for fun: Do/Would you still put on all your makeup and decent clothes if you are quarantined

[awhfy]

Maine has been having its normal bipolar weather. 96 the day I arrived & brutally humid. Yesterday was a high of mid40s. Today is mid 80s & no humidity. Great flights

[cruise kitty]

Hi Melody, love the pictures!  You look great & so does the food!  What is that last thing?  Looks like a wonderful dessert?  

 

Enjoy your time there 🙂

[Lois R]

Hi girls, Melody, I agree--great pictures.😃

 

I went out to dinner tonight and there was a couple sitting at the bar (I ate at the bar)......anyway,

I heard them talking about cruises. So I asked where were they going. Well, she mentioned a couple of places but then she said "we are not going anywhere now because I am not getting one of those shots."

And I knew right at that moment not to ask her why not...........it just came across kind of snarky and I certainly wasn't going to get into a P**** match with her at the bar.  

 

My dinner was really good though...had grilled salmon with a really good salad and a side of baked polenta and crabmeat........delicious🙂

[cruise kitty]

Hi Lois, your dinner sounds wonderful! I haven't had polenta in ages, & now you're making me crave it 😉 & the couple, well, at this point I've decided for people like that it's a "them" problem & not a "me" problem.     Good on you for not letting them engage you about it.

 

Tomorrow is the big day when everything here is finally supposed to reopen, what ever that means lol, I was at sprouts & target after work, & everyone is still wearing masks, no idea if it means tomorrow we won't anymore or not.... 🙂I think it's going to take a while for everyone to figure it out, we've been wearing them for soooo long!

[awhfy]

On 6/13/2021 at 1:46 PM, cruise kitty said:

Hi Melody, love the pictures!  You look great & so does the food!  What is that last thing?  Looks like a wonderful dessert?  

 

Enjoy your time there 🙂

Wild blueberry cobbler 

[slidergirl]

I'm back!!!  

 

Lois - sorry 'bout the ulcer. I hope the meds keep it under control for you!  You are going to be our big traveler - Chicago and then the Med cruise!!!  We may be living vicariously through you.  I can hardly wait to hear about your travels!

 

Melody - you live in an amazing place!  Even though it was wicked hot, we all enjoyed our 2 days in Colorado Springs.  There were 6 of us this time.  Age has treated us fairly well to be able go travel still to meet up.  We did the cog railway up to Pikes Peak.  You have to go do it on the new railway.  Some of my friends have never been up above the tree line, so that was interesting for them.  For me, it did bring back memories of the old days of backpacking where there would be days and days with no trees.  I LOVED the zoo!!!  We were almost up to the top when it started pouring rain.  5 got the "golf carts" back down, but I decided to walk - I had my rain jacket in my daypack.  Plus, my legs could use the downhill exercise.  We did two trips through Garden of the Gods - some of the girls needed more photos at a different time of day.  It was just too darn hot to walk through, so we drove.  Red rock formations are always interesting, wherever they are.  

 

My camping was tons of fun.  Each place had it's unique characteristic.  The Arkansas River area - Salida was kind of like what Park City was - a town with a cute downtown, populated with kayakers, cyclists and "hippies".  Picked up some jewelry there and a hoodie tunic handmade by a woman there in her shop.   I did a quick stop at Royal Gorge bridge.  I didn't feel like paying $30 to walk out to see the gorge and I sure wouldn't be walking across it (I have a thing of big dropoffs).  They do ziplining across the Gorge, too.  You'd have to be crazy to do that!!!  Then, the Great Sand Dunes Nat'l Park - WOW!  Photos don't do it justice.   The creek in front of the dunes was still there, about 3 inches of water at best.  Hundreds of people were set up in the creek - it looked like a giant tail gate party.  The sand is just like the sand in Southern California - brown and HOT!  Sandals didn't work, you had to have shoes.  It was a little of a hike through the sand to the start of the dunes.  I took my one "doormat" from camping (It's actually a beach mat) to sit on.  I just had a nice day on the "beach" and watching everyone, either hiking up to the very top (supposedly takes hours) or "surfing" the dunes.  It was so hot that there was no way I was going to do any dune climbing.  Next - Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP.  A totally different experience.  That is one deep canyon!  It's set up like Bryce Canyon NP - a rim drive with lots of lookout points and informational stands.  Apparently it's also a big place for climbers - no way you'd see me doing that!  I shared my campsite with a docile mule deer (the campground host said her favorite spot is under this one tree) and 4 very funny ground squirrels.  The squirrels would run around, tackle each other, run some more.   Finally, I drove to Moab, UT.  There was a fire going on in the hill around Moab that started the day before - I could see the smoke at Black Canyon and made for a very orange sunset.  And, it was freakin' hot - 108 degrees at around 3pm!!!!!  The fire made for really bad air quality, so I did just stay the night at the hotel I had booked in case I couldn't find a campsite.  I was so tired, I fell asleep on the couch at 6pm and didn't even get out for dinner.  Moab is Moab, but more construction is happening and it's getting even more crowded.  As I was heading out of town at 10am, the sign was out already that Arches NP was closed due to so many people already in the park.  A weird sign was that at 10am, it was already 93 degrees and that didn't feel all that bad 😰  The one road that I have to use to get home was closed the day before due to another fire that reached the road.  Fortunately, it opened overnight and I didn't have to take a 3 hour detour.  It was spooky though to see things burned right to the road - a lot was burned up.  

