the long road home

i've got a few moments to post while staying at my sister's place.....though not long enough to run downstairs and get the notes i took in the car yesterday. (i had plenty of time to write- we got stuck in traffic twice- the toll area along i-95 in new hampshire and the massachusetts turnpike were both horrible. between those...delays and the wild goose chase around lowell, massachusetts (i wanted to get my national park passport stamped at the lowell mill, but several streets were blocked off for the "lowell folk festival".... and after a good twenty minutes of driving in circles, i finally gave up, hopped out of the car, and asked a niced couple having a picnic lunch if they could provide me with directions back to the highway. perhaps the timing will work out a little better next summer.), a twelve hour drive wound up taking about fourteen.)

anyway, where was i?

pictures and notes...right. i have a ton of pictures (enough for one a day at the photo blog plus several here and maybe a few on bodhi's blog.) with any luck, i'll be able to get a few posted after we get home this evening. (that'd be in between dealing with the avon order, returning phone calls from folks who forgot i was on vacation, and trying to unpack my fully-loaded car, of course.)

however, i promise they'll be worth your while.

on today's agenda: visit the local grocery store to stock up on sabatino's salad dressing (it's okay if you have no idea what i'm talking about- it's an italian restaurant in baltimore that is near and dear to my heart), utz potato chips, and crab soup, meet up with potential cousin-in-law in d.c., wander around town with him a little bit (after all, i have a few more cancellations on my passport to collect), and then head home.

isn't that the worst part of vacation- the first day back at work? i am not ready.

however, labor day weekend isn't far off- perhaps we can manage a quick getaway then........

small potatoes?

okay- i'm on just for a moment at the visitor information center in carleton, prince edward island, where we're trying to figure out the location of two elusive metal potatoes. (long story)......so far, we've gotten four blank looks, the information guru helping us has been laughed at by at least one of his counterparts on the northern portion of the island, and (breaking news here) now we've been told that there "might be something in the sand dunes" at a location i didn't catch. oh boy.

in other potato news, i now know what poutine is ("where are you from anyway? i've never met anyone who didn't know what it was", said our waitress last night.), and we've purchased several bags of "lobster flavored" potato chips (a delight sure to please the palate.)

oh, and you know my last good pair of jeans? perhaps i should not have worn them today, as there was an unnerving splitting noise as i hopped up onto the statue in front of cows.

oh, canada

i don't have time to get caught up on comments, but wanted to post a quick "hello" from st. stephen, new brunswick. (gotta love these free internet stations.) i've got a pile of pictures to tinker with when we get back to south carolina (possibly the d.c. area the night before), and a few subjects for posts when i get back.....thrilling things like:

~perhaps maine has lobster rolls at mc donald's after all
~how not to give yourself a hot oil treatment
~how to stop the pain after burning yourself during a hot oil treatment
~border crossings- a whole new sort of pain in the butt

okay- my fifteen minutes is up......off to hopewell rocks (and, eventually, prince edward island) we go.

i love free access!

just a quick "hello" from st. johnsbury, vermont....where they offer free internet access at the welcome center. i have a bunch of notes from the road to share- but a ten-minute limit on this computer (and you know how long-winded i tend to be), so i'll have to save it for later. i've been taking pictures, too, but i doubt i'll be able to put them up until after we're back in south carolina. (bear with me- i'm on vacation, after all.)

however, i can share the tragic discovery i made last night when we stopped for dinner (drive-through, of course) at mcdonald's: there are no lobster rolls at maine mcdonald's this summer i am crushed......and mentally composing hate mail to mickey d's.

okay- time to hit the road...take care of yourselves, gang.

i'm still here?

plan a: leave work after the class trip to our children's museum. be on the road by 2 p.m. and in washington, d.c. by 9 p.m.

yeah, uh....that didn't work out the way i'd planned. i wound up staying at school until a hair after 4:30, rana couple of quick errands, and now i'm at the radio station, taking care of five hours' worth of work i woul have done last night, had i not found myself dozing off in my car coming home from my afterschool job after midnight.

at this rate, we may be in d.c. by noon tomorrow.

but that's okay. after all, it's vacation...whenever it officially begins.

which reminds me:

~i will continue to collect a picture a day for my photo blog, though i might not be able to post them until we get back into town. bear with me- i'll make it up to you. (however, it's easier for me to post updates here, so i'll try to pound out at least a sentence or two whenever the opportunity presents itself. in the meantime, you can check out my favorite posts on the left sidebar......or my favorite blogs, also on the sidebar.)

