This has been a very lazy weekend. After the flurry of releasing the designs on Friday, not to mention my arrival, we just kind of kept the weekend quiet. While Peter was busy getting his apartment painted on Saturday, Santi and I took a nap! We had to be all rested for the Rugby finals yesterday! Santi's Sharks were playing Western Province for the championship. Peter and Santi got a little unhappy when Western Provience scored in the first minute of the game but the Sharks made a comback and won by a score of 30 to 10! Needless to say, Santi was thrilled!
After dinner Santi and I came back into the office to work/play on the computers and with the software. I'm not sure what time she finally went to bed but it wasn't that late. I know she was exhausted after last week. I don't know what time she was up this morning but it was long before me! I think it was about 10:30 before I came downstairs. The sun comes up early here and I've been up kind of early. I look outside and see the sun is out and think I should be up... well after a few mornings of being up at 7 I decided today I wasn't falling for that bright shinny day outside to fool me! Ha! Now look who got fooled!
Today Peter and Stefan grilled and they did a wonderful job! Dinner was wonderful and the company was awesome. Peter's daughter Celeste came by with her daughter Kayla, Peter's other grand daughter. She stayed for a while and chatted while the guys were grilling. Kayla is 3 now and just a beautiful little girl!
After dinner Santi took a little nap today, one of her medications she takes tends to make her drowsey and I still say she got up too early this morning. I played with software for a while and did a little email while I waited for her to wake up. Then of course it was back into the office for more computer work! It never ends with her! She always has several things on the drawing board at any given time. I won't tease about some of the stuff I have seen because we don't know when it will be finished and released but there is a lot more coming from Hatched!
Well, I did have a chance to talk to Kelly (my boyfriend) tonight which was nice. I didn't really get an opportunity to talk to him this weekend. I think he's still unhappy I'm here and not there with him... men are so spoiled! But that's our fault I guess, we spoil them!
Well, it's almost 2am and I'm heading for bed. I think Santi is waiting for me to finish this so she can turn off the lights and go to bed herself. So for Santi and I, we wish you a good day!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
Friday 10/29 - Paisley Flair Launch Day
The day started with a flurry of activity as Prisca and Amanda arrived to do the final stitch outs of the new Paisley Flair design collection! There was so much excitement in the air you could almost feel it! Santi was able to make her Paisley Butterfly to add to the collection after working most of the night on it. Prisca stitched it out with out a single problem, we are all so excited about it...
It's almost 8pm and Liese, her husband Dylan and the kids are there. Liese is working hard to get the designs uploaded and the webpage finished. She says she won't give up until it's done! It's difficult being the mother of 2 and holding down a full time job as most of us know and Liese is handling it pretty well even though she has a new one on the way. Her workload is heavier than normal with Cara traveling right now but she's getting it all done. She has created the color charts and keep in mind that there are 2 color variations to this collection so her work is doubled here.
Next comes converting all of the files to all of the different formats and hoop sizes and making sure that each zip file is correct and has the color charts in them. Then there is building the webpage and making sure that all of the links are correct and working. The amount of work involved in launching one new set is unbelieveable and to think of how many design sets have been launched in the last week or so and how many there are still to come!
Liese got a dinner break and now she's off to grab some clothes for Declan. Declan will be staying the night with Oma and Opa tonight. Peter is going to go do some errands tomorrow and Declan wants to go with him s it will be easier for him to spend the night. Peter is wonderful with Declan while Zoe is Oma's girl! Declan has just discovered Liese left for a few minutes to go get him some clothes and he's not too happy that she left. Zoe on the other hand is asleep in Oma's arms.
Liese is about done uploading the new page and from what I see here it looks beautiful :) I have to give her a lot of credit for sticking with it today to get these uploaded and ready for us to enjoy. It's been an experience being here watching what goes on around here to get those designs sets up on the Internet. I didin't think it was an easy job but I had no idea that it took as long as it did!
It's almost 8pm and Liese, her husband Dylan and the kids are there. Liese is working hard to get the designs uploaded and the webpage finished. She says she won't give up until it's done! It's difficult being the mother of 2 and holding down a full time job as most of us know and Liese is handling it pretty well even though she has a new one on the way. Her workload is heavier than normal with Cara traveling right now but she's getting it all done. She has created the color charts and keep in mind that there are 2 color variations to this collection so her work is doubled here.
