Ros Davidson, Independent Stampin' Up!® demonstrator, Melbourne, Australia

Tuesday and Wednesday

Tuesday 22nd Woke early after sleeping a whole night uninterrupted, first time since I have been away. Slow start to the morning with phone calls to scrap stores and we are going to 2 out of the 3 listed on the CKU website.

This afternoon Fiona and I are the subway to the nearest station and the store owner is going to pick us up! How nice is that? Must be a bonus of coming to Boston early and the Aussie accents. (Yesterday we got some freebies too only not scrapping ones.) Got some freebies at the store. The owners we really friendly and offered us drinks and food and oh my god, I have never laughed so much about makes n takes in my life. Rose, one of the owners doesn’t scrapbook. She went to CHA and went off and came back and told Dee (the other owner) that she did a take n make! LOL, from now on, that is what make n takes are called in their store “take n makes!” Pretty funny!

Got back just in time to see the start of the new season of Gilmore Girls! Yay, I am totally lucking it in, with my tv viewing. Fiona missed out of the 200th episode od Stargate as we went to the baseball that night and I have had something to watch both nights on tv! Ordered room service for dinner since we couldn’t get a table downstairs in the restaurant. I hit the hay early after my late dinner as I was exhausted and my knee was playing up really bad (what is new there Nat, something is always wrong with my body!)

We caught up with 3 other scrappers, the fact that we had purchases we were holding helped identify us!

Wednesday 23rd
Today we are getting a mini bus to another scrapping store that has buses running to and from the Seaport Hotel while CKU is on and the owner told me to get on that bus as we are the first people here she has heard off! Score! Freebies and goodie bags when you spend over $25 are a CKU student. Tell, me like that is hard to spend $25... As if!
The girls we met last night are coming on the mini bus with us.

Tonight we are having dinner with the girls from our dorm at a restaurant across the road and then coming back to our room to practice our chant. That’s right, our chant! Our dorm was one of 3 chosen to perform our chant at the Campus crop tomorrow night (think a pep rally sort of thing!) Quite nervous about performing our chant as we each have 2 lines to do and a lot of people are having problems with our accents. Mine more so that Fiona’s! This is going to be interesting. At least there will be a projector so everyone else can read what I am supposed to be saying!

Heading to Stapes this afternoon to print some photos for one of my classes. Snapshots of New York City. Well, that is what I am calling the photos. One of these days, I will actually put some photos in a post but I am always rushing to do something else (today breakfast then scrapping store) and it is not going to get any better the next few days as registration opens tomorrow for CKU.

Ros

Now in Boston

An update on the last few days... Regular updates happening all the time now with very good internet connection! Saturday 19th Spent the morning lazying around and doing laundry at the Laundromat. Afterwards, we headed into Times Sqaure to catch the bus downtown to see some more of the sights and a ferry ride around the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty. Got some good photos and after the tour did a spot of shopping in Toys R Us (it is a huge store with a real ferris wheel ride on the basement floor) and went into Hershey’s for a chocolate fix.

Back to the apartment for dinner in a taxi (who complained we didn’t tip.) I gave him a 10 cent tip, lousy I know but it was a $2.90 fare and he so wasn’t worth $5 as that was the other note I had on me at the time. Plus, he dropped us off in the totally wrong spot! After dinner it was back into Times Square for the night time tour which we saw the Statue of Liberty and went over the Brooklyn Bridge among other places. Exhausted after sitting on the bus we walked back to our apartment via Duane Reade for more pop tarts and candy for Nat who called when we got back in. After talking with Nat I was a little worked up because of some of the things he said that was happening at home which meant I had no hope of sleeping. Finally after 1am sometime I was out like a light.

Sunday 20th
Woke up at 7.45, got up had a shower and breakfast, read for a bit and was so tired I went back to sleep until 11.30. Finally got moving and walked to Central Park. So pretty there and huge, it is over 50 blocks long. We were looking for Strawberry Fields, (the tribute area to John Lennon only we got lost), we saw Sheep Meadow (which is the New York beach! People sunbake, relax and play on grass) and went to see Alice in Wonderland. I left Fiona at Central Park and caugh a cab to a stamp store (on West 12th and 8th Avenue) with some scrapping stuff (not much there) and walked back to West 55th and 8th Avenue. Fiona was heading to the Museum of National History while I went shopping.

On the way back I stopped of at GAP (didn’t buy anything though) and found a supermarket! It is the first supermarket I have found in New York. The rest of the places we have been to have been a pharmacy or a mini mart. I got Nat heaps of Pop Tarts since that was one of his many requests and a pack for me too (cookie dough).

