me nearly as long to read your Stephanie Plum post as it did to read "Fearless Fourteen" I read to escape from the world and put very little analysis into things that I read. Tomorrow 8/2 the new Stephanie Meyer book "Breaking Dawn" is released. So I will be buying it to take on my cruise. I am also going to the used book store to pick up some of the other book suggestions that others have mentioned. With 7 sea days will have plenty of time to read.

Richard-- Glad to hear that your are making good progress in PT. There is a big WISH meet at POP on Friday night so I guess we can all meet there. I'm up for whatever.

Maria-- I have also been watching some of shark week. DS#2 is big into shark week. I bought him the DVD Shark Week series for Christmas.

As for me I am finishing up week #4 of WW and have lost a total of 4 pounds. All that food cutting back and changing my exercise routine for 4 pounds hardly makes it worth it, but plan to at least follow it until I leave for vacation in 2 weeks. I do think my stomach has shrank some as I am filling up on less food. As for exercise, I continue to do very little walking, but my gym workouts are killers. I took an intervals class on Wed that I was so wasted when it was finished, I wasn't even hungry to eat dinner.

In 2 weeks I will be at DL for the start of my 3 week vacation of which I get to spend 15 days with Jeanne and John. I am busy cleaning my house in preparation for leaving and trying to get things packed. With all the airline restrictions, it is going to be interesting to try to limit to one suitcase each.

Where is the summer going, hard to believe it is already August.

Hope all my other cousins are doing well.

Nancy

 

[deekaypee]

Oh my gosh, I hope I didn't offend any of our thread's walker or run-walkers in my last post! I hope you know I admire all of us for getting out there and being active, for choosing our sports and strategies. When I was talking about my RW dissatisfaction it has to do with me and my own messed-up insecurities! Johanna's right--it's a mental game I keep playing with myself about what it means to be runner. Unfortunately, I'm playing against an unarmed opponent. Mea culpas and apologies if I offended anyone.

Jen: and more I'll be thinking of you and your mother this weekend. Take care of yourself, and give your mom, DH and DDs extra kisses this weekend. I'm sure it will make you all feel better.

Maria: Shark week? Never seen it. I understand it's one of the station's highest-rated programs, though. Sounds like DS is very hip.

Jeanne: Ah, the lengthy posts....I can do these in my sleep, I'm afraid. Years of grading papers, writing lectures, and teaching online classes. Editing them down--now, THAT would take me days. I just type much quicker than I think...as you can all tell, I'm sure. I'm much quieter IRL, btw.

Thanks for calling me a strong independent woman, btw. I like to think I am in most areas of my life. But family get-togethers with my ILs? Not so much. IL relationships tend to be delicate hothouse kinds of affairs, KWIM? And I'm still sensitive about last January, so am trying to be especially careful not to step on anyone's toes.

Johanna: A summer wedding! Charming and romantic. Being IN a wedding? Sounds like margarita throwback time! Then again, girly things scare me. On the up side, if you like getting pedis they might be a great incentive for those 3 boring-mile days. 36 laps. Round and round and round and round...wow, I'm impressed with your stick-to-it-iveness.

Richard: Good question about the meets. I think the Denny's planning of the dessert party fell through, but was picked up by someone else? And isn't there a thread about the POP/Boardwalk meets? I haven't responded yet because we're indecisive. Let me see....looks like Liz is now organizing the Illuminations dessert party, and our very own Mel is the keeper of the POP/Races/Boardwalk Photo Ops. Oooh, photo ops. Possibly the thing I dread most about the entire weekend. The meets themselves sound like fun.

And that's good news on the running by mid-August, isn't it? I mean, it seems kind of like it's fast healing to me. I realize it must seem entirely different for you, being the one going through it and all. But weight training seems to be a good sign of how far you've come. And how's your pain or discomfort?

Nancy: I understand what you mean about reading. Since it's what I do professionally, I get a great joy in analyzing texts--even when it's a lighthearted, surface analysis of a frothy book. Occupational hazard. But I can compare your reading of books to when I walk through the Carnegie Museum with my artist friend; while he's talking about pigments and lighting and perspective, I'm enjoying the colors and forms. Or when DOOD gives me the breakdown on the latest Chelsea match, I'm just happy I can follow the game and admire the players' quads. Analysis of texts is fun for me, because that's my background and expertise, but not in all areas of my life. Like you, I'll all about the fun of reading, even if we have different ways of reading.

Bigger news for you!!! 4 pounds down with your WW. That's grand! And a smaller stomach capacity. Not to mention your classes--it really sounds like you've been challenging yourself with them. Not having any desire to eat after? That's hard core. I hope you feel like keeping up with your classes after you return from your vacation. 3 weeks with Jeanne and John? Ooooh, I think there are going to be stories. (Should I say I hope they are stories you two want to share with us.)

As for me: Tomorrow is my LR, so today was XT. I finished Two for the Dough while on the elliptical and bike. And I thought Grandma was an absolute hoot. And I thought about how Plum couldn't be a bounty hunter without the aid of her family, which makes family central to the series. And that's all I'll say that. Relieved, aren't you?

Have a great weekend everyone! Like Nancy said, I can't believe it's already August.

 

[chimera]

I'll be joining into the OMG it's August already!!! group.