Next comes converting all of the files to all of the different formats and hoop sizes and making sure that each zip file is correct and has the color charts in them. Then there is building the webpage and making sure that all of the links are correct and working. The amount of work involved in launching one new set is unbelieveable and to think of how many design sets have been launched in the last week or so and how many there are still to come!
Liese got a dinner break and now she's off to grab some clothes for Declan. Declan will be staying the night with Oma and Opa tonight. Peter is going to go do some errands tomorrow and Declan wants to go with him s it will be easier for him to spend the night. Peter is wonderful with Declan while Zoe is Oma's girl! Declan has just discovered Liese left for a few minutes to go get him some clothes and he's not too happy that she left. Zoe on the other hand is asleep in Oma's arms.
Liese is about done uploading the new page and from what I see here it looks beautiful :) I have to give her a lot of credit for sticking with it today to get these uploaded and ready for us to enjoy. It's been an experience being here watching what goes on around here to get those designs sets up on the Internet. I didin't think it was an easy job but I had no idea that it took as long as it did!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wednesday - More Work on the Paisley Collection
I think that the time difference caught up with me today. Of course Santi and I going to bed at 3 this morning probably didn't help, but I got up at 7, saw what time it was and decided that wasn't working for me today and I went back to bed. I finally got back up at 11:30 this morning. Of course Santi was up at 7 and stayed up, but she had work to do. It was enough work for me to keep my eyes open!
Santi is still working on the paisley collection and they are coming along. She has to do some color sorting on 3 designs and then I think there is one more to finish. She started it a while ago and then for some reason moved on to another one and left this one unfinished. It's just awesome to watch her work. She is so meticulous about her work. She doesn't like jump stitches and that is one thing I love about her work. You'll only find them where there is absolutely no way to hide them. How she keeps up with where she is and what she's doing is beyond me. I asked her about it last night as she was color sorting one of the designs and she said that it used to be harder for her but the more she does it the easier it gets. That doesn't mean she doesn't use use that UNDO button LOL. Anyone who works with embroidery software knows that UNDO and his cousin REDO are your 2 favorite tools!
One of the biggest problems I have is that I never know when she's talking to me and when she's talking to her computer! I told her that she has to let me know when she's talking to me otherwise she may think I'm ignoring her. Then there are the times when I'm convinced she's talking to me and she isn't!
Liese came by this afternoon for a few minutes. She looks wonderful but a little tired. She's chasing after 2 kids and that would make anyone tired. The 3rd, a boy, is due in February and right now they haven't come up with a name. It took them a while to come up with Declan's name but Liese said that Zoe came easy. Liese is looking for a name that will be the same in English as it is in Afrikaans. I never even thought that a name might change but after she went through a few they had discussed it made more sense to me. I suppose since I only speak one language it's just something that I don't think about. Liese said if this were a girl they wouldn't have any problems coming up with a name but the boy name is proving more difficult. Apparently Declan didn't have a name until just before he was born.
Stephan came by last night for a bit and he and Peter visited in the living room while Santi and I stayed in the office working on her designs. It was good to see him again! I met him the last time I was here and I was so happy when he and Cara decided to get married. They make a good team I think. I know that when Cara comes home on the 8th of November, Stefan is going to be very happy. Santi makes dinner for him about once a week to make sure he gets a home cooked meal LOL.
Tonight she is working on some ox tails. I keep telling her just to cook it and I'll eat what's put in front of me, just don't tell me what it is! It's not that I'm a picky eater but I don't know how brave I am at times. My mother had her list of things she made, and she was a very good cook, but she didn't do a lot of experimentation when I was growing up. Now, E.K. (one of our moderators) said she loves ox tails and she uses it in her home made vegetable soup. Her family came from a farm so she eats a wider variety of foods than I do! Santi just laughed when I told her that E.K. eats ox tails in her soup. She thinks I'm a coward at times I know LOL.
Peter is Peter, charming as ever for those who have met him. He comes in from work in the evenings and makes sure that Santi and I have coffee or tea. He's very attentive. He's one who always makes you feel at home even if it's in the States when they travel! I think he really does enjoy the traveling and meeting everyone. He's quite a good salesman as well.
