Random Thoughts From An Airport

I'm sitting in Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport waiting for my red eye flight back to NC. Everthing is closed and there is not much to do, so why not blog a bunch of random thoughts.......

1. Phoenix Sky Harbor always reminds me of Sky Harbor airport in Terre Haute, near Uncle David's and Aunt Nancy's old house.

2. It sucks when an airline loses your luggage. It sucks even more when it arrives at your destination (Libby, MT) about 36 hours before you have to return to NC.

3. Good thing is Delta accepted all my receipts for toiletries, clothes, and ruined clothes. I was doing field work and ruined a nice shirt and my best pair of jeans.

4. FYI.....it is hot in Phoenix. At least it is a dry heat. 110 F is not bad with 10% humidity.

5. My next stops: New Hope PA to see Shannon, kids, and Shannon's parents. I'm looking forward to a long weekend seeing everyone, fishing, and sitting by the pool drinking beer.

6. Yes, I do miss Shannon, Jacqueline, and Sophie. A LOT!!!!! It has been almost 2 weeks since I have seen them. When I callled tonight, I talked with Sophie. She exclaimed "Daddy!!!" when I said "hi" on the phone. Nice to hear she has not forgotten me.

7. Next trip after the long weekend in New Hope......Seoul, South Korea then the family reunion in Indiana. We'll see how both trips go. Want to bet Delta loses my luggage?

8. Free wireless in an airport is awesome. Phoenix, Memphis, and Dayton are the only airporst I know that offer that service. Why don't all airports offer free wireless?

9. I've watched more movies in the last 2 weeks than in the last 4 months. Julie/Julia was really good. Terminator 4 was decent. Rocky Balboa (is that Rocky 6?) was self absorbed and disappointing.

10. Remind me Cousin Andy wants me to bring a case of beer to IN to swap for some New Glarus. Thanks.

11. It is easier to deal with the "dry heat."

12. "Real Mexcian" food in AZ has gone gotten worse over the last few years. Took a group of people to my favorite local place. It has become over-priced and not very good. Not a good way to entertain potential clients. You can find better in NC.

13. Thank goodness I have an Exit Row seat on the flight from Phoenix to Atlanta. It'll be nice to stretch out and try to sleep before a long day of meetings.

14. Have I mentioned that I miss Shannon and the kids? This is the hard part of traveling for business.

15. A good thing about traveling is that I have a good plan for an enjoyable flight to LA in a few years. And I have the frequent flier miles to pay for plane tickets. Yes, we will go to LA and not Orlando. Go to the original......not 2nd best. A hint of advice (based on observation....not experience). Relax and enjoy the trip. Focus on the fun and the kids joy in the new experience. Freaking out and becoming stressed will just make it worse. Also, don't want to pay $8 for a PBJ sandwich? Pack your own. You have to purchase your drinks inside the terminal (or fill up from drinking fountain), but you can haul in as much food as you want. For a family of 4, checking that 1 bag for $25 will easily save you more money in food if you use that carry-on bag for sandwiches/fruit/snacks.


that is all. thanks for reading my brain dump. see y'all soon!

Raz lost her motor

Shannon and I noticed a few weeks ago that Raz no longer purrs. After some observation, it is true that Raz has lost her motor. I became convinced the other night when Raz was extremely affectionate. She never had the loudest purr (like Pie), but you could definitely hear and feel her purr when she was that happy. The other night during our love fest......nothing, nada, zilch.



We thought her motor stopped because she has become completely deaf over the same period. However, the internet says congenitally deaf and older deaf cats still purr.



I guess we have a mystery on our hands.....

July 4th Party

some pictures from our July 4th party

Adventures with Daddy - Day 6

Day 6 – The Drive (reprise)

We were just about on schedule Monday morning. We said our sad goodbye’s and were on the road by 8:10 AM.

I did not know what to expect driving with 2 awake girls in the back all day. Luckily, I was inspired to add some books to their stash of blankets and animals. The books were a big, big hit. They read for hours. Only problem was when books fell onto the floor or someone had a book the other wanted.

Our first stop was a rest area in Osceola National Forest (along I-10) around 11:30 AM. A picnic lunch, some run-around time and bathroom break for all. The girls were very good and stayed in the area around the picnic blanket. They loved all the semi-trucks coming/going. We were back on the road around 1 PM .

Our second stop was a fuel fill-up in Georgia, where the gas is cheap but road construction is awful. There was 30+ miles of 1 lane interstate around Brunswick.

