It's coming.....

Sorry I've fallen behind on the blogging.... I'm studying for financial planners exam to take place in a couple weeks.

I'll get back to this, I PROMISE!!

Day 2, will be Monaco!

and, I've started a new blog for financial planning stuff:
http://moneythingsyouneedtoknow.blogspot.com/

Day 1 in Nice

There are things to discuss that happened before the first day IN Nice, but I'll save those for another time. Needless to say, the little black cloud that follows me around was present and accounted for in the beginning....

BUT.

We arrived to a beautiful, sunny Mediterranean morning. Arrived early, in fact. So we waited a few minutes for our boys to meet us at the terminal.... After our reunion in the jasmine scented morning air at Terminal 2, we took the bus to our hotel, where, of course, it was too early to check in. But they held our luggage for us, and asked us to come back around noon. So, we headed to Omar's place, stopping for coffee (espresso) and pastries on the way.

After a brief rest there, we walked. And walked.... and walked.......

Impressions: Nice is bigger than I thought, and certainly more crowded than I thought.... People take their dogs with them everywhere.... The beaches are rock! No sand in sight!! Don't you think that would be uncomfortable to lay on?... Lots of good food choices, but not red currants, so much.... Loved the market- flowers, fruits, veges, purses, LOL.... The colors are amazing! Buildings are pink and yellow! Flowers are blooming everywhere!!.... It's more humid than Ohio; less humid than Texas....

Mid-afternoon, we started to crash. So we headed back to the hotel to nap. We staying at the Sheraton Elysee Palace. Nice hotel, beautiful location- very close to the bus stop, a block off the water, Med view from our window! But if I had to sum up the room in one word? Plastic. Really. The desk and chair were clear lucite, as were the lamps and bedside tables. The headboard was attached to the wall, not the bed and it was covered with silver plastic fabric.... and there was no clock in the room. Which wouldn't have been a problem, but neither hubby nor I had a watch on, either. (don't ask) So we were dependent on his blackberry for the time. OH, and the carpet was like plastic Berber. Seriously. So, it must be some chic new style that I'm unaware of. Plastic hotel rooms. Reminded us of a "W" hotel more than a Sheraton.

Okay, so we got up and headed out for dinner. Wanted something reliable, so we told Omar to take us somewhere he'd been and knew. We went to Le Pizza. For pizza, obviously! And it was good!!! Oh, yumminess!!! And huge! And expensive if you do the conversion, so better not to. More walking, and we finished up the night at Fenoccio for gelato. groan. How I love gelato.... I should compose a sonnet to the joys of gelato.... again, though, better not to convert the price from Euros to dollars- you just really don't want to know. You know?

And, we were "done." No more walking in us. We needed a bus to get back to the hotel. And that, my friends, was day one.

I'll be adding photos to my website.... when they're up, I'll let you know!

Oh, the bloggage coming....

So, I (we) returned yesterday from vacation....

We were in France and Italy. Yeah, I know, tough life.... well, SOMEONE'S gotta do it, ya know?

Over the next couple weeks, I'm planning to blog about it and post some photos.

Here's a preview:

Day 1: Nice, France
Day 2: Monoco
Day 3: Cannes
Day 4: Villefranche
Day 5: Nice
Day 6: Nice to Santa Margherita, Italy
Day 7: Portofino
Day 8: Santa Margherita to Genoa (Genova)
Day 9: Genoa to Nice
Day 10: Thoughts about random stuff from the trip

I only have about 4000 photos to edit. (yowza)

Weigh-In

Last night we had our 4 week weigh in. We've had our food plans for 4 weeks now....

I wasn't going to look; I thought I didn't want to know. I knew I had lost some inches, because t-shirts are getting looser, pants are getting looser, bras are getting looser... but I'm clearly a long way from where I need to be, so I figured "it doesn't matter what the number is."

Well, I had a baaaaad day yesterday. Not bad from the standpoint of my plan; bad as in frustrating, tiring, stressful, etc. for other reasons. And I needed some good news.

