G'day all,

I now of course cannot remember too much of what was said on the previous thread

Welcome home to Slavika, it will be a bit of adjusting again to settle in at home after being away for so long.

Gloria not much longer now, you are right it did not seem that long ago that we started planning this trip.
Of course I will be bringing my camera and our laptop. I believe there are a lot of 'hotspots' in the USA where we can connect to the internet with our wireless connection, I hope that is true.
We will be emailing and we also hope to talk and see our children and grandchildren in Australia whilst we are away. We have an inbuild camera in our new laptop and we are installing a camera at David and Peta's house, our daughter already has a camera.
We are getting to the stage of getting rather impatient to be on our way.

I have finished most of the work that i needed to get done before leaving.
As some of you know, I use two monitors (best thing I ever did) and yesterday I made a couple of new screensavers. I have attached a photo of them, how lovely to turn on the computer and have these 3 faces greet me!

I will email everyone to let you know what dates we hope to be in your area, give or take a day and I hope that our dates will not clash with anything important you have on on those dates and we are able to catch up for a meal or a drink or both

I checked the weather of the various places we will be going, I think we are going at the right time with not too much hot weather.

I must fly, talk to you all later.....

Cheers
Maria

Only until the 26th and then by the 27th and my show will be over. We had a big scare last night, as all the sound went out. we had to call a specialist and he finally figured out what was wrong so now we will once again have microphones for our show. I hope it goes well. We still have a few glitches that I hope will get worked out before Monday night.

We are going to put red white and blue fringe around the edges of the stage, and I had to put some velcro on it in readiness. boy what a job, and I had furry help as Smokey thought it was very interesting.

Our Microwave died on Sat. a.m. and so we went out and got another one as the repair man said it would cost as much to fix it as to get a new one. Now we are waiting for the installer to call and set a time. It is amazing how much I depended on the micro to do so many little tasks. I am having to think the way I did before we had one, and I don't really like it. I am spoiled, I guess. Have to use more pots and pans, and the teakettle. (poor me )

Cool again today. I'll be glad when we get more seasonal weather, but I know I shouldn't complain as you northern gals are shoveling out from a storm.

That is all from here for now.

Ann

Guys, yesterday I had a wonderful long post and hit something. You know the sad story--it disappeared, darn it! Can't remember what it was about, but I am sure it was witty and interesting.

Maria, looking so forward to getting your itinerary. I think I still have your tentative one, but am sure it has changed much.

Gloria, how interesting that St. Pat's Day is such a big holiday there. I can't remember anything even being said about it, but it was on a Saturday.

I am not sure I told you all about Raleigh's funeral. It was kind of sweet. My little boys, Austin (5) and Jackson (3) were there when Leon was burying him. It was kind of special because they asked such sweet questions. I still felt over the weekend that he was on the couch or that I saw a glimps of him in the hallway. Don't think I want to go through that again for a long, long time, if ever.

Well, darn it , it is cool here again. We have one beautiful spring day and the next is too cool to be outside much.

Kerri, what is this about your being so tired and having too much to do? I wonder if some of that isn't the time change. Ever since that day I have had to drag myself out of bed. I usually just get up with no trouble, but wow, it has been hard because it is so darned dark in the morning. So, how many grandpets do you have right now?

My son and his wife left their little boys with her mother for 6 days while they go to Jamaica. I don't think I could do it. I told them to really appreciate that lady. That is a long time.

Slavika, where are you? Getting back to Canada time?

Anne, I know it will be a relief when your show is over, but it is probably like childbirth--you will forget all this and be ready to do it again.
Glenda

G'day all,

Glenda our itiniarary has not changed all that much but I will certainly email everyone the VERY final one.
I uploaded the latest version of Google Earth (http://earth.download.googlepages.com/) and we had a look how we will get from LA airport to our hotel. I found it allright but boy all those freeways look a bit daunting I have attached a little map that I copied from Google Earth.
It is going to be fun after a 14 hour flight, to pick up our car AND drive on the right hand side of the road AND negotiate these freeways AND find our hotel!!!!

Ann you are having your share of fun and games I guess it is better to find out the glitches now than on the night!

It is my birthday today and I am looking after Poppy this morning whilst Matilda goes to kindergym. Afterwards we will have lunch at dil, should be nice.

Glenda your son's in laws are VERY good to be looking after the grandchildren for 6 days, wow!

