A Note to Hodgepodgers

I'm going to declare this week Spring Break for the Wednesday Hodgepodge so no questions today. I want to dive into the A-Z challenge and I still have lots to catch up on here at home after being away. My daughters will be home for the Easter holiday too and I like to save all my extra minutes for them.

Check back next Tuesday (April 10th) for new Hodgepodge questions to be answered on the 11th. Of course you'll want to read my A-Z posts in the meantime. Enjoy your week!

B is for Let's BACK Up

I'm definitely still coming up for air after spending two weeks on sensory overload hopping around Asia. It's possible I have a few hundred photos too and I promise not to post them all. I think.

Since I need today to collect the dog from the kennel, catch up on laundry, plan meals, sort mail, prepare bedrooms and bathrooms for daughters coming home for Easter weekend starting tomorrow, and in general get my feet and head on Eastern Standard time I'm going to make today's post short and sweet.

How about we start at the BEGINNING since we're all about the letter B in the A-Z challenge today? The beginning would be our flight from NJ to Shanghai. Hubs had a business class ticket because he was traveling for work but we had to buy my ticket. We decided to pay for the economy seat using air miles and then use one of hubs upgrades to try to get me into business class too. Because he is considerate and also because he knows me very well he'd already said if we couldn't get the upgrade I could have his seat up front. I'm pretty sure he thought he'd enjoy the trip a whole lot more if I started off somewhat rested and happy. Ahem.

My hubs is what might kindly be referred to as 'the squeaky wheel' when it comes to stuff like this and he'd been phoning the airline on a regular basis since January. They kept telling him wait wait wait and while he's good at many things waiting is not one of them. At some point they told him he could call 24 hours before departure time and see if the seat upgrade went through. The second the clock hit the 24 hour mark he was all over it. The first person he spoke to said she couldn't do anything about it and he'd have to wait until we got to the airport, but that's what amateurs do. He promptly hung up, called back, spoke to a different agent and voila I'm in. Yay hubs!

We were not seated on the same side of the plane so our plan was to put our stuff on my side and then I would ask whoever sat beside me if they'd mind moving over to hubs seat. I mean they were both business class seats on the aisle so no biggie right? Pretty soon a guy comes in and starts dropping all his stuff in the seat beside me and I'm so concerned with swapping seats I don't really look at him but I do grab his arm because I'm very focused on getting those seats swapped. I start blabbering on and on about how my hubs is on the other side of the plane and then I continue to spew out way more backstory than is necessary but we'll just chalk that up to nervous energy, okay?

I know.
You're wishing you could travel with me too, aren't you?

I happen to glance over at hubs on the other side of the plane and he's laughing and mouths some words at me but I ignore him because I need to get this random stranger to move. That's when I notice the random stranger has a person with him holding his coat and helping him settle in. And then I actually look hard at his face and I realize that hubs was trying to tell me random stranger is none other than Steve Forbes.

Billionaire.
There's a b word for you.

Of course I launch promptly into apology mode and I think I might have released his arm or maybe I squeezed it tighter so he'd know I was truly sorry. He was gracious and moved across the plane to where hubs was standing. Hubs said something to him which he told me was thank you very much but I suspect was more along the lines of 'my wife is nuts'. Whatever. I think it could have been fun to sit next to Steve Forbes. We could have talked politics and such on our 14+ hour flight. Course I would have climbed over his chair four times to get out and stretch and go to the restroom. And he'd probably have a headache when we landed.

So much excitement and we haven't even left the airport.

No foolin'-A is for Adventure

Today we kick off the A-Z blogging challenge which this year will be co-hosted by about a dozen different bloggers. Last time I checked there were well over 1000 bloggers signed up to play along. The idea behind the challenge is to post every week, Monday thru Saturday, during the month of April. Each post uses a letter of the alphabet as a springboard for content beginning with A (today) and running thru the letter Z on April 30th.

It's not too late to participate and if you'd like details you'll need to click here because I'm far too jet lagged to make any sense.

Yet, I blog.

A is for Adventure

Did I forget to mention that I left for China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong two weeks ago and while you're sitting at home with your steaming cup of coffee or goofing off at work reading blogs instead of doing something productive I'm just now returning from the land that takes your internal clock and turns it on its head?

Well I am.

Because of that I won't have a lot of words today (no, this is not a lot of words), but I do have plenty stashed and as soon as I remember the secret code they'll be unleashed on here throughout the month of April.

Brace yourselves.

Cause I did have myself a bit of an adventure.

On My Honor its the Hodgepodge Volume 72

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge. So glad you decided to play along today...everybody's welcome in the HP! Answer the questions on your own blog or facebook page then add your link at the end of my post. Be sure to check out what everyone else had to say too.

Here are my answers-

1. What's the last job you did that required elbow grease?

Cleaning my cooktop. I hate that job and normally hubs takes care of it because he excels at it and also because he kind of likes jobs that require elbow grease. Yay hubs!

2. March Madness, aka the men's Division I basketball championship, is nearing an end...what sort of 'madness' has your house seen this month?

Well the travel bookings have been a little on the 'mad' side in March. I've spent the past month booking air and train transport and/or accommodations for Easter, Daughter2's university graduation, plus a post graduation vacation. Oh, and we've also leased an apartment for daughter2 for post college life. Plus, we've actually traveled. I know! You'll have to wait for April to hear all about that.

