Today was the first day that Karlo and I commuted from Eastford to Tolland for work. Well, Karlo went to work yesterday, but today was my first commute. We took the motorcycle and left the house at 6:45. Wow. It was great. The first 9 miles are on beautiful winding roads. The sun is at our back (which sure beats the glare in your tired morning eyes as you travel East) and the light on the fields is surreal. What beautiful scenery. How could I complain about the longer commute when sitting on the back of the motorcycle is by far the most relaxing part of my day?
I hope the dogs will do OK today. I worked really hard yesterday getting them to use the doggie door in the garage. They are very accustomed to using a doggie door so it shouldn’t be a big deal. But right now, everything is just a huge cause of stress for poor Bentley. He is such a crotchedy old man, set in his ways, not wanting to change. Hmmm, maybe he’s Italian! Peanut, on the other hand, is young, spunky, less stressed and willing to try new things. She’s flying in and out of the door with no problem. Bentley refuses to go outside via the door, but has no problem coming back in. When he needs to get out, he BETTER suck it up and get himself through that door. We’ll see what happens . . .
Last night we got more work done. We hung some pictures and that makes such a big difference. We also got a new couch upstairs – big accomplishment. When you see the stairs you will understand. Luckily we had some help. A coworker came by to give Karlo a hand. One of these days I have to start cleaning everything. Uuugh.
12 more hours . . . . tonight is a very big night!!!!!
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
First Blog Post From Eastford
This is my first entry from our new home . . . and my fingers are just about the only part of my body not in pain! Over the past two days, Karlo and I did what would probably take sane people a month to do. I am a very hard worker, but I don’t think I worked this hard my whole life. We went nearly non-stop from 7 AM Saturday morning to after 8 PM last night, when my back hurt so bad I literally couldn’t move. Our only breaks were occasional snack stops and even then, I didn’t want to waste time eating. But I’m happy to report that all of our hard work paid off. It really feels like we are moved in. There are still tons of boxes in the basement, but we have enough unpacked to live comfortably.
One of my big accomplishments for the weekend included unpacking and setting up my new kitchen. First of all, for somebody that doesn’t cook, I own way too much stuff. But on a brighter note, this new kitchen is amazing. We had a lot of storage in Andover, but it was poorly designed and lots of wasted space. This kitchen, on the other hand, has brilliant custom storage where there is a place for everything. I still didn’t use up all the space. And the really good news is that I need to buy some pretty things to display in the glass front cabinets. That should be a fun task!
My favorite accomplishment was getting our bedroom set up and making a dent on organizing the master bathroom. After all the traumas I caused myself over picking the paint color, I truly love how it turned out. I was convinced there was no good way to place our furniture in this awkward room, but it all worked out great. And hanging some window treatments was the icing on the cake. Now it feels so cozy and slightly romantic. I never had a romantic looking bedroom!
My least favorite accomplishment was single-handedly (well, almost – I needed Karlo to hold the ladder a couple times) painting the two guest bedrooms . . . and let me tell you – that SUCKED. I painted from 10 AM until 7 PM, with a 15 break for lunch. And still my mp3 player battery outlasted me. I know Lisa is reading this cursing because she actually likes to paint and yes, I know . . . I should have waited for her. I only have one more room to paint (in the near future) and I think I’m calling her in for that one!
Karlo did so many things I can’t possibly list them. We were both so exhausted and nothing was sweeter than sleeping on our new bed! That was pure bliss.
The dogs, on the other hand, are not quite so happy here. I think they miss Grandpa! Every chance Bentley gets, he makes a mad dash for the car. He can’t wait to leave this place. It doesn’t help that we had thunder storms both days of the weekend. Now the dogs associate this house with big scary things. Uuugh. It will take some time to get them settled.
One of my big accomplishments for the weekend included unpacking and setting up my new kitchen. First of all, for somebody that doesn’t cook, I own way too much stuff. But on a brighter note, this new kitchen is amazing. We had a lot of storage in Andover, but it was poorly designed and lots of wasted space. This kitchen, on the other hand, has brilliant custom storage where there is a place for everything. I still didn’t use up all the space. And the really good news is that I need to buy some pretty things to display in the glass front cabinets. That should be a fun task!
My favorite accomplishment was getting our bedroom set up and making a dent on organizing the master bathroom. After all the traumas I caused myself over picking the paint color, I truly love how it turned out. I was convinced there was no good way to place our furniture in this awkward room, but it all worked out great. And hanging some window treatments was the icing on the cake. Now it feels so cozy and slightly romantic. I never had a romantic looking bedroom!
My least favorite accomplishment was single-handedly (well, almost – I needed Karlo to hold the ladder a couple times) painting the two guest bedrooms . . . and let me tell you – that SUCKED. I painted from 10 AM until 7 PM, with a 15 break for lunch. And still my mp3 player battery outlasted me. I know Lisa is reading this cursing because she actually likes to paint and yes, I know . . . I should have waited for her. I only have one more room to paint (in the near future) and I think I’m calling her in for that one!
Karlo did so many things I can’t possibly list them. We were both so exhausted and nothing was sweeter than sleeping on our new bed! That was pure bliss.
The dogs, on the other hand, are not quite so happy here. I think they miss Grandpa! Every chance Bentley gets, he makes a mad dash for the car. He can’t wait to leave this place. It doesn’t help that we had thunder storms both days of the weekend. Now the dogs associate this house with big scary things. Uuugh. It will take some time to get them settled.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Cleaning Is No Fun
My excitement about vacuuming lasted only one day. Last night I did some heavy duty vacuuming - this time with a steam cleaner and THAT was no fun at all. First problem was that Karlo went to pick up the rented cleaner himself. Therefore he was the one that got the instructions and I relied on him to convey them to me. Was there any chance at ALL that this would go smoothly? Of course not. He pretty much listened with half an ear and then made it all up when he explained the process to me. Very frustrating. I won't even go into all the details, as entertaining as they probably would be.
