HERE it is!

I know I haven't blogged in a little but I really DID have a good reason. I couldn't find or remember where I was blogging. You'd think that I would have bookmarked it when I created this wouldn't you? Oh well, that's life. I finally found it so I will start posting again.

The good news is......I am going on vacation to Utah soon. I am going to visit some great friends. I haven't seen them in person yet but I have communicated with them and their families for around seven years. It will be good to see them and spend time with them. Some of the places they were thinking of taking me are:

http://www.utahoutdooractivities.com/bearriverbirdrefuge.html

http://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/antelope-island/video

http://www.nps.gov/gosp/planyourvisit/index.htm


They all sound good plus there are plenty of hiking trails. I will be happy to collapse in their house and listen to their talented family play their musical instruments as well as get some crafting done.

As it happens, a second friend moved this summer close by so I will get to see two sets of gaming families in one visit. How lucky can a person be?

I will be posting when I get time. For now, this will catch you up.

Oh yeah, this time I also bookmarked where I am posting this. LOL.

Bon

Backtracking to 50

I just noticed that I should have started when I turned 50 or 51 since I entitled this as the second half of a century blog. I would have, but not much happened. My life pretty much kept to its own status quo and went on day after day. That is why I was bound to do something in the second half of my century of life.

So far it has been working out. In November, 2009 I bought a new sewing machine in order to pick up on my quilting and crafts. It wasn't a big sewing machine but what I could afford. I am happy with it. I might not be as happy if I had one of the super duper fantastic long arm quilting machines but this is fine with me for now. I bought a Singer Confidence (the line of sewing machine) Quilter. Sometimes I wonder why I chose that one. It was not the one I had walked into the store to buy. No salesperson came up to me to give me a sales shpeel. After thinking it over, I am sure I bought it because a) it was in my price range, b) I liked the "confidence" part and c) I liked putting the "confdence" with the "Quilter" part. I needed that little boost for my quilting. I have not yet been sorry that I bought it.

The next achievement that I wanted to do in the second half of life was to get my Bachelor's degree from Northern Illinois University. I have been working there on and off for over 20 years and they paid for my education. Thanks to waiting for what seemed like forever, I received my Bachelor's of General Studies degree from NIU this May. I also achieved this without incurring any educational debt. That is a very good thing since there is enough debt hanging over me although not as much as when I first left my ex.

As a treat, I wanted to make sure I celebrated getting my degree. Years ago I wanted to go overseas and visit my European gaming and crafting friends. That was out of the question due to finances so instead I looked into going to visit some gaming and crafting friends in the United States. I had already met a friend and his family in California when I went out (my first time riding in an airplane) to a work conference. I guess my first time meeting non local gaming friends was at GenCon in 2003 though. That was my treat for leaving a doomed relationship. Up to now, all my meetings with my online gaming friends have been wonderful and I have grown because of it. Now I am scheduled to go to Utah (North Ogden) to visit friends. This is a great time because I have to sets of friends who live there AND I also found out that somebody from my Quilting Board lives about 15 minutes from there. I wonder if I can manage to meet up with everybody.

As usual, my train of thought blogging/journal style has me of topic a little bit. There is only one way I could afford this trip is due to my marvelous boss. Yes, I really DO have a wonderful boss. My graduation present from him was the air fare for this trip. The costs for the trip had gone up so I ended up having to put in $50 of my own money, but WOW, my gift certificate from him covered the rest. The other thanks I have to dish out is to John and his wife Shelley (and their kids) for putting me up while I stay in Utah for two weeks. I also have to thank George and Michele who moved there so I get a chance to see them also. Michele and Shel both to crafts and they all game. This should be fun. Now all I need to do is to not spend all my money before I go.

One of the women at work will be taking me to the airport...Thanks EV!... and I have already paid for that so I don't have to worry. That means that all of my transportation costs have been met. Not bad Bon!

Oh, a note for anybody who reads my blog. It is my blog which means if I don't feel like spell checking it, I won't. I will still try my best to make it readable but there will be days when I just ramble. I ramble quite well.