Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Alaska- Day 6
Our last port of call was Icy Strait in the town of Hoonah. Dale, Jim, Chuck, Kristi and I all went whale watching about a half hour boat ride off the main port and we saw bunches of whales. Apparently whales are normally solitary creatures but these 50 ft. mammals were in schools of up to 6! While they were really cool to see I’ll admit, the “Ohhhh”’s when the whale breached the water and “Here it comes” when the whales dove and the ever present “Magnificent!” from the guy to my left was over the top. The boat sounded like they put that When Harry Met Sally scene on replay for an hour and a half. Really people…
After we got back to the dock Jim had had enough of being out and went back to the ship. The rest of us checked out the local shops (1 strip mall’s worth) and took a nature hike. Chuck was a brave man and checked out a suspicious hole for us, even using the proper bear precautions by announcing he was human. Very cool hike, neat trees, and a “waterfall” (at least by namesake) that got Kristi excited. We had lunch mid-afternoon and headed back. Not the most exciting port of call, but not too bad since we were tired anyway.
That evening had some fun activities though. As Greg recapped in his blog, the Quest scavenger hunt was that night. I was on a team with Sturgis’s, Sacks’s and Dale and we kicked butt! At various points in the game Dale and Dave dirty danced, Chuck strutted, Kristi acted like a dead fly, and I stripped Dale so he could change shirts with Rachel. Too funny! For more on this read Greg’s Blog.
The night ended on an (off-key) high note when Greg, Bryan, Dad and Dale got up to sing karaoke with a live band. Dale's going to help me post a video so you can enjoy for yourself!
Last night: On-board all day!
After we got back to the dock Jim had had enough of being out and went back to the ship. The rest of us checked out the local shops (1 strip mall’s worth) and took a nature hike. Chuck was a brave man and checked out a suspicious hole for us, even using the proper bear precautions by announcing he was human. Very cool hike, neat trees, and a “waterfall” (at least by namesake) that got Kristi excited. We had lunch mid-afternoon and headed back. Not the most exciting port of call, but not too bad since we were tired anyway.
That evening had some fun activities though. As Greg recapped in his blog, the Quest scavenger hunt was that night. I was on a team with Sturgis’s, Sacks’s and Dale and we kicked butt! At various points in the game Dale and Dave dirty danced, Chuck strutted, Kristi acted like a dead fly, and I stripped Dale so he could change shirts with Rachel. Too funny! For more on this read Greg’s Blog.
The night ended on an (off-key) high note when Greg, Bryan, Dad and Dale got up to sing karaoke with a live band. Dale's going to help me post a video so you can enjoy for yourself!
Last night: On-board all day!
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Alaska- Day 5
Sitka was a weird town. It was by far the most modern and probably the largest city we went to, but for those exact reasons I didn’t rank it above average. Most of the folks we were with loved it however and thought more highly of Alaska now that they saw some sign of intelligent life (read- they had a Ben Franklin).
We had no excursions in Sitka that pulled us away from general exploring of the town. Mike and Lindsay went on a kayaking adventure though and I didn’t really hear what they saw or did other than get wet.
Sitka is one mile and a half street full of shops, churches and restaurants. On the map we got from the visitors center the major highlights were the totem pole near the bay and the Pilgrams House which was really like a huge government building (strong and solid) rather than a house. You can see it in the picture above- it's that large yellow building. Mom and I took a $2 tour through the Russian Orthodox Church and that was interesting but not exciting.
Dale and I broke away from the group for lunch because we insisted on eating Sitka-local food. We met up with Tom and Mary Ann and walked with them about a mile up the hill to the rainforest and raptor park. We met Dad, Mom, Jim, Jonathan, Bryan and Greg when we got to the park and they were still laughing that strangers at lunch were verbally sympathizing that mom "bore" these 4 rowdy guys and she had to correct them. Dad suggested we catch up and go see the rain forest but Jonathan and Jim discreetly shook their heads that it wasn’t worth the effort.
We did travel as a herd another half mile to the raptor park where we were stunned to learn the admission was $12/person or $50/family. Well, most us were family though admittedly not all immediate family so we decided we’d wing it (ha ha) and head to the welcome center. Along the way we justified that Dale was in fact part of our family – he was our foreign exchange student! That joke stuck the rest of the trip. The eagles were pretty but sad – all of them were here in this park because they were injured (mostly wing injuries) and can’t support themselves in the wild. We discovered half way through our tour that we just walked in and avoided paying completely. While secretly happy we didn’t spend $12/person for a half hour viewing, we all donated to the Save the Eagles boxes on our way out to compensate.
Lastly, on our way back to the ship we stopped in for a free tour of a salmon hatchery. Basic but interesting, I’m glad we didn’t pay the $50 to go on a formal tour of the big ones.
That night we had a really funny adventure playing Family Feud. We broke into families of 4 (I was with the Sacks and Dad) and two of our three teams got called up to play! The Tom, Jim, Jonathan, Dale team didn’t do so hot and were out in one round, but we got more excited with Lindsay, Mike, Rachel & Dave made it to the stage. Lindsay beat out the Purdue chick (aka Dale’s love interest) to answer the question “What are America’s Top 5 Condiments?” Her very quick answer………. Mustard. Now Lindsay loves mustard and this made obvious sense to her, but the rest of America, including everyone present at the game, knew the correct answer was KETSHUP. This answer did net Lindsay her nickname Mustard for the rest of the trip though.
Up Next- Icy Strait!
We had no excursions in Sitka that pulled us away from general exploring of the town. Mike and Lindsay went on a kayaking adventure though and I didn’t really hear what they saw or did other than get wet.
Sitka is one mile and a half street full of shops, churches and restaurants. On the map we got from the visitors center the major highlights were the totem pole near the bay and the Pilgrams House which was really like a huge government building (strong and solid) rather than a house. You can see it in the picture above- it's that large yellow building. Mom and I took a $2 tour through the Russian Orthodox Church and that was interesting but not exciting.
Dale and I broke away from the group for lunch because we insisted on eating Sitka-local food. We met up with Tom and Mary Ann and walked with them about a mile up the hill to the rainforest and raptor park. We met Dad, Mom, Jim, Jonathan, Bryan and Greg when we got to the park and they were still laughing that strangers at lunch were verbally sympathizing that mom "bore" these 4 rowdy guys and she had to correct them. Dad suggested we catch up and go see the rain forest but Jonathan and Jim discreetly shook their heads that it wasn’t worth the effort.
