Next Road Trip

You get a bonus list today! That last list got me jonesing for some vacation planning. Here is what we've done so far to plan our vacation for June:

• picked destination (Grand Canyon!)
• looked at maps in our national road atlas and online
• checked out the National Park website
• requested vacation time at our jobs
• ensure that those dates will work for everyone (so far so good!)
  
• order maps and books from AAA

The planning begins!

List #18 ROAD TRIP MUST-HAVES

I love road trips! We are just getting started on actual planning for our next family road trip, so this list is exciting to think about! Here are my must-haves for a road trip:drinks (water for me, soda for the guys)

• snacks - something sweet, something salty, fruit, veggies, combos, cheese for protein
  
• maps and guide books (no Garmin for me, thanks, although I will admit that we used our laptop and wifi last year to find hotels on the road)
• paper and pencils - we make lists on the road, so paper and pen/pencils are a must . . . also, Simon can't be w/o drawing supplies at all times. If you'd like to see some of the lists we kept on our last big road trip, check out THE BLOG.
  
• small pillow and shawl/blankie for car - at some point we acquired a purple heart-shaped pillow that now travels with us. Because it is so bright and unusual, it is much less likely that we'll forget it at a hotel!
• books on CD - we have to have a selection so we can find something that all of us will enjoy. We always take our entire collection of Harry Potter books on CD with us as fail-safes if none of the other stuff we take is appealing enough, or if we're just feeling cranky. Jim Dale reading to us makes us all happier.
• slip-on shoes - I'm usually the passenger as Mike like driving better than riding, so I get very comfy on my side of the car.
• laptop for overnighters
• knitting! You didn't think I'd have a list w/o knitting, did you? Honestly? I usually spend quite a bit of time planning what knitting projects to take on a trip. I have to have some options - one thing that is mindless, one thing that takes more brain power, some kind of project(s) I can finish quickly to satisfy my ADD knitting nature. Also, if possible, I like to have a project I can start right before or as we're leaving and finish before we get home so that the project itself can be a memento of sorts.
• camera (s) - remember when we used to have to pack film?
• small flashlight for each person (nice to have at night)
• batteries for camera, flashlights, any other electronics
• phones and chargers that work in the car
• clothes that can be worn in layers
• $$$$$$$$$
  

I'm certain I'm forgetting things. We always do. That's why we always take money!

List #17 WORDS THAT ARE HARD FOR ME TO SPELL

This topic makes me laugh. Sometimes people get funny notions about Librarians, like we should know everything, or like we have read (and can remember) every book in our library . . . and being a good speller is expected of Librarians. I suppose I'm a fairly good speller, but I am by no means excellent! I've known some Librarians who are horrible spellers, and some who've won spelling bees (even adult spelling bees!). We run the gamut (and boy, to my legs get tired!)

Words I find hard to spell include, but are not limited to:

• definately
• discombombulate
• recieve (all those ie/ei words . . . and yes, I know the rhyme already!), also believe, grievance, seive, etc
  

OK - I know there are more, but I can't think of them. I am, however, pretty darn good with grammar (and Pop-pop likes me, too).

List #16 STUFF TO SEE IN COLUMBUS, OH

Interesting topic for today! I'm going to list the places I always take friends when they come to visit me. This may not be a typical list, but I'm not a typical tour guide!

If you were to visit Columbus, I'd show you:

• Main Library of the 2010 Library of the Year! Built around a refurbished building originally built with money from Andrew Carnegie, it is truly a beautiful library.
  
• The Deaf School Park and the Topiary Garden of the Seurat painting, A Sunday Afternoon on the Isle of La Grande Jatte
  
• The Village Book Shop
  
• The Book Loft in German Village
• Drive or walk through some of German Village
• The Linden Branch Library (that I helped design), and whichever branch I'm currently serving
• Thurber House where my son, an official docent, can give you a private tour
  
• The Zoo (rated #1 in America by many)
• The Old King Cole statue in the Brewery District
• Drive down Broad St, going East out of downtown to see the old buildings
• Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream
• Barley's for great craft beer
• Knitter's Mercantile (although if you're not a fiber fan, I'd try to restrain myself from making you go there with me)
• Franklin Park Conservatory

Those of you who live in or near Columbus - where would YOU take people?

