Getting ready to travel, again

Just got back a few days ago from my tri-annual trip to Michigan. Got into Seatac last wednesday about 10pm, as 7-10" of snow were just finishing dumping on Seattle. Actually just as that dump was changing to freezing rain. I elected to get a room near the airport so as not to have to drive the 60 miles home. Nex morning I awoke to find my car encased in,quite literally,a half inch of ice... I still have a piece of it in my freezer as proof. I coul see my ice scraper in the car, but couldn't even get to it before borrowing someone else's to chip the ice off my door lock . After a half hour or so of hacking, I made it home with no problem, to find 7 beautiful inches of snow. All gone after a couple of days, of course.

 

Now, I have stuff strewn all over my living room in preparation for my next trip. On Friday I will being driving towards southern California. I have a liesurely wandering week to get almost to Mexico, to hike and canoe with the Sierra club for a week. Immediately following that, I will drive to Las Vegas to meet up with WomanTours, for a week of bicyling through Death Valley.

 

Yesterday I bought an Ipad! I've been very dissatisfied with the netbook I bought a couple of years ago, and also I've been looking for a way to have internet access when I'm at my dad's house. Thinking about getting an Iphone, but rate plans are at least $60 per month. Currently I use my cell phone so little that even at 20 cents per minute, I pay only $20 every three months. But with the ipad, I will pay $20 per month for cell-phone-type internet access, but ONLY DURING THE MONTHS I NEED IT! And will have wifi access anytime that's available, too. SOunds perfect to me. I suspect I'll still have to go sit out on a stump in the woods to get any cell phone service at my dad's house... but it's a start! Plus, the Ipad is just so COOL! Especially with the bright orange folder with bluetooth keyboard that I got to go with it.