He's Alive! He's Alive!
Ed's Response... Laugh everybody!
Sorry it took so long to get back to you, but I wanted several people to properly analyze your letter to see if they all drew the same conclusion.
Not to my surprise, they did. They all believe the product worked as described, but you would never be the kind of person to admit it.
Of course I agree with them. Given that, enjoy Texas. Tell your boyfriend I said hi.
P.S. I am sending more water for the horses....
Showing posts with label 09 Vacation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 09 Vacation. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
I Am Indeed a Scientist
I really needed cheering up today. So, I formulated my answer to "Ed the Water Guy". Poor Ed...
Here goes!! =) Enjoy Ya'll...
Mr Ed H,
We met at the Pittsburgh Blues Festival, Saturday, July 25th. You challenged me to try your product, and, whether it worked or didn’t, to send an email, and let you know. You would either use me as an advertisement for your Perfect Water, or you’d send me to some scientists to prove I’m still wrong. You told my boyfriend he “must have big hands to deal with me, because I’m a handful”. We’re still laughing about that – I am a handful, but I’m also an amazing scientist.
Well, as a Chemist, I conducted a very detailed study. On both occasions, I kept every condition I could the same except for the water.
Saturday (To ensure a good night’s rest the night before, something not always achieved during the work week)
Hazy, Hot, Humid (let me clarify – South Texas H, H, and H – Heat Indeces near 110F)
All “Human Conditions” nearly the same (use your imagination & interpret that one), eliminating unscheduled water retention
I worked some in the yard (one time, I was busy with routine chores, another time I mowed the backyard with a push mower, both about an hour tasks)
I rode one horse for about 45 minutes, with a few minutes for free longe warm up before mounting
I cooled down the horse, fed them their supper
Came inside, and retrieved the water from the refrigerator
Drank the water
Swiftly, but not gulped…
And I waited approximately 30 minutes for “results”.
My study as you see is performed with only one variable as best I could control it. I don’t have infinite power over the weather, though I wouldn’t mind doing so. I also don’t have infinite power over my body (otherwise, I can only imagine how intellectual our conversation would have been).
My study conclusion? … (drum roll please…….)
Your Perfect Water doesn’t perform any better than the city water that undergoes 12 steps of filtration that I purchase from the water coolers in (My Hometown), Texas.
Sorry, sir, but I didn’t feel any more energized, I didn’t bound across my house gleefully, and I in fact, found myself still quite thirsty after drinking both products. One bottle just isn’t enough in the Texas Sun, even one bottle of Perfect Water.
It was a fun experiment, though.
Thanks!
Here goes!! =) Enjoy Ya'll...
Mr Ed H,
We met at the Pittsburgh Blues Festival, Saturday, July 25th. You challenged me to try your product, and, whether it worked or didn’t, to send an email, and let you know. You would either use me as an advertisement for your Perfect Water, or you’d send me to some scientists to prove I’m still wrong. You told my boyfriend he “must have big hands to deal with me, because I’m a handful”. We’re still laughing about that – I am a handful, but I’m also an amazing scientist.
Well, as a Chemist, I conducted a very detailed study. On both occasions, I kept every condition I could the same except for the water.
Saturday (To ensure a good night’s rest the night before, something not always achieved during the work week)
Hazy, Hot, Humid (let me clarify – South Texas H, H, and H – Heat Indeces near 110F)
All “Human Conditions” nearly the same (use your imagination & interpret that one), eliminating unscheduled water retention
I worked some in the yard (one time, I was busy with routine chores, another time I mowed the backyard with a push mower, both about an hour tasks)
I rode one horse for about 45 minutes, with a few minutes for free longe warm up before mounting
I cooled down the horse, fed them their supper
Came inside, and retrieved the water from the refrigerator
Drank the water
Swiftly, but not gulped…
And I waited approximately 30 minutes for “results”.
My study as you see is performed with only one variable as best I could control it. I don’t have infinite power over the weather, though I wouldn’t mind doing so. I also don’t have infinite power over my body (otherwise, I can only imagine how intellectual our conversation would have been).
My study conclusion? … (drum roll please…….)
Your Perfect Water doesn’t perform any better than the city water that undergoes 12 steps of filtration that I purchase from the water coolers in (My Hometown), Texas.
Sorry, sir, but I didn’t feel any more energized, I didn’t bound across my house gleefully, and I in fact, found myself still quite thirsty after drinking both products. One bottle just isn’t enough in the Texas Sun, even one bottle of Perfect Water.
It was a fun experiment, though.
Thanks!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Ed & The Perfect Water
Perched in my lawn chair at the concert grounds, R wandered off in search of a drink for both of us. He walks back up to me, quite "matter of factly", and hands me a bottle of water. He says, "I just got a dog & pony show from this water salesman. He tried feeding me a line of bull, and I know I wasn't up for the challenge. You're going to have to go talk to him later."
So I thought to myself, "oooh.. a chance to be a chemist on vacation. I get to torture someone on a technical level.. away from home where they'll never remember me.. ooooh.... ahhhhh."
After the fabulous Shannon Curfman and a break under the tent (that almost resulted in a NAP), R and I wandered the vendor tents, and found Ed the water salesman.
The bottle says "enriched pH". Okay, guys & gals. There is no such thing. Water is either acidic, basic, or neutral. If it is truly just water, it should be slightly basic, but close to neutral pH. That means pH 7.6 - pH 7.8.