We did travel as a herd another half mile to the raptor park where we were stunned to learn the admission was $12/person or $50/family. Well, most us were family though admittedly not all immediate family so we decided we’d wing it (ha ha) and head to the welcome center. Along the way we justified that Dale was in fact part of our family – he was our foreign exchange student! That joke stuck the rest of the trip. The eagles were pretty but sad – all of them were here in this park because they were injured (mostly wing injuries) and can’t support themselves in the wild. We discovered half way through our tour that we just walked in and avoided paying completely. While secretly happy we didn’t spend $12/person for a half hour viewing, we all donated to the Save the Eagles boxes on our way out to compensate.
Lastly, on our way back to the ship we stopped in for a free tour of a salmon hatchery. Basic but interesting, I’m glad we didn’t pay the $50 to go on a formal tour of the big ones.
That night we had a really funny adventure playing Family Feud. We broke into families of 4 (I was with the Sacks and Dad) and two of our three teams got called up to play! The Tom, Jim, Jonathan, Dale team didn’t do so hot and were out in one round, but we got more excited with Lindsay, Mike, Rachel & Dave made it to the stage. Lindsay beat out the Purdue chick (aka Dale’s love interest) to answer the question “What are America’s Top 5 Condiments?” Her very quick answer………. Mustard. Now Lindsay loves mustard and this made obvious sense to her, but the rest of America, including everyone present at the game, knew the correct answer was KETSHUP. This answer did net Lindsay her nickname Mustard for the rest of the trip though.
Up Next- Icy Strait!
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Alaskan Bonus Edition
I’d like to spend a short time mentioning the “extras” on the boat. Pop/Soda/whatever was an extra $6/day and was sold as a weeklong package to most folks. This was a great deal for people like my brother Mike who will drink 5 glasses at one meal, and a nice optional charge for people like me who drink lemon water only and didn't want to pay more for soft drinks.
Beer was $3/glass which I didn’t think was too bad. Most mixed drinks were $6-10 because you got to keep the glass that it came in. Dale was a gentleman and bought me one when we watched the evening show on Wednesday. Tom bought his dinner table a after-dinner cordial each night and our table one twice. We got to keep those little shot glasses too- a differant color each night to promt you to collect all 7!
On the boat there were also camera/camcorder sales going on and prices were about a $40 premium versus at home. Not too bad when you have a captive and pouting audience like Jim and I whose camera broke the second day at sea. They also sold gold chains for $1-4/inch. Not too unreasonable but the clasps made up for it. Several times during dinner and at every port the on-board cameraman took pictures of individuals and groups which they sold in the photo gallery the whole week. Mike and Lindsay take particularly good pictures. My pictures reiterate that I need to work out more. Dave and Rachel’s showed time and again that they do look oddly like they’re related… Pictures were $10-20 for individual snapshots/packages.
The only thing that was unreasonable in my opinion was the $5 for hot chocolate they were peddling on the decks when we were watching the Hubbard Glacier. Mom felt like it should be free. I’ve been too engrained in business school and didn’t mind them selling it (though I thought $5 was a bit steep) because you always had the option of walking inside and getting it free.
Any other side items people want to hear about?
Beer was $3/glass which I didn’t think was too bad. Most mixed drinks were $6-10 because you got to keep the glass that it came in. Dale was a gentleman and bought me one when we watched the evening show on Wednesday. Tom bought his dinner table a after-dinner cordial each night and our table one twice. We got to keep those little shot glasses too- a differant color each night to promt you to collect all 7!
On the boat there were also camera/camcorder sales going on and prices were about a $40 premium versus at home. Not too bad when you have a captive and pouting audience like Jim and I whose camera broke the second day at sea. They also sold gold chains for $1-4/inch. Not too unreasonable but the clasps made up for it. Several times during dinner and at every port the on-board cameraman took pictures of individuals and groups which they sold in the photo gallery the whole week. Mike and Lindsay take particularly good pictures. My pictures reiterate that I need to work out more. Dave and Rachel’s showed time and again that they do look oddly like they’re related… Pictures were $10-20 for individual snapshots/packages.
The only thing that was unreasonable in my opinion was the $5 for hot chocolate they were peddling on the decks when we were watching the Hubbard Glacier. Mom felt like it should be free. I’ve been too engrained in business school and didn’t mind them selling it (though I thought $5 was a bit steep) because you always had the option of walking inside and getting it free.
Any other side items people want to hear about?
The Wave is Building
Little Brother Greg has decided to become civilized and start a blog like the rest of the intelligent human beings on the planet.
Read all his stories at http://gtemp032.blogspot.com/ , or use my quick clicks to the left for easy linking!
Side Note - Dale has a bunch of pictures up on his blog, click through and check them out!
Read all his stories at http://gtemp032.blogspot.com/ , or use my quick clicks to the left for easy linking!
Side Note - Dale has a bunch of pictures up on his blog, click through and check them out!
Alaska- Day 4
Skagway was awesome. It was so awesome I was half serious when I told Jim we should move there for a summer. This entry could be 8 paragraphs long and I’d feel I wasn’t doing the town justice in description.Why is it so cool? First off the town is still mostly in it’s original format (that is original building structure and fronts) that it had when it was established at the time of the gold rush. Second, there are about 800 full time residents and 3000 summer residents who support local tourism from May – September. Third, it gets to be about 40 below in the winter – so cold that people hardly ever leave their houses in the winter!
For reference, Skagway is at the top most spot of an inlet in Alaska; the closest point to the inside of the state which made it ideal for all the people who wanted to participate in the gold rush- all the closer to the jackpot! So, tens of thousands of men, women and families came to Skagway to settle and unload the gold that they had found back on the docks to be sent to Seattle.
When we arrived in town the Sacks, Sturgises, Ting and Jim and I all went on a brothel tour. A summer resident conducting the tour picked us up in her “madame” clothes and for 2 hours she showed us the back alleys, brothel houses and dance halls that the 300 local ladies used to service the 15,000 klondike hopefuls that flooded the town. She told us really interesting stories about the hierarchies of prostitution (alley girls being the lowest, cottage girls next, brothel dwellers next and finally the dance hall girls; above all of these levels were the French girls who commanded 5X the highest going rate for an American woman) and why so many woman chose the profession in lieu of other jobs. She gave some bios of the notable women and told of the hardships that the Asian children faced specifically. I found it really fascinating. At the end of the tour we had a champagne toast in the Brothel Museum above the Red Onion Saloon.From there Dale, Jim, my parents and I headed on a train ride through the inside of Alaska and actually crossed over into Canada. This was a neat train because it was only 1 of 2 chances we had to see the interior of the state and because we saw some really high waterfalls and the actual path that people used to get to the Klondike. The stories the tour guide told were interesting too – the path, which was only about 2 feet wide, carried well over 100,000 people, many of which crossed back and forth as many as 40X in order to get their 2 tons of supplies required by the Canadian government. Over 3000 pack animals died by being pushed off the path into the ravine below. Really really cool history.
