What is Going On?

This is just a commercial break from Portugal postings...
What is going on? I leave the country for a few days and all hell breaks loose? Joe Wilson stands up and yells at the President. (yeah, so very proud to be from South Carolina...)

Serena loses her cool at the US Open?

And, now Kanye West is pissed because Beyonce didn't win and Taylor Swift did?

Did I miss something? Is this National DumbA** week???

Days 2 and 3, or Man, I'm Beat!

There won't be any pictures in this blog tonight. I have a limited amount of time on the internet and just wanted to share some of our adventures. I have plenty of pictures to share, but will need more than 60 minutes at the price of 10 Euros. So, here's a condensed version of my last two days...

Found Irish Pub to watch English Soccer. While in Portugal.

Said Pub had my favorite cider on tap: Strongbow. Again, in the middle of Portugal, an English Cider in an Irish Pub.

Watched the football all day. Made friends with Luis and heard many funny stories.

Stayed way too long at the Irish Pub with the English Cider in the middle of Portugal.

All day adventure today in Lisbon. We saw a palace with small beds and loads of really ugly royals. (from many centuries ago) We ate lunch at a lovely restaurant next to the sea. (spinach soup anyone? BLECH) We went to visit the ruins of a Moorish Castle. LOTS OF WALKING.

Tonight, we went to the Sporting Lisbon soccer game. Great stadium, good fans, and I heard the loudest whistles ever. Also, saw some REAL bad cheerleaders.

Ordered my dinner, paid for it, picked it up with no clue what I was saying, or what they were saying. For the record, everything was correct.

And, now, time to sleeeeeep. We head to Porto tomorrow, many more adventures to come!!

And, BTW, this is my 100th post. Awwwwwwwwww.

Other than stinking, day one was great!

Ola! Oi! That's all I've got. That means hello and hi in Portuguese. I've also learned that I was saying thank you incorrectly most of the day. Well, I was saying it right, but you have to use a different version depending on the sex of the person you're saying it to. Sheesh. Stupid American.

Highlights so far:

Gorgeous hotel

NO HUMIDITY

Tons of statues

The roast beef at dinner. Oh, and the cheese, and the bread, and the butter. Good butter. (jan!!)

Sleeping for 12 hours

Day 2 starts now!

Here's a few pix to tide you over:

Two Day Checklist

Folks, we leave for Portugal in just two days. In 48 hours, our plane will be en route to Lisbon. (please, oh please, don't let us get seats stuck in the middle of the plane!) We are in the final countdown phase around these parts. I'm running out of time, and in order to accomplish all that I need to, I will now combine my final list of to do's/dones and blogging in one!!

I am one of those people who packs for weeks before the actual event. I really drag this sucker out. I start making lists, then refining the list, and putting things aside for the "real" packing. (By the way, all this really does is lead to mass confusion and more stress) Hopefully, THIS will be one of my last lists.

Passport? Check! It's out of its safe spot. Now I just need to remember to have it "on my person." Easier said than done. We've left home twice without proper identification in the past. Wow, does THAT ever shoot the old stress level through the roof!

Travel Size Items Purchased? Check! That is one of my favorite parts of traveling, heading to Target and buying miniature items to put into my train case. This trip's favorite item thus far: a miniature lint roller! (our animal hair tends to travel with us)

Animals de-flead? Check! We have five animals in our house, and therefore we are constantly giving flea medicine. Since we are having housesitter/petsitters, we thought it only polite to try to minimize the problem.

Clean house for housesitter/petsitter? Half Check? Will it ever be really clean? I did clean the gross thing near my sink that holds the sponge, scrub brush and Handi-Wipe. I figure that's the nicest thing I could have done.

Type out addresses for post cards? Check! This is one of my favorite things to do while traveling. So, if you want a postcard, send me your addy!

Help Taylor with her first college paper? Check! It's not really travel preparation, but it needed to be done.

Make sure all prescriptions are filled and will last until we get back? Check! Check! Check! Check! I am NOT having any "accidents" or "miracles." :-)

Count the number of days we'll be gone and pack bras and undies accordingly? NOT YET!

Purchased enough books for a winter hibernation and no way will I read them all in a week? Check!

Gathered up enough chargers, power cords, and small electronics to run a third world country? Check!

Wake up at 3am and start thinking about everything, feel excited and not be able to fall back to sleep? Check!

Look at animals over and over, then feel guilty about leaving them? Check!

