"Brand new!"

I will get better at blogging. I WILL get better at blogging...

Yeah, we'll see.

This past weekend I went on a trip. On my way there, I connected at LaGuardia airport, and was able to take some sweet airplane window photos of New York City. I was able to get one with Freedom Tower in it, too. Kind of surreal.

Right before the turbulence of death began.

It's almost the same.

One thing you may not know about me: I get motion sick easily. It always annoys me when people on the bus to work or in moving cars get to read without needing to barf. You know what they say about misery. The first few times I flew places, it seemed that my body did ok with flying. No barf! Wee! And then just as I let my defenses down, I've had to use the airplane barf bag twice in the past year.

I now take two Dramamine pills before each flight. Overkill? Probably.

It's safe to say my ideal vacation will never be a cruise. Or, you know, a flight around the world.

Airplane sickness and cancelled flights aside, on my way home...from my connection...in Chicago...seven hours later than originally planned, I got to fly in a "brand new!" plane. The fact that they made such a big deal about the newness of this plane actually frightened me more than excited me. I've been watching way too many documentaries about airplane crashes for that to put me at ease. (Thanks for nothing, Netflix!) But then I took my Dramamine. By the way, they make "less drowsy" Dramamine now. What's the point?

So, anyway, about this "brand new!" plane.

The back of every seat had a screen where you could buy movies (unless you're in first class. Rich people get to watch movies for free). Also, the "safety instructions" were shown on the screen instead of the flight attendants going over them, and throughout the flight you could watch your altitude.

Kind of cool, I guess.

Other than that it was an airplane, and I got off it wanting to kiss the ground, as usual.

I couldn't wait to get home and see this one.

My super amazing brother and SIL picked her up from the "doggy daycare" and brought her home for me so that I didn't have to pay for another night and also so she'd be home when I got there...around midnight. Not having to spend a night alone: Priceless.

1,000 pink poop bags

Well, since we last spoke, the chiropractor said that as long as my back continues to slowly heal, I can hopefully get back to running on Monday! It's a good thing, because I've also registered for my next half marathon.

Luckily it's not until November 3, so I have plenty of time to whine and cry about how out of shape I am while I'm getting back into shape. Yeehaw!

This past weekend I used my $200 flight voucher and took a trip up to New York to spend some QT with Shane. Unfortunately, it started out with my having to utilize an airplane barf bag, followed by losing out on my entire first afternoon/night there, as I slept for the next 18 hours straight. Lesson learned: Dramamine. For every flight. Also? I have absolutely no desire to ever go on a cruise. Being that sick for days on end on "vacation"? No thanks!

Apparently Dramamine will turn you into an airplane-
riding hippie.

Shane and I got to spend some time together (of course!) and also with his brother, sister-in-law, and 1-year-old nephew. Given the task of entertaining the baby and making sure he didn't eat the dogs' food, I realized that my innate reaction for stopping a child from doing something is to loudly say, "uh-uh!" which is the same thing I do to stop my dog from doing something. I think that means either I'm not ready to be a parent or that raising kids and raising dogs is just a lot alike.

Speaking of the dog, after her initial burst of crazy when I picked her up from four days at dog daycare, Pippi did this until we went to bed:

I even went back-and-forth to the kitchen making dinner and she didn't follow me. Her level of exhaustion was that intense. It was so wonderful.

Little does she know, her momma ordered something extra special from Amazon last night.

Now she can poop to her little heart's content!

1,000 pink poop bags for less than $20. About nine months ago my mom bought me a pack of maybe 300 bags and we're just now running out, so unless Pippi starts going five times a day, we're set for at least a couple years. My color choices were black, blue, or pink, so my choice was clearly made for me.

My original reason for going to Amazon was to order some new "ear tips" for my ear buds because I lost one and not having music to drown out the conversations on the bus to work is painful. How I got from headphones to poop bags? Your guess is as good as mine.

In closing, today is my nephew-dog's 4th birthday!

He's so lucky for his jokester cousin and aunt with access to Photoshop.

Parents of children and dogs: Do you find yourself disciplining them similarly?

Do you hoard odd things...like poop bags?