2009 is coming!!!!

Well it is hard to believe that that 2008 is almost gone. It has been a great year. At work we moved into a new building that we are quickly filling up! I was able to go on a great vacation and spend quite a bit of time with my nephews (I will have to get a couple of pictures of them up here some day!)

I look forward to more trips in 2009 (Hawaii--hulas and surfing :), Las Vegas, college weekend, and book club weekend!!!) Should be a great time. I also look forward to spending more time with the boys and hope that they will be able to come up here a couple of times in the new year.

Here is wishing you all a wonderful end of 2008 and a peaceful 2009!
Love,
Paula

Christmas is coming

Hi all,

Well as I sit on the couch watching TV I realized I haven't posted anything recently. It has been a rough week here as Monday I started feeling ill and by Wednesday I was down for the count. I saw the doctor on Thursday and am on some meds now. I am feeling better, but still don't have much of a voice and am still stuffed up. Hoping that this clears up soon. I do like to talk :)

Otherwise I got my Christmas cards out today (for readers of this blog they will look familiar :)), I only have two more gifts to purchase and am waiting for delivery of others. I have all my baking done and now just need to get ready for a party I am hosting on Tuesday and well....wrap!! My closet is full of unwrapped presents that need some attention. I should be able to work on that Thursday through Sunday of next weekend.

I leave here on the 23rd to head south for the holiday with family and will be back in Minnesota on the 28th. Hoping that the weather will be good. Although watching the weather right now, I am thinking I might need to buy some long underwear since we are going to have a lot of below zero temps with wind chills very below zero (not the best sentence I have ever wrote!)

Hope this finds all you readers well. If I don't get a chance to write again this month:

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Paula

Thanksgiving Thoughts

Hi all,

Been a while since I have had a chance to write. I just got back to Minnesota from Thanksgiving back home. To clear up any confusion that might have happened with a previous posting--I was not CAMPAIGNING in Northern Wisconsin, I was CAMPING!!!!!! (Samantha, that is just for you :))

My Thanksgiving was nice, but everyone in my sister's family was under the weather (including one of the dogs). I really hope that I do not come down with anything but we will see how things go. Otherwise Friday was shopping and I was very close to being done by noon. I then spent Friday night visiting some friends in McHenry, Illinois who had a brand new baby on Monday. She was so tiny and adorable. Great way to spend the evening: hanging out with friends and holding a newborn :)

Saturday during the day was helping out with sick little boys, a sick sister, and running a bunch of errands. Saturday night was spent with friends (even though I did arrive about 2 hours late), but it was a nice night. I did miss seeing some friends, but hopefully I will get to see them over Christmas.

Today I left Beth's about 10:30 am and ran into snow and sleet throughout the ride. There was also a lot of traffic. We were stop and go from Portage to the Dells and then again from Baldwin to outside of Hudson. I was exhausted by the time I got home. I got the car unloaded (Beth and Rick were happy to unload two Christmas trees on me so I will be doing some decorating this week) and then answered emails. I also managed to do some Christmas shopping online and I only have one person left to buy for--Woo Hoo. I am so excited!!!!!!

Have a great week,
Paula

Dental Work

Well I know I haven't written in a while, but there really has not been much to write. I had some dental work today and have to go back in early December for them to finish. Not my favorite thing in the world to do :), but life goes on.

Work is still really busy so I am working extra hours and that just makes me a little more tired than normal. We are going to reach 500,000 records in our database tomorrow and that will be very exciting for all of us cataloging geeks (yup, we are geeks!)

Otherwise life is pretty normal around here. I wish this blog could be full of interesting and exciting news, but I don't live that kind of life :)

Have a great day,
Paula

October Thoughts

Hi all,

I haven't been around a whole lot this month so no updates from me. I went and saw Mr. Kenny Rogers in concert early this month. He is a great performer so anyone who likes country should see him before he retires (although with 4-year-old twins, it may be a while before he can retire :))

I also headed home for a baby shower one weekend and squeezed in a quick trip to Chicago to visit a friend. That was a fun but tiring weekend. People at work have suggested that I am still recovering my sleep deprivation :)

Last weekend I went camping in northern Wisconsin. BRRRRRRRRRRR will sum up that trip in one sound. I spent Friday night trying to sleep with lots of blankets, socks, and sweatshirts. Saturday night a friend moved in with a heater :) Lovely that night. It was beautiful up there and we took a hike through the woods along with a long walk on Saturday. I will admit to napping on Sunday to recover.