By this time (4:00pm) most folks were tired, but Dad and I went and watched a video in the visitors center about the Klondike and the ridiculous lengths these people went to strike it rich.
Ok, so you got 6 paragraphs. If you want to hear more I’ll be happy to expand!
Up Next: Sitka!
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Big News!
Please excuse the interruption of the Alaskan Vacation Recap for an important announcement....
I have been offered, and as of today have formally accepted, an adjunct teaching position at Xavier University!
Please excuse my not prompting you that this was going on, but I didn't want to announce anything until it was all finalized. This is a great opportunity that was pretty much handed to me by a former professor who is moving out of state and recommended me to the Chair of the Marketing Department to replace her. Piece by piece it came together and with the blessing of my company I'll be teaching Business to Business Marketing on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10-11:15am from August 24 through the first week of December. I also have the choice to pick up more classes in the Spring semester if I'd like.
I'm so excited and can't wait to start putting the class together! Thanks to everyone for your love and support as I start this new adventure!
I have been offered, and as of today have formally accepted, an adjunct teaching position at Xavier University!
Please excuse my not prompting you that this was going on, but I didn't want to announce anything until it was all finalized. This is a great opportunity that was pretty much handed to me by a former professor who is moving out of state and recommended me to the Chair of the Marketing Department to replace her. Piece by piece it came together and with the blessing of my company I'll be teaching Business to Business Marketing on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10-11:15am from August 24 through the first week of December. I also have the choice to pick up more classes in the Spring semester if I'd like.
I'm so excited and can't wait to start putting the class together! Thanks to everyone for your love and support as I start this new adventure!
Alaska- Day 3
Our third day of the cruise was our first port of call – Juneau! Juneau was an interesting town for several reasons:
1) it really consists of one primary long street that runs through town and has some bars, shops, and the tramway
2) the fact that it’s the capital of the state is really odd because it’s a) so small and b) only accessible by air or sea – there are no roads going into it!
3) These tiny little houses in town are a minimum of $250K. What do people do that earns them enough to afford this?
Several people in our group had excursions in town (the Wolf’s went rafting, the Sacks went on a gold mine tour, Mom and Greg went up the tram, Mary Ann did the trolley) so Dad, Dale, Jim and I set out on our own to make a good time. We decided on a 1.5 hour gold panning tour which didn’t allow us to do anything else but shop the strip before we had to go. I did pick up our Christmas ornament and got my free sapphire at one of the partner jewelry stores (how much am I going to spend to set this free diamond in a necklace is another question…).
Panning for gold consisted of a 20 minute trip up the mountain to the riverbed over a road that at some points had 30 degree inclines. We got a casual talking tour of the area as we drove by the bus driver who lives there year round. Maybe because he got more gold flakes than anyone else, but Jim liked panning quite a bit. We had a pan full of sand that we used to sift through the water and debris. The gold we found was about the size of a flea but there were about 2 dozen of them in my pan when I was done. It was quite tedious using an eye dropper to suck them out of the pan and put them in my plastic vile to take home. We got quite a laugh when we found bottles of really large flakes of gold (think a little larger than the eraser of a pencil) selling for $4.99 in the gift shops! Using that to compare I’d say I have about four cents worth of gold that I can claim to have found.
I think it was around this time that Dale met Allison and her family. I don’t know where she came from other than she was a woman our age and therefore was being sought out by Dale, Bryan, Greg, etc. in general. There was also another family that the group rode the bus with to the ship that kept popping up everywhere we went. They were from Texas and thought our group was a trip. By the end of the week Dad had mapped out their family tree and how the 12 of them were related. These two families popped up continuously throughout and we spent quite a bit of time with them at shows, excursions, and some meals.
Up Next – Skagway!
1) it really consists of one primary long street that runs through town and has some bars, shops, and the tramway
2) the fact that it’s the capital of the state is really odd because it’s a) so small and b) only accessible by air or sea – there are no roads going into it!
3) These tiny little houses in town are a minimum of $250K. What do people do that earns them enough to afford this?
Several people in our group had excursions in town (the Wolf’s went rafting, the Sacks went on a gold mine tour, Mom and Greg went up the tram, Mary Ann did the trolley) so Dad, Dale, Jim and I set out on our own to make a good time. We decided on a 1.5 hour gold panning tour which didn’t allow us to do anything else but shop the strip before we had to go. I did pick up our Christmas ornament and got my free sapphire at one of the partner jewelry stores (how much am I going to spend to set this free diamond in a necklace is another question…).
Panning for gold consisted of a 20 minute trip up the mountain to the riverbed over a road that at some points had 30 degree inclines. We got a casual talking tour of the area as we drove by the bus driver who lives there year round. Maybe because he got more gold flakes than anyone else, but Jim liked panning quite a bit. We had a pan full of sand that we used to sift through the water and debris. The gold we found was about the size of a flea but there were about 2 dozen of them in my pan when I was done. It was quite tedious using an eye dropper to suck them out of the pan and put them in my plastic vile to take home. We got quite a laugh when we found bottles of really large flakes of gold (think a little larger than the eraser of a pencil) selling for $4.99 in the gift shops! Using that to compare I’d say I have about four cents worth of gold that I can claim to have found.
I think it was around this time that Dale met Allison and her family. I don’t know where she came from other than she was a woman our age and therefore was being sought out by Dale, Bryan, Greg, etc. in general. There was also another family that the group rode the bus with to the ship that kept popping up everywhere we went. They were from Texas and thought our group was a trip. By the end of the week Dad had mapped out their family tree and how the 12 of them were related. These two families popped up continuously throughout and we spent quite a bit of time with them at shows, excursions, and some meals.
Up Next – Skagway!
Monday, July 31, 2006
Alaska Day 2!
Our trip consisted of 4 ports and two days of sailing. Sunday was one of our sailing days where we spent the entire day on-board. As you can imagine, Royal Caribbean set up lots of activities to keep the passengers occupied and so began the Templin/Eutsler et al. week of winning.
