Wednesday, August 21, 2013

prepping

Thanks for feigning enjoyment over yesterday's ambitious poetry! Did it at least take you by surprise? I don't know. I think I'd get pretty pumped to wake up and happen upon some unexpected limerick-blogging...but maybe it's just me? I must confess that back in college I was quite the prolific writer of lengthy limericks for my friends. Birthdays, special events-- most things called for a good limerick. I got really quick at writing them, too! Now I'm rusty, but maybe it's one of those things that'll come back if you work at it. We shall see. Also, at least I'm sure we all agree that limericks are the best form of poetry. I wish Chris from Bachelorette understood that. He could have saved America from a lot of uncomfortable giggling if he'd simply employed a different form of poetry with which to serenade Des. Amen? Amen. Regular poetry=awkward. Limericks=awesome. Take note, fellas.

But seriously, ain't nothing exciting (other than mowing the lawn) going on in my life right now. 100% of my mental energy is being put towards Vacation Prepping. Yes, I have been prepping for vacation and thinking about vacation and talking about vacation since I booked it IN JANUARY. I can't help it. I think it's genetic? My mom always talks about upcoming vacations for like 6 months too, so I think I just think it's ingrained in me as the right thing to do. But now that the countdown is in the single digits, I'm REALLY prepping. 


Sometimes I work on things that I can check off this list. (Or-- and I know I'm not the only one that does this-- I do something and THEN add it to my list and check it off. Cha-ching!) Sometimes I devote an entire evening to laying out all of my bikinis and cover-ups and then trying them all on, mix-and-matching the pieces and taking notes about which combinations are best and which cover-up best compliments them. Important stuff, yall. And then last night I spent at least an hour cleaning up my Kindle, downloading new books, and trying to make sure I have a wide variety of genres represented...I mean, what if I get to Mexico and just don't feel like reading chick lit? Good thing I got some more dystopian YA. But then if I'm not feeling that, there's hard-boiled detective fiction. And a World War II memoir. And even some non-fiction, as per Matt's request. Having a diverse library on your Kindle is probably tantamount to enjoying vacation, which is why I'm taking the task very seriously. And if you have any YOU MUST READ THIS!!!!! book suggestions, I will take them now. And I will be extra happy if you follow up your suggestion with 'I have it on Kindle and am happy to lend it to you!!' because I do not have endless monies to spend on electronic books, people. Seriously. Ha. (I am in particular looking to borrow the book(s) that follow Divergent...I bought Divergent last night but what if I really like it and want to read the sequels? They are more expensive, so I'm hoping to either borrow them or otherwise I'll have to wait til after vacation and get them at the library. Bah.)

I have not yet put much thought into the fate of my blog while I'm gone. I know. What kind of human am I? Apparently a terrible one. How can I just assume you will all be okay and your lives will go on if I'm not here to blab away every (weekday) morning? How selfish of me. No, but really. Some of you are so good and proactive at setting things up for your blogs while you're on vacation! A lineup of guest bloggers! Scheduled posts! It's like you never left! I haven't yet made it to that level, I guess. Last year I think I pre-scheduled one post and then I ended up posting a few (picture-heavy) times from my phone. This year the internet situation has changed-- last year the resort had free wireless in the lobby. So I could plop down a few times a day and catch up on all the internet from my phone. Otherwise I didn't use the internet at all, since I didn't enable any kind of data plan. This year they have decided to charge $15 a DAY for the (still-crappy, from what I hear) wireless in the lobby. Ummm...negative, cap'n. So I'm going to get the 'global data plan' from Verizon, which will only give me 100mb, but at least I can use it anywhere (and not just the lobby)? But I have no real concept of how much data 100mb is and fear blowing through it really quickly. (?) So I think I will probably be mostly just posting pictures and such to Instagram and FB, since I can easily keep track of how big the pictures I post are. Some IRL people have expressed amazement that I think I can't go a week without internet. I don't think it's that unbelievable. The main thing, honestly, is that I really have to be able to keep tabs on some potential adoption situations. If I can't get emails or calls for a week, what if something came up and we were unreachable? THAT CANNOT HAPPEN. I absolutely have to be able to check my email. So since there's that, then that also means that while I'm at it, having internet, I can have the fringe benefit of semi-keeping up with social media. So there, incredulous people. 

If you follow me on IG, this is the kind of exciting thing you can expect to see!! Last year I only posted 8 pictures on IG for my whole vacation! That's kind of sad; I expect to do better this year.
Umm....that was probably the least interesting paragraph I've ever written. So sorry. That said, any thoughts about vacation blogging? Pre-schedule posts? Write some more limericks? Post some of my 'best of' from the archives? Rustle up some guest posts? Do nothing? Don't make me make a survey people. Oh! Or maybe I should make one to go up in my absence. Ha. But actually that would kill me to know there was a live survey up and not be able to check its progress frequently. Probably couldn't handle that. I don't need that kind of stress on vacation. :)

Have I mentioned that we're taking walkie talkies to the resort with us this year? YEAH. Walkie talkies. Roger that. I am probably WAY too excited about this walkie talkie action. But we figured it'd be the best way to be able to keep track of our friends that we're going with, since we won't be able to just text and be like 'where are you?'...and then a co-worker lent me his freakin awesome walkie talkies, so bam. There you have it. 10-4. (I need to learn more walkie talkie code words, obviously. Roger that.)

22 comments:

  1. Pretty jealous about your vacay, but you guys deserve it, so I can put my jealousy aside momentarily and be happy for you. I also take great joy in prepping for my vacations as far in advance as possible, so I'm with you! Does this mean your foreign exchange student will be holding down the fort without y'all?!