Quite tired after walking over 40 blocks and Central Park but it was an experience. I am happy that we got to see Central Park since we are so close to it 4 streets away. I wanted to go to the markets on 3rd Avenue today but I was too tired after Central Park (hence the cab ride, and I tipped him good!)

We just got back from going out for dinner to a local diner on Broadway and as we were leaving all these fire trucks and police cars pulled up. There is a fire in an apartment on the corner of Broadway and West 55th. We had a bit of a sticky but left before anything really happened. In terrible form, neither of us took our cameras. We thought about going back for our cameras many times, but then couldn’t be bothered. As I am typing the fire trucks are pulling into 8th Avenue and I can see all these flashing lights out the window. I would take a photo out the window only they are very dirty (tried this our first night here!)

We are nearly all packed for leaving here in the morning. We have an 11am flight to Boston but need to be ready to be picked up by the shuttle 3.5 hours earlier than our flight… Nice early start tomorrow morning.

Blogger isn’t playing nice and allowing me to upload some maybe tomorrow. Really should hit the hay and go to sleep early? It’s 10.28pm, which is my normal bedtime. So not early…

Monday 21st
Arrived at the Seaport (in Boston) after a 39 minute flight from New York in a plane that seated less than 40 people. I somehow managed to sleep through take off and woke just before landing. I was so tired but that probably had something to do with the lack of sleep last night. Both Fiona and I were awake at 4am!

The best part about the Seaport Hotel (where CKU is being held and we are staying) is that tipping is not required. That and the room is super plush! We have our own air condition controls I was just informed but we have access to the net that won't drop out which is the problem we were having in New York. We couldn't get any hot spots... Planning to upload some photos soon to.

Off to unpack and get some lunch. Ohh and find out about the scrapbook stores for CKU. I think there is a 3rd one now.... Just need to find out how to get there. LOL, the most important thing at the moment aside from lunch!

Ros

A scrapbooker without a camera! Oh no...

Woke up at 7.45, got up had a shower and breakfast, read for a bit and was so tired I went back to sleep until 11.30. Finally got moving and walked to Central Park. So pretty there and huge, it is over 50 blocks long. We were looking for Strawberry Fields, (the tribute area to John Lennon only we got lost), we saw Sheep Meadow (which is the New York beach! People sunbake, relax and play on grass) and went to see Alice in Wonderland. I left Fiona at Central Park and caugh a cab to a stamp store (on West 12th and 8th Avenue) with some scrapping stuff (not much there) and walked back to West 55th and 8th Avenue. Fiona was heading to the Museum of National History while I went shopping.

On the way back I stopped of at GAP (didn’t buy anything though) and found a supermarket! It is the first supermarket I have found in New York. The rest of the places we have been to have been a pharmacy or a mini mart. I got Nat heaps of Pop Tarts since that was one of his many requests and a pack for me too (cookie dough).

Quite tired after walking over 40 blocks and Central Park but it was an experience. I am happy that we got to see Central Park since we are so close to it 4 streets away. I wanted to go to the markets on 3rd Avenue today but I was too tired after Central Park (hence the cab ride, and I tipped him good!)

We just got back from going out for dinner to a local diner on Broadway and as we were leaving all these fire trucks and police cars pulled up. There is a fire in an apartment on the corner of Broadway and West 55th. We had a bit of a sticky but left before anything really happened. In terrible form, neither of us took our cameras. We thought about going back for our cameras many times, but then couldn’t be bothered. As I am typing the fire trucks are pulling into 8th Avenue and I can see all these flashing lights out the window. I would take a photo out the window only they are very dirty (tried this our first night here!)

We are nearly all packed for leaving here in the morning. We have an 11am flight to Boston but need to be ready to be picked up by the shuttle 3.5 hours earlier than our flight… Nice early start tomorrow morning.

Cheers,
Ros

Friday...

Friday 18th Spent the morning on the hop on hop off bus uptown until we got close to F.A.O Schwartz. Did a lot of looking in the famous toy store and a little purchasing, went into Bloomingdale’s and could hardly afford to stand in the store, LOL! Headed to the Hard Rock for lunch, really good cob salad (my usual) but they didn’t have choc chip cookie pie. (What is with the Hard Rocks, Melbourne has it, Gold Coast doesn’t and now neither does New York).

