It's been a pretty cold winter (relatively speaking, of course) in Alabama. Our fireplace has gotten a lot more use than in previous years. Buying firewood here is different than anywhere else I've ever been. I've never been able to just find it at a store of some sort. Instead guys sit with their pick-ups on the side of the main roads, beds loaded down with chopped wood, and wait for people to stop and buy. It feels a little dirty to me, especially because I don't buy a lot at a time. 'How much can I get for 20 bucks?' makes me feel like I'm buying something I'm possibly going to burn, but probably not in the fireplace.
One afternoon I was out cruising for the firewood trucks and found one on a corner near the house. There wasn't a guy in this truck, but a number scrawled on a piece of limp cardboard taped to the side. I called the number and an old man answered. He told me how to get to his "wood yard" that was only about a mile away. I drove down this backroad I've never been on before, past overgrown lots and mobile home communities and a white and pink cinderblock dance studio that stood out like -- well, like a white and pink dance studio in the middle of a sooty, brushy, seemingly dying stretch of winding road. I came up on the wood yard and parked basically in the middle of the curvy street. There were only muddy ditches on either side of the road, places only pick-ups and ATVs could drive. I just hoped this would be quick, or that no one actually ever drove down this road, and if they did, they'd be going slowly.
So out of nowhere walks this old man. Or at least I thought he was an old man. He didn't seem to have put in his teeth that morning. He was wearing only one dirty glove, and the other hand was missing a thumb. He spit -- I hope it was chewing tobacco. His clothes were layers upon layers of things that had been cut or patched or were fraying. His outfit reminded me of the gas station attendants you don't see much anymore - when they'd come out and fill your tank and check under your hood, even if it was 12 below and sleeting. I'm still not sure if this man is in his 80's, or one of those souls who looks old when he's still young - a lifetime of back-breaking work taking its toll long before its time.
We chatted a bit as he was trudging through the mud, searching for the driest wood, and loading it into my car. One of the things he said was that he had to actually pay to have the wood brought in so he could chop it and sell it. $30 for the load to chop and re-sell. He used to get the wood at his jobsite, they let him take it and chop it. But now, "there ain't no work no mo'. There just ain't no work no mo'." I wrote him a check for $12 for my wood and started for home, his words still stinging in my ears.
I got home and started to build a fire. Meanwhile, I was telling Gary this story. The global financial crisis has been on our minds as much as anyone's, and trying to plan a wedding right now is taking a lot of creative corner cutting. I suspect it will also mean we may be compromising even more of what we want the closer we get, should this not turn around soon.
I just felt horrible. Horrible that here was this old man, with 9 fingers, chopping wood to feed his family, and here we were planning a week-long honeymoon somewhere that's going to cost us the equivalent of about 3 months of my salary. There is something seriously wrong with that. Especially when it's a very real possibility that one or both of us could lose our jobs in the next 6 months. So we fired up the laptop and got to work...
What we found, and later changed, is that we can go to Ocho Rios instead of St. Lucia for half the cost. HALF THE COST. Same resort chain, so we didn't lose the deposit. The Ocho Rios resort has a country club nearby, so we're getting 27 more holes of golf than in St. Lucia. It's the same body of water. I'm sure the sand and sun are similar. We'll still be together. And on our honeymoon. And in Ocho Rios, again for half the cost, we have the Honeymoon Oceanview Villa 1 Bedroom Suite with a private pool. No kidding. Oh, and the flights were cheaper, and shorter. Gary ended up getting a credit from the airlines.
I definitely feel better having made this change. Yes, it's nice to have a fabulous honeymoon to always remember, but we'll always remember it anyway. It's about us, not about spending money we may need for other things down the road. And this way, we'll get the golf and the sun and the amazing trip together, but not feel so frivolous and irresponsible about it.
