Sandy Balloon Festival

We are about the first ones  to the festival.  We get out our lawn chairs, our Big Gulps and watch it all unfold... the band warming up, sound checks, the vendors and food, and even the trucks and trailers with the balloons.  And of course all of the people.  It's beautiful to sit and look at the mountains and fun to watch the people.  I love the colors of the balloons and the crowds.  Jerry comes for the people watching and the band.  This band is called Folkadots.  They are blues and folk and are incredible with harmony and every kind of instrument.  The little girls danced and danced.  We had cotton candy, fries, big drinks and chips and salsa that Caid bumbed from the people next to us.  She also made fast friends with the family next to us... so much so that it was a really sad parting.

Kennecott Trip

This is a regular pickup next to one of the big trucks.  They are HUGE!

Back home! Jerry picked me up at the airport and since I'd caught such an early flight we had a whole day to play.  Lunch at Fire House Subs... where we bought a fire hydrant and fire hat for the Manager/truck driver/fire hydrant enemy.  Mostly we got lots of laughs over it.  We also just went for a ride and since I always want to see stuff.... I talked Jerry into the Copper Pit.  We hadn't been there since we were kids and it has changed a lot.  Bigger hole.   It was a great day just being together.

Long Beach Quilt Show

I flew into the tiniest airport and walked down steps to the tarmac and then around and around barricades and construction.  Tiny was good. It was not a part of California I had ever been to. I loved it! Blue skies, palm trees, ocean breeze, lots of green and flowers.  We actually had time to walk around and see some stuff, and enjoy California.  We had clam chowder on the Queen Mary, fish and chips by the light house,  almost every meal was outside. The funniest thing about this trip was the new manager.  He got promoted to truck driver for the trip.  Which them made it so I had to drive the rental car back to the airport at 4:30 am ALONE!  I did better than he did.  He took out a fire hydrant at the convention center loading dock.  40 foot geyser was like a tourist attraction.

This is Harriet and Brenda.  Territory Educators that worked the show with me.

First Trip to the Lazy E

First trip to the Cabin and it was perfect sweatshirt weather.  We had a fire and roasted marshmallows.  We BBQed burgers, we pushed the kids in the swings, road up and down the road on the 4 wheeler and we even went to the lake.  AND of course there are projects everywhere you look.  Zach and Jerry moved a trailer load of cinderblock and then Jerry's back was done. 

   

 Then Jerry just had to play and sing, only to stop now and then to fill up on treats!  Yes, we brought a candy bucket.  We thought about not doing it because of Caid's diabetes, but then the store had sugar free, whoopee!  We all had lots, too much. It was what you do at the cabin, eat too much.  Plenty of chips, cabin breakfast of ham, scrambled eggs and cheese, hashbrowns and onions, OJ, ummm-m-m, doesn't it make you wish you were there now?!

So, thanks Michelle and Zach for coming to play and bringing the girls to entertain us.

HONORARY MENTION

I entered my quilts in HMQS(Home Machine Quilting Show).  I knew the boat quilt wouldn't win anything because your quilt has to be absolutely perfect AND over the top to get a ribbon.  I know where I made my mistakes on that one, but I believe in supporting the local show so I took 2 quilts over.  I got a call the day before they announced the judging, and they said I should be at the awards ceremony.  It just so turned out that Mom and Dad were here.  He has been having trouble with his eye ever since his cataract surgery in February, they brought him up to the VA. So they came over to see the show, what I do AND apparently win a sewing machine!

Mom got seats early...at the front...on the aisle...and saved a few for my "people", my friends I work with.  The first thing they announced was the door prize winner.  "Look under your seat.  $3500 Baby Lock Sewing machine is going  to the LUCKY person... "  We are all checking our chairs and the extra chairs we were saving, I look over and Mom is holding this paper that says BABY LOCK Machine.  She hasn't said a thing or held it up.  I of course start screaming, "Mom, You WON!" Cameras start flashing and people are cheering and clapping...Dad is more excited and proud because HE was "sitting right next to the winner."

Next comes the Honorary Mention.  They might have explained it, but I missed it.  They were giving out those ribbons for EVERY division first.  They start announcing all of these National Teachers who have quilts in the show and who won but none of them are going up to get their ribbons BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL IN TEACHING CLASSES. Finally, they call my name.  None of the others have gone up on stage, but I am at the front and they motion to me to come up.

The ribbon isn't very big and it was kind of weird how they gave them out for Honorary Mention, but I was very proud to be selected.  I was super excited when I got the judges sheet.  I got an Excellent in every category they judge, didn't get marked down on one thing. The Judge's comment..."WOW!" So when you have 4 perfect quilts you award 1st, 2nd and 3rd by ... Wows?!  That's all that's left.

Eureka! Skydeck at 88 stories.

This is the tallest residential building.  We went up 88 stories in less than 30 seconds.   You didn't even feel like an elevator bump.  When we got off the elevator and walked into the top floor of all windows it was unbelievably beautiful.  In every direction there was an incredible view. 

Doing the Town...

Or the Clampett's come to the city.  My boss, the CEO set us up at the Marriott downtown for the last 2 nights. He gave us cab money and said, "Don't waste your days off waiting for the shuttle, take a cab first thing in the morning, and go out to dinner to a really nice restaurant and expense it on the company."  Just the hotel was pretty swanky.  We had to figure out how to get the elevator to work...insert room key.  Then we couldn't turn on any lights or TV in our room... insert room key. The bed was deluxe...

There were ROBES!

 The bathroom was even deluxe.  And the closet had lights that went on when you opened the door. We were living the high life.  For real, we were up about 3 floors, then up to the 9th floor for "Tea" and breakfast and "Canapes" or dessert, and to use the internet.  It was extra to have internet access in our room.  Our room already cost $289.00 a night! I have no complaints, we were treated very well. My boss took very good care of us.  He made all of our travel arrangements and hotels and paid for great dinners when we all went out.

Jerry took me to see all the sights, the city, the river, the docklands, malls, old buildings, new and tall.  Really tall...