Jackie's Blog

Yesterday was a perfect example. I was up at the crack of dawn as yet again my brain was ticking. I wish I could just flick a switch and turn it off. There is just a lot going on right now. Anyway, I packed a couple more boxes, and did some serious tidying up ready for the cleaner to arrive. As part if the packing experience, I had discovered things that I wanted to donate, so the first job was to take some of them to my boss who was collecting for a mental health hospital. It's interesting that the one year I was organized enough to buy my wrapping paper in the sales after Christmas, that we are going back to England for Christmas and I can't wrap anything before I go :-) That, and I really don't want to take to pack it and take it to California. So I donated it, along with some games and toys. I also discovered the purple martin birdhouses I had volunteered to clean, and they needed to go back to the coordinator. So after delivering both those things, I got to work. I al...

Packing- what fun! Actually I quite like it. It's time first to clear out the clutter to sell the house. I'm finding it quite therapeutic, although the dogs are very confused. The kitchen almost looks bare, but I have a feeling that I'll get used to using just what I have here. We also replaced all the 'pulls' on the doors and drawers and it looks so different. So now I am adding a finish to the doors to spruce them up a bit. Next we have to take the lights off the fan (which are very old fashioned), and then we just have to put up the new lighting to finish it off. Makes me wish we'd done it years ago. Tomorrow we move some of the clutter to the storage unit, and I start on the cupboard under the stairs..

Today we walked to the lake, and hauled out the kayaks which were remarkably clean considering they had been stored upside down all winter. We rinsed them off with lake water and took a slow leisurely paddle towards the beach. There was a lovely breeze, and there was only one other boat out there, so it was all very relaxing. Once we got to the beach we went for a swim. When Dick got out the water he watched a turtle make its slow way down the beach and in the water! He then admitted once I got in that he also saw a water snake! On the way back, we met up with Brian, Chip and Steve- three really nice guys who were cleaning off boats for other people just because they volunteered to :-) We also saw lots of purple martins having a great time flying in the wind. It was getting so hot, we headed back on home to shopping lunch and jobs.

Wednesday 10th May- To Death Valley The convoy parted ways at Kingman as we headed towards Death Valley and Joel and Stevie headed home to LA. Back across Hoover Dam, back past Vegas and past Area 51 , finally driving though barren areas of land that Dick kept noting as being 'straight out of the X files'. It was difficult to see exactly where the valley began until we found our first information station. There we picked up a map and headed to Dante's View, where we first felt the heat of the area. The long twisty road up there was worth it for the views- miles and miles of barren nothingness. In the distance we could see both the highest point in California, Mount Whitney at over 14,000 ft above sea level, and the lowest point, Badwater, 262 ft below sea level. It was very dry and very hot. We drove on to 'Zabriske's Point', where the rock formations look like huge claws of some unknown creature, and then to 'Badwater', the outside temperature continua...

Monday 8th May -Hoover Dam. Finally we left Vegas, and drove past the famous 'Welcome to Las Vegas' sign. I had enjoyed my time there but I was not sad to be leaving. Despite being very glitzy and clean on the surface, their policy to allow smoking everywhere finally got to me. Dick is normally the one who doesn't like crowded places, but I was with him this time. That and the men and women lining the streets slapping their hands to try and get your attention to give you an almost pornographic card advertising the 'services' of some young scantily clad woman. Lovely. You can imagine the litter build up at the end of the day. Not a place to take anyone under the age of 18. So we headed east out of Vegas towards the Grand Canyon. There was lots of building work going on near the Hoover Dam. It seems they are building a bridge across the river, so you won't have to drive across the dam itself in years to come. Probably a security issue these days. You have to go th...

Wednesday 3rd May- Flight to Vegas As usual, I was working right up to the last minute, so I was glad to get to the airport. Atlanta's airport is horribly busy, whenever you go. This time I was leaving from the C gates, flying AirTran for the first time. About an hour before the flight I sat down to listen to my Ipod when I noticed the case was covered in blue ink! A pen had exploded inside my bag. Luckily it was in a pocket, so I spent the next 45 minutes trying to clean it out, and suddenly realised my flight must be boarding! It was, but I was ok. The flight was very full, and I was sat next a woman who was travelling with her mother to go and see Celine Dion in concert. She was very excited.... The flight attendents were very friendly and helpful, though I wasn't happy with just a pack of crackers for a four hour flight. This saving money lark by the airlines may well backfire, as no food means that those who drink (and pay for every one) get drunk much quicker as the guy s...