As most of you know (or assume through knowing me) the Templin clan is viciously competitive. Dale kicked things off by winning the ping-pong tournament, beating Jim, Greg, Steve, Dave and Jonathan. The person that Dale played to win (also the guy who knocked Jim out of the tournament) was there forward known as “Ping Pong Dave” whenever we saw him the rest of the week. This victory netted Dale 5 Ship Shape Dollars (on-board money).
For you Midwesterners they did have several cornhole tournaments on board. While our group did not do so well in the first one, Jim did pull out a win for
the home team on Friday. Bryan got 2nd place in the ring toss tournament and I think Greg got second in the billiards tournament. A bunch of us played Bingo in the late morning and while I was 1 away 2 times I never got to call Bingo or win the $200+ prizes.
On Sunday night the main production show had some guy from Shanana (?) that my parents knew but none of us “youngsters” knew. Of all people Dad (Steve) got picked to participate in the hula-hoop competition on stage in front of about 400 people which was hilarious for us to watch. Dale recorded the event which I will post once I get it.
Up Next: Juneau!
As most of you know (or assume through knowing me) the Templin clan is viciously competitive. Dale kicked things off by winning the ping-pong tournament, beating Jim, Greg, Steve, Dave and Jonathan. The person that Dale played to win (also the guy who knocked Jim out of the tournament) was there forward known as “Ping Pong Dave” whenever we saw him the rest of the week. This victory netted Dale 5 Ship Shape Dollars (on-board money).
For you Midwesterners they did have several cornhole tournaments on board. While our group did not do so well in the first one, Jim did pull out a win for
the home team on Friday. Bryan got 2nd place in the ring toss tournament and I think Greg got second in the billiards tournament. A bunch of us played Bingo in the late morning and while I was 1 away 2 times I never got to call Bingo or win the $200+ prizes.On Sunday night the main production show had some guy from Shanana (?) that my parents knew but none of us “youngsters” knew. Of all people Dad (Steve) got picked to participate in the hula-hoop competition on stage in front of about 400 people which was hilarious for us to watch. Dale recorded the event which I will post once I get it.
Up Next: Juneau!
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Alaska - Day 1
I’m baaaaccckkk!
The trip was fantastic with many highlights. As not to have a ridiculous blog detailing the whole trip, I’ll do separate entries and keep it light!
Day 1- Traveling to Vancouver
The ship was to leave from Vancouver and sail north through Alaska to our final stop, Seward. I picked Jim up from work around 4:30 and we went to the airport to head to Seattle where we had a 14 hour lay-over. For the umpteenth time I over-packed our suitcases and had to do the annoying task of switching items back and forth between suitcases in order to avoid the $25 fee for having luggage weighing more than 50lbs.
We flew out after a 1 hour delay and spent the night in a horrible h(m)otel that was so bad it didn’t even have an alarm clock. This prompted J and my agreement that we will no longer stay at low-budget places and will always go the Marriott or equivalent route even for the briefest stays. Even I'll agree that my efforts to save money went way overboard in this case.
We left at 9:30am and arrived in Vancouver around 10:30am. We boarded the Radiance
of the Seas around 12:30. The boat was 13 decks and had an indoor and an outdoor pool, rock climbing wall, restaurants, a dozen bars, a dance club, casino, movie theatre and a large auditorium. Our group met us around 4:30 and we sailed around 5:30.
On the trip were the following folks:
Dave – friend of Jim’s from P&G/softball
Rachel- Dave’s fiancée and kindergarten teacher
My parents and brothers
Lindsay- my brother Mike’s girlfriend
My Uncle Tom, Aunt Mary & cousins Bryan and Jonathan
Chuck- friend of Karen’s
Kristi- Chuck’s wife
Dale- one of Jim’s groomsmen (P&G friend)
Jim & I
We had dinner together and had a funny and talkative waiter, Juan from Chile, taking care of us. I don’t remember what we did besides hang out that night and detox from a long day of traveling but I’m sure we had fun doing it. :)
Our cabin was on the inside of the ship so we didn’t have a window (like Chuck/Kristi) or a balcony (like Dave/Rachel). Made sleeping very easy in the pitch black. The room was about 10X12 and had a king-sized bed, desk couch and a little bathroom at the front of the room. Strangely, there was, in my opinion, lots of storage area to unpack and keep stuff. My immediate family, Dale, Chuck and Kristi all stayed on the 3rd floor which was very convenient because the dining room was only 1 flight upstairs and the main lounge we hung out in as well as the theatre/casino were all on the 6th floor – not a big deal to walk downstairs from. Buffet dining was on floor 11, as was the pool. I'll tell you more about the ship as I go through our days!
Up next- sailing the coast of Canada!
The trip was fantastic with many highlights. As not to have a ridiculous blog detailing the whole trip, I’ll do separate entries and keep it light!
Day 1- Traveling to Vancouver
The ship was to leave from Vancouver and sail north through Alaska to our final stop, Seward. I picked Jim up from work around 4:30 and we went to the airport to head to Seattle where we had a 14 hour lay-over. For the umpteenth time I over-packed our suitcases and had to do the annoying task of switching items back and forth between suitcases in order to avoid the $25 fee for having luggage weighing more than 50lbs.
We flew out after a 1 hour delay and spent the night in a horrible h(m)otel that was so bad it didn’t even have an alarm clock. This prompted J and my agreement that we will no longer stay at low-budget places and will always go the Marriott or equivalent route even for the briefest stays. Even I'll agree that my efforts to save money went way overboard in this case.
We left at 9:30am and arrived in Vancouver around 10:30am. We boarded the Radiance
of the Seas around 12:30. The boat was 13 decks and had an indoor and an outdoor pool, rock climbing wall, restaurants, a dozen bars, a dance club, casino, movie theatre and a large auditorium. Our group met us around 4:30 and we sailed around 5:30.
