Monday, April 9, 2007

Weekend Get-away

What could be more romantic than spending a long 4-day weekend at Biltmore! (Sigh!) Sounds lovely, doesn’t it? Touring the estate, meandering along the garden paths,sipping a glass of wine and enjoying the view, etc. It’s all good stuff! But what if you don’t have someone special of your own?

Skip the romance and go anyway! So Howard (my imaginary companion of 12 years) and I are leaving for Biltmore on Wednesday evening with 2 of my girlfriends, Kristen and Jessica. I’m psyched, elated and delighted. I need this get-away rather desperately.

We’re spending Wednesday evening in Louisville, Kentucky (pronounced “Lou-ullll-vulle”) with our friend Stephanie who lives there, and then Thursday morning, we’re heading on to North Carolina. We have the unlimited Biltmore passes, which will allow us lots of access to all the Biltmore sites during our stay, and I get giddy just thinking about it. I’ll get to see my favorite turtle fountain and hang out under the grape arbor. I’ll get to wander among the flowerbeds and savor the view of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance. And then there is the house…I love it. The library is my favorite room with its secret access from the upper story bedrooms, the magnificent fireplace and spiral staircases, and the thousands of volumes that would make any literature nut’s heart skip a beat.

Yes, I feel like I’m going home, in a way. This will be my 4th Biltmore excursion. I guess you could call me a fan…

It’s time to start packing!

Abandonment Issues!

I understand I’ve given a couple of people a complex what with my lack of keeping up with friends and family like I have lately. But it hasn't been intentional abandonment...I'm just running on fumes here.

Since returning from Christmas vacation in January, my job has stepped up to hyper busy mode. In early February, just when I thought things were going to start calming down, my co-worker Michele got put on bedrest – 2 and ½ months before her pregnancy due date. So, I became known as “Michelanie” and have been doing both jobs ever since, and the madness hasn’t slowed down a bit.

Michele finally gave birth to a beautiful baby boy last week, and so I am starting to count down the days until her return. June 4th will be here before we know it! But until then, I’m not anticipating a big change in my communication habits. HA!