In The Swim

Grandma J finally joined an aqua aerobics class.  It's off site since the pool here at The Spa holds just about 2 1/2 people....maybe.

So, she joined a class at the Boys & Girls Club because it's cheaper than a full gym membership at Gold's.  There's also a drill sargeant instructor, life guard, and get this...there's only one looney man in the class who is very animated.

Grandma J ignores him and tries to mingle amongst the old women.   She's extremely glad about the over chlorination of the pool.  Sorry, no explanation on that. 

Of course this new class and location is actually much nicer than the one Grandma J used to go to at the Compound.  And of course the one lone perv man has nothing on the men at the Compound. 

You do remember the men who hung out at the aqua aerobics at the Compound, right?

Now a nice man in a hot tub in July, in Virginia, at Blog Fest is a whole different story. 

Now, there is no need to get jealous....just sign up for this year's Blog Fest.  

Meet Me At the Corner....
of Main & Maple

Grandma J has post blogfest syndrome, and she has to find out if there is a treatment for it and if it's covered by her insurance. Yeah, she can do that tomorrow....maybe. Maybe tomorrow she'll get out of her pajamas too....

But for now.....here is a sampling of what's at the corner of Main & Maple.

This is Sibley's General Store. And, if you happened to be driving past the intersection of Main & Maple last Friday afternoon, you may have wondered what 16+ crazies where doing jaywalking and wandering about the roadway.

After a wonderful lunch at Chef Todd's the Blogfest herd peeps paid a visit to Sibley's General Store. Everything in this place is crafted by locals. Sibley's is also the official Mathews County Visitor & Information Center.


The ladies working in Sibley's were delighted and friendly as they helped the bloggers spend, spend, spend select trinkets and souvenirs to take back home. Grandma J did a bit of shopping for a taste of Mathews to take back to Texas with her.




This is a numbered and signed (twice) laser print of a painting by a local artist, Anne Smith. I can't wait to have it framed.



Grandma J's Christmas tree is full of ornaments from far away places....and oh, do the memories come rushing back every year when the tree is decorated. This glass ornament doesn't have the artist's name on it.




The mugs made by Jane Witmer are all uniquely different, with her name etched on the bottom.

Mathews County VA has zapped Grandma J of her blogging desires...and she thinks a nap might get her to snap out of it. ::::sigh::::

BLOGFEST 2009




The welcome signs were in code.....blogger code, to keep the riff raff out.





What can I say? Yes, my bags were searched. Someone probably told Homeland Security that Grandma J was going to have "fun", and those feds always get suspicious whenever Grandma J decides to have fun.


Now, about Blogfest! Can anyone believe that Grandma J is capable of being tongue tied?




OOPS! Excuse me, Gustaf, we know you aren't tongue tied! Grandma J loves the way you blow her some kisses...yes, she does.



The experience was out of this world with the most breathtaking backdrop, and the most beautiful, talented, drunk funny, group of lushes bloggers on the continent.


Our wonderful hostesses, Chesapeake Bay Woman and Big Hair Envy left no stone unturned. Big Hair Envy went out of her way to provide Grandma J with ground transportation to and from the airport, and even swung by her home to introduce me to Cool Breeze, Snow White and Dodger......






Hi Dodger, I know you don't give kisses right away, but I love you and thank you for the hand shake. Kisses next time maybe?






Here's Chesapeake Bay Woman, who opened up her home to me....giving me the master bedroom! Honestly, I didn't deserve that, but boy let me tell you, I slept like a log. Seriously, the generosity around Camp CBW is out of this world.

All of the bloggers who attended are incredible photographers, and they have posted the most breathtaking sunsets, water scenes, and people photos on their sites. Please check them out.

I on the other hand will post a few that might give you a slightly different perspective, because the majority of photos I took of people were....








From the back.....





Or hanging out with Phil sporting a tux and his new sun glasses, like Noe Noe Girl. He loves his new shades....thank you Noe Noe Girl!





Except for this favorite of mine....CBW's mother with Phillip Johnny Bob, clapping along to a bit of entertainment.




And yes, Grandma J loved all the water stuff....lots of water stuff.

Please check out Chesapeake Bay Woman's site for a list of links to the other Blogfest attendees. They have some great posts and pictures.

I'm Wired

Yes, I have my car adapter for my phone, and my car adapter for my laptop....providing the rental has the same provisions as my own vehicle.

I have the AC charger for my phone, and AC connector for my laptop. I have an AC charger for my camera battery, and a couple 2 GB memory cards for it. My cell phone has a 2 GB itsy memory card to boot.

Another connector from my phone to my laptop should allow me to update my blog using ATT 3G should there be no wifi for me to steal.

I had a black cherry snow cone as I watched the All Star game and the dang NL lost again. St. Louis looks mighty nice at night. Stan Musial is an icon.

Chesapeake Bay Woman, the hostess with the mostest, sent the Blogfest itinerary and directions to all the attendees tonight. She also extended the invitation to any other single men bloggers who might want to join us.

I had to reprint the driving instructions from the airport in 30 font.....to read as I drive in case my GPS navigation person gets lost. Lord help me.