I saw Mari for a few minutes yesterday. She's doing good :) We are going to get together for lunch while I'm here. I see Mari more than I see Betsi when I'm here. I haven't seen Betsi yet. With Cara in the States Betsi is taking care of the office and doing a lot of Cara's chores. I think Betsi is going to be very happy to see Cara back too. Not everyone loves the admin type of work she does. Hatched has a large following here in South Africa and their customers often come to the office to make their purchases. How cool would that be? Just to walk into the office and see the girls? I haven't seen the new office just yet, Santi has been busy working and I'm the slave driver!
I don't know about Santi but I'm going to be in bed early tonight! I know her, she's going to work until these paisley designs are finished tonight. She's determined to get them up on the webpage tomorrow! It's a lot of work to get these designs ready to sell once they are finished. There are webpages to be built, files to be converted, images to create for the webpages. There is actually more work than I think most of us realize in getting a set of designs up. There are still more sets that are waiting for final testing so we can expect more goodies in the next few weeks!
Santi is still working on the paisley collection and they are coming along. She has to do some color sorting on 3 designs and then I think there is one more to finish. She started it a while ago and then for some reason moved on to another one and left this one unfinished. It's just awesome to watch her work. She is so meticulous about her work. She doesn't like jump stitches and that is one thing I love about her work. You'll only find them where there is absolutely no way to hide them. How she keeps up with where she is and what she's doing is beyond me. I asked her about it last night as she was color sorting one of the designs and she said that it used to be harder for her but the more she does it the easier it gets. That doesn't mean she doesn't use use that UNDO button LOL. Anyone who works with embroidery software knows that UNDO and his cousin REDO are your 2 favorite tools!
One of the biggest problems I have is that I never know when she's talking to me and when she's talking to her computer! I told her that she has to let me know when she's talking to me otherwise she may think I'm ignoring her. Then there are the times when I'm convinced she's talking to me and she isn't!
Liese came by this afternoon for a few minutes. She looks wonderful but a little tired. She's chasing after 2 kids and that would make anyone tired. The 3rd, a boy, is due in February and right now they haven't come up with a name. It took them a while to come up with Declan's name but Liese said that Zoe came easy. Liese is looking for a name that will be the same in English as it is in Afrikaans. I never even thought that a name might change but after she went through a few they had discussed it made more sense to me. I suppose since I only speak one language it's just something that I don't think about. Liese said if this were a girl they wouldn't have any problems coming up with a name but the boy name is proving more difficult. Apparently Declan didn't have a name until just before he was born.
Stephan came by last night for a bit and he and Peter visited in the living room while Santi and I stayed in the office working on her designs. It was good to see him again! I met him the last time I was here and I was so happy when he and Cara decided to get married. They make a good team I think. I know that when Cara comes home on the 8th of November, Stefan is going to be very happy. Santi makes dinner for him about once a week to make sure he gets a home cooked meal LOL.
Tonight she is working on some ox tails. I keep telling her just to cook it and I'll eat what's put in front of me, just don't tell me what it is! It's not that I'm a picky eater but I don't know how brave I am at times. My mother had her list of things she made, and she was a very good cook, but she didn't do a lot of experimentation when I was growing up. Now, E.K. (one of our moderators) said she loves ox tails and she uses it in her home made vegetable soup. Her family came from a farm so she eats a wider variety of foods than I do! Santi just laughed when I told her that E.K. eats ox tails in her soup. She thinks I'm a coward at times I know LOL.
Peter is Peter, charming as ever for those who have met him. He comes in from work in the evenings and makes sure that Santi and I have coffee or tea. He's very attentive. He's one who always makes you feel at home even if it's in the States when they travel! I think he really does enjoy the traveling and meeting everyone. He's quite a good salesman as well.
I saw Mari for a few minutes yesterday. She's doing good :) We are going to get together for lunch while I'm here. I see Mari more than I see Betsi when I'm here. I haven't seen Betsi yet. With Cara in the States Betsi is taking care of the office and doing a lot of Cara's chores. I think Betsi is going to be very happy to see Cara back too. Not everyone loves the admin type of work she does. Hatched has a large following here in South Africa and their customers often come to the office to make their purchases. How cool would that be? Just to walk into the office and see the girls? I haven't seen the new office just yet, Santi has been busy working and I'm the slave driver!