Our third and final stop was Forsyth Park in Savannah around 4 PM. Yes, we returned. I decided to let the girls run around for 90 minutes and then we ate dinner in the Park café. The cafe staff were nice and heated the girls dinner. I purchased dinner there. The food was pretty good…..coffee was even better. It kept me going for the next 5 hours since home was the next stop. I didn't even make a bathroom stop! I will admit I was close to bursting when I pulled into our driveway at 10:45 PM!

As I mentioned, books were a big hit. They’d doze off with a book in their lap. Very cute! The girls also decided they liked Jimmy Buffett. They’d sing and dance in the back when I played his CDs.

An interesting observation about my return trip was the number of comments about how "brave" I was for taking 2 toddlers on a big trip by myself. Young, old, families, other parents, teenage girls, gas station attendants all made comments. Now it is not like I was on my own for 5 days. I had help from Grandma and Grandpa. Also, J&S are good kids and very easy to care for.

Adventures with Daddy - Day 5

Day 5 – All Good Things…

Today was our last day in Florida. Another sunny but windy day. We didn't have to worry about sunburn....windburn was the problem.

We decided to be low key since the next day would be the long, long drive. So, we went to a nearby park. The park had a nice playground. J&S enjoyed themselves on the slides, tire swing, and rocking animals.

I talked with Mom and Dad about parenting approaches. We agreed parents that "hover" too much are annoying. Does a parent really need to climb onto the equipment with their child? After a few hours, we found a nice, sunny spot out of the wind for a picnic. A picnic without seagulls this time!

Then it was back tot he RV for our typical afternoon routine. We tried to put J&S down for a nap, but they were more interested in playing. Again, someone fell trying to climb into the bed. Since no one napped, Mom volunteered to walk them around the RV park to provide more quiet time. Dad and I watched some Canada vs. U.S. hockey and Purdue basketball. The "good guys" lost both games.

Everyone enjoyed another fabulous dinner. The adult men added more Famous Grouse to cap off the night. Otherwise, we went to bed early since I wanted to be on the road by 8 AM. Leaving the house at 8 AM means Dad must wake-up at 6 AM to get his toilette and breakfast finished before the girls woke up.

Adventures with Daddy - Day 4

Day 4 – Fussy!

Maybe it was the cold weather, the rain, the long drive, all the fun they were having, the lack of naps or all of the above, but J&S were FUSSY today.

It was raining, so we went to the GWIZ kids museum. For GWIZ, we had to pay 1 senior citizen admission since we have a membership to the Durham Museum of Life & Science. (A savings of $19 for the penny pinchers out there.) We only saw the indoor exhibits since it was raining; although the outdoor exhibits looked nice. At first I thought J&S would be too young for the museum. I was wrong (and it wasn’t the first and won’t be the last time). The fact J&S enjoyed themselves is a testament to the quality of the museum. Jacqueline particularly enjoyed learning about centrifugal force. Sophie enjoyed the plasma arc glass ball. The grandparents and I enjoyed ourselves too.

Because it was raining, GWIZ became very crowded about 30 minutes after we arrived. Soon after, J&S started to melt into globs of crying, screaming baby. I had to play “Dad” and suggested we just take the kids back to the RV for a quiet lunch and (hopefully) a nap. Grandpa was constantly trying to keep both J&S awake during the 30 minute drive back to the RV. He succeeded. J&S ate lunch then went down for nap easily.

Dad took advantage of nap time and went to a coffee shop for faster internet so he could do some work. Yes, working on a big proposal while on “vacation” stinks but has to be done. Dad also asked me to pick up some beer while I was out. I bought myself some Scotch while out too.

J&S woke while I was gone, but Grandpa and Grandma had a good time reading books and playing with puzzles. The sky cleared during nap, so we ventured outside to play before dinner. J&S had to master the RV stairs, and they did.

The rest of the evening was smooth. J&S had another yummy dinner prepared by Grandma (Mac & Cheese w/ peas and corn & brownies for dessert) before tolerating their baths then going to bed.

Grandpa and I went out to the Sarasota Brewing Company after the girls wend to sleep. Pizza was okay…..beer was bad. Beer was watery with little body. Easy to tell the brewer is trying to minimize costs by skimping on the barley. A glass of Famous Grouse with Grandpa back at the RV made up for the bad beer though.

Aaaahhhh.....Laphroaig

Mark may disagree, but there is nothing better to enjoy at the end of another 13 hour work day than a glass of Laphroaig 10 Yr scotch. YUM!