Big Hair Envy is co-hostessing this event, and between the two of them I know this event will be one big hootenanny.



So far there are about twenty five hundred bloggers showing up for a really good time right on the water....some camping, some in B&B's and some, like Grandma J are mooching off staying at Chesapeake Bay Woman's home. Can you imagine all these people showing up on your doorstep?

Two Days To Untangle

......and pack important stuff.



Like this stuff, minus the book.

It's been a busy couple of days, and today is no different.....doctors, banks, a pedi, dogs, grandkids, ice cream.....blah, blah, blah.


So, I will be back later to fill you in on my hair pulling and crying spells on my progress towards Blogfest.

And, just because I love you all, especially the two of you who picked B in the poll on the right, I will leave you with a cute little something.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Johnny's Mother looked out the window and noticed Him "playing church" with their cat.

He had the cat sitting quietly and he was preaching to it. She smiled and went about her work.

A while later she heard loud meowing and hissing and ran back to the open window to see Johnny baptizing the cat in a tub of water!

She called out, "Johnny, stop that! The cat is afraid of water!"

Johnny looked up at her and said,"He should have thought about that before he joined my church."

A to Z Mondays

This week is brought to you by the letter Z.....just like last week. That's right, we are starting over in a backward direction.



I have picked Zebra as my Z word. There won't be a tutorial, which is why this wimpy zebra is crying. The last three days have been Zany and full of baseball, sleepovers, haircuts, track meets and a lack of sleep. Then there's the packing for Blogfest in just three more days. But unlike the Zebra Grandma J will hold off on the crying routine.

Please consider joining A to Z Mondays....or is it now Z to A Mondays!!

M.I.A.

I'm putting our an all points bulletin for Phillip Johnny Bob. It's been a week now since I sent him first class on a trip to the East Coast, specifically, The Chesapeake Bay to stay with good friends.

He had been down in the dumps ever since JJ bit him he heard we were moving from the Compound to the Spa.

When grandma J told him he was going on a vacation to see fiddler crabs and fire ants Chesapeake Bay Woman, Kids, Mother and Gustaf, he seemed excited.....

Looky, you can see it in his eyes as he readys himself for the journey. He has his new board shorts with him and he's full of glee!

Before alarming everyone, I checked everywhere....I called his friends. JJ and I rode around the 'hood....I even checked in his closet. Yeah, that bin is his closet. You don't have a problem with that, do you?

Does anyone have a funny feeling about this guy? I'm a bit suspicious because he didn't want Grandma J to take his picture. And now I have to question the absence of Grandma J's friend Jack, the Postal Clerk!

I know I shouldn't panic, but the thing is, Phil might be scared, and I don't know how many jelly beans he had in his pocket. Grandma J was going to surprise him when she showed up for the VA Blogfest in July!!

Oh, and another thing, Grandma J is getting a feeling of déjà vu over this.....

>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>>>>>

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* if you have any information leading to the whereabouts of Phillip Johnny Bob, please let me know.

Letter S Monday

We are already at Letter S, and Grandma J is so tired of rusty animals and overcooked vegetables that she decided to go with an honored profession. Not that she knows anything about the profession itself, but she knows a whole lot about the professionals.

Do you now what profession Grandma J is talking about?

All four of these great men were Presidents of the United States. Three of them were Surveyors. You guessed it, didn't you? I knew you would.

I worked with surveyors for several years. They climbed mountains, swam oceans and flew into the heavens. Then they woke up and went to work. Actually, they did all of that...well I'm not sure they considered it work, maybe more like a passion.

Any pictures I might have of surveyors, would be more fun and less work, except for one hard worker.......

This is a picture of a picture emailed to me. The original is framed behind glass...too bad it's not clearer...never the less, you can see the dedication in his eye. Here is another view......

Unfortunately, no one could find this one to take a picture for me. I found this picture of a picture that I took in 2001 of the same hard working surveyor .

I do know a surveyor clear across the country in the state of Virginia.

Here is Cool Breeze Musings with his crew, Big Hair Envy.

I can't wait to meet them at the Virginia Blogfest in July. Will you be there?

brought to you by A to Z Mondays, Check it out, and come join us.

EARLY MORNING GUESTS

Once upon a time, Grandma J had plans for a full day of shopping and lunch urgent appointments in Dallas. And once upon a time happens to be today. But wouldn't you know? An old friend calls last night and wants to come see me today. Of course we know the timing is all wrong because, well, you know.....Grandma J has stuff to do in Dallas.

So it breaks my heart in two when my day's schedule is so jammed packed that I have to tell special friend that I only have time to visit if they come for early morning breakfast.

OK, so it wasn't really breakfast.....more like coffee, a tad bit of juice and the morning paper.
OK, no juice.

I don't know about you, but it amazes me when some people are so chipper before the sun comes up....all laughing and joking. What's up with that?

And, it takes a lot of gall to bring some little smart ass twerp a juvenile hedge fund manager along. I mean....no, I don't want to convert my under mattress assets to a non-equity, non-interest bearing account.