List #15 THINGS I LIKE ABOUT OUR CATS

The official topic for today's list is what's on my shopping list, but honestly, I just don't wanna talk about that. So, here is a nice list of
Things I Like About Our Cats:

• they're snuggly, each in their own way
  
• they're independent
• they're warm
• they each have their own personality (Sam is always hungry and usually lazy, Rosie is always checking things out, making sure things are safe for all of us)
• they're amusing to watch, and sometimes fun to play with - I say sometimes because Sam doesn't play much (see above)

PS: we have 2 cats, Samwise and Rosie. They are littermates, although Samwise outweighs Rosie by about 7 lb. Sam is grey and white and Rosie is black and white.

Samwise aliases: Sam, Sambo, Sammy, Spot, Luxury Cat, Lumpy
Rosie aliases: Rose, Posie, Spazzmocat, Little Mama

List #14 THINGS I LIKE ABOUT _______

Things I like about SPRING:

• sunshine!
• leaving the windows and doors open to the fresh air
• budding and blooming flowers
• sunshine!
• no ice!
• safer driving
• sunshine!
• needing fewer layers of clothing/blankets
• sunshine!
• I generally feel better about life when Spring comes!
  

Things I like about my JOB:

• helping people
• smiling kids
• working together with staff so we all work better
  
• seeing change that helps people and neighborhoods
• making a difference
• the people I work with (in my location, our library system and our profession at large)
• finding great books and sharing them
• simply having a steady job at this point in American History seems good to me
• steady pay and benefits
• building relationships with colleagues and customers

Things I like about my LIFE:

• my faith, even though it's faltered a bit of late
• my husband and son
• my family - I am really blessed to have great parents and sibs
• knitting, music, other creative pursuits
• good doctors
• a good job
• health
• home, transportation, food to eat, clean water, clothing, etc
  

List #13 DIYs TO DO

Today's list topic is "DIYs you want to try" but honestly, I have so much going at this point, and I've done so many things already in my life, that I really just want to concentrate on doing what I'm doing. I'm a crafty sort of person, though, and I have a lot of things I like to craft, so here goes:

• more sculpey - this time I won't burn it (oops!)
• beading - I have a ton of really cool beads I'd like to make into jewelry or work into knitting projects
• knitting - I have lots of projects on the needles at the moment, and I love each one!
• de-clutter my house - this task seems much bigger than I could possibly do alone, largely because it will also involve convincing the guys we need to get rid of some stuff
• paint some nesting dolls
  
• carve soap stone
• remodel the front room, which involves peeling painted wallpaper off the walls, patching and re-treating the walls, new curtains, etc

I think that is enough for now. This list is making me tired.

List #12 WEEKLY RITUALS

What do I do each week? Well, here's a typical list in rather random order (because that is generally how I live my life):

• spend some time in the house with my son when we're both awake and actually engaged in doing something together in the same room, maybe even involving conversing (this used to be easier before he was a teen!)
  
• work work work work work work work
• I work Monday night, which in my world means that I work 11-8 on Mondays, which means that Monday morning is usually a day to sleep in - yay!
• KIP (knit in public) with my knitting gang - caution: this is not your grandma's knitting group!
  
• TV shows we watch together as a family: Mentalist, NCIS, Top Chef, Top Shot, Psych, Royal Pains, Survivor (I really wish I didn't like this show), Glee, Chopped, Criminal Minds, Iron Chef, Law & Order SVU, House. We DVR new episodes and save them for when we're all available to watch together.
  
• I like to cast-on a new knitting (or crochet) project on Sundays. Sometimes it'll just be a quick wash cloth that I'll finish in a few hours, but even that makes me feel like I've done something new and exciting.
• laundry
• dishes (daily, when I'm doing well)
  
• be a good mom (sometimes he calls it nagging, but I call it "organizational help")
  
• talk or at least chat online with my mom
• pray without ceasing

Stuff I feel like I should do every week, but in the spirit of full disclosure don't think I should put on the actual list:

• Do Wii Fit or go swim at least 3x a week, but I'm not nearly as ritualistic about this as I should be.
• Post on my blog. I'm trying to get better! These daily writing challenges really help me!
• Go to church.

