"i'm baaaaaaaack" written by Ladycroft on estrip.org

09/14/08 04:08 - 74ºF - ID#45672

i'm baaaaaaaack

Thank you everyone for the birthday wishes. It makes my heart all fuzzy to read your kind words :) I had an awesome 33rd in Vietnam. I'll get you some photos as soon as my travel buddies get theirs up. I myself don't have any because.....the lovely wonderful sparkling new camera that I bought myself for my birthday was stolen as soon as I arrived in Hanoi, the night before my birthday.

We were all exhausted from a long journey but thought we would just pop outside for an hour before going to bed and check out the street market for this kid's toy festival that was going on. These 2 women knifed my bag. Luckily I caught them in the act so ALL they got was my camera and not my wallet etc. But still, it put a damper on things. I was so stoked about taking it kayaking and stuff because it was water proof. Meh.

So...I don't have time to recount my adventure just now because I've got a bajillion e-mails to catch up on for work. I'll def get something up before I head out to the Seychelles this weekend though! Ciao.

Permalink: i_m_baaaaaaaack.html
Words: 196
Location: Niagara Falls, NY

Category: potpourri

09/02/08 03:24 - 82ºF - ID#45541

cambodietnam preparations

Haha, finally I can post! Just a quicky tonight I'm afraid dahlings. So, I saw a goat in the back of a fancy truck the other night. It's just one of those things that still catches me off guard. I like to think he was becoming someone's pet rather than a Ramadan meal.

Anyway...almost ready to head off on holiday with Rory and my friend Emily to "Cambodietnam". That's my nick name the trip. Vietnam and Cambodia. Should be great fun. We're supposed to get thunder storms too, can't wait!

In preparation I had to get a series of vaccinations, some boosters, some new. Let me tell ya,the Typhoid Fever vaccination hurts like a bitch for 2 days. I went to 4 hospitals in total to get everything I needed. Funny how the damn "Vaccination Clinic" doesn't actually have much in the way of vaccines. But they offered me chicken pox if I wanted it for fun.

So...the last bit which included Heptatis A and a prescription for malaria pills took a total of 4 hours. 4 bloody hours and 4 doctors! Really makes me appreciate waiting 1 hour to see the doctor stateside. At least you know it's sanitary. Seriously, some of the stuff I see here ....like random needles sitting on an examination table with an infant crawling on it - and it wasn't even from an injection HE got but the former patient. Eh. I hope I don't catch shit while trying to protect myself against other diseases!

Anyhoo kids, I'll be MIA for the week starting Thursday night. I'll try to make another post before I go. Anybody want anything? Ciao!

Permalink: cambodietnam_preparations.html
Words: 272
Location: Niagara Falls, NY

Category: potpourri

08/21/08 07:23 - 59ºF - ID#45390

manga

Weeeee, I'll play!

Permalink: manga.html
Words: 5
Location: Niagara Falls, NY

Category: potpourri

08/12/08 11:32 - 68ºF - ID#45313

typhoid timi!

Good gracious I'm so behind on posting. Things were absolutely nuts here. I spent the last 2 weeks training the student staff and it pretty much ate up all my waking (arguably non-waking) hours!

Anyhow, just a quick love note to say I think about all you peeps often and I'm really missing rain right now. Luckily, I'm off to Cambodia and Vietnam in a few short weeks to catch the end of 'wet season'. Yeeehaw!

I got my typhoid fever vaccination yesterday and that little bugger HURTS. I can hardly raise my arm. It's good for 3 years, so I'm going to target vacation areas that require the vaccination so I don't have to repeat it!

Ok, I just wanted to say hi from the sandbox. Miss you all, muah!

Permalink: typhoid_timi_.html
Words: 129
Location: Niagara Falls, NY

Category: relationships

07/27/08 08:38 - 63ºF - ID#45161

i've never been...

....so in love

Yesterday he whispered in my ear, "If we were in a country that allowed it, I would be asking you to move in with me right now". I could feel my insides melting.

I always thought the line "you'll just know" was a crock of shit. But now I understand :)

I have more photos of Paris to put up but I've just started training my student staff and am really busy. I'll try to get to it this week!

museumchick writes at 06:23:41 07/29/08 - Comment #37499: It's really great that you've found someone who makes you happy! I'm so glad it's working out for you and Rory.

metalpeter writes at 06:32:34 07/28/08 - Comment #37468: I saw your comment and thought I would Let Everyone know how to find Timika's pictures of Paris from (e:strip). If you scroll down her journal page [right here} past all the topics you will see something that says FAV LINKS i the link is the top one it says "My Travel Pics" or something if you click on it, that should send you right to her page of travel pictures. The new Paris pictures are with the pictures from 2004 France. If they are not listed on Her Homepage {I think they are] then you click on something that says something about seeing more pictures or other galleries, sorry I don't remember the exact wording. Yesterday I saw a few pictures that i didn't remember seeing. The pictures seem to follow alphebetical (however it is spelled order) So you will have New and Old pictures together, that is unless she changed how it is laid out but I don't think she did.