 

Travelogue done.  It'll be little 2-3 day camping trips for awhile and maybe another 2 week trip late summer/early fall.

 

Fashion and Beauty-wise:  I WAY overpacked!  It was so hot the entire time that I kept reusing my tank tops and never touched a short sleeve Tshirt or the long sleeve shirts I packed.  I did wear my one very very light sunscreen hoodie shirt up to Pikes Peak and the Zoo - worked well for all temperatures.  I never wore my camping pants and one of my 3 pairs of leggings I took as my Athleta Trekkie shorts took the brunt of the wear.   

[Lois R]

Hi Kat🙂welcome back. Sounds like it was a fun but exhausting trip with a lot of heat😲

Glad you and your friends had a good time!😃

[slidergirl]

27 minutes ago, Lois R said:

Hi Kat🙂welcome back. Sounds like it was a fun but exhausting trip with a lot of heat😲

Glad you and your friends had a good time!😃

Lois - it was fun but also like trying to herd cats!!!  Who would be in which car when we drove, who would be in what rooms at the hotel, who would sleep in the same bed at the hotel (2 beds per room for 6 of us - a usual occurance in this group).   I gave the recommendations Melody gave for breakfast - I tried to steer to the East Coast place, but the group went for Denver Biscuit.  BUT, when we got there, 3 of the 6 whined that it was all biscuits!!!  I told the gluten-free person she could order the side of 2 eggs and the side of bacon and have what she would usually get.  I told another about the granola on the menu would do her good.  The other one, well, nothing would help...  I was bad and did the shrimp & grits in the biscuit "bowl".  I'm a sucker for shrimp & grits.  For dinner, I told them about the recomendations, but the gluten free and the low-cal people didn''t want pasta.  I made them pick  because I exhausted my ones, and we ended up at 2 bars!!!   Good thing I don't mind eating whatever is on a menu!!!  Try getting 6 women together at a set time when there are only 2 bathrooms!!!   It was a good thing that I went basically naked with makeup - just moisturizer and I just let my hair dry naturally and be what it was.  No muss, no fuss, I could be ready inside of 15 minutes once the alarm went off. 

[Lois R]

1 hour ago, slidergirl said:

Lois - it was fun but also like trying to herd cats!!!  Who would be in which car when we drove, who would be in what rooms at the hotel, who would sleep in the same bed at the hotel (2 beds per room for 6 of us - a usual occurance in this group).   I gave the recommendations Melody gave for breakfast - I tried to steer to the East Coast place, but the group went for Denver Biscuit.  BUT, when we got there, 3 of the 6 whined that it was all biscuits!!!  I told the gluten-free person she could order the side of 2 eggs and the side of bacon and have what she would usually get.  I told another about the granola on the menu would do her good.  The other one, well, nothing would help...  I was bad and did the shrimp & grits in the biscuit "bowl".  I'm a sucker for shrimp & grits.  For dinner, I told them about the recomendations, but the gluten free and the low-cal people didn''t want pasta.  I made them pick  because I exhausted my ones, and we ended up at 2 bars!!!   Good thing I don't mind eating whatever is on a menu!!!  Try getting 6 women together at a set time when there are only 2 bathrooms!!!   It was a good thing that I went basically naked with makeup - just moisturizer and I just let my hair dry naturally and be what it was.  No muss, no fuss, I could be ready inside of 15 minutes once the alarm went off. 

