Almost ready to go!

I fly to Sea-Tac tomorrow night! I leave Philly at 6 pm our time, and get there at 9 pm their time. It's a 6 hour flight, with a 3 hour time difference. Rebecca is picking me up at the airport, just in case. My clothes have been shipped, and I have to just take a tote bag as a carry on. 

We had a scare last night, DMIL Florence fell in the bathroom and her hip hurt, so the asst living sent her to the ER. Ralph was in the ER with her all night. The xray was negative, so they sent her back. 

I had a dead battery in my van the other night, luckily in the garage. We'd done a bunch of errands during the day, so it could have been worse. The battery was under warranty, so we didn't have to pay full price for a replacement. 

Manda, Ben and I are going to the Space Needle for brunch Saturday, unless Baby Girl arrives before then. I've been to the one in Niagra Falls, years ago, and the view was fantastic, so I'm looking forward to this. 

I'll have a social life in WA! My online friend BJ wants to meet up, and so does another casual online friend, Handie Annie. It's fun to meet up with women that I've been talking to online for years. 

I'm not a happy flier, and I haven't flown since December 2009. But 6 hours in the air vs 3 days on a train is no contest. I haven't not flown due to fear, it was due to being so sick in early 2010, then needing and getting a new knee. No word from aetna about when they and Kennedy will be dealing with each other again. 

I'm taking my iPad, Kindle, and a crochet project. My boarding pass is printed out, and I have a list of things to pack tomorrow morning. I'm as ready as I'll ever be!

And so it goes!
Holly

Stephanie is 30!

Thirty years ago today Stephanie Susan was born. She was tiny, at 7 pounds, and a few days early. We thought she'd be born on the 6th to share John's birthday, but she wanted her own birthday. Contrary and bossy, even being born! She was positioned "sunny side up" and when she decided to turn and be born, she doc almost missed it. The nurse was yelling "pant don't push" and Ralph and I were panting. 

Steph was the only baby that we didn't have a name picked out for ahead of time. Ralph wanted Alicia, and I said only if I died in childbirth. I don't remember having a favored name. After two days, the nurses gave us a name book, because she had to have a name to go home. When we got to "Stephanie" we both liked the name. Susan was because my middle name is Sue, and Ralph's grandmom's name was Susie. Stephanie Sue sounded like a country western song, so we went with Susan. At the time, the movie Grease 2 was on HBO, and all of Heather's friends thought Steph was named for the character in the movie. 

Manda was just over 2, and Stephanie was a mouthful for a toddler who didn't talk much, so she became Bepps, and she'll still answer to it. 

Steph just got her Master's Degree, Summa Cum Laude, from St. Joseph's University in Philly. It's in Fire Science and Public Safety Administration. She also got engaged this year to Dan Ruscansky, and they've set a wedding date of 10-12-14. 

They're away this weekend celebrating her birthday, and the  horde of dogs is here annoying my cats. The dogs are getting up there in years, and Toast can't do steps or jump at all. Whiskey is more limber. 

And the beat goes on! 
Holly

July 1

The year is half over! How did that happen? I think June was as long as the other five months put together. Manda is 38 weeks today! Baby Girl will join a lot of other July babies- Steph, Dan, John, Nadia, Juliette, Helen, Polly, my late grandfather, Mackenzie, and Connor.

Today starts our first full week of summer break, finally! I've finished up the crochet projects that I wanted to get dome before Baby Girl arrives. Now I'm using the accuquilt Go to cut up fabric from the scrap bin into 6 inch squares. Nice, mindless activity. 

Ralph started swimming lessons! I'm so excited- it's the first step in getting him on a cruise ship! When we were talking at Sharon's about a dinner cruise off Cape May, he said he thought taking lessons would make him less afraid of the water. He was able to find a series of lessons that started last Monday. He feels like he did well. Of course, we had to run out and get him a bathing suit before he could start. 

My baby will be 30 this week! I was 30 when she was born, so this is the year that I'm double her age. To celebrate turning 30, she and Dan are going away for the weekend, which means the dogs are coming here. It'll be their first overnight stay since the cats arrived, which will be interesting. The dogs are used to cats, but we don't know if the cats have ever been around dogs. 

I'm mailing my clothes to Manda this week, so I don't have to pay the airline for luggage costs. And I'll only need one tote, to carry my pillow, iPad, and Kindle and their chargers. All the electronics that are so important to me, that didn't exist 10 years ago. Amazing! 

And rain! I'm so sick of the daily monsoon that we've been having! And when it's not raining, it's so humid and hot that I don't even want to be outside. I'm looking forward to the cooler temps of WA. 

I read a lot in June! 24 books, 14 on the kindle. I only have one book on request at the library, because I won't be here for over two weeks. 

And the beat goes on!
Holly