THE SPECTACLED BEAN

Pleasantly Surprised

We’re having a wood floor installed in our study this week. Last June we had the same style of floor, 3.25 inch select white oak with a natural finish, installed in our living room and dining room. We liked the look so much that we decided to put it in our study, which is across the foyer from the living room.

{At this point I know that it’d be very bloggerly of me to add a photo. However, seeing as the study is entirely dismantled to allow for the above-mentioned project, I have no access to our desk top computer where all the little photos live. Let’s just pretend that this side note is a photo, shall we?}

The things that I remember the most about getting wood floors installed are: 1) how noisy it is; and 2) how smelly it is. Well, guess what? This time I’m not experiencing either of these phenomenon even though I am right here in the house with all the chaos going on around me.

How could this be, you wonder?

The answer is really quite simple. I have a horrendous head cold that has muted my ability to hear much of anything and has clogged my nose to such a degree that I cannot even smell my morning coffee while drinking it. This is one doozy of a cold which, if I may be so bold as to say, could be the best one I’ve ever had.

Think about it. Here I sit in my physically diminished state while our house gets prettied up and I’m not inconvenienced one little bit. Couldn’t of planned it better if I tried. Which I didn’t. Because who in their right mind wants a head cold– no matter how helpful it is?

A Winter Vacation

I’ve always heard that Walt Disney World in January and February is more fun than during the summer or at Christmastime. We’ve been there at those times before; so for a change of pace we decided to fly down to Orlando last week and spend the end of January park hopping our way through WDW.

And guess what? The scuttlebutt was right. It was a whole lot more fun. Fewer lines. Calmer restaurants. Happier guests. Clearer skies. And better parking.

Probably the most unanticipated aspect of visiting WDW in January was that American English was the least spoken language around. We heard French, Hebrew, Spanish, German, Russian (or maybe Lithuanian? or Romanian?), and a bit of Aussie English. It was intriguing to be surrounded by people from around the world, who just like us, were laughing, getting sunburnt and looking for the nearest restroom.

We didn’t stay at the WDW properties this time. We’ve done that before and decided that this time we’d try something different. Instead, we stayed at and enjoyed the Bonnet Creek Hilton Resort. The hotel was comfortable, clean, beautiful, and the service was friendly. The Hilton, while not as swanky as its attached neighbor, the Waldorf-Astoria, was perfect for us, two winter weary Midwesterners looking for some sun and relaxation.

As travel goes, this was the sort of vacation that I like the best. Lots of walking. A relaxed itinerary. Good food and drink. With a super comfy bed at the end of the day. I give it two thumbs up.

[Hello FTC! Just to be clear, I have received no money or other compensation for the above endorsements. This is just my opinion about my experiences. You can move on down the road now and bother someone else, FTC. Bye, bye.]

Hello World!

Okay then. It would seem that I am ready to start blogging. Right here. Right now.

At least, that’s what WP would have me believe.

I am, of course, a bit less convinced that I am ready to start posting on this blog.

I’m a planner. I must think things through. And then I must dawdle– and worry– and reevaluate– and worry some more. And then, if everything seems like it is in the right place in my mind and on my desk and within my blog template, I might begin to keep a blog again.

It’s a process, really. One that gets me to the proper place where I can start. I do this because in my experience, good things don’t happen without the correct amount of angst.

You’d think that WP would have figured that out along the way. I know that I have.