Oh my goodness........may I ask if you have been friends with these 5 gals for a long time?  It sounds like they are very hard to please.......did ya'll not discuss logistics before you left for the trip?

My Chicago trip is with 3 others.......I know 2 of them. I am having my own hotel room. I am very close friends with 1 and I think we will all be fine when it comes to meals......but that really sounds like you had some complainers. Not a fun way to have a meal together.

[slidergirl]

1 hour ago, Lois R said:

Oh my goodness........may I ask if you have been friends with these 5 gals for a long time?  It sounds like they are very hard to please.......did ya'll not discuss logistics before you left for the trip?

My Chicago trip is with 3 others.......I know 2 of them. I am having my own hotel room. I am very close friends with 1 and I think we will all be fine when it comes to meals......but that really sounds like you had some complainers. Not a fun way to have a meal together.

This was our 46th girls' trip.  In  our prime in the 80s, we had up to 16 girls on the trip.  It's been a variation of this every year!!!  I try to stay out of it when it comes to meals.  I can always find something to eat wherever we go.  My gripe this year was that I was always driving so I couldn't have a beer or a glass of wine.  The thing about ending up at bars made me laugh, though.  We are definitely NOT bar girls.  Well, not anymore...

[Lois R]

Your 46th trip? That really gets a WOW from me...........this is when I realize how different all our lives are........I have never had friends long enough to have gone on a trip 46 times together😲

[slidergirl]

16 hours ago, Lois R said:

Your 46th trip? That really gets a WOW from me...........this is when I realize how different all our lives are........I have never had friends long enough to have gone on a trip 46 times together😲

One of the girls made ornaments for us that said "46".  We've had some sort of girls' weekend every year as long as I can remember (except last year).  It is a big group of girls and guys from college and work - kind of like "Friends" on steroids.  The girls always do a weekend somewhere once a year and the guys go golfing.  Back in the 70s and 80s we did a ton of things together, then as the years went on, we moved around, lost some contact, divorces, has spouses die.  We still try to maintain contact.  I joined the group in 1977 - my now-ex worked with one of the guys and we got invited to a golf outing/party.  Been going strong ever since.  

[Lois R]

1 hour ago, slidergirl said:

One of the girls made ornaments for us that said "46".  We've had some sort of girls' weekend every year as long as I can remember (except last year).  It is a big group of girls and guys from college and work - kind of like "Friends" on steroids.  The girls always do a weekend somewhere once a year and the guys go golfing.  Back in the 70s and 80s we did a ton of things together, then as the years went on, we moved around, lost some contact, divorces, has spouses die.  We still try to maintain contact.  I joined the group in 1977 - my now-ex worked with one of the guys and we got invited to a golf outing/party.  Been going strong ever since.  

Sounds interesting.   I never had that kind of group of friends (ever).  I was always more of a loner and I guess I still am..........I mean I have a few friends but nothing like your group.  I don't keep in touch with anyone from college and was never part of what I would consider a "clique"......

 

Actually, I feel more at home with the gals on here.........ya'll have always been friendly and kind. 🙂

[awhfy]

Kat, you hit here the hottest week in 18 years!  You should’ve done the zip line it’s fantastic. Too bad you didn’t get to East Coast, they have a lot of gluten free options. 
 

I had a good time in Maine, weather was interesting. 98 degrees the day I arrived, 43 two days later. One good thunderstorm. Got home last night at 1 am & it was still 94 degrees here, very unusual. 
 

we took my friend’s husband’s work clothes to the VA Outreach Center. The director actually cried when she saw the tubs of clothes. (It took us 5 trips in her little Scion). They were all in fabulous shape & perfect for job interviews. My friend got a $1500 tax voucher).  We were able to completely clear out she spare room (very important when you’re in a 2-bedroom mobile home). We had laughs, tears, & lots of bad for us (but oh so good) food. Melody

[slidergirl]

42 minutes ago, awhfy said:

Kat, you hit here the hottest week in 18 years!  You should’ve done the zip line it’s fantastic. Too bad you didn’t get to East Coast, they have a lot of gluten free options. 
 

