We're Going to Europe!

It's such a feeling of relief when plane tickets have been purchased.  We decided that this year we'll celebrate our two-days-apart birthdays in Europe.  It's been over ten years since I've traveled across the Atlantic, this will be Rob's first trip, and I was itching to go (due in no small part to my sister-in-law, Schelly's recent trip to Germany and Austria, and the last month I've spent with my nose in John Irving books, many of which take place in Vienna).  So we're taking off for Dublin, the cheapest entrance from the US, spending a little time in Ireland and other spots in the UK, then moving over to the mainland where we'll enjoy the rest of our trip in Paris, Salzburg, Vienna, and Prague.  I'm excited to say the least.  What's happening with Olive, you ask?  She's coming with us, of course!  Our week without her in California was trying for me, so I'm not about to do it again, doubling the time away and taking away the convenience of a domestic phone call.  She probably won't remember much of the trip except through photographs, but I'm sure she'll enjoy herself while she's there.  I'm just hoping to not experience a similar flight scenario as my friend, Sam.

Scenes from the Summer

Way back in June our family took a little trip down Carolina way.  We rolled the wedding of an old friend (hooray, Mary and Cam!), a stopover at Myrtle Beach, an oh-so-brief visit with my southern kin, and an overnight at my folks' into five days of travel.  Remarkably enough, I felt well-rested when we returned, not exhausted from so much driving and hopping around as I'd expected (I'd nearly called of the vacation altogether for fear of it being more than I wanted to do).  The trip down to Asheville was uneventful and gorgeous, Olive traveled happily for the most part, and I was excited to bring Rob to one of my favorite places in the country.  We didn't spend much time there, but driving through that hilly stretch of Appalachians, with ridge upon ridge of smoke blue was enough to put me in a blissful state.  Mary's wedding was beautiful and perfect, though we had to leave early (before the pies were cut!) because of a quickly unraveling goon that needed to get some sleep.  The next day she enjoyed a dip in the hotel pool, falling in at one point.  I snatched her out by the ankle, but she handled the sudden submersion like a real champ.  She was ready for the ocean.

We packed up the Honda and headed east to the coast.  The crowded tourist trap that is Myrtle Beach would not usually be my first choice, but since time and cost were big factors in our plans it seemed the most practical place to stay.  We stayed in a less than impressive Comfort Inn about a mile from the beach, and made it out both days, despite some rainy weather.  It was pleasantly cool while we were there, and Buggy enjoyed the sand.  Only Rob suffered a bad burn, so we were pretty lucky.

We bid farewell to the salty coastal air and made it to my grandmother Honey's house in Graham by lunchtime.  We visited there for a while, then met my great-aunt Jean at the Burlington City Park till the heat of the sun drove us back indoors.  My aunt Weegie and her grandson, Jet, joined us back at Honey's.  We dined on pizza then got on the road to Maryland.  I was grateful for the buffer day at my parents' house spent doing mostly nothing, because it was just the transition that we needed.

Oh, and I got a sweet new MacBook Pro.  Not the kind of purchase I was hoping to make anytime soon, but it's a relief to have a fully-functioning machine again.

Technology Woes

It all started with a spilled cup of something, when, we aren't sure, but a bubble rose on the bottom of my trusty MacBook and it stopped taking a charge. Things went downhill fast while we were vacationing in the Carolinas last week, though we still had our iPhones. I left our shared charger at my parents' house. Rob went to San Diego for the weekend and left his phone behind, and I got word from the dude at the Apple store that it would cost $750 to work on my machine. Man. So now I'm faced with having to look for a new computer. And, aside from this tedious tapped-out-on-the-phone post, blogging will remain at a standstill, which is a bummer because I've been looking forward to sharing about our trip, as well as some shots of Buggy buried in the sand. It hasn't been all bad, though, as this has afforded me a bit more time to devote to more important matters - John Irving books, for example. As I don't go in for the racket that is the Fourth ok July, I imagine I'll be able to make some real headway.