The job was hard and certainly no fun. The stains didn't come out, but apparently lots of dirt did. The carpets looked amazingly clean before I started and it is just scary how much dirt comes out of clean looking carpets. Carpets in general scare because of the amount of grime that they must hide. Yuck. Now I need to decide if the dogs will be allowed on the second floor. This is my chance to train them that the second floor is off limits. On one hand, I would love the thought of no dog hairs getting permanently embedded all over - especially with my allergies. But on the other hand, it makes me sad to not have my little buddies following me everywhere I go. I don't know what to do!
Tonight will be our last night in Hartford. We are extremely anxious to make the official move - as I'm sure Dad is! He has been amazingly patient with his human and K9 house guests and I know he can't wait to have his house back to normal. Dad, I can't thank you enough for everything!!!!
My next post will be from our new digs (if we get our internet connection as planned on Saturday). Counting down the hours . . .
The job was hard and certainly no fun. The stains didn't come out, but apparently lots of dirt did. The carpets looked amazingly clean before I started and it is just scary how much dirt comes out of clean looking carpets. Carpets in general scare because of the amount of grime that they must hide. Yuck. Now I need to decide if the dogs will be allowed on the second floor. This is my chance to train them that the second floor is off limits. On one hand, I would love the thought of no dog hairs getting permanently embedded all over - especially with my allergies. But on the other hand, it makes me sad to not have my little buddies following me everywhere I go. I don't know what to do!
Tonight will be our last night in Hartford. We are extremely anxious to make the official move - as I'm sure Dad is! He has been amazingly patient with his human and K9 house guests and I know he can't wait to have his house back to normal. Dad, I can't thank you enough for everything!!!!
My next post will be from our new digs (if we get our internet connection as planned on Saturday). Counting down the hours . . .
Thursday, July 26, 2007
A Dog Owner’s Best Friend
Yes, I know the actual dog is supposed to be the best friend, but in this case BECAUSE of the dogs I have another best friend . . . and that would be my new vacuum cleaner. I know I blogged about this a long time ago when I first bought it. I settled on this one because of Consumer Reports and well, because it was cute (and supposedly quiet). After it sitting in the original box for over 3 months, last night was the first time I used it and I love it!
I can’t believe how awesome this thing is. After 10 years with central vac, which is supposed to be the ultimate way to vacuum your house (not), I would never go back to the enormous, impossible to tame hose and different attachments. This amazing little contraption does it all. It goes from hardwood floors to any height carpet with the flick of a switch – no need to change the attachment. The canister is amazingly light and, just like the advertisement said, it really is much quieter than any other vacuum I have ever heard. The self propulsion boogies (much faster than the lawn mower) and did I mention that it’s red? How cute is that?
So if you need a new vacuum, and even if you don’t ‘need’ (that is a very subjective term to begin with), I highly recommend the Sears Kenmore Canister and once you get one, you may as well pick up a shedding greyhound too!
I can’t believe how awesome this thing is. After 10 years with central vac, which is supposed to be the ultimate way to vacuum your house (not), I would never go back to the enormous, impossible to tame hose and different attachments. This amazing little contraption does it all. It goes from hardwood floors to any height carpet with the flick of a switch – no need to change the attachment. The canister is amazingly light and, just like the advertisement said, it really is much quieter than any other vacuum I have ever heard. The self propulsion boogies (much faster than the lawn mower) and did I mention that it’s red? How cute is that?
So if you need a new vacuum, and even if you don’t ‘need’ (that is a very subjective term to begin with), I highly recommend the Sears Kenmore Canister and once you get one, you may as well pick up a shedding greyhound too!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Green Sneakers and Ham
What a strange title . . . I started out with just "Green Sneakers" and I naturally needed to add "and Ham" despite the fact that the ham part is totally irrelevant. I think I'm getting deliriously tired these days.
Anyway, I'm talking about green sneakers because yesterday was my first attempt at grass cutting with an actual push mower. In my whole life, I don't ever recall cutting the grass with a push mower. OK, my tiny little reel mower doesn't count and I only used it 3 or 4 times around the fish ponds in Andover. This was a real lawn mower that you walk behind, rather than sit on and drive!
And I don't know what the heck I was thinking when I originally told Karlo that I didn't need a self-propelled model. Thank GOD we ended up getting the self propelled job and even with it . . . it was still a ton of work. For some strange reason I thought it would be a good idea to pitch in and help Karlo with the lawn from now on. After sizing up the lawn I figured it would take him a half a day to do it on his own and let's face it . . . I don't have the patience to sit around and wait for that. So we bought a push mower and a second weed whacker so I can help out. Last night we cut non-stop (in turbo mode) for 2 hours and almost finished the lawn (not including the grass in the front of the house). And I'm betting we have another good 2 hours of trimming to go. uuuugh.
I pushed my little heart out and the self-propulsion doesn't exactly work on the hills. It required good old fashion pushing. I was exhausted and sweaty. Yes, sweaty. I never sweated in Croatia with all that heat and biking, but yet I sweated cutting the darn grass. And now my perfectly white tennis shoes are completely green. Why didn't Karlo warn me that would happen? And to top it off, my right arm is killing me. All day I couldn't figure out why my arm feels like I got a tetnis shot. It finally dawned on me that it's from pulling the cord to start the mower. How barbaric. Can't they just make an on/off switch? I'm not sure how much mowing I'll really do, but at least my intentions are good.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Happy Birthday Peanut
In all the moving commotion, I nearly forgot that today is Peanut's birthday! Our poor little neglected dog. Today she turns 6, but she still acts like she's 2. I think she will forever be a puppy.
Looks like we are going to have to celebrate her birthday in a few days. What shall we get her for her present? Perhaps a bigger bed?
Or maybe a fan . . .
And did somebody say CAKE?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY PEANUT!!!
I'm Exhausted
. . . and we’ve only just begun. It seems every minute something gets added to our To Do list and the feelings of being overwhelmed are starting to weigh heavy on our shoulders. How long will it realistically take us to unpack and do all the things we need to do? So far we painted 3 rooms and installed a partial fence for the dogs. I can NOT even believe how sore my legs were from painting. What is up with that? I can bike all day every day and yet painting killed me. I must be getting old.
