Ouch. That's all I can say. Whata rude awakening. We leave sun, sand, the ocean...for this: drift covered roads, sub-zero temps, at least the sun is shining. Made the trip home in record time-we left Tim's place at 3:30 and got home here at 11:30 am our time, after a one hour trip to Cracker Barrel in Rockford. Boo yah!
So it's back to life as usual, I guess. Or not. Our new Service Advisor, Valerie, starts at the shop on Monday. Shelli is starting to get close to having her baby boy, and we figured out a way for her to carry on shop responsibilities while not having to have daycare, and the same for me (still work at the shop, but be home with the kids after school). Valerie comes to us from having worked at a shop in Madison for 2 years. She has been trained by ATI (our business coaching firm in Baltimore), and will hopefully take minimal training. So we have a bit of an adjustment period, then hopefully things will settle themselves down, allowing some type of a balance in our schedules---I won't hold my breath just yet!
You'll be able to tell the load change by when this gets updated next--a sure tell-tale sign that I've got an ounce of free time to update and not feel guilty about goofing off!!
Shhhh...the ocean is calling!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
News of the Day
We left our lazy days back in Orlando and headed over to Ormond Beach today. The kids had their faces painted and played in the (thankfully) heated pools. It was still in the mid-sixties yesterday. No complaining here, though. I saw the temps back there in WI and 4 inches of snow...no thanks!
Big news here in Ormond-by-the-Sea yesterday-a 15.5 foot whale washed up on shore. Tim wasn't here to see it, but his neighbor said she saw it and it headed down to Daytona before they were able to take it in. There's an article on it at:
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Local/newFLAG03ENV012708.htm
Just found it interesting!
We're just catching up on some homework today with Mallory. It is amazing how much they do in a day at school! This is why I don't like taking the kids out of school for vacations during the school year!! It's all worth it, though.
Here's your "Are you smarter than a third-grader" question for the day:
Name 10 perfect squares under 100.
I had to look it up on wikipedia!! Maybe that doesn't say much for me, but Dand and Tim didn't know either.
Big news here in Ormond-by-the-Sea yesterday-a 15.5 foot whale washed up on shore. Tim wasn't here to see it, but his neighbor said she saw it and it headed down to Daytona before they were able to take it in. There's an article on it at:
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Local/newFLAG03ENV012708.htm
Just found it interesting!
We're just catching up on some homework today with Mallory. It is amazing how much they do in a day at school! This is why I don't like taking the kids out of school for vacations during the school year!! It's all worth it, though.
Here's your "Are you smarter than a third-grader" question for the day:
Name 10 perfect squares under 100.
I had to look it up on wikipedia!! Maybe that doesn't say much for me, but Dand and Tim didn't know either.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Long story short
Almost 3 months since the last post. Hmmm...holidays, year-end for the business, back to school...the excuses go on and on. The truth is that I've gotten so wrapped up in living life that I'm not taking any time to reflect. I can say, though, that I've gotten closer to that point that I wrote about at my last post of being able to be just a little bit more organized, both time and space.
It doesn't really even make sense for me to go back and recap the past three months. You all know, there's no, "long story short" in my world!
Ironically enough, we are in Florida again. We did not use up our "we're not buying a timeshare" points last time, so we mustered up a return trip.
-Left on Tuesday night about 10 pm
-Got here Wednesday night about 11 pm
-Spent the night at Pulford's apartment in Ormand Beach
-Thursday, went across the street to the ocean, the boys fished. Mal and I went for a little walk on the shore. Had lunch at the Golden Lion, (mid-day cocktails said, "Let the vacation begin!"). Back to the low-tide to catch some Whitings, not enough for supper, though.
-Packed it up and moved it out-Orlando, here we come.
-Friday: According to Dan & Tara-relaxing with some work inbetween; Mal: some fun, but became boring when nobody would play in the pool with her (i.e.-homesick for friends); Christian: lots of fun between the pool, the hot tub, and our room.
-We are staying at a Hilton Grand Vacations Club. Last time we stayed at the other one, closer to Sea World. This one is a bit smaller, but has many more ammenities and is much newer. It is nice, because we save $$ by eating here and just hanging out.
-Yestarday, it was mostly sunny with a bit of a breeze. It was one of those days that if there's not any breeze, it is warm, but if the wind blows, you feel chilly! Probably in the high 60's. Eat your heart out, Wisconsin!!!
-We'll be heading out tomorrow to head back over by Pulford for a day or two. He has a big test to take on Monday, so we'll see how that goes.
Check out Mal's own blog at: www.thelifeofmalgal.blogspot.com
It doesn't really even make sense for me to go back and recap the past three months. You all know, there's no, "long story short" in my world!
Ironically enough, we are in Florida again. We did not use up our "we're not buying a timeshare" points last time, so we mustered up a return trip.