So, I looked.

I'm down 10 pounds!!! I'll take it!!!

Ten pounds is but a drop in the bucket, but as the proverb says:

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Title contest

currently running on facebook..... give it a title!

Win a print!

I'm having a caption contest!! See the goat up there ^ ?

go to my facebook page and give it a caption....

winner gets their choice of a 5x7 or 8x10 print from my portfolio!

not my "friend?" leave a comment here with your facebook contact and i'll find you and "friend" you, so you can leave your caption.

winner will be voted on, via facebook.

Wrong, Wrong, Wrong

I was wrong.

DWTS.... I was so wrong!

But it's all good. I think Gilles is the better dancer, but I think Shawn had legions of little gymnasts voting for her, and that's okay by me. Gilles was gracious in defeat, and altho I don't dislike Melissa, I just didn't want her to beat him. So, Shawn? It's all good.

Listening to my body

Part of my "new" journey is learning to listen to my body.

I had a headstart on this thanks to my yoga practice. In yoga, I've learned to listen to my body's signals that I've gone far enough in a pose, or when it's willing to go farther. I listen for the signals to back off, or to push on, and I've learned not to question those. Not listening often results in injury. And the first rule of yoga is ahimsa- do no harm; cause no pain- to yourself, nor to anyone or anything else.

So, LeeAnn is teaching me to listen to my body's hunger signals. I'm learning how to differentiate between true physical hunger (the need for fuel) and all that other stuff that I used to feed- boredom, frustration, anger, loneliness, disappointment or fear. I'm getting pretty good at it, after 5-6 weeks, finally. In fact, I'm beginning to hear things as subtle as "I need protein" or "I need carbs" sometimes instead of just "I need food."

The harder part of this equation for me is listening to my body in regards to exercise. I would actually like to be working out 6 days/week. But I can't. My post-meniscus-repair knee just isn't 100% yet, and if I work out too many consecutive days, I'm in pain. And that's really frustrating for me. And a few times, I've ignored my knee and pushed on anyway, resulting in more pain. Not ahimsa. So, for now, I'm working out 4 days/week- 2 lifting and intervals, 2 long cardio days. Hopefully, as my weight drops and my knee heals, I'll be able to add in a couple more days of cardio. Until then, however, I'll try to remember ahimsa, and give my body the rest it needs to recover and heal.

It's kinda like asking my mind to grant my body a small measure of grace.

The New Old Journey I'm On

I've battled weight my whole life. When I was 5, I was a "normal" sized little girl. My dad was leaving for Vietnam, and we went to visit his family in Wisconsin. When we returned to North Carolina 2 weeks later, I was a chubby little girl.

My mom used to tell the story; she said I went from a size 5 to a size 6X in 2 weeks. My dad left for Vietnam and my mom and I went to her hometown to live. There, I learned to numb myself with food. The family decided (with no input from me that I recall) that I must be sad, and they fed me. I WAS sad. But I do not recall asking for loaves of white bread to be thrust in my hands. I do recall watching TV, sitting on the couch, with a loaf of bread in my hands.

I went from chubby little girl to chubby teen.... to obese adult.

I've either dieted or binged since I was 5. I have tried sooooo many diets. I say, "I've tried them all!" I actually worked at 2 of the well-known weight loss places during a brief "almost" phase. I was "almost" at that ideal, magical number... And clearly, "diets" don't work b/c here I am. Obese, again.

And yes, I said "again," not "still." After I got married, I lost 100 pounds. Then, I got pregnant with my first son. And gained about 70 pounds during my pregnancy. I gave birth to a 5 pound child. Seriously.

And lost about 60 of that.... and got pregnant, again. LOL That time, I gained about 55 pounds to give birth to a 7 pound baby. That baby is now 22 years old, and I recently hit my all time high weight. Needless to say, I never lost all that baby weight.

