Up, Up & Away

We're off to see the Germans, the crazy Germans of Munich (think we're off to see the wizard). We are so stinkin' excited, I just can't tell you. I think we both have a bit of nervous due to our excitement! Here's a funny note.....months and months ago, we made a reservation for our last night in Munich. Some random hotel somewhere in the city has a reservation for us. Problem is, we don't know which one. I know I did it online and then printed out the info, but I can't find an email about it, I can't remember which online service I used, and I can't find the print out. So, for our last night in Munich, which coincidentally just so happens to be the last night of Oktoberfest, we have no room. It should be an adventure, to say the very least!

Chris and I are keeping journals of our journey. I'm a pretty crummy journaler (great the first two days, and by the end I'm lucky if I have even a timeline of what we did), and Chris has never kept one before, so this should be interesting! I did make us journals, though. Maybe this will aid in the actual journaling process. You know, I went to all the trouble of making it, so I'd darn well better use it! Here's a pic of mine. His isn't quite done yet. Okay, truthfully, it hasn't gotten started yet. Oh well. It'll get done! Our plane takes off in less than 5 hours and we said we were leaving for my mom's in an hour and 15 minutes. Holy Crap! I'd better get a move on!

Can Hardly Stand the Wait!

It's a scant 48 hours until we leave (okay, a little more, but close enough).  By this time on Friday, we'll be in Paris and almost on our way to Munich, and I'm so darned excited, I just want to jump up and down! Last night, we visited our favorite store, Target, and  stocked up on the last minute small items: aspirin,  Shout wipes, travel lock, travel lint brush, mini deoderant, toothbrush for Chris, Kleenex packs (for those WCs w/crepe paper for toilet paper), emergency blankets (the silver space blankets that they give marathoners at the end of the race), ponchos, a fold-into-itself tote, books, and various and sundry other little items. Chris has been running around a lunch picking up last minute stuff, a toiletry kit, a compression pillow for me, a mini flashlight, and a collapsible cup. The cup has proven the hardest to find. He finally had to go to the Army Surplus store. It's amazing the things you find there!

Here's our updated list:

Things To Do (Buy)

• Make reservations for Mad Ludwig's castles



• Rick Steves' Backpacks (2)



• Travel Towels (2)



• Clothesline



• Travel Books
  1. Germany/Austria
  
  
  
  2. Italy
  
  
  
  3. Florence/Tuscany
  
  
  
  4. Venice
  
  
  
  5. Rome



• Money Belt



• Compression Pillow



• Luggage Lock



• Travel Wash



• Sleep Sack (2)



• Picnic Ware (2)



• Wide Angle Lens



• Camera Bag



• Toiletries Bag



• Aveda Mens' Hair & Body Shampoo



• Chris' iPod



• Shoes - Jamie



• Shoes - Chris



• Quick Drying Clothes



• Hotel Resrvations
  1. Florence
  
  
  
  2. Rome
  
  
  
  3. Venice

We've got everything done and then some! Holy cow, I can't believe it!!!

What we haven't gotten done yet:

• Make reservations for David



• Small Wallet



• Reservations for Leaning Tower of Pisa

Homebody

It’s official, I am no longer a mobile scrapper. I’m at ScrapHappy’s annual retreat at the Fin and Feather, and while packing up to come down here, I quickly came to this conclusion…..mobile scrapping is not for me. I have way too much crap and a certain knack for failing to plan. There’s just always one too many things to get done before I have to leave and I never get around to it. I wish I did. I’m super-duper productive when I do. Maybe someday. I think being more organized would help. I’m already pretty darned organized when it comes to the SB stuff, but there’s so many little things, and what to do with those and still have them easy to find? Oh, the trials and tribulations of an obsessed scrapbooker. You should have seen the car on the way down here. It was seriously full! Not to the rafters, but still full. And some how I’ve still managed to buy things. Go figure.