This weekend I hope to get some cleaning done and some other stuff around the house. Next weekend Beth comes up to visit and that should be a lot of fun.

So that is why I have not written in a while.
Talk to you all in about a month (or sooner)
Paula

Visiting the boys

Hi all,

Well I am off tomorrow to visit the nephews. I can not wait. I have not seen them since July. I can not wait!!!! Oh yeah I already said that :)

Well this is wishing everyone good weekend. Enjoy the beautiful fall weather.

Paula

Weekend upon us

Well another beautiful weekend in September in Minnesota. We are just having so much sunshine and good weather lately that it is unbelievable.

I have made soup and three pies today. Need to take a break from the kitchen for a while. Laundry is almost done and that will be a good job done. Otherwise it will be a quiet weekend around here although I am looking forward to the Phil Vassar concert tomorrow night.

Enjoy the sun!!!!

I hate colds

Yup, the subject line pretty much sums it up. I really hate colds. You feel miserable, achy, drippy, coughy, but not sick enough to not do things. Yet you are so tired that you don't want to do things, but then you feel guilty for not doing things! I managed to work today and I have the dishwasher emptied, but no laundry tonight. Luckily tomorrow is inventory at work and so I need to dress in something that is ok if it gets dirty. I will have to work laundry into the weekend.
Well I should go and change into some comfy clothes and crawl on the couch for the night. Not much will be accomplished around here the next couple of days! Luckily Netflix delivered three DVDs the last couple of days so I will at least be able to be entertained while on the couch!

Fall Schedule has begun

Hi all,

Not much is new here. I have started my fall schedule with church activities. I had my first ladies meeting last night which was very productive. Tomorrow night we are having a concert at church with a reception afterwords. So I baked tonight! I made some caramel brownies for the event at church.

Then as long as the oven was on, I baked some bread. I bought some frozen loaves of bread at the grocery store a few weeks ago and so I had one of them defrost in the fridge while I was at work. It smells so lovely in here now. I really want to cut into the fresh bread and have a slice. Might have to do that before going to bed.

Worked on a baby afghan tonight also while watching Bones. Much better episode this week. They got back on track with their characters. Season should bring some interesting things.

Well the bread is calling and so is my bed.
Have a great day,
Paula

Getting back into a routine

Well, it has been a bit of an adjustment getting back into my routine. I still have not made it back to the gym, but it usually takes me a week to adjust to getting up at 4 am again :) Work is going well and stuff had not piled up to badly.

I dropped off three rolls of film this afternoon so I can pick them up on Friday. I will try and use my photo printer this weekend to print off my digital pictures so I will have them soon also. Otherwise life is pretty normal right now and I will update the blog when I have something new :)

Tonight is the Bones premiere so I will be watching that.

More later,
Paula

Books from the Trip

Hi all,

Just thought I would let you know the books I read on the trip:

Laura : the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Donald Zochert--I didn't read the whole book, but I did read the parts that pertained to the homestead and DeSmet to help me understand Laura's life there. I was actually afraid that if I read the rest, I would be planning to drive to Missouri soon (will get there someday).

Size 14 is not fat either : a Heather Wells mystery by Meg Cabot--We read the first book in this series for book club and Molly loaned me the other two. It was interesting, but I still can't get past the "dorm/residence hall" comments.

Big boned : a Heather Wells mystery by Meg Cabot--Number three in the series. From the way it ended I would guess there will be more.

The view from Mount Joy by Lorna Landvik--September's book club book. Loved it. Lorna always does a good job and I really enjoy the Minnesota connection. This one had me crying and laughing--always a good sign in my book.

Sleepless at midnight by Jacquie D'Alessandro--Trashy romance. Perfect light vacation reading that does not make me think!

Lean mean thirteen by Janet Evanovich--Stephanie Plum does it again. I have two more to read and I will be done with this series. I must admit I am doling them out to myself since I enjoy them so much!!!!

Well I still have piles to read around here, but I at least got through 6 on my vacation.

Paula

Home Sweet Home!!!

Hi all,

I left Duluth about 9:30 am and started the drive home. I got here about 12:30 pm with no problems and got my car unloaded. I have done nothing today but unpack, start sorting laundry, catch up on mail (not yet done the bills though), and read some magazines and a book. I am just so happy to be in my own home with my environment around me.