I simply asked Ed "What is enriched pH? That's impossible!"
Ed replied, "Well, this is special water, that has undergone 13 stages of filtration, and was initially discovered in Korea in natural sources. Scientists discovered that these natural sources contain extra oxygen, because the water is bonded in a specific manner to other waters, creating an abundance of oxygen in this water. So they went back to the lab, and as a result, have created this perfect water. You know why you drink 8 glasses of water a day? Because it's not perfect water, and your body only absorbs 13% of the water in those glasses of tap water. With our Perfect Water, you drink one bottle, and absorb all of the water into your body. The pH of our water is the exact pH of your body, making it perfectly absorbable." Ed and I bantered back & forth a while, and you'll see his remarks and my responses below (color coded for easy translation).
Okay... Gang. There's more of this "technical sales pitch" HERE. Click the link for a laugh.
Let me Be A Chemist for a minute or four, and explain a few things from Ed's sales pitch that are either BS or hockey pucks silly....
Korean water source? Humorously offered up by my friend P from the LA Vacation: "That's easy - there's extra Oxygen in the Korean water ... sure! There's dioxin in the water too... I wouldn't recommend drinking it."
Enriched pH? Ed said it's 7.6 to 7.8. That matches up with the human body well enough. But their website says pH 9-10, highly alkaline. Nitwits! And to think I already drank one bottle.
13 Layers of Filtration - Fine enough. That probably just means it's terribly nasty river water to start, and it needs that many without clogging filters early in the process
Extra Oxygen? In the water? Doesn't that mean it's less like water, and more like Peroxide? I wouldn't drink that crap! Bubble Bubble Puke!
It absorbs better into my body? Crap! That means, essentially, more water retention. Alright, ladies, who wants to have more water weight gain?! Not I!
Ed at one point looked at R, and said, "Is she your wife?" ("no"), "Girlfriend?" ("yes") "Well then sir let me shake your hand. Wow, you've got big hands. You probably have to have big hands to keep ahold of her. She sure is a handful." =)
Ed gave me a second bottle of Perfect Water. He asked that I drink the Perfect Water one afternoon, after a day of "hard work". "Mow the lawn, do gardening outside. Work up a good sweat, and work until you're really tired. Then drink the water. If after, you don't feel a thousand times better, refreshed and revitalized more than an average glass of water, give me a call. If you feel better, and great, and think this water is really what we say it is, call & tell me that, too."
So, who wants to drink the Perfect Water? They're selling it everywhere!
My recommendation? Take your purified tap water, put it in a glass container (clean one, please), and set it in the refridgerator for about 24 hours. If the container has a screw-on lid, set it on but not tight all the way, just screwed on a bit. This will remove chlorine residue (not already killing bacteria), and any other odor or taste residue from the disinfection process. If you don't trust your water from the tap (due to funny smell, or well water), call up your local water treatment facility. They're required by law to either test the water on-call for you with results provided, or send a report of a recent testing result near your home. How do I know?
Well, poor Ed, I used to work for a water treatment facility in PA. Worked in the lab, doing the routine bacteria testing. Poor Poor Ed.
So I thought to myself, "oooh.. a chance to be a chemist on vacation. I get to torture someone on a technical level.. away from home where they'll never remember me.. ooooh.... ahhhhh."
After the fabulous Shannon Curfman and a break under the tent (that almost resulted in a NAP), R and I wandered the vendor tents, and found Ed the water salesman.
The bottle says "enriched pH". Okay, guys & gals. There is no such thing. Water is either acidic, basic, or neutral. If it is truly just water, it should be slightly basic, but close to neutral pH. That means pH 7.6 - pH 7.8.
I simply asked Ed "What is enriched pH? That's impossible!"
Ed replied, "Well, this is special water, that has undergone 13 stages of filtration, and was initially discovered in Korea in natural sources. Scientists discovered that these natural sources contain extra oxygen, because the water is bonded in a specific manner to other waters, creating an abundance of oxygen in this water. So they went back to the lab, and as a result, have created this perfect water. You know why you drink 8 glasses of water a day? Because it's not perfect water, and your body only absorbs 13% of the water in those glasses of tap water. With our Perfect Water, you drink one bottle, and absorb all of the water into your body. The pH of our water is the exact pH of your body, making it perfectly absorbable." Ed and I bantered back & forth a while, and you'll see his remarks and my responses below (color coded for easy translation).
Okay... Gang. There's more of this "technical sales pitch" HERE. Click the link for a laugh.
Let me Be A Chemist for a minute or four, and explain a few things from Ed's sales pitch that are either BS or hockey pucks silly....
Korean water source? Humorously offered up by my friend P from the LA Vacation: "That's easy - there's extra Oxygen in the Korean water ... sure! There's dioxin in the water too... I wouldn't recommend drinking it."
Enriched pH? Ed said it's 7.6 to 7.8. That matches up with the human body well enough. But their website says pH 9-10, highly alkaline. Nitwits! And to think I already drank one bottle.
13 Layers of Filtration - Fine enough. That probably just means it's terribly nasty river water to start, and it needs that many without clogging filters early in the process
Extra Oxygen? In the water? Doesn't that mean it's less like water, and more like Peroxide? I wouldn't drink that crap! Bubble Bubble Puke!
It absorbs better into my body? Crap! That means, essentially, more water retention. Alright, ladies, who wants to have more water weight gain?! Not I!
