(no subject)

[geminigirl]

It was nice to get up this morning and find that my jeans fit differently. They were baggier.

It was nice to come back to a nice sized expense check in my mailbox. I can't figure out if I have to stretch this one a little longer than usual because I didn't submit an expense report pre-surgery. I'll submit one next week with my next time sheet and hopefully have that check before the California trip.

So much to do for the trip. This week when I get paid, and can figure out accurately how many hours of vacation I can take, I'll set the actual return date. Departure date is not my choice, but since I've decided to do a side trip to SF before I come home, the return date is mine. I have to also confirm the departure from LA for SF date...I'd like it to be a day earlier than I'm planning, but that's again, not up to me. And then there's everything else that goes along with travelling...packing and planning, and shopping. I'm excited...this is a real vacation sounding thing. I haven't really ever taken "vacation"-I don't count weekends at Cons in that...the last time I took a significant chunk of time off when I wasn't sick (or recovering) was last fall when my Dad had his surgery. And as nice as it is to be away from work, being at my parents for a week isn't vacation. This trip however, looks to be fun.

I've been tasked with planning the trip between Memphis (and the requisite stop at Graceland) and Vegas (for the hedonism, and the visit with Scott's friend Austin.)

If anyone has suggestions for things to do/places to visit between Memphis and Las Vegas (I think we're travelling along I-40, but don't quote me on it) I'm all for it. I've ordered AAA Trip Books, but I'm not really sure where to start looking for things. He's not a hiking in the state parks kind of guy, so that's out. Need to find some things to do so we're not only driving all day.

I'm hoping to get into LA on the earlier side of our plans, so maybe we can play a little bit before I head north...but it's all about the road trip. Also need to figure out what I can pack to do in the car when I'm not driving...some books of course (which ones, though-must go to the bookstore) and stamps to write post cards which I'll buy along the way, and then what else? Perhaps a craft project, but I'm not sure what I'd be able to pack easily.

Comments

[jennifer0246.livejournal.com]

if you haven't already read them, jemima j and the nanny diaries are two good light reads, i enjoyed both.

[geminigirl]

Would you believe, I read them both?

(If you like that genre, I have tons of recommendations for you. A co-worker and I both like the sort of 20-30 ish single woman, usually urban genre, and swap books a lot. And read them constantly.)

[jennifer0246.livejournal.com]

oooh. suggestions=good. as you may've gathered, i'm working 5 jobs right now, and one of them involves little more than sitting at a desk for hours on end, so I've been reading ALOT. I'm about running out of books, despite two trips to library book sales in June. :(

[geminigirl]

Okay...

Here's some to start with..

If you haven't read "The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants" yet you MUST read it. It was extrafun for me because it took place locally, but I couldn't put it down.

For really short, easy reads, check out the Princess Diaries series...the ones that the movie was based on, but far better. So good that I almost bought the fourth book in hardcover. (Still waiting for it in paperback...will go nuts if it doesn't come out soon.)

I also like the Georgia Nicholson series...they're written diary style, and kind of fun. They take place in the UK too, which is a twist. (I can't remember the name of the first, but the second and third are "On the bright side at least I'm the girlfriend of a sex god" and "Knocked out by my nunga-nungas"

The Shopaholic series is fun. "Diary of a Mad Bride" and the sequel were good reading. "Dating without Novocaine" I enjoyed. I liked both of Jennifer Weiner's books-"Good in Bed" and her other one. Also check out "Sloppy Firsts" (I'm waiting for the sequel in paperback) and stuff by Anna Maxted (Running in Heels is a good one) and Marian Keyes (Last Chance Saloon, Lucy Sullivan is Gettig Married.)


How's that for a start?

[mskathy.livejournal.com]

The first in the Georgia Nicholson series is called Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging. I'm so glad I read your post, because I had no clue there were sequels to this, but I'm adding them to my wish list now. Yay for trashy easy-reads! :-)

[geminigirl]

I have the second and third, but not the fourth. This, like the Princess Diaries series (which you should read if you haven't, especially if you liked Georgia Nicolson) is a book I'd read far too quickly to spend the money on a hardcover. Sometimes I feel guilty about buying the paperbacks, but they're so much fun.

If you read the adolescent fiction stuff like this, then read Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants. I'm not kidding, it's amazing. I couldn't put it down, I brought it to the co-worker I usually swap books with and she said the same thing.

Totally incredible book.

[datagoddess.livejournal.com]

When are you going to be in Memphis? If I'm around, and you have time, wanna meet for dinner/drinks/something? I'm going to be there 2 weeks at a time starting next Monday, until sometime around the end of September.

[geminigirl]

I think departure from Boston is planned for 8/24, which means Memphis probably on the 25 or 26. Will you be there then?

oh yeah

[roosterbear.livejournal.com]

If things work out the way they look like they're going to, with the IRS refund finally coming my way, it looks good for me being able to apartment- and cat-sit for you.

Do you still need someone to do that?

Re: oh yeah

[geminigirl]

Absolutely positively yes. I would so much rather leave the cats in the apartment with good company than take them to stay somewhere else. It's much less traumatic for them, especially since I'll be gone so long. It also means I have someone to take care of the plants. And it means I don't have an unoccupied apartment for two weeks, or however long I'm actually gone for.

Do you really want to be away from home that long though?