Vacation

Hello All!
You may have noticed the influx of blogs posted today. And you may have also noticed that I am still behind for the years 2008, 2009 and 2010 as well as for any more recent updates. My computer is still being very dicey. I convinced it for about an hour to work with me and in that time managed to get what you see posted. However, then even though it was propped up on a catnip container for maximum airflow (but not proper typing technique), it crapped out. I keep getting this blue screen that tells me that if the problem persists to uninstall some program BUT the problem being that what exactly I should do is blocked out by big black bars. When I get some extra money (hopefully will have the money situation caught up in a month or so), I need to get the laptop fixed. Now I am on Joe's computer under the guise of taking a bath and going to bed.
Anyway, my Facebook and Twitter followers know that I recently took a vacation. And Joe and I have officially returned. Pictures are posted to Facebook and I guess, I'll try to get some posted here too. About a week prior to leaving, TH asked what we were planning on doing in Missouri. I declared that we weren't going to Missouri. When he found out where we were going, he insisted on giving us lots of places to eat.
So last Saturday was really the first day of vacation as that day we dropped the dogs off at the clinic for boarding. (Joe called it doggy jail.) Mary got vaccinated because she had been on pred for a really long time for an ear infection and then proceeded to bark nonstop for seven days. I know she drove everyone nuts. The corgis were apparently good. The rest of Saturday was spent cleaning up the house so it would be clean when we returned and being doted on by the cat who was glad that we finally came to our senses and got rid of those dogs!
Sunday, we got up reasonably early and started off for Baltimore. It wasn't smooth sailing as I was driving because Joe hates to drive in big cities and is also incapable of giving directions. He also likes to criticize my driving which is sometimes the only reason I can drive into cities. (I drive for myself. Out of my way!) We went to the National Aquarium which was nice. I particularly liked the octopus and jellyfish. However, I don't like zoos so I'm not sure why I though I'd like an aquarium. Also the aquarium was sort of crowded and it doesn't allow strollers. This is nice in that I'm not tripping over strollers but now instead I am tripping over toddlers. Really? Do toddlers get anything from the aquarium that they couldn't get at home in front of the the TV? Really? After the aquarium, we planned on going to Pimlico for Sunday afternoon races. Its the week before the Preakness so I figured the place would already be decorated and stuff. However, because it was the week before the Preakness, it was difficult to find the entrance. After circling Pimlico and the shady neighborhood it lays in twice, we gave up and started for Ocean City. We did have to drive for an hour around various bad neighborhoods in Baltimore before I threw up my hands, shut off the GPS on Superphone and looked at the atlas. We were then out of the city in about fifteen minutes. I also ate some Twizzlers. Then we were on our way. Finally in Ocean City, we checked into the hotel, looked at the beach, walked across the street to our first crab destination and then dug in for some all you can eat seafood. I put away a large plate of shrimp leaving a butter trail behind and several ribs. It was good. After that, we looked that the beach some more and lapsed into comas.
Monday, we slept in as we would every day and then decided to walk down the boardwalk. The boardwalk is three miles long. We walked down it stopping at various stores to pick up sunglasses, souvenirs and a cat shaped kite. We also managed to get sunburned and I got some pretty wicked blisters on my feet from a new pair of shoes; they are super cute though-boat shoes of denim and plaid. I was so very hungry after the boardwalk and we ate at the first open place we found for some more seafood. After that, we took a nap and then flew our kite on the beach. It was a really cool kite.
Tuesday, it started out pretty gloomy so we played miniature golf followed by going to the Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum. Then we sat on the boardwalk and were attacked by seagulls (which might actually be terns) for our french fries. One literally grazed my head. More napping was followed by a seafood buffet and then an evening walk on the beach.
Wednesday was even more gloomy so we headed to Delaware for some outlet shopping followed by a non seafood lunch and then the movie Thor. Thor was terrible. At this point, we noticed a rumbling on the street. People were starting to arrive in town for a hot rod show. We thought we could escape car shows by leaving Carlisle but we were mistaken. We also probably went to the beach this night too. There were some consistent patterns to our vacation-1) sleeping in, 2) napping and watching motel TV, 3) walking on the beach in the evening, 4) Joe drinking too much beer in our room as well as drinking mine when I fell asleep on the bed and 5) seafood dinners.
Thursday, we went out to Assategue Island National Park and drove around. The beach was beautiful and we saw lots of wild ponies there. We went back the hotel but then I convinced Joe that we should go back out there to lay on the beach since the beach was nicer and quieter. We went and I tried to tan but got too cold. Eventually, I was ready to go back but oh wait, the keys were locked in the car! This is how the situation went down. As we got out of the car to go to the beach, I read Joe the pass code to unlock the door without keys. He tried it and said that he would remember it. I told him very specifically that I would not and could not remember it so it was all on him to remember the code. Returning to our car, he did not. He tried several combinations before trudging off to find a park ranger who opened our door very promptly. We would find out that we knew all of the numbers but not in the right order. We then went to dinner where it was obvious to a group of locals that we knew nothing about crabs. After a demo, we set into more crabs. And then some more crabs. Then we went back to the hotel for the night.
Friday, after checking out and mailing some postcards to our maternal figures we were back on the road. When we got home, I expected to be greeted by a very grateful cat. Instead, she hid under the bed until she was sure it was us and that there were no dogs in tow. Then as we cleaned up the car and I did laundry she followed me around. Joe mowed the yard since it hadn't been mowed in two weeks. Joe mows both sides of the yard even though I tell him not too. Stan, the neighbor across the street, has started to tell him not to as well. Joe started this last year thinking it was his responsibility even though I told him that yard only referred to our half. Anyway, even though our yard was a jungle, did the neighbor lift a finger to mow it while we were gone? NO! Does he contribute by weedeating or even telling Joe thanks? NO! Now, I will give him that he works a lot and the night shift as well as having a small child BUT Joe worked the night shift last year and still mowed the yard on a weekly basis. Between me and Stan, we'll have Joe broke of mowing both sides by the end of the summer. Our landlord stopped by too and I showed him the mold that was growing in the dog room as well as the fact that the roof was still leaking. He said he's going to replace the roof. We'll see. Saturday we went to the large animal open house to eat some steaks and then picked up the dogs. Joe took the to the park right away so I could get some more dog free time. After that, we worked the ponies. Cody still won't go over a tarp. I attached the reins to Nell's bridle today and Joe led her around. She seemed okay. Today, we repeated it and in fact Joe took off the lead and eventually was sitting and I was ground driving Nell solo. She still wants to turn around and look at me or find Joe to look at when we stop. More practice. It needs to stop raining though...
I'll eventually get around to posting the remainder to get caught up. Maybe some every couple of days if the laptop works.