Ed at one point looked at R, and said, "Is she your wife?" ("no"), "Girlfriend?" ("yes") "Well then sir let me shake your hand. Wow, you've got big hands. You probably have to have big hands to keep ahold of her. She sure is a handful." =)
Ed gave me a second bottle of Perfect Water. He asked that I drink the Perfect Water one afternoon, after a day of "hard work". "Mow the lawn, do gardening outside. Work up a good sweat, and work until you're really tired. Then drink the water. If after, you don't feel a thousand times better, refreshed and revitalized more than an average glass of water, give me a call. If you feel better, and great, and think this water is really what we say it is, call & tell me that, too."
So, who wants to drink the Perfect Water? They're selling it everywhere!
My recommendation? Take your purified tap water, put it in a glass container (clean one, please), and set it in the refridgerator for about 24 hours. If the container has a screw-on lid, set it on but not tight all the way, just screwed on a bit. This will remove chlorine residue (not already killing bacteria), and any other odor or taste residue from the disinfection process. If you don't trust your water from the tap (due to funny smell, or well water), call up your local water treatment facility. They're required by law to either test the water on-call for you with results provided, or send a report of a recent testing result near your home. How do I know?
Well, poor Ed, I used to work for a water treatment facility in PA. Worked in the lab, doing the routine bacteria testing. Poor Poor Ed.
Monday, July 27, 2009
07.23 - 07.27 Vacation Part II Monday
Up at 2:30am. What was I thinking, booking that 6am departure?! Well, oh well. What's done is done... Showered, dressed, and ready to leave by 3:45am.
Pittsburgh International Airport. Boarding passes, check. Bags delivered, check. Security, check. One of my most peaceful trips through PIT, especially through security. I didn't have a special bag check, I didn't get "extra screened", they just let me on through. Finally! Taking R along must be the secret to travelling peacefully.. Got to be!
Grabbed breakfast & coffee, and boarded the plane. A rocky flight, with plenty of turbulence. Nevertheless, I got a nifty nap or three in. Sleep in short spurts, but sleep anyways. Arrived in Hot Humid Houston half hour ahead of schedule, and happy to be back.
Nabbed our bags, and my truck, and some city shopping before heading to our little hometown. Stopped in my favorite saddle shop, where I got leather conditioner and a cheap replacement bridle (naughty Ransom!). Went to a food & liquor specialty store, complete shopping sensory overload! They had just a little bit of everything international. Picked up some whole wheat potato gnocchi, a favorite from back in PA. YUM-o! Stopped in one more shop on the way, then headed home.
Kids are all happy to see me! Got my sweetheart delivered back to his house, my things unpacked, kids all fed their supper, me fed my supper, laundry cleaned up & put back in its place, and settled in on the couch with the girls. After about an hour, by 8:40pm, it became apparent my eyes were longing for the inside of my eyelids. Half asleep by 9:00pm, out dead to the world by 9:45pm.
A good vacation, and family approval. It was nice to go visit, but it's just as good to be home. Wow... home... did I just say that?!
Pittsburgh International Airport. Boarding passes, check. Bags delivered, check. Security, check. One of my most peaceful trips through PIT, especially through security. I didn't have a special bag check, I didn't get "extra screened", they just let me on through. Finally! Taking R along must be the secret to travelling peacefully.. Got to be!
Grabbed breakfast & coffee, and boarded the plane. A rocky flight, with plenty of turbulence. Nevertheless, I got a nifty nap or three in. Sleep in short spurts, but sleep anyways. Arrived in Hot Humid Houston half hour ahead of schedule, and happy to be back.
Nabbed our bags, and my truck, and some city shopping before heading to our little hometown. Stopped in my favorite saddle shop, where I got leather conditioner and a cheap replacement bridle (naughty Ransom!). Went to a food & liquor specialty store, complete shopping sensory overload! They had just a little bit of everything international. Picked up some whole wheat potato gnocchi, a favorite from back in PA. YUM-o! Stopped in one more shop on the way, then headed home.
Kids are all happy to see me! Got my sweetheart delivered back to his house, my things unpacked, kids all fed their supper, me fed my supper, laundry cleaned up & put back in its place, and settled in on the couch with the girls. After about an hour, by 8:40pm, it became apparent my eyes were longing for the inside of my eyelids. Half asleep by 9:00pm, out dead to the world by 9:45pm.
A good vacation, and family approval. It was nice to go visit, but it's just as good to be home. Wow... home... did I just say that?!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
07.23 - 07.27 Vacation Part II Sunday
Up & at it! Got cleaned up good, headed to the hotel's breakfast, and off to church we went!
Got to see a lot of old friends from church-back-home. It was nice. Among them, sweet Miss Virginia, a lady I wished had really been my grandma, but we pretended real good when I lived there. The church was full of lots of old faces and plenty of new folks too. Very nice to see old friends. We enjoyed a nice service together, and agreed later it was nice to just participate, and not have to worry about where we had to lead something or get "just the right notes." Good music, and a guest speaker. A nice time.
Back to the hotel to change, and then to mom's again. Momma was cooking her famous chicken dinner, by special request. =) R and Dad did some more talking & discussing, while I made our favorite peanut butter pie. Dinner was great!
Watched some comic videos (well, R did with Mom and Dad, I fell asleep for a few), and headed out. Had some stuff at the hotel room for my Mom that I forgot, so they followed us back to the room. Exchanged goodies, said our goodbyes, and back to the room.
