Retiring...head to Alaska (because we want to go there)

Last September we went on a cruise with My sister and her husband. We all agreed we had had a good time and we should start thinking about our next adventure. On board the ship...they have brochures encouraging travelers to start planning and get credit for making those plans while still on board. Martha and I started talking about Alaska. She and Tony had been... they went on a trip along with my brother-in-laws' family a while back. They all had a great time, better than expected...so Martha was interested in going back. Almost everyone I know who has been on a cruise to Alaska has said that it was definitely worth the trip. I 'll admit, changes in our climate had me thinking that sooner was probably better than later. We came up with a great trip for to celebrate Tony's June retirement...the only thing left to do was to ask Tony if HE was interested...hahahahah. Fortunately...he was...so even though we didn't book while still on board...our plan was in the works. In this family...we just make a plan and then put it out there. Anyone interested is welcome to join us.We pick a place and time frame and then wait to see who might be interested.Last year it ended up just Martha, Tony, John and I...with Brenna and Josh joining us for the day we were in Newport,RI..This time we were joined by Tony's sister Maris and her husband Wim. Ian and Tara signed on as well...although when she got a new job...Tara had to cancel.This time we started in Seattle,WA.

post card from Pike ST Press

 We added a few days on to our trip to explore Seattle. Brenna and Josh flew out for a few days and spent two nights and days with us. Tony's sister Judy and her husband drove down from Portland, OR to join us too. We had a great time with everyone! Plenty of people with ideas for sight-seeing and also a nice group celebration for Tony's retirement.
Tony found a great condo for rent right in the heart of the city.

 We were just a few blocks from the Space Needle and some museums; and  a short walk to the Pike's Place Market and the waterfront. I loved walking up and down the hills and all the steps...reminded me of Pittsburgh.

We lucked out...the weather was sunny and mild...even slightly warm a couple of days. Leaving the 90+ temperatures in Florida behind...made 80 feel just fine. I'll admit walking around the city might not be as enjoyable if we had been there during the rainy season.

The market at Pike's Place was bustling with activity on the Friday when we arrived. It was fun

. The flowers were beautiful...and inexpensive. There were several stalls selling beautiful, colorful bouquets. We bought one to have on the table for the two nights we were going to be at the condo. Of course we had to stop and watch the fish sellers...tossing their fish around.

It was great looking over the mounds of shrimp, crab legs, and varieties of fish. We bought a pound or two of smoked salmon of course, then a few yards down found some freshly baked bread\

 and cream cheese spread to go with it.

 Brenna pointed out the doughnut place..

.which smelled as good as it tasted....worth waiting in the short line to get the sack of mini donuts. And of course there was a Starbucks on almost every corner

...so tasty coffee was always available.Other than the crowds...it was great. John is not a big fan of crowded places like that...no one really is....but he hung in there.

Some of us took a ferry ride around the harbor.

 The young lady narrating the tour was very informative and it was a picture perfect day so we really got to see it all.

sunset reflected on the mountain (zoomed in of course )

old trick of trying to get everyone in the photo...it took a few tries hahaha

 We cooked at the condo both nights. We had fresh fish from the market as well as salad, fresh vegetables,bread and plenty of beer, wine and or champagne for the drinkers.

On Saturday Martha, Judy, Tom, Maris Wim and I took a ferry over to Bainbridge Island for a bike ride around the island. John, Ian and Josh decided to head to tour the Boeing Plant. Brenna and Tony decided to stay put at the condo. The ferry  ride over to the island was pleasant.

 We arrived and took a short walk to the bike rental stand.

 Once we got outfitted with helmets and practiced riding around on our bikes...testing the hand brakes and shifting the gears...we took the map and headed out. I followed...because when it comes to maps....I'm not the one you want leading the way...hahahahah As it turned out all of us were slightly challenged...hahahaha luckily the bike rental guy made sure to write NO,NO,NO on a particularly steep route. We set off and as I pedaled slowly up the first hill...I was breathing so hard I thought I might have to spend the day at the Farmer's Market...hahaha We parked the bikes and walked around admiring the artwork, crafts,pottery, flowers, and assorted fruits,vegetables, cheeses and baked goods. we had already eaten...otherwise I would have sampled almost everything!  I had recovered from my trip up the hill and breathing normally again...hahaha so I was good to go.When we struck out again...we rode up and down one hill two times...then figured out where we needed to turn....We rode up and down several hills  around the town and made our way down to the waterfront area. Stopped for a nice lunch in the nice little town of Lynwood for lunch and a beverage.

