24 February 2004
Fat Tuesday
So it is raining in New Orleans as well as here in the Nation's Capitol today...
Tonight the lab group is going out for some fun...But then again Phil is in charge of tonight, so for me it could just be a crazy night of my being shocked, as it usually is when the lab group goes out. I am going to leave early today so that I can go home and feed the Kitten and grab my coat as I forgot it morning when my ride to work showed up.
My presentation was okay - Phil's only comment on it was "You know this stuff! You know this stuff well! Why do you get so nervous?" Not bad considering...It is not like he raked me over the coals or told me I had no clue what I was talking about...Everyone seemed pleased with the cake that I made for the meeting - butter cake with a peach filling and then covered with lots and lots of chocolate frosting. I even included some small chocolate bars from Germany on the top!
My Mother informed me last night that she and my Aunt have figured out where we are going this summer on our family vacation, which will be the last 2 weeks of August. Okay, no big deal - we do a family vacation every year, have have been talking about this for a few weeks now. Now, usually we go down the Shore. (FYI: The Jersey Shore. All other sea side places on the east coast are the Beach. There is only one Shore, and you go down to it - it is a Philly thing, don't ask me). The house is right on the ocean, my friends and I are free to come and go. My cousins come down. Friends of the family come down. It is a crazy fun time for everyone. We take long naps on the beach and usually about once a day, I hide myself from the nuns that taught me in elementary and high school. (Their summer convent is right next door to our place...I usually end up feeling like I should go to confession after that have come over to talk to me while I am sunning myself in my bikini, don't ask me why - it is all of that guilt I guess.) And now that my friends and I are legal, the bars are a good "stumbling distance" from the house - my mother's expression, not mine. My mother and Aunt have been talking about the possibility of Ireland for the past week or so. A week in Ireland, and week at the shore - not bad for a summer vacation. I could live with that. I was busy thinking which friends would be free to go down the Shore with me. And as to Ireland, I was thinking about visiting family, shopping on Gafton Street, and hanging out in Temple Bar. But then I found out last night what they have planned. They have come up with another idea..."The Euro is too strong right now for us to consider going to Ireland!" I was told. So, right away, I figure that we'll just end up at the beach for two weeks. But no. They have pretty much arranged for something else. Something new and different - and as chance would have it we even have a free place to stay...One of my mother's friends has a place that she is willing to lend us for free..So where are we going this summer? We will most likely be going to the South of France...Provence...
Now, it is not that I don't want to go to Provence - it is the fact that all of France (and Europe) will be on vacation at that same time! Everyone knows that August is one of the worst times to vacation in Europe. It was one thing when we were going to see family in Ireland, but we are going to be hitting one of the biggest vacation spots for Europe, in Europe! All of the Germans and French take off the entire month! It is going to be hotter than hell and crowded! My mothers reaction - We'll be vacationing with the rest of Europe...I just hope that the house has either a pool or has a lake near by...It is going to be my family and I for two weeks...At least there will be a lot of wine around...Wine tasting, now that sounds like fun...Hopefully one of my friends will want to come with me...Paris is just a few hours away, any one interested?
Tonight the lab group is going out for some fun...But then again Phil is in charge of tonight, so for me it could just be a crazy night of my being shocked, as it usually is when the lab group goes out. I am going to leave early today so that I can go home and feed the Kitten and grab my coat as I forgot it morning when my ride to work showed up.
My presentation was okay - Phil's only comment on it was "You know this stuff! You know this stuff well! Why do you get so nervous?" Not bad considering...It is not like he raked me over the coals or told me I had no clue what I was talking about...Everyone seemed pleased with the cake that I made for the meeting - butter cake with a peach filling and then covered with lots and lots of chocolate frosting. I even included some small chocolate bars from Germany on the top!
My Mother informed me last night that she and my Aunt have figured out where we are going this summer on our family vacation, which will be the last 2 weeks of August. Okay, no big deal - we do a family vacation every year, have have been talking about this for a few weeks now. Now, usually we go down the Shore. (FYI: The Jersey Shore. All other sea side places on the east coast are the Beach. There is only one Shore, and you go down to it - it is a Philly thing, don't ask me). The house is right on the ocean, my friends and I are free to come and go. My cousins come down. Friends of the family come down. It is a crazy fun time for everyone. We take long naps on the beach and usually about once a day, I hide myself from the nuns that taught me in elementary and high school. (Their summer convent is right next door to our place...I usually end up feeling like I should go to confession after that have come over to talk to me while I am sunning myself in my bikini, don't ask me why - it is all of that guilt I guess.) And now that my friends and I are legal, the bars are a good "stumbling distance" from the house - my mother's expression, not mine. My mother and Aunt have been talking about the possibility of Ireland for the past week or so. A week in Ireland, and week at the shore - not bad for a summer vacation. I could live with that. I was busy thinking which friends would be free to go down the Shore with me. And as to Ireland, I was thinking about visiting family, shopping on Gafton Street, and hanging out in Temple Bar. But then I found out last night what they have planned. They have come up with another idea..."The Euro is too strong right now for us to consider going to Ireland!" I was told. So, right away, I figure that we'll just end up at the beach for two weeks. But no. They have pretty much arranged for something else. Something new and different - and as chance would have it we even have a free place to stay...One of my mother's friends has a place that she is willing to lend us for free..So where are we going this summer? We will most likely be going to the South of France...Provence...
Now, it is not that I don't want to go to Provence - it is the fact that all of France (and Europe) will be on vacation at that same time! Everyone knows that August is one of the worst times to vacation in Europe. It was one thing when we were going to see family in Ireland, but we are going to be hitting one of the biggest vacation spots for Europe, in Europe! All of the Germans and French take off the entire month! It is going to be hotter than hell and crowded! My mothers reaction - We'll be vacationing with the rest of Europe...I just hope that the house has either a pool or has a lake near by...It is going to be my family and I for two weeks...At least there will be a lot of wine around...Wine tasting, now that sounds like fun...Hopefully one of my friends will want to come with me...Paris is just a few hours away, any one interested?
