Changes in a lifetime

We all know things change, but sometimes I don't think we realize how quickly.

When our children were young, we had an RV and through the mid-1980s, we took several 3-week long vacations. We wouldn't trade for them, and I hope the boys wouldn't either. But 'you play, you pay' and catching up afterwards was a chore.

I was reminded of this this week when our younger son had returned from a one week trip to Alaska. He was enthralled and they had had a fantastic time, but the catching up with his work was near-overwhelming. He had taken a cell phone, laptop, and iPad on this trip. While he wasn't always within range to communicate with the rest of us and his world, he wasn't totally incommunicado. How had Dad caught up with his work after three weeks? he asked me.

Oh, I answered, before cell phones? Before laptops? Before email and the internet? You mean, son, when in order to call home, we had to find a pay phone and either call collect or punch in numbers from a calling card? Any of this ring a bell?

On second thought, how did we catch up? Very slowly. No wonder I've put the catching-up out of my mind and just remembered the trips.

Earring update

So, how hard can it be to find a pair of earrings in an upscale shopping district?

Very.

For starters, I wanted something casual enough to wear everyday, so there went the rhinestones and "shoulder-dusters." And I didn't want to pay a lot because, you know, this is not a pair of earrings I absolutely have to have. Well, it sorta' is. Anyway, I'm frugal (cheap?) by nature, so I had my price point. It was low.

It took about a dozen stores to realize I really was in the wrong area (where's a mall when you need one?), but eventually at an Ann Taylor, I found the 50% off rack with reasonably sized earrings. And the 50% was off the sale price. I wore my less-than-$10 pair out.

Having a grand time.

Wish you were here.

Kay, earring'ed once more

Thoughts from the road

We're on the road for a few days and random thoughts appear:

Really? Talking on your phone while on the treadmill? And not being out of breath while running? That's disgusting to those of us who are walking and not able to do the same.

And why are the gym hours posted as 6 AM to 10 PM and it's 5:45 and the two of the three treadmills are already in use? Guess we just post hours because... can't think why.

We're on the fourth set of electronic keys to our room. Four. Count them. Have to have them in the elevator too. Keep getting red and yellow lights on the door, not a green one. Engineering is so not in love with us.

Trusted Google/iPad to get us somewhere and we missed the road (not its fault) but then it had us at the wrong Grand Avenue... Never trust. I know better. Got it straightened out with a phone call. Nice lady at the museum had heard it all before.

To top it off, I got distracted and forgot to pack any earrings and necklaces and have been without for three days now. Shopping. I have got to go shopping. I mean, how distracted can you get to not pack jewelry? Well, I know the answer to that now.

Having a grand time.

Wish you were here,
Kay

Coincidence or karma? You decide.

We just visited beautiful Napa. The weather was perfect, especially in light of the fact that the weather was so bad at home, the companionship great (second son and wife), and the wines... well, it was Napa after all. We rented a house through Vacation Rental by Owner and stayed within walking distance of downtown. Each morning, we walked to the river, got a cup of coffee from the local watering hole, and came back another way.

Our "other way" was First Avenue. One section held beautifully restored older homes, most of which seemed to be bed and breakfasts. There was one in particular with a bay area which overlooked the front lawn and the street. There were people having breakfast while we were walking by. We looked in; they looked out. They seemed to be of an age to us and one woman had lovely short blonde hair.

When you fly Southwest Airlines into Dallas Love Field, you have to, thanks (or not) to the Wright Amendment, make a plane-pit stop somewhere. Our "somewhere" was Austin. The plane basically unloads, the passengers remaining stretch, potty, or change locations, and then within twenty minutes all the new passengers are on, and when flying from Austin to Dallas, you barely have time to get your peanuts and beverage.

What you do have time to do is acquaint yourselves with the lady who thought the two of you were safe enough to sit with. She's very lovely and blonde and of an age to us. She's a nurse, lives in Dallas, has been in Austin on business. It was quite a rushed trip because, after all, she and the husband had just returned the night before from an anniversary trip to Napa. There, they'd stayed in a beautiful B&B. One with a bay window for eating breakfast. Where, because she said I looked familiar, they'd been looking out as we'd been looking in.

Cue Twilight Zone. She even knew what I was wearing.