-Left on Tuesday night about 10 pm
-Got here Wednesday night about 11 pm
-Spent the night at Pulford's apartment in Ormand Beach
-Thursday, went across the street to the ocean, the boys fished. Mal and I went for a little walk on the shore. Had lunch at the Golden Lion, (mid-day cocktails said, "Let the vacation begin!"). Back to the low-tide to catch some Whitings, not enough for supper, though.
-Packed it up and moved it out-Orlando, here we come.
-Friday: According to Dan & Tara-relaxing with some work inbetween; Mal: some fun, but became boring when nobody would play in the pool with her (i.e.-homesick for friends); Christian: lots of fun between the pool, the hot tub, and our room.
-We are staying at a Hilton Grand Vacations Club. Last time we stayed at the other one, closer to Sea World. This one is a bit smaller, but has many more ammenities and is much newer. It is nice, because we save $$ by eating here and just hanging out.
-Yestarday, it was mostly sunny with a bit of a breeze. It was one of those days that if there's not any breeze, it is warm, but if the wind blows, you feel chilly! Probably in the high 60's. Eat your heart out, Wisconsin!!!
-We'll be heading out tomorrow to head back over by Pulford for a day or two. He has a big test to take on Monday, so we'll see how that goes.
Check out Mal's own blog at: www.thelifeofmalgal.blogspot.com
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Some pics to go with...
There's Salty Dog on the left and "Minty" dog on the right! I've found that only Tim gets away with calling Christian, "Salty Dog."
M-I-C-K-E-Y...hottt!! All the heat, stress, and lines were worth this shot! "When do we get our ears???" 
Not really gonna ask any questions here, just looks like a treasured Daddy/Daughter moment!
It wasn't as dark as it looks, but we stayed down by the ocean for as long as we could that night! It was gorgeous!Friday, October 26, 2007
Sea World and the World of the Sea
Sea World according to Mallory:
Sea world was fun!!! I saw whales,turtles,and dolphins.My favrite was the shamu.
Sea World according to Mom:
Well worth the money spent. Before we left, I went online and found a deal-adults for the price of kids. Then when we got to Orlando, we found that you get an extra day FREE. So we got there in the afternoon on Wednesday-no lines, there was a cool breeze, and lots to see and do. The shows were phenominal. There were many opportunities to get up close and personal with the actors/performers. It way exceeded our expectations. Thursday morning we went back and saw everything we didn't see on Wednesday. Some lines that day, but well worth it!
The World of the Sea:
Tim just came up from the ocean and told us his job of tour guide was fulfilled-Dan caught a Blue Fish in the Ocean. Don't tell the DNR here! We woke up to rain and wind today, not prime fishing weather. I went down to take Christian to play and they were sitting in chairs, drinking coffee. Evidently there was a bit of a fiasco earlier with the line getting massively tangled in seaweed. Not good.
So our adventures continue. I am not so excited about coming home. Not that I don't miss the people in our lives, but going on vacation makes me realize how completely complex we have made our lives. It gives me plenty of time to reflect and think about how nice simple life is. I know, I know, that's not reality. I just am thankful for the time away and I say this everytime, but I really hope that I can come back and make some choices that allow our lives to be less stressful, less FULL, and more simple. Not sure what is going to make this trip different. The reality is that we get back, unpack, and get the kids to school 7:45 Monday morning and back to work, back to chaos. I just have to remember, I make it that way and I'm the only one who can make decisions to change that. Ahhhh...vacation.
Sea world was fun!!! I saw whales,turtles,and dolphins.My favrite was the shamu.
Sea World according to Mom:
Well worth the money spent. Before we left, I went online and found a deal-adults for the price of kids. Then when we got to Orlando, we found that you get an extra day FREE. So we got there in the afternoon on Wednesday-no lines, there was a cool breeze, and lots to see and do. The shows were phenominal. There were many opportunities to get up close and personal with the actors/performers. It way exceeded our expectations. Thursday morning we went back and saw everything we didn't see on Wednesday. Some lines that day, but well worth it!
The World of the Sea:
Tim just came up from the ocean and told us his job of tour guide was fulfilled-Dan caught a Blue Fish in the Ocean. Don't tell the DNR here! We woke up to rain and wind today, not prime fishing weather. I went down to take Christian to play and they were sitting in chairs, drinking coffee. Evidently there was a bit of a fiasco earlier with the line getting massively tangled in seaweed. Not good.
So our adventures continue. I am not so excited about coming home. Not that I don't miss the people in our lives, but going on vacation makes me realize how completely complex we have made our lives. It gives me plenty of time to reflect and think about how nice simple life is. I know, I know, that's not reality. I just am thankful for the time away and I say this everytime, but I really hope that I can come back and make some choices that allow our lives to be less stressful, less FULL, and more simple. Not sure what is going to make this trip different. The reality is that we get back, unpack, and get the kids to school 7:45 Monday morning and back to work, back to chaos. I just have to remember, I make it that way and I'm the only one who can make decisions to change that. Ahhhh...vacation.
