New Semester

Well everyone, Sockmonkey and I start back to JC today. I am enrolled in the stupidest classes ever but they are a requirement. Title of classes are "Deciding on Your Career" and "Entering the Work Force". Tried with all my might to try to get out of them but can't go for the credits that are internship until completion which is going to take the whole semester Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Hmm, once I get into the class you think my white hair will be a give-away that I've found and lost careers over 35 + years and that I wouldn't be in the Legal Sec. cert. program if I hadn't decided on what I want to do til I retire! Sockmonkey thinks I should just deal with it and I guess I will. Now if I can only test out of business English, I am a published author after all and I edit books in my spare time for heavens sake. Do you think there is going to be any available parking on campus the first week of school? Well looking at the clock guess I better get going in case I'm driving around for half an hour looking for a space. Will keep you posted.

Sockmonkey's last vacation post

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring... Well that's actually not the case at our house especially because Sockmonkey is busy getting last minute holiday things done and wants to gift all of you with the final chapter of his visit to the eastern seaboard. We woke again to a bright shiny D.C. day and got the circulater bus heading for a day full of tourist sights. We headed to a souviner shop first thing and got a t-shirt for our little house sitter/cat grave digger Brie since I felt like I owed her something more than just a keychain. Visited our two Smithsonian museums that we had chosen before we left California since we knew it was impossible to see them all. Dave picked the air and space museum, it was awesome! He even got to go in a simulater of a plane that would be taking off from an aircraft carrier. Then headed down the street to mine and Sockmonkey's choice, museum of American history. So much fun in there to see the gang from Sesame St. and Julia Childs fridge complete with fridge magnets! Walked a lot and saw the Washington monument which was closed to visiters because of damage during that fluky earthquake, then the reflecting pool which was a nonreflecting dirt pit due to construction, then the Lincoln monument. Walked a lot more and stumbled across the Vietnam Wall, so somber that Sockmonkey thought it would have been disrespectful to take his picture there. In fact wished we would have brought something to leave as a momento. By now we are pretty sure we are late to meet Michelle O. for tea but hurried off to the White House and stood as close by as we could get with all the secret service around. Anyhow such a super day and still beautiful weather so we walked all the way back to hotel on Rhode Island Ave. along with hundreds of others workerbees and tourist enjoying the early evening. That night had to pack up and get a good nights sleep in preperation of Wednesday being all about getting back home. Next morning Sockmonkey and I made sure on the transit map where we would get off subway to catch bus to Dulles, piece of cake except for the excalator from our stop. It was so steep I was afraid to look back and was so paranoid that I was going to fall. Swear it was like going up the Alps!Caught the right bus and didn't even have to pay the $6.00. While getting on asked the driver if that thingy there was where I put my dollars and he said "Thingy ain't working, have a great ride!" Had to wait a couple hours at airport but not too many travellers so very peaceful time to read a magazine and reflect on the last eleven days. Even made a friend on the plane when we had to change in Chicago. So crowded Dave and I couldn't sit together so Sockmonkey sat by a really nice couple who were on the way home to Palo Alto from their little grandson's 2nd birthday. We hit it off and even were on the same anti anxiety pill to get through the flight. Thanks to Brie the house was still standing and we could relax from Sockmonkey's whirlwind adventure on the eastern seaboard. Looks like the inhabitants at Gannimal house will be living back there for awhile so look forward to another visit in a year or so. Thanks for being such a great audience, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Sockmonkey visits our Nations capitol

I know what you are saying to yourselves, doesn't this so called creative writer know how to end a story? Well I last posted that we had gotten to our room and were relaxing with our own large bed and shower after a week at Gannimal house. Decided I should check my v.m. and had a sad message from Brie, she had found our old cat (16 years old so do the math in human years) dead in the garage. Poor little girl was a trooper though, after talking to me found a nice spot in the flower bed to bury Gallagher without too much hysteria. Guess I was going to owe her more than a key ring from Sockmonkey's travels. We had a good nights sleep then were up to a bright and beautiful day to start our touring after continental breakfast. Caught the circulator bus for a dollar to take us right over by the capitol. Had been told that October is a good month to visit the Eastern seaboard and being in teeshirts found that to be the truth. Had a great tour of the capitol, Sockmonkey and I were impressed that in the rotunda among the fancy portraits was a painting of Pocahontas (see earlier post regarding getting educated on her at Jamestown). We then took a tour of the Library of Congress, Sockmonkey and I being library junkies were giddy. Dave was pretty excited because he was sure that if we would have had time to visit the reading rooms after we got our readers cards that we would find a copy of the anthology we have been published in, Vintage Voices. The day was wrapping up, caught the circulator bus again to take the reverse trip from this morning so we could get chinese buffett dinner. As we were approaching our stop an interesting thing happened. A blond woman had gotten on and while looking over at her was so amazed that she was the twin of a woman I knew in R.P. As we are about to reach our stop I overhear a comment about the upcoming stops from her. I turn to get a better look and when we both saw each other said "I know you"! It was Desiree! There came my stop with giving me only an instant to say "OMG well take care" and give her a hug then we had to get off without me giving her my phone number or being able to ask what the heck she was doing in D.C. Isn't life funny? To be continued...