Dinner was great, but while I enjoyed it, my sugar didn't. Got a little sick, and spent some time in the room packing up, and resting a while. Started feeling better, and so we went to Steak & Shake (upon R request), and grabbed a snack.
Bed early, with a long travel day ahead on Monday. Vacation nearly complete. My parents got along with R, and he with them. There were a few admittedly awkward moments, but everyone got along. Good conversation, and, surprisingly, my dad was very chatty. It was nice. I left the guys alone a few times, listening off to the side. Heard plenty of laughter, and never ending discussions. Glad to hear. Both parents later separately voiced their praise & approval, but for different things. Very interesting what they had to say... I'll save the juicy details. If ya'll are itchin' to hear, e-mail me, and I'll blab privately.
Got to see a lot of old friends from church-back-home. It was nice. Among them, sweet Miss Virginia, a lady I wished had really been my grandma, but we pretended real good when I lived there. The church was full of lots of old faces and plenty of new folks too. Very nice to see old friends. We enjoyed a nice service together, and agreed later it was nice to just participate, and not have to worry about where we had to lead something or get "just the right notes." Good music, and a guest speaker. A nice time.
Back to the hotel to change, and then to mom's again. Momma was cooking her famous chicken dinner, by special request. =) R and Dad did some more talking & discussing, while I made our favorite peanut butter pie. Dinner was great!
Watched some comic videos (well, R did with Mom and Dad, I fell asleep for a few), and headed out. Had some stuff at the hotel room for my Mom that I forgot, so they followed us back to the room. Exchanged goodies, said our goodbyes, and back to the room.
Dinner was great, but while I enjoyed it, my sugar didn't. Got a little sick, and spent some time in the room packing up, and resting a while. Started feeling better, and so we went to Steak & Shake (upon R request), and grabbed a snack.
Bed early, with a long travel day ahead on Monday. Vacation nearly complete. My parents got along with R, and he with them. There were a few admittedly awkward moments, but everyone got along. Good conversation, and, surprisingly, my dad was very chatty. It was nice. I left the guys alone a few times, listening off to the side. Heard plenty of laughter, and never ending discussions. Glad to hear. Both parents later separately voiced their praise & approval, but for different things. Very interesting what they had to say... I'll save the juicy details. If ya'll are itchin' to hear, e-mail me, and I'll blab privately.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
07.23 - 07.27 Vacation Part II Saturday
Got a little bit of a late start to the day, but we were out the door a bit after 9, and headed to the city. Traffic was minimal, and I was happy for that. For the first time in quite a few years, I went to dahntahn via the Fort Pitt Tunnel, a really neat road. Ain't no sense in going over the mountain, so the dug a tunnel road right through it! Very cool. Better is the view as you leave the tunnel, crossing the bridge, river underneath, city directly ahead.
We went to the Strip District, a gorgeous weather morning. A bit overcast, but moderate temperatures in the 70's with low humidity. Wandered the strip a while, going to a few shops, including one of my favorite coffee roasters, a kitchen supply shop, and window shopping at a dress shop. A few of these were put in the back of my mind as 'places to stop before we left.'
Lunch was up on the menu, as breakfast didn't happen, and I was starting to feel my blood sugar screaming, "Hey lady! Feed Me!" We went to a city famous place, Primanti Bros sandwich shop. I've heard the radio commercials, heard folks talk about it, but never had been myself. Now I see why they all go, and why there was a line outside when we left. The sammiches are phenominal! Service was good, staff fun to watch & listen to, and the food, did I mention the food was great?! Fresh bread, amazing ingredients, just incredible. It could have partially been that I was super hungry, but I still doubt it. Really good food.
Went back through the strip, to another food shop, back through the coffee roasting store, and back through the dress shop. Picked out some great coffee, and a new dress (what a combination, huh? Trip successful!).
Loaded all our spoils in the car trunk, and, satisfied with my journey dahntahn, I relied on my phone GPS to get us to the concert. Concert, you say? Well, what's a vacation without good music?!
The Pittsburgh Blues Festival, at Hartwood Acres. A very good time, really nice open air auditorium, good acoustics, and really great weather. One brief storm dampened the grass, but it wasn't enough to do more than make it a little chilly. I got to see one of my new fave voices, Shannon Curfman. Okay, better than just listening to her sing, I got her new cd and her autograph! A personally signed CD lyrics insert. Personally signed! I actually had a conversation with her! Absolutely cool! She's as great live as she is recorded, and sounds incredible! If you haven't heard of her, and like good rockin' blues, she's it!
A few other artists were there, along with a handful of vendors. There was one drink vendor there that will get their own whole blog later in the week. I'll summarize here and say that I had a bit of chemistry fun with a salesman. Poor Ed. I know the guy was just doing his sales pitching job, but he certainly isn't a chemist.
We got home a bit after 11pm, with almost no traffic heading out of town. A really nice day dahntahn, remembering where I grew up. I got to shop in my favorite places, and listen to one of my favorite music artists. Great weather, and wonderful company.
We went to the Strip District, a gorgeous weather morning. A bit overcast, but moderate temperatures in the 70's with low humidity. Wandered the strip a while, going to a few shops, including one of my favorite coffee roasters, a kitchen supply shop, and window shopping at a dress shop. A few of these were put in the back of my mind as 'places to stop before we left.'
