My post title is figurative, not literal. Today was my first day back at work since early July, and it felt pretty good. The vast majority of the work day was spent in the Fish and Wildlife Conservation auditorium at an all-hands meeting. We heard from all of the command cadre as well as the Reserve Force Readiness Staff, and after lunch we had briefings from TRICARE and MetLife (dental) representatives. I was also able to take care of a few pending admin issues, and I got my email back up and running, too
After work I changed into civilian clothes and headed over to Vinoy Park in downtown St. Pete. for RibFest. It's an annual fundraiser that - as you can imagine - has lots of barbecue, fair foods, and live music. This year's Saturday night headliner is Lynyrd Skynyrd! I heard them nine or ten years ago in Hawaii, and I was so tired that I fell asleep standing up! I'm hoping to stay awake this time around, but I'm still recovering from my cold and adjusting to the time change, so we will see. If nothing else, it's a good chance to hang with some of my in-laws and eat yummy ribs!
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Meme
When I first encountered the word, I thought it had two syllables. Now I know better. It's late and I'm tired, so this post will be short and sweet.
The Last...
1. thing that made you laugh hysterically
I was on the phone with my husband and I said something ordinary in a silly voice, and it caught him just right and unexpectedly so that he started laughing. This made me laugh, which made him laugh even harder, and we stuck in a happy loop for a few minutes.
2. person who made you angry
Hmm, I don't get angry often. Most recently it's been at a situation (the car, which is still at the mechanic) instead of a person. I just generally don't find anger to be a very productive emotion, and when it happens it is usually pretty short-lived for me.
3. time you cried
The trailer for the new Stephen Hawking movie staring Eddie Redmayne.
4. song that made you want to buy an entire album
The last complete album I bought was the Plain White T's Wonders of the Younger because of the song Rhythm of Love. There have been several songs that have made me investigate whole albums, like Megan Trainor's All About That Bass, but with options such as iTunes, Pandora, and Spotify, I just can't justify it.
5. piece of visual art that made you wish you had the resources to buy actual art.
Tony and I have been on the lookout for a vineyard landscape to hang in the master bedroom. So far, we haven't found the perfect fit, but there is a vendor who comes through the Exchange on post fairly regularly who sells some great paintings. Some of them have poppy fields or rows of grape vines, and are painted on windows or old wood, and they're really neat. I also really like the glass demijohns with iron stands, and which have been fitted out to hold candles.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Travel dreams
I've made it this far in November without blog prompts, but Miss Zoot sent me one that I can't resist. In a nutshell, she asks, if money and work were no obstacle, what is your dream one-week vacation? One month? One year?
If I could go anywhere for a week, it would be a Greek/Mediterranean cruise. I visited Greece a few years ago, and always said I wanted to go back, and the right way to do it would be a cruise. I visited a couple islands, but there are so many! The two I visited were really very beautiful, and each has its own flair and flavor. I know I would get some amazing views from the water, and I love that cruises are all-inclusive and offer various kinds of activities. I think any longer than a week or two would be too much time on a boat. Been there, done that.
If I could take a month-long vacation, it would be exploring some of the state and national parks out West. I drive right by Arches earlier this year and was so sad I didn't have time to stop. I think it would be fantastic to go hiking in Colorado and Utah in particular, and I bet there are a bunch of great bicycle trails as well. I've always wanted to go white-water rafting, too. A month would be plenty of time to visit several different places and make a great road trip, without feeling pressured to have too much of an agenda.
I've thought long and hard about where I would go and what I would do with a year. I always said my dream trip is Australia and New Zealand, with lots of hiking and scuba diving, but a year seems an awfully long time for something like that. My number two is currently Iceland, but again, I don't know about an entire year. I honestly look at my life right now and think this is pretty darn close to perfect. I love being able to explore Europe and Italy in particular at our leisure. There are so many opportunities readily accessible! So my answer to this question would be a European tour, spending three or four days in as many cities and countries as possible, soaking up the food and drinks, art, theater, architecture, languages, music, scenery, and adventures as possible. I could ski in the winter and raft in the summer. Bicycle scenic paths and hike beautiful trails. Visit the Louvre and the concentration camps, soak in the museums, and sip wine or beer in sidewalk cafes. I could see a show on the West End and take a train under the English Channel. Listen to bagpipes in Scotland and watch the bulls run in Spain. I want to do it all.