3. What's your favorite shop for browsing?

There's a little gift shop in the next town over that I like to wander around in when I have time. If we're talking about the mall I'd say Williams Sonoma or Nordstroms shoe department.

4. Is there ever a time when giving up makes sense?

Tough question. I think it all depends what you're giving up on. Marriage? A mortgage you can't pay? A wayward child? I can't lump all these eggs into the same basket. I'm sure the answer to the original question is yes, but only sometimes, not always.

5. What's a song you love that contains the name of a city, state or country in its title?

You know I can't choose just one, right?

Hotel California by the Eagles

Carolina in My Mind by James Taylor

And of course Please Come to Boston by Dave Loggins... 'cuz I am the number one fan of the man from Tennessee.

6. When did you first begin using a computer?

I can't remember exactly what year it was but sometime in the mid-90's. I do know I wasn't on it much. Back then my girls mostly played Oregon Trail and used the paintbox. I don't think I really 'got it' in those early days.

As opposed to now when I'm a technological wizard.

ahem.

7. Did you buy girl scout cookies this year? What's your favorite?

I did buy girl scout cookies this year. My plan was to send them to my girls but they both bought some on their own. Hmmm...what to do now? Ha. My favorites are Samoas and Tagalongs.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I'm participating in the April A-Z blog challenge again this year. I loved it last year and really enjoyed the alphabet theme. It's not too late to sign up and join the party. Click the A-Z button on my sidebar for more details and be sure to watch for my posts from A-Z beginning April 1st. Let me know if you are playing too.

Questions for the Wednesday Hodgepodge Vol 72

It has been a busy week here on this side of the pond. Not too busy to post the Hodgepodge questions though. Come back tomorrow so you can link answers with the whole wide world. Or at least this little corner of it.

1. What's the last job you did that required elbow grease?

2. March Madness, aka the men's Division I basketball championship, is nearing an end. What sort of 'madness' has your house seen this month?

3. What's your favorite shop for browsing?

4. Is there ever a time when giving up makes sense?

5. What's a song you love that contains the name of a city, state or country in its title?

6. When did you first begin using a computer?

7. Did you buy girl scout cookies this year? What's your favorite?

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Spring is in the Hodgepodge-Vol 71

Welcome to this springtime edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. All are invited to play along, just be sure to add your link at the end of my post. Here are my answers to this week's questions-

1. The first day of spring is here-do you enjoy working in the yard? Weeding, raking, mowing, planting...your favorite springtime garden chore? How about your least favorite?

I do enjoy working in the yard. There are times when my allergies get the best of me though and once the eyes begin to itch and water my love of the game is lost. Planting is my favorite garden chore and raking my least favorite. I like the idea of raking up a pile of leaves and brush but the actual act not so much.

2. What puts a spring in your step?

Knowing my girlies will be home for the Easter weekend. Knowing we have a family beach week on the books for later this spring. Being their mom.

3. Describe a time when you had to spring into action.

Have I ever told you about daughter2's penchant for leaping and then looking followed by trips to the emergency room? Yes trips....with an s. As in more than one. She instantly popped into my head when I read this question because for every trip we took to the ER there were at least ten I prevented with my ninja like reflexes. She was too adorable though, wasn't she?

Still is.

4. We're having carrots for dinner...would you prefer yours raw or cooked?

Oh boy. It seems I'm a broken record when it comes to anything edible. Are you surprised to learn I love them both ways?

5. Do you take the shampoos and other sundries from your hotel room when its time to check out?

I love the small conditioners and hand lotions but I normally only take them if I've broken the seal. We stay in a lot of hotels and I just don't need that many little bitty bottles of stuff.

6. What's the most enjoyable team or club you've belonged to and what was it that made it so?

I think its a toss up between my college sorority and the women's club I belonged to in the UK. Different stages of life but both were groups of talented women who walked with me through periods of great transition in my life. They sprinkled those years with lots of love and laughter and I hold both groups close in heart always.

7. Is cloning a sign of progress?

Yes.

Should we do something just because we can?

Not necessarily.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I like to send my girls little things in the post to brighten their day. Since we have more than a bit o' the Irish in us I sent them each a little something for St. Patty's Day last weekend.

A card with a note from mom and dad along with a little something 'green'-a Starbucks card. And since it was St. Patrick's day I included a little something 'lucky' too. I found the idea and printable on Pinterest but because I was mailing mine I had to adapt the packaging so it wouldn't be all crumbs upon arrival. I put the Lucky Charms in zip lock bags and then the bag into an airtight plastic container with a green (naturally!) lid. Fun to make and fun to receive.

Questions for the Wednesday Hodgepodge Vol 71

Here are the questions for this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog or facebook page then hop back over here tomorrow and add your link so we can all come a -calling.

1. The first day of spring is here...do you enjoy working in the yard? Weeding, raking, mowing, planting-your favorite springtime garden chore? How about your least favorite?

2. What puts a spring in your step?

3. Describe a time when you had to spring into action?

4. We're having carrots for dinner...would you prefer yours raw or cooked?

5. Do you take the shampoos and other sundries from your hotel room when its time to check out?

6. What's the most enjoyable team or club you've belonged to and what was it that made it so?

7. Is cloning a sign of progress?

8. Insert your own random thought here.