But speaking of painting, I have good news to report. I finally settled on a color that I like for our bedroom and I got over the fact that I wasted a gallon of paint and 3 hours of our time. Water under the bridge. So what did I finally settle on? You ready for this? Beige! That’s right, beige. How boring is that? Well, it’s not really just plain beige. It’s called Honeysuckle beige and that sounds much prettier! And I did a total 180 for the master bathroom and went with a dark maroon. I ‘Photoshoped’ a mock-up for Karlo and he adamantly HATED it. But I convinced him to trust me and don’t you know, after the paint went on the wall, he liked it. Thank goodness. So things are progressing in the painting department. Three more rooms to go – for now.
The dogs had their first visit to the house this weekend. It was a bit stressful for them. There was lots of panting and pacing going on, but finally they settled down. Once we let them into the house the went on a sniffing mission and I think they felt better when they stiffed some of our things (like area rugs) and realized it was familiar to them. I hope they are catching on. Bentley definitely understands something is going on. He sees us packing suitcases and he is sticking to us like glue. I think he’s afraid we are going to leave him behind to live out his days in Dad’s basement.
Our plan is to make our official move this weekend. The dogs will get relocated on Saturday and I’m sure Dad will be thrilled. Nothing is unpacked yet, but that’s OK. Our internet connection will be installed on Saturday afternoon and that’s all I really need to live!
Stay tuned for more moving news.
But speaking of painting, I have good news to report. I finally settled on a color that I like for our bedroom and I got over the fact that I wasted a gallon of paint and 3 hours of our time. Water under the bridge. So what did I finally settle on? You ready for this? Beige! That’s right, beige. How boring is that? Well, it’s not really just plain beige. It’s called Honeysuckle beige and that sounds much prettier! And I did a total 180 for the master bathroom and went with a dark maroon. I ‘Photoshoped’ a mock-up for Karlo and he adamantly HATED it. But I convinced him to trust me and don’t you know, after the paint went on the wall, he liked it. Thank goodness. So things are progressing in the painting department. Three more rooms to go – for now.
The dogs had their first visit to the house this weekend. It was a bit stressful for them. There was lots of panting and pacing going on, but finally they settled down. Once we let them into the house the went on a sniffing mission and I think they felt better when they stiffed some of our things (like area rugs) and realized it was familiar to them. I hope they are catching on. Bentley definitely understands something is going on. He sees us packing suitcases and he is sticking to us like glue. I think he’s afraid we are going to leave him behind to live out his days in Dad’s basement.
Our plan is to make our official move this weekend. The dogs will get relocated on Saturday and I’m sure Dad will be thrilled. Nothing is unpacked yet, but that’s OK. Our internet connection will be installed on Saturday afternoon and that’s all I really need to live!
Stay tuned for more moving news.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Bring Your Dancing Shoes
In my many discussions with friends who were trying to console me and give me paint advice, I keep coming back to the same explanation of my challenges with this house . . . all the wood. I have come to the realization that colors look much different when placed against a wood trim as opposed to a white painted trim. Every color looks good next to white. But when you have THIS much wood, it poses an usual challenge. I tried to describe the amount of wood, but nothing tells the story better than the picture above. That picture just makes me want to dance. Perhaps I should install a disco ball!
Would you believe that I went back to Lowes yesterday and bought another gallon of paint for the bedroom . . . and before we even get back to the house, I’m already sure I don’t like it. I am officially losing my mind. So we are now on to Plan C for our bedroom. I am going to use the paint I bought last night in a guest bedroom instead and buy yet another gallon for our room. At the rate I’m going, we will have to start building more rooms just to use the unwanted gallons of paint! I just can’t believe how hard this is for me.
I think I have the final color in mind. One (or two or three) more trips back to the paint store and I should be ready to paint this weekend. Stay tuned for the results next week.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
The Final Croatia Story
Sunday, July 8, 2007
We spent a very lazy day in Omisalji today. We had breakfast on the ship, said our goodbyes and checked back into the hotel. We didn’t really do much today other than take long walks and float around in the water. We just came back from dinner and I am stunned that it was this morning that we got off the ship. It feels like yesterday! There is some strange time warp thing going on. Time seems to move much, much slower here.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Today was our last day in Croatia. I’m sad to see this vacation end and we are already talking about coming back. After spending yesterday leisurely lounging around, we decided to do and see more today. We rented a car and drove to the mainland. The first part of our journey was on that crazy road that snakes along the coast all the way down to the southern tip of Croatia. Karlo told me about this road carved into the side of the cliff with the ocean below. He always talked about taking a drive along the entire coast of Croatia. After being on it for 80 KM, it is officially settled. We are NEVER driving a motorcycle on it! I’m not too thrilled about driving a car on it either. These people here are CRAZY. I guess this place is too close to Itlay, and all their insane driving habits have spread into this country too. No thank you.
We made our way to Plitvicka Jezera National Park where we spent the whole day. Now we can add another National Park to our ever growing list of ones we already saw. (yeah) This place was amazing. We’ve been to several National Parks and I think I have to say that this was among the most beautiful. It was a series of lakes all at different levels with waterfalls everywhere. And the bluest water ever. It reminded me of the water in the lakes at the Canadian Rockies, but better because there were so many fish. I love watching fish swim! One of the few things that actually relaxes me. I think I’m going to have to reconsider having ‘indoor’ fish in Eastford. (sorry Karlo) We hiked the whole park and we even got to take a boat and scenic tram ride. It sure was a great way to end our vacation.
The most important part of the day, however, wasn’t about the beautiful scenery at the park. It was about the sights leading up to the park. We drove through several towns that had abandoned houses. The houses looked completely gutted, some without roofs, like they had been burned. I found it odd that there were so many, but I never questioned. Shortly after my pondering, Karlo explained that these houses were shot up and burned during the war. Now Karlo has given me so many history lessons over the years. He has explained the situation in the former Yugoslavia dozens of times . . . but none of them sunk in until today. I needed to see it for myself.
