I’m taking a break from packing and last-minute website updates to get tonight’s post in. Next post will hopefully be from Hawaii! Weather is supposed to be unpleasantly frigid on this end (the Chicago end) tomorrow, but not so terrible as to interfere with our departure. At least, I hope it doesn’t interfere. Weather is supposed to be unseasonably cool on the Honolulu end, but that means highs in the 70s rather than the 80s. I’m good with that. See you tomorrow on that end!
Is it time yet? (17 of 31/17 of 274)
You might remember that back in November, I lamented the fact that I didn’t plan a day to relax before leaving on vacation. I have exactly one thing planned for the day before we leave this time: drop Freya off at the boarding kennel. So I have high hopes of a relaxing evening, at least.
Unfortunately, the coming week is going to be anything but relaxing at work. We have a few large projects starting on Monday (did no one get the message that Monday is a federal holiday?) and the entire week promises to be somewhat hellish. One of the projects requires contact with one of the biggest jagoffs on the planet and said jagoff’s clueless minions. That alone would make the week unpleasant. Add that to long hours and the rather tedious nature of the projects themselves, and it will make for a very long and horrible work week.
Posting from vacation didn’t work out that well for me in November, but I still managed to post every day, so I think I’ll be fine with completing this month’s NaBloPoMo. I have more interesting topics and photos to post when I’m on vacation, but I just don’t want to spend a lot of vacation time sitting at a computer.
One thing I didn’t have on the last vacation is my BlackBerry, which was purchased shortly after we returned from that trip. I really wish there was such a thing as a WordPress client for BlackBerry, and I was very surprised to see that no such thing exists. Go ahead, iPhone users, gloat a little about your selection of apps.
Even without a WordPress client, I think having the BlackBerry will help with blogging from vacation. But I don’t think I ever finished setting up email posting to this blog, so I’ll have to make sure to do that sometime before this weekend is over.
Back to proofreading! I’m trying to make sure I’m caught up on all the proofreading for Total Rottweiler Magazine, and all the updates for the various websites I maintain, before this weekend is over.
Change of scenery (12 of 31/12 of 274)
I am sure you are tired of hearing me complain about the oh-so-lovely winter we are experiencing in Chicago (will it help if I mention that we’ve already surpassed our usual snowfall for the entire winter, and it’s not quite mid-January? No? I didn’t think so), so I am happy to report that a brief trip to Hawaii is coming up in the near future. We need a nice change of scenery. Please ignore the fact that we just had one in November. Hopefully this record-setting winter won’t interfere in a bad way.
The Sumatran tiger cubs born in September at the Honolulu Zoo weren’t ready to receive visitors during our last trip in November. We’ll be able to see them this time, though. Their public debut was in December (during the Obama family vacation, how about that).
The Royal Hawaiian Hotel’s renovation is almost done. Part of the hotel is open now, and more rooms and the ballrooms and restaurants will be opening for an Inauguration Night gala. The grand reopening is in March, but I’m hoping that the Mai Tai Bar will remain open between Inauguration Night and the grand reopening, to accommodate one of our favorite traditions, if nothing else.
On the down side, Hawaii has had its share of bad winter weather as well this year. Frigid temperatures are obviously not involved, but there have been some severe rainstorms and that well-publicized island-wide blackout back in December which was caused by lightning strikes.
You won’t even want to read this blog if we get to Hawaii only to be hit by nasty winter rainstorms. Although I must admit that warm rain beats the living hell out of freaking “wintry mix” any day!
Speaking of a change in scenery, I’ve been feeling that way about online scenery as well. I’ve been spending more time with Facebook, Twitter, CrackBerry and my blogs and journals, and way less time in all VZones worlds and a few forums I used to enjoy. I think I spend about the same amount of time in dog forums, but I don’t “work” for any of them any longer.
In the past, I’ve often been a forum or game moderator or administrator, so when I’d come online, I’d usually have a definite purpose. Not so much any more. In some ways it is great to not be working, but it’s also a strange feeling to not be “needed” anywhere online.
What’s that? Yes, you’re right. I am needed in one place. That website of mine that I have procrastinated on for yet another month. I really do need to get it done before Axel gets his championship!
Back home from back home (17 of 30)
Back in Chicago! Sad to not be in Hawaii, but glad I’ll be sleeping in my own bed tonight.
I have to say, though, that I don’t remember the last time I’ve encountered such a large number of ignorant people on my flights. The last time they were so prevalent was back when the airfares were super low and the clueless took to the sky in droves. I admit to being both somewhat claustrophobic and more than a little antisocial so maybe it’s me and not them. Well, no. It’s them, too.
With all of the airlines charging to check bags now, the trend of oversized carry-on luggage has reached critical mass as well. I fly with carry-on luggage only myself on short trips, but mine does not outweigh me.
Enough complaining from me! See you after a good night’s sleep!
Well, that was quick (16 of 30)
We’re down to our last few hours in Honolulu. All that’s left is the last bit of packing. That week certainly went by quickly. My family can be extremely frustrating at times but I still wish I could get here to visit them more often.
On the last day of all of my Honolulu trips, I visit several family gravesites. It’s a real reminder of how old we are all getting, especially as one of the cemeteries is an extremely old one and quite a few of the graves there belong to people who apparently no longer have any surviving relatives in Honolulu.
No time for a “real” posting today as I need to get back to packing. Talk to you when I’m back home!