What's Going On Right Now

1. I am up late as usual, enjoying a blog or two!

2. It has been raining incessantly in New Hampshire...until about two days ago when this big yellow ball appeared in the sky, and the air got hot. We don't know exactly what's going on. But someone said something about "sunshine"? I will have to google that to find out what it means.

3. I am trying to find some pet sitting gigs in our condo complex for extra money.

4. Am reading "The Time Traveler's Wife" and enjoying the mind bending aspect of thinking in time travel mode. Best question the girl always asks the man, "When are you from?"

5. We are hooked on watching Battlestar Galactica, or as I like to call it, Battlestar LaGeektica. We are in Season 2.5 right now and deep in the thick of man's fight against the Cylons to keep from going extinct! Plus a whole lot of other General Hospital*-type drama. [*If you're too young to know that show, think the great slutty parts of Grey's Anatomy.]

6. Scott is taking a million photos of the beautiful New Hampshire slice of earth and working on his permanent portfolio online. Selling prints already, but there will be a beautiful online gallery to peruse soon. Stay tuned!

7. Coming up to Dad's DDay anniversary. Must find some other term for it than "Death Day." Not looking forward to the passing of this milestone. The summer has been rough all the way around, stupid with milestones.

8. We are getting ready to go camping on Grape Island in Maine next weekend. Mom will watch our cat babies.

9. Still working on the pregnancy project. Am now off reading pregnancy books b/c they always make me think I am pregnant (which is only fun until the darn stick reads "negative" AGAIN). Am now reading novels and autobiographies about women who struggled to get pregnant. Whoa, those books are an emotional roller coaster, but so good and not quite as threatening.

10. Working part-time at the bankruptcy law office and still greatly enjoying that work. Continuing to look for full-time work in this dismal economy. My unemployment has been recalculated (since I have been on it a whole year! Ack!!) and now it's worth even less, if that's possible! So I am hitting the pavement with renewed vigor, looking for full-time work. Or freelance. Doing some editing and that's highly enjoyable.

And how are you?
~Ally

Vacation Day 1 (Attempt to get to Alabama)

We actually started our vacation as of Friday after work. We went to Mom's Spring Concert in Gilford and saw a delightful group of singers lift up their voices in joy. Great start.

Then Saturday the 16th, rawther early if you ask me, we started our vacation with hopefulness. Look at Scottie, enjoying his flight and everything.Since Delta and Northworst have joined forces (for the propagation of evil, it turns out), they have developed these cheery little marketing cookies, called "Biscoff." Mmm. We ate lots of them, as we were shuffled to a bazillion flights, instead of the two we paid for.
Long about the time they diverted us to Memphis, TN - what?? - instead of Birmingham, AL, we got suspicious. I entertained myself by playing the game What if we are the cast of LOST - you know, who would be the main group and who would be the Others, which of these passengers could likely build a shelter, who would have a bad attitude, a drug problem, or be secretly pregnant...
We did manage to find the world's LARGEST calculator in one of the airports, sure to come in handy for our island misadventures.
This fine gentleman appeared on the plane in Memphis, and had words with the pilot as to whether or not he could/would fix the infamous "broken radar" (whatever that means).
After three - yes, THREE - times unboarding and reboarding the plane in Memphis, we finally got off the ground. However we did get a little concerned after time two, when we saw the pilot and staff (below) running away from our plane with their suitcases! Ack.
Needless to say, we got to know our fellow passengers quite well. This was one of the friendly, nice ones. [Had we been the cast of Survivor, we totally would have formed an alliance with him, and would not have voted him off...] Once we got to Alabama at midnight, instead of 4:00 p.m., we had to rent a car and drive to Pete and Fran's house.
We were sad we missed dinner with Scott's brother Steve, Susan, and the kids, and that we missed time with Mom and Dad; but all in all, it worked out. We didn't get our knickers in a twist, and we stayed in relatively good spirits. Why? I asked myself the same question, because patience in airports is not my strong point. I attribute it to the growing phenomenon I call "contentment with our lives." I just feel more at ease with my life these days, and therefore, better able to deal with momentary chaos. And I'm grateful for this.

Day 2 adventures in 'Bama and Tennessee to come. Stay tuned!

~Ally

Note to self

It's the second hour of "Jonathan Edward, Crossing Over" that'll really hit you for a loop. That is, if you weren't already blubbering in the first episode.

Ahem.