I have to say that I really enjoy going on vacation for a lot of reasons, but one of the biggest is that it really makes me appreciate my home more :)

I hope all of you have enjoyed the trip updates and I will probably continue the blog since this has been an interesting experiment. My posts will probably be more boring, but sometimes boring is good!

Talk to you soon,
Paula

Hotel Thoughts

Well just some thoughts on the numerous hotels I have been to.

I started out at Super 8 in Brookings and they had awesome beds! They were so comfortable I could use one of those at home. That one was one of my favorites. The room was really quiet and I had not only a king bed, but also a recliner to hang out in. That hotel gets a high recommendation.

In Pierre, I stayed at the Governor's Inn. The one was ok. It was near a lot of things and easy to get to places on foot. I think a lot of sportsmen stay there before heading out either fishing or hunting. The bed was ok, but not as comfortable as the Super 8.

In Rapid City, I stayed at a Best Western. That room was really tight and small for all that they put in there. It had two beds, two tables, and a large entertainment center. The nice part was that the bathroom had two rooms. One for the shower and toliet and one for the sink area. I found that it made getting ready a little easier in the morning.

In Spearfish, I stayed at another Best Western. One of the best things about that room was that I could park right outside the door and carry my stuff in. I was able to carry everything in and get organized. That was nice. Otherwise it was an ok room. The worst part was that I could hear in the rooms around me. You might remember that is the one where my neighbor's alarm woke me at 5:30 am. That was not nice. The people there were really nice though since they let me check in 2.5 hours early which was super nice.

In Medora, I stayed at the AmericInn. I will say that I paid way to much for that room. The room was big, but not worth the cost. I had to wait over an hour to get into my room there and they had a lot of employees that did not speak English which made it hard to communicate to them. The bed was not very comfortable, but on the bright side it was easy to walk places from the hotel.

In Rugby, I stayed at the EconoLodge. It was ok. The bathroom was way to small and not comfortable at all. I will say this, there was a strange noise that was driving me nuts. I finally discovered that it was the whirlpool in the pool area that kept bubbling. I was surprised that I could hear that in my room. The restaurant at that hotel is a place I never need to eat at again!

In Fort Francis, I stayed at another Super 8. Once again, they have the best beds! They are so comfortable and the pillows--wow. I really can't say enough about the beds. This one's bathroom though was not as nice as Brookings, but the beds made up for it.

In Duluth, I am in a Days Inn. All I can say is the bathroom is awful. There is not enough room for my stuff, I hate to think what it would be like if I was sharing this room with anyone! They could have taken some of the room and put it in the bathroom. So far the bed seems ok, but I haven't slept in it yet so we will see. I am also right next to the stairs and one of the exits, so it should be interesting to see how much I can hear from here.

Well those are my thoughts if anyone cares :) I figure if nothing else, I put in a good word for Super 8's!!!!!

Paula

Pictures!!!!!

Here are some sights from the State Capitol in Pierre, S.D. Including views of the building and a Veteran's Memorial.

Next are some pictures from Mount Rushmore, Badlands National Park, Wyoming, Spearfish Canyon, and Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

The North Dakota State Capitol in Bismark, N.D.The monument at the Geographical Center of North America in Rugby.

The International Peace Garden on the border between Canada and the U.S.

Sunrise as I was leaving Rugby, N.D.

A view of the Rainy River from a rest stop along Hwy. 11.

The United States Hockey Hall of Fame.

The Duluth lift bridge.

Lighthouse in Duluth.

Well amazingly these are just a few of the many pictures I took. The digital camera has over 200 pictures on it and I have almost 4 full rolls from my 35 mm also! I will start getting those developed once I get home.

More later,

Paula

Rugby, ND to Duluth, MN

Hi all,

Well it is my last night in a hotel for a while and this one has wireless!!!! Friday morning I got up early and was on the road by 6:30am for the longest drive of the trip. The sunrise was really beautiful and I enjoyed watching the colors change in the horizon. For those who are following this trip on a map, I headed north on North Dakota 3 to North Dakota 5 in Dunseith and I headed East. I traveled through the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation and the northeast corner of North Dakota. Once I hit the state of Minnesota, there was a loud Yee-Haa in the car!!!!! I followed Minnesota 175 East to 59 South to Minnesota 11 East.

