some road trip observations

Whew – I made it

Spent about 26 hours on the road driving over 1000 miles down to Orlando – it would not have taken me quite as much time, but the traffic was baddddd in a few places I literally managed about 20 miles an hour at best.

Plus I needed a little sleep – so I did pull off and stop at a few rest stops for cat naps. Add in my small bladder and the fact I tend to drink more on a road trip as it helps with the driving and such.

Saw a lot of neat stuff on the trip – there was a bathroom experience – whew – just remind me never to go off the beaten path or further then two feet from the Interstate regardless of how bad I have to go….

It is interesting the way rest stops are designed - I also found the pattern of where they were were part predictable - always one right after crossing a state line and totally, why did they build two 40 miles between sometimes and 70 or more other times - I also liked watching the different trucks and what they were hauling.

Did pack in a couple hours at Universal – which was cool – it was not as busy as I thought. But the weather so far is great and much warmer than NJ, which is one of a few reasons why I headed south

I also needed a place that offered me a long drive so I could think about some things – it would have been nice to have company – one of the things on my list to think about – but I did manage to be able to sing as loud and off key I wanted and not worry about the hat hair and such I developed from sleeping in my car and such.

Enjoying all the people watching so far and the movie stuff at Universal – it is just amazing to watch couples, groups and families interacting and the dynamics of how they act in a situation – a lot like watching the cars as I drove, how the different cars jockeyed for position and read a situation and where they were going and came from and so on… so many patterns and details to see and explore and the most amazing part – when I focus on exploring those things, I forget for awhile the fact that I am exploring them alone and don’t have anyone to share what I find with afterwards…. But onwards and upwards always watching life : )

understatement

Man does that suck to be in Denver airport right now - to be stuck in an airport or such when trying to get home - also it is hard kinda for me to really grasp and understand how backed up something can get when it is still 3 days until Xmas and yet this clip says some people will not get to where they need to go - wow - brings home how reliant we are on certain thngs...

http://www.weather.com/multimedia/videoplayer.html?clip=4911&nav=84&collection=topstory&from=wxcenter_video

Wow one week before Xmas

Started sunday by taking little one to Storybook Land - this is a small place in Southern NJ that has a mixture of rides and storybook land character houses and things - it's been around for over 50 years and has that quaint charm - although little one likes the rolelr coaster (this time we only did it about 7 times including one 3 in a row stretch) and the tilt a whirl (also known as the "this is gonna make me hurl" - which I managed not to do). We saw Santa, saw the lights and visited every single character thing (she loves those almost as much as the thrill rides).

Monday i visited the doctor for follow up and received great news - my blood work was perfect - no sugar probs, no cholesteral and so on. The blood pressure was down too so only have to monitor that.

The rest of this week will be filled with grading, reports, training and assorted work as I round out the week before the holidays - then off until Jan. 3 - trying to cook something up to take advantage of my first long break since this semester began.

Worried about my youngest sister, she is having some tests done, she is also nto really talking to any of us and not wnating people to come with ehr on her doctor visits so don;t have the whole story :( playing the waiting game to see how bad it will be.......

trying this technorati tech thing

Technorati Profile

So Long I have forgotten

In the car this morning I was running over all the things I have to do today and in the near future

Stuff like.....


Create web page with SAT prep resources for teacher and student training
Teacher workshop - I am training teachers how to use their content to create SAT like questions to help students prepare
Get new FTP addy to upload pages
Prepare Bridging program report (summer program for incoming 9th graders I am the director for)
Prepare report on how students did on a questioning test
Get a blood test the doctor ordered
Get my blood pressure taken
Try to stop by the post office
Prepare tests for geology classes
Figure out grading for labs for my classes
Need to check the discussion board and grade drafts for the high school online class I am teaching
Need to pick up a scooter for xmas gift
Need to get a Pollyanna for work

Need to….

I realized in the car I always have projects waiting for me – no matter how hard I try and yes I complete things and yes the semester is winding down and yes… there always seems to be something waiting

I can't remember the last time I truly had nothing I had to get done….

Life is all about interactions and productions and such… sigh

Saw Spamalot on Broadway Saturday – IT WAS GREAT – I laughed a lot – a couple of the numbers were very stereotypical and did not laugh as much at those, but that actually was always a trademark of the Monty Python crew – they really did play to the stereotype – but they also had very good historical, political and satirical wit with major black, dark humor (See Life of Brian for the commentary and The Meaning of Life for black humor)

I also enjoyed the group I went with – we ate at this Irish pub and it was good.

