A long travel day (24 Aug-Dep Ft Collins 9am, Arr Denver 9:45am; Dep DIA Noon, Arr Newark 6pm; Dep Newark 8pm, 25 Aug-Arr Oslo 10am) including very little sleep on the airplane can result in a wicked jet lag. Yesterday I discovered a flawless cure for that plague of overseas travelers. Let me sum up:
Step 1: A shot of Norwegian Akavit (or aquavit) chased with a beer
Step 2: A sun-kissed walk along the fjord to a seaside cafe´
Step 3: A delicious shrimp salad sandwich (smørbrød) washed down with several glasses of French white wine
Step 4: A brisk walk through the hills of the Norwegian countryside
Step 5: A two hour motorboat cruise around Oslo Fjord
Step 6: Twelve uninterrupted hours of sleep.
Since it was Saturday, there were hundreds of sailboats and motor boats out on the fjord. Being out among them, bumping over the waves, smelling the sea, and feeling the breeze in my hair transported me from bone-tired to exhilarated. I don't think I can imagine a better first day back in Norway. As Tom profoundly observed, "it didn't suck."
See Facebook for photos.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Sunday, July 22, 2012
The Packout
"Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." Also known as Murphy's Law.
I'm not sure I have experienced any event in life that more graphically illustrates this natural law than the process of packing up and moving all of one's worldly belongings. As in most of life, a sense of humor is essential during a move. Admittedly, humor is more easily embraced a few days removed from any catastrophe than at the precise moment of its occurrence.
In the interest of full disclosure, this really was a pretty smooth move. At least from this end. Two days to pack everything up and one to load the truck (around 18,000 lbs worth) has to rank up there with the quickest we've ever experienced. Of course, the proof is really in the state of things as they come off the truck and out of the boxes once we land in our new home. But that will be for another day.
So below, just the highlights, of our several day move:
Friday - Packers arrive. We are ready for them to pack the 5 sets of china, crystal, and glassware. They politely nod at our suggestion to begin with these then proceed to tell us they will pack the entire basement, all the large pictures, the basement storeroom, the office, and the formal living and dining rooms. These have not been staged. We hustle to stay ahead of them. Only a few things (that we know of) are packed which we hadn't intended to pack. Packers depart at 5 informing us they will begin Monday with the upstairs bedrooms.
Saturday - No packers today or tomorrow, so we work to prepare remaining rooms. The powder room toilet is running, so Tom makes a trip to Home Depot to get a replacement kit for the broken flapper. In the process of repair, the 24 year old hose connecting to the shut off valve in the wall breaks and water shoots all over the ceiling and walls. Rush to close the main water shut off. Dinner out (yeah!) and another trip to home depot.
Sunday - Pick up the 5X8 UHaul Trailer. As we situate it in the driveway, we back it too quickly and shatter the light fixture mounted outside the garage.
Monday - Packers arrive and announce they will begin in garage and kitchen as well as upstairs. We haven't prepped garage and kitchen (past movers have packed these last) so we are hustling to prep as they pack behind us. Science experiment discovery - a stick of butter someone kindly stowed in its covered butter dish in a high, deep cupboard (I'm guessing around the holidays). Tom is sure with a little extra care we could have had a fine cheese. We are happy we recovered this and cleaned it out before it was packed and stored for the year.
Tuesday - Movers arrive with trucks loaded with 8 crates. Good news, they will crate our goods here. HUGE crew (in our experience) of 6 strapping young men. The loading goes quickly and smoothly. Bozzellis subs for lunch. The only problem, when I arrive with 10 large sandwiches (turkey, ham, roast beef, Italian), the driver asks if I got any vegetarian. Yikes! So I quick pull together an assortment of fresh veggies from my fridge. He's happy.
Wednesday - Cleaning day. And weighing the trailer. And another trip to Home Depot for a new outside light fixture. Some complications with installing the new fixture turn a 15 minute job into an hour job. As I finish mopping the floor, the tenants arrive to pick up the keys. Perfect timing!
Thursday - Early morning departure. As we pull out of the neighborhood with the trailer rattling loudly, we realize we neglected to tighten down the lock on the ball. Smooth sailing all the way to Dayton. When we arrive and park the trailer, we realize we never locked the latch closed on the trailer door. The padlock was locked, but if the trailer hadn't been packed so tightly the door could have bounced it's way up and we would have left "bread crumbs" from D.C. to Dayton. Thank you St. Christopher or whoever was watching out for us.
Friday - Tom heads out to fill the car with gas. I meet him in the parking lot to attach the trailer and get going. A gentle rain is falling. Then, as he's fastening the chains the sky opens up and it's coming down in buckets. By the time we're heading back to I-70, he's soaked to the skin. Oh well, it's only 6 hours to St. Louis. He's almost dry by the time we arrive.
We spend a couple of wonderful, relaxing, restorative days with family (in spite of 100 degree temps) and are ready for an early departure tomorrow for Colorado Springs.
