No Kindle for Me!

Every now and then I go into this "OMG I WANT A KINDLE" kind of freak out.

But then I actually look at the price ($300), look at the books they offer (I couldn't re-create half my current library because the books simply aren't available as a kindle download), and decide against it.

I guess if I read magazines or newspapers, or best sellers regularly, it would be worth it.

Not having an SD slot is not as big of a deal really - there's no reason to keep a book around when you can re-download it (granted you lose your bookmarks and notes) any time you want.

Being able to email myself notes seems pointless (and expensive at 10 cents a pop), seeing as I have a cell phone with SMS texting. That's what Twitter is for!

The fact that I don't own my books is a huge issue for me. The recent 1984 disaster worries me. But I don't think it'd be a deal breaker if there wasn't such huge other issues.

The fact that I want a dead tree book and that my eventual goal is to fill my entire house with bookcases EVERYWHERE and books just falling off of them, arranged by genre, author, and series just makes me tingle inside. And it pretty much kills my desire for a kindle.

Yes, it's the future. But it's not in my immediate future, and I'm fine with that. For now.

So if you're thinking about Christmas presents for me (and let's face it, you all should be), how about a nice Disney classic movie on DVD (buy it on blue-ray and die!) or a

Camping 2009

Subtitled: How Pat tried to kill me by hiking 2.2 miles and 1730 feet to Gilbert Lake, and then we had to come back!!!

So! Pat and I go camping and hiking once a year and we always go to Onion Valley near Independence, California.

This year, by the time we got around to making our reservation all the flex Friday's through most of summer were taken, and we grabbed the second to last flex available. Snow comes early at 9,200 feet!

Thursday night we packed up the car, except for food, and enjoyed a relaxing evening at home. Friday we went to breakfast, gassed up the car, and got some ice for packing up the food. We finished packing the car, I headed to the chiropractor and off we went!

The drive up 395 only takes about an hour and 45 minutes. No way to tell how long it would take me (going the speed limit). So in no time at all, we had arrived at the road leading up to the camp ground.



This trip wasn't as photographed as some of our other trips. So no pics of the campground, tent, or anything pretty much except our hike - which was the highlight of our going! We do have pics of the dinner night one (Friday).

Soon after we set up camp, dark clouds started forming. There were a few drops of rain every now and then, but mostly it was a little misty. It soon passed though, and a dinner of Chili dogs commenced!




So, on with the hike! Below is the map of the trail, which is called Kearsarge Pass. We usually walk to Little Pothole Lake, but today Pat convinced me to go to the next lake up, Gilbert Lake. Today, I can't walk. Well, I can. But I can't straighten up!

So we started the hike at the parking lot for the Kearsarge Pass trail. We headed up a bit, and started taking pictures of our hike up!



Halfway up you see the waterfall that comes out of our destination, Little Pothole Lake. Next to it is a rock face that appears to have come straight from the stonemasons of Gondor! Gondor I say!!!




Pat next to the waterfall, which he tried to fall into several times.



Finally, a little more than an hour later we reach our destination! There's few people, and a big gorgeous lake!




Now this is where we usually stop. However, Pat being the crazy he is (how his co-workers think he's lazy is simply beyond me), he convinced me to go on to the next lake. So we ate some trail mix, drank some water, and hives and all (it was windy!) we headed off to the next lake!

The walk wasn't to bad, surprisingly. It ended in a bunch of rocks,

and there before us appeared one of the most breathtaking sites I've ever seen!






Three and a half hours later we dragged ourselves back in camp after deciding that another night in a tent would kill us. So we packed up, headed home, and had Panang Curry for dinnah! mmmmmm curry!

I'm so sore I can't walk well, and my back is so screwed I can't stand upright. But the walk was awesome and well worth it! Next year, we'll definitely do it again!

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Princess

One of these days I'm going to kill my husband. I got called a Princess yesterday, because I won't use generic q-tips. I might have slightly gone unhinged ;p

But I'm going totally unprincess-like camping this weekend! We're blowing up our air mattress with a foot pedal (no generator for an electric air pump) and taking those carbon warmy thingies from Wal-mart! Roughing it all the way baby!

We're not doing s'mores, but we are taking marshmallows to roast, and beer to drink (uuuuuuuuuugh beer!!). Hopefully the hike up to the lake goes better this trip than last, and hopefully it isn't 32º at night. Because I will become a princess - ensconced in a hotel in nearby Independence, California!

WOO!

B

September 11th - 8 Years Later

Sept. 11th is always a crummy day for me. Not only because I take the attacks and subsequent aftermath very much to heart, but because so many people seem to be so blasé about it. "Oh, yeah. September 11th. Okay."

I don't take that well.

One of my bosses sent out pictures of the 9/11 disaster and I studiously avoided looking, knowing I'd cry hysterically for the entire rest of the day. I got up to time stamp incoming documents, and the time was 9:11. I think I'll spend the rest of the day almost in tears.

Not going to lunch with Pat, as he's heading to the new Pizza Factory in town with his co-workers and an extended lunch is not allowed for us peons!

Going bowling after work, and will probably have a few drinks after (they don't serve hard liquor at the lanes we go to - and I don't drink beer). Have a lot to do this weekend to prep for next weekend's camping trip.

On a side note, Disney just released their 2011 cruise schedule including Alaska and the Mexican Riviera. I'm 100% sure I won't be going on these cruises, and looking at them just made me sad.

Gonna be a hell of a long day, but not sure what I expected from a Sept. 11th.

To all those in service, support, and in memory of all those lost to us forever - I remember.

Always.

B