Well, here’s proof that Pugly made it to Niagra Falls. He was very popular while we were there. All of the children wanted to pet him and we were stopped many times by paparazzi wanting to take pictures of “the cutest Pug ever” — their words not mine, I swear.
Tags: Pug, the puppy, Niagra Falls, New York
O.K. So, Pugly and I are hopefully leaving this afternoon/evening via U.S. Airways for Ohio to go meet up with my parents and see my Aunt and gramma. I say hopefully because the carrier I ordered from online that fit the U.S. Airways measurments was too small for Pugly. Seriously, there was no way he was going in it. Since there had been all kinds of problems getting it and it finally arrived on Monday…I had to buy another rather expensive one on Tuesday in desperation. This one does not meet the measurements.
I am prepared to start crying in the
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Tags: U.S. Airways, Pug, the puppy, travel
Bet you thought I forgot about this…
So, the morning after the family picnic, English, PW, and I got up incredibly early — like so early people in the States probably hadn’t gone to bed yet. Our plan was to catch an extremely early train out of Woking to London Victoria Station where were would meet up with our tour for the day: Bards & Battles!
As you can see, at 6:00am on a Sunday morning, Woking’s train station is pretty dead.
However, somewhere between Woking and Victoria
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Tags: UK, Woking, London, Victoria Station, World Cup, astral tours, Oxford, Harry Potter, Christopher Wren
So, I’m sure you’re dying to know what was playing on my iPod while I was wandering around magical Edinburg or trying to sleep on the airplane over the Atlantic. What haunted my spirit as I peered at the Stone of Destiny or searched for 221b Baker Street?
Tags: iPod, iTunes, playlist, UK, vacation, Edinburgh, music
Tags: UK, vacation, Brookstone
Well, the first sign of any trouble occurred when I reached the Boston airport. Somewhere between the bus from Portland and security, I lost my nifty really soft travel pillow. Logan airport’s security and Lost and found were extremely unhelpful and rude and ended up giving me a long distance number to call, which I’ve since lost. Hard to believe that lost and found is a long distance phone number.
So, my first expense on the trip was at the Logan airport buying a new one at the Brookstone kiosk (and they wouldn’t give me a discount for loyalty
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Tags: UK, Brookstone, Aer Lingus, Logan Airport, fibromyalgia
Well, I’m home. I feel changed in some way by the experience. Someone asked me to pick one thing from my trip that I liked best but I can’t really pick just one thing in England or Edinburgh that I felt was more inspiring than anything else. I think I expected when I left to be most touched by Stonehenge but I was awestruck by the simple beauty of the seemingly unmarred landscape and the ancient architecture intermingling with hints of something seventies retro but rarely anything more harshly modern.
Anyway, more on that as I finish sorting
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Tags: UK, Keen Venice H2, Crocs, Stonehenge, shoes
Here are a few things I’ve overheard while in England:
On a tour bus:
tour guide: If you just look down the street, you’ll see a police officer standing there; that means Margaret Thatcher is at home.
young woman with child: Margaret Thatcher? Is she someone famous?
tour guide: What?!
young woman: Is she someone famous?
tour guide: She’s only the most important Prime Minister of our time!
young woman: Oh. [pause] Well, I know Tony Blair. [pause] Well, I don’t know Tony Blair. I’ve only seen him on T.V.
Remember, that woman has already spawned and is “educating” another person.
Tags: Margaret Thatcher, American, Prime Minister, Tony Blair, Chaucer, Westminster Abbey
Tupperware sells these Classic Sheer Midgets containers that are Tags: travel, Tupperware, Clover Cutter Pendant
Well, I’ve had some serious issues with pain lately. I’ve not been shy about it. I’ve talked alot about my legs. My feet hurt alot too.
When I was younger, I used to work for Winn Dixie and then later for Robért’s Fresh Market as a cashier and customer service rep. I also worked in a video store and at a movie theater at various times in my life. Anyway, the point is that in those service industries, I spent long, miserable hours standing on my feet and they hated me for it. My feet
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Tags: Keen Venice H2, Crocs, shoes, fibromyalgia
Well, I can hardly believe that in two weeks this time, I’ll be in England and on a tour, possibly viewing Stonehenge from behind some gated fence. I’m really started to get excited!
What’s really nifty is that PW is going to be doing all the tours and travelling with me from Monday through Thursday that week, including my overnight stay in Bath and the bus trip down to Glastonbury Abbey! So, I’ll actually get to spend some time with her while I’m there and she’ll actually get to do some touristy things that English doesn’t want to do because, well,
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Tags: England
I found a couple of online checklists for travelers which appear to be pretty good and thought I’d share:
Tags: UK, England, trip planning
Tags: DragonCon, discombobulated, New Orleans, Serenity, blogs, Firefly
Well, I guess I expected the drama to be of a greater level between El, El’s Mom (Mrs. M), and PW this weekend. Don’t get me wrong. There was definitely drama that was somehow related to the evacuation of New Orleans but also from a year or so of things just building up, I guess.
For those of you who’ve been reading since my beginnings on Strategically Bent you could probably skip the next few paragraphs, but for those of you who haven’t, perhaps some background information is in order.
El and PW have been friends for perhaps 16
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Ah, the weekend wound down and now all I’m left with my henna tattoo and my photos for memories — not to mention the ache in every part of my body from all the walking and carrying.
Tags: DragonCon, photo, henna, costumes
So, it turns out that the really good looking guy sitting in front of me in the vampire writing panel is the one that found my camera. However, he apparently thought that it belonged to the really pretty gal in costume sitting next to me. He chased her down but of course it wasn’t hers — I’m glad she was honest, but she seemed to be the type of person I’d be friends with so I’m not surprised.. By then, he didn’t know where I was. He ended up taking it to con security.
I know
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Tags: none
Today at DragonCon in the independent dealer’s room, I met Richard Tucholka, President of Tri Tac Systems (Fantastic Games & Graphics). He is collecting donations of sci-fi/fantasy-related or RPG gaming reading materials to American troops over in Iraq and Afghanistan. After all, believe it or not but geeks can be soldiers too. 
You know, they can’t have a large selection of reading materials and such over there. It’s not like they can run into the Barnes & Nobles or Borders down the street. I mean, it’s hard enough to find good sci-fi/fantasy and gaming materials in
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Tags: American soldiers, roleplaying games, Iraq, Afghanistan, Support the Troops, SJ Games
Next year I may completely skip all of the panels and just walk around taking photos. I missed so many good ones — like Darth Brooks, completely with guitar, Captain Jack Sparrow, and a midget Darth Vader.
Anyway, here’s today’s picture-taking results. You’ll note there are more spandexed superheroes and also a bunch of Klingons enjoying a meal in the Food Court with the latest winner of the Miss Klingon Empire Contest. Oh, and I caught up with Strawberry Shortcake while I actually had a camera in hand this time…nearly tripped over myself to get the picture too.
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Tags: DragonCon, photo, costumes
Well, relieved to have my camera back, I was able to download the pictures I took in the afternoon.
I saw some cute costumes while I was camera-less that included Strawberry Shortcake, G.I. Joe, a fairy, a family dressed as Princess Leia with Han Solo and Yoda (who was the toddler). Really there have been some fabu costumes this year. I’m determined to get skinny and do a Firefly costume for next year as well as wear my skimpy cat-girl costume.
Costumes About the Con
The Naked Truth
& Other
Discombobulated Thoughts
of a displaced Southerner in New England -- from just daily annoyances to conspiracy theories to political views.
The Dark Side of Christian History by Helen Ellerbe
The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir
Marley and Me by John Grogan
The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby
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