When this area was Yugoslavia, the Croats, Serbs, Bosnians and Slovanians all lived together in peace. If you can call being ruled under an iron fist ‘in peace.’ But after the dictator died and Slovenia broke free, all hell broke loose. The Serbs started killing the Croatians that lived in the Serbian sections, so therefore the Croats started killing the Serbs living in the Croatian sections. Entire villages were wiped out. We drove by so many abandoned and/or destroyed houses. Even houses that are currently occupied have bullet holes all over them. I just imagined the tanks driving down the street, aimlessly shooting up the houses for no good reason. Sickening. So many innocent civilians killed. And to think, this was only about 15 years ago – in Europe for heaven’s sake.
Now I finally understand why so many people were shocked when we said we were going to Croatia on vacation. It is such a pity that so many people remember that war and imagine Croatia as a dangerous place. Even after seeing all the post war destruction, I still think it’s the most beautiful place I ever saw.
This wraps up my very long-winded travel journal. If you’ve been reading, I hope you enjoyed it.
To see pictures from this segment of our trip please visit, http://picasaweb.google.com/paulasworld/CroatiaPart4
We spent a very lazy day in Omisalji today. We had breakfast on the ship, said our goodbyes and checked back into the hotel. We didn’t really do much today other than take long walks and float around in the water. We just came back from dinner and I am stunned that it was this morning that we got off the ship. It feels like yesterday! There is some strange time warp thing going on. Time seems to move much, much slower here.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Today was our last day in Croatia. I’m sad to see this vacation end and we are already talking about coming back. After spending yesterday leisurely lounging around, we decided to do and see more today. We rented a car and drove to the mainland. The first part of our journey was on that crazy road that snakes along the coast all the way down to the southern tip of Croatia. Karlo told me about this road carved into the side of the cliff with the ocean below. He always talked about taking a drive along the entire coast of Croatia. After being on it for 80 KM, it is officially settled. We are NEVER driving a motorcycle on it! I’m not too thrilled about driving a car on it either. These people here are CRAZY. I guess this place is too close to Itlay, and all their insane driving habits have spread into this country too. No thank you.
We made our way to Plitvicka Jezera National Park where we spent the whole day. Now we can add another National Park to our ever growing list of ones we already saw. (yeah) This place was amazing. We’ve been to several National Parks and I think I have to say that this was among the most beautiful. It was a series of lakes all at different levels with waterfalls everywhere. And the bluest water ever. It reminded me of the water in the lakes at the Canadian Rockies, but better because there were so many fish. I love watching fish swim! One of the few things that actually relaxes me. I think I’m going to have to reconsider having ‘indoor’ fish in Eastford. (sorry Karlo) We hiked the whole park and we even got to take a boat and scenic tram ride. It sure was a great way to end our vacation.
The most important part of the day, however, wasn’t about the beautiful scenery at the park. It was about the sights leading up to the park. We drove through several towns that had abandoned houses. The houses looked completely gutted, some without roofs, like they had been burned. I found it odd that there were so many, but I never questioned. Shortly after my pondering, Karlo explained that these houses were shot up and burned during the war. Now Karlo has given me so many history lessons over the years. He has explained the situation in the former Yugoslavia dozens of times . . . but none of them sunk in until today. I needed to see it for myself.
When this area was Yugoslavia, the Croats, Serbs, Bosnians and Slovanians all lived together in peace. If you can call being ruled under an iron fist ‘in peace.’ But after the dictator died and Slovenia broke free, all hell broke loose. The Serbs started killing the Croatians that lived in the Serbian sections, so therefore the Croats started killing the Serbs living in the Croatian sections. Entire villages were wiped out. We drove by so many abandoned and/or destroyed houses. Even houses that are currently occupied have bullet holes all over them. I just imagined the tanks driving down the street, aimlessly shooting up the houses for no good reason. Sickening. So many innocent civilians killed. And to think, this was only about 15 years ago – in Europe for heaven’s sake.
Now I finally understand why so many people were shocked when we said we were going to Croatia on vacation. It is such a pity that so many people remember that war and imagine Croatia as a dangerous place. Even after seeing all the post war destruction, I still think it’s the most beautiful place I ever saw.
This wraps up my very long-winded travel journal. If you’ve been reading, I hope you enjoyed it.
To see pictures from this segment of our trip please visit, http://picasaweb.google.com/paulasworld/CroatiaPart4
Color Crisis
Karlo just pointed out that I’m a slacker because I didn’t have a new blog entry today. I was hoping to post the final segment of the Croatia trip and I already have it written and ready to go. However, I was a bit preoccupied last night with my latest crisis and never got around to turning the computer on. Actually we got home at 10 PM last night and went straight to bed.
So here is my latest crisis. Yesterday we went to the house after work. This was our first time seeing the place empty. What a difference. First we saw it all furnished with Rick & Nancy’s things and it looks so incredibly cozy. Lately, we’ve been seeing it in a disaster state, with boxes EVERYWHERE as Rick and Nancy were preparing to move. Then last night we saw it completely abandoned. It was almost sad. It sure does look different empty. The house certainly isn’t the same without those cheerful folks greeting us. Right now it just looks like a dance hall.
Anyway, that’s not really my story. My story is that we had a goal last night to paint the bedroom. I knew this would be a huge job and I was hoping to get it all done last night and move on to the 40,000 other things we need to do. So after one hour of taping (two complete rolls of masking tape worth) and THREE hours of the two of us painting, I came to the sad realization that the paint was terrible and would need a second coat and worse . . . I don’t like the color! What a nightmare.
I picked the color in natural light and apparently it makes a BIG difference what light you are looking at colors in. Indoors, my color was 3 shades darker. Lesson #1 – always pick your colors in the room and lighting where the paint will be on the wall. Lesson #2 – never buy Olympic paint. I have used cheap Walmart paint that was better than Olympic. And Lesson #3 – if you ever find yourself with a post & beam house and you are considering painting the interior, get a professional. I have painted a lot of rooms in my life and nothing was as challenging as this! And to think, I have several more rooms to go. I will just be happy if I can stick with the original paint that I pick out. Painting it once stinks, painting twice is dreadful. Wish me luck. Pictures to follow.
So here is my latest crisis. Yesterday we went to the house after work. This was our first time seeing the place empty. What a difference. First we saw it all furnished with Rick & Nancy’s things and it looks so incredibly cozy. Lately, we’ve been seeing it in a disaster state, with boxes EVERYWHERE as Rick and Nancy were preparing to move. Then last night we saw it completely abandoned. It was almost sad. It sure does look different empty. The house certainly isn’t the same without those cheerful folks greeting us. Right now it just looks like a dance hall.