Finally got my miles and minutes updated from vacation.

JenL...

Nancy...we're going to the B&N release party for Breaking Dawn tonight. DD15 has a band car wash tomorrow, so not sure how much reading she'll get done this weekend. I have to wait my turn.

Richard...POFQ/POR are our favorite moderates. If you're doing the full, I think you can walk to the start from there.

So Debra...do you like the Stephanie Plum series so far?

 

[padisneyfan]

Mel-- One of the women at the gym today was talking about the BD party at Borders that her daughter went to. I am heading out soon to go buy my copy at either Sam's or the 40% discount at Borders.

I am exhausted today but made it through Ab's and Spin Class this morning. Have a zillion things to do so heading out the door soon.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Nancy

 

[jeanneg]

Hello Team: I realize I have been MIA lately.....it never seems to stop. And now I have something really good on the near horizon that is taking a big chunk of my time for preparations: a 15-day Disney cruise with Nancy and Norm. I am so excited. Nancy is like my long lost sister even though we've only known each other for a few years. Trust me, there WILL be stories. Especially since Nancy "owes" me bigtime for various services and the only currency I will accept is a certain type of liquid. Afterall, the last time we got together I called a "she" a "he" and then we were nearly barred from entering the MK! The last time we cruised together we tried to seduce Capt. Jack ....and I have the photos to prove it! She was so sexy with her pirate Mickey ears and I had my skirt all hiked up......poor Jack, he never saw it coming......on second thought, I'm sure he did see it coming and thought to himself that his job did not pay nearly enough! Oh yes, there will be stories......

Debra: Just a few loose ends......."Blue Velvet" was the one I couldn't remember......thank-you! Another favorite was "Children of Men".....sorry to chat across threads but it gets the job done! About Hershey: my son was hired by them fresh out of college and works out of the Nashville regional office. He took the opportunity to set aside a portion of his paycheck to purchase company stock, so I'm happy when people buy lots of Reeses, Twizzlers, etc, etc. Hence my comment about spending big bucks at Hershey Park. The Greek: no actual plans for a wedding yet, because no ring has appeared. As i mentioned before, permission has been sought and granted so it's only a matter of time. I keep thinking he has some grand-scale production up his sleeve and needs to wait for the proper time. He will be a good son-in-law.....this week he sent me gift totally out of the blue: 4 dozen lamb chops....and a pack of ouzo flavored Altoids!

Jen: hope you're hanging in there and things are improving with your mom

A big shout out to everyone else!

Just some housekeeping issues....please continue to post your miles and minutes. I did not add anything to the spreadsheet last week because it was time to catch up with the cycle. When I post this week, it will actually be 2 weeks of activity, so I need BOTH weeks or we end up cheating ourselves. If you already posted for the week of 7/19 thru 7/25, I have it; if not, it's not too late! Keep those miles and minutes coming, cousins!


Have a wonderful weekend!

 

[JacobsMommy11002]

Nancy: A fellow nurse! I worked as a surgical tech for many years before I went back to nursing school. I have always been in the OR in one way or another. Currently, I work in an opthalmic OR is an ambulatory surgery center...its so worth it for the no nights, weekends, holidays or call! WTG on the WW, too!

Debra: I am feeling the need to check out an Evanovich book out of the library tomorrow...

Richard: Congrats on the continued healing. I can't wait to see your "first" running post!

Jen: I am so very sorry you and your mom are going through this. You are both in my prayers!

Jeaneq: A cruise! I am so happy for you! And more than a little jealous!

And I, well, I am back from the wedding. It was a wild and crazy night, but a ton of fun! Thankfully, I need some time to recover...and I have that, in the form of tomorrow off from work! I was supposed to run tonight, but I am waaayyyyyy too tired, so I will do it tomorrow!

 

[padisneyfan]

Morning Cousins.

Jeanne is telling all our secrets. We are like long lost sisters. My children think it is scary how much alike we are. Of course we share all good qualities and have no bad qualities. Just ask our husbands. I'm sure that with the amount of alcohol that will be consumed on this cruise we will have alot of stories to tell.

Wasn't Blue Velvet a song by Bobby Vinton?

Debra--- Hershey and Hersheypark are great. Hersheypark is very family oriented and clean. It is also very hilly so you get a workout when you are walking around the park.

Johanna--- Glad you have a day off to recover from the wedding.

Mel-- Got Breaking Dawn and have it packed for my cruise.

Speaking of Hersheypark we went there yesterday to see Bowser's Rock and Roll Party. It was a great 2 hr show with appearances by THE ORIGINAL COMETS ("Rock Around The Clock"; "Shake, Rattle & Roll", "See You Later, Alligator"), FREDDY “BOOM-BOOM” CANNON ("Palisades Park"; "Tallahassee Lassie"; "Where The Action Is"), LITTLE PEGGY MARCH ("I Will Follow Him"), & BOWZER & THE STINGRAYS. 3 member of the Orginal Comets are in that group ages 74, 75 and the drummer is a young 84, but they can still Rock N Roll. There performance made me decide that I will renew my HP pass for next year. Of course even though Jeanne wants me to spend my money there, bought our lunch and drink for under $20. I love the 15% discount with the HP pass.

Did no exercise yesterday unless you can count packing for our cruise as cross training.

That's all for now.

Nancy