Back To Work

Sabbatical is over and I'm back at work. Not much changed over the four weeks I was gone - guess that's a good thing. Means I have a job to return to!

My Disney trip was fabulous! The cruise I would recommend to anyone - though I'm not too sure I will become a 'cruiser', needing to hit the open seas every two years. The Parks were also fabulous - and I am DEFINITELY a Disney-eer. If I get to take the girls, I'll be back at the Parks next year - otherwise, probably not for another (gulp) four years. That might be hard, but there are so many other places I want to go. Seems silly to keep returning to the Parks rather than branching out. Hope I can make it that long!!

I came back to a new niece - Piper Shae Hunt was born the day I was transitioning from the cruise to the Parks (October 23rd). She is a beautiful baby and looks just like all the other beautiful baby Hunts. Scary thing is they want me to take her overnight in a few weeks so Breezy can go to a Pirate thing with George. Gulp. Shawn won't be happy - and I may ask Andrea if she wants to come over and help. I can handle the baby but I also need my beauty rest! I've never had a baby overnight before!

We spent the week-end cleaning out Mom and Dad's house. Pretty much everything we didn't take with us went in to the trash dumpster. It was emotionally hard - I couldn't be there when John and his boys took a sledge hammer to Mom's piano; neither could Dan apparently. Every time I tossed out a glass or a knick knack I wanted to cry. While I was standing out in the front yard looking at the pieces of piano, I quietly apologized to Mom for what we were doing. And a yellow butterfly flew near and landed on a flower. I've always associated yellow butterflies with Mom. It was like she was telling me she understood and it was alright. Makes me want to cry just thinking about it. Between myself, John and Tom, we managed to incorporate a lot of the stuff in to our own homes so that helped. My basement is now full of Hunt House! The day the house sells will be very hard - I'll probably cry and get drunk. Losing your parents is unbelievably hard.

Disneyland!

I made it to Disneyland! In the five hours we had at the park, we managed 8 rides and a parade - not bad! The only ride I didn't get in was the Raiders of the Lost Ark ride - a reason to go back again some day.

Sandra's reception was fun - full of women, though. If they weren't all lesbians, cousin David would have been in seventh heaven! Fortunately there was no PDAs - I think I would have been very uncomfortable if there had been smooching. But it was a lovely day, a lovely reception, great food and a fab candy bar. And Aunt Bobbie was ecstatic to have her entire family together on vacation in California. She was really happy.

Next is our overnight for Shawn's birthday tomorrow, then Hermann this week-end with the in-laws and next week - our Disney Cruise and Parks vacation I've been planning and dreaming of for four years!!! Let's hope the weather holds out for us!

Getting Ready To Fly

I leave bright and early (well, early - the sun won't be out to make it bright!) Friday morning for LAX and Disneyland - oh, and Sandra's reception. I am starting to get nervous about the pat down - and the name issue on the reservation. Maybe they won't let me on the plane at all.

I got Sandra's gift mailed out Monday so she should be getting it tomorrow. They are two cutting boards off her wedding registry - she had very little on the registry as she and Teresa prefer cash for a house, a baby (?!) and a honeymoon. I'm not going to help pay for someone's vacation, I didn't get help buying my house and a baby is an issue they need to deal with as a couple and not bring others in to it. And I don't like to give adults cash. So, I picked some cheaper things off the scant registry.

Guess I'll be doing some laundry tomorrow and packing. I'll be doing a LOT of packing this month. I also need to get in touch with Andrea to see if she would come by Saturday and put out cat food for the strays. And I need to get cat food tomorrow! And I need to update my iPhone and call Delta to make sure the memo is on my reservation. Got a lot to do tomorrow. I'm already tired just thinking about it.

I Think I Can - I Think I Can

One more work day left until I'm off for four glorious weeks! I am so excited I can hardly stand it!

OK, so on TOP of a week-end trip to Pasadena, CA with Tom (yay Disneyland!), a night at a B&B in Amish country with Shawn and a fabulous Disney Cruise and Parks vacation (yay Disney Cruise & Parks!), we might go to Hermann for a week-end. That would mean this week-end will be my last one at home until the last week of October! Insane? Yes! Loving it? YES! Now if I can just get through tomorrow without incident, I will be home-free!

Shawn and I are going to the Renaissance on Sunday. I had texted George to see if he had gotten any passes this year. He texted me back a message full of venom. Something about how we don't understand what he went through, what he sacrificed handling Dad, how we have all accused him of taking Dad's money (he did - he even admitted it at the time), yadayadayada. All I did was ask about passes! Then the next he day sends his 'I'm just a little boy, of course I can get you in' text. I didn't respond to either one. I am also not taking his passes. If he comes by, I'll just hide in the back of the house till he leaves.That was uncalled for and totally uncool. Not putting up with that crap. I also do not plan on watching his performance.

Are We There Yet?

Apparently this is my 100th blog entry. Only took three years!

I am hanging on till sabbatical and my Disney trips - one week and one day and counting! I contacted the airline about the mess-up of my name for the California trip with Tom (he reserved the flights as Laura Hunt Weissenbach - what was he thinking?!) They can't change the reservation but they've 'added a memo' to the TSA site - I have almost zero confidence that's going to do the trick. Especially when my bionic knee sets off the scanners. I'm going to get strip-searched, I know it. Maybe waterboarded. Solitary confinement. I'm not at all sure I'm going to make it to California. And if by some miracle I do, there's no guarantee I'll be allowed on the return flight. I'm going to call the airline again next week to make sure they've done all they can do and see if I can do anything or take anything addition with me like maybe a passport or my marriage certificate.

If I make it to LAX, I am going to Disneyland! For free!! I have enough Disney Reward Dollars to get both me AND Tom in without spending anything. Can't beat that!

9 11

Ten years ago the world as we know it changed forever with the falling of the Twin Towers, the attack on the Pentagon and the heroics of the flight over Pennsylvania. Time flies, even when you think it's standing still and nothing is changing. Babies are tweens, widows are new wives and parents have joined their lost ones.

Ten years.

We're All Going To The Zoo This Morning

Shawn and I hit the KC Zoo today - the weather was perfect, the company was perfect and the price was perfect (free!) What a great way to start training for Disney - and judging by how my feet felt after just a few hours of walking around, I'm doomed! Good thing I got a batch of prednisone from the doctor's last week!

Not a lot to report - working a lot of overtime not so much because I want to help the team but because I really need the money. I have Tucker still to get to the vet and I want to get my hair done for vacation. And we have estimated taxes due this month, next month we have car tags... it's never ending. I won't be able to put in OT in October (because I have it off!!!) so I need to do as much as I can stand this month. Did five hours yesterday and I am taking today and tomorrow off so I'll get something of a week-end. Then if it's offered, I'll be putting in 4-5 hours each Saturday and maybe some Sunday hours, too. Through September. What I really need is a raise.

Bailey is staying with us this week-end while Dan heads to Wichita to hang out with John. I found out John lost his Maxwell last week - Diane had taken him running in the August heat (it was over 100 degrees in Wichita) and he overheated, convulsed and died. Awful. He was a beautiful young dog, only 4. And John idolized him. Heartbreaking.