Happy Spring!

The problem with being so long between entries is that I have so much to catch up!!

After my last entry, we entered one of those busy travel times at work. The last week of January, we traveled to Chicago for our annual convention. I say we meaning me and my co-workers, not Bert, because he said he was too smart to go to Chicago in February. Well, he was right because it was damn cold there. It was 0 degrees when we arrived, three snow storms came through while we were there, and we hurried home before it snowed again on the 6th of February. Between cold air, dry air, and hotel air, every person that attended our meeting came home with a cold! Guess we won't be going there again!

Two weeks later, I headed off to Seattle for a quick layover with the kids on the way to Maui, where I had a meeting. Man, I love Hawaii, what a great place. We were two nights in Maui, two nights in Honolulu, and then one day in Kauai. Let me tell you, it seemed like a good idea on paper to schedule 8 hours in Kauai, where I had never been, but in actuality, it was a dumb idea. Next trip I will stay longer. While we were in Hawaii we met with about 30 vessel operators, and deemed the trip a great success. I was travelling with my friend Pete, one of our boat builders and a friend from the Coast Guard. On the 2nd night in Honolulu, the fellas all took me out to celebrate my birthday on the beach in Waikiki, a pretty darn nice birthday. I was thinking that it was near where Cathie, my sister, and I spent a birthday many years ago. But Waikiki has changed so much since we were there 30 years or so ago, you can hardly recognize anything, except the beach itself.

So, left Kauai to fly back to Seattle. It is such a great excuse to lay over on that trip, letting your body clock try to catch up with the real clock. Stayed 2 days with the kids, and saw a bunch of friends, but never everyone! The kids took me for more birthday celebration with brunch at Salty's at Alki, was that great! I had never been for brunch, and everything tasted so much better since the kids paid the bill!

From Seattle I flew to St. Louis, where it was 17 degrees and snowing. What a crash back to reality: 84 in Hawaii, 17 in Missouri. Guess which I like better?

Into March, I kept busy with some local travel, not going to far: staff retreat out in the Shenandoah Valley, a meeting in West Virginia which sounds like it is a long ways away, but is just over the hill, about 2 hours drive. Mostly March was too much work, not enough time. We totally ignored the fact that there was a holiday in March, although Bert and I did spend Easter Sunday biking thru Williamsburg, and we did take Easter Monday off (just like a Canadian!) and spent the morning in the museums in the historic area. You know we always love Williamsburg, and bikes were a great way to go.

I did get my 1/2 year MRI and had my visit with my oncologist. Another good visit, another all clear. Also celebrated my 4th anniversary working for PVA. Can you believe we have been here four years?

This week is Cherry Blossom Festival here in DC. Mostly it has been cold, although we have not had snow like Seattle and Portland, but Tuesday was the first really nice afternoon. 75 after work! Bert thought it was so nice he went fishing, and I took myself down to the Tidal Basin, parked about a mile away, and walked down at sunset just in time to see the trees at the peak of the bloom. It is truly amazing and worth the crowd to walk under the pink cloud that is the cherry blossoms. I didn't take a camera, of course, so no pictures for the blog!