On the trip were the following folks:
Dave – friend of Jim’s from P&G/softball
Rachel- Dave’s fiancée and kindergarten teacher
My parents and brothers
Lindsay- my brother Mike’s girlfriend
My Uncle Tom, Aunt Mary & cousins Bryan and Jonathan
Chuck- friend of Karen’s
Kristi- Chuck’s wife
Dale- one of Jim’s groomsmen (P&G friend)
Jim & I
We had dinner together and had a funny and talkative waiter, Juan from Chile, taking care of us. I don’t remember what we did besides hang out that night and detox from a long day of traveling but I’m sure we had fun doing it. :)
Our cabin was on the inside of the ship so we didn’t have a window (like Chuck/Kristi) or a balcony (like Dave/Rachel). Made sleeping very easy in the pitch black. The room was about 10X12 and had a king-sized bed, desk couch and a little bathroom at the front of the room. Strangely, there was, in my opinion, lots of storage area to unpack and keep stuff. My immediate family, Dale, Chuck and Kristi all stayed on the 3rd floor which was very convenient because the dining room was only 1 flight upstairs and the main lounge we hung out in as well as the theatre/casino were all on the 6th floor – not a big deal to walk downstairs from. Buffet dining was on floor 11, as was the pool. I'll tell you more about the ship as I go through our days!
Up next- sailing the coast of Canada!
Friday, July 21, 2006
I'm Outta Here
I will be leaving the house in 55 minutes to go pick up Jim. From there we're headed to the airport to fly to Seattle. After spending the night and a quick jog to Vancouver in the morning, we'll be on our way to ALASKA!!!!
It appears that we will not have internet access so I probably won't be able to blog while I'm gone. Don't be sad- annoy those in town to entertain you. ; )
Have a great week! See you on 7/30!
Bon Voyage!
It appears that we will not have internet access so I probably won't be able to blog while I'm gone. Don't be sad- annoy those in town to entertain you. ; )
Have a great week! See you on 7/30!
Bon Voyage!
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Book Report, Chapter 10
The lesson in this chapter is simply that arguing is pointless. According to Carnegie “Nine times out of ten, an argument ends with each of the contestants more firmly convinced than ever that he is absolutely right.”
I think that this concept is most easily seen concerning the abortion debate (whether it’s “right” or “wrong”). This is, from my experience, the subject people have a firm opinion on and to argue over disagreeing opinions is a complete waste of time as any given individual is not going to change their stand.
This idea works on other things too- like when my husband insists on something and I respond “you’re right dear” in “that” tone. Wives everywhere know what I mean.
Anyway, Carnegie’s logic for not arguing in daily personal or professional life is as follows:
You can’t win an argument. You can’t because if you lose it, you lose it; and if you win it, you lose it. Why? Well, suppose you triumph over the other man and shoot his argument full of holes and prove that he is non compos mentis. Then what? You will feel fine. But what about him? You have made him feel inferior. You have hurt his pride. He will resent your triumph. (p. 117)
There are also a large number of ways to avoid arguments that I thought were useful. I don’t want to bore you with the list because of length, but check out the BONUS! note below for more info.
In summary: The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
BONUS! I went to http://www.dalecarnegie.com/ and saw a link for a free download of Carnegie’s tips. I’m not sure if this is a summary like what I’ve been providing you or if it’s a full electronic version of this book. Regardless, check it out- it’s FREE!
I think that this concept is most easily seen concerning the abortion debate (whether it’s “right” or “wrong”). This is, from my experience, the subject people have a firm opinion on and to argue over disagreeing opinions is a complete waste of time as any given individual is not going to change their stand.
This idea works on other things too- like when my husband insists on something and I respond “you’re right dear” in “that” tone. Wives everywhere know what I mean.
Anyway, Carnegie’s logic for not arguing in daily personal or professional life is as follows:
You can’t win an argument. You can’t because if you lose it, you lose it; and if you win it, you lose it. Why? Well, suppose you triumph over the other man and shoot his argument full of holes and prove that he is non compos mentis. Then what? You will feel fine. But what about him? You have made him feel inferior. You have hurt his pride. He will resent your triumph. (p. 117)
There are also a large number of ways to avoid arguments that I thought were useful. I don’t want to bore you with the list because of length, but check out the BONUS! note below for more info.
In summary: The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
BONUS! I went to http://www.dalecarnegie.com/ and saw a link for a free download of Carnegie’s tips. I’m not sure if this is a summary like what I’ve been providing you or if it’s a full electronic version of this book. Regardless, check it out- it’s FREE!
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Shopping Fanatic
I’m not sure if this is just a thing women can do, but as I prepared to get dressed for the day I realized that I could tell you where I bought every piece of clothing I own. Much of it comes from the outlet malls, TJ Maxx, and Lerner NY. But even without looking at the label I know where every item came from and approximately how old it is.
On the same subject, sometimes I feel awkward shopping at the store where I bought the clothes I’m wearing. Especially if it’s an item still out on the showroom floor. Is that weird?
On the same subject, sometimes I feel awkward shopping at the store where I bought the clothes I’m wearing. Especially if it’s an item still out on the showroom floor. Is that weird?
Friday, July 14, 2006
Nighttime Predictions
I had a dream last night that my office (which wasn’t laid out in the same floorplan as my current office, but I knew it was my office nonetheless) and that of all my co-workers weren’t really professional spaces but bedrooms that we got to paint and decorate myself. I had one of the largest spaces and mine was green and tan with a pretty white comforter on the queen-sized bed. Others’ spaces weren’t as pretty as mine but were done in their own style and suited them accordingly.
I knew that we were going to move soon and that our new space wasn’t going to be bedroom format but more traditional with desks and credenzas and the like. While I was excited about the move, I kept staring in the doorway to my current office and knew I was going to miss it.
The dream flashed ahead for just a 30 second clip of our new offices with windows and modern furniture. My boss, who I was waiting to see, was slammed with 4 people in his office and the phone ringing. I smiled at how successful we are, but I longed for the comfortable nature of our old building.
I’m going to self-analyze this dream and assume that my sub-conscious was telling me that I’m very comfortable at my current job. Things are going right and I feel at home being here. Even in my dream though I recognize that time is moving on and that I’m going to move with it. The changes that were made didn’t make me unhappy, just less happy than I was (at least for that time being). I know that there are things in the future that will change status quo and that it won’t be the same in the new office as it is here; then again, my current status as an employee, sales person, person, etc. won’t stay the same (in general) either. The next few weeks will be very interesting….
I knew that we were going to move soon and that our new space wasn’t going to be bedroom format but more traditional with desks and credenzas and the like. While I was excited about the move, I kept staring in the doorway to my current office and knew I was going to miss it.
The dream flashed ahead for just a 30 second clip of our new offices with windows and modern furniture. My boss, who I was waiting to see, was slammed with 4 people in his office and the phone ringing. I smiled at how successful we are, but I longed for the comfortable nature of our old building.