Well I didn't write for a week and forgot my login and password! I think it is about time that I wrote down all my logins and passwords somewhere. I know I tend to use the same few passwords, so I need to do a bit of changing some too. Friday night I went to our annual bookclub sleepover, and Liz had a book with all her passwords written down. I hope she locks it away when she leaves the house! I also realised that Dick knows loads of paswords that I don't, so we need to amalgamate some too.

My thought for the day is how technology changes our lives. Tonight I sat and updated Dick's calendar from my Mac, and I know he will now know about everything that is on my calendar. I was amazed to discover that he had already put in my usual meetings. I know it is partly because he can plan his geek nights! In the same breath I had 50 spam messages since this morning (filtered out already thank goodness) and several emails to answer. Gosh it seems to take longer and longer to cope with emails. At work I had even more, and it has now become a chore to check them. It's not like they go away if you ignore them! I also realised how many chores Dick usually does, as he is still away in San Fran. When I came in late from work I scrambled to put out our trash, and the neighbors trash (a favor Dick always does for them), I forgot to check the mail, then I had to feed the dogs (something they won't let anyone forget but he also does it in the evening, as I do it in the morning). ...

Long day.. got to work early at the special request of someone, who then did not turn up! Hate that. Dick went off to San Francisco too, so didin't get much of a chance to chat to him before he left, as he was also trying to edit his podcast and get it published before he left. I think it is probably a good idea that he is not here, as I would not have seen him that much this week anyway! Just have to remember that I have to be home in time to sort out the dogs before I go out again. Social meeting tonight- good opportunity to network, but now I'm tired. At least my sinuses don't hurt as much and the headache has just about gone- maybe because I have not had much time to think about it! Will steam again before I go to bed though. Have to work out how to get the spell check working on this blog, as it does not seem to be working right now. Maybe because I am working on a Mac? Will get my geek to do some research if I can't work it out!

Last night the team played again and lost again. For me it is definately confidence. The more we played the better we became and we warmed up into it. We always seem to win the games we play after the official games are over. Also there is some conflict with the guys- having four of them and swapping in does not work as well as when it is a stable team. Poor LeAnne was out with a migraine. Today I think I have a sinus infection, though I am not sure as I've never had a sinus infection before. Does not feel good. Glad I am working from home today, though the meeting minutes could be interesting!

I don't remember the last time I sat down and just played on the computer. Sure I have jobs I really should be doing right now, but what the hell. It started off as a job- to get my email up to date. I've only been intermitently being checking it in the last month, and then there is so much it gets overwhelming and I just can't face it. So I took the bull by the horns and went for it today. Thank God for Gmail. The spam box was 600 messages full. No more. I cleared out all the ones whch are too late to answer now anyway and the notification emails I get about travel etc, which I do like to get once in a while. but do they build up too. Then I have all the ones which get forwarded from work, which is also ok when I need them but otherwise they just clutter up the email. So I am down to about 5 in the inbox and now I am a happy person! All are related to work and will have to be dealt with but not on a Sunday afternoon! I also got to write to Sue and Chris- I worked with bo...

It's a New Year, journaling hasn't worked yet, keep hearing about blogs and decided to give it a try- I think. My only reservation is the rest of the world being privy to my thoughts, so we will see. Why Quaint Jackie? My imagination was not flowing so I borrowed a hint from my instant messenging name, and that was borrowed from my hubby Dick in the first place. 'Quaint' referring to being English in an Amercian world. It is quite a part of my identity here, being English in the Southern Bible belt. My accent is frequently commented on even now, when I am told I have mellowed out a bit. As I always say, most of the time it is a good thing to stand out- people remember me easier, especially when I phone them but if I complain or forget to call someone back, then they always remember it was me they spoke to! Just occasionally it is frustrating, for example when some people insist on telling me all about their English heritage at inappropriate times. I still get asked how ...