The ABC's of Trip Planning, Pt 1- K is for Keeping Things Kooky- Drinks V-Z; pg. 197 + New Link

[Steppesister]

The jacaranda have not started blooming yet (that I've noticed) but the pink Ns white blossoms have. Our bougainvillea have not stated blooming but we have lots of those.

Make sure to post a picture when they do! I'd love to see them!

That's scary. You're younger than me and mine was in 1991. But I was on the I the 8 year plan.

Well.... since I was "minoring" in an Mrs. Degree, I wanted to finish quickly. Mike was finishing right around the same time I was and we wanted to get "on with life".

Ugh! I hope that the ibuprofen kicks in and does what you need. Sorry you are having pain.

Seems to be doing well right now... still taking the NSAIDs and hoping for the best. As long as it stays as good as it is right now, I'll be ok for Monday's Clinical.

Uh oh, here's hoping that the ibuprofen works so you can get your clinical time in.

Thanks, Lessa! So far it's holding up enough to get done what I need to. Has the snow cleared for you to get around to and from work safely now?

I'm in the far northern suburbs of Chicago. So, we just missed a bunch of snow that went to the south of us, which is fine with me!

I hope the ibuprofen helped your wrist!

Ah, nice! Always good to dodge those bullets. Snow is only fun if you intentionally GO to it to play in.

Seems to be working pretty well; just hope it stays that way!

 

[Steppesister]

I think I'm going to enjoy this trip...

Oh, I'm sure you are. I'm sure you are....

Well, we're just hoping the Disney pay-off at the end makes it all worthwhile.

As long as nobody gets sick. And even if someone did, having a fever on a Disney bed is better than having one at home.

So you're saying there's a chance!

If you wing a gazillion dollars you're taking all of us to Disney World with you, right?

Probably as good a one as Disney letting me stay in the castle if I asked. So yeah, I'll take you ALL to Disney if I win. It's a promise I probably won't have to pony up for.

Spring is just around the corner!!!

And while you have flowers blooming, we just had our first substantial snowfall. How is it that spring hits the PNW so early? It seems counter-intuitive.

Cherry trees are blooming now! I want to get my camera out and get some photos of the Capitol Bldg with the blooms; it's SO pretty!!

Remember, we really hardly ever get below freezing at all during the entire winter. When we do, we get some freezing rain or MAYBE a little snow. The rest of the time it's around 40 or 50, and often in the 60s. I'm late pruning my roses- those are supposed to be done President's Day weekend. Most everything is budded. Wild, I know! Washington is always a good 2 weeks behind us in gardening. But our winter wheat has already really taken off.

Cool! Always nice to get those reward cards. They never seem to last very long though.

Nah, but they sure will help! I love it!

Sounds like a nice trip and a good way to forget about school for a week.

It's a super short trip- only 4 full days there. But we'll cram some fun stuff in. I'd like to take in some Honky Tonk while I'm there.

 

[Steppesister]

You are getting so close to being done! I'm jealous of the flowers...we still have our snowiest month ahead of us (even though I'm ditching half of March to go Down Under!) and no flowers for awhile yet.

Hope your wrist improves quickly!

Closer and closer to graduation all the time. And that trip. Keep up the good work!

WOOHOO! Thanks, Glenn! The long road is getting easier to keep walking down.

Soak in some epsom salt. Peppermint oil is good to drop in the water as well if you have no heart or blood pressure conditions. It warms and softens the muscles as well as the Epsom salt!

Been MIA, but have caught up now.

I've been wondering where you were!! Glad you are back.

Way to go on your exam and clinical! I admire your hard work. Glad you can enjoy a little end of the tunnel feeling and still have a good work ethic to keep pushing on strong

Only a short time left of the brutal cycle of study, exam, study, exam.... Also, I put in for an LOA at work. It was just too much; very exhausting to try to balance family, school, work and my own mental health!

Yuck on teen drama. I just remember the mom/daughter drama. Luckily that is starting to pass. She's at college. Recently I did something for her, she thanked me.
I told her that's what mom's are for and she said "yea they're awesome"

The teenage years do pass and the kids do grow up and become "normal". I love having adult kids to hang out with. And yep, they do learn to say thank you. It's a great feeling! It'll be wonderful when my "more volatile one" gets past it too. It cropped up again today. I think her friend is kinda dumping her and that is painful to a 13 year old.

