Did the Blog Die?

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Someone asked me today if I'd given up on my blog. (Three days that I didn't post anything people. Three days! You may want to look into that whole "getting a life" thing they're talking about on Twitter.) 

No, I haven't abandoned the blog. I'm just swamped with work. I've balancing 2 big client projects that are eating up most of my days (and nights). My book proposal is in desperate need of a revision based on recent feedback I received, but that's going to have to wait, probably for at least another 2 weeks. I haven't even been able to find the time to prepare BILLS for my clients which, hmmm, yes, is a problem. 

Add on that this weekend is the Virginia Beach Half-Marathon and I'm still trying to get in my runs, boot camp and cross training, along with getting the car serviced, preparing for the house sitter, reminding Rockingham county artists for the umpteenth time that their entries are due by September 1st for the Artist Studio Tour and blah-blah-blah, blah-blah-blah... I'm busy. 

I'm also experiencing computer blindness and I think my hands are locked into the arched typing position, so I'm going to call it a night. 

Cheers,

Dena

Can I Put My Hair Care Items In Your Suitcase?

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I'm a bad packer. No news there. But what I realized this morning as I was standing in the shower, already berating myself for the overpacking I know is to come, is that the longer the duration of my trip, the better packer I appear to be. This is because the majority of my packing woes come from personal care items. I'm not a clothes horse and I can get by with one or two pairs of shoes so on long trips I do pretty well. But I fill three tote bags with hair and body care items whether I go on a 3-week trip or an overnight jaunt. Doesn't matter. I need the exact same amount of stuff. 

Here's just a little sample of what it takes to get me through a 24-hour period:

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The Travel Diaries: Estonia, Finland, & My Meltdown on the Plane

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Tallinn, Estonia. If you have the chance, go there. Who knew?

We arrived late afternoon at this seemingly perfectly preserved medieval city after a 9-hour bus ride from St. Petersburg. I loved it from the word go. Cobblestone streets winding around curves into hills, a stone wall fortress surrounding the town still in place, and a central open square where you could (and we did) kick back with a beer or coffee and enjoy some great people watching? Count me in.

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Travel Diaries: The Russian Eat & Run

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Since we're returned from Russia, friends keep asking two questions. "What did you eat?" and "Did you run?" 

Let's tackle the gastronomical aspect first. 

The food was bad. Very bad. Awful. Near the end of the trip when we finally were offered a salad it prompted Blair to comment that he missed my cooking. (Yes, the food was that bad.) 

Fruit was scarce and greens almost non-existent. Salt, however, was plentiful. I bloated up like a puffer fish. There was salt was in everything - the bread, the meat (so I was told), the soup, the vegetables, the scrambled eggs...

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