Spent way too much time at Borders the other night – just stuck to the music section this time (although tried to find the book the Bell Jar – need to go online for that) – picked up a few things (Clerks II soundtrack, Aslyn, Saving Jane and AFI). There was more I listened to but my wallet is empty

Thinking of destinations down south to travel to – thinking since I am going alone again going to tried and true Orlando – it is a good drive and I know my way a little so it is not totally unfamiliar. Plus never been down there during a mad – crazy time – Yes I wanna spend three hours to ride a 6.445 minute Jaws ride – lmao – I'll bring a notebook with and write and such while in line :P

random thoughts

Ok so taking a brief break here at work listening to my live365 radio account

The last few songs
New Found Glory - It's Not Your Fault
13 Stories - Christmas Makes Me Hot
Evanescence - Weight of the World
Alanis Morissette - Crazy
Lostprophets - Rooftops
Carbon Leaf - Life Less Ordinary
Avril Lavigne - Keep Holding On


I listen to a lot of different types of radio stations through Live365 and like the variety it offers (where else can you find a radio station that broadcasts nothing but the different songs and such from different Disney theme park attractions – haha yes I know you are asking who would listen to that :-D

Finished my Alternate Route Education classes last night – no more of those until January. Now to make it through the rest of my classes and work. Two weeks

Then I took off the 23rd through the 2nd of January to recharge – I am not sure yet where I am going but I hope to do a bit of a road trip – anyone have suggestions or wanna join in – come along the more the merrier ;-D

My sisters are settling back to things – the trip to Arizona helped smooth some things – but I still worry about a number of things :(

I stopped into the doctor the other day – which is a major thing for me as I do not like doctors and this visit did nothing but reaffirm that. Don’t get me wrong – doctors are the most awesome people around – they save lives, deal with shit and have a stress filled life – like everyone else. I just get really weird with medical stuff.

Well I have a cold, no strep and the doctor found something to be concerned about and so prescribed medicine, more tests and I have to stop back in on the 18th to see what we do next… somehow the time between October and January just continues to bring bad stuff my way…

Put up some xmas decorations – my tree looks like a haphazard thing – lol – I'll have to put up some pictures – oh yeah I'll put up the pictures from the Arizona trip hopefully today/tomorrow – but I put out the animated stuff and then started decorating the tree – it is kinda a here and there thing and somehow the ornaments do not hang right and I could not get the branches out right so they clump (it is a 4 ft artificial tree) and it came prewrapped with lights and one set of them still do not work, have not worked for the last two years and I so need someone to figure out why. Ah well I just hang a lot of ornaments or attempt to in that area.

The blahs seem to be sticking around – I manage to scare them away here or there but they seem to remain in the background – not sure if when the semester finally ends if that will help or not.

Saturday going on a bus trip to New York to see Spamalot – that should be very kewl : )

I also got tickets for March for B.B. King and also I had to see Wicked when it comes to Philly, as I may have mentioned before, so I got the special four pack of tickets with Wicked being the fourth (I will also be seeing the Edward Scissorshand musical, Pippen and another production of Spamalot)

I love British Comedy a lot (I so need to rent Absolutely Fabulous and get my decadent fix) so the duplication of the musical is not a bad thing.

Not much else on the music front right now, but we shall see what I can slip out to see in the next few weeks.

Saw the movie Love, Actually the other day and cried a lot and laughed a lot. I am a sappy romantic sometimes and this movie just brought out the best and worst and the cast was awesome! I also really liked how they used music in the movie – again the British influence is just so grand in many cases.

I would love to get to go to London at least – some day… eh as long as I keep traveling that is a good thing.

Going to hopefully finally watch season 3 of the L Word (been staying away from spoilers so far) and there are a few others to rent. I wanna see Stranger Than Fiction as I love to write so much and For Your Consideration (I love Catherine O-Hara and those indie films that crew has been doing – still need to see Dog Show and a Mighty Wind though…)

Well back to the grind.

a song to show what I am thinking/feeling wishing

Never Alone - BarlowGirl

I waited for You today
But You didn't show
No.No.No
I needed You today
So where did you go?
You told me to call
Said You'd be there
And though I haven't seen You
Are You still here?

Chorus
I cry out with no reply and
I can't feel You by my side
So I'll hold tight to what I know
You're here and I'm never alone.

And though I cannot see You
and I can't explain why
Such a deep, deep reassurance
You've placed in my life oh
We cannot separate
'Cause You're part of me
and though You're invisible
I'll trust the unseen

Chorus
I cry out with no reply
And I can't feel You by my side
So I'll hold tight to what I know
You're here and I'm never alone

We cannot separate
You're part of me
and though You're invisible
I trust the unseen

Chorus
I cry out with no reply
and I can't feel You by my side
So I'll hold tight to what I know
You're here and I'm never alone