My Bag is Packed, I’m Ready to Go

The temperatures are falling rapidly and there is the possibility of snow tomorrow night, but it doesn’t affect me!

Guy and I leave tomorrow for 4 nights in the Bahamas.  We will be staying here :

Atlantis picture from their web site

This trip has been in the works since this time last year, but true preparations didn’t start for us until about 6 months ago.

 √ April  — Get passport  I have only left the U.S. to go to Canada and Mexico and at that time a passport wasn’t necessary.  So this is my first trip with a passport.

√ May or June the official invitation is received and ACCEPTED.  Nolan says this is the coolest invitation ever.

√ July — purchased a camera to use underwater.  The batteries for both cameras going on the trip are charging as I write.

√ Early this month — purchased snorkel equipment.  There is just something unappealing about putting a snorkel in your mouth when you aren’t sure where it has been before or how it was cleaned.

√ Yesterday — “Guest Parents” arrive (Nolan’s term because Sheila thinks babysitters is too juvenile for the boys)  I wish the boys could come along, but no minors allowed.  They will have a good time with Auntie Sheila and Uncle David.

√ Tonight — suitcase is packed except for last minute items.  I can have two suitcases, but one is enough for me.  Thanks Nolan for the loan and Jesse for loaning his suitcase to Guy.  They have far better luggage than we do so we will add some wear and tear to theirs at the airports.  I still have reading materials gather for the plane trip.

Tomorrow — 7:00 am at the airport for a chartered flight direct to Nassau.  The computer is not going, so I’ll check back in next week.

Yes, Lisa I remembered the sunscreen.

Cheat to Win

I confess, I’m a cheater!  At this point my sister would gleefully tell you I’ve been cheating since I was fairly young.  So before I get to the current day cheating let me beat her to the punch and tell you the story.

For some inexplicable reason several members of my family love to play Rook.  I do not happen to be one of them, however I have played my share of games.  My sister has had a life long love of the game.  She takes it very seriously.  When she was a kid she would play with the dog if no one else was available.

Sheila & Pepi playing Rook

I have no idea how old we were, but I’m pretty sure I was less than 10.  Saturday night after sundown was almost always  fun night.  This particular Saturday night we were playing Rook.  The only three people I know for sure were playing were my Grandma, my sister and me.  Most likely my dad as well.  In Rook you are required to follow suit if you have the color that was led.  If you don’t have the correct color you can use trump cards or slough junk.  I was very slyly playing out of suit.  (That was before my sister memorized what everyone was playing and counted cards.)  I must have gotten caught and my Grandma exclaimed, “Cheaters Never Prosper.” 

I looked her straight in the eye and replied, “Well, I’ve been  prospering all night!”  (corrected per Sheila’s memory)

Now on to the modern day cheating.  I’m having an extremely difficult time working on customer quilts when what I really want to do is work on finishing more of mine.  To motivate myself I make up games or rewards.  Do this much on the customer quilt and I can do (fill in the blank).  This week I loaded a customer quilt on one machine and my quilt on another.  The deal was use up one bobbin on the customer quilt and then a bobbin on my quilt.  I regret to say I started cheating.  Pretty soon it was change colors on the customer quilt and do a bobbin on mine.  Then it was advance the customer quilt and do a bobbin on mine.  Eventually I think it got to where I was doing two bobbins on mine for whatever excuse I could come up with.  I did finish mine first.  I’ll show a picture after it is bound.  I finished Barb’s Winter Wonderland quilt today and it was on the machine way longer than it should have been because of my cheating.

Barb's Winter Wonderland

Winter Wonderland Quilting View

There you have the extent of how I cheat these days.  Sorry to disappoint if you were expecting something more devious.

By the way the title of this post came home with Guy from the Shooting Range.  Apparently if you are in a gun fight, it is OK to cheat in order to win.