I'm not sure I have experienced any event in life that more graphically illustrates this natural law than the process of packing up and moving all of one's worldly belongings. As in most of life, a sense of humor is essential during a move. Admittedly, humor is more easily embraced a few days removed from any catastrophe than at the precise moment of its occurrence.
In the interest of full disclosure, this really was a pretty smooth move. At least from this end. Two days to pack everything up and one to load the truck (around 18,000 lbs worth) has to rank up there with the quickest we've ever experienced. Of course, the proof is really in the state of things as they come off the truck and out of the boxes once we land in our new home. But that will be for another day.
So below, just the highlights, of our several day move:
Friday - Packers arrive. We are ready for them to pack the 5 sets of china, crystal, and glassware. They politely nod at our suggestion to begin with these then proceed to tell us they will pack the entire basement, all the large pictures, the basement storeroom, the office, and the formal living and dining rooms. These have not been staged. We hustle to stay ahead of them. Only a few things (that we know of) are packed which we hadn't intended to pack. Packers depart at 5 informing us they will begin Monday with the upstairs bedrooms.
Saturday - No packers today or tomorrow, so we work to prepare remaining rooms. The powder room toilet is running, so Tom makes a trip to Home Depot to get a replacement kit for the broken flapper. In the process of repair, the 24 year old hose connecting to the shut off valve in the wall breaks and water shoots all over the ceiling and walls. Rush to close the main water shut off. Dinner out (yeah!) and another trip to home depot.
Sunday - Pick up the 5X8 UHaul Trailer. As we situate it in the driveway, we back it too quickly and shatter the light fixture mounted outside the garage.
Monday - Packers arrive and announce they will begin in garage and kitchen as well as upstairs. We haven't prepped garage and kitchen (past movers have packed these last) so we are hustling to prep as they pack behind us. Science experiment discovery - a stick of butter someone kindly stowed in its covered butter dish in a high, deep cupboard (I'm guessing around the holidays). Tom is sure with a little extra care we could have had a fine cheese. We are happy we recovered this and cleaned it out before it was packed and stored for the year.
Tuesday - Movers arrive with trucks loaded with 8 crates. Good news, they will crate our goods here. HUGE crew (in our experience) of 6 strapping young men. The loading goes quickly and smoothly. Bozzellis subs for lunch. The only problem, when I arrive with 10 large sandwiches (turkey, ham, roast beef, Italian), the driver asks if I got any vegetarian. Yikes! So I quick pull together an assortment of fresh veggies from my fridge. He's happy.
Wednesday - Cleaning day. And weighing the trailer. And another trip to Home Depot for a new outside light fixture. Some complications with installing the new fixture turn a 15 minute job into an hour job. As I finish mopping the floor, the tenants arrive to pick up the keys. Perfect timing!
Thursday - Early morning departure. As we pull out of the neighborhood with the trailer rattling loudly, we realize we neglected to tighten down the lock on the ball. Smooth sailing all the way to Dayton. When we arrive and park the trailer, we realize we never locked the latch closed on the trailer door. The padlock was locked, but if the trailer hadn't been packed so tightly the door could have bounced it's way up and we would have left "bread crumbs" from D.C. to Dayton. Thank you St. Christopher or whoever was watching out for us.
Friday - Tom heads out to fill the car with gas. I meet him in the parking lot to attach the trailer and get going. A gentle rain is falling. Then, as he's fastening the chains the sky opens up and it's coming down in buckets. By the time we're heading back to I-70, he's soaked to the skin. Oh well, it's only 6 hours to St. Louis. He's almost dry by the time we arrive.
We spend a couple of wonderful, relaxing, restorative days with family (in spite of 100 degree temps) and are ready for an early departure tomorrow for Colorado Springs.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Welcome to California
Talk about "oh dark thirty". The alarm went off at 3:30 a.m. Tom (DH) was already in the shower, I followed him after I drained the carafe of yesterday's coffee. At 3:30, coffee only helped a little. We finished loading both cars and headed to Dulles for my 6 a.m. flight. Kiss and hug goodbye and I was off, bleary-eyed but thankful I wasn't one of the ones facing a 15 hour cross-country drive in 100+ degrees (well, not yet anyway).
As my boys (DH & DS, Danny) drove off I said a prayer for their safe travel. I was really trying not to worry, but...
The 5 hour flight to San Francisco was unremarkable, for the most part. I slept pretty well until I felt a rush of cold liquid pour through the seat in front of me and onto my feet. The family in that row had lost control of a rowdy can of seltzer. (Yes, I was thankful to discover it was seltzer and not ... anything else.) Finally found my connecting gate after a very confusing walk through the International Terminal (no monitors showing anything BUT int'l flights). Rewarded by a Peets coffee booth adjacent to the gate. This time, it helped (thank you sf ff mocha!).
A short hop down to Orange County/Santa Ana/John Wayne Airport and I was almost there. (Seriously, is there another airport out there with such an obvious identity problem? Three names? Really?)