Sockmonkey bids adieu to Gannimal house...

Although Sockmoney and I with Dave in tow were leaving Gannimal house, that did not end our awesome east coast trip. We finally watched the sunrise over Chesapeake Bay while on the Amtrak bus heading to Newport News Virginia to catch the 8 a.m. train to D.C.! As I last posted, the household partied in the mancave celebrating the end of having the old folks couch surfing for the past week. Needless to say when the alarm went off at 5 in the morning no one was in any shape to drive us to the bus stop. No worries, cab showed up within 15 minutes of my call and off we were to begin our Sunday of leisure traveling through Pochantas field and forest to see our nations capital. Saw a couple cute little towns from train window during our 4 hour ride. One was Ashland Virginia, the train went right down the middle of the main street with darling old victorian homes on either side. Guess you would get used to trains in your front yard. Got to D.C. right at lunch time, still needed to negotiate the subway but luckily since a few years ago in N.Y. we became old pros at this sort of thing or at least didn't have a lot of anxiety about it made it to the stop we needed to then hoof it to our hotel on Rhode Island Ave. a few (long!) city blocks away. (Boy that's a run on sentence.) The afternoon was wearing on and we were pooped so decided to forgo the touristy stuff till the morning. Subway early dinner and jammy time. Oh and caught up on some of our shows after the week without cable at Gannimal house. To be continued...

Sockmonkey visits Gannimal house day 8

The week passed full of fun and frivolity, seeing the Chesapeake area and helping the kids with running around and household things. It is our last day here, tomorrow we catch Amtrak and head for a few days in D.C. It's a breezy but beautiful day and we head out to a local park for an impromptu bbq with other sailor buddies and letting Juno have some time at the dog area. Later Zack comes by with his new friend Megan and party time in the man cave begins, Sockmonkey and I even indulge with a little rose box wine. Dave and I get ourselves packed up and say good night to the kids, the train will be leaving at the crack of dawn Sunday a.m. I'm suprised that I'm not feeling too sad, I think because during the Truman deployment last year cried out all the tears I had but mainly being able to watch Gannimal house in action makes me feel good to leave knowing how well they are all taking care of each other. And I will finally get a good night's sleep, LOL! I'm just too old to do couch surfing. Too be continued...

Sockmonkey visits Gannimal house day 7

Day 7? Day 7 right? Is the travellog dragging on or is it just me. Friday morning we were awoken with the alarm system of Gannimal house loudly announcing "Front Door Open!" It was sailor Dan getting home from his overnight duty shift at the Truman. There weren't really any set plans for the day so Sockmonkey and I finished up reading the book about Pocahontas that we had found earlier that week at the 2nd hand store. She was a real American and it gave me a whole other way to look at the Chesapeake Bay area we were traveling around. I might try to follow up on more of her history when we get home. Dan woke up later in the morning after a little nap to refresh from his long day the night before and discussed taking us to the NEX and touring around the Naval Base. Got to the NEX and bought lunch at A & W, chili dogs, then went shopping. Sockmonkey had never seen so many military personnel in one place and it was all we could do to keep him from trying to get his picture taken with everyone of them, pretty sure his heart was bursting with proudness to be among genuine heroes. After shopping drove through the base, it was my first time to see where the ship had come home from Dan's deployment since the others had been there in December as his welcome home committee. Out of the base on a Friday afternoon right into commute traffic. The sluggish highway screwed up our moving into position to take the off-ramp we were needing and as I lamented under my breath, Dan remarked that if we just stayed in the traffic heading east we would come out at Virginia Beach. Sockmonkey and I would finally make it to the Atlantic shore and the bonus was sticking our toes in the dampened sand right at sunset. Just to let you know, being a west coaster it is kind of an odd sensation to be looking at the beautiful water of the ocean with the sun going down at your back. We would be heading to Golden Corral for all you can eat dinner which I was really looking forward to. Sockmonkey on the other hand wanted to make sandcastles, even the prospect of a chocolate fountain could hardly pull him away. Give him a beach and a sunset, just a silly old romantic. To be continued...

Sockmonkey visits Gannimal house day 6

Another lazy day for Sockmonkey and the household, except for Sailor Dan who left early and would not be home til Friday due to his guard duty for the night. With everything starting to be in order at the house talk turned to decorating for the Gannimals favorite holiday, Halloween. Costumes arrived in the mail and were showed off. Time for the Nissen Versa to make tracks to the local Walmart for accessories and decorations for the party that would be happening soon. Made our way around Chesapeake to take Juno for her ear cleaning and nail grooming at local Pet Smart, got Starbucks then found a Goodwill store. Lately I've allowed my hair to fade from bottle brown to it's natural color, white. Had it brought to my attention by a clerk while shopping at Goodwill that it was senior citizen discount day, 55 and over. Told her had another month for that and also would be back in California by then but thanks anyway! While inside the store heard loud noises coming from outside and looked through the picture windows to see a downpour of rain that was like a sheet of water that lasted for an hour. Tiff had warned us that's how the weather was in Virginia, sun one minute, pouring rain the next. Got to have a Gann dinner delicasy, Tator Tot Casserole, yumm! Sailor Dan was so jealous when he found out he missed that for dinner. To be continued...