I traveled through Roseau, Warroad, and Baudette until I reached International Falls. I crossed the border there to get to Fort Francis, Ontario where I had a hotel room for Friday night. I don't think it was worth the hassle to cross the border for one night. I think I had to wait about 40 to 45 minutes on a bridge to get across. Coming from the Twin Cities, I did not really want to be sitting on a bridge! But I made it across and will admit once I got to the hotel I did not leave my room! After an 8 hour ride, I really had no desire to do anything or go anywhere so I read a book and enjoyed a very comfortable bed.

I got up this morning and headed back across the border about 8:30 am. I stopped and did some shopping before heading south on 53 towards Duluth. At Eveleth I stopped and toured the United States Hockey Hall of Fame. For someone who does not watch Hockey it was still interesting. There was a large focus on the 1980 U.S. Olympic team. One game I remember watching parts of :). So that was a nice break from the drive.

I got to Duluth and had some lunch before heading down to Canal Street. I walked along the shore on the boardwalk and watched the lift bridge go up and down a couple of times. I did some window shopping and then headed up to check into the hotel. I have to admit I was not prepared for the steep streets here in Duluth! I can not even imagine what they do in the winter here. After I checked in to the hotel, I went into my room and read for a while. I brought 11 books on this trip and have read 5 and am in the middle of number 6. So that is one good thing about the trip :)

Tomorrow I head for home. I am really looking forward to being home and in my own bed. I must admit until I arrived in Duluth I almost just cancelled this room and headed home, but one more night will be fine. And really I did not want to make the whole drive today.

I will post some pictures in a separate post!
Paula

Medora to Rugby, N.D.

Well it has been a busy couple of days. I got up early on Wednesday morning and started heading East. I stopped in Bismark so I could take some pictures of the North Dakota State Capitol building. I have to say so far, that is one of the uninspiring capitol buildings I have ever seen. I have some pictures that I will try and load once I have wireless again :(.

From there I headed north towards Minot which was actually a really pretty ride. There are some pretty lakes along the way with lots of wildlife. I got to Minot in time for lunch and actually ate my first fast food of the trip :) It was quick and easy. I then headed east towards Rugby which was about an hour from Minot. I checked in to the hotel and then went out to see the sights. An hour later.... hee hee just joking ... but really it does not take long to see the town here. I did spend some time at the Pioneer Village and Museum, which was a bit overwhelming. I think my Uncle would enjoy the John Deere's and all the classic cars. They had 4 barns full of tractors and cars to look at. I glanced at them :)

Rugby is the Geographical Center of North America so I did take some pictures of the monument, and I also took some pictures of their Northern Lights Monument.

Today I got up and headed to the International Peace Garden which is on the border between Manitoba and North Dakota. It is quite the beautiful place with over 2,000 acres of gardens, forests, lakes, and wildlife. I saw a mother deer and two fawns as I drove through. I visited their Ranger Museum and Tribute, the 9/11 memorial, and all of the formal gardens that were available. They are currently working on the sunken gardens, but I would imagine in a year or so those will be absolutely gorgeous.

Now I am back in Rugby after some shopping and just plan to hang out here. I want to get to bed early so I can get a very early start in the morning. Tomorrow is my longest drive as I head to International Falls, MN/Fort Francis, Ont. Hard to believe there is only a couple of days left.

Jodi--don't think I will get a cowboy hat. I have seemed to have left cowboy country. Most of the men around here that I seem to run into are utility workers running telephone and cable tv lines :) Will have to head further west for another trip :)

Paula

Some miscellaneous thoughts

Well I can say this. I don't know how many people are left in the state of Minnesota since there are so many of them here. I swear every other car around here has Minnesota plates on it!

I have decided that 10 days by myself is probably a few days to many. Getting a little lonely out here on the road. It is a bit bad when I can have a whole conversation with myself for an hour!!! I am saying hi to a lot of people in hopes that they will talk to me!

Otherwise it is interesting to note that a lot of the employees out here are from other countries and so sometimes it is a little hard to understand them. I find that very interesting, but I suppose it gives them some good experience.

Well someone else wants the computer in the lobby so I better go. More hopefully tomorrow from Rugby.

