Let sleeping dogs lie

I have less than one week left before I leave. So far, no changes in the plane schedule. Am I getting things crossed off that list? YES -- but it doesn't seem like I'm moving fast enough! And I was up way past my bedtime last night. I was working on a customer quilt and went with a very dense pattern, the quilt was HUGE, and it took a long time to get it done. 

The good news is that I was sewing while that was happening, so I got a fair bit done in the sewing department. However, I can't show you what I worked on as it is for my classes this weekend. Yep -- teaching right to the end! But I should have a chance to show you all before I leave. If not -- well, you'll see it all eventually. 

Here's the quilt, and now I have two giant quilts to trim today. 

Customer quilt  DONE

I have one more customer quilt that I want to quilt before I go. And there's still that magazine quilt that needs to be sewn together and quilted. It will happen, and it might result in a few late nights. I hate staying up past my bedtime because I get tired and can't get to sleep. But it'll all work out! 

The best news about yesterday was the RAIN! We had glorious rain, but not before we had thunder and lightning, and the girls weren't too happy about that. But they don't seem to mind as much as they used to. Needless to say, I wasn't watering the garden last night, which was good because I was quilting!

It's raining!

But Miss Murphy decided it was good to hang out with Mom, and HEY, there's a partial quilt top on the floor. Mom must have put this out JUST FOR ME. Thanks, Mom!

Thanks, Mom

Let sleeping dogs lie!!! I shouldn't let her sleep on the quilts as she is so dirty. If I took her for a bath, she would stay clean for maybe a day! 

Sleepy Murphy

And then, when you get really comfortable with the whole process, let's stretch out! 

Mom, I'm testing the quilt for you, and it works! 

I managed to get some more writing done, but nothing got completed, so that is an issue. But I'm not going to panic. Panicking will not accomplish anything. Slow and steady! Just like on the Amazing Race Canada. Are you following along? There are so many twists this year that it's hard to track who is still in the race. However, I won't be heartbroken when Veronica and Beverly get voted off. They have ZERO sportsmanship compared to the others and keep trying to ask for help. 

But one of the tasks last night involved meditation, and can you imagine trying to calm down and meditate when you're in the middle of a race? 

I learned something very valuable yesterday. OK -- so it's not that valuable, but if you travel, this could be. We know that you can purchase a SIM card for another country, and thanks to Stephanie, I know my phone won't change. Everything remains the same. But did you know that you can purchase a SIM card BEFORE you leave home? Yep -- I learned that from Rose yesterday. I tell you, this entire business of communications when traveling got a lot easier. 

And I've learned so much from many of you -- I hope you're also learning new things. 

That way, you know the phone number in advance, so it's easy to give it to those that need it. Trust me, only a select few will get that phone number. 

I'm investigating some of the blister options, as I need to get that cleared up before I leave; otherwise, I'll be wearing a bandaid the entire trip. It's like one big HARD lump, not really soft like a traditional blister. Sigh..... 

I also think I've got the water thing sorted out. I saw something I liked online, but there wasn't time to order it from the Etsy shop, so I may have to break down and order it from my favorite store. As I've said in the past, I have ZERO issues with ordering from them -- but ONLY if it's the last resort. So many people order like it's their only option, and I hate that!

Like everything, I have zero issues with them -- but I buy MINDFULLY from them, not just for everything I need or for convenience. Our society is getting very lazy and focuses on convenience, and while I like convenience, I don't need them. Anyway -- I digress. 

I popped off to MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-Op) to get the rest of the missing gear. And for the most part, I managed to get everything. 

I exchanged my hat, which had the cape on the back, for this one with a brim. This was the style I initially sought, but the salesperson I was dealing with steered me toward the other hat. I look awful in hats, but if it keeps the sun out of my eyes and protects my neck from the sun, I'll wear one, and this one doesn't look that bad!

My new hat

Let's just say that there are salespersons and there are salespersons. The first person I dealt with was a DREAM. I should have taken note of the spelling of his name. It's an unusual name, which I can't pronounce, but thankfully he was the one to help me with my backpack. He spent a lot of time with me that day, and I am happy with the backpack we chose. Then he also helped me find some clothes and a few other items. 

Yesterday, I was shopping for sandals and went to the shoe section, and I saw one employee hovering near the screen in that department. Not once did he come and ask me if I needed help. Then when I finally got his attention, I said I needed this shoe in a specific size. His response? "oh -- those are on sale, and they are in that pile there." And then he went back to fiddling with the screen -- I watched him. He was the MOST unhelpful salesperson ever!

I spotted MY salesperson from the time before, and I had a few more questions to ask, and he was so HELPFUL. I also spied the clearance section and snagged a raincoat for a LOT less than the new ones were going for. 

My gear

The bottom line is that this is my gear, minus my hiking shoes. I now need to go through it all and make sure that everything is sorted, all the tags are removed, and there is NOTHING in there that isn't double duty or absolutely necessary. I'm trying to keep within that 10 lb limit, but I may need to up that to 11. 

There is one more thing to purchase, and I'll have to do that online as I couldn't find it in their store. I'll take what I have in a pinch, but it's not quick dry (underwear) if you need to know, and I want quick dry! I'm very particular, and they didn't have what I wanted at MEC. 

On that note, I'm out of here! Lots to do and no time to waste!!

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!!