An hour later I found myself watching the waves crash on the little beach where I grew up. I hadn't felt this relaxed in a very long time. I also hadn't felt so warmly welcomed by a place in recent memory. A flight of 20 brown pelicans accompanied me on my walk down to the beach. A dolphin swam by to say hi. And the harbor seal that usually makes an appearance swimming across the cove once a day actually swam by 4 times (at least) and came closer to shore than I've ever seen him (her?). Probably only 10 or 12 feet from water's edge.
I did feel a little guilty when I received the text that my boys were stuck in a traffic jam on the Illinois state line...in 108 degrees...and Danny has no AC in his car. But felt better once they got word to me they'd arrived safely at Grandma and Grandpa's Missouri home. Both boys commented on how nice it was to be in a cool place. I didn't mention that here it was 75 degrees and sunny with a lovely ocean breeze.
Knowing I needed to move, I left my sister sleeping in the sun (she'd done a five mile walk earlier in the day) and headed down the beach to stretch my legs. It occurred to me about halfway through my 2 + miles that, in the eyes of the kids building sandcastles, the surfers watching the waves roll in, and the young couples trying to occupy the same space, I was now the "old lady walking on the beach". While I was growing up, there was always at least one. Usually she wore a floppy hat, always she walked with a purpose. Now I understand that purpose. As I approach 50 like a train running downhill I finally appreciate what my mom, aunts, and older female friends have always said. "It gets harder and harder to stay fit, to keep the extra pounds off, as you get older". I really thought I already understood it after hitting 40 and struggling. But it really gets worse with each year. So I walk. With a purpose.
As my boys (DH & DS, Danny) drove off I said a prayer for their safe travel. I was really trying not to worry, but...
The 5 hour flight to San Francisco was unremarkable, for the most part. I slept pretty well until I felt a rush of cold liquid pour through the seat in front of me and onto my feet. The family in that row had lost control of a rowdy can of seltzer. (Yes, I was thankful to discover it was seltzer and not ... anything else.) Finally found my connecting gate after a very confusing walk through the International Terminal (no monitors showing anything BUT int'l flights). Rewarded by a Peets coffee booth adjacent to the gate. This time, it helped (thank you sf ff mocha!).
A short hop down to Orange County/Santa Ana/John Wayne Airport and I was almost there. (Seriously, is there another airport out there with such an obvious identity problem? Three names? Really?)
An hour later I found myself watching the waves crash on the little beach where I grew up. I hadn't felt this relaxed in a very long time. I also hadn't felt so warmly welcomed by a place in recent memory. A flight of 20 brown pelicans accompanied me on my walk down to the beach. A dolphin swam by to say hi. And the harbor seal that usually makes an appearance swimming across the cove once a day actually swam by 4 times (at least) and came closer to shore than I've ever seen him (her?). Probably only 10 or 12 feet from water's edge.
I did feel a little guilty when I received the text that my boys were stuck in a traffic jam on the Illinois state line...in 108 degrees...and Danny has no AC in his car. But felt better once they got word to me they'd arrived safely at Grandma and Grandpa's Missouri home. Both boys commented on how nice it was to be in a cool place. I didn't mention that here it was 75 degrees and sunny with a lovely ocean breeze.
Knowing I needed to move, I left my sister sleeping in the sun (she'd done a five mile walk earlier in the day) and headed down the beach to stretch my legs. It occurred to me about halfway through my 2 + miles that, in the eyes of the kids building sandcastles, the surfers watching the waves roll in, and the young couples trying to occupy the same space, I was now the "old lady walking on the beach". While I was growing up, there was always at least one. Usually she wore a floppy hat, always she walked with a purpose. Now I understand that purpose. As I approach 50 like a train running downhill I finally appreciate what my mom, aunts, and older female friends have always said. "It gets harder and harder to stay fit, to keep the extra pounds off, as you get older". I really thought I already understood it after hitting 40 and struggling. But it really gets worse with each year. So I walk. With a purpose.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
To Begin With - Many Thanks
To my Thursday friends, many, many thanks for the beautiful bracelet and earrings. Your gift, the sentiments in your cards, and your kind words humble me. I am honored to have been with you for the last 17 months of YOUR journey. And I thank you also for making my re-entry into the working world such a rewarding experience. I will miss you.
To my Tuesday friends as well, your gifts and cards mean the world to me but most of all I will always treasure the encouragement and kind words you shared with me along the way. I will miss you also.
Since this is my first attempt at blogging, I feel a little unsure of how to go forward. So, I will beg your forgiveness in advance for any clumsiness I exhibit. That being said...
Let The Journey Begin!
To my Tuesday friends as well, your gifts and cards mean the world to me but most of all I will always treasure the encouragement and kind words you shared with me along the way. I will miss you also.
Since this is my first attempt at blogging, I feel a little unsure of how to go forward. So, I will beg your forgiveness in advance for any clumsiness I exhibit. That being said...
Let The Journey Begin!
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