We did half of the downtown loop on the bus and got off as we were exhausted and nearly falling asleep. Tried for at least 30 minutes to flag down a taxi, many stopped only to refuse to drive us. We were on the corner of 4th Street and 6th Avenue and needed to go to the corner of West 55th Street and 8th Avenue. Eventually we hailed a cab after deciding to catch another bus to be dropped off at West 55th Street and 6th Avenue. So we had to walk 3 streets across (and yes, I can count there is 6th Avenue, 7th Avenue, Broadway then 8th Avenue. They do that sometimes, have streets named out of order to confuse us out of towners!)

Came back to the hotel room and Nat called, (hi honey and kiddies) and had a small rest before racing out to the Baseball. We braved the subway to Shea Stadium to see the New York Mets play against the Brooklyn Rockies. Our seats were great with being on the mezzanine level right near 3rd base. Got some great photos yesterday of not only the baseball but Times Square, Central Park and a few other landmarks.

You will never guess who I saw yesterday? The naked cowboy, he is not really naked but in y fronts, a hat and boots. LOL, so funny! I didn’t take a photo as the angles was bad but brought a photo of him with a lady cracking up laughing. Will be posting it when I can scan it but brought the photo for my travel journal more than anything.

Was supposed to be leaving early this morning to go out on out really busy day we have planned only we actually slept, well past 6am! I woke up at 4am yesterday morning so sleeping in till after 7am was well needed.

Off to find a laundromat, need to do some clothes washing.

Ros

P.S This is the entry I wrote yesterday, no time to update now. Off to Central Park done nothing this morning except sleep and I needed it!

Laundromat

Sitting in a laundromt typing this while waiting for a load of washing to finish (well der!) and the best part is they have the net! Yay. I did type an entry on Fiona's laptop this morning, but couldn't upload it so we are hitting a starbucks today with wi fi so it can all be done. Even wrote an e-mail too.

Not much else to say other than I will be back later today with the update of yesterday. Not going to retype it as I am so lazy! LOL, well in holiday mode too!

Ros

New York update

Wednesday 16th Flight delayed an hour leaving Melbourne, 13.5 hours flying time, 1.5 hour change over in LA for the New York connection with huge queues in customs and loads of airport security. 4.5 hour flight to New York, 30 minute shuttle ride to our accommodation which we couldn’t find (someone had written the incorrect address down… Fiona) Traipsing around West 55th Street, Broadway and 8th Avenue with suitcases in twilight was an amusing experience (in hindsight). We finally found our accommodation and dragged our cases to our first floor New York style apartment. Dinner very late (9.30pm) and eventually going to sleep around 11pm only to wake numerous times during the night to the noise on 8th Avenue.

Thursday 17th
Spent today walking at least 4km going shopping, have seriously sore feet. Visited Toys r Us, Victoria’s Secret (pretty underwear), Kmart (looks and smells the same as home only they sell Pop tarts!), Barnes and Noble (bookstore), Europa Café, Journeys (shoe store), Office Depot, Duane Reade (pharmacy that sells food, chocolate and magazines just not scrapbooking ones) and Macy’s.

We did a pit stop in Macy’s and the toilet in Macy’s was so bad (the smell). It stank to high heaven way worse than any smell the kids, Nat and the dogs combined could do. Oh and the toilets were so low, almost perfect size for toilet training. This was all in what was called the “ladies lounge!” That reminds me, compared to the toilets in Qantas club (which are so plush) the planes toilet were majorly tiny.

After our huge walk today we came back for some R & R, a nap for me, interrupted by Nat calling (thanks dude) and then time to work on my travel journal which has entailed me ironing a map, for the front cover. So not the usual holiday activity but hey, I’m a scrapbooker what can I say!

Cheers till next time.
Ros

Leaving...

I'm leaving... well tonight for my mum's, tomorrow for New York. Very excited now. I am all packed and just doing last minute things. So glad to be finished work, I was driving home this afternoon with a huge smile on my face.

A friend invited me out for her birthday dinner the other day and I wrote back saying "Sorry can't, in New York that night!" Sounded so lame, but totally the truth.

I left for work this morning and said goodbye to the kids and Josh thought I had left to go on the plane already and was getting really upset. Poor little man, he knows that he is picking me up for the airport with Nanna though.

No concreting done today, mesh laid and the mower strips fixed up. They looked terrible as they were so wide and I had no garden bed. Yesterday the bob cat destroyed my letterbox, (at least it wasn't the bick one) but something else that needs to be fixed right away!

Off to cook dinner, hope to write again soon!
Ros

P.S. Sorry so dot pointed! Rushing!

Where has the day gone?

