Vacation is over - but more excitement coming!

Vacation was great!! Didn't realize how old my last post was until I signed in this morning. Wish I had some pictures to share - but we were so busy having fun we didn't really snap many pics!

Day one in SFO Mark and I walked from Market Street and Third all the way down to and around the waterfront. Straight through Chinatown, stopped at a little local pub and watched everyone queeing to get into the Sunday performance of Beach Blanket Babylon. Don't know why but on Sunday you have to be over 18 to get in - is it a differnt show than the other nights? hmmm...... no theater for us on this trip -

Lots of water though! We did the catamaran trip up the bay and under the Golden Gate bridge, took the passenger ferry from Oakland to SFO on Day 2 and then did the Emerald Bay paddlewheel boat in South Lake Tahoe and finished up with white water rafting on the middle fork of the American river. It was an awesome day shared with good friends.

The black mustang convertible was perfect - the top was down every day and the weather could not have been netter - we drove over 1200 miles.

Now - above is my review - my husband's varies. He enjoyed the trip also - but would have been happier with less 'driving and scenery' and more water. We did some long drives on dangerous mountain roads (curves at 10 mph) where we didn't see another vehicle for hours in either direction and while I felt in control after a while it did get very tedious and I was so glad when it was over! One road knocked us off schedule we did not get to overnight in Lake Tahoe but stayed about 45 minutes south of the lake and drove in the next day.

While on the paddlewheel boat (I highly recommend to anyone who visits Lake Tahoe) a local was talkign about other points of interest around the lake. Including the old CalNeva resort which at one time Frank sinatra was part owner in and the rat pack used to hang out there. It si on the north end of the lake, just where the road from Truckee comes in. We drove the long way around the lake to find it! It was kinda sad. Obviously the growth has really been at the south end of the lake. The north end is older and more residential than tourist - it's more snow-skiing than water sports. But it was interesting to see. there was some neat architectural elements and decoration that I wish someone whould come in and restore the place but I don't know what would draw the people back in this economy. Outside the showroom, there was a 'walk of fame' with pictures of Frank and other performes who appeared at the CalNeva, it was funny I had seen most of them and my husband didn't know some of them.

Since getting home I have been trying to find more time to relax and doing pretty well at that. Still wishing I had three day weekends....

On the quilting front - I have finished piecing the top for the Crayola challenge. Needed fushia thread for quilting and could not get in 100% cotton, so going to try a blend and see if I have breakage problems or not. I still have to get going on the Scraps to Treasures challenge which is due in 2 weeks!! I have the cutting done - but assembly is pending. If I fall behind I think it's okay - because this is a charity quilt that we decide who to donate to. I am thinking mine will go to NC to be donated to the children's home down there.

This weekend I made the '10 minute table runner' that I bought in a kit from my LQS. No Quilting, no batting and it was faster than 10 minutes. I love it and plan to make many more for gifts for friends and family. Seasonal changes - look out and easy to enlarge to be mantle length too! I'll post a picture next time!

Struggling with holiday gift for co-workers - may have to go get some ideas - and see if I can get started on them soon!

Oh - the excitement to come - so after we go back from SFO I squezzed in a 2 day trip to Florida for work. Had a great time with a co-worker staying ina small town just north of Sebastian. Old style Florida right on A1A. Long walk on the beach, beautiful sunsets and good work too! Then came back to find that I am going to be heading down to Buenos Aires, Argentina and Lima, Peru. Also for work - just 9 days and three of those will be travel days but going with a great team of co-workers and I am really looking forward to it in the middle of October.