It's Buggy Time!

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Is it just me, or does Haleigh look ALOT older these days?


Here's Kristen and Haleigh coloring a picture for Pop-Pop.



And here's Haleigh and I checking out this year's future orange crop. Looks like it will be Orange Marmalade in every ones Christmas baskets this year.


We have been VERY busy with our upcoming hike. It's in 3 WEEKS, YEAH!!!!! This weekend we camped out in our tents. Dan and I have our own tents, and decided we better get a trial run in (sleeping in separate tents), before our trip. This was the first time, EVER, in a tent by myself.It wasnt too bad. Though there's nothing like the comfort of your very own cuddle bear to help lul you to sleep. But, I guess the ole Tylenol P.M. will have to be the bear on this trip.

Quick, Turn Off The Butane!

O.K. Just to let you know in advance, I'm having one of "those" days and spelling was not one of my better subjects in school, so... here goes. I have been sick with a glandular infection and finally went to the doctors . Needless to say, my hiking prep for a week and a half has been nada, zilch, nothing. I can only clean one house a day but then feel like a 90 year old needing her oxygen tank and wheelchair. Anyway, we did do alittle hiking prep with the crew regarding our kitchen skills, tents, and safety skills. Here's how it went. Here's our stove.
Dan, a.k.a Thunderbolt, lite the stove in our living room to see how easy or hard it would be. No, problem, it's very easy to use just don't get too close while lighting or you will get a very ODD odor seeping up your nostrils. We also tried one of the soup mixes that we will have on the trail.
If you like Cheddar and Broccoli then this is for you. For those of you who are amongst the normals and despise the green stuff, your better off eating a granola bar and peanut butter instead. We worked with our tents to see how long it would take to set them up.

We had no manuals and eventually we got it. Dan, Tammi, and Alex donned their packs on and hiked 3 miles last Saturday. Dan made it in 52 minutes. I asked later if he was planning to keep the same pace when we are on the trail, and thankfully he said no. He's in training now, so he's whipping his body into shape. Alex, according to both Tammi and Dan ,said the kid was jumping around after this hike. He had no problem with the hike and his pack that weighed about 25 pounds. This has put my mind at ease. My baby will be o.k. on this adventure. I thought for sure we would have to carry his load and maybe him at times, but he can handle it. Oh youthful energy, how I long to have you back.


Now if you ask Alex about his great upcoming adventure he still acts like it's the end of the world. HELLO...am I missing something here. What teenager doesn't want to get out of school for 2 weeks? His vice principal, Mr. Darby thinks this is an awesome opportunity, wishes he could join us, and is getting everything prepared, ahead of time, so Alex can have all the work he will miss completed before he even leaves for the trip. How great is that? On Thursday night we went over some excellent emergency and safety skills/scenarios with a friend Carl, and his wonderful daughter Kessid. It was a blast! And though it will add alittle extra weight to my pack, I think I'm going to bring part of the safety manual with us on our trip, just in case. Well, as I am writing this, my fellow com padres are on a 6 mile hike. I'm still getting my strength back and do not want to over do it. So here I sit.Do you think blogging and typing can be considered hiking prep? I'll need the extra strength in my fingers and hand to catapult my bear bag up and over the tree. Yep, that's it!

Are We Really Going To Do This?

What have we gotten ourselves into, has been the phrase floating around amongst us lately. With our impending trip rapidly approaching, we have decided to kick up our training, drastically. And, since all of us hikers involved in this crazy adventure have not been diligent in training alone, we've decided to meet 3 times a week, and hold each other accountable. OUCH! So, on Saturday, Dan, Tammi, and I set time aside for some serious training! Dan picked out a trail that was 7 miles long. So we put our loaded packs on and ventured into the woods eager to push these bodies to the limit and see how they would react. Well, surprisingly enough, we all woke up Sunday morning, and are not sore, at all. HALLELUJAH. So, we have either not pushed hard enough, have conditioned alittle with what minimal training we have been doing, or our bodies are just waiting for us to relax only to turn on us in pure rebellion in order to possibly prevent this crazy expedition. Now don't misunderstand, this WAS challenging in almost 90 degree weather. We made plans to avoid the scorching sun by starting our hike at 7:30 a.m. Well, that time came and went and we stepped foot onto the Citrus Trail, Loop D at 8:40 a.m.