 Left there and rode through a great park...that reminded me of Incline Village in Lake Tahoe.Loved the tall pines and Cypress trees.

pretty walkway down by the water...beautiful gardens

 Wild berry bushes everywhere.....just a beautiful area and we had a great ride. As we glided down a nice steep hill...we tried not to think about having to ride back up it on our way back. hahaha On the way back...we all ended up getting off our bikes at some point on the way up and just walking the bikes along.We made it up the big hill and the rest of the ride back to the Bike rental place wasn't too bad. The last part was mostly downhill...always a good thing! It was a nice way to spend the morning.

Meanwhile John, Josh and Ian really enjoyed their tour of Boeing's plant. No cameras, cellphones, etc allowed naturally....but they got to see the "Dreamliners" in production and all three said they were impressed by everything they saw.
I will write more about Seattle next time...and our hunt for art around the town.Then it's on to Alaska.
I figure this is enough for tonight. 😄

Sometimes You Just Have To Have A Party

Sometimes you just have to have a party....you just do. And in this case it was to celebrate my nephew's graduation. My sister Jenifer passed away 10 years ago in April, and this year, her son was going to graduate from High School. I know darn well that if Jen were still alive...she would be having a party...so I decided it was up to us (the rest of our family) to make it happen. I made a suggestion to my sister Elizabeth...and she took the idea and ran with it.
At the time we started talking about the party...my brother-in-law was having "issues" with one or two of us...but I just decided the heck with that...we were having a party and he would just have to figure it out. I am happy to report that he did...and as a result...everyone is much happier...especially him!
Luckily many things fell into place and almost everyone was able to be there. Mark had a reservation made....but a last  minute thing at work kept him from going. And my nephew David and his wife Samii had to miss because they have a new baby. Other than that...the whole gang was there.
**I think I am always making family members nervous when I decide to go ahead and plan this kind of get-together and just figure everyone will "behave" hahaha It's a party! Figure it out!!!** I did the same thing with John's family a few years back...after the party several confessed they had been a little nervous about going for one reason or another...but were happy they had decided to attend and realized after the fact that they had worried for nothing. :)
Elizabeth really took charge of this party for Shane. She checked in with Rob regularly making plans for dates, times, food etc. She and Meredith made up an announcement and an invitation.

 She ordered cakes, balloons, decorations...everything! The only thing I had to do was check in periodically, give my opinion from time to time and  work on  the music. We wanted to be sure there was good music to dance to...and play in the background. When we first started planning and chose the date...we realized there were two other "events" we could incorporate into the weekend celebration.
One was that Megan and Marcus happened to be in the states on vacation. (the company pays for a trip home once a year.) During their time "home", they came to FL then they had two weddings to attend- one in NY, one in GA. After the whirlwind tour...the ended up back in DC where they met up with friends for dinner and  a Nationals game on Friday and joined the family for the graduation celebration on Saturday.
 The other  was Tracy's 50th birthday (Paul's girlfriend).

We planned to surprise her on Friday night. Everyone knew we were planning to all have dinner together...they just didn't know it was going to also be a surprise birthday celebration for Tracy. Liz got a big cake...naturally :😊 and some balloons. We really did surprise her.... when they got to the house and saw all the decorations saying 50!

 That was fun...she really appreciated it.After dinner and  a few drinks we were dancing the night away and enjoying catching up with everyone.

Saturday was the big celebration. Elizabeth was staying at the house, so she was up early getting the decorations in order. we were staying close by ....close enough for me to walk over and give her a hand while some of the others went golfing. I think we were making Rob a little nervous...but he held up well and he was pleased to think that this was all for Shane and him. He might have been nervous about all the decorations we were hanging...hahaha. We had balloons, garlands, lights, signs, pictures. We assured him not to worry.... we would be taking it all down again the following day.
.We got the decorations up. The drinks were on ice and everything was ready to go. The caterers were due to come about an hour before the 3pm start time. Once we finished decorating...I headed back to the hotel to get ready for the party. Some people were staying at the house, John& I, Martha & Tony, Ian & Tara were nearby at the Lansdowne Inn and the rest of the gang was at the Convention Center. We were one mile or so in one direction...the other half was about a mile in the other direction...with the house in the center. It was great. we lucked out and had sunny skies and no rain. Each day the temperature got a little higher...but it wasn't too bad the day of the party. Right around 3pm the guests began arriving. Family, friends, neighbors and a group of Elizabeth's friends from Virginia Beach. Whenever Rob and Shane are down visiting Liz and Jon...they get together with that group of friends, so it was nice that they were able to make it up to northern Virginia for the party.