Buy book of Portugese phrases that we'll probably never use? Check!

Ready for fun and adventure? CHECK!!!!!

Summer 2009

One of the reasons I've always enjoyed Labor Day weekend, besides that automatic day off work, is that it signals the end of the long hot summer. While, I enjoy summertime, I'm always ready for the temperatures to cool off, and for life to get "back to normal." (whatever that is?)

This summer was busy, busy, busy! I felt like we were on the go, more often than not. Before the sunburn fades, and the wrinkles appear, let's re-visit some of the highlights!

Steven and I traveled to Oxford, Mississippi to watch the Missouri Tigers play in the NCAA Baseball Regional. Highlight: Dinner after game 2 with all the family, and our lovely self portraits.

Mike and Rose and Angela Jackson come to visit from St. Louis. Highlight: The whole visit!

Steven's birthday. Highlight: The High School Musical Cake.

Taylor's graduation. Highlight: Taylor graduated! Come on!!!

Vacation in Clearwater, Florida with the whole gang. Highlight: Well, too many to narrow it down to one, so I'll list: sunsets at 8:30, Domino's, that great tent that shaded us from the sun, jumping in the pool after the walk from the beach, Larry's sushi, crab legs, family dinner every night, giggling.

Taylor's birthday. Highlight: That guacamole at Taco Boy!

4th of July spent in the mountains with Johnny and Dusti. Highlight: Ohhhh, I can still feel the cool temperatures. We left 90+ degrees and high humidity and spent the weekend with lovely friends and cool temps. It was heavenly!

Larry's birthday. Highlight: PW Burgers and fun!

Will's wedding in Florence, where Steven took pictures. Highlight: This may have been the hottest wedding ever. (think outdoors in SC at the peak of summertime) Now, picture the ice cold beer I had just after the wedding ceremony. THAT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT of the summer, I do believe...

Mike, Tracy and Aiden come visit for a long weekend. Highlight: The giggling!

Brother & Family visit to the beach. Highlight: What else? Margaritas and the Wii Bowling Tournament!

The Boys visit from England. Highlight: Seeing Steven's smile. Oh, and probably those crab legs.

And, now, here we are, we made it! We survived and lived another summer. When I look back on this, I realize why I take all the naps I do. I'm pooped people!

Thanks for living (and re-living!) it with me!

Reality Check

Holy Moly. We leave for Portugal in four days.

I have no idea what to pack.

I know about three phrases thus far. (Hi! Thank you! Good night!)

My house is filthy, and needs major cleaning for the housesitter/dogsitter.

I still need some comfortable walking shoes.

I think I have my work cut out for me tomorrow...

W is for

Wednesday! Here we are folks mid week and all that jazz. Actually, it's Wednesday evening, so that means we're actually closer to the

WEEKEND! And by weekend, that means a nice long Labor Day weekend. We will be spending Saturday with Larry/Mary/Baby Griff just chilling, eating and playing Scrabble. The twins will join us, so it will be a nice group. I do love a three day weekend.

Taylor was talking about Wasabi mashed potatoes recently. She is so much more cultured at her age than I ever was at 17. (who am I kidding, more cultured than I am now!) I do enjoy the taste of Wasabi, and want to try these taters, but I'll be honest, I'm not even sure where to find it in the grocery store, or what it will look like! (other than being green??)

I do not, nor have I ever had a waist.

Even if I move to a very cold climate, I will never wear wool. It makes me too itchy. And, I don't like to feel itchy. Bitchy? Fine. Itchy? uh, NO.

I love wingtip shoes. I continue to buy shoes that mimic this style. I think I should have been a 1940's man or something.

I've never liked the Wiggles. They kinda give me the creeps.

Speaking of not liking things, I really really really do not like that game show with the WHAMMY. That little character makes me want to poke my eyes out. And, yes, I know that I just ended that sentence with a preposition, but that's how crazy he makes me.

Is there a pair of underwear that doesn't give one a wedgie? If you know of one, please share. It might just be my physical makeup, but I swear I've spent half my life picking my drawers out of my crack.

Why does sour cream get that watery bit floating on the top of it after you use a bit from the container?

(here's a totally random one) When I was in high school, I had a friend named Webster Wilson. He wrestled.

One of my favorite songs that DMB performs in concert is, "All Along the Watchtower." They'll usually do it as an encore. WOW.

Well, I'm going to wrap up this written work with words of wisdom:

Whistle While You Work!!