I admit it, I am a bad blogger. I am always falling behind with posts for numerous reasons, be it sickness, work or lack of ideas. My mom emails me asking how I’m doing, because I haven’t updated my blog and it’s the only way she can keep up with me!

I have for awhile thought about biting the bullet and going back to Twitter, because then I could at least have tweets in the side bar with small blurbs about what I’ve been up to.

At the same time, I’ve been acquiring all these really fun “sharing” apps for my phone, such as Instagram and Hipstamatic, which allow you to take fun and creative photos easily. I really wanted a way to link them to my blog, but they only work with Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. Sure there is a WordPress blogging platform for the phone I could use, but it is frustrating and always buggy.

So I finally bit the bullet and set up a Tumblr account. It’s free, and I had a domain name I never used that I could point at it. I’ve added the link to the side bar under the “Blogs” header. I JUST set it up, so the domain name may take awhile to point towards it and may or may not be working for everyone yet.

I will of course still use this as my main blog, for sharing actual real posts, when I sit down and write them. The Tumblr blog is mainly for updates on the go (would have been great while on vacation!) as well as photo sharing and iPhone apps. They aren’t meant to be full on blog posts, just fun shared things. Small fun updates between when I finally make updates here 🙂

As usual, after finally returning home, I got sick with a nasty cold within a day or two. This tends to happen a lot to me when I travel. Plane Germs! I think a lot of it was due to a very long travel day getting home, between getting off the ship, waiting at the airport for 5+ hours, then driving home another 3 all in one day. We used to always try and break up returning home, for example stay a day after the cruise and then fly/drive the next day. Next year I think that will be the plan if possible.

Being sick and having to go straight back to work was NOT fun at all. John of course is off work right now, and the tables are turned. I have a very early morning class this semester, so I’m getting out of bed at hours not normal for me at all. He’s often still asleep when I leave for work now.

I’m finally about over the cold, and now we are bracing for the first big storm of the year. We already got about an inch or two this morning, but the big dump is heading towards us now and will go all night. They can’t decide how much we are going to get, and keep increasing our totals. It’s now at 8-12+, with 3 inches an hour and the threat of thundersnow. Weeeee! I love snowstorms, but this one looks to be a scary storm with how fast it is going to be coming down, and the threat of losing power overnight is not fun.

I am hoping for a snow day tomorrow 🙂

A few quick photos 🙂 Hovering with a mouse should give captions.

So the vacation is officially over. We got off the boat yesterday and literally spent all day yesterday traveling to get home to New Jersey. I am so tired and so sore! Work starts tomorrow, which means I have to get everything ready today. We also have an ice/snow storm heading our way . . . is it bad to secretly hope the first day of classes are canceled 🙂

Once I’m settled and ready for work, I’ll start getting photos sorted, scanned and online. I’ll try and post some sneaks of a few soon.

So I am typing this blog on a phone, so it’s a very quick update.

We get off the ship tomorrow. It went too fast, but at the same time I am ready to go home. I want to sleep in my bed and see the doggies. Also I have been plagued by a lot of migraines this time around. Something in the food or drink I think is triggering them, never had that happen before.

We visited St John and went to the beach there. I actually got in the water cause it was so clean. I have photos.

In St Marten we just went shopping. I stopped in a cute little catholic church, cause I love historic churches. A local crazy man was also there and proceeded to expose himself to me. I kid you not, in a church! Of that I don’t have photos, I was just too shocked to snap one.

Onboard I rocked Glee Karaoke for Wii and now have the high score for “Defying Gravity”. Heidi signed us up to do Karma Kameleon in real Karaoke. Now that I’ve done that, I never need to again. We were horrid!

I have had lots of relaxing massages. So the stress and tension is all gone, until next week when work starts again

Uploading photos is a bit difficult on the phone. So I’ll post a link to a webshots slideshow when I get home.

So we boarded the gigantic Allure of the Seas yesterday and have been on the ship for about 24 hours now. This sucker is HUGE! I also don’t care what people say about the big ships, you can still feel it rocking at times. I should hopefully stop feeling that shortly 🙂 Last night my stomach was Oooooo from it at times. Tonight it also is too, but thankfully I got the dramamine! It was in our luggage last night, which was late to be delivered . . .