If I could go anywhere for a week, it would be a Greek/Mediterranean cruise. I visited Greece a few years ago, and always said I wanted to go back, and the right way to do it would be a cruise. I visited a couple islands, but there are so many! The two I visited were really very beautiful, and each has its own flair and flavor. I know I would get some amazing views from the water, and I love that cruises are all-inclusive and offer various kinds of activities. I think any longer than a week or two would be too much time on a boat. Been there, done that.
If I could take a month-long vacation, it would be exploring some of the state and national parks out West. I drive right by Arches earlier this year and was so sad I didn't have time to stop. I think it would be fantastic to go hiking in Colorado and Utah in particular, and I bet there are a bunch of great bicycle trails as well. I've always wanted to go white-water rafting, too. A month would be plenty of time to visit several different places and make a great road trip, without feeling pressured to have too much of an agenda.
I've thought long and hard about where I would go and what I would do with a year. I always said my dream trip is Australia and New Zealand, with lots of hiking and scuba diving, but a year seems an awfully long time for something like that. My number two is currently Iceland, but again, I don't know about an entire year. I honestly look at my life right now and think this is pretty darn close to perfect. I love being able to explore Europe and Italy in particular at our leisure. There are so many opportunities readily accessible! So my answer to this question would be a European tour, spending three or four days in as many cities and countries as possible, soaking up the food and drinks, art, theater, architecture, languages, music, scenery, and adventures as possible. I could ski in the winter and raft in the summer. Bicycle scenic paths and hike beautiful trails. Visit the Louvre and the concentration camps, soak in the museums, and sip wine or beer in sidewalk cafes. I could see a show on the West End and take a train under the English Channel. Listen to bagpipes in Scotland and watch the bulls run in Spain. I want to do it all.
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Jetsetter
This was one of the smoothest travel experiences I've ever had, and if I wasn't still recovering from a cold I'd say it was darn near perfect.
I don't recall the first time I ever flew, because I was just a baby. Apparently we went to visit my dad's family in New York. The next time I flew was also to New York, as a kid or young teenager. I don't remember how old I was, just that my brother and I saved up money for a long time to help buy the ticket. Singular. The ticket was reserved under the name of A. Cherry. He flew up solo, and later that summer my grandparents drove me up. They spent a few days there, drove my brother home, and I flew home pretending to be Anne. I remember that trip home pretty clearly, as I nearly got stuck on a layover in Memphis. Our plane couldn't land right away due to weather, and we circled for a long time. Finally, we diverted to Nashville to refuel, and of course we couldn't deplane. We went back to Memphis and of course everyone missed their connections. I stood in line with everyone else (no preferential treatment for minors!) and by the time I got to talk to a ticketing agent I had missed the last flight to Baton Rouge. When the lady told me they would pay for my hotel room and book me for a morning flight, I nearly had a meltdown. I asked them to check other Louisiana airports, and she got me a flight to New Orleans that was already boarding. This being the days before cell phones were widely in use, I begged her to call home for me and update my parents on the situation. Apparently she did, because they were there waiting for me on the receiving end, where of course I had no luggage. It made one of the earlier flights to Baton Rouge and beat me home!
I also remember being positively entranced by the clouds. I even wrote a poem about seeing them from above, and being in them. Somehow I expected them to seem more solid. I'm sure the poem was awful, but the feeling never left me.
After I moved to college, I became a much more frequent flyer. I still do quite a bit, especially since I am now an extreme long-distance commuter. I've had all sorts of crazy experiences - both good and bad - and it has gotten easier over time. I still get restless and anxious before I fly, but no longer panic in planes and rarely have motion sickness (I just have to stay hydrated.)
We had some wonderful views of the Alps today, and from my side of the aircraft I even got a brief glimpse of Paris. The clouds were pretty incredible, which is what caused me to remember that poem from so many years ago. We banked once on the approach to Philadelphia and I had a bizarre sensation that we were going to crash into the clouds as if they were snow. Then I started thinking about how barren and lonely it must be on the South Polen. Then I told my weird brain to shut up. :)
Today, flying on the tail end of a cold, I had no problems with the takeoffs but struggled mightily with pressure changes during both descents. Coming into Tampa, especially, was painful. I don't know if it was because my medicine had worn off, I was really tired, or what, but the descent seemed a lot longer than normal. I am happy to be back on the ground, for a host of reasons, and hope to be fully recovered by the time I fly home!