Paula

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Whew,
Today has been great, but a lot of scenery to take in. I got up and headed to the northern part of the park which is about 67 miles from where I am staying. There is a 14 mile scenic byway there so I traveled along that. At one point I met one of the rangers and turns out he moved out here 3 weeks ago from Eagan, Minn. Small world! He followed me down to the lookout because there had been some baby rattlers around there. I was lucky in that I did not see any, but it was good to know to watch for them.
I probably spent about an hour exploring the northern unit before heading south again. I stopped at the rest area along 94 for Painted Canyon and ate my lunch there. Then it was on to the southern unit. That part has a 36 mile scenic route. I saw prairie dogs, wild horses, and lots of buffalo. I was looking for elk, but did not see any. I chose to climb Buck Hill which I believe is one of the taller peaks in the park. All I can say is that you really should not do that on a day with a wind advisory! I made it down the hill, but I will say my extra weight helped me out.
All in all, I probably spent close to 7 hours in the park today. It is just beautiful and I would highly recommend it.
Then I came back to the hotel and parked the car. I chose to walk into town for some shopping and dinner. I got some nice souvenirs and then went and saw "Bully" the play about Theodore Roosevelt. It is a 45 minute one act play about his life. The actor that plays Teddy is from Apple Valley, Minn. Again small world!! It was a nice play and great way to spend some time.
I then had dinner, did a little more shopping, and am now going to get ready for an early evening. I want to hit the road early tomorrow since I have a longer drive. I head off to Rugby, N.D. tomorrow to see the geographical center of North America and head up to the International Peace Garden.
Hope all is well with everyone.
Paula

Badlands to Medora (Saturday through Monday)

Hi all,

It has been so awesome these last few days. I have been so many places and seen so many new things. I left the hotel in Pierre and went over to the capitol building. I walked around and saw some of their monuments and got some pictures of the building. I did not want to take a tour, but the monuments and lake on the grounds are beautiful. From Pierre I headed West on Hwy 14. I was going to take 14 all the way to Wall, but decided to head south on 73 and then over 90 to the exit for the Scenic Badlands Byway. That is such an awesome trip and if you have not gone that way you really should (if I was on the laptop, I would add pictures--maybe the next motel?). I got to Wall in time for lunch so I of course stopped at the Drug Store. Had a great cheeseburger and fries and then bought some doughnuts (they are so awesome there) before heading west some more.

I got to Rapid City early, but the hotel had my room ready so I checked in and then headed south to Keystone. I walked through the Borglum Museum which explained why he chose to do Mount Rushmore, did some shopping, and then visited the Presidential Wax Museum. I then headed to Mount Rushmore for the night lighting ceremony. All I have to say is that if you have never visited for that ceremony you should. It is very patriotic and they had a very special Veterans ceremony that was great. (Although remember a jacket since it gets chilly).

The next day was Sunday so I headed to church and then from there took the long way to Spearfish. I took 16 south through Hill City and Custer and over to Wyoming where I then picked up 85 north. There was one part of 16 that scared the living daylights out of me due to fresh oil, loose gravel, falling rocks, and no shoulder. Thank heavens I did not see the semi until after I was past that part. I actually pulled over to catch my breath. I really don't think mountain living is for me, love to visit though. From 85 I followed that until I got to 14A which is the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway, and wow another great road to take out here. I was so impressed with the high canyon walls, but it is really dry so the waterfalls are not at their best. Hopefully my pictures turned out. I got to Spearfish and checked in and took a nap. All this driving can sure tire a person out! The rest of the day was pretty lazy.

This morning I got up (because my neighbor's could not shut off their alarm) and headed North. I traveled through Belle Fourche and visited their monument for being the center of the United States. Then I did not stop again until Bowman, N.D. They have the nicest little museum that was being manned by a retired guy from Minnesota of all places. I spent a couple of hours walking around there before going to the city park for lunch. Then north again until I hit 94 West. I got to Medora about 3:00 pm and could not check in until 4:00 so I visited the North Dakota Cowboy Museum and Hall of Fame. Neat place, but I think I am getting tired of all the historical museums :). My room was not ready so I walked through town and did some shopping. I am going to head back to the room now and it will be an early night.

Tomorrow is Theodore Roosevelt National Park and that will probably be enough. Then I start heading East on Wednesday as I travel to Rugby.

Hoping to write tomorrow,
Paula

Lack of Internet

Hi all,
I have been having trouble getting Internet access at the last 3 hotels. I am in the lobby of this one for a quick update. I will try and add some posts on my visits now.
Paula

Pierre Update

Hi all,

After I shut down last night, I discovered that Pierre is actually smaller than Kenosha. It has about 14,000 people. Just amazing to me. Well I am going to get ready for the day as I hope to drive to the Capitol building and take some pictures before heading West.