So, the journey began again. This time, I'm working with a nutritionist and a trainer, with a group support system, in a 12-week wellness program. I call it my 12-step program b/c I believe my food issues are an addiction which I have to kick in order to attain and maintain a healthy lifestyle. It's not a "diet." I just won't do that anymore. This is a plan. It's a plan for health. Like building a house, I have a blueprint. Like taking a trip, I have a map.

We're in week 5 or 6- I've lost track. I'm eating more normally than I probably ever have since I was 5 years old. I'm working out harder than I ever have in my life. I'm losing weight; my body is changing. But I don't know how much, b/c I don't weigh. I trust LeeAnn, my nutritionist, and Brian, my trainer. They have given me the map; they've given me the directions. Now, I'm trusting that given my map, and given my directions, I'll reach my destination. I don't need to watch the odometer count off each mile.

But it's very weird. I'm totally not used to this. I'm used to weighing every day. Sometimes more than once a day. (insert embarrassed face) But, really, if the scale didn't give me what I thought I should be getting, it would ruin my whole day. And, more often than not, ruin my "diet" too. By not weighing, I'm trusting that the plan works, regardless of what the scale says day to day. Eventually, if I eat normally, if I work out seriously, if I trust my teachers, if I trust MYSELF, I will find a healthy place.

So, that's my journey, this time.

My final 3 stand!

I can't believe it's been over a month since I last blogged....

sorry....

I'll do better, I promise!

So, tonight is part 1 of the 2 part DWTS final. And who's in??? Hmmmm???? Yep, my final 3 from the first night: Gilles, Melissa and Shawn.

Prediction: Shawn is #3. She's sweet and talented and I love her attitude, but I just don't think she's got the polish and emotion that the other 2 bring.

So, my choice is Gilles. Do I think he'll win? I think it's gonna be a close, close finish. They're both really good. But I love Gilles. He and Cheryl are hot, hot, hot!

We'll see.......

(and remember to check out my gardening blog, too.... link over ------> somewhere.)

Website updated

with lots of new stuff....

please, go look, and comment!!

www.susankphotography.com

click on photo gallery

thanks!!

Need I Say More?

Magic Water, Peepers and Crud

For the last week, I've been planting starter trays of flower seed. Most of them are supposed to take 10 or more days to germinate, but I've got germination in 3 areas that were planted 7 days ago at most. Is it magic water? Is it my awesome genetic green thumb?? LOL Don't know, but I'll take it!

Peepers are, according to Wikipedia, a sure sign that winter is winding down. I surely hope so. The 4,398,452 peepers that live in our pond/marsh are in full mate hunting voice. Yowza, they're incredibly loud for such little creatures!! But, if they're a sign of spring, well then, go for it peeps!

And lastly today.... crud. I have The Crud. Woke up in the middle of the night sneezing, coughing and sniffling. All day, my right sinus has been achy, itchy, draining and dripping. My eye has been watering. I feel like cra*. All I want to do is lie around. And that's pretty much what I've done. Oh the joys of being unemployed. ;)

Dancing With the "Stars"

yeah, "stars" in quotation marks... imagine my fingers doing air quotes. " "

I enjoy DWTS because. Can't really explain it. I've tried. Oh, believe me, I've tried. But, in the end, I do, because I do.

So, last night's debut for this season featured 13 couples. After viewing the show this morning on DVR, and fast-forwarding thru the judges' comments (because they annoy me), here's my take (fwiw):

In alphabetical order:
Belinda Carlisle: i'd give her a 6. should be back next week. will be interesting to see if she can get over her nausea.

David Alan Grier: give him a 5. should be back.

Shawn Johnson: loved her!! i'd give her an 8. i'll go out on a limb and say final four!

L'il Kim: 6. we'll see what Derek does with her unique talents.

Holly Madison: one of the "stars".... i'd give this girl a 4, and her hair a 1. oh dear.... get her a colorist, please. don't think she'll be around too long.