mrmike writes at 02:09:29 07/28/08 - Comment #37460: If you could post the travel url again, that would be cool

hodown writes at 10:03:55 07/28/08 - Comment #37442: Yay! Being in love is the best feeling in the world. I'm so happy for you!!!

metalpeter writes at 05:39:34 07/27/08 - Comment #37435: I wish I could say the pictures where great but I can't find them maybe it is on my end not sure. they aren't listed on that list of pictures on the front page then when I hit more collections it lists 2007 but there is nothing for 2008, I'm sorry I just found them as France in 2004 so far the picture of you and Rory at Disney are pretty cute. For anyone else reading this they are mixed in with the ones from 2004 and there are some at the end so scroll down to the bottom to find the last few pictures from 08. There are a lot of pictures that I liked and I didn't comment on all of them but I did comment in different forms of my name not sure why I guess cause I go by a few names online and sometimes are called by different names but you'll know it me. Thanks for posting the pictures and I hope more then just me looks at them from (e:strip) cause if it was just me I would feel kinda bad, agian thanks for posting them and some really great pictures.

metalpeter writes at 04:44:10 07/27/08 - Comment #37434: Well if you stayed up only for me and no one else then thank you very much well thank you anyways, but I also feel kinda guilty, only kinda, very shortly you will either get a comment on here or on that site I forget if you can comment on them there it has been some time since I've been there.

ladycroft writes at 04:32:25 07/27/08 - Comment #37433: ok. i stayed up late just for you :) i got the paris photos loaded on my travel site. i'll try to get to the other ones this week as well. enjoy!

mrmike writes at 02:07:21 07/27/08 - Comment #37432: Good for you. Glad you're able to "bask" in some good times. Enjoy

metalpeter writes at 11:24:26 07/27/08 - Comment #37428: I'm very happy for you two. I'm glad that you understand the line "you'll just know" now, but I do still think it is a crock of shit myself but I'm glad it is not a crock of shit for you and Rory. When you have more time I'm sure I will enjoy your other pictures. Have you had time to post them to your Picture site (for those of us who can't wait, or might want to check them out in a non blog form)?

paul writes at 11:13:10 07/27/08 - Comment #37425: That is so cute - and wait seriously - you guys are not allowed to live together?

Permalink: i_ve_never_been_.html
Words: 82
Location: Niagara Falls, NY

Category: photos

07/20/08 09:26 - 70ºF - ID#45079

back from paris

I fixed the photos from a few posts ago*

I had the most fabulous time in Paris EVER. I've been before, but it was SO much more enjoyable this time around with Rory's arm to hold onto. Finally made it to the catacombs which I found pretty amazing (and not at all creepy) but my camera sucks in low light. I have a few 'ok' shots, but I'll post some of Rory's when I get them, they are spectacular. Can you believe they actually exhumed 6 million bodies and shoved them in old quarries? Crazy!

We also made it out to Euro Disney which was entertaining, as if I haven't been to Disney like 5 times in the last month! It was interesting to compare and contrast rides. My votes stand that Aerosmith's Rockin' Rollercoaster and the Tower of Terror are way better in their US version. However...Big Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain, and Pirates of the Caribbean were WAY better over there! Seriously. This also comes after having just ridden the newly updated version of Pirate's of the Caribbean in the US, to which I WAS going to tell you all is much better than it's first version. Just in case you ever go.....

There was also this restaurant that was 'inside' the Pirates ride, meant to look like you were in the jungle by a river. It was simply AMAZING! The food was really good, and the atmosphere was just divine.

first i took the train up to Lille to visit friends

i had a beer called 'kwak' which was served in this unusual way

tribute to joan of arc in the cathedral

my friend lived on the 5th floor, so the bathroom was....short

if you stand up in the bathtub your head sticks out the sky light

amaury

rory's flight was delayed and we got to our little hotel at midnight

more paris photos in next post, i have to finish sorting them out!

Permalink: back_from_paris.html
Words: 340
Location: Niagara Falls, NY

Category: potpourri

07/06/08 09:51 - 71ºF - ID#44877

rory quit!

Time Smoke-Free: 5 days, 16 hours, 46 minutes
Cigarettes NOT smoked: 114
Lifetime Saved: 20 hours

I never asked him to, but he did it. I'm so proud of him!

Yes, I see my photos didn't post - I'll deal with it later. I just wanted to share my joy first :)

metalpeter writes at 01:28:12 07/06/08 - Comment #36778: congrats. Hopefully he stays smoke free. It is really surprising how many people quit have it licked and then for some reason go back to smoking again.

jenks writes at 01:09:34 07/06/08 - Comment #36775: congrats! there's another ticker like that one too, that also lists how much money you've saved. It's pretty inspiring.

tinypliny writes at 11:30:23 07/06/08 - Comment #36770: That is awesome! Congratulations to Rory and to you!

I went to this talk at Roswell about how researchers are promoting people to stay in the quit mode. Apparently, portable tactile and visual stimuli strengthen the resolve the stay smoke-free. The experiment was an interesting one. They recruited a bunch of people who drank alcohol and put them through a training session that emphasized quitting alcohol. Then they were subjected to a number of "temptations", eg. given a bottle of wine and asked to pour it out repeatedly into wine-goblets, given a six-pack of beer and asked to pour it out into glasses etc.

