It is hard to be a (editors note: healthy) vegetarian in the airport.
That is all.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
I regret giving up coffee.
Oh, Minnesota
Why are you so cold and grey?
I miss summertime.
But seriously. I am now 2/2 on staying in hotels with broken heating systems. I slept in a sweater last night. Silly me for thinking it would be warm enough inside that I would have have to bring my regular sleeping layers. On the upside I did feel like a rich old lady sleeping in a cashmere cardigan. So that was nice.
Casually observing the Twin Cities hipsters today. Apparently ironic fur is in (for example, fur legwarmers). This is fashion entertainment that New England will never be able to provide.
Biggest disappointment in all of MN: All of the hotel water-parks cost extra for admission. No way I am paying $20 for one water-slide ride.
Why are you so cold and grey?
I miss summertime.
But seriously. I am now 2/2 on staying in hotels with broken heating systems. I slept in a sweater last night. Silly me for thinking it would be warm enough inside that I would have have to bring my regular sleeping layers. On the upside I did feel like a rich old lady sleeping in a cashmere cardigan. So that was nice.
Casually observing the Twin Cities hipsters today. Apparently ironic fur is in (for example, fur legwarmers). This is fashion entertainment that New England will never be able to provide.
Biggest disappointment in all of MN: All of the hotel water-parks cost extra for admission. No way I am paying $20 for one water-slide ride.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Low/high
At my last job, I had a love-hate relationship with "low/high", an activity we would often do (accompanied by varying degrees of grumbling) around the dinner table when people were too grumpy or hungry or eager to get to the bar to start a real conversation. Normally each person only gets one high and one low of the day, BUT THIS IS MY TRAVEL BLOG, so I can have more than one if I want.
HIGH/LOW: Wisconsin edition.
Low: driving from green bay to Madison in the dark, on snowy unplowed roads.
High: arriving in Madison and realizing I would spent 5 NIGHTS in the same bed.
Low: taking over an hour each way to get to our weekend cross country skiing location (10 miles away) because SOMEONE got lost.
High: only falling twice and actually enjoying myself.
Low: ripping staples from and hanging drywall on my sisters bedroom ceiling.
High: ripping staples from and hanging drywall on my sisters bedroom ceiling.
Low: getting to Appleton too late to see the Harry Houdini exhibit in the Castle.
High: knowing a Houdini exhibit exists in a castle in Appleton.
Low: being tricked into playing a four hour game of Battlestar Galactica.
High: sort of starting to understand the rules, and totally knowing who the cylons were, even if no one believed me.
Low: arriving to Beloit early and hearing "calling all angels" on the radio (a sign surely), only to discover THE ANGEL MUSEUM IS CLOSED UNTIL MARCH. Shut up. REALLY NOT COOL.
High: a surprisingly beautiful day in southern Wisconsin, and like 15 kinds of cereal in the dining hall. This is not an exaggeration.
Low: eating too much dairy.
High: EATING SO MUCH DAIRY.
So many adventures, and two whole days left! If my whole travel season is like this, I will not survive
HIGH/LOW: Wisconsin edition.
Low: driving from green bay to Madison in the dark, on snowy unplowed roads.
High: arriving in Madison and realizing I would spent 5 NIGHTS in the same bed.
Low: taking over an hour each way to get to our weekend cross country skiing location (10 miles away) because SOMEONE got lost.
High: only falling twice and actually enjoying myself.
Low: ripping staples from and hanging drywall on my sisters bedroom ceiling.
High: ripping staples from and hanging drywall on my sisters bedroom ceiling.
Low: getting to Appleton too late to see the Harry Houdini exhibit in the Castle.
High: knowing a Houdini exhibit exists in a castle in Appleton.
Low: being tricked into playing a four hour game of Battlestar Galactica.
High: sort of starting to understand the rules, and totally knowing who the cylons were, even if no one believed me.
Low: arriving to Beloit early and hearing "calling all angels" on the radio (a sign surely), only to discover THE ANGEL MUSEUM IS CLOSED UNTIL MARCH. Shut up. REALLY NOT COOL.
High: a surprisingly beautiful day in southern Wisconsin, and like 15 kinds of cereal in the dining hall. This is not an exaggeration.
Low: eating too much dairy.
High: EATING SO MUCH DAIRY.
So many adventures, and two whole days left! If my whole travel season is like this, I will not survive
Thursday, January 19, 2012
so, so cold.
HEY GUYS, I FOUND WINTER! It was hiding in Wisconsin with all the good cheese.
Perks of staying in Extended Stay hotels:
- free popcorn in my room microwave!
- a DVD lending library!
- Paul Rudd in Parks and Rec on my TV! (ok, this is a universal benefit to staying anywhere. amazing.)
- Pantry full of snacks, drinks, and "sundries" downstairs, all paid on the honor system!
- free laundry!
- extra strange people wandering around!
- dishtowels!
That's pretty much it.
Hopefully these things make up for my getting-to-the-airport debacle this morning, and my subsequent inability to buy an Indiana lotto ticket.
Perks of staying in Extended Stay hotels:
- free popcorn in my room microwave!
- a DVD lending library!
- Paul Rudd in Parks and Rec on my TV! (ok, this is a universal benefit to staying anywhere. amazing.)
- Pantry full of snacks, drinks, and "sundries" downstairs, all paid on the honor system!
- free laundry!
- extra strange people wandering around!
- dishtowels!
That's pretty much it.
