Let’s *Do* This!

Hello to the select few who still visit my blog! :)

Tomorrow morning – so early tomorrow morning that I doubt sleeping tonight will make it into the itinerary – I will get dropped off at a specified location in Downtown Cleveland and begin my 60-mile trek. We’ll walk about 22 miles on Friday, 21 miles on Saturday, and 16 miles on Sunday. My body doesn’t know what’s in store, but my spirit is pumped and I’m ready to do this.

Even though our campsite will have lots of important amenities like food, showers, entertainment, food and, oh yeah, food, I will not be able to hit Facebook or my blog. I will be thinking of all of you, though, as I take oodles upon oodles of photos. We’ll be walking past the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame & Museum, Progressive Field, the Energizer building (and we’ll keep going and going and going….), Lake Erie, etc. I am very psyched.

Wish me luck that I won’t lose steam and will be able to walk the whole thing! Even if I do lose steam, though, there are buses specifically made to help us finish our journey. Each one has a fun theme and music, so nobody is left behind. When I went to a “get started” meeting awhile back, the guide told us that on past walks, some people felt bad that they couldn’t make it the whole route without hopping on one of those buses. I was thinking I would feel the same way, but they even encourage people to get on at least one of the buses to experience the fun inside. Yay! It’s also important to hop on one if we start to feel sick. I do not want to pass out on the sidewalk, thank you very much! The buses will be the way to go for emergency chilling sessions. They can either take you to the next pitstop or all the way to the camp.

Anyway, that’s the scoop for now! Have a fantastic weekend!

Saturday Scavenger Shots: Bear

Happy Saturday!! Laura B. chose our word this week, and she chose “bear”! Let’s claw right into the theme.

Here’s my little Steiff Teddy Bear, chilling out in his favorite chair. I have to give him a hug whenever I take him out of the cupboard. Wouldn’t you?

Here’s another little bear I have, but he lounges on my bed. He looks very confused and adorable in this photo because I gave him huge bear claws. My brother bought those wooden claws for me when he first transferred to Canada. They are supposed to be used to toss salad, but I always forget to use them for that purpose. Instead, I use them for the Saturday Scavenger Shots word! They are put to use!

For next week, let’s play with the word: LOGICAL. Hmm! Gotta think about that one!

Fricken-Fracken Bric-n-Brack!

Hey it’s Saturday and time for Saturday Scavenger Shots! We have a new playa er player and her name is Silly Rabbit from the interesting blog called “Down Silly Rabbit’s Hole”! Check it out! She chose the word “bric-n-brac”. Let’s play!

Bric-n-Brac Cupboard

Bric-n-Brac!

More Bric-n-Brac!

Bless this Bric-n-Brac

I have had this corner cupboard for years. I even painted it myself when I was much younger. It holds all of the things that might be considered bric-n-brac.

“That was trippy!”

It’s Friday 5 time! Yippeeeee!

1.What is the longest distance you’ve traveled (in one trip) by foot?
So far, the longest trip I’ve taken on foot has been from Strongsville to Middleburg Heights and back, and that’s about 7 miles altogether.

2.What is the longest trip you’ve taken by car?
We drove from Ohio to Alabama when I was in college. It was one of my favorite trips!

3.What is the longest trip you’ve taken by plane?
From Cleveland, Ohio to Calgary, Alberta – Canada. We had a layover in Texas. Long day, long flight.

4.What is the longest trip you’ve taken on some kind of water craft?
Miami, Florida to Nassau in the Bahamas on a cruise ship

5.What is the longest trip you’ve taken aboard a bus or train?
I think the longest trip I took on a bus was from Cleveland to Columbus for a choir competition. I know I took a trip on a train, but I don’t think it was very far.

In No Particular Order…

Hi everyone! Here are some lovely, super-exciting updates for you! I didn’t really try to put these in order, so excuse the randomness. Thank youuuuu!

- Yesterday I met a choir friend for dinner at Applebee’s. The timing was perfect. I arrived at 5:55 and didn’t have to wait. The hostess grabbed a few menus and silverware and then my friend showed up. It was nice to catch up and the food is always so good. I pigged out, but I don’t care. Quesadilla towers and mozzerella sticks are delicioso!

- I’ve been working out a bit at the apartment’s rec room. There’s an older guy there that seems to be a regular worker-outter. He’s friendly but doesn’t invade the personal space, which is nice. He has his weights and pilates ball and I have my treadmill and exercise bike. We watched a little bit of “Enemy of the State” last week. I’m not into that movie, but it did hold my interest and kept me cycling for a half hour. When I left, we said good-bye and that was that for the day.

Then this Monday I went back and was welcomed by loud music. The guy I usually see, who I’ll call “Enemy of the State Guy” was there, along with two other guys and a little girl. Small room for so many people. I could’ve turned around and left, but I held my ground and found a vacant treadmill. Then I turned up my MP3 music for my headset and started exercising. Around the end of my workout, Enemy of the State Guy greeted me and chatted a bit. I asked him how he was doing and he said that it’s hard for him to workout everyday, but once he does he’s glad he did it. Understood! Anyway, I should go back and workout some more this week. It’s been too hot and humid to walk around outside for too long. Once I hop on the treadmill or exercise bike for a half an hour in the air conditioned rec room, I feel less slothy.