Gilles Marini: yowza! 10!!! oh, his dancing? 8, maybe 9.... hot pairing with Cheryl. did i say yowza? final four.

Ty Murray: 3. man does not have hips. man needs hips for dancing. don't think he'll be around very long.

Steve-O: 6. i'm not a fan. but there were worse last night. don't think he'll be around too, too long, but there are probably 3 or 4 that should go before him.

Denise Richards: 6. if the girl is already crying in rehearsals and it's only week 1, do we think she has it for the long haul? uh, no. shame, too, cause i love watching Maks dance.

Melissa Rycroft: 8. with only 2 days of rehearsal? wow. Melissa got game. i'm surprised, but i'm gonna say final four for her, too. and she has the sympathy vote right now.

Lawrence Taylor: 6. big man looked stiff and really uncomfortable out there with the half-naked Edwina. unless he's hiding something i don't think he's got the goods to go all the way.

Chuck Wicks: 6. teamed with his little girlfriend, i won't count him out, yet. i bet julianne works his butt off the next couple weeks.

Steve Wozniak: 3. i guess they gave him to Karina so she'll be done soon, so she can plan her wedding??

Bottom 3 this week, for me: Holly, Ty and Woz.
Top 3, easy: Shawn, Gilles, Melissa.

Full, but not Satisfied

You know how you can eat a great, gourmet meal of, say, fish and green beans....

and you can be "full" but you think "I could go for a cookie...."

You're full, but not satisfied?

I think life is like that, too.

You can have a great, full life, but still have a yearning for something else, something more.

Spring is on the way!!!

I have signs of spring:

a robin

a flock of starlings, grackles and red-winged blackbirds

bees around the bird feeders

62 degrees!!!

open windows

daffodils pushing thru the dirt

landscapers measuring for mulch....

can spring be far off?

Answering Machines

I really don't like calling a doctor's office and getting an answering machine right off the bat.

What if I have an emergency??? Do I want to sit thru all the "options" to figure out who I need to dial?

Or, what if I just need to make an appointment? And you're telling me to just leave a message? Shall I say, "I'd like an appointment with Dr. Smith on the 14th @ 3 PM?"

I just think they're rude on doctor's phone systems. There should be someone to answer, even if they, then, need to put me on hold.

Don't'cha think?

The Bachelor- why not?

I mean, really, everyone else is blogging about The Bachelor today, why not me?

People: it's NOT reality TV!!! It's partially scripted, heavily edited, soft porn, public humiliation.

Where, oh where, does ABC find these women who are willing to give up all privacy and check their self-esteem at the limo door?

And, by the way, how much does privacy sell for these days? I've read $5,000,000.

Truly, this is an idea whose time has come, and gone. Please, ABC, be done with it.

PSA

Please, listen to your body.

You KNOW when something's not "right".... really, trust yourself.

If you tune in to your body's messages, what "good" feels like, what "normal" feels like, what "fine" feels like, then you'll know when something isn't good, normal or fine. Then, don't ignore it.

There are really very few "silent" illnesses, diseases, or killers. They call to you.

Listen.

xoxo

Feb 29?

My weather seems to think it's still February....

We had a cold, snowy, blustery day here in northeast Ohio. I realized that, some years, this IS still February, right? The leap day. February 29.

Snow in February is common enough.

(wink)

Rehabing a knee is not fun and games

So the surgery for a torn meniscus isn't bad, really. The recovery was pretty painless and I was back on my feet in no time, literally.

I'd say I was 95% better within 10 days.

This last 5% is driving me nuts, tho.... It's not the knee so much as the hamstring, which has decided to act up. Did I pull it when I was stretching as I so faithfully do now? Don't know.

All I know is this: if I don't do anything, exercise-wise, for a couple days, it's fine. As soon as I stretch or walk for more than 10 minutes, it hurts. In fact, the other night, sitting in a restaurant I had a horrible cramp in that dang hamstring and I had to stick my foot up in my hubby's lap to get it to relax.