I am hoping for a good nights sleep tonight, as so far the first two nights (one on the ship, one in Ft Lauderdale) have not been pleasant (bad beds, migraines, grr!). I may be seeking out some sleeping pills tonight if the ship has some . . . . or just some adult beverages – which might work too 🙂 Tonight is the 80s dance party, so that should tire me out I am hoping. I get a nice massage tomorrow, which should also hopefully relax me. Thanks to two nights of tossing and turning I am just in knots.

Other things of note for this short update?

– My friend Heidi and I did a Michael Jackson dance class. We learned the “Thriller.” I’m fairly certain it was taped and will be shown on TV all week . . . not so thrilling!

– We played 80s Name That Tune. I won a plastic keychain, incredibly valuable. Yes, I’m sure your jealous.

– I’m taking a cupcake decorating class tomorrow! I am in fact the only male. I guess I’ll have several new girlfriends soon 🙂

– Tonight is formal night, the only time you’ll find me in dress clothes AND a tie. Too bad you aren’t here!

– Photos I’ll try and get up shortly. I probably won’t have the large high quality ones up till I’m back though.

That’s about it. Till next time!

So the Christmas from hell has come and gone. If I’m to celebrate Christmas next year there will have to be changes. #1 is that John will be coming down to Virginia with me on Christmas Eve to spend Christmas with my family. In 9 (or coming up on 9, I’m too tired to count) years we have never done a Christmas together. I have always gone home to Virginia, he has always had to go to his sisters and take his mother. However every year it becomes more and more of a “have to” rather than a “want to” for him . . . and I hear about it! Each year he seems to become more and more irritated that he’s stuck with his sister’s husband’s family . . . who mind you wouldn’t welcome me should I choose to stay here . . . which is why I don’t. After he became Scrooge and Marley incarnate this year, I told him he had a whole year to tell his sister and mother he was not coming next year, and they had a whole year to figure out who would drive his mom to his sister’s house. I am serious too . . . why the hell do you want to be unhappy on Christmas? It SUCKS!

Gift wise, I did have a good Christmas. But as any good Xtian will tell you, gifts are not what this holiday is about . . . . (then again they also go postal if the clerks at the stores they spend money at for gifts wish them “Happy Holidays”). But I digress, you can clearly get awesome gifts but still have Jesusmas spoiled. As I was asked in my shoutbox, I got some good loot 🙂 I got a keyboard for my iPad, which now replaces my laptop for traveling. I got some good games (okay 2 I bought for myself). John got me this fun mini-cupcake maker, oh and he bought us this giant ass HD LCD TV! We have both been in awe over it . . . . I think him more than me thanks to “Twilight” movies airing this weekend.

For New Years all the plans were insane this year. Didn’t know who was doing what, who wanted to come over, who wanted to go where. It ended up a last minute thing and in the end myself, John and my friend Kaitlyn just went to Holihans for dinner then watched Ryan SeaCrap and other stuff at home. The fact that John’s brother just TOLD US he was coming down New Years Eve also put a crimp in plans, cause that was a bedroom taken up that could have gone to friends. I’ll just shut my mouth on this issue . . . .

We now fly out to Florida in a week for our cruise, which I am so not prepared for at all. I have so much work to do this week it’s not funny, and I know it’s not all getting done. I’m used to having to work on vacation at this point, I’ve done it every year as is. It will just be finding the time to sneak off to the library or something to work 🙂

I am also not to happy that I’m going on vacation big as a house! I never lost the weight I had hoped to, and I while a lot of that is because of too much fast crap food, I’m sure stress had a lot to do with it too. My commuting schedule this fall was just too much, and I’m glad I told University M that I could not work there in the spring. Nothing against them, I just had too much I was supposed to do and I didn’t realize how much time it would suck up. I am going back next fall, when I’m scheduled to teach 4 classes between University R and M. I’m probably going to be a nutcase then too, but it’s along ways away 🙂 Well really not that long . . . . Ack!

Happy New Year . . . . 2012 will be here before we know it . . . .