I don't recall the first time I ever flew, because I was just a baby. Apparently we went to visit my dad's family in New York. The next time I flew was also to New York, as a kid or young teenager. I don't remember how old I was, just that my brother and I saved up money for a long time to help buy the ticket. Singular. The ticket was reserved under the name of A. Cherry. He flew up solo, and later that summer my grandparents drove me up. They spent a few days there, drove my brother home, and I flew home pretending to be Anne. I remember that trip home pretty clearly, as I nearly got stuck on a layover in Memphis. Our plane couldn't land right away due to weather, and we circled for a long time. Finally, we diverted to Nashville to refuel, and of course we couldn't deplane. We went back to Memphis and of course everyone missed their connections. I stood in line with everyone else (no preferential treatment for minors!) and by the time I got to talk to a ticketing agent I had missed the last flight to Baton Rouge. When the lady told me they would pay for my hotel room and book me for a morning flight, I nearly had a meltdown. I asked them to check other Louisiana airports, and she got me a flight to New Orleans that was already boarding. This being the days before cell phones were widely in use, I begged her to call home for me and update my parents on the situation. Apparently she did, because they were there waiting for me on the receiving end, where of course I had no luggage. It made one of the earlier flights to Baton Rouge and beat me home!
I also remember being positively entranced by the clouds. I even wrote a poem about seeing them from above, and being in them. Somehow I expected them to seem more solid. I'm sure the poem was awful, but the feeling never left me.
After I moved to college, I became a much more frequent flyer. I still do quite a bit, especially since I am now an extreme long-distance commuter. I've had all sorts of crazy experiences - both good and bad - and it has gotten easier over time. I still get restless and anxious before I fly, but no longer panic in planes and rarely have motion sickness (I just have to stay hydrated.)
We had some wonderful views of the Alps today, and from my side of the aircraft I even got a brief glimpse of Paris. The clouds were pretty incredible, which is what caused me to remember that poem from so many years ago. We banked once on the approach to Philadelphia and I had a bizarre sensation that we were going to crash into the clouds as if they were snow. Then I started thinking about how barren and lonely it must be on the South Polen. Then I told my weird brain to shut up. :)
Today, flying on the tail end of a cold, I had no problems with the takeoffs but struggled mightily with pressure changes during both descents. Coming into Tampa, especially, was painful. I don't know if it was because my medicine had worn off, I was really tired, or what, but the descent seemed a lot longer than normal. I am happy to be back on the ground, for a host of reasons, and hope to be fully recovered by the time I fly home!
Monday, November 10, 2014
I'm always anxious before flying
Technically, it is after midnight where I live so I am late on this, but since I haven't gone to bed yet, I'm going to count this post as Monday's entry. It's still Monday in the States, so this shouldn't even be much of a stretch. Right?
Today was full of some ups and downs. I had a follow-up meeting at the Red Cross building for some public affairs issues, but those sneaky folks surprised me with a nice recognition for my volunteer work with the Armed Forces Network. One of my friends even made brownies and homemade caramel! You know what they say: the way to a person's heart is through her stomach.
After that I ran a couple of boring errands and caught the bus home. I had a nice - though stilted - conversation with an older gentleman on the bus. He clearly wasn't a frequent rider, at least of that route, because he kept asking the driver when we would get to our town. (I live four miles from the Army base, and have to pass through at least three towns before mine.) He ascertained that my French is just as bad (or good) as my Italian, and bid me adieu and good wishes in French before he exited the bus. Talking to strangers on buses in America is generally frowned upon, but here I think it makes me brave. And I learn something every time I try to converse with a local, so the effort is worth it.
I came home and had another nap, as I'm still not quite over my cold, and then started packing. Since my uniforms are at my father-in-law's house, I was able to pack relatively light. Just a laptop bag and backpack, which isn't bad considering I have three ginormous textbooks to haul back and forth, and I fit a sweater and rain jacket and three pairs of shoes in there. After I got my packing mostly done, I started cleaning up around the house, and got a notification about the car. I know this is the second time saying it, but that is another post entirely. Once the issue is resolved to my satisfaction, I will certainly blog about it, but for now it is still a work in progress. I spent three or four hours working on that this afternoon, and managed to sweep the whole house, clean the bathroom, and scrub the kitchen counters. Oh and I finished all the dishes (lots of random tea cups and water glasses scattered throughout the house which I'm choosing to blame on my cold) and washed all the bathmats, too.