Anyway, that’s not really my story. My story is that we had a goal last night to paint the bedroom. I knew this would be a huge job and I was hoping to get it all done last night and move on to the 40,000 other things we need to do. So after one hour of taping (two complete rolls of masking tape worth) and THREE hours of the two of us painting, I came to the sad realization that the paint was terrible and would need a second coat and worse . . . I don’t like the color! What a nightmare.
I picked the color in natural light and apparently it makes a BIG difference what light you are looking at colors in. Indoors, my color was 3 shades darker. Lesson #1 – always pick your colors in the room and lighting where the paint will be on the wall. Lesson #2 – never buy Olympic paint. I have used cheap Walmart paint that was better than Olympic. And Lesson #3 – if you ever find yourself with a post & beam house and you are considering painting the interior, get a professional. I have painted a lot of rooms in my life and nothing was as challenging as this! And to think, I have several more rooms to go. I will just be happy if I can stick with the original paint that I pick out. Painting it once stinks, painting twice is dreadful. Wish me luck. Pictures to follow.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Croatia Part III
Friday, July 6, 2007
I skipped a day writing in my journal and I’m already having trouble remembering yesterday. The days seem so long on this vacation. We do so much and each day feels like two days.
I skipped a day writing in my journal and I’m already having trouble remembering yesterday. The days seem so long on this vacation. We do so much and each day feels like two days.
Yesterday we did two different bike tours. The first was on the mainland from Zadar. We were going to skip this tour, but I’m so glad we didn’t. It turned out to be really nice. After lunch we sailed to the island of Rab and cycled into the town of Rab. Seems like every day keeps getting better. Everything is so spectacularly beautiful. We had our gelati breaks and waddling in the sea. And the best news is that the plumbing is finally fixed so we have our own bathroom again. Yeah!
After dinner we took a guided walking tour through the city. I think Rab is now my favorite village. It was gorgeous.
Today we did all our cycling in the morning. We started and ended in Rab and covered just about the whole island. How many times can I talk about the views and the incredible water? I can just go on forever about it. We cycled for several miles on a bike path right along the ocean’s edge, on such narrow paths that I thought bikes shouldn’t be allowed . . . and then I saw a car driving down the path right for us. The car looked small enough for Karlo to pick up, but I still didn’t want to get run over. Oh well, good excuse to get off and walk up the rest of the very steep hill.
Tonight we had pasta for dinner. Well, I guess it was supposed to be the appetizer, but I loved it and made it my dinner. Which was a good thing because I wasn’t too thrilled about the entire fish they served next. Now why can’t they remove the head and tail before they serve it? Ick.
The town of Krk is beautiful, but then again, they all are. Our guide took us for a walk and explained some Croatian history and showed up some really neat buildings. Sleeping should be awesome tonight because we finally got the better side of the dock. All we can hear tonight is the awesome sound of waves crashing up on the rocks. There’s a steady breeze and the boat is rocking just enough to lull me to sleep . . . good night.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Today was our last day of cycling and I’m sad to see it come to an end. Despite the fact that the days seemed so long, the week just flew by. I could get used to this life and I’m already dreaming about the next tour that we will do.
Today was probably one of my least favorite days of cycling. Well, nothing was worse than the first day, but the sun was very strong and the route took us over the very hilly interior of the island. Interior means no view.
After our terrific lunch we had a very unusual stop. We went to part of the sea where there is a lot of much or mud. This is a famous spot to take a mud bath. Isn’t that an oxymoron? Mud-bath. I never dreamed that I would willingly slather mud over most of my body. Shouldn’t that cost big bucks at a spa? Well, I tried it and I have to say, it’s an experience that I don’t feel a great need to repeat. It stunk like mud and was hard to wash off. Whatever moisture the mud was supposed to provide, the sea water sucked out of my skin. But I did it and I’m proud of myself.
From there we went to see a cave. I lost my desire to see the cave because we had to pedal a few extra miles on black top and it was so hot. Then it was really cold in the cave so it felt even hotter when we got out. The cave was pretty neat though. I never saw anything like that before so I’m glad I went.
When we got back to the ship I was so hot that I tried to swim again. This time I made it up to my waist. Every day I got a little more submerged than the day before. I’m still determined to get in before we go home.
Tonight will be a special farwell dinner and then, no doubt, the rowdy party afterwards. I still can’t believe our tour is over. Nearly three years of anticipation and it goes so quickly. It was definitely worth the long wait!
To see pictures from this segment of our trip, please visit http://picasaweb.google.com/paulasworld/CroatiaPart3
Monday, July 16, 2007
Our Croatian Adventure Part II (of IV)
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Today, so far, was perfect. First we sailed for 3.5 – 4 hours. The water was just choppy enough to be fun without getting sea sick. The sun was strong and the views terrific. It was so relaxing to just lay there and not do a thing. This is a VERY strange vacation concept us.
The first bike tour of the day was excellent. The main road that spans the entire island was more narrow that our driveway at home! Thank goodness there wasn’t any traffic. We cycled through what seemed like alleyways through tiny towns and then the road made its way to a point where you can see spectacular ocean views on both sides.
Today, so far, was perfect. First we sailed for 3.5 – 4 hours. The water was just choppy enough to be fun without getting sea sick. The sun was strong and the views terrific. It was so relaxing to just lay there and not do a thing. This is a VERY strange vacation concept us.
The first bike tour of the day was excellent. The main road that spans the entire island was more narrow that our driveway at home! Thank goodness there wasn’t any traffic. We cycled through what seemed like alleyways through tiny towns and then the road made its way to a point where you can see spectacular ocean views on both sides.