I’m going to self-analyze this dream and assume that my sub-conscious was telling me that I’m very comfortable at my current job. Things are going right and I feel at home being here. Even in my dream though I recognize that time is moving on and that I’m going to move with it. The changes that were made didn’t make me unhappy, just less happy than I was (at least for that time being). I know that there are things in the future that will change status quo and that it won’t be the same in the new office as it is here; then again, my current status as an employee, sales person, person, etc. won’t stay the same (in general) either. The next few weeks will be very interesting….
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Final Thoughts from AZ
I’m in the airport now waiting for my flight to Salt Lake City where I then transfer to another flight back to Cincinnati. A few notes about the end of the trip:
1) I got woken up at 7:30am from my office because a client was out of service. While that’s okay, what was very irritating was the comment the client made about how they wouldn’t be down if I was in town. Now what in the heck does my location have to do with their service quality?! I know that this person just needed something to blame, but geez… a little logic?
2) YES, I did go back to Signature Grill for breakfast but I had an omelet instead of the salmon at the buffet. I found out that I’m judgmental about portions and that judgment is unfounded. When I saw the omelet I was served I thought “$14 for this?” but in fact it, in combination with the hash browns and bagel, was plenty for breakfast. I made the same error the first night when I saw the piece of cheesecake I got for $8 but it turned out that it was a hefty portion and more than satiated my appetite.
3) My fear that all the action happened on the first day of the trip was right – my booth and that of those around me was empty. I think I only had 2 meaningful conversations in the 3 hours I was there. Bummer.
4) Even after 5 years in sales and 26 years of being an extrovert I still find it difficult to randomly walk up to someone and strike up conversation with a stranger. I have no problem at all doing so when I’m sitting next to them at dinner. I think my psyche says that I’m with this person for the next 3 hours so I might as well be friendly.
5) I REALLY like mashed potatoes.
6) Doesn’t matter how tired I am I have to go watch when I hear fireworks. There was a great 15 minute presentation at the end of the evening at the hotel and even though I had to get up for a 4:00am flight I couldn’t shut the blinds and go back to bed until they were done.
1) I got woken up at 7:30am from my office because a client was out of service. While that’s okay, what was very irritating was the comment the client made about how they wouldn’t be down if I was in town. Now what in the heck does my location have to do with their service quality?! I know that this person just needed something to blame, but geez… a little logic?
2) YES, I did go back to Signature Grill for breakfast but I had an omelet instead of the salmon at the buffet. I found out that I’m judgmental about portions and that judgment is unfounded. When I saw the omelet I was served I thought “$14 for this?” but in fact it, in combination with the hash browns and bagel, was plenty for breakfast. I made the same error the first night when I saw the piece of cheesecake I got for $8 but it turned out that it was a hefty portion and more than satiated my appetite.
3) My fear that all the action happened on the first day of the trip was right – my booth and that of those around me was empty. I think I only had 2 meaningful conversations in the 3 hours I was there. Bummer.
4) Even after 5 years in sales and 26 years of being an extrovert I still find it difficult to randomly walk up to someone and strike up conversation with a stranger. I have no problem at all doing so when I’m sitting next to them at dinner. I think my psyche says that I’m with this person for the next 3 hours so I might as well be friendly.
5) I REALLY like mashed potatoes.
6) Doesn’t matter how tired I am I have to go watch when I hear fireworks. There was a great 15 minute presentation at the end of the evening at the hotel and even though I had to get up for a 4:00am flight I couldn’t shut the blinds and go back to bed until they were done.
Monday, July 10, 2006
Convention in AZ Status
Day 2 in AZ… still bored. I ate dinner last night in a restaurant in the hotel called Signature Grill. I ate out on the patio and had freshly made guacamole, a iceburg lettuce wedge salad and cheesecake. These three items’ total cost was less than over half of individual entrée’s price. this was the 3rd most expensive gig here - Primo and Cheyene are still pricier. Geez.
Being stuck here, as I mentioned, I’m limited on places to eat. This morning I wanted to go someplace else but found myself back at Signature because I couldn’t find the place I wanted on the map. I had the breakfast buffet ($14) which consisted of granola cereal, fresh fruit, oatmeal, pastries/bread, and salmon. Now, I know that fancy people eat raw salmon for breakfast but this is not something I normally have available. So, I tried a piece with some onion, lemon, tomato, egg, and cilantro. Holy crap is that stuff good!! So, I had 4 more pieces (about 2X1” rolls). Loved it! Enough to go back to breakfast there tomorrow? We'll see.
The lunch place I tried to go to, Salud, was closed (what the… ?) so for lack of time I ate at the closest restaurant – frickin’ Signature Grill. I am beginning to recognize the servers there .
Why am I only commenting on the food on the trip? BECAUSE THAT’S THE ONLY THING GOING ON HERE.
At 2:00pm I went to the first portion of the tradeshow were I have a booth. This was by far the highlight of the day because I got to see/talk to other people, and because we were slammed from beginning to end. Lots of good business opportunities!! Hopefully this level of activity does not mean that I’ll be bored at the show tomorrow…
In about a half hour I’m heading out of here for the informal night. We’re going to the Pima Air Museum to look at lots of planes (including an old Air Force One – the one JFK’s successor was sworn in on according to one convention goer) and eat dinner. Hopefully this will be fun! If not, it’s back to The Gunslinger…
Being stuck here, as I mentioned, I’m limited on places to eat. This morning I wanted to go someplace else but found myself back at Signature because I couldn’t find the place I wanted on the map. I had the breakfast buffet ($14) which consisted of granola cereal, fresh fruit, oatmeal, pastries/bread, and salmon. Now, I know that fancy people eat raw salmon for breakfast but this is not something I normally have available. So, I tried a piece with some onion, lemon, tomato, egg, and cilantro. Holy crap is that stuff good!! So, I had 4 more pieces (about 2X1” rolls). Loved it! Enough to go back to breakfast there tomorrow? We'll see.
The lunch place I tried to go to, Salud, was closed (what the… ?) so for lack of time I ate at the closest restaurant – frickin’ Signature Grill. I am beginning to recognize the servers there .
Why am I only commenting on the food on the trip? BECAUSE THAT’S THE ONLY THING GOING ON HERE.
