This morning it poured while bluesail_toby and I drove both our cars to oldest sister's.* It's let up a bit now... I have the picnic table tarp spread out in the covered porch... I need to make some knots.

Happy holiday early! And any holiday that anyone might be celebrating, anywhee. :-)

One of my sisters is playing Peter and the Wolf on the piano. They like to play duets, make mistakes, and laugh and laugh. :-)

*he will leave his car here during our vacation trip.

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Yesterday I spent a lot of time - in between chasing down things for the Chair - fretting about state parks and motels. Today I've been fretting about things being closed on Mondays!

I wanted to mention in here that one of the towns we'll be visiting is Auburn, New York I first heard of it while reading a book about two young women from Auburn who taught school in Wyoming for the year, around 1910. I learned it was the home town of William Seward. He was in Lincoln's cabinet, and famously bought "Seward's Folly" (Alaska) from the Russians. He was also badly hurt in an assassination attempt, the same day that Lincoln was killed. He was an abolitionist, you see.

Then I found out that David Strathairn is playing Seward in a movie! Well, had to visit Auburn. :-)

It was part of the Underground Railroad network; Harriet Tubman lived there.

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Rain poncho time today! It was pouring when I walked from my car to the office. I was carrying a bag as well as my purse, so pocnho + umbrella worked well.

Of course the worst thing was crossing the street, with sheets of water rippling across to cover my toes. I was wearing sandals, luckily. I went barefoot for a half hour or so here at work.

Of course, stress right before a vacation: I am told that we overspent our recruitment budget (PhD program). We did not. I have records. As usual, it's a problem with where the college put the money, and how it is divided between the two parts of the department -- and where the accountant knows to charge things. I didn't authorize more than we received.

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I'm in the middle of GradTracker, a rather weird new system of showing how much a department has agreed to support a student. I'd like to finish it this afternoon, but probably won't -- I had too many interruptions earlier in the afternoon.

Last night I watched Dancing Lady, a 1933 film with Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, and Franchot Tone. Some surprising things -- I thought Joan Crawford was very pretty here, and her performance was charming.

Also, the Stooges appear in their classic form, as Ted Healy and His Three Stooges. Larry in particular looked very young - and played the piano. It was fun to see Real Curly again. I remember how when Stooges movies were shown at school, if it was Curly Joe or Shemp, the whole crowd of kids would groan in disappointment.

(btw Tone was married to Crawford at one point)

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For the second day in a row I was awake at 4:30, anxious about something (frightened). Things have gone up and down today, quite the rocky road. Mostly it's been ok since about 11 o'clock, but I could have gotten more done this afternoon.

For one thing, I realized that I don't have my car registration for this year - and the renewal form hasn't come yet. I called the DVS and they'll sent me a letter affirming that I'm registered.

I wouldn't worry as my tags are ok for June, but just in case someone stops me for speeding... a speed trap, naturally. Not a good thing for a road trip!

ETA my renewal card came in the mail! I'll renew the registration online tomorrow, and presumably can print out a page saying that I have paid.

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Linda would have loved this. It's recent - from his website - and taken by Lorraine Devon Wilke, Tom's sister. She's a singer.

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Last night it was looking pretty ominous about 8 o'clock, so I headed back home. There wasn't much rain... except for when I stepped out into the parking lot here - it instantly started pouring! No umbrella.. well, it was in my car. I got a little damp, running to the car.

I'm back at ordenchaz's apartment, just for a couple of hours I think. I want to look up more campgrounds and such on the route (northish Ohio, Indiana, ec.) coming back. I don't want to do this later in the week!

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Today ordenchaz and I took our aunt P to Lake Minnetonka, specifically to Excelsior to have lunch at Antiquity Rose.

I believe cz_moon ran across Antiquity Rose when we were on one of our Tourist Days. oldest sister and I also took our Mom there.

I had a club sandwich and a mint ice cream slab covered with bits of Oreo cookies. LOL not on the program!

Then we did a leisurely drive around (part of) Lake Minnetonka, to Wayzata (btw, the name is a shibolleth). P said it was a perfect day! It was hot, but windy enough so it wasn't uncomfortable.

ordenchaz and I went through some family jewelry, and I'm about to spread out maps and go over the eastern trip route.

Personal Holiday, day off. It may get up to 90F today, so it's appropriate that I just bought a pair of shorts and a hot-weather top. :-) That was my goal or the day, and I was home by quarter to 11.

I also cleared winter stuff out of my car, put my updated insurance card in my glove compartment, and cleared out a few things. I still need to go through the door slots, pulling out maps for western states from the most recent road trip. I won't throw them away, of course, but eastern state maps will replace them soon. :-)

Somehow... I have to clean my car's trunk, removing dried leaf fragments. I don't have a car vacuum, so I'll use a whisk broom and, surely, my fingers.

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I found this in sartorias's LJ -- it's video map of the history of

Europe (to the Urals) from 1000 AD to the present

I agree with comments that "France" is way too monolithic throughout. They don't give any days, though I suppose the dates would flash by so quickly it wouldn't work. I did cry Queen Anne! at one point. :-)

I find the changing map quite... hypnotizing especially if you look at one country with a lot of movement (e.g. Germany). cz_moon see the Czechs! Bohemia stays as a label, but almost always as part of something else. (sigh)

It reminds me of what I call

See the Roman Empire Grow!

though that is slow and peaceful by comparison (no music).

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