Hello to everyone else, hope you are all well.

Cheers
Maria

MARIA;

I don't envy you driving in LA...we never have but, you know, somehow you will manage and it won't be as bad as you anticipate. I always find that I will anticipate things with dread and then when I am actually doing them ....it isn't so bad at all!

Ann: Getting all your glitches out now should insure a glitche free performance. 'Break a leg'.

Glenda: That sounds like a soothing funeral you had for Raleigh...children are so concerned about things like that. You will be seeing Raleigh around for a while and after we lost the last dog at 13 yrs we agreed....never more.

Went into Boston very early today for an errand and suddenly needed the use of a ladies room....nearest was the Hyatt Regency Hotel...the stores weren't open yet. Well we couldn't just avail ourselves of their facilities without taking advantage of the breakfast at the restaurant. What a very upscale place....the buffet was $24 per person....didn't have that but did have a small breakfast and coffee. Lovely! Sometimes the nicest things just happen.

Slavika: Welcome back....hope all is well!

Gloria

Happy Birthday Maria......

Gotta run and will check in tomorrow.....

G'day all,

Lovely to 'see' you Slavika all your photos were great, I personally loved the one with the rose petals.
I bet it was quiet after the family left again.
Sorry to hear about your friend's husband having a stroke

This morning we received word that we are now been allocated a pontiac g6.
http://www.pontiac.com/g6sedan/index.jsp
We don't have Pontiacs but of course had heard of them. The website shows it is a nice racy sort of car!
Ideal to tackle the bowls of spaghetti you call freeways!

We have checked all the hotel accommodations and that is all fine still, the only change is the car rental but I think we can 'slum' it in the Pontiac.

Alan has set up the camera on ds' computer and this morning we tried it out, Matilda thought it was very funny me sitting in my pj's at home talking to her via the computer. Got teddy to have a word, she thought it was hilarious!

We are getting very impatient now and cannot wait to get going....any weather is fine providing it is not HOT.
We are so sick of the hot weather and are waiting for rain and a cool change.

Have a great day all,

Cheers
Maria

Hi Everyone

Happy birthday to you Maria Hope you have a very special day.

Had a big rehearsal this a.m. and things went fairly weel - enough so I said they didn't have to practice tomorroa p.m. but the Monday a.m. will tell the sotry. Of course if they are true to form, By the performance they will be on their best behavior. I sure hope so.

Welcome back Slavika; I am happy to hear about the meaning of the rose petal ceremony. I was a bit confused about that. It is a lovely custom. and you are right you do have a real tropical tan. Hang on to it as long as you can.

I will report on Monday night after the festivities, how things went. Till then - Have a good weekend. Ann

Just stopping by to wish Maria a Happy Birthday. I have booked marked your blog page so I can keep tabs on you and Alan during your trip. I sure you will have a great time. As for driving in LA just try to keep your wits about you . My son said they are all crazy on the the roads everywhere in California.

Slavika welcome back great pictures thank. Also thanks for explaining the rose petals.

Have to run talk to you all soon.
Karen

Good evening to you all....

My Daughter and her family are back and I am off pet duty...

Maria, You will have a great time I am sure....It is such a wonderful place....

Glenda, That is very possible, the time change can be a shock to the system.. I do LOVE day light savings and wish we were here all the time...I am with ya with the little boys, I was having a melt down over pets for a week, can you picture me with 2 kids for a week,,,I think NOT..

Ann, I love my Microwave and hope it never leaves me..I bought it in 1984 and it is so small and has very small power etc..But I love it...I dial..# of minutes and that's it..like the old cake timer turn the dial and that's it...

G'day all,

Thank you all for the birthday wishes....another year gone!

We ended daylight saving this weekend, nice the extra hour. I am not all that sure about daylight saving, I think I like it but I definitely don't like adjusting to the change again.

At long last we are having some cooler weather, at least at night it is nice and cool, still quite warm during the days.

I am having a RUTHLESS clean up and I have already filled 3 garbage bags! Our cases are ready in the spare room and we are putting everything on the spare bed of things we want to take.
I am happy with my blogspot, it certainly will be a good way to keep everyone up to date of where we are and what we are doing.

Alan will organise for our trip money to go into our account today. Not a good thing to see such a large amount being transferred in one hit!

No other news from down under...cannot wait to get going now!

Cheers
Maria

Where is everyone

Maria