But, if I didn’t get a single thing done, not one thing accomplished, it wouldn’t matter because I’m having an awesome time. Bob and I are really enjoying this (even though for the first day we shared one 6-foot table and we’re sitting right next to the bathroom). We’ve had lots of time to enjoy friends (mostly standing in line waiting for the buffet), to get reacquainted with old friends and to meet lots of new folks. It couldn’t be better if I tried to plan it. The one draw back is the allergy situation. I (we) am 100% allergic to this place, especially our room. Oh my, our room. I’m especially allergic to my pillow. Yeah, my pillow. Stinks. Literally. Last night I fell asleep with my nose in my shirt so I wouldn’t have to smell my pillow. But, it’s not enough to dampen the awesome time we’re having here. One of my projects is a secret…maybe some day I’ll share it with the world! (man, that sounds like I’m important, doesn’t it?)

Crazy!

I am just crazy right now. I almost don't know what to do with myself. I was in Kansas City last week with a bunch of crazy, screaming scrapbook ladies and now I'm off to Fin and Feather tomorrow for a local scrapbook retreat. Then, we leave on Thursday for Europe. Can you believe it? Thursday already. I can't! It seems like just yesterday we were starting to plan, and that was way back in February! Plus, I taught Monday, Wednesday, and today, and I have a half day Monday and a full day Tuesday. Yikes! My allergies are crazy bad - I'm miserable, and the puppies have to go to the vet before they go to the groomer's tomorrow to get all prettied up for their vacation at Bob's house while we're gone. Plus, I really wanted to enter Arctic Frog's design team contest, but it's due by midnight the 17th and Cactus Pink's which is the 17th (and don't even think I've started wither yet). Sometime I have get us packed and make sure we've purchased all of our last minute doo dads. I really wanted to get Chris' iPod before we leave, but it may not happen. Did I mention OH MY?

None of it really matters, though. In one week, seven little days, Chris and I are going to be heading off on a European adventure and we're going to love it. We're going to drink beer from liter mugs served by barmaids in traditional Bavarian dress and taste wine along the cliffs of the Italian riviera and stand in the shadow of David in Florenece and dream of what it was like to live alongside Caesar in Rome and be all romantic and lovey-dovey as we're paddled down the Grand Canal by a gondolier in Venice. I can not wait. Not one minute. Every day is counted as a day closer to leaving. I think Chris just doesn't think about it because he might explode from excitement. We are so very blessed. Not a few hours drive away, there are people with nothing. No earthly possessions, and here we are getting ready for our trip to Europe. I almost feel guilty that we're spending so much money on this trip when there are so many with nothing. But, we can't not go. So, the excitement grows!

I don't know what to say

I don't know what to day. I'm just brokenhearted for the victims of Katrina. I'm finding the whole thing truly unbelievable. Being the news junkie that I am, I've seen/heard a lot of coverage, and it just makes me so sad. So many different things making me sad all at once. The people who couldn't get out, those who thought it'd be like Dennis, no big deal; the flooding victims AFTER the fact; the victims of looting and violence, and now we hear even rape. What is going on? How does anyone think attacking the people there to help is the right thing? And attacking children? What in someone's head says that's okay? I keep hearing people say they're mad that more hasn't been done. I would be too. But, by the same token, who could've known? Who could've known that a day later New Orleans would flood and the situation would detriorate faster than imaginable? Who could have known that people would take pop-shots at the rescue helicopters?

Now, I'm hearing people say maybe shouldn't rebuild. What? Not rebuild? Why would they say such a thing? Would we not rebuild other cities? Isn't that what we do here? Take our licks and keep on ticking? If we get knocked down, we come back stronger. It'll be a tough, long road ahead, rebuilding is the only option.

Duh!