~bodhi will be joining me on this trip, so feel free to check his blog for updates, too.

~i forgot to pack socks.....and a razor......and i need to locate my contacts so i can haul out my fancy (old fashioned, non-digital) camera.

okay- back to work so maybe i can hit the road sometime in the next twelve hours..........

afterglow

i am tired. dead tired. dog tired. pooped.

duran duran

we didn't get to meet the band- the "meet and greet", we were told, had been cancelled. however, we had great seats...which worked out well, because the digital camera we'd borrowed for the concert (no zoom on ours) had a dead battery. we were in the 13th row, though one of the security guards was kind enough to let me run to the front of the aisle to take pictures during the encore. (this was after walking up to me- right after i'd taken bodhi's picture- and said "what's with the gnome?")

in addition to the permitted cameras (folks who'd forgotten theirs could purchase disposables for a mere $15 each), there were camera phones all over the place. i'm afraid i found it more than a little unsettling when i counted more folks waving cell phones instead of lighters during "ordinary world". what a sign of the times........

but it was totally worth it.

i am what i am...or what you want me to be

okay, back to my mission to get in touch with myself.......i'm sure you've googled yourself, but have you checked out what google really thinks of you? i found this on jurgen nation.

my results? well, if you're really interested, here's an abridged list:

*duff is under pressure to what? under pressure to what???
*duff is the real thing like coke classic?
*duff is the real thin i may have lost a pound or two lately- thanks for noticing.
*duff is online yes i am...unless i'm at work. please leave a message at the beep....
*duff is close to signing a new contract with blackburn how many zeros are we talking about here?
*duff is desirable because the litter is usually much less dense than the duff i know googlism did not just call me dense.
*duff is a supporter of the effort to restore the bird island lighthouse sure- wherever that is.
*duff is group leader of numerical analysis in the computational science and engineering department crap- would i have needed to pass statistics in college for that?
*duff is tackled by liverpool's jamie carragher only because i let him (hope he's cute)
*duff is ready to make trouble always
*duff is happy to have three new members let's see- i pick you...and you...and you
*duff is a musical instrument similar to a tambourine so you have to hit and shake me to play me? i think i'll pass.
*duff is single and he's taken up astrology in hopes of increasing his chances of finding a wife errr...no.
*duff is anne marie / theresa *checking birth certificate* sorry- not even close.
*duff is one of irelands leading architectural companies so we'll move the blarney stone about 50 feet, then?
*duff is known as a "players coach" sure- what am i coaching?
*duff is overpriced nah- i'm worth every penny
*duff is up to lately? find that out what am i up to? 5'2", if i stretch.
*duff is springfield's leading brand in beer it took this many results to get a simpsons reference? jeez.
*duff is a widely published author i didn't think i was there yet, but if google says so, who am i to disagree?
*duff is a native of the texas gulf coast and spent time as a child attending school and playing with children from the nearby alabama uh, not quite. i was born in colorado.....and have been to alabama a grand total of three times.
*duff is a bed and breakfast with ambiance that invites you to relax and enjoy genuine "down under" hospitality whoa- what kind of hospitality am i providing here?
*duff is more amusing than elmore leonard well, thank you.
*duff is founder and ceo of bold ventures group does this mean i can stop working weekends?
*duff is poised to move from blackburn rovers to either liverpool or manchester and i'm moving the blarney stone....because you said i could.
*duff is not for sale everyone has their price- mine just happens to be out of your budget.
*duff is completely consumed by work
*duff is not there either as you can see maybe you can't- i am short, after all.
*duff is worth more yes- yes, i am.
*duff is a mother and the editorial page editor at the coloradoan no and no
*duff is one of nine defencemen the rangers have signed for the upcoming season is it a high dollar contract? if so, maybe i should take up the sport (whatever sport we happen to be talking about here.
*duff is from sonoran desert of the southwest no, but i've been there.
*duff is burned when the moisture content of the upper duff is below 30 percent note to self: keep moisture content above 30%
*duff is busy in the studio recording with a talented vocalist this is old- the vocalist in question was sinatra
*duff is the inspirational leader of the university of michigan women's gymnastics team this alter ego sounds pretty cool
*duff is the oskar klein professor of physics and director of the michigan center for theoretical physics at the university of michigan in ann arbor i'm teaching psychics? oh- physics? isn't that a complex science? it is? can i get a tutor, perhaps?
*duff is to work on a document on the status of the charter of fundamental rights of the eu you have the right to remain silent. anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.... not those rights? oh. sorry.
*duff is remarkable for the energy and determination with which he has pursued a difficult and thorny path hmmm...i seem to have had a sex change no one bothered to tell me about.
*duff is supported by voluntary contributions from fans all over the world sweet! when can i expect the first checks to roll in?
*duff is another indication of a superior intellect e=mc2
*duff is a chief flight surgeon sure- as long as i don't have to see any blood
*duff is a seasoned professional with ten years experience a professional pain in the butt? i'm your huckleberry.
*duff is close to signing a new contract with the ewood park club another high-dollar deal, i hope.
*duff is a former standout at glen este high school and a sophomore golfer at kent state university only if those little windmills are involved
*duff is taking a different boat around new zealand than ireland anyone care to join me?
*duff is pumice not quite, but that reminds me- i could use a pedicure.
*duff is quick with a laugh aha! they finally found me!
*duff is our fave actress thanks *blushing*
*duff is a managing partner in the law firm of baker donelson in washington "managing partner"? that must mean i'm rich.