So, altho I declined PT for the knee, I will now be getting PT for the hamstring.... due to the rehabbing of the knee.

oy.

oh dear.... oh my..... now what?

Long story, short:

I had applied for entry into a photography show, earlier this week. I was rejected.... on the grounds that the show was for amateurs only, and my website represents me as a professional.

That really frustrated me.

But it also made me stop and think. A lot. All day, in fact.

The question was: am I a professional? Or am I an amateur?

Well, I have sold prints. So, technically, that makes me a professional. However, in my head, clearly I considered myself an amateur when I applied for this show.

I did not want the Center for the Arts' director to think I was trying to subvert the rules, so I sent off an apologetic email and explained my mental dilemma- the "am I an amateur or a professional" argument in my head.

Today, I got a reply. They offered me a show, as a pro!!!

WOO HOO!!!

oh dear.

oh my.

seriously?

eek.

Details

I have come to the realization that I am not a detail oriented person.... or maybe it's follow-thru that I lack.

I can decorate a room to the "nth" degree, every detail thought out, every detail agonized over. But if you can delay me long enough on a piece of it, I'll give up and let it go and ignore that piece. For instance, the ceiling fan in my living room is hopelessly out of balance and the metal on it doesn't match the chandelier in the adjoining dining room. When I bought this house almost 2 years ago, that was near the top of my list to replace. It's still there. Hubby has put me off on replacing it for so long now that I no longer care. Whatever.

When we returned from London, I was going to blog about that trip. I did a few entries on it, but now, the stories are less immediate, less fun to recount, and I can't finish what I started. No follow-thru....

I "want" to be a photographer. I photograph things. I have a website. I have business cards. Now and then, I sell a print or 2. What I don't have is the drive to market myself. I've been to shows; I see how much work it is; I don't think I have it in me to do that.

I need to lose weight. Every morning I wake up and say, today's the day I break old habits and start living a healthier lifestyle. And breakfast is all good. Lunch might not be bad, but by mid-afternoon, I'm needing "something" and it ain't good.

So.

Details or follow-thru?

Or are they one-in-the-same?

And where would I buy some?

It's My Birthday

yep.

I'm thankful for every one God grants me.

It's a little bit sad this year since both of the boys are not with me. But this is my new reality.

I saw a "life coach" on CNN last night and she was actually talking about the economy and how to "get over it." She said a couple things that resonated with me....

1) Take this opportunity to re-invent yourself. Let go of the old, become something new. And she said one of my favorite quotes: "It's never too late to become what you might have been."

2) Don't ask how bad it can be; ask how good you could make it.

So, starting today, I'm going to reinvent parts of myself. I like some parts of me and don't want to change them. But those parts that aren't working so great for me? I'm reinventing those.

And I'm going to see how good I can make my life, instead of focusing on anything bad.

This is MY New Year's Day.

Happy Birthday!

Happy New Year!!

Back on This Side of the Atlantic

What a day yesterday was! I'm always proud to be an American. Always. But yesterday was something special to me. Not because we inaugurated a black President.... because "we the people" chose, so definitively, hope. We voted our hopes, not our fears.

Do I think President Obama will work miracles? No, of course not. But I do believe he'll work tirelessly to put us back on the right path. And I believe that this man and his wife and his little girls are the portrait of a first family we need to look upon these days. The little girls are so spirited and lively; how can you look at those bright smiling faces and not smile, yourself? How can you look at him, looking at her, at the smile that reaches his eyes, and not believe in true love?

OK, enough sap.

Prayers for the new President and his administration.... that they are careful and prayerful in their decisions; that God blesses them all with safety and good health; that those around them shower them with love when the nay-sayers try to bring them down.

By the way, we inaugurated a bi-racial President yesterday.... he's not "just" African-American.... tho the media seems to have forgotten his white mother.

I Just Remembered the Flamboyant Man

I have no photo to go with this story, and OH, how I wish I did!!

