Vacation Has Rolled Around Again

God I love civil service.

I'm on vacation this week and plan to do as much boxing as possible, as always, providing the weather holds out. I was up in Westchester County yesterday in Pound Ridge Reservation and after much driving and wandering, found one box. Such is life. But I hiked up to an overlook and while making sure I didn't get blown off the top of the hill by the awesome winds that blew all day yesterday, enjoyed a really great view.

Today is Coming Back Home From Thanksgiving day and the traffic into the city will be a nightmare this evening. Rather than drive upstate, only to have a lovely day ruined by hours in bumper to bumper traffic, I think I'll hit a movie.

That Old Numbers Game

A week ago, I hit my 700th find on AQ. I hate to get hung up on numbers, but it was a thrill to see that '7' come up. I have more finds than that in my real logbook so I'm not sure what it means, if anything. I wish I could be like those people who don't care about logging their finds on AQ but I can't. I get a charge out of it and it makes me smile. Something that makes me smile must be okay so I suppose I shouldn't worry about it.

Catching Up

I see I haven't been here for quite a while. I always make a new resolution to make regular entries and then fail miserably. Such is life.

I have been doing a lot of boxing. I set a goal for myself to get out and box more often. There have been so many weekends in the past that after working all week I just didn't want to make what is almost always a long drive to a hike for boxes and then a long drive back home. I am happy to say that I have been working to keep that goal. I say "work" because sometimes it can be very hard to make those drives. But I almost always have a great time boxing and am always glad I made the effort to go.

I have been to Back To Our Roots in West Dover, Vermont, Susquehanna Sorjourne II in Binghamton, New York, I Love New York in Mt. Kisco, New York and most recently, Summer Is Here in Stanfordville, New York. These were all great gatherings but have to admit my favorite was Susquehanna Sojourne II. The organizers requested that no letterboxes be brought to the gathering that wouldn't be hidden with clues. So there were no table treats to keep everyone inside all day. Everyone hit the great trails and found lots of beautiful stamps.

Considering all the rainy days, I am happy that I was able to do as much boxing as I have so far this summer. And I'm not done yet!

Boom and Crash

One of the larger limbs on that beautiful tree broke off in the wind today and fell across the sidewalk. Luckily no one was hurt and it looks like the cars that were there might have just gotten some scratches.

Dark, windy and COLD April day in Gotham

Middle-Aged Butt

HAH! Made ya look!

Contrary to what you folks out there in the heartland may think, Gotham is not just tall buildings, taxicabs, and crowded sidewalks.

This is the view directly outside my livingroom window this afternoon. My tree (I think of it as my tree) is in full bloom and is stunning. Spring is indeed starting to spring.

Why am I not outside in this stunning and springing day you may ask? I was on a much needed and well deserved vacation this week, and I boxed my middle-aged bum off. I was out on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and on Monday I planted a new box in Manhattan. Today I rest, if you can call doing battle with the Laundry Monster resting.

I am also carving a stamp for a boxer who is planning a big series and had one of the carvers pull a disappearing act, probably because of that much over used excuse, "life got in the way". If you make a promise to carve and can't keep that promise, you let the planner know in plenty of time for them to find someone else. As the person who asked me to do this said, "I would have pulled the 'get ugly' switch weeks ago. But I digress, as I often do.

Back to the old work grind on Monday. Retirement cannot come too soon!