All in all, not a very exciting day, but it felt like a productive one. Tomorrow is a travel day, and I'm excited to get back to Florida!
Today was full of some ups and downs. I had a follow-up meeting at the Red Cross building for some public affairs issues, but those sneaky folks surprised me with a nice recognition for my volunteer work with the Armed Forces Network. One of my friends even made brownies and homemade caramel! You know what they say: the way to a person's heart is through her stomach.
After that I ran a couple of boring errands and caught the bus home. I had a nice - though stilted - conversation with an older gentleman on the bus. He clearly wasn't a frequent rider, at least of that route, because he kept asking the driver when we would get to our town. (I live four miles from the Army base, and have to pass through at least three towns before mine.) He ascertained that my French is just as bad (or good) as my Italian, and bid me adieu and good wishes in French before he exited the bus. Talking to strangers on buses in America is generally frowned upon, but here I think it makes me brave. And I learn something every time I try to converse with a local, so the effort is worth it.
I came home and had another nap, as I'm still not quite over my cold, and then started packing. Since my uniforms are at my father-in-law's house, I was able to pack relatively light. Just a laptop bag and backpack, which isn't bad considering I have three ginormous textbooks to haul back and forth, and I fit a sweater and rain jacket and three pairs of shoes in there. After I got my packing mostly done, I started cleaning up around the house, and got a notification about the car. I know this is the second time saying it, but that is another post entirely. Once the issue is resolved to my satisfaction, I will certainly blog about it, but for now it is still a work in progress. I spent three or four hours working on that this afternoon, and managed to sweep the whole house, clean the bathroom, and scrub the kitchen counters. Oh and I finished all the dishes (lots of random tea cups and water glasses scattered throughout the house which I'm choosing to blame on my cold) and washed all the bathmats, too.
All in all, not a very exciting day, but it felt like a productive one. Tomorrow is a travel day, and I'm excited to get back to Florida!
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Sunday Brunch
I know, I know, I'm talking about food. Again. What can I say? I live in Italy, and the food is generally amazing. I hadn't seen my friend Fernanda in a few weeks and I asked her if she wanted to get together this weekend for lunch or dinner. Instead, she suggested brunch at Villa Delle Rose, a place she's mentioned a few times before and suspected I would like. One of our other friends is also flying solo, so the three of us carpooled from base.
We pulled up to the cutest old farmhouse! This place epitomized shabby chic with a romantic kind of vibe. I'm talking farm tables painted white, bird cages and flowers, mirrors and ribbons. It was adorable, and perfect for a girls' get-together. Note: if you come visit me, and you are even remotely a brunch person, we are going to have Sunday brunch at this place!
They offer a fixed price menu, twenty euro buffet with drinks included. We had five different types of freshly squeezed juices to choose from to mix mimosas with. The orange juice was of course delightful but the peach-apricot was amazing! I cannot even begin to list all of the different kinds of foods available; it was like a tapas bar for the brunch crowd. Multiple kinds of pastries and quiches, stuffed tomatoes, stuffed zucchinis, cheese and meats, breads, olives, sandwiches, quinoa, salads, soups, veggies, tortes (including the famous Sacher torte and of course torta de la nonna), and a crepe station. Suffice to say, I stuffed my face and was quite pleased. And the best part of all, I got to catch up with new friends. I'm really starting to feel at home here, and steadily adding new places to my collection of favorites.
Check it out: http://www.villadellerosevicenza.com
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We pulled up to the cutest old farmhouse! This place epitomized shabby chic with a romantic kind of vibe. I'm talking farm tables painted white, bird cages and flowers, mirrors and ribbons. It was adorable, and perfect for a girls' get-together. Note: if you come visit me, and you are even remotely a brunch person, we are going to have Sunday brunch at this place!
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| Villa Delle Rose |
Check it out: http://www.villadellerosevicenza.com
Saturday, November 8, 2014
Skydiving
I found a shoebox full of old photos the other day, most of which had never been converted to a digital format. It's been fun looking through them and reminiscing. I especially loved finding evidence of my first skydiving adventure, in Hawaii. (I've since been skydiving in California and Puerto Rico.)
A group of Coast Guard friends went with us to the North Shore of Oahu to a small airport there. My classmate Jay and I were the only two who actually wanted to jump, but the others figured they would like to be in the audience. I'm not sure at what point I discovered I'd locked my keys in the car, but that was a stressful discovery. Luckily, a couple of those friends volunteered to drive 45 minutes one way to get my spare set. It might have even been further than that, because 45 minutes is if my keys were at home; they may have been on the ship. The friends who made that trek for me may not have witnessed the actual jump; I don't know.