On New Year's Eve afternoon, we were in the Fulham section of London to visit a dear, dear friend. We took the tube to the area, then before we went to Miss Jean's flat, we wanted to get her some flowers and a bottle of sherry. So we went looking for a grocery store.

As we walked down the sidewalk toward the local Tasco, of course there were people walking toward us on the same sidewalk. There were 4 of us, so as usual we walked 2 and 2. On this occasion, Hubby and Younger Son were ahead of me and Older Son.

I wasn't paying close attention to anything, really, just sort of strolling along, following the leader.

Hubby and YS moved to one side to "give way" to someone walking toward us, and I looked up to see The Most Flamboyant Man I've ever seen in real life. Think Nathan Lane in The Birdcage- makeup and all. Oh my gosh. As he approached us, he pointed at us and directed us, very sassily, and quite sternly, to the right with a flick of his white gloved hand.

We moved. He smirked.

As we passed, I couldn't help but giggle..... it takes all kinds, doesn't it?

Not your typical vaca photo

Someone asked me this morning, "what was the highlight of your trip?"

And my answer was not short....

First of all, London is like an old friend for us. The Hubby did his grad school there back in the '70s at UCL. Younger Son spent a summer there, recently, at LSE. My first visit to London was in December 1982, still a newlywed (in my mind), on the way to meet my in-laws in Pakistan for the first time. Over the years, we've gone back to London, time and again. So, do we do touristy things? Sure, we do. There's so much to do in London, we haven't done it all; we're still working on it. And there are new things to see and do every time we go.

This time, the highlight of my trip was time spent with sons. The Younger came in from France, where he's in grad school. The Older, we were leaving there for his grad school when we returned to the States. So, for me, it was time with kids. Who aren't really kids. They're adults now. But they're still my boys. And I don't know if we'll have any more family vacations after this. My highlight was time with my boys.

And this photo sort of represents that time.

Editing photos for posting

I was trying to get some photos ready to post yesterday, but my editing program was being quite uncooperative. I'll try to get a few more up today.

Gotta love technology, especially when it doesn't work.

Pictures!

Our first night in London, we walked.... I believe this is Oxford Street. If it's not, someone (son) will correct me, and I'll come correct myself.

I knew someone would correct me.... it's apparently Regent Street near or at Piccadilly Circus.







This is Leicester Square, a winter carnival of some sort.













2 of my favorite people in the whole world.... younger son and hubby. Yes, it really was cold. The son was too cool to be cold, but hubby was not afraid to don the earmuffs!

Hotel? B&B?

Accommodations in London are expensive! Especially when you factor in the currency conversion....

When this trip came up, I knew I was on a budget. This was not to be a luxury vaca; this was a budget vaca. So my search started on the internet. I searched and searched. I spent days searching. When I found something that looked promising, I then searched for reviews. After days and days of reading and searching, I settled on a "hotel." We had chosen an area we wanted to be based in, so that narrowed down my search a little. We wanted to be near Holborn, near the British Museum, in an area my Hubby knew well from his student days in London and also Younger Son knows from his summer studying at LSE.

We settled on the Ridgemount Hotel. It is a family owned and run converted Georgian Terrace in the Bloomsbury area. http://www.ridgemounthotel.co.uk/

This is European hotel staying- not for the faint of heart. The couple who own and run the Ridgemount are lovely, sweet people. And the staff were all so wonderful; no complaints there at all. And yes, there is a "but."

The rooms are very small. That's okay; we didn't spend much time in them, really. They were adequate for our needs.

And the walls are paper thin. Not too bad, really, unless the couple next door are gigglers. Good Lord. And hummers. Every evening, they were humming and giggling. Every morning, more giggling. I want to know what the heck was worth giggling about every freaking morning and evening????? It almost sent me over the edge. Our last night there, the gigglers were gone. Ah, sweet peace. Until 1:30 a.m. when the newest tenants arrived. A room full of shrieking, laughing, french-speaking young girls. Hello?? After an hour, they finally settled down.... I should have called down to the office and asked them to take care of it for me. Next time, I will.