I had a good time in Maine, weather was interesting. 98 degrees the day I arrived, 43 two days later. One good thunderstorm. Got home last night at 1 am & it was still 94 degrees here, very unusual. 
 

we took my friend’s husband’s work clothes to the VA Outreach Center. The director actually cried when she saw the tubs of clothes. (It took us 5 trips in her little Scion). They were all in fabulous shape & perfect for job interviews. My friend got a $1500 tax voucher).  We were able to completely clear out she spare room (very important when you’re in a 2-bedroom mobile home). We had laughs, tears, & lots of bad for us (but oh so good) food. Melody

It was my luck.  I'm not a hot-weather person!  Everywhere I camped was hot, too.   At home, it's the hottest it's been since I've lived here (1988).  It used to be maybe 1-2 weeks in August where we'd get above the low 80s; to have it now in June is unheard of.

 

It's good to know you and your friend had a good time.  Good on you for helping her clean things out.  Sometimes we each need someone to lean on.  

 

I wanted to go to East Coast as the LEO was calling to me.  Alas.  I'll have hit it up next time I go to visit my friend - make a little drive from Centennial down.  

 

I meant to tell you about a store in Salida you need to hit up if you are there.  It's called J2 Soft Ware.  On 136 N. F Street.  From what I gather, the woman only did fleece jackets/vests at first.  She's expanded out to quick dry/sun safe skirts, dresses, and hoodies.  I was going crazy in the store with all the colors and patterns.  I wish I would have bought more, but my budget said "NO!!".   I picked up a Suncover Dress (it's a hoodie) in a cool blue print.  Long sleeves with thumb holes and a "kangaroo" pocket.  It's a super-light stretchy fabric.  I've been wearing it all day long and I'm nice and cool!  I wish I would have bought a hoodie shirt and a skirt.  She doesn't do a website - she said it got too much to handle.  

[awhfy]

Kat, try emailing her & tell her how much you like the sun over dress & wise you’d bought the hoodie shirt & skirt. She might do an email order. We’re thinking about Salida when we hit the CO NPs next month

[cruisemom42]

Welcome back, Melody and Kat, from your travels. Melody, glad you were able to be there for your friend.  Kat, sounds like you had a nice little adventure, too bad it was wicked hot. 

 

It's been pretty miserable here -- yesterday when I hopped in my car to run an errand, it was 107 inside the car.....AND of course also very humid. You walk out the door and it feels like someone just tossed a heavy, hot wet towel on you.

 

Since it looks like I'm not going to be working "in office" anytime soon, I bought some nice summer t-shirts to replace the ratty ones I've worn a lot over the past year. Macys was having a good sale on basic items and I also picked up a couple from Talbots on a good sale. Remember when stores used to wait until after July 4 to start putting summer things on sale??

 

I've been following all of the rocky re-starts for cruises so far... Lois, I hope your Greece cruise goes smoothly. The ones in the Caribbean have been a bit bumpy, with lots of changing requirements at the last minute.

 

My company was a year ahead of Biden signing "Juneteenth" into a national holiday, so I have today off. Not planning anything major but it's nice to get a 3-day weekend. 

 

[slidergirl]

5 hours ago, awhfy said:

Kat, try emailing her & tell her how much you like the sun over dress & wise you’d bought the hoodie shirt & skirt. She might do an email order. We’re thinking about Salida when we hit the CO NPs next month

I was thinking about that, but it would mean spending money that I said "no" to when I was there!  I will say, the dresses (she has a couple styles) skirts and hoodies would make excellent cruise wear in hot locations.  

 

Which NPs are you going to visit?  If Great Sands, be sure to take sandals in case there is still water/mud in the creek, shoes to change into when you get to the other side of the creek, and a nice blanket/ground cover to sit on at the dunes.   I heard today on CNN that NP visitation is up substantially.  Some parks close to visitors by 9am due to crowding!  I'll vouch for how crowded things were.  So, plan accordingly.  

[awhfy]

1 hour ago, slidergirl said:

I was thinking about that, but it would mean spending money that I said "no" to when I was there!  I will say, the dresses (she has a couple styles) skirts and hoodies would make excellent cruise wear in hot locations.  

