Saturday, January 22, 2011

Gone and back



I spent a fabulous long weekend in Las Vegas, meeting all (or most of) the girls from the CT at Designer digitals. It was wonderful, marvelous, exciting, super and cool! To meet all these women whom I have known for a couple of years on line was such a wonderful experience. Some I recognized immediately, others I didn't recognize at all LOL. It was awesome! The weather was gorgeous, short sleeves, sunshine, just perfect. We had an awesome team dinner Saturday night and Randy taught a couple of really neat classes during the day. We split off into small groups and regret that I wasn't able to spend enough time with each and every one of them, but I had a great time. That top photo was processed in HDR, which was one of the classes Randy taught. So much fun! The lady on the left was my roomy, so sweet and two more ladies from my team. We also took ladies on sticks along, so they wouldn't miss out LOL. Anywho, it was wonderful!
Coming back was a totally different story. I flew into Dulles with a connecting commuter flight a little after eleven PM, or so I thought. It was sleeting and just a mess, we spent an hour on the tarmac until the flight was finally cancelled. They re booked us onto the next one which wasn't until lunch time the following day. I was really upset, I did not feel like spending a night in a cheap hotel, having to come back 2 hours before the flight to go through security again. A gentleman who was on the flight with me suggested to me and some other ladies to find a cab to take us home. Fortunately he found one and he negotiated a rate with him. $400 for the four of us, which was just a little more than a hotel would have been (plus meals) So we set out on this amazing journey, it took hours!!! Driving through inches of sleet for several hours until it got a little better. To make a long story short, I made it home by 7 AM just in time to kiss the kids good-bye for school :) The gentleman did not even want all the money, just whatever we could give him. He really had to be in town no matter what...what a nice guy! Well, that was my little adventure.
Our bathroom is totally gutted, the pipes are moved, new wires pulled, a new sub floor put in, new joists, since the old ones looked a little chewed up.

My guy is really a hard worker, he is here every day all day long. He was carrying bucket after bucket of cement and tile down the steps and he is not the youngest. Anyway, I am excited about getting it done, I think it will look pretty.

Yesterday we found a mouse. It was sitting on the wall on top of a pin board frame. I have no idea how it got up there, but it just sat there, it seemed terrified. Of course Rachel saw and squealed with delight. She had to get Gabby to look at it and that was the end of the mouse's freedom. We dug out the old aquarium and now the mouse has a new home with food and a little bed. It seems perfectly comfortable, as you can see here

you have to admit it looks utterly adorable all tucked into the little towel. I can understand the kids for wanting to keep it. (it's better having it contained anyway)
Always some excitement in this house LOL.
Here are some more pages I have been working on. The second week for 2011:
and some other stuff..






not a whole lot of pages this time around, but of course I wasn't here for days... I was there! See those people on the rocks up there? This is the part of Vegas I like the best, the desert is gorgeous! Well, anyway, just a little update. I hope everybody is doing well, talk to you soon and I'll try to have some more Vegas pics next time (if I remember) 



5 comments:

Unknown said...

Ah your trip sounded so fun....like I felt at the Spraguefests! Beautiful photos from Vegas! Is it true what happened in Vegas stays in Vegas? Ha ha!

Barb said...

So glad you are back. I was suffering Anke withdrawal!! Looks like you had a wonderful time...minus the cab ride!!

Jeanne said...

Wow, Anke! You've had a most excellent adventure going to Vegas and then that exciting cab ride home. I seem to remember someone saying her life was boring? I think not! LOL Your layouts are awesome. Awesome I tell you. BUT, there is NO way I would squeal with delight at seeing a mouse in my home. Nope, not gonna happen. I can't believe the girls rounded it up and made it a home. Okay, maybe he's a little bit cute...I just hope there aren't more. Where there is one, there are at least a few more (in my experience-but not this year, thank goodness).

What a terrific post this is. Thanks so much for sharing your grand adventures! (and it looks like your bathroom guy is way better than the last guy you had working on whatever it was). Whew!

Debbie Hodge said...

Loved spending time with you :)

Anonymous said...

you take such awesome pictures!! Lets do lunch how much snow in jtown? jo

Never say Never!

Well, here I am creating my very own blog! I was always very sure I would never get into this blogging "thing", but here I am. I hope you will enjoy finding out a little about my not so interesting life!