At 2:00pm I went to the first portion of the tradeshow were I have a booth. This was by far the highlight of the day because I got to see/talk to other people, and because we were slammed from beginning to end. Lots of good business opportunities!! Hopefully this level of activity does not mean that I’ll be bored at the show tomorrow…
In about a half hour I’m heading out of here for the informal night. We’re going to the Pima Air Museum to look at lots of planes (including an old Air Force One – the one JFK’s successor was sworn in on according to one convention goer) and eat dinner. Hopefully this will be fun! If not, it’s back to The Gunslinger…
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Weekend of 7/6/06
Well the short week lead into a short weekend. Jim and I did enjoy a fabulously prepared meal over at Tom’s on Friday night (we invited ourselves and they didn’t seem to mind so we didn’t turn down their formal offer!) which sealed his title of “good cook” in my book. For the record, Tom did show me the ENTIRE house on my tour. We played games and generally hung out with Kelly, Toby, Brian, Tom, Jenny, Jenny’s sisters Nikki and Cindy, and eventually Tom’s sister Molly (who has more energy than a 5 year old, she’s amazing).
Tom won out over Jenny and lent me my next book, The Dark Tower 1: The Gunslinger, by Stephen King. Just starting at the airport this morning I’m about half way though. It’ll be a pathetic day if I finish it tonight. In fact, I might specifically not read it just to make sure it lasts me my whole trip.
Last night Rusty, Diane, Robin and Bob came down from Spencerville and we cooked out. Real reason for their visit (beyond visiting their nephew and neice-in-law) was to go through Jim’s grandmother’s pictures. Wanda passed away about 2 years ago and now the pain has worn off enough of the kids (Rusty and Robin) to go through the albums. Nice trip down memory lane for them, kinda boring for me as I was only in her life for about 2 years and didn’t know ¾ of the people I was looking at…
Which leads me to today. I got up around 7:40am and got ready for my big trip to AZ.
I’m here for a convention that I attend annually. While I’m technically in Tuscan, I’m in this remote resort that has nothing around it and would lead to a $30 cab ride if I wanted to go anywhere off prem. So, I’m kind of a prisoner at this place. The picture should give you a good idea of my view – lots of cacti, mountains, and an oasis-looking golf course in the middle of the desert. I’m alone here with no real friends at the show and obviously not anything real exciting to do, especially at night… I miss Jim already.
The show starts tomorrow and I am still missing a box which unfortunately contains my give-aways for the attendees (kites). I left Carol a message to check the tracking on it tomorrow. I don’t present until 2:00pm so I have some time to track it down.
Well, off to dinner. I’m starving!
Tom won out over Jenny and lent me my next book, The Dark Tower 1: The Gunslinger, by Stephen King. Just starting at the airport this morning I’m about half way though. It’ll be a pathetic day if I finish it tonight. In fact, I might specifically not read it just to make sure it lasts me my whole trip.
Last night Rusty, Diane, Robin and Bob came down from Spencerville and we cooked out. Real reason for their visit (beyond visiting their nephew and neice-in-law) was to go through Jim’s grandmother’s pictures. Wanda passed away about 2 years ago and now the pain has worn off enough of the kids (Rusty and Robin) to go through the albums. Nice trip down memory lane for them, kinda boring for me as I was only in her life for about 2 years and didn’t know ¾ of the people I was looking at…
Which leads me to today. I got up around 7:40am and got ready for my big trip to AZ.
I’m here for a convention that I attend annually. While I’m technically in Tuscan, I’m in this remote resort that has nothing around it and would lead to a $30 cab ride if I wanted to go anywhere off prem. So, I’m kind of a prisoner at this place. The picture should give you a good idea of my view – lots of cacti, mountains, and an oasis-looking golf course in the middle of the desert. I’m alone here with no real friends at the show and obviously not anything real exciting to do, especially at night… I miss Jim already.The show starts tomorrow and I am still missing a box which unfortunately contains my give-aways for the attendees (kites). I left Carol a message to check the tracking on it tomorrow. I don’t present until 2:00pm so I have some time to track it down.
Well, off to dinner. I’m starving!
Thursday, July 06, 2006
It's Pouring Underwear
Victoria’s Secret’s marketing department is out of control. I got a card in the mail about 2 months ago that was for a free panty and $10 off of a sports bra. Wonderful! It expired on 6/19. Around 6/12 I got another coupon out of my Glamour magazine that expired 7/31. I was really happy at this point because I was thinking about an overhaul to my unmentionables drawer and thought 2 free pair would be a good start.
I was disappointed when I went in on 6/19 to redeem my coupon and they closed early for the Semi-Annual Clearance Sale but figured I still had the other coupon at home so I wouldn’t pout too much.
Jim brought me home magazines from work (these publishers still think he works in Marketing!) and I proceeded to collect not 1, not 2, but 3 more identical coupons expiring on 7/31 from these magazines. It started to become a joke between Jim and I at this point.
All our kidding only breeded more insanity - yesterday I got a direct mail piece from VS that contained yet another free panty coupon and a $5 coupon for sweatpants of all things. I supposed that just because the pants are pink VS feels required to sell them. Who knows.
Story’s not over. I just picked up the mail – another frickin’ coupon!!! Same one as yesterday!!!
What’s going on!? I’m thrilled to death but concerned about the financial standing of Limited Brands – how can they afford to give away so much merchandise!?
I was disappointed when I went in on 6/19 to redeem my coupon and they closed early for the Semi-Annual Clearance Sale but figured I still had the other coupon at home so I wouldn’t pout too much.
Jim brought me home magazines from work (these publishers still think he works in Marketing!) and I proceeded to collect not 1, not 2, but 3 more identical coupons expiring on 7/31 from these magazines. It started to become a joke between Jim and I at this point.
All our kidding only breeded more insanity - yesterday I got a direct mail piece from VS that contained yet another free panty coupon and a $5 coupon for sweatpants of all things. I supposed that just because the pants are pink VS feels required to sell them. Who knows.
Story’s not over. I just picked up the mail – another frickin’ coupon!!! Same one as yesterday!!!
What’s going on!? I’m thrilled to death but concerned about the financial standing of Limited Brands – how can they afford to give away so much merchandise!?
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Book Report, Chapter 9
Remember a few reports ago when I quoted Emerson about the idea that everyone is superior to you in some way and that you must remember that when dealing with people and respect them for it? This chapter reminds you that not only should you remember that fact but keep in mind that the other person knows it too. Think honestly to yourself, is there not a trait about you (maybe more than 1 if you’re lucky) that you know is better than someone else’s grasp of that same quality? Be honest. What are you good at?