cousins and more

this isn't exactly how you play the game...but who cares 😉

.....you need some marble columns

we had fun with the big Shane heads

every😁one is singing along

Ice, Ice Baby

Bridget and Ellen have some moves

Tracy,Anna,Meredith,Anne,Ellen and Martha (Walter in background)

Tracy,Anna,Meredith & Denise as SHANE

 We had a great time dancing in the basement and singing along with our favorite songs. I had put some songs together and asked Brenna, Meredith and Anna, and Ellen for suggestions. Brenna and Ellen  gave me a few right away.. Didn't hear anything from Meredith and Anna at first. Anna called just over a week or two before the party with 200 songs! hahahah I couldn't add them all...but managed to download a few to the list. Ellen, Anna and I actually all had the some of the  same "must have" songs on our list, so that made things a little easier. Rob also has an old stereo system...so we could only play what I had put onto cd's. BUT the good news is...there were plenty of good songs to keep us all happy. It was great seeing old friends and celebrating with the family. We also go to see Marcus's Mom and Dad and his sister Catie...who all made the trip to town to see Megan and Marcus and join the party. John and Christine B stopped by and of course Elizabeth's gang from Virginia Beach. The "Shadow Warrior Lounge" had a crowd all night...hahaha and as Rob said "I think we hit a home run!"