Ahhhh, where has today gone? I spent it do washing (as always and tiding up heaps), packing a little and watching the concretors make a mess of my yards (front and back) as we are having some more concreting done tomorrow (finally). My SIL stopped over with pressies for the kids (thanks Fi) and had a play with the kiddies and a chat with me. I met up with my MIL who desperatly (sp.) need some of my bazzill stock and was having a mini hissy fit (all sorted now).

Working tomorrow (to do pays for the week and in advance, banking, cheques for end of month etc.) only supposed to be there for a little bit but my dad has other idea! LOL, non important stuff that can wait until I come back. Way more important things to do, like get to my waxing appointmet on time (hey a girl has to have nice smooth legs and underarms and tidy eyebrows! LOL) and maybe even get time to get a new lens for my camera and finish my errands.

Off to bed now, got to be up early!
Ros

P.S. Sorry so ramabling (sp.)

P.P.S Nikki and Josh were in the bath tonight playing and Nikki was saying to Josh "More coffee?" LOL, so funny since we don't drink coffee... So cute though.

EDM layout

My most recent layout for the EDM comp. (Sorry for the crappy pic, took it just then and was trying not to have issues with the flash.) Not sure if I like it or not yet but I tell you the circles took me forever to do. (Probably why I can't make up my mind.) I had RSI in my wrist and pulled stomach muscles for a couple of days... LOL, what we do for art!

I am hoping to blog while I am away. In New York, we are staying in a serviced apartment kind of thing and then in Boston we are staying at the Seaport Hotel were CKU is being held. Fiona is taking her laptop if we are allowed normal hand luggage on the plane. Be ringing Qantas Tuesday night for that answer.

Spent the day shopping with my sister and the kids (thanks Didi!) as the kids were a handful. Well, at least 1 always was and it was quite exhausting. Brought a few more things I need to take with me and then a treat for the kids. More little Bob the Builder toys. Josh had 3 mini ones and would crack it each time Nikki would touch them. Fixed that now, the each got one today. Drew missed out! Don't think he even noticed, LOL. Back to Dee's place for lunch and then I stopped into a scrapbook store near her place. Not bad, but missing many of my fav ranges. What good is that?

Off to work on my iron on layout for EDM. Myabe I'll be happier with that, but then again, who knows!

Ros.

P.S. You should have seen Krispy Kreme today, it was packed the line was out the door again and the drive thru had heaps of cars. What was it, the weather that made everyone want donuts?

4 more days

4 more days till I leave.. Woo hoo... Except for the bit about maybe not being able to take hand luggage. Fancy making scrapbookers going to CKU to maybe have to store their cameras in their suitcases.... Grrr, there goes out idea for the mini album of Thelma and Louise style shots at the airport, Fi!

Slowly getting packed. The pool table is a mess with clothes, scrapping supplies, my EDM stuff (just finished my first snap shots layout tonight), my rolodex stuff, my unfinished travel journal, and some of Nat's rocket stuff. I keep adding to my clothes pile, which is really not a good thing! LOL, I have the suitcases out beside the pool table but can't pack them yet until I work out exactly what I need to take and pack after I have rang Qantas on Tuesday.

We leave at 10.30am on Wednesday but it looks like we are going to have to be at the airport at 6.30ish or something crazy... I hope I can sleep Tuesday night. I will be full of excitment and also won't have the kids waking me up as I am staying at my mum's place.

Spent the day doing domestic duties. Vaccumed (sp.) because the kids got into the laundry powder and spread it all over the laundry grrrr) and then I swept and Josh walked his muddy boots in (more grrrr) then I vaccummed my car and moved the car seats around so Drew is in the middle (hopefully it will stop Nikki and Josh niggaling each other) and whilst the car seats were out Nikki put her dusty feet on the clean seats (even more grrrr....) and then of course they all made more mess as usual especially with the rice from dinner. Nikki loves the rice, but isn't so great at getting it "all" into her mouth!

Just thought I'd end this with how Josh was calling me just before (for 10 minutes! I was on the phone to Nat!) He was supposed to be in bed and he was told that if he got out of bed, I'd shut the door and he'd get a smack. He was calling "mummmeeeeee!" in a real tired voice for ages (10 minutes) so I went in and saw him and he had strapped himself into the pram in his and Drew's room and couldn't get out! LOL, pretty funny and of course as soon as I unstrapped him and carried him to his bed, he was out like and light and now more calling "mummmeeeeee" LOL, I was still chuckling about it when I called Nat!

Cheers,
Ros

P.S. How cute is this, Josh spoke to Nat on the phone before and said 'Hi dad, it's me!" LOL, he must have heard me speaking to my mum because that is what I say when I get the answering machine!