List #11 DATES

What things do you enjoy doing with your time and friends? Today's list shares some of my favorite things to do with DH, friends, son, etc. (dates, in a broad sense):

• out for a meal! I would list fave restaurants in Cbus, but often I like to try places I've never been before just as much as going to old favorites, so a list is hard here. Maybe that will be it's own list before the month is out.
• movie- This may seem like a cop-out, but I really do love going to movies, and I love talking together about them afterward.
  
• Zoo!
• Museums - here in Cbus we have the Historical Society, the Wexner, the Art Museum, etc. Heck, I like finding art exhibits around town, too, like at the Main Library (great gallery space). Again, I like chatting about it after viewing it together.
• going to the park - picnics are lovely! My friend, Bu-ying and I will sometimes take our instruments and play music outdoors there, too - doubly wonderful!
• Interesting speakers - (I got to take Si to hear Matt Groehning last year - fabbo!)
• live music (making our own or going to hear it made by others)
• karaoke (I can't resist performing!)
• live theater!

That's all for now. Tonight I'm going to see Sweet Honey in the Rock with friends! Yahoo! The sad part is that I had to give up going to a performance of Shakespeare at Si's HS and also a Karaoke party. Months of nothing special and then all of the sudden there are 3 events on one night!

List #10 WISHES

Today's challenge is to make a list of wishes. I've been thinking about this, on and off, all day. I've also spent most of my day in a meeting with people from all over the state talking about what the ODE plan for literacy, birth - grade 12, should be even if we have no money to use. Ironic? How much of my work day is spent wishing I could do something that is impossible to do? I often find that what I really want to do/implement/make happen is simply impossible due to many factors (culture, funding, staffing, space and other physical resources, education). My wish list could go on indefinitely if I let it, and I wouldn't even have to stop talking about work!

Then I come home to our lovely little house and start to see all the things I wish we could do here; remodel, fix-up, replace. That wish list, also, is huge.

And don't even get me started on all the things I wish I could do with/for my family and friends . . .or things I wish we could change about the world! My mind goes crazy!

So where do I start to make a list? I have a list of things I"m looking forward to - attainable goals, if you will. I've already done that. I have many things that could be included in a wish list.

I have no idea where to begin, but here are some huge wishes that have been and probably will always be on my heart.

I wish:

• that people would learn to put aside their egos and insecurities and really care about one another
• that I had more time to spend with my son/my husband/my parents/my friends
• that I had more time to knit each day
• that knitting would somehow allow me to lose weight instead of having to exercise
• that every parent in the world would care more about their children than they do about their own comfort and amusements and really be able to nurture/parent their children with love and respect
• that all of our children were ready for Kindergarten when they start Kindergarten
• that teachers were respected enough to get fair wages for the hard work they do, one of the most valuable and far-reaching jobs in our society, a job that will make or break our country
• that people would stop trying to solve conflict with violence
• that somehow we could be less vicious in our political disputes and work together to solve our systemic problems
• that Christians would remember that we are called to love all people, especially those with whom we disagree
• that I could function on less sleep each day
• that someone would come clean/organize my house ever night while I sleep
• that we (especially all of us working in the public sector) can get through the next 10 years w/o losing our jobs or having to declare bankruptcy
• that my son will find his niche in the world, be happy and Godly, and financially self-sufficient
• that I could stop worrying about so many things
  

List #9 Favorite websites

Favorite websites is a fairly easy list to compile, and I'm sure some of you will have very similar lists! These are the sites I visit most often (on sites which require accounts I am usually caterwaul1):

• The Library!
• My library's intranet for work stuff
  
• My Credit Union (where I do all my money stuff, pay bills etc)
• FACEBOOK
• Ravelry (where I try to track all my yarn projects - knitting, crochet - and can, if I have time, keep up with what friends are making)
• Twitter
• gmail and other google things (reader, calendar, searching, maps)
• local news sites, usually channel 10 and channel 4
• my blog
• Pandora
  

List #8 WHAT'S IN MY BAG

What is in my bag?!? I carry around a wide variety of little things each day, and I am known to change bags based on what I need. Sometimes I carry bags within bags to help myself stay organized. This week, I have just one bag, and I'm using it because I have a nifty new knitting project inside it that will require a lot of nearly-mindless knitting (good for knitting in public, or KIP times) so I've moved all my essentials to that bag.


I was a little concerned about just dumping out the bag, but since I've only been carrying this one a few days, I figured it was fairly safe that I wouldn't lose stuff.