By the way, the luxury is included, but we still have to pay for it. Want to buy us a romantic dinner for two on the beach or a couple's massage? Here's where you can help.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
Up-do, Make Up, and Porn
Bartlet and I are alone for the weekend. Gary has gone to DC to visit his sons. Oh yeah, and to be there and witness the swearing in of the 44th President of the United States with millions of his closest friends. While I am truly disappointed to not be there also, it just didn't work out for me to join him. (And I trust he'll get me a sophisticated yet understated commemorative T-shirt when he purchases one for our friend Justice.) So while Gary and Craig and Mark have an historic ("an", not "a") weekend full of male-bonding, Bartlet and I are doing bride-to-be stuff. And Bartlet's thrilled about it. He'd tell you himself, but he's sleeping. And he can't type because he doesn't have opposable thumbs.
So it's 6:00 and I'm in my pajamas already and there's a (really pathetic) fire in the fireplace. The B2B day started with the afternoon off from work. At 12:30 I went to Salon Xanadoo and met with Lindsey. I'm told she's the best "special occasion hair designer" around. At least that's what Wayne-John at the front desk told me. I really went there because I wanted Russell Kern to do my hair - Gary and I met Russell and his partner Cliff at an AIDS Alabama benefit auction and casino night gala thing. We had a blast with them and it turns out Russell is great with curly hair. But of course by the time I got around to calling him, he had stopped doing hair and no longer works there. So I met with Lindsey.
Before I even sat down I fanned out the 75 pictures I'd brought with me - all ripped out from bridal magazines. (See "Bridal Overdose" for more on my obsession with bridal magazines.) When I showed her the one I really liked the most, I told her that - and added, "but I want it to look like MY hair." She said, "sit down. I can do that." Really? No one in my entire life has ever been able to make my hair look anything like anyone else's style. In fact, rarely do I leave the chair not in tears. Which is why I never get my hair cut. The last time was 2 years ago. Seriously.
I sat down and she started playing with my hair, and - whoo hoo! - she wasn't like all the other hair people at all - she didn't do everything she could to mess up the curl pattern and make it fuzzy. I was amazed. After 5 minutes of trying to get bobby pins to stay in, she decided to try a rubber band instead. Never in almost 37 years have I EVER been able to put a rubber band in my hair. They snap before I can get them around this wild mane. It's been 5 hours and it's still in, by the way. So she banded and bobby pinned and told me where she'd flatten and where she'd make a little place for my veil. That would be the veil I wasn't positive I'd be wearing until Lindsey told me she'd make a little place for it to sit. And she told me where she'd need to tease. Tease. My hair.
Later I was thinking about that, and I'm quite certain the last time I teased my hair I was getting ready for a Roosevelt High School dance with Nikki Hardy and Becky Finley in a cigarette smoke and Aqua Net-filled bathroom and we were wearing jelly bracelets up to our elbows and some sort of boots with buckles with a skirt and something probably fishnet or at least with the knees ripped out. And either Prince or Madonna was on the radio. Or did we still have vinyl then? Most likely a cassette tape. So anyway...
Before I left I made an appointment for August to do a real dress rehearsal of the half I-do-Up-do. And she's only charging me half the real cost because apparently thick, curly, dirty hair is the absolute best for the I-do-Up-do. BUT -- you know how I keep preaching about how much cheaper it is to get married on a Sunday? Not this time. Because she'll have to come to me to do my hair that day, it's gonna cost me FOUR TIMES as much. That's the first thing I've come across in all this planning where it's more expensive.
With my rubber band and bobby pins still firmly planted in my hair, I went to Ulta and played with make up. I'm a hardcore Bare Escentuals fan, but I actually went Urban Decay today, mostly because there was a representative there to play with make up with me, but also because I was feeling a little freakish.
(THANK YOU, Jackie for my gift card!!! It was spent wisely - or at least on something I really needed/wanted!)
So now I'm home and we're on to the porn part of this blog. Just to clear things up off the bat (for my future mother-in-law) we're talking *wedding porn*. It's a big part of my new favorite wedsite offbeatbride.com. It's a gallery of dozens of offbeat brides' wedding photos, complete with commentary for ideas to steal. I believe it's more satisfying and addictive than naked dirty pictures anyday.
Well, most days. ;)
Tonight's plan is to get this fire going again, put on some sexy music, and settle back on the couch and surf for porn...