The second bike tour today was also great. The scenery on the island (which was called Dugi Otok, meaning “Long Island”) have been the best so far. At this point the tour is getting better every day! I can’t imagine the islands getting any more beautiful. If yesterday was the worst bike ride, today was the best one.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Well, today is my birthday. This will be my last year in my 30s and the thought of that makes me sick. It sure is strange how perspective changes everything. I need to find a new perspective on age. For instance, under normal circumstances, if you asked me what I wanted for my birthday, I would probably have a long list of clothing, electronics and other goodies. Today, all I want for my birthday is a shower! And a functioning toilet in our cabin. When we first arrived on board I thought our tiny bathroom was roughing it. Now having it back would be a huge luxury. Amazing.
Footnote: there was a plumbing problem on the boat that broke all the plumbing on the top cabins. So the most expensive rooms had no bathroom. How ironic.
We had two different bike tours today. The first one was spectacular. We rode down to the southern tip of Dugi Otok. The terrain was perfect and the views awesome. As I pedaled along I tried to find adjectives to describe what I was seeing and I came to the realization that there aren’t any.
I felt great riding today. Must have been that chocolate spread that I’m beginning to get addicted to. It must have given me extra energy because the hills didn’t phase me at all. I certainly don’t feel another year older today!
After lunch we sailed for a couple of hours and did another short bike tour. This time we hung out by the water waiting for the ferry to take us to the port where the boat was (hopefully) being fixed. I had good intentions of swimming, but it’s just not meant to be. The clouds took over and . . . yes, I was cold! I waddled up to my ankles and got goosebumps.
We rode the ferry to Zadar (on the mainland) and it started to sprinkle. By the time we got back to our boat, it was officially raining, but perfect timing. I got my birthday wish – a shower (and not just the rain) and that pleased me greatly. Now if they could just get the ship fixed, I would be thrilled. This takes being “homeless” to a whole new level. I am sick of running around the ship looking for a place to pee and brush my teeth. Uuugh.
The rain turned into an awesome thunder storm and Karlo said the thunder was my birthday fireworks! The cook made me a special (what turned out to be Hungarian) dessert for my birthday. It's called “Fank” and it was delicious!
The rain stopped and we strolled through the old city of Zadar. It was really neat with the wet cobblestones and the ancient ruins. I’m kicking myself for not bringing the camera. The sky was so amazing. The storm brought with it the meanest looking clouds and the strongest wind. The boat was tossing around like a cork as it was docked. But the strong winds also made for the perfect “organ.” There is a spot where the wind and sea rush into tunnels in the sea wall. It makes a howling sound and tonight was the perfect night to hear it.
All and all I could not imagine a better birthday. I spent the day cycling the most beautiful island, in what has to be the greatest place on Earth. I relaxed as we sailed, ate great food and Karlo even bought me a little gift – a necklace with a pretty blue pendant that will always remind me of the majestic water here in Croatia. My only question at this point is how on Earth will we ever top this one? And to think, NEXT year is supposed to be the big birthday.
All and all I could not imagine a better birthday. I spent the day cycling the most beautiful island, in what has to be the greatest place on Earth. I relaxed as we sailed, ate great food and Karlo even bought me a little gift – a necklace with a pretty blue pendant that will always remind me of the majestic water here in Croatia. My only question at this point is how on Earth will we ever top this one? And to think, NEXT year is supposed to be the big birthday.
To see pictures from this segment of our tour, please use this link: http://picasaweb.google.com/paulasworld/CroatiaPart2
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Our Croatia Adventure Part 1
I have been thinking about a one word title to sum up the entire trip and I have come to the realization that there is no word strong enough in the English language. Therefore, I am going to make up a word and that word is SPECTABULOUS.
I kept a journal of our trip and, for my own sake, I am going to record it here on my blog. I welcome you to read all of it, some of it, or if you like, just look at the video montage below or the photo link that will appear at the bottom of each day’s posting. Sorry these next few blog entries will be so long winded. This is a trip that I don’t want to forget.
Friday, June 29, 2007
We made it to Croatia at last! It was a long trip and it looked pretty shaky for a while in Washington. I was convinced that we were not going to make it onto the over booked flight to Frankfurt, but it all worked out. My first impression upon arriving in Zagreb was that it was very similar to Austria and Switzerland – at least inland it was. We rented (a very expensive) economy car and drove ourselves to the hotel. That was a bit of a fiasco, but the 2+ hour drive through the mountains was beautiful. Our hotel sits only a few feet from the marina where our boat will be docked and waiting for us on Sunday.
This place is amazing. At times it looks like Italy (Isle of Capri) and at other times it looks like Utah, with huge bare rock formations. The streets are crazy narrow and wicked twisty. There is no shoulder for biking and holy crap will we have some climbing to do! Karlo wasn’t kidding when he said that we will climb 3,000 feet in one day. Gulp. I’m thinking drinking beer on the boat sounds more appealing.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
I thought we would have trouble filling our day today, but that was not a problem. We slept until 9 am and had a leisurely breakfast . . . if you can call bread and cheese breakfast. We had a little language problem with the hotel staff. Nobody spoke English and Karlo was not prepared to try out his Croatian. So we sat there hoping they would just bring us more food, but no luck.
We spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon sightseeing. Karlo brought me to Opatija, where his relatives live, and we tried to find them, but no luck there either. That place was gorgeous. It reminded me of the French Riveria, but much nicer. So far I’ve only been in Croatia for one day and already it’s the most beautiful place I have ever seen.
After returning the rental car we had lunch at the “Opium Budda Bar” then strolled around until our bus left to bring us back to Omisalj. We found the nicest little place to have dinner. We sat outside under a huge fig tree and I had super yummy fish pizza and beer. Afterwards we walked back down to the hotel for what would become our “nightly gelato.”
Monday, July 2, 2007
This is our second day on the boat. Yesterday’s bike ride was dreadful and today’s was . . . well, worse. Yesterday was, thankfully, a short ride – approximately 15 miles, but the first 7 were straight uphill. It was about a 10% grade forever. We climbed 380 meters and I’m not sure what that translates to in feet, but it’s a stinkin’ lot! And the climb wasn’t the worst part. It was the sun and heat and the absurdly small amount of water they gave us. But enough about the bad part of yesterday. The ride brought us up to a great vantage point where we could see all the way back to Rijeka (on the mainland). It sure is beautiful here. After dinner we strolled the cute little fishing village of Cres. I slept good last night and I’m sure I will again tonight.