I'm jealous of your early spring. We had snow. Thank goodness it was a only a couple of inches.

A couple of inches is just enough to be fun. But yeah, I'm soooooo ready for Spring and all it brings.

So glad you have a trip planned to see parents and DIL to be. You'll be ready for that!

I sure will! I need a break so badly!

 

[Steppesister]

It'll be here before you know it!

Is that even a question? Just assume the answer is yes.

It was rhetorical. So yes. And no. And ok.

Sounds great! Always nice to have something on the horizon to look forward to.

Absolutely! And now I have the Spring Break trip in March, the Disney in October, and the wedding Nov. 5th. I think I may want to start planning my trip to Guam too.

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Thanks, Lessa! So far it's holding up enough to get done what I need to. Has the snow cleared for you to get around to and from work safely now?

Yep. The streets were pretty much clear the day after the big snowfall. The danger now is that the snowbanks are so high that you can't really see well while turning and you have to pull out further than you usually would need to, makes it hard to see what is coming at you.

 

[Steppesister]

Your 'W' Photo Gallery​

It's been a stupidly crazy couple of weeks, and every time I think the toughest part is over... it's just not. The time I do feel like I have "extra" time that I'm not writing papers or doing other "busy" work that's over with for this term, I've been filling it up with some family needs that have gone neglected for WAY too long. I have had doctor's appointments or tests/diagnostic stuff everyday this week (and more coming up next week) for various family peoples. Remember that broken wrist and elbow last year?? It's hurting again, and colder than the other hand, and numb and tingling... so Zach gets to spend 45 minutes in an MRI machine at 7:00 AM tomorrow. Today we spent 4 hours commuting up to Portland (usually a 1 hr trip each way) for an endocrinologist appt.

Things are just too busy, too stressful, and too much. I put in for an LOA at work last night, and asked not to be called until April 1st. I may or may not go back after that. The stress isn't getting any better, so something had to give. Even if it was only a couple of shifts a month. Now I won't have to feel pressure and guilty when those "can you work" texts come my way.

So, onto the more "fun" stuff! W was super-de-duper easy to find photos for! I threw in a couple that I'll leave to you to guess just for kicks and giggles.

Let's start off with everyone's favorite bear:



Who doesn't love a bathroom?!



Easy?? Let's hear specifics...



This is the tricky one for you lexiphiles!!! Guesses??



And now, I give you WEBS- 3 iterations of spidery goodness at one of my top 5 rides:

 

[franandaj]

Winnie the Pooh?

Women's Rest Room?

Water?

Wrought Iron?

My other guess would be the Trophy Room at the old Club 33, but that has nothing to do with "w".

I hope that things get easier for you. I know how it can be when you are with way too much to do, but I'm hoping that I'm not really like that now. I just have too much that I need to do, but nothing as noble as what you are doing!

 

[afwdwfan]

Remember that broken wrist and elbow last year?? It's hurting again, and colder than the other hand, and numb and tingling... so Zach gets to spend 45 minutes in an MRI machine at 7:00 AM tomorrow.

Oh yuck... I hope everything is ok.

This is the tricky one for you lexiphiles!!! Guesses??

I liked Alison's guess of wroght iron. The first "W" that came to mind for me though was Walt.

 

[Steppesister]

Winnie the Pooh?

Women's Rest Room?

Water?

Wrought Iron?

My other guess would be the Trophy Room at the old Club 33, but that has nothing to do with "w".

I hope that things get easier for you. I know how it can be when you are with way too much to do, but I'm hoping that I'm not really like that now. I just have too much that I need to do, but nothing as noble as what you are doing!

Great guesses! I will be back after a few more comments/guesses with more thoughts.

Thanks, Alison. I've not really ever called/considered what I do noble. Just following a dream doing what I love. It's challenging and and fun, but most of the time hard as well. One day at a time....

 

[Steppesister]

Oh yuck... I hope everything is ok.

Me too! We'll know in a day or two.

I liked Alison's guess of wroght iron. The first "W" that came to mind for me though was Walt.