I kind of like the randomness of the jumble, but it's hard to see what's there, so I spread it all out so that I could examine each thing and list it here.


From top left:

• list of meds I'm currently taken (I had a Dr. appt Friday, and it turned out I didn't need it, but still, it's good to keep it handy.)
  
• Tupperware thingy with my morning meds that I was supposed to take yesterday and forgot
  
• packet of cables and stuff that is needed for the interchangeable knitting needles I'm using, although now that I'm set up and knitting I don't really need them.
  
• work badge
• pens
• minty gum
• pink crochet hook for picking up dropped stitches (saving my butt)
  
• box where I keep darning needles, stitch markers, little scissors (notions)
• knitting project, yarn neatly in a baggie
• paper sleeve from yarn I'm using - miracle of miracles I haven't lost/thrown it away yet!
  
• keys
  
• cell phone - it's a good phone, but not as nice as my son's - poor me - lol
• wallet
• driver's license - why this is out of my wallet, I'm not quite sure, although things like this explain why I have lost my license in the past
• one Hershey's Dark Chocolate truffle
• leftover yarn from the skein that I hope I don't need because it kept breaking when my friend, Jan, was winding it up for me at the yarn shop. Then she switched the whole thing over to a lighter swift and the bigger ball was wound w/o breaks
  
• a receipt from the yarn - also rather miraculous as I don't often save those, either, and I bought this yarn in April, 09

So, I cleaned my bag since it was all dumped out anyway, and this is the result:

• morning meds are taken for the day and the tupperware thing is back in the bathroom where I keep all my other meds
• paper yarn sleeve is tucked into the baggie with the yarn I'm using
• leftover yarn and packet of cables and stuff are put back into my "needles and stuff" bin so I can find them later
• yarn pattern is found in the bag (it hadn't fallen out with the dump) to confirm that I do still have it
• driver's license and list of current meds are both safely tucked away inside wallet
• yarn receipt is thrown away

There you go! Another list, a quick bag-clean-up, and I didn't even eat the chocolate (yet).

List #7: HOW I DID ON WEEKEND GOALS

The official blog list topic for today is to list your blog goals, but I thought I'd rather give an assessment of the goals I set for last weekend and how I did on them.

• Pick up a prescription from Dr. office(done!)
• Visit LYS to get help with provisional cast-on and winding the lace-weight yarn for a new project (done - and I even avoided buying more yarn, despite the huge sale!)
  
• Cast-on said project (done! I have about 18 rows knit on it!)
  
• Finish square 4 of Great American Aran Afghan (done!)
  
• Appt. with orthopedic surgeon (follow-up from Jan surgery) (done! Good report!)
  
• Order a replacement SS card for my son (done!)
  
• spend quality time with son and husband @ rock concert Friday - YAY! Gaelic Storm at the Newport - first time I've ever been there. It was cool! (Yay!)
  
• hang out with Carol for a while (done! Was fun!)
  
• church (nope - sigh)
  
• try to hang out with guy-knitters (done!)
• watch Social Network (done! I liked it, but it wasn't "the best movie ever" like my son thinks)
  
• try to fix home computer (totally chickened out on this one - sigh)
  

List #6: LEAST FAVORITE WORDS

This is tricky because I know a lot of words, but here goes:

• racial derogatives
• words spewed out simply to hurt someone else
• "beginning" because I lost my classroom spelling bee on this word in 4th grade
• "never" because it seems so final and hopeless
• some of the dirty words. I have to admit that I find some comfort in cussing at times, but there are a few words that I find just too vulgar and nasty to use. I won't list them here, either.
• shut-up
• stupid
• words that adults use to control children instead of actually talking to them
• lazy

List #5 Weekend Goals

My weekend is odd because I'm working today (Saturday). So I'm including some of Friday's day-off goals in this list.