Needless to say, we DID NOT miss the brain frying sun, and the last mile seemed to almost do all of us in. I know, we live in the SUNSHINE state, but for those who are not used to the direct sun beating down on you, know that there are certain times of the day, that if you can avoid this appointment, then your better off scheduling activites when the sun is not out blazing in all its glory. Well, we did not, and even though our car was only parked a mile away, this girl was tempted to hitch a ride with the next available mode of transportation that did not require me to exert anymore energy to get to where I needed to go. Though it was tough, I have to admit, it was worth the effort and energy. We hiked in the Withlacoochee Forest, about 10 minutes from the house. Parts of the forest were quite pretty for Florida.

It's not Table Rock, but still pretty for Florida. We did see some wildlife...moths, butterflies,
a baby turtle, and a deer.
Oh, and we saw the most welcoming and pretty red truck in front of us, not too far ahead, that brought hope and alittle happiness to us weary hikers, that yes indeed, we managed and survived this test of endurance.
So, maybe we're not as crazy as we thought...MAYBE?

Haleigh and Gramzie's Play Date...

Hello Bloggers. This post comes way past due. Life has been busy with many joys and cares and concerns. It was a refreshing day on Wednesday though. Haleigh Bug came over for some Gramzie time. It was Gramzie however, who needed my little Bug fix. We had a wonderful day exploring outside.


It was a good thing Haleigh wanted to go play in the backyard. We discovered that Gramzies grass was in dire need of mowing. If left too much longer, Haleigh would have been lost amongst the tall giant-like weeds that seemed to have strategically preyed upon my once thriving bahia grass.
It was a very HOT day, which quickly helped Haleigh decide that dirt, sweat, and unknown creatures crawling on your shoe was her que to retreat to a cooler and safer environment, free of foreign inhabitants, especially those with more than 2 legs...YUCK!!!!



Bye,Bye creepy crawlies!

Cryptosporidium,Bacteria and Protozoan Cysts Be Gone...

A few days ago, Dan and I went to the first of many trips to the outfitters store in Ocala for our upcoming hiking trip in the fall. YEAH!!! We purchased our ever important water filtering system. This contraption will pump out 2 liters per minute... AWESOME... A much quicker plan to the previous ones we have researched. I'm so excited. It also anhilates all diarrhea and other uncomfortable illness causing ickys, not seen by the human eye, in the water ones about to ingest. We looked at all sorts of different gear etc...We decided on which tent and sleeping bags we will get. So now we know what brands and are on the hunt to find them at the most economical price. We still have many more hours of research ahead, but today's outing has definitely aroused the hiking bug. We are going to check out some of Walmarts supplies to compare quality and pricing, and make final decisions on which outfitter to choose. The ole' wallet is screaming Walmart prices, however, we've learned that sometimes it pays to pay alittle extra for quality which will in the end last longer. Not all items fall under this category, but in this case, definitely.

Hello Bloggers!

Well, it's been along time since I posted. We've been quite busy here in the Dickinson household. Dan and I went to Fernandina Beach recently and then to my parents house for the weekend. Alex was able to join us during the beginning of the week, but with finals at school, he was a responsible student and went back home to study, yep, that's what he did. And I'm happy to report, he passed and is now entering...HIGH SCHOOL!!!!!



Work has been CRAZY busy, like 3 and 4 houses a day during the week with one day off. Last week I had 4 jobs on Monday, 3 on Tuesday, off Wednesday, 4 on Thursday and I was off on Friday. On my days off, Haleigh bug and I catch up on some extra playtime...YEAH!!!!!








With our hike coming up, every job I complete I'm logging down as hiking prep. Absolutely!!!There's alot of calories to be burned cleaning houses now. I'm still working on the whole backpack and walking with a 30 pound load. Not quite there yet. I have alot of goals set...running, drink more water, cut out sugar, etc...but I'm not stressing over unmet goals yet. Baby steps. Every little bit of prep helps. For those of you interested in the cakes we've been trying to create, here's the car pics. I'm still waiting on the spaghetti pics and will post asap.










I have also discovered that yes, even when you are up to your elbows in marshmallow fondant and powdered sugar, you still burn calories. Question...How did one come up with the exact calculation of calories burned during baking? Did they take into consideration the taste testing involved and the physical exertion one expels during such a task? I do believe that every baker/cook should be required to taste test and that that should somehow cancel out a certain number of calories for taking into consideration the safety and culinary needs and wants of our family and friends.

Back to Business...

Well, vacation is over...UGGG! I know, it's only been 3 weeks, and I'm ready to go again. PATIENCE GIRL!!!!!! Anyway, the next few weeks are going to be very busy. We have 2 cakes to make, and we are catering a party. YEAH...MEATBALLS! The first cake was a spaghetti cake for a friends surprise 50th birthday,(which we actually did already this past Saturday, and it was pretty cool) and the other is a 1959 Ford Edsel cake. I'm so excited. This will be our first attempt creating a car cake. The spaghetti cake I think was pretty easy. All the OOPS that happened where covered by squwiggling (is that an actual word...SQU-WIGG-LE-ING???)frosting noodles. FUN!!!