Of the people I know…
Tom’s skill that’s better than anyone’s is his sincere desire to help other people in any way he can.
Jen’s is to see the bright side of situations and help you see them too.
Sarah’s is the warm feeling that she has with guests and friends that make them feel like the most important person in the world.
Jim’s is that he knows a little bit about a lot of things and can easily adapt to new groups and situations.
Dale’s is that he is constantly thinking and sees opportunities from multiple angles.
Andrew’s is his creative nature and exquisite presentation of his ideas.
I could go on and on. Chances are the qualities that I see my friends being superior at are not necessarily the ones that they think of first when self-reflecting.
When dealing with people, Carnegie advises that to make friends fast “talk to people about themselves and they will listen for hours” (p. 111). Or more clearly – "make the other person feel important- and do it sincerely" (p. 111). Find out what it is that the other person is “superior” at and praise them for that quality. Listen sincerely, as previously advised, and try to learn from that person so that you can better yourself in the process.
Last night at my parents' Fourth of July party Chuck and Kristi sat with my 80 year old grandfather and let him go on about fishing, traveling, who knows what. When I stopped by to sit with them Chuck enthusiastically stated: “Karen, we want to take your grandfather home with us. He could teach us a lot of things about a lot of things.” My grandfather beamed. I was touched at the sentiment and the public recognition for a life well-lead. (I was also tickled that Chuck and Kristi would sit and listen to an elderly man as attentively as they did for as long as they did.) I thought more of my friends and of my grandfather at the end of my stay in their presence. I have no doubt that the conversation my grandfather had with them was the highlight of his night.
Learn from Chuck and Kristi – sincerely listen to others and appreciate the things they do well.
Of the people I know…
Tom’s skill that’s better than anyone’s is his sincere desire to help other people in any way he can.
Jen’s is to see the bright side of situations and help you see them too.
Sarah’s is the warm feeling that she has with guests and friends that make them feel like the most important person in the world.
Jim’s is that he knows a little bit about a lot of things and can easily adapt to new groups and situations.
Dale’s is that he is constantly thinking and sees opportunities from multiple angles.
Andrew’s is his creative nature and exquisite presentation of his ideas.
I could go on and on. Chances are the qualities that I see my friends being superior at are not necessarily the ones that they think of first when self-reflecting.
When dealing with people, Carnegie advises that to make friends fast “talk to people about themselves and they will listen for hours” (p. 111). Or more clearly – "make the other person feel important- and do it sincerely" (p. 111). Find out what it is that the other person is “superior” at and praise them for that quality. Listen sincerely, as previously advised, and try to learn from that person so that you can better yourself in the process.
Last night at my parents' Fourth of July party Chuck and Kristi sat with my 80 year old grandfather and let him go on about fishing, traveling, who knows what. When I stopped by to sit with them Chuck enthusiastically stated: “Karen, we want to take your grandfather home with us. He could teach us a lot of things about a lot of things.” My grandfather beamed. I was touched at the sentiment and the public recognition for a life well-lead. (I was also tickled that Chuck and Kristi would sit and listen to an elderly man as attentively as they did for as long as they did.) I thought more of my friends and of my grandfather at the end of my stay in their presence. I have no doubt that the conversation my grandfather had with them was the highlight of his night.
Learn from Chuck and Kristi – sincerely listen to others and appreciate the things they do well.
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Mid-Weekend Report
I got my wish today – I did a whole lot of nothing. I was worn out from a busy and frustrating work week and even more tired after 2 late nights in a row with friends (the Gardners on Friday night and great introduction of Tom to Jen’s friends at our place last night). I spent today finishing up Wicked, an all-around disappointing book, and watching MI3 with Jim at the dollar theatre. I took a half hour nap and I’m thawing out dinner for the making now.
Some details for those who are interested since Jen and Tom don’t report in specifics (only love-struck generalities that leave those not directly involved smiling but still curious)… Saturday night we had a whole gang over. The true point of it, in addition to having fun with friends of course, was for Jenny to present her new boyfriend to those friends most dear to her for “review”. We’ll all coyly admit that such rituals carry no real meaning any more (did truly they before?) as we’re all old enough to make decisions such as who to date without the permission of our friends or family. Regardless, it was a casual environment intended to let Kelly and Jessy especially meet Tom.
If I’m being totally honest, which I have no reason not to be as this is my blog after all, I was very intrigued to see Jen and Tom together. Granted I introduced them for all intents and purposes and had heard many glorious details about their affairs from each of them separately, but I had yet to see them physically together. Doing so, I predicted, was going to be a rather strange event as it was quite literally a blend of my old (HS) and new (adult) life merging before my eyes. I’m happy to report that it was incredibly natural.
Jen and Tom just fit. We played bocce and they teased one another. We played board games and they competed flirtatiously. Jessy commented at one point that she felt like a window because Jen was looking past her at Tom so often. They were intellectually matched on several games and laughed throughout the night. It was fantastic to watch your friends so happy. After all, isn’t that what friends want for their friends more than anything?
I have 2 more days of my long weekend and I’m so grateful for the break. The Alaska count-down is presently at 18 days…
Some details for those who are interested since Jen and Tom don’t report in specifics (only love-struck generalities that leave those not directly involved smiling but still curious)… Saturday night we had a whole gang over. The true point of it, in addition to having fun with friends of course, was for Jenny to present her new boyfriend to those friends most dear to her for “review”. We’ll all coyly admit that such rituals carry no real meaning any more (did truly they before?) as we’re all old enough to make decisions such as who to date without the permission of our friends or family. Regardless, it was a casual environment intended to let Kelly and Jessy especially meet Tom.
If I’m being totally honest, which I have no reason not to be as this is my blog after all, I was very intrigued to see Jen and Tom together. Granted I introduced them for all intents and purposes and had heard many glorious details about their affairs from each of them separately, but I had yet to see them physically together. Doing so, I predicted, was going to be a rather strange event as it was quite literally a blend of my old (HS) and new (adult) life merging before my eyes. I’m happy to report that it was incredibly natural.
Jen and Tom just fit. We played bocce and they teased one another. We played board games and they competed flirtatiously. Jessy commented at one point that she felt like a window because Jen was looking past her at Tom so often. They were intellectually matched on several games and laughed throughout the night. It was fantastic to watch your friends so happy. After all, isn’t that what friends want for their friends more than anything?
I have 2 more days of my long weekend and I’m so grateful for the break. The Alaska count-down is presently at 18 days…
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