Adventures with Daddy - Day 3

Day 3 - Fun in the Sand

Friday was supposed to the be nicest day of our visit. Temperature did not scream "Go to the Beach!" but you take what you can get.

So, the Grandparents took us to Siesta Key, one of the 10 best beaches in the U.S.

It was cool enough everyone wore sweatshirts and pants, but that did not stop up from having a good time...until the very end.

After some initial trepidation, Jacqueline and Sophie thought the beach was pretty neat. Both loved playing in the sand. Digging, shoveling, filling buckets, dumping buckets...all activities were fun. Sophie liked making "sand angels." Jacqueline like chasing the seagulls. Only Jacqueline put her toes in the water. She was not happy the water was cold (60 F). Everyone played catch with the rubber balls too.

Everyone had a great time until we brought out lunch. Once the food was out, the seagulls swarmed us and became very aggessive. I felt like we were in the Hitchcock movie "The Birds." I was mad enough that I was throwing the balls at the gulls; did not faze them though. Needless to say, we packed up and had our picnic on the boardwalk. Lunch was still nice but lacked the ambiance of the beach.

Not until we got home did I realize the girls and I got too much sun. Both girls had red, red cheeks. Dad was feeling a little crisp too. I did not think to put sunscreen on myself and the girls since it was so cold. Oops. Another learning moment for Dad.

We were back at the RV by 2 PM. I tried to put the girls down for a nap....not happening again. For the remainder of the afternoon, we played outside the RV. The Grandparents took the girls around the resort to show them off to friends. They also took them to playground. While they were away for a couple hours, Dad relaxed at the RV and read my book.

Next thing we knew....it was bed time. Another day was over.

Adventures with Daddy - Day 2

Day 2 - Hurricane Winds

Our first full day in Florida was not an ideal vacation day. Everyone was still tired from the long drive and it was extremely windy. The sun was shining, but it didn't matter because the wind chill must have been in the 30's. The chilly weather did not stop the girls from playing outside in the morning and late afternoon.

For our big activity of the day, we decided to visit the Mote Aquarium. Turns out the rest of Sarasota did too. The aquarium seemed a little small. The crowd plus the layout of the aquarium made it seem cramped. I think the aquarium was meant to be mainly an outdoor experience. Hard to spend a lot of enjoyable time outdoors when it is cold and windy.

Everyone had a good time in any event. Jacqueline loved the sharks, turtles, rays, and dolphins. Sophie was more interested in running around like a banshee....a sure sign she was tired. Grandparents and Dad enjoyed the aquarium too, but became a little wind-blown by the end of the day.

By the way, zoo membership reciprocity is a wonderful perk. We paid ~$100 for a NC Zoo membership in October. Mote Aquarium offered full reciprocity...so everyone was admitted free...a $50 savings. One more visit to the NC Zoo or any other zoo/aquarium with reciprocity will pay for our membership.

We ended our excursion with a nice lunch at a dockside diner. Decent food, good beer, and happy girls.....could not ask for anything more.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent trying to find a gas station, get the fuel door open on the Volvo, and help the girls nap. To keep it short, we finally found a gas station, had to break the fuel door latch (easily fixed with velcro), and naps were not going to happen. The girls were over-tired and kept falling off the Grandparents' bed. Fortunately, the girls went to sleep easily that night after a traumatic bath experience. No one liked taking a bath in the RV shower.

As for sleeping arrangements, we started the girls sleeping on the floor in the back bedroom (3 falls off the bed were enough), then moved them to the pack-n-plays in the kitchen when everyone else went to sleep.

It was nice to see everyone quickly adapted to a daily routine in a new place. A key event for a smooth, enjoyable vacation.

Adventures with Daddy - Day 1

Day 1 was the DRIVE.


Dad, Sophie, and Jacqueline left home at 4:30 AM on Wednesday. Our goal was to arrive at Grandpa and Grandma's place in Sarasota 12 hours later. Ambitious plans for our first extended time together, Mom's first time away from the kids, and Mom's long-weekend break from.....everything.


Our first planned stop was a McDonald's in Florence, SC. A good choice. The restaurant was clean with friendly staff. My only complaint is the playgrouind was outdoors, not indoors. No matter, we still spent more than an hour outside playing. We arrived 15 minutes ahead of schedule, but spent too long playing. Overall, we left 30 minutes late.


Note to self: the kids like McDonald's pancakes. Note to self #2: McDonald's coffee is still not very good.