Hopefully these things make up for my getting-to-the-airport debacle this morning, and my subsequent inability to buy an Indiana lotto ticket.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
correction
AN OFFICIAL RETRACTION:
I would like to apologize to the aforementioned 4:20am bus. Without my early bus and flight, I would have been on a slightly later flight which was subsequently cancelled due to weather. As far as I can tell, "weather" means "no snow, no rain, just some slightly apocalyptic winds" .... thank God I am not driving an Aveo (they actually tried to give me a minivan.... missed opportunity?)
The local news just informed me that I can expect "plunging temperatures" tomorrow.
More importantly, what's the deal with plane de-icer? I've never really paid attention before, but something seems seriously wrong with it being common practice to just slather planes in green chemical slime and let it go wherever. Maybe this is just the paranoid Groundwater Guardian in me talking, but it made me feel guilty.
AND DON'T WORRY, MY HOTEL'S INTERNET CONNECTION WAS GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THE JEOPARDY TEST. Now all I have to do is sit by my phone and wait for Alex to call......
I would like to apologize to the aforementioned 4:20am bus. Without my early bus and flight, I would have been on a slightly later flight which was subsequently cancelled due to weather. As far as I can tell, "weather" means "no snow, no rain, just some slightly apocalyptic winds" .... thank God I am not driving an Aveo (they actually tried to give me a minivan.... missed opportunity?)
The local news just informed me that I can expect "plunging temperatures" tomorrow.
More importantly, what's the deal with plane de-icer? I've never really paid attention before, but something seems seriously wrong with it being common practice to just slather planes in green chemical slime and let it go wherever. Maybe this is just the paranoid Groundwater Guardian in me talking, but it made me feel guilty.
AND DON'T WORRY, MY HOTEL'S INTERNET CONNECTION WAS GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THE JEOPARDY TEST. Now all I have to do is sit by my phone and wait for Alex to call......
An ode to 4am buses.
SEVEN THINGS I WOULD RATHER DO THAN HANG OUT AT LOGAN AIRPORT AN HOUR BEFORE SUNRISE:
1. See New Year's Eve.
2. Drive across Ohio.
3. Play indoor blacklight mini golf again.
4. Clean my whole house, and then someone else's house, and then a stable.
5. Eat mayonnaise.
6. Wear leaky waders in January.
7. Buy Crocs.
1. See New Year's Eve.
2. Drive across Ohio.
3. Play indoor blacklight mini golf again.
4. Clean my whole house, and then someone else's house, and then a stable.
5. Eat mayonnaise.
6. Wear leaky waders in January.
7. Buy Crocs.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
So it begins...(again)
As I drove north yesterday I saw no less than 25 road signs telling me to "Plan ahead, winter storm warning." But being the intrepid traveler I am, I continued on to Vermont feeling like one of those storm chaser extreme weather reporters.
As expected, the snow arrived last night. It took me 45 minutes to get from the parking lot of my hotel to Dartmouth (a 7 mile drive). Sometimes I hate New England. I'm sure I would this this is beautiful if I had a personal driver. Maybe next time.
Other recent disappointments include a broken TV in my hotel room, no hair dryer, and a hotel breakfast that was so pathetic I opted for grocery store pop-tarts instead. This must be the travel gods testing me - preparing me for the season.
I'm glad I packed my snow boots. Wish me luck escaping this blizzard in the tin sedan I rented yesterday.
As expected, the snow arrived last night. It took me 45 minutes to get from the parking lot of my hotel to Dartmouth (a 7 mile drive). Sometimes I hate New England. I'm sure I would this this is beautiful if I had a personal driver. Maybe next time.
Other recent disappointments include a broken TV in my hotel room, no hair dryer, and a hotel breakfast that was so pathetic I opted for grocery store pop-tarts instead. This must be the travel gods testing me - preparing me for the season.
I'm glad I packed my snow boots. Wish me luck escaping this blizzard in the tin sedan I rented yesterday.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
ARE YOU READY?
A PRE-DEPARTURE EXERCISE REGIME:
- 50 lunges while holding a stack of 75 viewbooks
- Relay race with brochure hand-off
- Two mile run with fully-loaded suitcase, one broken wheel for added challenge
- 15 repetitions of the process of preparing to go through security (remove laptop, remove shoes, unzip jacket, reverse), timed to under 30 seconds each way.
- One hour of airplane yoga, twice a day.
- 30 minutes of strengthening exercises for driving leg, 3 times daily. Alternate with exercises for primary lifting-into-overhead-compartment arm.
Combine with a diet of Midwestern foods (primarily cheese curds), ample lattes, and free cold sandwiches slathered in mayonnaise. Sleep on a different mattress each night, first checking thoroughly for bedbugs.
- 50 lunges while holding a stack of 75 viewbooks
- Relay race with brochure hand-off
- Two mile run with fully-loaded suitcase, one broken wheel for added challenge
- 15 repetitions of the process of preparing to go through security (remove laptop, remove shoes, unzip jacket, reverse), timed to under 30 seconds each way.
- One hour of airplane yoga, twice a day.
- 30 minutes of strengthening exercises for driving leg, 3 times daily. Alternate with exercises for primary lifting-into-overhead-compartment arm.
Combine with a diet of Midwestern foods (primarily cheese curds), ample lattes, and free cold sandwiches slathered in mayonnaise. Sleep on a different mattress each night, first checking thoroughly for bedbugs.
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