I'm Back

A whirlwind -- that was the last few weeks before vacation. And unfortunately, it has picked up where I left off. Before vacation, as we were getting ready to launch the new website, we were all working insane hours. Of course, the real ITS gurus were working around the clock. Literally in 36-hour stretches. Those of us who could do stuff without knowing code, did what we could. I built websites in templates and content managements systems -- for eight hours on a rainy Saturday, and until 11pm at night some nights. All the while, trying to get my other work in a state where I felt comfortable leaving for 10 days. The world at large was making sure that I was in need, and deserving of, a vacation.

I woke up before my alarm went off on Friday morning (8/25), and decided to just get up. I was excited. I was headed south. I was on the road by 5am, in Pennsylvania by 6:20, and in West Virginia by 10:30. I was excited to see gas at $2.85 a gallon just before the PA/MD border (it was $3.01 when I left Ithaca). I made it Ashland before 1pm, and surprised my niece at her office job on campus.

I walked in, she looked up non-chalantly and was about to say "can I help you?" And then the double-take, and then the "what are you doing here?!" My little Tiff, all grown up, with an office job, going to college. We went to lunch -- and she was so cute when she told the cahsier at Quizno's, "I'm paying for both of us."

After lunch, she went back to work (after a quick spin around campus and look at her soon-to-be dorm building) and I headed to my brother's for a nap. Getting up at 4:30 was starting to sink in. I left most of my stuff in the car -- just brought in the food. Eight pounds of Hoffman hot dogs, five pounds of salt potatoes (for you folks not living in Central New York, you are missing a real treat of summer!) and a case of Canadian beer. Everything else stayed in the car. I took the dogs out, turned on the TV, and snuggled on the couch for a nap.

It was so nice to relax. All weekend. I walked with my brother, took baths, went shopping with Debbie and Tiffany, took naps (at least one a day) -- it was exactly what vacation was supposed to be. We went out to lunch and dinner a few times, ate ice cream, stayed in our pajamas one day. And that was all before the big move-in day!

Next....welcome to campus, class of 2010!