I don't know about Santi but I'm going to be in bed early tonight! I know her, she's going to work until these paisley designs are finished tonight. She's determined to get them up on the webpage tomorrow! It's a lot of work to get these designs ready to sell once they are finished. There are webpages to be built, files to be converted, images to create for the webpages. There is actually more work than I think most of us realize in getting a set of designs up. There are still more sets that are waiting for final testing so we can expect more goodies in the next few weeks!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Good Morning South Africa
I slept well last night and was up a little after 8am surprisingly after being up so long the days before the trip. This morning I'm watching Santi work. I love to watch Santi at work on her designs. I learn so much just by watching although she can't teach me her "artistry". Of course there is the "work" part of the design. Right now Santi is color sorting her new Paisley collection to make sure it all sews in the right order and there are as few jump stitches as possible. I think that is the real beauty of her designs. She doesn't make you work as much as other digitizers.
It's a beautiful morning here. It's not too hot and I'm not sure if it will get hot or stay as beautiful as it is now. One thing I didn't realize is that summer here the days don't stay light longer. I just assumed it was like summer at home! Silly me! We all know what happens when we assume now don't we? I need to get the camera out today and see if I can get some pictures of Santi's office so you can get an idea of where she works.
They recently had to move the "office" into a new facility. For so many years they worked out of the convertered garage at Santi's condo until someone complained about the parking situation here. There isn't a whole lot of parking here in the complex and with the girls coming and going it created a little mess. So the office was moved down the street. It makes life a little more difficult for Santi when she is working on her designs. It use to be that she would digitize one element of a design and have the girls test it out to see if she was on the right track. Now it takes a little longer to get the testing done which can be a distraction of it's own.
Right now, doing the color sorting and the finishing touches on a collection with 10 designs, she needs to concentrate on what she's doing. That's kind of difficult to do with the phone ringing all day long. Add into the mix she now has company sitting on her lap watching her every move. She's funny as she sits here and talks to her computer. I know I do it when I'm at home hoping that the computer will do what I want it to do and not what I tell it to do! LOL
I saw Liese and the kids last night. Declan is growing like a weed and his little sister Zoe looks so much like him. I think both of the kids look a lot like Liese! Liese looks good and I think she's done with her morning sickness. The new baby boy is due in February and of course Liese has that glow of a new mother! I won't see Cara until after the 8th of November since she is still traveling in the US. I'm sure Stefan will be happy she's back home after 5 weeks on the road.
Well, we have some running around to do today and I guess we'll get started on it soon!
It's a beautiful morning here. It's not too hot and I'm not sure if it will get hot or stay as beautiful as it is now. One thing I didn't realize is that summer here the days don't stay light longer. I just assumed it was like summer at home! Silly me! We all know what happens when we assume now don't we? I need to get the camera out today and see if I can get some pictures of Santi's office so you can get an idea of where she works.
They recently had to move the "office" into a new facility. For so many years they worked out of the convertered garage at Santi's condo until someone complained about the parking situation here. There isn't a whole lot of parking here in the complex and with the girls coming and going it created a little mess. So the office was moved down the street. It makes life a little more difficult for Santi when she is working on her designs. It use to be that she would digitize one element of a design and have the girls test it out to see if she was on the right track. Now it takes a little longer to get the testing done which can be a distraction of it's own.
Right now, doing the color sorting and the finishing touches on a collection with 10 designs, she needs to concentrate on what she's doing. That's kind of difficult to do with the phone ringing all day long. Add into the mix she now has company sitting on her lap watching her every move. She's funny as she sits here and talks to her computer. I know I do it when I'm at home hoping that the computer will do what I want it to do and not what I tell it to do! LOL
I saw Liese and the kids last night. Declan is growing like a weed and his little sister Zoe looks so much like him. I think both of the kids look a lot like Liese! Liese looks good and I think she's done with her morning sickness. The new baby boy is due in February and of course Liese has that glow of a new mother! I won't see Cara until after the 8th of November since she is still traveling in the US. I'm sure Stefan will be happy she's back home after 5 weeks on the road.