Trying to look on the bright side

I am generally a happy person. I try to stay positive, smile and enjoy life. But.....sometimes, for a variety of  reasons, that's hard to do. Life had been going along just fine for quite some time now, and then things at work started being shaken up a little. Change is inevitable and and even though I knew it was coming...it's NO FUN. (insert more colorful language here 😉 )
The director of the library and the YS Librarian have had an uneasy relationship ever since she came on board 8-9 years ago.
 I came back to MBPL in 2005, to work as a part time assistant to the YS Librarian. We had a good partnership, but I always felt that it was her program. I gave input, we worked together on several projects...but I wasn't the one making the final decisions. From time to time my supervisor would ask if there was anything I thought we "needed/wanted"...but don't remember too many times when we actually GOT something I had suggested. Ultimately...if I wanted something...a book, a music CD, a CD player, a special craft...I just bought it myself. From time to time I would have a little party or treat for the kids and again I just got it myself. Over time my position evolved more like eroded and I got less and less time over in YS and more time at the Circulation Desk.
*working at the Circ desk is basically working in Customer Service. I enjoy chatting with patrons about movies and books, etc...but collecting fines from grouchy  patrons isn't really too much fun. So I have to chuckle when people (lots of them) say..."Oh I've always thought it would be so great to work at a library"...like it's this nice, quiet happy place full of happy people sitting around reading books. 😀. hahaha A lot of them are...., the majority really...but it's not quite what people imagine it to be. One reason I always enjoyed working in the children's department is that it was fun and you did get to to know the parents and the children and watch them grow and learn. The front desk.....not as much.
Because D and I had worked together for 12 years we kind of knew what to expect from one another. I was lucky in that she let me do the Storytime program. At most libraries, that is a job that the head YS librarian usually does. I didn't get the crowds that she did (she had programs 3 days a week fo years, and the moms loved her) but I had my loyal followers and I think the parents and kids liked what I was doing. More than once I was asked if I had ever been a Pre-school teacher (usually by former pre-school teachers) so I took that as a compliment. Well in February this year after building tension on both sides (hers and the directors)...D finally decided she had had enough. She retired
.*I think that day she arrived to work and hadn't even made it  halfway down the entrance hallway before she was pounced on for one thing or another....she told me she was done. Who really wants to go to work every day only to be made to feel like you're not doing anything right. It gets old FAST!!!!!
I was happy for D to be getting a break from the negativity...but also realized that most likely my time in YS was coming to an end. I did not want the full-time position.(..and quite honestly doubt I would have gotten it) but I heard that we (our library) were adding a part-time position. ...so there was a chance that I might get to stick around a bit longer.
WELL...it things went downhill from there. The director NEVER said ONE WORD to me about what was going on. Nothing about what she was thinking, planning...NOTHING. I continued to plan my programs for the time being.
All of the sudden one week- different people showed up to fill in for D's programs. I was never asked if I wanted to work extra hours to cover programs...no we brought in people from Titusville, Palm Bay and who knows where. She also never asked anyone (Me or D) what kind of program D had been doing. As a result...the subs came in prepared with crafts and stories for 3-5 year old...when the programs they were covering were for babies and toddlers. The parents weren't too thrilled and the subs were completely caught off guard. After a week or two, some of the parents suggested they might want to adapt a little and come prepared for the younger group. as for my program...a sub showed up (with no notice to me) and at least she just "observed" and assisted...she didn't come to do my program. All this was going on and still no word from the director. I was afraid to ask and stir things up...but I did email the director to ask what exactly was going on because a number of parents were asking me questions and I had no idea what to tell them. She NEVER responded. I got to keep doing my program for the next 3 weeks...and then one day I noticed a sign on the front window announcing to the public that there would be NO Programs the following week. And so...after 12 years....that's how I found out I was done. No chance to have a final program with the group...no notice, no information. The next week my immediate supervisor still had me on the schedule for my ST program so I was there, parents and kids arrived for the  usual program....but I was not allowed to do anything and none of us got any explanation. It was frustrating for them and humiliating for me. The whole thing was so poorly handled...it still makes me angry. (I did get in touch with her supervisor just to let them know how I felt)
Let's just say March was not a lot of fun for me. A new YS person was hired and she seems great. She has a lot of fun ideas and has done a lot of fun programs already.  I'll admit it's hard to see her doing programs that I had suggested we try, only to be told we didn't have $$ for that or some other reason why it couldn't be done. Now I don' know if D was the one who didn't want to do the programs, if she was told we couldn't do them...or really what to think. Right now money seems to be no object...so either the Friends have gotten more generous...or the new person is spending a lot of her own money. But that's not the worst part of the whole mess.
After I asked about the new position that was being added and got no response.....one day the director came out and made sort of a blanket announcement about a new position with emphasis on the fact that it would include filling in at Reference. (something she knows I don't really like to do...mainly because their are others more qualified than I, that DO like to fill in and get  the extra hours...but that's another story) NO other information...no details,...nothing.
That was in March. I finally got an interview at the end of May.
I know I feel like this is whining...but if you've hung in there this long...I guess you'll keep reading...hhaha During the time that the decision was being made...another girl who had also applied was over in the YS department all the time helping with the Easter Egg Hunt, the Tea Party, the dog programs, cutting things out, etc. *I was taken to task for cutting out things for crafts when I was at the Circ desk...but this girl seemed to have a free pass on all things YS. I did get to help with the Egg Hunt... I believe it was put to me like this "I don't know if you're interested, but if you'd like, Danette could use some help with her Egg Hunt." GEEE why would I be interested??? I've only been working over there for 12 Years!!!! The kids who would be coming were kids who had been coming to my programs....such bull@$#@.  So yes I'm whining!
Well...guess who got the job? I'm sure she'll do a fine job. Ultimately...the parents won't care as long as someone is there....but it sure has made me feel totally insignificant. Right now I feel really sad...I'm trying not to be resentful towards the girl who got the job....but the fact is she has worked for the library for just over a year as a page (shelver). (She has her AA degree...both of those are requirements f or that position.) I suspect part of the reason for the delay in filling the position was to wait until she "qualified". I'm sure when it comes to computers etc she is much more comfortable and qualified than I am...but as of this point we have never done anything technology related in our programs.The library owns a digital projector that none of us have ever seen...let alone been allowed to use. hahaha The director claims she wants to move away from what we've been doing....OK in 12 years she only ever came in ONCE to see what I was doing...so how does she know what she's changing. 😖
Bottom line is she doesn't...she just wanted D and I out...I think she's been waiting to do that since she came on board.
So....now I am working on my plan B...I wasn't planning to retire for a few more years, but I don't know if I want to be there and NOT be doing what I really want to do and see someone else getting to do it. I don't want to feel like crap every day and I don't want to have a bad attitude. I know no one "owes" me anything. I'm not saying I deserve anything special...but I sure wish I had gotten a little more respect.  I have been there a long time and I have always done my best to work as a team and do a good job and I'd like to think I deserved a little better treatment than I got.
Welll...enough I'm trying to get past this and move forward. I have a few ideas so we'll see what happens. and I have to admit some of them involve finding just the right time to do like the song says "Take this job and shove it" :)
And...don't worry my next post is going to be about a great celebration we just had for my nephew...I'm gathering photos and I'll be back to report on that soon.