• Pick up a prescription from Dr. office
• Visit LYS to get help with provisional cast-on and winding the lace-weight yarn for a new project
• Cast-on said project
• Finish square 4 of Great American Aran Afghan
• Appt. with orthopedic surgeon (follow-up from Jan surgery)
• Order a replacement SS card for my son
• spend quality time with son and husband @ rock concert Friday - YAY! Gaelic Storm at the Newport - first time I've ever been there. It was cool!
• hang out with Carol for a while
• church
• try to hang out with guy-knitters
• watch Social Network
• try to fix home computer

List #4: Playlist

Here are the songs I've sought out this past week:

• I Know What I Know - Paul Simon
• 1, 2, 3, 4 - Feist
• One More Day - David M. Bailey
• The Story - Brandi Carlile
• Fix You - Coldplay
• The Angel of Death Came to David's Room - mewithoutyou
• Pictures of You - The Cure, sung by PS 22
• Big Yellow Taxi - Joni Mitchell
• Come to Jesus - Mindy Smith
• New Soul - Yael Naim
• You Can Call Me Al - Paul Simon
• In One Ear - Cage the Elephant
  

List #3 I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO:

• another family vacation
• knitting with my peeps
• retiring someday
• learning more about the "Business of People" training and becoming a trainer
• Spring
• Simon graduating from HS (but not looking forward to an empty nest)
• next time I get to visit my parents
• Mike's niece's wedding because my in-laws are fun
• playing music with the gang again - hopefully soon
• seeing what amazing things my son accomplishes in his life
• not having to wear this knee brace everyday
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2!!!!!
• So many sequel books . . . too many to list!
  

List #2: Things I'm Good At

Wow - this one might be challenging for me, because I generally don't like to do things like this, but it's probably a good exercise. Also, I've been having a challenging week, and reminding myself that there are things I do well will be helpful. (don't worry, friends, its just been a lot of little things that bug a worrier)

Things I'm Good At

• knitting
• singing
• laughing
• telling stories/jokes
• baking (usually)
• kissing (just ask Mike!)
• being creative - thinking outside the box
• making new friends
• smiling
• worrying
• getting distrac
  

30 days of Lists: LIST #1: A FEW THINGS ABOUT ME

If you've read my blog before you've noticed I like lists, so it's no surprise to you that I can't resist doing the 30 Days of Lists journaling challenge! Also, if you know me, you won't be surprised that I'm arriving just a little late to the game. Contrary to my MO, however, I do intend to finish the challenge . . . maybe even on time!

List 1: A Few Things About Me

• I have been known to start things and not finish them.
• I overestimate what I can do in an allotted period of time, which often makes me late for the next thing.
• My son is the best thing that has ever happened to be (after being saved by Christ, that is).
• My husband is fabulous, too, and not just because he's my son's father, but because he's smart, kind, funny, really good to talk with, comfortable to be with . . . my best friend . .. and he loves me, even though I am far from perfect.
• I am one of those fortunate people who had a wonderful childhood with loving parents and grandparents, and I am thankful every single day for each of them.
• I'm also lucky to have a great MIL and FIL - so lucky!
  
• I love bright colors - the more the merrier!
• I like sparkly things!
• I am an extrovert . . . according to Meyers-Briggs I'm almost off the chart. LOL
• I love singing.
• I enjoy making music, but I have trouble practicing instruments.
• Day-to-day tasks are much harder for me than big exciting projects.
• I tend to be an optimist.
• I have many friends, but sometimes find it hard to have really CLOSE friends (maybe this is the distraction issue, too?)
• I enjoy making lists.
• Family is more important than just about anything.
• I completely understand why Dad always used to say "don't get me anything for Christmas, I'm just glad we're all together and healthy." And I feel the same way when it's true.
• I lose sleep at night over things I have said/done that have hurt other people, even when it was entirely unintentional. I am a worrier.
• I believe that people are more than the sum of their parts, and that we are all eternal souls.
• I never thought I would live until I was 50, given my health issues, but now it's close and I'm a little . . . umm . . . amazed, and thankful.
  

flashing hearts

I've never been reliable at doing holidays the same each year. Valentine's Day is one of those holidays that's always a crap shoot for me. Coming so soon after Christmas, and in the midst, often, of bad winter weather, it often gets overlooked while I'm busy avoiding the world.

Yesterday, though, was my first day back at work after a brief medical leave, and I found a fun gift that my mom had given me years ago for V-day (she is VERY good at commemorating holidays - all of them!) It's a silly pen (long since lost it's ink) with a big red "crystal-like" heart on top that flashes when you "click" the pen. I keep it because it still flashes! and because it's from my mom (thanks, Mom!) and because it's supremely silly, and because it sorta kinda makes me feel like the Valentine Good Fairy with a flashing wand.

Go ahead, poke fun . . . but this pen is worth it!