Now comes the interesting part. The study subjects had been put in two different rooms because of the lack of space for "temptation" part of the study. In one of the rooms, a graduate assistant had forgotten his pencil with a funny-shaped eraser on the table. The researchers noted that the study subjects who were in the room with the pencil-funny-eraser resisted temptations MUCH BETTER than the ones in the other room.

Quite unconsciously, the unusual object on the table reinforced the quit-training they had received prior to the temptation experiment. Thus the researchers hypothesized that perhaps giving the study subjects memorable textured objects to keep would reinforce the quit-training. The textured objects could be anything - a Keychain, a medal, a small toy etc. They just have to be unique enough that, in the unconscious mind, the study subjects could make an association between the object and the intial training or the urge to quit in the first place. The second phase of the study is being carried out currently. They are extending this concept to quitting programs and stay-quit programs for smoking.

So maybe you could talk about how much you LOVE the fact that he has quit and without telling him about this whole experiment, just give him some small textured thingy that he can keep with him all the time. If the researchers are right, this object will remind him of you and the talk you had and encourage him to stay in the quit-mode. Just a small thing worth trying! :)

Nagging may also work, but positive reinforcement is better.

Good Luck!

james writes at 11:07:51 07/06/08 - Comment #36769: now you stay on his ass about not picking one up. Going through quitting a second time is worse than the first time.

mrmike writes at 10:42:01 07/06/08 - Comment #36767: Congrats on the smoke free journey so far. Keep on keepin' on

Permalink: rory_quit_.html
Words: 46
Location: Niagara Falls, NY

Category: photos

07/04/08 05:27 - 73ºF - ID#44863

photo catch up

I'm so behind on photos! I finally sifted through all of (e:jbeatty)'s photos for the parts of the trip I was missing. Here are a few shots from the communist statue park we visited in Budapest. Also, a few from Disney/Universal. I'll try to get everything up on my photo site before heading out of town again! Ciao peeps.

run away!

he got me....

dinner with the peeps

my nephews on their first amusement park ride

mohammed at universal

lego family

fireworks

Permalink: photo_catch_up.html
Words: 100
Location: Niagara Falls, NY

Category: potpourri

06/30/08 05:45 - 72ºF - ID#44831

back in the dohaha

I had a delay getting out of Orlando, but still managed to get on my plane in DC. I was so, so, so happy to be back in Rory's arms. I also came home to an amazing surprise. They put up a partition in my hallway. "What does that mean", I hear you ask. Well dear friends, it means I now have a relatively private entrance to my part of the building, which means it is now acceptable for me to have male visitors in my residence. Which means, for the first time ever, I'm going to make Rory dinner at MY place and he can some over and enjoy it!!!!

Really, having that type of restriction wears on you. I mean I'm almost 33 for crying out loud! With the inability for any public display of affection AND not having 'boys' over, I was seriously beginning to feel like a 13 year old trying to enjoy a chaperoned date. So, needless to say I am over the moon about this new addition!

Further more, I got some newer furniture and my apartment almost looks like it matches and belongs to a grown up! We requested 'new' furniture back in January and it's still a tit-for-tat battle as to who actually does the work. I swear this country wastes about a bajillion man hours working to avoid work and about 10 hours actually working. Not that I'm hatin' on anyone, just to make that clear.

I'm on duty this week, then I'm off to Paris next weekend. Rory finally got the time off approved, so we get to spend a whole 3 days together! No work, no moral police, just US....freedom.....and an exciting adventure together :) Let me hear you say, FUCK YEAH!

Travel photos to come.

Permalink: back_in_the_dohaha.html
Words: 294
Location: Niagara Falls, NY

Category: travel

06/21/08 11:08 - 63ºF - ID#44747

down in disney

I made it down to Disney. The flight was uneventful until we were just about to land in Orlando. Either we had a mechanical issue or we were about to run into another plane. We had to abort our landing. We were really close to the ground about to land when suddenly we accelerated into what felt like mach 5 and made a sharp climbing turn. Jeepers!

So here I am at Disney. Seems like we'll have a lot of free time with this conference so today Mohammed and I went to Epcot. The rides aren't so great, but it's really cool meeting and talking with the staff. They come from all over the world and of course that floats my boat.

Most pleasing of all, I finally got to have a video chat with Rory this morning. The time difference is so wrong it makes it very difficult to communicate 'live'. I was just pleased as punch to get to spend an hour with him, hear his sexy accent, see his face. In all my life and experiences I've never felt 'homesick' the way I am when I'm so far away from him.

I'll get some photos up when I get back home in Qatar. Sorry if I didn't get a chance to see you, talk to you, or meet you while I was home. It's an exhausting trip and there's only so much catering I can do considering how far and long I had to travel to get there. So, hopefully next year! Because I won't be home for a year. But next time hopefully I'll have Rory in tow and you can meet the fabulous man in my life :) Ciao peeps.