- I’m so close to reaching my fundraising goal. My friend won’t be able to walk with me, but she’s going to drive me to the starting point on July 29th. I started to get excited about the event, so I ordered a few T-shirts on the Susan G. Komen site and should be getting them today. Then I need to focus on some supplies for the event – stuff to patch me up if I get blisters, comfy socks, mini bottles of shampoo and conditioner, etc. It’s one of the high points of traveling for me.

- On the 4th of July, my mom and I went to my brother’s place for some grilled steaks. Tasty stuff. Then we played Uno Flash. It’s like the original Uno game but with a flashy game board and sound effects. Still very fun until people take their losses personally. It’s one of the only times a relative can swear at me and I feel proud about it. We take our gaming very seriously. :)

- I just finished the third season of “Dexter” and have reserved Seasons 4 & 5 from the library. It’ll be nice to get all caught up. When the updates start for season 6 when it starts in the Fall, I’ll be on my game! Yay!

Photos:

Here are the steaks my brother grilled up for us. We are all carnivores.

Steaks on the Bar-B!

Here is the chef’s assistant and official taste-tester, Carolina. She was very diligent and did not leave my brother’s side. Very committed to her work.

The Chef's Assistant and Taste Tester

“Sun-ny Day, Sweepin’ the Clouds Away!”

Hey blogging friends! I’m sorry I’m late for Saturday Scavenger Shots. This week’s word was “sun”! Here are my photos:

I took this photo in a little church in the valley/Metroparks. It’s in a historical village, and they still hold weddings in there. I love stained-glass windows, and the SUN compliments them when it shines through them.

Speaking of the SUN, here it is, above the puffy clouds!

At first I thought this was a shot of the SUNrise, but the SUN was actually setting here. I took this at the rec center we hold our graduation ceremonies in, and I was packing up my car to go home at the end of a long but successful day.

Here’s another stained-glass window catching some SUN in the same church. I told you I love those windows!

Well thank you for stopping by and checking out my belated contribution to Saturday Scavenger Shots! Silly Rabbit is the chosen one for next week’s word, and she chose: Bric-a-Brac! Well that’ll be a fun challenge! I’m curious to see what everyone will come up with for that word! Please play along! The more the merrier…and zanier! :)

Excuse You?

You Are Fat

You are by no means fat, but you are like fat in that you can easily absorb what’s around you. You are easily influenced by both the good and bad people in your life. It’s important for you to be around people you want to be like.You are a comforting and calming force. Without your presence, people feel unsatisfied. You sometimes have a reputation for being a bad influence, but you’re not nearly as dangerous as you seem.

Are You Protein, Carbs, or Fat?

Blogthings: Learn Something Surprising About Yourself

Saturday Scavenger Shots: Utensils

My Blogthings twin, Laura, from “What Fresh Hell is This” came up with a great word for Saturday Scavenger Shots. She chose “utensil”.

Here are a few of my favorite utensils! I love the bottle opener on the right. An internet friend from another site told us that he was going on vacation somewhere, and casually asked if anyone needed anything. I joked and said to bring back a fridge magnet for me. Wish granted! He actually bought me the fish that is not only a fish, but is also a bottle opener AND a fridge magnet!

The other utensil you see there is also a big help when it’s wine time. It’s got a blade to cut the foil off of the cork, the corkscrew to get the cork out and a sharp, lifty thing that acts as a wedge in case I have problems getting the cork out of the bottle. I have such technical terms for things, don’t I?

Next week’s work will be: SUN

Gimme Five! On the Flip Side!

Happy Friday! Do you have plans for Independence Day? I think my brother is going to make steaks on the grill, so that’ll be a good way to celebrate. I was off today and also off next Tuesday, so I have a nice long weekend.

….You know how messed up I am about taking vacation? I almost posted the Saturday Scavenger Shot because I thought it was Saturday. Seriously, it just hit me. The fact that I even started this post with a “Happy Friday” didn’t give me a clue. 

Instead of the SSS word, I guess I’ll see what ye ole Friday 5 has to offer!

1. Of the five weekdays, which is the easiest to get through?
That would be Friday, because I know that, after a long and/or frustrating week, the end of that week is near once Friday hits. People at work seem to be more relaxed at that time, too.

2. Which of the five little piggies is the most bizarrely characterized?
I guess the one that cries “wee wee wee wee” all the way home. What’s he cryin’ for? That he was never offered roast beef? That would bother me, but probably not to the point of crying “wee” all the way home.

3. Of fire, earth, metal, water, and wood, from which do you draw your power?
Water – the idea of being near a lake, pond or stream makes me happy.

4. Haribo Gummy Bears come in five flavors: pineapple (white), strawberry (green), raspberry (red), lemon (yellow) and orange (orange). Which is your favorite?
Not a big Gummy Bear fan, but I’ll choose lemon. I love lemon-flavored candy.

5. Which of the five basic tastes (sweetness, sourness, bitterness, saltiness, and savoriness) best describes your personality?
That’s a tough one. I wouldn’t label myself as just one of these, but a mixture of all. Maybe savoriness. I had to look it up to refresh my vocabulary, but I read “distinctive quality” as one definition.