Wednesday Haleigh Bug is coming over for the day.








And tommorrow Dan and I are going to a seminar. We are spending the whole day together. We will be entering the wonderful world of INSULATION...Yeah!! Dan and I get to sit at the feet of one of the most well renowned scholars of the pink stuff (remember the Pink Panther commercial)? I did find out that it's in Tampa at the Hilton in the West Shore district, around the airport, before going over the Howard Franklin Bridge. My plan is to endure, I mean soak up and retain as much info as I can stand, I mean get, and then maybe make my way to the West Shore Plaza mall for alittle down time before the second half of the day. We will see. All together the seminar is for 9 hours. UUGGG, I mean YEAH!!! Last time I was at that mall was when Dan was in school for his contractor's license. I made my way over to the mall and walked around Sak's 5th Avenue. I saw the most hidious dress I wouldn't even put on someone to be buried in. The dress was red and had all this ugly beading on it and the price tag was $1221.00. Do people really pay that much for one article of clothing? I once payed $20.00 for a dress, and about talked myself out of it because I thought it was too much. But my honey helped me through this buying purchase challenge, and I'm glad he did. Though I have to admit. I love being able to go to the local thrift store and fill a bag for $5.00. Beat that Saks!


DID I MAKE IT THROUGH? I COULDN'T WAIT TO TELL...
Yes, I survived the 9 hour seminar. YEAH!!! I have to admit, it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I walked away with some new found skills that I plan on putting into practice, no worries mates, I'm not going to use you as guinea pigs, or will I? I'll never tell...Anyway, the information was quite interesting! SURPRISE to me too. It was nothing like I invisioned in my mind. Dan and I was even called to do alittle role playing infront of all these people. Thank God we did not have to say anything. I threatened Dan with his life if this man called on us. But, it wasn't has horrific as I imagined. Oh, I also thought we were going to a totally different hotel. I never stepped foot into Saks 5th Avenue. However we did spend 9 hours in a Hilton. A first for me. OOOH LAAAA LAAA! Did you know that there are 2 faucets per sink in the restroom? Quite enlightening for me.Before class began, I naturally was looking for the little girls room. Well, imagine my surprise when I stepped into the ladies room and saw 2 faucets in each sink. What is that for? COOL, A spiket for each hand...OOOH, FANCY!!! Well, just imagine the squeal of amazement that sounded forth when I was washing my hands. The second faucet is not for water, but a soap dispenser in disquised.WOW!!! What a handy little contraption. I had so much fun with it. One squwirt or two miss,Hmm..FOUR please. Hey, you would too. And it smelled SO good. It really made my hands soft as well. I had NEVER seen this ingenious invention before in a public facility. O.k, maybe not that public. But at least for the day, this girl was afforded the most luxurious bathroom experience of my life. And I didn't have to spend the $119.00 per night fee. Yes, and that was their "special discounted rate." OOH LAAA LAAAA!! Though, it got me thinking on the way home. Have we as a society really become that lazy? Who comes up with these ideas, REALLY?
Maybe it's to make every persons bathroom experience at this Hilton more "green"-you know earth friendly etc...VISIT YOUR LOCAL BACKYARD...Just kidding. Maybe someone, during their unmentionables, decided... How can I change the way people experience their bodies natural plumbing tendancies from ENDURING the process to being the MASTER of their domain. HMMMM! Self squwirting soap dispensers.TAADAAA! I wonder if the Hilton cleaning ladies get to wear fancy uniforms? I hear that Saks has an appropriate little uniform for a mere $1200.00. Take it from me, it doesn't matter what I'm wearing to clean in, if there's fancy, smancy soapy thingies or not, talking paper towel holders or whatever else is invented in the future for a more "comfortable" bathroom experience, if I have to clean up after others unmentionables the last thing on my mind is OOOHHH look at that, 2 faucets! However, when it's my turn to be graced by the ingenious work of yet another tidy bowl mastermind, I can only pray that they take a moment to reflect, with thanksgiving, the hard working cleaning staff, that clean the millions of bathrooms out there. Now, tidy bowl masterminds, create...only this time, can someone please invent the self cleaning bathroom...Calling all cleaning girls...Stand with your toilet scrubbers high girls and proclaim...IT'S NOW OUR TURN TO BE PAMPERED IN LUXURY!!!