Another excellent answer. Hmmm.... I think I even have one that'll fit the bill....

 

[GoofyFan1515]

Thanks for the well wishes on the wrist. Made it through another Clinical day with not too many problems. I had to help move a patient up in bed a few times (done by basically dragging them up while on a top sheet- which sounds horrible, but isn't) and that REALLY hurt it a lot, but I babied it pretty well and will continue to this week before next Monday. More later, but I'm completely exhausted and going to bed.

Hey, you need to be taking care of that Wrist and Wresting up for those adult beverages We'll be enjoying together in a few months!

Let's start off with everyone's favorite bear:

Winnie the Pooh

Who doesn't love a bathroom?!

Women's Wrestroom at It's a Small World

Easy?? Let's hear specifics...

Back side of Water
Water Fall
Wet

This is the tricky one for you lexiphiles!!! Guesses??

Wrought Iron

 

[Steppesister]

Hey, you need to be taking care of that Wrist and Wresting up for those adult beverages We'll be enjoying together in a few months!

I have them all picked out.... day by day.

"A drink a day makes a fantastic Disney Stay."- Liesa Buren

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Hello... Glad you made it through the hand pain and are taking a little sanity break. I need to get my guesses in quick before the baby wakes from his nap (Adventures in Babysitting this weekend) Let's see:

The many adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Bathroom new Pinnochio's?
Back side if water on Jungle Cruise (love this one)
I see Blue Bayou, but I'm thinking Club 3 at DL
Haunted Mansion
Stretching Room
Chandelier at TOT

Hope you get a little time to relax this weekend!

 

[KathyM2]

I hope things calm down for you. I'm glad you were able to cut out some work to make life a little less hectic!!

 

[franandaj]

We're we supposed to be guessing about the Web pictures at HM? I thought those were obvious that they were the window above the entrance, the stretching room and the chandeliers where you board the ride.

 

[Steppesister]

Hello... Glad you made it through the hand pain and are taking a little sanity break. I need to get my guesses in quick before the baby wakes from his nap (Adventures in Babysitting this weekend) Let's see:

The many adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Bathroom new Pinnochio's?
Back side if water on Jungle Cruise (love this one)
I see Blue Bayou, but I'm thinking Club 3 at DL
Haunted Mansion
Stretching Room
Chandelier at TOT

Hope you get a little time to relax this weekend!

Hey Tammie! My wrist is feeling pretty good right now, and I just found out I DON'T have Clinical this Monday, so I get an extra week to let it rest. So happy about that!

Good guesses- thanks for having fun with me!

I hope things calm down for you. I'm glad you were able to cut out some work to make life a little less hectic!!

Hi Kathy!! I think they are now calming down a lot. Only a few weeks left in this term, so after I get caught up on some threads this afternoon, I"m going to look over my spreadsheet and do some fine tuning. I'll miss the cash that my job brings in, but I think it's best for my family right now.

We're we supposed to be guessing about the Web pictures at HM? I thought those were obvious that they were the window above the entrance, the stretching room and the chandeliers where you board the ride.

Well, I wasn't really trying to make it a really hard, wrack your brain kinda game; mostly just the Wrought Iron one that I thought might make people think a little harder. During my trip, I'll definitely be on the look out for WAY harder photos to add to the game. Or at least ones that will keep me in ABC theme.

I was looking for Winnie, Women's Restroom (that was a duh), Backside of Water, and the Webs I just gave you... all at HM in DLR. In fact, all the photos were from my 2011 trip to Cali. Have an creative W photos you wanna share??

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

No "W" photos are complete without:

 

[Steppesister]

Someday this cycle will end, and I will be able to switch from giving you a blow by blow report on the Study/Exam Cycle to a Here's Some Actual Trip News Report. Meantime, Exam #4 is in the morning and I've had a bit less time to study than I would have liked. I'll let y'all know how it went tomorrow evening as I have lecture right after the exam AND a mandatory Field Trip to Portland in the afternoon to see this:

http://www.medicalteams.org/home/real-life-exhibit/real-life-tigard-exhibit

Back to studying....

Happy Day,

Steppe

 

[jedijill]

Good luck!

Jill in CO

 

[irene_dsc]

Good luck on your exam!