Lunch was up on the menu, as breakfast didn't happen, and I was starting to feel my blood sugar screaming, "Hey lady! Feed Me!" We went to a city famous place, Primanti Bros sandwich shop. I've heard the radio commercials, heard folks talk about it, but never had been myself. Now I see why they all go, and why there was a line outside when we left. The sammiches are phenominal! Service was good, staff fun to watch & listen to, and the food, did I mention the food was great?! Fresh bread, amazing ingredients, just incredible. It could have partially been that I was super hungry, but I still doubt it. Really good food.
Went back through the strip, to another food shop, back through the coffee roasting store, and back through the dress shop. Picked out some great coffee, and a new dress (what a combination, huh? Trip successful!).
Loaded all our spoils in the car trunk, and, satisfied with my journey dahntahn, I relied on my phone GPS to get us to the concert. Concert, you say? Well, what's a vacation without good music?!
The Pittsburgh Blues Festival, at Hartwood Acres. A very good time, really nice open air auditorium, good acoustics, and really great weather. One brief storm dampened the grass, but it wasn't enough to do more than make it a little chilly. I got to see one of my new fave voices, Shannon Curfman. Okay, better than just listening to her sing, I got her new cd and her autograph! A personally signed CD lyrics insert. Personally signed! I actually had a conversation with her! Absolutely cool! She's as great live as she is recorded, and sounds incredible! If you haven't heard of her, and like good rockin' blues, she's it!
A few other artists were there, along with a handful of vendors. There was one drink vendor there that will get their own whole blog later in the week. I'll summarize here and say that I had a bit of chemistry fun with a salesman. Poor Ed. I know the guy was just doing his sales pitching job, but he certainly isn't a chemist.
We got home a bit after 11pm, with almost no traffic heading out of town. A really nice day dahntahn, remembering where I grew up. I got to shop in my favorite places, and listen to one of my favorite music artists. Great weather, and wonderful company.
Friday, July 24, 2009
07.23 - 07.27 Vacation Part II Friday
Woke up at a decent hour, found our cappacino machine unfortunately thought leaking water was better than being operational, darnit!
Met my parents for breakfast at a restaurant nearby. Of the things I miss from back home Yankee land, the food is it! Regular restaurants with normal food, no specialty cuisine, just normal stuff. Initial introduction was good. Got to catch up with my parents on quite a few things, which was great!
We parted company to go run a few errands separately, then met up again at my house. The house I grew up in. Of course, on the way there, I tried to give R a brief snapshot of some of the area. "Here's this town, here's this landmark, ain't that bridge cool!? Hey, check out the size of that river! Look at the bridge! It's the shape of a beaver! Look here, and here, and here, and..." insert sensory overload!. I'm sure it was a lot to take in. I got to see my old alma mater, nearly complete with highway reroute construction. It's still beautiful as before, and certainly a lot safer for students on campus.
Arrived at home, grabbed a drink, and settled in for good conversation for a while. We realized it would be a while until supper, and, both exhausted, we decided to head back to the hotel for about an hour's nap or so. Much much needed rest. I don't remember being awake for long before crashing asleep.
Woke up, headed back to my mom's house, and enjoyed dad's steak dinner. Fabulous food, as always. I learned to cook from two of the best when it comes to plain old normal stuff, and this meal was no exception. I had a craving for ice cream, so we piled all up in the car, and went to Bruster's, a local favorite. The weather was phenominal, so there was quite the crowd lined up at the order windows.
Back to the house, more good conversation, and a great relaxing first day. Not too rushed and relaxing for me. I got to see a lot of different parts of the region again, from the driver's seat window, and got to catch up with family. A very nice time. Watching & listening to R and Dad conversate, and seeing how well they were getting along, even better!
Met my parents for breakfast at a restaurant nearby. Of the things I miss from back home Yankee land, the food is it! Regular restaurants with normal food, no specialty cuisine, just normal stuff. Initial introduction was good. Got to catch up with my parents on quite a few things, which was great!
We parted company to go run a few errands separately, then met up again at my house. The house I grew up in. Of course, on the way there, I tried to give R a brief snapshot of some of the area. "Here's this town, here's this landmark, ain't that bridge cool!? Hey, check out the size of that river! Look at the bridge! It's the shape of a beaver! Look here, and here, and here, and..." insert sensory overload!. I'm sure it was a lot to take in. I got to see my old alma mater, nearly complete with highway reroute construction. It's still beautiful as before, and certainly a lot safer for students on campus.
Arrived at home, grabbed a drink, and settled in for good conversation for a while. We realized it would be a while until supper, and, both exhausted, we decided to head back to the hotel for about an hour's nap or so. Much much needed rest. I don't remember being awake for long before crashing asleep.
Woke up, headed back to my mom's house, and enjoyed dad's steak dinner. Fabulous food, as always. I learned to cook from two of the best when it comes to plain old normal stuff, and this meal was no exception. I had a craving for ice cream, so we piled all up in the car, and went to Bruster's, a local favorite. The weather was phenominal, so there was quite the crowd lined up at the order windows.
Back to the house, more good conversation, and a great relaxing first day. Not too rushed and relaxing for me. I got to see a lot of different parts of the region again, from the driver's seat window, and got to catch up with family. A very nice time. Watching & listening to R and Dad conversate, and seeing how well they were getting along, even better!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
07.23 - 07.27 Vacation Part II
Woke up way too early for the long day ahead, anxious to get going.