Well, we have some running around to do today and I guess we'll get started on it soon!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Only Hours Left to Go
I'm packed. The iPod is charged as is my phone and laptop. I won't be able to use my phone after I board the plane in Washington DC but in the meantime I can certainly wear down that battery! I woke up this morning ready to go. I didn't need my coffee but I made it anyway. The only thing left for me to do before my cousin Donna arrives to take me to the airport at 12:30pm is to hit the shower!
I really didn't think I would be as excited about this trip as I was the last time I went but I was wrong. I didn't sleep well last night, I kept waking up and looking at the clock to see if it was time to get up. Finally at 6:30am I gave up after laying there for over an hour. I hope this means that I'll be able to sleep on the flight! This time tomorrow I'll still be in the air! 20.5 hour of traveling this time! There is one stop, in Dakar, Senigal but I don't have to change planes there. I thought I had booked a non-stop flight but silly me! I do things like that when I get in a hurry and at the time that I booked this flight I shouldn't have been in a hurry. I guess it was all of the excitement about going again.
So, I am excited, more so than I thought I would be. I got up this morning to thunder storm and tornado warnings! I guess that is just to keep me wondering if my flights will be on time. I checked the weather in Washington DC and they also have heavy storms for today and this evening. Hopefully all of my flights will be on time and there won't be any problems today! I don't like delayed flights and cancelled flights! I only have an hour and a half in Washington so I can't afford delays!
I'm trying to think of anything that I may have forgotten and I can't think of a thing! I'm wearing warm clothes to the airport and on the flights. I expect that winter weather will set in by the time I get back just before Thanksgiving and I don't want to freeze my butt off coming back from the airport or waiting outside for my ride to arrive. Besides, it's always chilly on the airplane. I'll be arriving to summer in South Africa where I'll go back to hot days and nights but that's ok, I'm kind of use to that after the summer here in the South!
I can hear the thunder outside right now. It's raining here right now and there is a steady rumbling of thunder outside. It's not cold, I have the sliding door open just listening to the sound of the rain. Such a lovely sound and I sleep so well during storms. I love the sound of rain on the roof of my bedroom. The wind is blowing but it isn't too bad. The thunderstorm/tornado warnings are supposed to end about 10am so there is only a little time left to worry about them. I think it's going to rain here most of the day. Bad news for my brother, Brian, who works construction though. If this continues he may be here in time to take me to the airport instead of Donna!
With 3 hours left before I head for the airport I guess I should get into the shower and get that over with and get dressed. I hope to be able to add to the blog in Washington DC since I do have a short layover. Long enough to get the laptop out at least :) I'm going to spend more time on the family in the blog this time keeping everyone posted on what is going on there. I know everyone is hard at work on new designs right now. Plus they are getting ready for the cruise for those of you who are going to go with them :) I think I made a good choice between the cruise and the trip to South Africa LOL.
I look forward to your comments and questions as we go along on this journey together again!
I really didn't think I would be as excited about this trip as I was the last time I went but I was wrong. I didn't sleep well last night, I kept waking up and looking at the clock to see if it was time to get up. Finally at 6:30am I gave up after laying there for over an hour. I hope this means that I'll be able to sleep on the flight! This time tomorrow I'll still be in the air! 20.5 hour of traveling this time! There is one stop, in Dakar, Senigal but I don't have to change planes there. I thought I had booked a non-stop flight but silly me! I do things like that when I get in a hurry and at the time that I booked this flight I shouldn't have been in a hurry. I guess it was all of the excitement about going again.
So, I am excited, more so than I thought I would be. I got up this morning to thunder storm and tornado warnings! I guess that is just to keep me wondering if my flights will be on time. I checked the weather in Washington DC and they also have heavy storms for today and this evening. Hopefully all of my flights will be on time and there won't be any problems today! I don't like delayed flights and cancelled flights! I only have an hour and a half in Washington so I can't afford delays!
I'm trying to think of anything that I may have forgotten and I can't think of a thing! I'm wearing warm clothes to the airport and on the flights. I expect that winter weather will set in by the time I get back just before Thanksgiving and I don't want to freeze my butt off coming back from the airport or waiting outside for my ride to arrive. Besides, it's always chilly on the airplane. I'll be arriving to summer in South Africa where I'll go back to hot days and nights but that's ok, I'm kind of use to that after the summer here in the South!