Disney, Shuttle Launch, and Sea World, Oh My!
On Monday, we made our way to Disneyworld. We decided that the kids are on the verge of being too big for Magic Kingdom, so we thought it best to go now, then come back another time and go to the other parks. Here's the Disney summary of the day-kinda wished we would have gone in, gotten the photos with Mickey, went to the souvenir shop, baught the ears, and bailed. Between the massive heat, massive amounts of people, and massive long lines, it was not all it is cracked up to be. I'm sure we'll go back another time and go to a different park and we'll do things differently then. The kids delighted more in playing in the two pools than they did being dragged around all day!
Tuesday, we headed over to the coast to see the shuttle launch. It was not possible to get into Cape Canaveral, but we found a spot just across the Indian River and set up our picnic blanket, waited for the magic two minutes, and left. I video taped it and probably the coolest part was the sonic boom we heard, quite delayed because of where we were sitting. Mallory said it looked like whip cream (the water vapors it left in the clouds). Something we can add to our "Life Resume!" From there, we headed up the coast to Tim's for the afternoon. We all just played in the ocean and relaxed! Drove back to Orlando and tucked in.
Wednesday-decided to actually take it easy in the morning and go to Sea World in the afternoon. Here's our official Topel Family Review of Orlando: Sea World Rocks!! I'll tell you why a little later...
Tuesday, we headed over to the coast to see the shuttle launch. It was not possible to get into Cape Canaveral, but we found a spot just across the Indian River and set up our picnic blanket, waited for the magic two minutes, and left. I video taped it and probably the coolest part was the sonic boom we heard, quite delayed because of where we were sitting. Mallory said it looked like whip cream (the water vapors it left in the clouds). Something we can add to our "Life Resume!" From there, we headed up the coast to Tim's for the afternoon. We all just played in the ocean and relaxed! Drove back to Orlando and tucked in.
Wednesday-decided to actually take it easy in the morning and go to Sea World in the afternoon. Here's our official Topel Family Review of Orlando: Sea World Rocks!! I'll tell you why a little later...
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Sunday on the Seashore
No photos to go with, but we are here in Ormond Beach, Florida and spending our Sunday morning catching sand crabs, throwing the net for fish (Dan's caught 2 so far) and hanging out with Tim Pulford.
We finally got on the road at about 9:00 pm on Friday. Our goal was 6:30, but between Dan's sinus infection and my poor time management skills...it was 9! I drove from Fort Atkinson all the way to Mt. Vernon (which is where we broke down last time on the way home), then kept going until about an hour out from Nashville, TN. (It was about 5 am) Then Dan drove to Chatanooga, TN and we had...of course, Cracker Barrel. Dan kept going until about 3/4 way through Georgia. We stopped at a rest area and had a picnic lunch. Then I took over and drove until we were an hour away from Daytona. Whew! We made it to Tim's by 7:30. The original plan was to take it easy on the way down, but obivously, plans changed.
Last night, we ate at a cool place in Flagler Beach. Dan had fish tacos (and the peanut gallery laughs...) and I had fish and chips. It was THEE best fish I've ever had! Dan, Tim, and the kids just came in from catching a few "unknown" fish in the net, LOTS of sand crabs, and a star fish. Mallory also snagged a half a sand dollar! We are getting ready to go to Cocoa Beach to see my Aunt Rose (who lives in Elmhurst, IL) and her friend John at John's daughters home. Then on to Orlando to check into our hotel.
Hope everyone's safe!
We finally got on the road at about 9:00 pm on Friday. Our goal was 6:30, but between Dan's sinus infection and my poor time management skills...it was 9! I drove from Fort Atkinson all the way to Mt. Vernon (which is where we broke down last time on the way home), then kept going until about an hour out from Nashville, TN. (It was about 5 am) Then Dan drove to Chatanooga, TN and we had...of course, Cracker Barrel. Dan kept going until about 3/4 way through Georgia. We stopped at a rest area and had a picnic lunch. Then I took over and drove until we were an hour away from Daytona. Whew! We made it to Tim's by 7:30. The original plan was to take it easy on the way down, but obivously, plans changed.
Last night, we ate at a cool place in Flagler Beach. Dan had fish tacos (and the peanut gallery laughs...) and I had fish and chips. It was THEE best fish I've ever had! Dan, Tim, and the kids just came in from catching a few "unknown" fish in the net, LOTS of sand crabs, and a star fish. Mallory also snagged a half a sand dollar! We are getting ready to go to Cocoa Beach to see my Aunt Rose (who lives in Elmhurst, IL) and her friend John at John's daughters home. Then on to Orlando to check into our hotel.
Hope everyone's safe!
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