I finally figured out how to take black and white pictures with my camera. Let's not mention the fact that I've had it since the beginning of March. But, over the weekend I finally got my instruction book out and read the directions on how to do it. Can you imagine? It takes more effort than I'd expected. And, interesting note, you can apparently only take B&W pictures in the manual modes, not in the automated modes. Weird, huh? I did get a couple of interesting shots.  (only one is actually B&W, I just thought the other one was really cool!). Another interesting thing about my camera is that you canNOT use the LCD as a viewfinder. Odd, I think, but there it is. It's a  $1500 camera, and you can't use the LCD as a viewfinder. Oh well. It is what it is. On another note, I found an awesome book about my camera. It's by Magic Lantern Guides and seems to be pretty straightforward and easy to understand. I haven't actually read but 2 pages of it yet, but I WILL have it read and learned and re-read by the time we leave for the parts unkown!

How 'bout a little update on the travel preparations? I just got a great box from the fabulous UPS man. I love the UPS man. Can't wait to see him again with my next installment of goodies.

Things To Do (Buy)

• Make reservations for Mad Ludwig's castles



• Make reservations for David



• Rick Steves' Backpacks (2)



• Travel Towels (2)



• Clothesline



• Travel Books
  1. Germany/Austria
  
  
  
  2. Italy
  
  
  
  3. Florence/Tuscany
  
  
  
  4. Venice
  
  
  
  5. Rome



• Money Belt



• Neck Pillow



• Eye Mask



• Luggage Lock



• Pack Mates (?)



• Travel Wash 



• Sleep Sack (2)



• Picnic Ware (2)



• Wide Angle Lens



• Camera Bag



• Toiletries Bag (?)



• Aveda Mens' Hair & Body Shampoo



• Chris' iPod



• Shoes - Jamie



• Shoes - Chris



• Quick Drying Clothes



• Electrical Adapter



• Neoprene Lunch Bag



• Small Wallet

We've purchased almost everything. Really, all we still need is the camera bag and a small wallet-type thing and a few small things like the lock and eye mask. The thing that has me worried right now is that we've made NO reservations. ACK! Did you see the backpack? That's what we're living out of for 12 days? Oh my! It's a good thing we're planning on packing light. I mean REALLY light!

Books, Books, & More Books

I love books. I love the bookstore. Somtimes I have a tendancy to go a little overboard. I would be totally happy if someone would employ me to shelve books. Actually, to go through and find books that are in the wrong place and put them where they belong. It brings me great pleasure. Odd, don't worry, I know it. Being as we'd only been to one bookstore today, we HAD to stop at the Borders.  It was a matter of Life and Death, don't ya know! Anyway, I plopped myself right down in the travel section and promptly found the books I was looking for, Great Sleeps Italy and Great Eats Italy. I'm always amazed at what a better selection Borders has over Barnes & Noble. (btw, that's NO-blay in Jamie-ese). They had at least twice as many books on Italy alone. These two books are fabu! I love that she puts the pertinent info in the margin, so you don't even  have to read the write-up if you don't want to. Hello! That's awesome. And, she's obviously pretty darned honest because in one restaurant review I read, she said, "I can't recommend eating here, but the dessert is awesome." She even mentions to get it for takeaway or to mention to the host that you're only getting dessert because sitting in the main dining room for dessert only is unacceptable. Fascinating. Did we come home with said books? 'Course not. We just signed up for B&N's program, so we'd better use that. We'll be purchasing them online (unless the shipping's too much!). Terrible, aren't we? We did, however, pick up two more maps. Have you ever seen these? They are the best! They are little maps that fit perfectly in your pocket, but fold out into a great map. They are easy to read (lettering is big enough for blind as a bat Chris), have great detail, include everything that could possibly be considered a site (and they're well marked), and they include some extra detail areas and some suggested walking tours that aren't in our guide books. And all for only 4.95. I know, I know, we can to to the local Tourist Information Office, but I like having a map with me when we get there just in case!! We already had the Florence map, and it's so good that I've been keeping it open as I try to find us a place to stay. I'm probaby going to have to do the same darn thing with Rome. I'm thinking we'll definitely go the Hostel route there. We're only staying one night, and it might be fun! Speaking of Florence, I found another room that interested me, but they're having problems with their online booking system. Grrrrrrrrr. I know we'll find a room, but it is a bit annoying.