I remember being very calm and collected through the safety brief. My instructor went over the gear and maneuvers with me, and made sure I had a good understanding of the process, particularly exiting the aircraft and approaching the landing. I had no problems getting into the plane or hooking up to the instructor, though I anticipated some nerves as it got closer to time to jump, especially since we were supposed to go first. Surprisingly, I wasn't anxious at all! I remember feeling exhilarated during the entire plane ride, happily observing the view; we could see pretty much the entire island. And when it was time to approach the door and jump, I was ready!
Without hesitation, we jumped. It was loud, cold, and disorienting. I'm not sure how long we were in a freefall, but we jumped from about 12,000 feet I think and didn't pull until around 5,000 feet (if memory serves) so it was a few seconds. I wasn't too crazy about that part. I remember the wind buffeting my face and the pictures turned out pretty funny. I laughed and smiled most of the way down.
What I really loved was drifting toward the earth after the parachute opened - which I got to pull, by the way. My instructor even let me pull the cords to turn the chute. I could see the ocean, and even some sharks in the water, and I spotted my car parked at the airport. ("There's my car!" "No way, you cannot possibly distinguish your car from this height." "It's the yellow one." "Oh.") We could see the mountains and highways, as well as fields and streams. It was truly beautiful, and I was only sorry the ride was so short.
Our landing was smooth, and we high-fived all around. It was only about ten minutes after we hit the ground that I started to get the shakes from all the adrenaline coursing through me. I loved the experience, but didn't think I'd ever really want to pay so much money to do it again. But I had the opportunity to jump with two other people who'd never been before, and so I splurged on those occasions, though this first jump was the only time I ever paid extra for photos. I even bought gift certificates to go with one of my brothers when he visited me in California, but the weather was not cooperative. Who knows, maybe I'll get up there again one day. I'm sure I'll enjoy the ride!
A group of Coast Guard friends went with us to the North Shore of Oahu to a small airport there. My classmate Jay and I were the only two who actually wanted to jump, but the others figured they would like to be in the audience. I'm not sure at what point I discovered I'd locked my keys in the car, but that was a stressful discovery. Luckily, a couple of those friends volunteered to drive 45 minutes one way to get my spare set. It might have even been further than that, because 45 minutes is if my keys were at home; they may have been on the ship. The friends who made that trek for me may not have witnessed the actual jump; I don't know.
I remember being very calm and collected through the safety brief. My instructor went over the gear and maneuvers with me, and made sure I had a good understanding of the process, particularly exiting the aircraft and approaching the landing. I had no problems getting into the plane or hooking up to the instructor, though I anticipated some nerves as it got closer to time to jump, especially since we were supposed to go first. Surprisingly, I wasn't anxious at all! I remember feeling exhilarated during the entire plane ride, happily observing the view; we could see pretty much the entire island. And when it was time to approach the door and jump, I was ready!
Without hesitation, we jumped. It was loud, cold, and disorienting. I'm not sure how long we were in a freefall, but we jumped from about 12,000 feet I think and didn't pull until around 5,000 feet (if memory serves) so it was a few seconds. I wasn't too crazy about that part. I remember the wind buffeting my face and the pictures turned out pretty funny. I laughed and smiled most of the way down.
What I really loved was drifting toward the earth after the parachute opened - which I got to pull, by the way. My instructor even let me pull the cords to turn the chute. I could see the ocean, and even some sharks in the water, and I spotted my car parked at the airport. ("There's my car!" "No way, you cannot possibly distinguish your car from this height." "It's the yellow one." "Oh.") We could see the mountains and highways, as well as fields and streams. It was truly beautiful, and I was only sorry the ride was so short.
Our landing was smooth, and we high-fived all around. It was only about ten minutes after we hit the ground that I started to get the shakes from all the adrenaline coursing through me. I loved the experience, but didn't think I'd ever really want to pay so much money to do it again. But I had the opportunity to jump with two other people who'd never been before, and so I splurged on those occasions, though this first jump was the only time I ever paid extra for photos. I even bought gift certificates to go with one of my brothers when he visited me in California, but the weather was not cooperative. Who knows, maybe I'll get up there again one day. I'm sure I'll enjoy the ride!
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