I can hear the thunder outside right now. It's raining here right now and there is a steady rumbling of thunder outside. It's not cold, I have the sliding door open just listening to the sound of the rain. Such a lovely sound and I sleep so well during storms. I love the sound of rain on the roof of my bedroom. The wind is blowing but it isn't too bad. The thunderstorm/tornado warnings are supposed to end about 10am so there is only a little time left to worry about them. I think it's going to rain here most of the day. Bad news for my brother, Brian, who works construction though. If this continues he may be here in time to take me to the airport instead of Donna!
With 3 hours left before I head for the airport I guess I should get into the shower and get that over with and get dressed. I hope to be able to add to the blog in Washington DC since I do have a short layover. Long enough to get the laptop out at least :) I'm going to spend more time on the family in the blog this time keeping everyone posted on what is going on there. I know everyone is hard at work on new designs right now. Plus they are getting ready for the cruise for those of you who are going to go with them :) I think I made a good choice between the cruise and the trip to South Africa LOL.
I look forward to your comments and questions as we go along on this journey together again!
Friday, October 22, 2010
3 Days and Counting
Wow, only 3 more days until I leave! Funny part is that I have most of my stuff done! I pretty much stay packed because of my trips to see Kelly, well, at least the electronics are packed. I got a wonderful new laptop bag for my birthday from Kelly and this was before we knew I was going to South Africa so I get a chance to give this baby a workout! The electronics are all gathered in 1 place at least so all I need to do is to repack the laptop case and that's ready to go. Since it's summer there I will be able to pack light, no heavy sweats and sweaters that I'd need here. I'm leaving here with temps in the 70's and I'm sure by the time I get back, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, it's going to be pretty sporty around here so I'll have to find at least 1 warm outfit to take to come back in. Then it's always pretty chilly in those planes too. The only uncomfortable part will be going to and from airports.
I can't believe how organized I am for this trip. Got all of my paperwork together and in one place as well. I actually found my visitors guide for Kruger Park so I can keep track of the animals we find on this trip! I thought it was still packed from the move but I came across it last night in about 5 minutes! I guess I'm not as disorganized as I thought I was!
I guess I should go out and get a few last minute things taken care of today. I don't have a lot to do and I think I can get it all taken care of today and then I'll just be able to relax for the weekend! My flight from Greenville SC doesn't leave until 2:30pm but I'll have my stuff packed up and ready to go on Sunday and then can just sit around on Monday and get antsy about leaving for the airport! I'll probably be up early that morning, which is OK since the flight for South Africa leaves Washington DC about 7 in the evening. I'll be able to sleep for a while on the plane. That 15 hour flight isn't half as bad as I thought it would be though. I kind of thought the first time I went it would be pure torture but it wasn't bad at all. Then there was the family there to meet me at the airport when I got there. Hopefully this time I won't lose my purse when leaving the airport! I think I'll pack what I need in the laptop bag and have only 1 carry on to deal with. I'll pack the purse for when I get there.
I can't possibly see why I need most of the stuff I carry around in my purse anyway! Well... I guess I should get off to the groicery store and pick up some stuff for the guys here before I go. I guess I'll have to cook for them as well before I go cause it won't be anything but fast food while I'm gone!
I can't believe how organized I am for this trip. Got all of my paperwork together and in one place as well. I actually found my visitors guide for Kruger Park so I can keep track of the animals we find on this trip! I thought it was still packed from the move but I came across it last night in about 5 minutes! I guess I'm not as disorganized as I thought I was!
I guess I should go out and get a few last minute things taken care of today. I don't have a lot to do and I think I can get it all taken care of today and then I'll just be able to relax for the weekend! My flight from Greenville SC doesn't leave until 2:30pm but I'll have my stuff packed up and ready to go on Sunday and then can just sit around on Monday and get antsy about leaving for the airport! I'll probably be up early that morning, which is OK since the flight for South Africa leaves Washington DC about 7 in the evening. I'll be able to sleep for a while on the plane. That 15 hour flight isn't half as bad as I thought it would be though. I kind of thought the first time I went it would be pure torture but it wasn't bad at all. Then there was the family there to meet me at the airport when I got there. Hopefully this time I won't lose my purse when leaving the airport! I think I'll pack what I need in the laptop bag and have only 1 carry on to deal with. I'll pack the purse for when I get there.