Today’s biking was more dreadful . . . partially our fault, but not all our fault. We forgot our wallet so that meant no food or extra drinks during the ride. It was tough because our original lunch plans got changed and instead of biking 35 km and eating at 12:30, we had to bike 60 km and eat at 2:45. Uuuugh. I was so hungry, thirsty and tired. We had non-stop 15-20 MPH headwinds the entire ride and strangely, that was a good thing! The sun is so strong that I truly don’t know how we will bike without the winds.
The worst part of today’s ride was the road construction. It was dangerous and scary and hot and hard. Yuck! But now life is good again. I’m clean and full. I tried to go swimming, but that didn’t quite work out. I’m not sure who I was kidding with that attempt. Maybe I’ll try again. I’m determined to get in the water over my ankles at some point during this trip!
At the end of today Karlo and I both agree that the next island hopping trip to Croatia will be on motorcycles!
More photos from this segment of our trip can be found here: http://picasaweb.google.com/paulasworld/CroatiaPart1
I kept a journal of our trip and, for my own sake, I am going to record it here on my blog. I welcome you to read all of it, some of it, or if you like, just look at the video montage below or the photo link that will appear at the bottom of each day’s posting. Sorry these next few blog entries will be so long winded. This is a trip that I don’t want to forget.
Friday, June 29, 2007
We made it to Croatia at last! It was a long trip and it looked pretty shaky for a while in Washington. I was convinced that we were not going to make it onto the over booked flight to Frankfurt, but it all worked out. My first impression upon arriving in Zagreb was that it was very similar to Austria and Switzerland – at least inland it was. We rented (a very expensive) economy car and drove ourselves to the hotel. That was a bit of a fiasco, but the 2+ hour drive through the mountains was beautiful. Our hotel sits only a few feet from the marina where our boat will be docked and waiting for us on Sunday.
This place is amazing. At times it looks like Italy (Isle of Capri) and at other times it looks like Utah, with huge bare rock formations. The streets are crazy narrow and wicked twisty. There is no shoulder for biking and holy crap will we have some climbing to do! Karlo wasn’t kidding when he said that we will climb 3,000 feet in one day. Gulp. I’m thinking drinking beer on the boat sounds more appealing.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
I thought we would have trouble filling our day today, but that was not a problem. We slept until 9 am and had a leisurely breakfast . . . if you can call bread and cheese breakfast. We had a little language problem with the hotel staff. Nobody spoke English and Karlo was not prepared to try out his Croatian. So we sat there hoping they would just bring us more food, but no luck.
We spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon sightseeing. Karlo brought me to Opatija, where his relatives live, and we tried to find them, but no luck there either. That place was gorgeous. It reminded me of the French Riveria, but much nicer. So far I’ve only been in Croatia for one day and already it’s the most beautiful place I have ever seen.
After returning the rental car we had lunch at the “Opium Budda Bar” then strolled around until our bus left to bring us back to Omisalj. We found the nicest little place to have dinner. We sat outside under a huge fig tree and I had super yummy fish pizza and beer. Afterwards we walked back down to the hotel for what would become our “nightly gelato.”
Monday, July 2, 2007
This is our second day on the boat. Yesterday’s bike ride was dreadful and today’s was . . . well, worse. Yesterday was, thankfully, a short ride – approximately 15 miles, but the first 7 were straight uphill. It was about a 10% grade forever. We climbed 380 meters and I’m not sure what that translates to in feet, but it’s a stinkin’ lot! And the climb wasn’t the worst part. It was the sun and heat and the absurdly small amount of water they gave us. But enough about the bad part of yesterday. The ride brought us up to a great vantage point where we could see all the way back to Rijeka (on the mainland). It sure is beautiful here. After dinner we strolled the cute little fishing village of Cres. I slept good last night and I’m sure I will again tonight.
Today’s biking was more dreadful . . . partially our fault, but not all our fault. We forgot our wallet so that meant no food or extra drinks during the ride. It was tough because our original lunch plans got changed and instead of biking 35 km and eating at 12:30, we had to bike 60 km and eat at 2:45. Uuuugh. I was so hungry, thirsty and tired. We had non-stop 15-20 MPH headwinds the entire ride and strangely, that was a good thing! The sun is so strong that I truly don’t know how we will bike without the winds.
The worst part of today’s ride was the road construction. It was dangerous and scary and hot and hard. Yuck! But now life is good again. I’m clean and full. I tried to go swimming, but that didn’t quite work out. I’m not sure who I was kidding with that attempt. Maybe I’ll try again. I’m determined to get in the water over my ankles at some point during this trip!
At the end of today Karlo and I both agree that the next island hopping trip to Croatia will be on motorcycles!
More photos from this segment of our trip can be found here: http://picasaweb.google.com/paulasworld/CroatiaPart1
Friday, July 13, 2007
Important Announcement
I know you’re all waiting for my pictures and stories from Croatia and I promise . . . they are coming soon. Just catching up on life is overwhelming right now and to make matters worse . . . I think Dad is trying to force us out of his house (just kidding). Something happened to his internet connection at home and now I can’t get my computer online when his is online. This is a problem! I can’t live with these harsh conditions so we better get moving quickly! I promise that I will kick Dad off his computer long enough this weekend to start my very long Croatia travel log. But until then . . .I want to announce that my dear friend Jim Fiorino’s movie premiere date has been set and TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE. For those of you who don’t know Jim, he is an old high school buddy and probably one of the funniest people I ever had the pleasure to call a friend. He followed his lifelong dream of making a movie and nothing impresses me more than somebody that follows their dreams.
Jim’s movie is called Fish Wrap and the premiere will be taking place at Central University in New Britain on Saturday, August 25th. Mark your calendars. Tickets are now on sale and can be bought directly through their website at www.fishwrapthemovie.com. I just bought my tickets. Please join me for one fun night!
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Vacations are Great – Traveling Sucks
We finally made it back from Croatia last night (one day late). The trip was GREAT and I’ll tell you more about that later. But before I do, let me just share with you our recent travel experience. It went something like this:
Tuesday, 6:30 AM
We pack our bags into the rental car and head to the bus station in Omisalj. There we meet the car rental dude and wait 25 minutes for our bus to arrive.