Next stop was Savannah, GA. After about 2 1/2 hours of driving with 2 silly girls playing with their animals and blankets in the back seats, we arrived at Forsyth Park. One word describes Forsyth Park...WOW! Excellent playground with a Starbucks/Cafe/Restrooms immediately adjacent. The park had nice paths, the fountain was nice (but blocked as they set-up for a wedding), and the trees with Spanish moss were impressive. We will stop again on our way home and probably stop at this park every time we pass through.


After a picnic lunch, we were back in the car and on the road again by 12:30 PM. This final stretch would be the longest. It also turned out to be the toughest. Crazy drivers, bad drivers, heavy traffic, and some rain made the drive tough on Dad. The kids napped until 3:00 PM. Then played the rest of the way. When I realized we would not arrive in Sarasota by 5:30 PM, we stopped to get the girls some milk to drink with a snack around 4 PM as they started to get fussy. We stopped in Ocala at a gas station next to a Cracker Barrel. The line to eat at the restaurant was already out the door. Lots of gray hair in that line.

Finally back in the car for the final push, we arrived at Grandma & Grandpa's RV resort at 6:30 PM.

We drove 800 miles over 14 hours. Subtract out 3 hours of playtime and an extra hour because we could only go 65 mph down I-75, it was about 11 hours of driving. A long day, no matter how you cut it. I was glad to relax with a beer at the end of the day.

Flat Tires

Why must flat tires always occur when it is dark, 35 degrees F and raining? Situation I found myself in Friday night at 5 PM. I got home around 8 PM very, very wet.

My last 2 flat tires were in those conditions.

Top Ten Books

Sophie and Jacqueline love to read. I mean REALLY love to read. Right now, reading is probably there #1 playtime activitiy. Sophie prefers to read to herself. Jacqueline will read to herself, but she also enjoys Mom or Dad to tell her a story.

They have been good readers for almost a year now. I thought their favorites would shift over time. Nope. We try tohide their favorites on the bookshelves to encourage them to read other books. Nope; they find them.

Mom and Dad have their favorites too. Overall, though, we are happy to read any of the top 10 or any of the other books in the house at any time.

1. Animal Action (gift from Aunt Kathy....we need to find another copy.....this one is almost dead)

2. Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin (gift from Aunt Kathy, always have to point out the cats. Shannon's personal favorite)

3. Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb (Sophie's first favorite book....both love it now)

4. Goodnight Gorilla (although we seem to have lost it....maybe cousin Alina "stole" it.)

5. Freight Train (have to make "chugging" noises and bounce your knees)

6. Goodnight Moon (They have learned the most word-object associations with this book. Dad's favorite of the top 10. )

7. Brown Bear, Brown Bear

8. Where the Wild Things Are

9. Best Friends (No picture on the internet....bummer. One of Jacqueline's favorites)

10. Any book with Biscuit the dog (Sophie particularly likes these)

Here is Dad's personal favorite. I love reading this bedtime story. Sweet and sentimental.

It's funny that two kid's books from Aunt Kathy that I've never heard of are their 2 favorites.

Christmas Photos

It is a month late, but slideshow has been updated with Christmas photos. Better late than never!

Snow Photos

Some photos from Saturday after the big snow of 2010.

Jacqueline starting to realize
riding the scooter in the snow is not easy.

Requisite photo of our house blanketed in 8 inches of snow

Jacqueline training for her hike across Antartica. She walked all the way

to the end of the driveway

Family (minus Mom, the photographer) ast the meltdowns began. Realization hit that snow is cold and not fun if you don't wear gloves. Sophie, in particular, did not like the snow.

Sophie Moment

Sophie was opening/closing kitchen cabinet doors repetitively, as toddlers are apt to do, the other night. One time, she accidentally bopped herself in the head with the door. Her subsequent reaction surprised me and provided further evidence the kids are growing up.

Instead of crying, she kept silent. She stopped and rubbed her head. A moment later, she let out a loud "AARRGGHH" in a very frustrated tone. I could just see her little mind saying: "How could I be so stupid to bang myself in the head? I know better than that. I really need to be more careful."

Some Things I've Learned about Parenthood

If your child is going to vomit in bed, it is easier to handle if it happens at 8:30 PM instead of 3:00 AM.



At 19 months old, the girls always look to Mom (the primary caregiver) for comfort when something really bad happens (see above).



Mom earns bonus points for staying awake most the night comforting their child and then still doing all the laundry the next day!



You can't rationalize a toddler's behavior, especially when it comes to food.



Toddlers love to share, especially really nasty stomach viruses!!!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our friend and family!

It was a busy holiday for the Thornburgs. We hope to update everyone soon!