I can't possibly see why I need most of the stuff I carry around in my purse anyway! Well... I guess I should get off to the groicery store and pick up some stuff for the guys here before I go. I guess I'll have to cook for them as well before I go cause it won't be anything but fast food while I'm gone!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Getting Ready for South Africa
I'm in Ohio visiting my boyfriend, his name is Kelly. I met him a couple of months after my husband passed away. Anyway, right now I'm spending 2 weeks at my new home in South Carolina and then 2 weeks here in Ohio where Kelly is working right now. It's an interesting relationship but I like it for now, it feels comfortable :)
Someone asked me how Kelly is taking the news that I'll be gone for a month and he's doing OK with it. I know that he is happy for me but at the same time he'll be missing our visits. I told my brother and son that I was going and they seem happy enough for me, maybe a bit jealous? I'm so excited I'm going through my phone looking for someone else to tell LOL. I honestly didn't think I'd have this opportunity again in my lifetime.
I have good flights and the trip will only take 21 hours this time. I think last time, because I flew out of Sacramento CA it was closer to 24 or 26 hours because I had to get from Washington DC back to CA, this time I don't have to go as far which means less travel time. My connections are good and I have enough time in Washington but not too much. I saw one flight out of JFK in New York that had an 8 hour layover before I flew back to SC. Needless to say I didn't take that flight! So I go from Greenville SC to Washington DC and then on to Johannasburg South Africa. The Washington to Johannasburg is a non-stop flight. I could have gone through the Netherlands but after the problem that Santi had last time I wasn't taking any chances on volcanos erupting! LOL
I only have a few days to wait until I'm on my way and I'm getting as much done here in Ohio as I can. There is only so much I can do but I can get a little shopping out of the way and then all that is left is a little laundry and packing when I get back to South Carolina on Thursday this week. Trust me there are a few other things that need to get taken care of before I leave but these shouldn't present much of a problem for me.
Anyway, on to the grocery store to decide what we are going to have for dinner here tonight. Too many choices and I don't have too many days left to cook for Kelly before I head back home.
Someone asked me how Kelly is taking the news that I'll be gone for a month and he's doing OK with it. I know that he is happy for me but at the same time he'll be missing our visits. I told my brother and son that I was going and they seem happy enough for me, maybe a bit jealous? I'm so excited I'm going through my phone looking for someone else to tell LOL. I honestly didn't think I'd have this opportunity again in my lifetime.
I have good flights and the trip will only take 21 hours this time. I think last time, because I flew out of Sacramento CA it was closer to 24 or 26 hours because I had to get from Washington DC back to CA, this time I don't have to go as far which means less travel time. My connections are good and I have enough time in Washington but not too much. I saw one flight out of JFK in New York that had an 8 hour layover before I flew back to SC. Needless to say I didn't take that flight! So I go from Greenville SC to Washington DC and then on to Johannasburg South Africa. The Washington to Johannasburg is a non-stop flight. I could have gone through the Netherlands but after the problem that Santi had last time I wasn't taking any chances on volcanos erupting! LOL
I only have a few days to wait until I'm on my way and I'm getting as much done here in Ohio as I can. There is only so much I can do but I can get a little shopping out of the way and then all that is left is a little laundry and packing when I get back to South Carolina on Thursday this week. Trust me there are a few other things that need to get taken care of before I leave but these shouldn't present much of a problem for me.
Anyway, on to the grocery store to decide what we are going to have for dinner here tonight. Too many choices and I don't have too many days left to cook for Kelly before I head back home.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Topping the "Trip of a Lifetime"
So, how does one top top the "Trip of a Lifetime"? I guess to take that trip once again and see if it was real or just a figment of your imagination! I'll be leaving South Carolina on October 25th to see my friends in South Africa once again! I'm not trying to recreate that trip by any means but create new memories of friends so far away. I'll be invading Santi and Peter's home for a month again and I'll be there for Peter's 60th birthday! Whoever would have guessed he was 60!
So sit back and grab a cup of coffee and join me once again while I leave beautiful falls days for summer in South Africa!
So sit back and grab a cup of coffee and join me once again while I leave beautiful falls days for summer in South Africa!
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