And we're off . .almost

Tomorrow morning we leave for Wisconsin. We hear it is very cold there, and should make it all the way up to 6 degrees tomorrow when we arrive. This used to be a problem when I was reluctant to wear my winter coat. Mostly because I hated to sit down in my jacket as it would all push up and I would have a big bulge to deal with.

Well friends, I discovered something that apparently EVERYONE else in the world has known for years except me. Did YOU know that the double zipper on jackets was for you to zip UP in order to sit down? I never knew this, and since this discovery a few days ago my life has been transformed. I am no longer resistant to wear my winter coat. The cold weather is much more manageable now!

What else . . .I have been working a lot. I gave my official notice last Friday . . .and I have been doing a few hours each week at the new job in order to overlap with the current social workers. It has been good, but makes for long weeks.

I have a post inside of my head about being a social worker during the holiday season. Perhaps on Tuesday I will get that one out. Don't hold your breathe!!

If I am not back before the holiday, I wish all 4 of you a very happy, healthy, wondiferous holiday and new year.

Oh, in other news I will be another year older in a few days as well, and I am hoping old-agehood is good to me! Happy Birthday to me!

Hope all is well, and WARM in your parts.

San Diego-Day 3

Today was my whirlwind tour of San Diego. Sorry Rebecky, but LaJolla was not in the cards for this trip. I started on the tour at 2:15 and got back to the hotel at 10pm . . . The tour was great, and here are some highlights. I have to say that I am sooo mad at my camera. We have rechargeable batteries--three of them to be exact and all three were charged before I left. None of them worked for more than a few pictures, and I had to buy regular batteries which the camera just ate up quickly. Not good for mass picture taking. Oh well. Maybe someone will get us a new one for Christmas. Here's a photo of a coast guard ship from the ferry to Coronado.


A neat picture of a ship on the bay. Nice photo if I say so myself.



















There's a thing called Urban Trees, where there are sculptures such as these along the road that borders the bay. This was an awesome one . . .














Cactus garden in Balboa park. There were some FUNKY cacti in this place. The views were fantastic . . .wanted to stay longer, but I didn't have much time to gallivant while on the tour.












Also in Balboa Park--there were lots of globes that were decorated with earth saving themes . . .I liked this one best. They lined on of the walkways, and also surrounded the fountain.










Balboa Park--beautiful and so not enough time to see everything . . .

This morning started with me accompanying my co-worker and her partner to the courthouse so they could be married. It was amazing to see them, and the other couples who had come to be joined in marriage. I am amazed to hear the commercials here in California that are in opposition of same sex marriage--some are down right mean. I also heard someone in Philly donated $900,000 to California to help the fight to ban same sex marriage. I know there are all sorts on many different sides of this issue, but I have to say, for a brief moment today I felt like there was hope that I, and others like me, could feel the experience the same things that other people get to experience.

Sigh . . .ok, I need to go to bed as my presentation is tomorrow at 8am. Wish me luck!

(ps--this is so not checked for grammar and spelling, so please forgive me. I am BEAT!)

San Diego--Day 2 in pictures

OK, so these aren't in the order of my day, but I am tired and it will have to do. Here's a shot of some of the shops that I went to today. I skipped out early on a session and went to check it out. It looked like a little village of shops. This pictures doesn't do it justice, but it was cute. I got a gift for DP and a cute pirate shirt for Little Tyke.







This is a shot of only HALF of the HUGE convention center. My day started at 6:30 am for the social work business meeting. This was held in a hotel to the right of the center.











Near the Seaport Village where I went shopping-there was a park and you could see the boats going by and this was just a neat shot. A little fuzzy, but good. Great walking areas here--though the grass is funny. I haven't figured out why it is weird, but it is. Sort of like a mix between astroturf and real grass . . .is it a California thing?






What's this? I died and went to heaven . . .oh no. This is just the pool area at the hotel my stuff was in today. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT--look how freaking cool it was. It went most of the way around this restaurant on a hill. Very nice . . .