And Gower Street? Great location! Right on the bus route. A mere 10 minute stroll from the doors of the British Museum (pictured above). Did I mention the buses? ALL night long, the buses run. Right down Gower Street; right outside the hotel windows. Big buses. Loud buses. All night.

Yeah, gotta love the old European hotels- creaky floors beneath your feet, creaky floors beneath the feet of the people 1 floor above you, creaky floors in the hallway outside your door.... OH, and the "shared facilities" that we never had to wait for, and which were very clean. And cold. Do the English not heat "facilities?" The tile floors were freezing cold, not to mention the toilet seats- in the middle of the night. yikes! But we never had to wait to use them!!

On the other hand, free tea in the lounge day and night. And computer.... and a Christmas tree.... And breakfast was lovely. Every morning, we were offered "cereals," juice, tea or coffee, toast and variations on a breakfast theme: eggs + something. Offered as: eggstomatocheese? (toe-mah-toe) or eggstomatobeans? or eggsausagebacon? The first day, not wanting to appear "daft" b/c I couldn't figure out wth I was being offered, I simply smiled and said, "oh, no thank you" which was answered with "nufing a'tall?" Once I had figured it out, it was too late for that day, but the next morning I was ready to order my 2 eggs, scrambled, and stuck to it for the remainder of the trip.

Will I return to the Ridgemount? Heck, yeah! The people were wonderful!! The location was great!! And the price? Can NOT beat it. But I'll take ear plugs and slippers next time.

Let's talk airplanes, airports, etc.

Lesson #1:
Flying on Christmas Day is cheaper than the days preceding, did you know that? Truly. And "they" say there are fewer people traveling on The day. May well be true. We flew out on Christmas Day from Cleveland Hopkins to Newark Liberty, then on to London Heathrow. By flying ON Christmas Day, the tickets were about $400 cheaper each, times 3 travelers. You do the math.

Lesson #2:
Leave yourself some wiggle room/time. I booked this trip. So, I planned longer than would seem necessary layovers in Newark. Why? Because I've missed enough connecting flights in my day. I hate that! Then you're stuck flying stand-by and inevitably end up sitting in the middle seat, etc. Little did I know when I booked our flights that the Hubby would be recovering from a broken hip, and I would be nursing a bad knee which would slow us down from our normal breakneck speed. But I booked those longer connections anyway, thank God.

Lesson #3:
Check out the airplane seating diagram before you choose your seats; then choose wisely. I hate sitting in the middle seat. Hubby doesn't hate it, but he's not a fan, either. And we don't really cuddle on airplanes- it's just tacky, you know? So, we both got aisle seats, just across from each other. And fairly close to the front lavatory. I did give up my aisle seat on one flight, though, because a mother and her 2 little girls were unable to book seats together and I wouldn't want my little girls sitting with a stranger, so I gave the mother my aisle in exchange for her window by Hubby.

Lesson #4:
On international flights, check in at the gate, even though you've already checked in online. They usually want to check your passport again, and if you don't check in at the gate, they may send you back during the boarding process. It's not just a pain in the a$$, but it's embarrassing. Didn't happen on this trip because I learned this lesson somewhere else, long, long ago.

Lesson #5:
Going forward, when booking an international flight, I will check the aircraft scheduled to be used. Flying international, long-haul flights in anything less than a 777 is inhumane, and to be avoided if at all possible. I will, in the future, consider the AIRCRAFT as important as the flight time.

1359

My camera recorded 1359 photos on said 10 day trip.

and consider that 2 of those were travel days....

rofl

Upcoming posts

I'm back, after 10 days in jolly old London. Yep, the UK. Where they speak the Queen's english, and drink tea, and mind the gap, and such.

I have lots to talk about, too; no surprise, there, huh? LOL

So, over the next several days, that's what I'll be talking about.

Stay tuned!