 

Which NPs are you going to visit?  If Great Sands, be sure to take sandals in case there is still water/mud in the creek, shoes to change into when you get to the other side of the creek, and a nice blanket/ground cover to sit on at the dunes.   I heard today on CNN that NP visitation is up substantially.  Some parks close to visitors by 9am due to crowding!  I'll vouch for how crowded things were.  So, plan accordingly.  

We always go to Sand Dunes. Our middle daughter ran cross country & track for Adams State College, they used to hill train on the dunes (no wonder they’ve been National Champions in cross country so many times. We’ll also hit Grand Mesa & Gunnison. We’ll make reservations once we get our dates sorted out

[slidergirl]

6 hours ago, awhfy said:

We always go to Sand Dunes. Our middle daughter ran cross country & track for Adams State College, they used to hill train on the dunes (no wonder they’ve been National Champions in cross country so many times. We’ll also hit Grand Mesa & Gunnison. We’ll make reservations once we get our dates sorted out

Ah.  I take it you know Cavillo's Mexican restaurant then.  Some of the yummiest pork tamales with green sauce I've ever had.  And, an ice-cold Bohemia to wash it down on a scorching hot day!   Hey, if you get to Montrose at breakfast time, hit up The Daily Bread!  Good solid breakfast and fresh made pastries to make you salivate and your blood sugar go through the roof!!

[awhfy]

I do know tge Mexican restaurant, also the College Cafe (fabulous cinnamon rolls) & our favorite the True Grit Steak House. Best Margarita ever

[Lois R]

Good morning, welcome home Melody🙂 glad you were there to help your friend.

 

Well, I have a friend who is on the first cruise to Greece (on the ship I am going on).......it is the maiden voyage so brand new everything.😃and said there are only 210 passengers on a ship that holds 600.

So there should be no issues with social distancing LOL..........Anyway, sounds like she and her hubby are having a great time.  And yes, they are doing an Antigen test before you board the ship. She said the process took about an hour.  They boarded the ship around 3:30.........an email has been sent (I got one too) that boarding starts at 2:00pm and they are holding to that timeframe. Protocols for safety.

[slidergirl]

6 hours ago, awhfy said:

I do know tge Mexican restaurant, also the College Cafe (fabulous cinnamon rolls) & our favorite the True Grit Steak House. Best Margarita ever

I saw the cinnamon rolls on Yelp.  I had to stay away (the blood sugar, you know).   I had to hold myself back at The Daily Bread.  Having their "1-2-3" breakfast helped (1 pancake, 2 eggs, and a homemade sausage patty from their hogs) before going to th counter helped.  I did buy a loaf of just-made bread.  I've been doing one thick slice, toasted, as my afternoon snack.  Nice and dense, multi-grain.  Yum. 

 

Double-check the entry protocols for each NP - I saw that Rocky Mountain does timed tickets.  And, Great Sand Dunes had an hour wait when I got there.  Oh, GSD also had an restriction on how many people could be in the gift shop at a time.  

[Lois R]

Good morning friends🙂 I want to take a moment and wish all the Dads, Grand Dads, Step Dads,  and whoever is in that place...........a Very Happy Father's Day.   My Dad was my best friend and I miss him every day......especially today.  Father's Day Sunday is always the final round of the US OPEN and my dad was a golfer (not a good one but he loved the game). We would always watch it together on this special day.

 

So here is to all those in that space of "DAD".............from when we were just young children (in our cases,  girls) to who we are as grown women.........Thanks for everything you did for me.......

 

 

 

 

 

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, Lois R said:

Good morning friends🙂 I want to take a moment and wish all the Dads, Grand Dads, Step Dads,  and whoever is in that place...........a Very Happy Father's Day.   My Dad was my best friend and I miss him every day......especially today.  Father's Day Sunday is always the final round of the US OPEN and my dad was a golfer (not a good one but he loved the game). We would always watch it together on this special day.

 

So here is to all those in that space of "DAD".............from when we were just young children (in our cases,  girls) to who we are as grown women.........Thanks for everything you did for me.......

 

 

What a nice sentiment. I just got off the phone with my dad -- he is 94 years old. So looking forward to visiting both my mom and dad in July -- it will have been nearly 18 months!