Crochet progress, Winter Sports, and Dominoes!

    Today I babysat for my two older grandkids, Chloe who is five and was home sick from school today, and Mason who is three. I actually found time to work on my legwarmers today! And the best news is that the first one is almost done! I'm super excited about it! Then I can start the second one, and have a pair of legwarmers that I actually made myself! I almost hurt myself patting myself on the back!


    I have a favorite winter sport. The only time I ever get to see it in when it's a Winter Olympic year, as this year is. For me, it began when I was very young and we lived down in Putnam County, in a little town called Lake Peekskill. My parents actually rented the bottom half of a lake front house, and we got to use the yard, the giant sand box which overlooked our little private beach, and the dock. We swam in the summer, and ice skated in the winter.


    I remember skating down the lake to near one of the three public beaches. My brother and I used to skate all over the lake. But in that part of the lake I saw people playing some weird game on the ice, where they glided big round rocks and crazy people slid along next to it, sweeping the ice madly. I had no idea what they were doing, but it was fascinating to me. And that's how I was introduced to Curling.


    I love watching Curling to this day. I love when it's a Winter Olympics year. My Hubs thinks I am absolutely barking mad. But it makes me happy.


    The only comparable thing there is, for me, is Dominoes. When Hubs and I were on the west coast for three weeks some years ago, he was gone all day, and I was by myself in the hotel. That's how I found the dominoes tournament on one of the sports channels. I watched it avidly the whole time it was on.


   It was fascinating to me, how the teams from the competing countries played so differently! One country's team put the dominoes down nice and neat, and one was very sloppy. When these two countries played each other, fights would actually break out! Fascinating. Ever since then, I keep looking for dominoes tournaments on the sports channels here on the east coast. I haven't found any yet. I have decided it must be a west coast thing. Maybe someday I will get lucky and find it.

Travels with Hubs, part I

    Over the last seven or so years, I have had the opportunity to travel with Hubs. His work sends him places to learn stuff, and sometimes I get to go too. The first place I got to go was just outside Portland, Oregon.


    We both really liked it there. The weather was beautiful; I think it only rained once the whole three weeks we were there. Of course, it was July. On the weekends, we traveled around, visited the City of Portland on the fabulous train system they have there. We went to the famous Saturday Market on a Sunday. I got to buy lots of tie-dye.


    We went out to the Pacific Ocean twice, it was so much fun. The second time, we stopped on the way and went for a helicopter ride! Hubs told me that he didn't think I would go. That makes one thing I can cross off my bucket list. The ride was a lot of fun, and Hubs got to sit in the front with the pilot.


    We went out to the highest water fall in the country, Multnomah Falls. That was pretty cool too.


    During the days while he was at school, I was able to walk to a mall that was very lose to our hotel. I was also able to take the hotel shuttle to anywhere I wanted within a certain distance. I had heard that I had to visit a famous bookstore in Portland, but that one was too far for the shuttle. But they did have a branch close to the hotel, so I went there. It was in a plaza with other stores like Michaels Craft store. I had a ball.


    If we ever got the opportunity, I would love to go back there. The people were sp nice! Traffic litterally stopped for me when I wanted to cross the street. And we are talking a four lane thorofare here, not just a regular two lane road. But they all stopped, no matter which kind of road it was. It was easier than you'd think to get used to!


    I also kept busy by crocheting an afghan for Hubs; I had brought all the yarn with me from home. While I was crocheting, I found a fascinating event to watch on TV. Believe it or not, I got hooked on a Dominoes Tournament. I loved it! The Jamaican team and the Mexican team were playing in the finals. It was taking place in Las Vegas.


    Next time maybe I'll tell you about another trip Hubs and I have taken together!