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  2. As long as you post pictures on Instagram I'll be happy! (and jealous). I meant to do some pre schedule posts for vacation but just never got around to it. At Peter's grandma's house it took us a few days to figure out her wifi password. At first I thought "hey a week without internet won't be bad" but then I had the strong feeling that all my instagram friends needed to see pictures of me eating that ice cream monster so I caved and got the internet working. So no judgement here about it! Plus I think the adoption stuff is important enough for you to have internet access!

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  3. I vote for guest blogs! I'd love to hear from some of your friends! Or "best of"...though that could be kind of cumbersome to sort through 700+ posts to find five of your favorites. But I look forward to seeing your daily post on my news feed probably way more than I should, and to just quit us cold turkey like that...I'm just not prepared (granted, my jealousy probably outweighs any withdrawal symptoms). Either way, we'll be here anxiously awaiting a vacation recap when you return!

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  4. Too funny...I finished Divergent last week but was too cheap to pay $7 for Insurgent on my Nook so I'm 8th in line at the library. Maybe I will get to read it sometime this year!

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  5. When I was in Cancun (closer to Playa del Carmen if we're talking details) last Feb, I read (among others) The Snowman by Jo Nesbo. Something about murder in snowy Norway and a pina colada just felt right. I just finished Rules of Civility and can't recommend it highly enough. Love. I have it in paperback - weird, right? - and will absolutely mail it to you if you'd like. A gift from one bloggess to another.

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  6. HARRY POTTER!!!! You're the last human in the world to read HP, so get on it!

    When are you leaving? Sunday?!?!? I'm not sure if my life will simply fall apart or if I won't be able to face the day without you.

    Are adoption calls/emails expected?

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  7. I read Divergent, too! #2 is Insurgent, and I think #3 is coming out in September (which I totally forgot about until you mentioned Divergent in this post). Usually I'm not so cool as to read popular books when they're new and before they've all come out, but this time I accidentally read Divergent not knowing it was popular and not yet a complete series. So now I can hardly remember what the first two were about so 3# will be really confusing! Yay!

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  8. 3#? That was weird. Of course I meant #3.

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  9. I am weird and kinda enjoy not blogging when I am on vacay, so I guess I can't really help you out! I would totally understand if you abandoned the blog world for a week! That said, I would appreciate some picture updates via Instagram so that I can live your vacation vicariously. Ok?

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  10. Yes and yes on writing things on lists just to cross it off. Your Kindle behavior is completely understandable, as is planning 6 months out. My reading moods are way fickle--I bought all those non-fictions for my last big trip and I was bored out of my mind with them.

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  11. i followed you on instagram! check off my list of surviving while werika is on vacation! I like the idea of reposting some of your older posts. For example, I was not following you in you early days on infertility when you were diagnosed or considering your options or pursing private adoption. can you post those posts again?

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  12. Is it true that you have NOT read Harry Potter??? Because that is just cra cra.
    Vacation prep is a serious business and needs numerous lists and obsessiveness.
    Things I like to obsess about:
    1) Flight outfit
    2) Having the right shoes
    3) Taking enough sunscreen
    4) making sure I leave all my info with the rents
    5) Books of course - we did a three week Spain, Europe thing 5 years ago with NO e-reader the book selection process was serious

    Good Luck packing and checking things off the list (s).

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  13. walkie-talkies . . . .world's BEST idea.

    So much fun.

    Second the "rules of civility" recommendation
    if you feel like funny:"Let's Pretend This Never Happened" by:Jenny Lawson

    "The Night Circus" fantasy novel by: Erin Morgenstern.

    "Ines of My Soul" by: Isabel Allende

    Have a lovely holiday. I know you and M will enjoy every minute

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  14. I expect a full blog post when you get back on the walkie talkies!!!

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  15. OMG we took walkie talkies on vacation too! Wow, I thought my husband and father were the only nerds who still used those. BUT, I will admit, they were pretty damn handy.

    It was sort of a relief to take a blog break for the time I was gone. So stressful coming back and catching up, but as far as posting, I kind of liked not worrying about it. But it's personal preference! I would just play it by ear. We'll miss ya, but will look forward to your awesome vacay stories when you return. Plus, I follow you on IG so I will get my Erika fix :)

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  16. Oooo! Enjoy your vacay! And walkie-talkies? How freakin' cool is that!? You totally should learn walkie-talkie code. That'd be hilariously good fun! ( please post a video if you do! It will brighten so many people's day!) :)

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  17. Have you read "The Fault in our Stars" by John Green? And yes I have the kindle version to share.

    Don't forget - buy a floppy hat.

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  18. 1) I totally write things on lists after I have done them just so I can cross them off.

    2) YOU HAVE NOT READ HARRY POTTER?!?!?! You must read it. It is good.

    3) I totally need to keep up with e-mail when I'm on vacation so I don't think you are crazy for not being able to live without internet for a week. And especially since you obviously have way more important e-mail to watch out for than I do.

    4) It's a good thing you've given us notice that you're leaving otherwise you'd be one of the bloggers who disappears for a week and then I'd start worrying about you. So thanks.

    5) Now I'm done my comment and can write "comment on Erika's blog" and then cross it off my Things To Do Before Moving List. Since obviously I can't move (or prepare to move) if I haven't commented on your blog!

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  19. I'm already working on the to do list for our April vacay. 7 glorious days with zero children? YES PLEASE! In my favorite place evah? YES PLEASE! Conveniently scheduled right after Spring semester ends (we are flying out the next day?) ABSO-FREAKIN-LUTELY!

    Have fun... and remember I'm only a text away if you get adoption news. *wink, wink*

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  20. I posted wayyyyy more than 8 pictures on Instagram during my Disney vacay and sent you a personal cotton candy email. This means I have high expectations for you, my friend! Post away!!!!
    Hoping you and Matt have a relaxing and amazing vacation...cheers!

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