Finished laundry
Packed the rest of my things
Took girls to the vet for boarding
Washed dishes
Organized my laptop, camcorder, mp3 player, and all assorted cords
Headed to R's house, we fetched a quick lunch, and off we went. Headed for Houston.
Traffic wasn't so bad, though we ran into some serious rain & thunder storms. A few times, it was all I could to, wipers on wacko-fast, to see the highway. Sure did wish it would've rained like that at my house, though I was not so fortunate.
Plane ride was decent enough. Full flight, big plane, only one screaming child. Parents, if your son or daughter is screaming at the top of their lungs before we even board, would you please find a toy, a food or drink, benadryl, something?! I understand babies cry sometimes with the change in air pressure on the plane, but when dear child is bellowing before we even board, please consider the eardrums & sanity of the rest of us passengers? Soapbox for the day. =)
Surprisingly, no bad surprises at the airports, picking up rental car, or even at the hotel. Late Late LATE check in, as we arrived in Monaca, PA, a bit after midnight. R found his well-ahead planned surprise in the hotel room (thanks, Mom!), and we settled in for a good night's rest. Anxious for the day ahead, but also a bit nervous (me, personally, of course).
Finished laundry
Packed the rest of my things
Took girls to the vet for boarding
Washed dishes
Organized my laptop, camcorder, mp3 player, and all assorted cords
Headed to R's house, we fetched a quick lunch, and off we went. Headed for Houston.
Traffic wasn't so bad, though we ran into some serious rain & thunder storms. A few times, it was all I could to, wipers on wacko-fast, to see the highway. Sure did wish it would've rained like that at my house, though I was not so fortunate.
Plane ride was decent enough. Full flight, big plane, only one screaming child. Parents, if your son or daughter is screaming at the top of their lungs before we even board, would you please find a toy, a food or drink, benadryl, something?! I understand babies cry sometimes with the change in air pressure on the plane, but when dear child is bellowing before we even board, please consider the eardrums & sanity of the rest of us passengers? Soapbox for the day. =)
Surprisingly, no bad surprises at the airports, picking up rental car, or even at the hotel. Late Late LATE check in, as we arrived in Monaca, PA, a bit after midnight. R found his well-ahead planned surprise in the hotel room (thanks, Mom!), and we settled in for a good night's rest. Anxious for the day ahead, but also a bit nervous (me, personally, of course).
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
07/23 - 07/27 Reverse "Vacation"
Vacation a coming! Well, the same style of Vacation taken late June, only...
In reverse! Yeah, that about sums it up.
Starting tomorrow evening, R and I are travelling up to Pennsylvania to meet up & spend time with my family. We're going to travel to my home place, visiting memorable spots from where I grew up. A brief visit that ought to better define for him "where I came from".
Please pray for safe travels. I'm taking my personal PC with me, and should have access at the hotel to check in on some frequent basis. If not, I'll have oodles of blog details after the fact.
Planning to pack a quick ride with Ransom tonight and give him oodles of farewell cookies
In reverse! Yeah, that about sums it up.
Starting tomorrow evening, R and I are travelling up to Pennsylvania to meet up & spend time with my family. We're going to travel to my home place, visiting memorable spots from where I grew up. A brief visit that ought to better define for him "where I came from".
Please pray for safe travels. I'm taking my personal PC with me, and should have access at the hotel to check in on some frequent basis. If not, I'll have oodles of blog details after the fact.
Planning to pack a quick ride with Ransom tonight and give him oodles of farewell cookies
Monday, June 29, 2009
6/25 - 6/28 Weekend "Vacation" - Sunday
With the trip nearly over, I had progressed past "the girl everyone's watching" to one of the crowd. I had become comfortable enough around most of the family & friends that I'd stopped worrying about "who was watching me" or "was I relaxed enough", and just started being plain old me.
Nearly everyone on the trip enjoyed breakfast together in the lodge restaurant. Fantastic service, and fabulous food. A great time to relax, and our waitress was phenominal, given that she had our group of 20 (along with other patrons), split over three tables, some checks covering 2-3 tables, folks spread out all over.
With breakfast complete, we headed to the room, and began packing our things, gathering & loading in the truck for the trip home. With one item forgotten, we had to turn back, but still had a relaxing trip home.
So, I "met the family", a task worth accomplishing, and got some relaxing in myself. The best parts of the trip had to be the time alone on the river, relaxing, and enjoying some quiet time with my sweetheart.
Final thoughts and funnies will come later today, if time allows.
Nearly everyone on the trip enjoyed breakfast together in the lodge restaurant. Fantastic service, and fabulous food. A great time to relax, and our waitress was phenominal, given that she had our group of 20 (along with other patrons), split over three tables, some checks covering 2-3 tables, folks spread out all over.
With breakfast complete, we headed to the room, and began packing our things, gathering & loading in the truck for the trip home. With one item forgotten, we had to turn back, but still had a relaxing trip home.
So, I "met the family", a task worth accomplishing, and got some relaxing in myself. The best parts of the trip had to be the time alone on the river, relaxing, and enjoying some quiet time with my sweetheart.
Final thoughts and funnies will come later today, if time allows.
6/25 - 6/28 Weekend "Vacation" - Saturday
Woke up Saturday morning to find we'd slept late. Well, so had everyone else, a detail I found very funny. When R looked at his watch, he said to me hurriedly, "It's already 9:00!!" He peeked out the bedroom door, to find only one other couple was awake, and they'd just gotten up a few minutes before. *whew* We did sleep late, but no later than anyone else! Thank goodness!
