Tomorrow Padawan and I, along with Master Plo Koon, Clueless, and Mother, will be trekking the two and a half hours to Schliterbahn.
For those of you unfamiliar with Schliterbahn, here is a description...Outdoors. Lots of swimming pools. Water coasters. Rafting and inner tubes. Long lines. Did I mention relentless exposure to sunlight? Surrounded by children and crowds of people in swimsuits in the middle of the summer. Hmm, let me count the ways of fun.
Characteristically to myself, I shall find a sweet spot in the shade by the hot tub. You know, the hot tub that has the bar right in the middle of the pool. Can you say margaritas with me?
Margaritas!
I'm not being a spoil sport. It's just...you know. I don't like wearing swimsuits (but I do have a new one for the season) and I don't like the sun (and it doesn't like me) and I don't like crowds or children. So, you know, this is a great personal sacrifice. Add to it the endless amounts of water, into which a shark could be dropped at any moment, and it's like a day of neurotic hell for me.
Hence...margaritas!
Alas, poor Choo Choo, she cannot go. No pets allowed and all that jazz.
*sigh*
Oh, I did buy a basket to attach to my bike for Choo Choo to ride in! (Shame on you for doubting that I could do it! Yes, you know who I'm talking to. Shame!) I installed it all by myself, and Choo Choo fits with plenty of room to curl up in a ball and sleep during the ride if she so chooses. I'll have to work with her on holding still, and I might need to secure her to the basket so she doesn't jump out. (I don't think she'll try, but precautions should be taken just in case.)
Speaking of bikes, I haven't fallen yet. In fact, I'm getting faster and stronger and better. But you know what? I've swallowed like ten bugs in the last week! I get so out of breath pedaling uphill (and I will go out of my way to find a concrete path uphill rather than a gravel trail because I don't feel safe on those) that I either forget to breathe, or I have to breathe through my mouth. And sure enough, when I open my mouth and inhale I suck up a bug too stupid to get out of my way.
I nearly threw up the first time it happened, I was so disgusted. It only made it worse when Padawan laughed and said, "Don't worry about it! It's full of protein!" and then I felt it stuck in my throat, probably trying to climb its way back up.
Ew.
The only thing worse than it going down in the first place was the idea of hacking back up to touch my tongue. Ug. My strategy is simple: drink lots of water to wash 'em down after they get in, because I bet coming back out is way worse than going in my mouth in the first place.
Pictures will follow, of course, as soon as I can talk Padawan into taking a picture.
By the way, Padawan and I are almost done with completing the living and dining room aspect of our home! We have new pillows for the furniture, new rugs, a new coffee table, some new decorative pieces for the dining room table and the coffee table, an entry way table to sit keys and such on, a second book shelf, and we rearranged in a way that feels more like home. All we need now are the pictures to hand on the wall and the curtains, and then we can move on to the patio.
The last thing we intend to finish is the bedroom because we spend the least amount of time in there actually conscious. We spend our waking time together in the other rooms, so it's best that we make those feel like home most. We've also decided we're giving our second TV, the smaller forty something inch from our bedroom, to Master Plo Koon for his birthday. Padawan and I have no need for the TV in our bedroom. We haven't even used it since we moved into our new apartment in December. What better way to make use of it than to give it to Master Plo Koon as a gift?
Oh, stop making that face at me.
We're giving him a brand new X-Box 360 to go with the hand-me-down TV. (And some tubing for his pet mice to crawl around in so they aren't cramped in that cage they share. I decided this today when I realized that Pinky and the Brain share one small square shaped cage.) Master Plo Koon is also receiving a puppy of his very own for his birthday. Poor thing, he misses Choo Choo so much he begged to have a dog of his own that no one could ever take him away.
I suppose I should go to bed now since we've got to be up at the (butt) crack of dawn to go on this fun and exciting trip tomorrow...
I can do without the pictures of heaving up bugs...on second thought, do it. It will be interesting I think.
ReplyDeleteI never was a big fan of crowds and crowded places. And these days my dislike has grown more intense. Somebody I don't know getting crowded up behind me and touching me is disturbing and I have to fight myself from giving them an elbow or even a fist to the side of their head. For some odd reason society frowns on that sort of thing. Not much of a people person, I guess..
ReplyDeleteI'll bet that Choo Choo will love going on rides in her little basket. I can almost picture it in my mind. Feet up on the front of the basket, tongue hanging out and little dark eyes watching in all directions. That little tail whipping back and forth in joyous wonderment. Dogs are so easy to entertain...
Pool sharks mostly just take you money. Oh sure, they incompetent for a while, but that's just to get you to up the bet. Damn pool sharks.
ReplyDeleteLike the new photo. Still looking down at something more interesting then us, eh? Must be a good book, or perhaps a pile of money you got from slaying a pool shark.
Denver has Water World. I can only go every few years. I agree that the lines, heat, and more lines and heat are not exactly fun. But water slides and tubes are. I do not, however, worry about the sharks.
ReplyDeleteScott, well I was talking about pictures of me riding the bike, not of me throwing up bugs. That would be gross!
ReplyDeleteRev, oh I have stories about lines and pushy people...this trip to Schlitterbahn is chock full of blog fodder. Seriously. But thankfully nobody but Padawan touched me in line.
Choo Choo has golden eyes, not dark ones, but I bet she'll love the park when we take her. (Or she'll try to jump out. Perhaps a few test runs?)
Bryan, I don't play pool with sharks. I don't play IN pools with sharks. I just avoid them altogether, so my money is safe.
I was reading my Kindle in the new picture and listening to my iPod in the kitchen at work. A coworker snapped a picture and I liked it so he sent it to me. He likes doing candid pictures.
Brent, I've heard of Water World. Supposed to be a lot of fun. More fun than Wet N' Wild, I hear. But Schlitterbahn has the Blastenhauf! The greatest water coaster in the WORLD! Maybe. I dunno. I've never had the opportunity to compare it. I like the rides. I just...don't like the sun, the heat, and the lines. I mean, really. You wait for a hour just to go on a two minute ride, tops! Where's the fun?
I forgot to say that I too, love the new picture. It raised my blood pressure. Rowrr!
ReplyDeleteAbout what darev said: perhaps it's meaningful that we people who spend a large amount of time doing just this online are people who don't like crowds in general. Or am I stereotyping myself?
ReplyDeleteDarev, two votes of approval for the new picture! Whee!
ReplyDeleteBrent, well it's really crowded on the Interwebz. And people are just as pushy online. Even more so since they can literally say whatever they want as "Anonymous" and nobody can call them out for it. I think we just don't like dealing with crowds in our physical space.
Ick! I'm not big into crowds, swimming, or massive amounts of sun exposure either. Also, I do NOT like to wear swimming suits. I own one, but I only wear it when I absolutely have to.
ReplyDeleteYay for your Choo Choo basket! Make sure that when Padawan takes pictures he gets one with her in the basket! So cute!
Bugs. *Shudder* I just got back from a family reunion at a campground that had these super-crazy, vicious, ninja mosquitos that attacked mercilessly and contantly. I swear they took a pint of blood out of me! Blech.