7:20 AM
We get on the bus and ride 3 hours to the Zagreb bus station where we run back and fourth looking for the next bus to take us to the airport. We find it, get on it, and wait for it to take off. Thirty minutes later we arrive at the Zagreb airport – several hours before our flight.
10:30 AM
We had 4 hours to kill in a tiny airport with NOTHING to do and hardly any Croatian money left. As if that’s not bad enough, the plane is delayed another 1.5 hours.
4:00 PM
We finally get on the plane – yeah! However it parks on the tarmac due to bad weather in Germany. Another hour goes by.
5:00 PM
We managed to take off and land in Frankfurt . . . AFTER our connection flight to the US already left. Now we are stranded in Germany. We run all over the airport trying to figure out what to do next. We finally find the right line to stand in and wait and wait for somebody to help us with our re-bookings.
6:00 PM
We go outside to find the shuttle that will bring us to our hotel. The next one was due in 7 minutes – yeah! Only problem was that by the time it got to us, it was full. 25 minutes later the next one comes. Also full.
7:00 PM
We are still waiting for the stupid shuttle and we are fuming. Just when we were about to give up and get a taxi, the next shuttle arrives and we get on.
7:45 PM
We arrive at the hotel, check-in, have dinner and get online.
9:00 PM
Quick shower (with no luggage) and go to bed.
6:00 AM – Wednesday
Grab a quick breakfast and get on the shuttle to the airport. Get through the double security fiasco and wait around in the smoky airport for our 9:55 flight.
10:00 AM
Our flight takes off for Washington!
8.5 hours in the air.
6:30 PM or 12:30 PM local time
We land in Washington and now have to get through a 4.5 hour layover. Did I mention that I’m exhausted, dehydrated, grubby and completely sick of this by now?
4:30 PM
Our boarding time finally arrives and so far the gate says “on-time.” I can not wait to get home. We board the plane and start to taxi . . . then the plane pulls over and parks. Engines shut down.
5:15 PM
Captain announces a delay. Thunderstorms are preventing us from leaving. Next update in one hour . . .
6:00 PM
The toddler behind me refuses to shut up and the baby next to her is still screaming. Right about now I’m glad they don’t allow knives on board because I’m seriously considering slitting my wrists.
6:35 PM
After 3 take off attempts, followed immediately by “Sorry folks, air traffic control changed their minds again . . .” the Captain finally said that THIS time we are REALLY going to take off after all. The completely packed aircraft cheers with glee and we are on our way home.
8:30 PM
We arrive at Bradley to a completely gray sky and muggy damp weather, but who cares? We are (almost) home. We run out to Andover to get our mutts.
9:15 PM
We finally walk in the door at Dad’s. I drop my bags, let out a big sigh and tell Dad that was the most hellish two days of traveling in my life. It took us 44 hours to get home. Dad asks “Was it all worth it?” and without any hesitation, I say “YES.”
The trip was amazing and I will have lots of details for you to come. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, 6:30 AM
We pack our bags into the rental car and head to the bus station in Omisalj. There we meet the car rental dude and wait 25 minutes for our bus to arrive.
7:20 AM
We get on the bus and ride 3 hours to the Zagreb bus station where we run back and fourth looking for the next bus to take us to the airport. We find it, get on it, and wait for it to take off. Thirty minutes later we arrive at the Zagreb airport – several hours before our flight.
10:30 AM
We had 4 hours to kill in a tiny airport with NOTHING to do and hardly any Croatian money left. As if that’s not bad enough, the plane is delayed another 1.5 hours.
4:00 PM
We finally get on the plane – yeah! However it parks on the tarmac due to bad weather in Germany. Another hour goes by.
5:00 PM
We managed to take off and land in Frankfurt . . . AFTER our connection flight to the US already left. Now we are stranded in Germany. We run all over the airport trying to figure out what to do next. We finally find the right line to stand in and wait and wait for somebody to help us with our re-bookings.
6:00 PM
We go outside to find the shuttle that will bring us to our hotel. The next one was due in 7 minutes – yeah! Only problem was that by the time it got to us, it was full. 25 minutes later the next one comes. Also full.
7:00 PM
We are still waiting for the stupid shuttle and we are fuming. Just when we were about to give up and get a taxi, the next shuttle arrives and we get on.
7:45 PM
We arrive at the hotel, check-in, have dinner and get online.
9:00 PM
Quick shower (with no luggage) and go to bed.
6:00 AM – Wednesday
Grab a quick breakfast and get on the shuttle to the airport. Get through the double security fiasco and wait around in the smoky airport for our 9:55 flight.
10:00 AM
Our flight takes off for Washington!
8.5 hours in the air.
6:30 PM or 12:30 PM local time
We land in Washington and now have to get through a 4.5 hour layover. Did I mention that I’m exhausted, dehydrated, grubby and completely sick of this by now?
4:30 PM
Our boarding time finally arrives and so far the gate says “on-time.” I can not wait to get home. We board the plane and start to taxi . . . then the plane pulls over and parks. Engines shut down.
5:15 PM
Captain announces a delay. Thunderstorms are preventing us from leaving. Next update in one hour . . .
6:00 PM
The toddler behind me refuses to shut up and the baby next to her is still screaming. Right about now I’m glad they don’t allow knives on board because I’m seriously considering slitting my wrists.
6:35 PM
After 3 take off attempts, followed immediately by “Sorry folks, air traffic control changed their minds again . . .” the Captain finally said that THIS time we are REALLY going to take off after all. The completely packed aircraft cheers with glee and we are on our way home.
8:30 PM
We arrive at Bradley to a completely gray sky and muggy damp weather, but who cares? We are (almost) home. We run out to Andover to get our mutts.
9:15 PM
We finally walk in the door at Dad’s. I drop my bags, let out a big sigh and tell Dad that was the most hellish two days of traveling in my life. It took us 44 hours to get home. Dad asks “Was it all worth it?” and without any hesitation, I say “YES.”
The trip was amazing and I will have lots of details for you to come. Stay tuned.
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