The family wandered again down to the river for the morning, while R & I took some time off alone to do a bit of shopping & exploring. Visited a few neat tourist-shops, full of little bits local to the area. Also took a drive through the rest of the cabin-resort area we were staying at. The river was low *everywhere*, and I'd quickly discovered that our little "floating pad" on the river was one of the best as far as water goes. Plenty of people in other spots on the river, crowds all around.
Returned around lunch time again, just as everyone was returning from their morning play. Had a nice lunch break, cleaned things up, and again began preparing my evening "offering" - apple crisp. A recipe modified to meet my diet needs, but fabulous nonetheless.
Another brief nap, and back to the river. This time, however, soon after we arrived, everyone else was ready to head home, so we were alone most of that afternoon. I laid in the innertube, parked myself along the edge of the river, and faced-up to the sun, allowing it to bake me into a suntan. The wind was blowing just enough that, combined with the occasional splash of riverwater, I nearly fell asleep. Note: Nearly! A few of the youngsters in the family were around playing, water-guns in-hand. There was no chance I would allow myself to totally fall asleep, as I figured I would either be squirted in the face, or my tube "accidentally" shoved down stream, waking me up in sheer terror. When the boys wandered off to fish, R and I spent some more time talking, resting, and relaxing.
I retreated for the night to the room, where I hid under a few good books and my mp3 player. What I thought would be a long night's rest was by far the shortest of the trip. All in all, still a decent evening.
The family wandered again down to the river for the morning, while R & I took some time off alone to do a bit of shopping & exploring. Visited a few neat tourist-shops, full of little bits local to the area. Also took a drive through the rest of the cabin-resort area we were staying at. The river was low *everywhere*, and I'd quickly discovered that our little "floating pad" on the river was one of the best as far as water goes. Plenty of people in other spots on the river, crowds all around.
Returned around lunch time again, just as everyone was returning from their morning play. Had a nice lunch break, cleaned things up, and again began preparing my evening "offering" - apple crisp. A recipe modified to meet my diet needs, but fabulous nonetheless.
Another brief nap, and back to the river. This time, however, soon after we arrived, everyone else was ready to head home, so we were alone most of that afternoon. I laid in the innertube, parked myself along the edge of the river, and faced-up to the sun, allowing it to bake me into a suntan. The wind was blowing just enough that, combined with the occasional splash of riverwater, I nearly fell asleep. Note: Nearly! A few of the youngsters in the family were around playing, water-guns in-hand. There was no chance I would allow myself to totally fall asleep, as I figured I would either be squirted in the face, or my tube "accidentally" shoved down stream, waking me up in sheer terror. When the boys wandered off to fish, R and I spent some more time talking, resting, and relaxing.
I retreated for the night to the room, where I hid under a few good books and my mp3 player. What I thought would be a long night's rest was by far the shortest of the trip. All in all, still a decent evening.
6/25 - 6/28 Weekend "Vacation" - Friday
"Woke up" at a decent morning hour Friday. I use the quotes because I slept very little, so I simply decided it was time to get my lazy arse up & continue to "face the family".
R and I joined up with two other family members, and, while most went to the river to float & play, we took a "trip to town", for some ice, a few groceries, and other necessary supplies. A neat car trip, giving me even more time for reflection (and absorption, getting adjusted to all the new people).
We returned right in time to get lunch started, and helped out with that. Before long, the crowd had crawled up the hillside for lunch, and everyone enjoyed the good feast. I was a little less observant this meal, and participated a bit more in the conversations, getting a little more comfortable. (Still... ever feel like you're being watched? LOL) Found the best company to be in some "friends of the family", B&J, who were incredibly easy to talk to & spend time with.
After lunch clean-up, R assisted in the construction of peanut butter pie, my peace-offering for dinner dessert. A bit overwhelmed by the crowd, and more than a bit exhausted from not sleeping the night before, we enjoyed a decent afternoon nap before venturing down to the river.
Having not seen "the river" except briefly Thursday night in the dark, I wasn't sure what to expect. Best I can describe it - Very serene. There was little to no water running downstream, due to low rainfall this year. However, it was deep enough to swim in quite a few places. We stayed for a while with family & friends, then, after they wandered off, we stayed a while longer. Friend B was off to the side fishing, and nabbed himself a very nice largemouth bass (about 14" long, and probably 2.5-3#), though we'll never tell anyone else that's true!
By far the funniest moment of the trip came that evening, sitting in the water on some rocks, chatting about all the family details. I got bit! By a fish! On the toosh! Thinking about it again now, I'm still laughing! I got bit by a fish! I jumped, squealed, and probably scared all the fishes out of the river! I hollered to B, "Listen, man! You need to catch that SOB, and teach him a lesson! You've got two more days to find him & bring him to justice!" *laugh*
We wandered up the hillside, and enjoyed a fabulous dinner with the crowd. An early evening ending, as most were tired from the day before (and a day playing on the water). I was entirely ready to call it quits early in the evening, relaxed, and becoming increasinly more comfortable with my surroundings.
R and I joined up with two other family members, and, while most went to the river to float & play, we took a "trip to town", for some ice, a few groceries, and other necessary supplies. A neat car trip, giving me even more time for reflection (and absorption, getting adjusted to all the new people).