my favorite part? the "duff is overpriced"/"duff is worth more" contradiction.

a few monday morning diversions

my birthday got pretty much rained out, so i had ample time to find things to amuse myself with in an effort to further put off the real work i could have been attending to.

the movie poster quiz

i got 15 out of 15- how about you?

oh- i found this a little late, but here's what they had to say about my birthday over at blogthings:

Your Birthdate: July 17

Your birth on the 17th day of the month suggests that you are very lucky financially, because this date indicates a solid business sense. Although you are probably very honest and ethical, this birthday enables you to be shrewd and successful in the world of business and commercial enterprise. You have excellent organizational, managerial, and administrative capabilities enabling you to handle large projects and significant amounts of money with relative ease. You are ambitious and highly goal-oriented, although you may be better at starting projects than you are at finishing them. A sensitivity in your nature, often repressed below the surface of awareness, makes it hard to give or receive affection.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

and another contribution from blogthings:

In 1978 (the year you were born)

Jimmy Carter is president of the US US Senate votes to turn over the Panama Canal to Panama on December 31, 1999 Israel and Egypt reach a peace settlement at the Camp David Accords The US and mainland China announce that they will restore full diplomatic relations Members of Jim Jones' People's Temple commit mass suicide in Guyana Pope John Paul II becomes the first non-Italian pope in centuries Ted Bundy is captured in Florida The first computer bulletin board system is created Garfield debuts in newspapers Ashton Kutcher, Kobe Bryant, Usher, Clay Aiken, and Nelly Furtado are born New York Yankees win the World Series Dallas Cowboys win Superbowl XII Montreal Canadiens win the Stanley Cup Saturday Night Fever and Grease are the top grossing films "Night Fever" by the Bee Gees spends the most time at the top of the US charts Diff'rent Strokes and Mork & Mindy premiere

What Happened the Year You Were Born?

More cool things for your blog at
Blogthings

just when i wondered if i'd ever amount to anything, this came along:

This has been another pointless
diversion by Bijouriel

finally, something for larry:

Which monkey are you?
Another pointless diversion from Bijouriel