I’m still here! I haven’t gone anywhere, just been extra busy. That’s no excuse. I need to keep this updated a bit better. I know, I know. And I’ve got tons of promised letters to write back to the family in India as well. OK. Here I am here at least and will be able to check one item off the TODO list.

So, what have I been busy with? Planning a move. Yes, we’re moving again. [Big sigh!] Seven moves in the past 9-1/2 years! Hopefully this will be the last one.

P.S. Hey, I did finally get rid of the nasty little pests which I returned from India with and which I wrote about it my last post.

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What’s for supper: Dal Makhani
I’m trying out some of my new recipes brought home from India.

As mentioned, the kids and I heading out on a half-cross-country trek
from California to Oklahoma. I thought it might be easier to update the
blog on a regular basis if I could post by email so I’m trying to get
that set up. If this post looks alright you will know I have been
successful.

We’re leaving San Diego early Monday morning and will head northeast. I
plan to spend a bit of time in the Mojave desert. I’m not sure how much
there is to see, but we’ve never seen the desert before so I thought
we’d just explore a bit.

We’re planning to spend the night in Las Vegas at the Circus Circus
hotel. I just booked it through Expedia.com. The cheapest was $35 a
night, but I opted to spend $40 so we could be in the towers where
everything is happening rather than away in the motor lodge. My husband
and I were married in Vegas almost nine years ago so I thought I would
drive the kids by the Little White Chapel where it all took place.

Next we’ll head to Flagstaff, Arizona and then head off east down I-40.
I’d like to stop to see the Meteor Crater. It would tie in nicely with
our study of astrology. I have packed all our astrology books and while
in the boonies of Oklahoma, away from the glare of city lights the stars
are so much bright and I figure the best time to study the stars. We may
even throw a blanket on the ground and sleep directly under the stars.
So, I would like to see Meteor Crater, but is it really $12 adults and
$6 per kid to get in? Yikes! That seems extreme. Does anyone know if
there is much more to see than just a giant hole in the ground?

I’m hoping we can make it to New Mexico by about the second night, but
I’m not making reservations at any hotels just in case we don’t. And I
don’t have anything else planned after Flagstaff. I plan to get online
tonight and do a bit more searching for things to do.

We recently moved to a new house. My husband accepted a new job and we all moved from Lincoln, Nebraska to San Diego, California the end of April. I feel very fortunate that we were able to locate a house with a pool for rent. We are LOVING it. My little kiddos swim every single day and still just seem to think they have died and gone to heaven.

Here in the new house I set my desk up in an area near the kitchen which was probably built and intended to be a breakfast nook. I have my desk in one corner facing toward the backyard. The other corner of the room has a large sliding glass door on each wall which basically just opens that entire corner of the house to the backyard with the pool and covered patio. The kids spend a lot of time on the patio playing with their guinea pigs who have the run of the patio since it is semi-enclosed and they are safe there. This is the best “home office” I have ever had. It is a really nice, relaxing view and I love being able to let the kids play outside and yet still keep a watchful eye on them.

Some days the kiddos swim alone and I watch from my desk and get some work done as they play. Other days, like today, I get in with them. It was so hot here today. Today was definitely going to be one of those days when I got in with them.

We didn’t stay home much today because of the heat and I didn’t get much done on the Plus Size World website, but I am working tonight. Nights are really when I work best anyway.

It was really hot here today and we don’t have air conditioning in the house. I don’t know what to say about that. But I’m thinking . . . Am I stupid or what? How did this happen? No mention was made of this when we viewed the house before renting it. As if having no air conditioning in a house is normal enough that it doesn’t even require a mention? You see, where I come from in the Mid-West it gets hot enough for long enough that it is virtually unthinkable to do without a/c.

We didn’t come right out and specifically ask “Does this house have an air conditioning unit?” But there on the wall was a thermostat just like I’m used to seeing. During the walk through before moving in they had the a/c (it is just a fan they tell us now) running and saying “Ok. This works. See it is blowing.”

Part of me feels we were misled. But were we really? Granted the summers here are nothing compared to what I’m used to. This is getting toward the end of July and it is only now that it is getting hot enough that I notice we have no a/c. Nevertheless, had I known the place was without a/c we never would have rented it. I get far too hot and miserable not to mention GRUMPY in the heat to consider doing without a/c.

But now we are here with a year lease. Not that I would want to get everything packed up again for yet another move anyway. I just want to know . . . how long do these heat waves in Southern California last?

The kiddos and I hung out in Wal-Mart today to escape the heat. We purchased fans while there. That will probably help especially at night if we can drag in some of that cool night air.

Regarding work . . . my main priority tonight is getting the Plus Size Bridal section of this site at least up and looking decent. I may need to flesh it out some in the days ahead, getting all the links and the look just so so, but I want to at least get it up for you all before the end of the night. This weekend here at “THE BLOG” I’m going to try to get up a listing of new deals available for you from the merchants listed so meet me back here.

Later,
Amy