We returned right in time to get lunch started, and helped out with that. Before long, the crowd had crawled up the hillside for lunch, and everyone enjoyed the good feast. I was a little less observant this meal, and participated a bit more in the conversations, getting a little more comfortable. (Still... ever feel like you're being watched? LOL) Found the best company to be in some "friends of the family", B&J, who were incredibly easy to talk to & spend time with.
After lunch clean-up, R assisted in the construction of peanut butter pie, my peace-offering for dinner dessert. A bit overwhelmed by the crowd, and more than a bit exhausted from not sleeping the night before, we enjoyed a decent afternoon nap before venturing down to the river.
Having not seen "the river" except briefly Thursday night in the dark, I wasn't sure what to expect. Best I can describe it - Very serene. There was little to no water running downstream, due to low rainfall this year. However, it was deep enough to swim in quite a few places. We stayed for a while with family & friends, then, after they wandered off, we stayed a while longer. Friend B was off to the side fishing, and nabbed himself a very nice largemouth bass (about 14" long, and probably 2.5-3#), though we'll never tell anyone else that's true!
By far the funniest moment of the trip came that evening, sitting in the water on some rocks, chatting about all the family details. I got bit! By a fish! On the toosh! Thinking about it again now, I'm still laughing! I got bit by a fish! I jumped, squealed, and probably scared all the fishes out of the river! I hollered to B, "Listen, man! You need to catch that SOB, and teach him a lesson! You've got two more days to find him & bring him to justice!" *laugh*
We wandered up the hillside, and enjoyed a fabulous dinner with the crowd. An early evening ending, as most were tired from the day before (and a day playing on the water). I was entirely ready to call it quits early in the evening, relaxed, and becoming increasinly more comfortable with my surroundings.
6/25 - 6/28 Weekend "Vacation" - Thursday
If anybody missed me, I'm back! Now, where did I wander off to? One bad lesson-ride, and I vaporize off the blog-world, AND I spent time out of the saddle?! Foolish, huh?
While everyone was enjoying a peaceful weekend of rides and trips, or watching it rain, I went out of town for the weekend. I have accomplished a task, and, um, learned a few things. Thursday afternoon, I packed my things, hauled the girls to the vet for boarding, kissed the boys on the nose (and told Ransom to miss me!), and headed to R's house, to find him packing the truck swiftly. By about 7:00pm, we were on our way. We were? But where did we go?
It was the "annual family vacation" to the Frio River, west of San Antonio, TX. Who's family vacation? His! R's sister & her immediate family live out-of-state, and came for their annual vacation, meeting up with other family, and a handful of friends. Everyone assembles at a cabin-rental place near the river, for as much as a week, or as short as a weekend, whatever the calendar allows for. I was invited, oh, about two months ago, and began making plans to attend. The trip there was rather uneventful, except for what looked to be a horrible car accident in SA. Prayers sent up for the victims of the wreck, as well as the emergency services folks helping in the rescue & clean-up. We arrived late (late!) Thursday evening.
In reflection, that was probably the more entertaining part of the whole weekend. We unloaded our things, and went to another's cabin to have dinner and visit. As we turned the corner to the back porch, all conversations seemed to stop at one time. It was an awkward moment of "Hi everybody! This is Jennifer!", followed by a string of introductions that, at that moment, meant absolutely nothing to me. I was quickly overwhelmed by good conversations. But, do ya'll ever get that feeling you're being watched?! Because I sure did! These were the first few moments "meeting the family" - and I concentrated a bit on being reserved, while still staying alert & partipating just enough in the conversation to "get my bearings".
A successful evening meeting everyone, at least I hoped so. We turned into bed at a reasonable hour, and while I didn't sleep much, at least I relaxed... um, yeah.. right!
While everyone was enjoying a peaceful weekend of rides and trips, or watching it rain, I went out of town for the weekend. I have accomplished a task, and, um, learned a few things. Thursday afternoon, I packed my things, hauled the girls to the vet for boarding, kissed the boys on the nose (and told Ransom to miss me!), and headed to R's house, to find him packing the truck swiftly. By about 7:00pm, we were on our way. We were? But where did we go?
It was the "annual family vacation" to the Frio River, west of San Antonio, TX. Who's family vacation? His! R's sister & her immediate family live out-of-state, and came for their annual vacation, meeting up with other family, and a handful of friends. Everyone assembles at a cabin-rental place near the river, for as much as a week, or as short as a weekend, whatever the calendar allows for. I was invited, oh, about two months ago, and began making plans to attend. The trip there was rather uneventful, except for what looked to be a horrible car accident in SA. Prayers sent up for the victims of the wreck, as well as the emergency services folks helping in the rescue & clean-up. We arrived late (late!) Thursday evening.
In reflection, that was probably the more entertaining part of the whole weekend. We unloaded our things, and went to another's cabin to have dinner and visit. As we turned the corner to the back porch, all conversations seemed to stop at one time. It was an awkward moment of "Hi everybody! This is Jennifer!", followed by a string of introductions that, at that moment, meant absolutely nothing to me. I was quickly overwhelmed by good conversations. But, do ya'll ever get that feeling you're being watched?! Because I sure did! These were the first few moments "meeting the family" - and I concentrated a bit on being reserved, while still staying alert & partipating just enough in the conversation to "get my bearings".
A successful evening meeting everyone, at least I hoped so. We turned into bed at a reasonable hour, and while I didn't sleep much, at least I relaxed... um, yeah.. right!
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