Another picture from the park I was walking in by the water.












The sight right outside of my hotel. Look at those trees. The grassy area must be an informal dog park area. Lots of dogs, and poop bag stations.

Tomorrow I am going to see my co-worker get married, then I will go to lunch, and then off for the trolley tour. I am excited. I had dinner with my boss, her daughter and friend, another nurse from Philly, and someone else I can't remember. We watched the Phillies game until it was rained out. Fun times. Then I headed to the rooftop pool and hot tub. Now, I am beat. Till tomorrow . . .

San Diego--Day 1

My day started off really early this morning--I was at the airport by 6am. It was early and I didn't want to get coffee cause I wasn't sure if my butt would fit in the potty on the plane. (It fit fine, so next time I am getting the jumbo size!)

They told me to go to gate C25, which I dutifully did after getting a bagel sandwich that I would leisurely enjoy when I got to the gate with plenty of time to spare. Well, I get to said gate and the destination says Minneapolis . . .Uh, I am going to San Diego. She says they told me the wrong gate . . .really I needed to be at A23 (my SEAT number was C25?), which was seriously about 2 miles away. At this point I am hot because I had on long pants and long sleeve shirt and fleece. I start to strip, and high tail it to my gate. I stop to go to the bathroom, and realize I am sweating like a pig. Damn it.

I get to the gate and they are boarding. I open my sandwich to eat before I get on the plane, and realize the food is cold, AND they made it on a cheddar jalapeno bagel--which if you know me, you know I can't have spicy food. I eat the egg out of it, and the bottom of the bagel and trash the rest.

I get on the plane, all the way four rows from the back, and I get there and there is no more room in the overhead thing. Lady tells me to go toward the front. I turn around and there are a ton of people behind me. I can't move, no one will help. I stand there looking like I might cry. Finally the bag gets stowed 10 rows up, and I take my seat.

I am sitting next to two very interesting folks, and we end up chatting at the end. We watched Cinderella Man--which I wouldn't have normally chosen, but it was good. Indian man next to me is veterinarian headed to LaJolla for the USDA conference, and girl next to him is from Scranton and going to same conference as me. Just returned from two years in the peace corps. Good talk all around. We land and I get to cab very unceremoniously.

Get to hotel and I am not quite dried off from morning sweat, and now I have new sweat because it is 84 in SD today, and I am still in long sleeve pants and shirt. They don't have a room ready for me yet, cause it is only 11am here . . and I have been awake for hours, I am sweaty, and I need new clothes on. I take my stuff to the potty and put shorts and shirt on. I feel slightly better, but still wish I could change in room. They will call me when it is ready.

I go across street to convention center and the place is bigger than our airport I think. HUGE-there are like 12,000 people at this conference, and this is nothing compared to what it will look like tomorrow. I go to the opening session and they call to say room is ready. I go back, unpack, talk to DP--HI!!!, and then go back for new member session and check out co-workers poster presentation. The exhibit hall is HUGE and has a ton of stuff in it and I can't process that right now. Maybe tomorrow.

Somewhere along the way I go to a little cafe and have diner--by myself. A nice panini, salad, and diet soda. I haven't ever been to a real restaurant by myself, and I am working my way up to it. Even though I have some co-workers here, I don't know them all that well, and none have been overly excited about contacting me to hang out. I saw one and her partner while I was eating, and they stopped and chatted for a few minutes. They are getting married on Tuesday here in CA and they are excited. We are all supposed to go watch, but I don't know about how I feel about that--nor do I know how I would get there.

So much to take in. The trees I have never seen before, the beautiful area I am staying in, the people running around with fake blood on them for the Zombie Walk?? I want to get to the water some time, and there is a cute little shopping center near the bay which I may be able to take the little trolley to. The same little trolley does a little historic tour which I might try and catch at some point.

All of this after some sleep . . .it is after midnight in my head, and I need to sleep. Till tomorrow.