Paula

DeSmet and Pierre

Good Evening,

Well today has been a long day :) I got up this morning and missed breakfast at the motel. Hopefully I will get up earlier tomorrow. After I got the car loaded and checked out of the hotel I headed out. I stopped and picked up a camera battery and some film so that I can use both cameras. Then I headed west on Hwy 14 towards DeSmet. It did not take me that long to get there.

I found the Ingalls Homestead first and headed down a gravel road to find that. They had me watch a short video and then I bought a ticket to walk around the property. It was cool to look at. I saw an early school building that had a covered wagon in it and then headed down to see a sod house and a shanty. I think I would prefer the shanty for less spiders :) Then over to the barn and the little house on the prairie. They are just replicas but it was interesting to see. At the stable I was able to climb into a covered wagon and we headed out to an old schoolhouse for a class. The kids on the trip enjoyed driving the horses. We had a spelling bee at the schoolhouse for the kids and they all did well.

Then it was back to the stable to watch rope making, hay twisting, and corn cob doll making. I chose not to participate, but it was fun to watch the kids enjoy it. I then headed up to the gift shop and got some postcards. Then it was time to head out to the town homes. They tell you to plan 2 hours for the homestead, but I spent a bit over 3!

I got to the Surveyor's house and there was a park there that I ate lunch in. Then found out I had to wait 45 minutes before the next tour. It was an interesting tour and we got to see the original Surveyor's home, a replica of the Brewster school, and the first school in DeSmet. Then we caravaned to the final home of Pa and Ma Ingalls. All of that tour another couple of hours.

I then headed out towards Pierre. Passed lots of beef cattle, sunflower fields, and hay fields. Amazing how far you can see at one time. I got to Pierre in about 3 hours since I ran into some construction that slowed me down. Pierre kind of reminds me of the size of Kenosha, Wisconsin. It is probably bigger, but from what I have seen not that much. After checking into the hotel I headed out to find some dinner. I found a Mexican restaurant just down the block so I ate there. It was ok, but not the best that I have ever had.

Hmmmm, just discovered that the train runs right behind my room! The whole room is shaking right now as the train goes by. Wonder how often they run?

Tomorrow I am going to get up and head to Wall, then maybe drive through the Badlands, then on to Rapid City and hopefully hit the night lighting of Mount Rushmore.

Talk to you all soon,

Paula

Brookings

Hi all,

Well I arrived in Brookings about 5:30 pm and got checked in. Free wireless in the rooms, woo hoo that is awesome!!!

The drive over was nice. Only a few sprinkles and saw a few wind farms. It is amazing how big those wind turbines are. I was very impressed with those.

I didn't really stop anywhere on the way except to use the bathroom a couple of times. I think my reservation here was only confirmed until 6 pm so I wanted to be sure and get here early enough.

After checking in I decided to walk to Applebee's (closest restaurant to where I am staying) just so I did not have to drive anywhere. Hopefully all of my hotels will give me options like that :)

I think tonight might be an early one. At least the room next door has finally shut down their TV which was really, really loud. So far no cowboys (hee hee, inside book club joke), but I will keep my eyes out.

Hopefully more tomorrow.

The adventure begins

Hi all,

Well I leave tomorrow at about 1 pm. Have all the bags packed and in the morning will load the car. I am working until 1 pm and then will head out through the south central part of Minnesota to reach Brookings for my first overnight. Should be a nice day for a drive from what they are saying here. I think I am most looking forward to just having a relaxing vacation with no worries except finding the next hotel.

I will try and write again tomorrow night and update where I am at and how the first afternoon went. I don't think I will be writing everyday that I am gone, but we will see what happens.

Have a great day,
Paula

Not a lot new

Well my first post was about 10 days ago and life has been to busy to write. I have had a lot going on at church this past week but now I just need to start preparing for my trip. I hope to get the house cleaned over the next couple of days and then start packing. I am getting excited about the break! It will be good to spend some time away from my normal home and routine.

Tonight is going to be watching some TV. I have some movies to catch up. So more later.

My First Post!!!!

Hi readers!

This blog was started because of a random comment one of my co-workers made when I was talking about the trip I am taking at the end of the month. I mentioned that I would be trying to stay in touch with friends and family since I am road tripping alone. She suggested a blog and I kinda shrugged it off. Of course then I thought about it more and thought why not give it a try. So here is Bookdreamer's Thoughts and everyone in the world can thank Kat for the idea :) Of course over time everyone might want me to shut up also.

Stay tuned for more practice posts before I leave on my trip.

Have a great day.