So it's 6:00 and I'm in my pajamas already and there's a (really pathetic) fire in the fireplace. The B2B day started with the afternoon off from work. At 12:30 I went to Salon Xanadoo and met with Lindsey. I'm told she's the best "special occasion hair designer" around. At least that's what Wayne-John at the front desk told me. I really went there because I wanted Russell Kern to do my hair - Gary and I met Russell and his partner Cliff at an AIDS Alabama benefit auction and casino night gala thing. We had a blast with them and it turns out Russell is great with curly hair. But of course by the time I got around to calling him, he had stopped doing hair and no longer works there. So I met with Lindsey.
Before I even sat down I fanned out the 75 pictures I'd brought with me - all ripped out from bridal magazines. (See "Bridal Overdose" for more on my obsession with bridal magazines.) When I showed her the one I really liked the most, I told her that - and added, "but I want it to look like MY hair." She said, "sit down. I can do that." Really? No one in my entire life has ever been able to make my hair look anything like anyone else's style. In fact, rarely do I leave the chair not in tears. Which is why I never get my hair cut. The last time was 2 years ago. Seriously.
I sat down and she started playing with my hair, and - whoo hoo! - she wasn't like all the other hair people at all - she didn't do everything she could to mess up the curl pattern and make it fuzzy. I was amazed. After 5 minutes of trying to get bobby pins to stay in, she decided to try a rubber band instead. Never in almost 37 years have I EVER been able to put a rubber band in my hair. They snap before I can get them around this wild mane. It's been 5 hours and it's still in, by the way. So she banded and bobby pinned and told me where she'd flatten and where she'd make a little place for my veil. That would be the veil I wasn't positive I'd be wearing until Lindsey told me she'd make a little place for it to sit. And she told me where she'd need to tease. Tease. My hair.
Later I was thinking about that, and I'm quite certain the last time I teased my hair I was getting ready for a Roosevelt High School dance with Nikki Hardy and Becky Finley in a cigarette smoke and Aqua Net-filled bathroom and we were wearing jelly bracelets up to our elbows and some sort of boots with buckles with a skirt and something probably fishnet or at least with the knees ripped out. And either Prince or Madonna was on the radio. Or did we still have vinyl then? Most likely a cassette tape. So anyway...
Before I left I made an appointment for August to do a real dress rehearsal of the half I-do-Up-do. And she's only charging me half the real cost because apparently thick, curly, dirty hair is the absolute best for the I-do-Up-do. BUT -- you know how I keep preaching about how much cheaper it is to get married on a Sunday? Not this time. Because she'll have to come to me to do my hair that day, it's gonna cost me FOUR TIMES as much. That's the first thing I've come across in all this planning where it's more expensive.
With my rubber band and bobby pins still firmly planted in my hair, I went to Ulta and played with make up. I'm a hardcore Bare Escentuals fan, but I actually went Urban Decay today, mostly because there was a representative there to play with make up with me, but also because I was feeling a little freakish.
(THANK YOU, Jackie for my gift card!!! It was spent wisely - or at least on something I really needed/wanted!)
So now I'm home and we're on to the porn part of this blog. Just to clear things up off the bat (for my future mother-in-law) we're talking *wedding porn*. It's a big part of my new favorite wedsite offbeatbride.com. It's a gallery of dozens of offbeat brides' wedding photos, complete with commentary for ideas to steal. I believe it's more satisfying and addictive than naked dirty pictures anyday.
Well, most days. ;)
Tonight's plan is to get this fire going again, put on some sexy music, and settle back on the couch and surf for porn...
Monday, January 5, 2009
Terror and Insurance
As many of you know, I sometimes hang out at Bath & Body Works. They pay me to be there, but it's really just hanging out. I get to smell pretty things and use lotions I can't afford and waste away the afternoon thinking and talking about nothing important with other women-girls who need the same kind of weekend activities. I guess we get paid to be friends, but not in the illegal kind of way.
So anyway...
The Saturday after Christmas I'm working my post (not "pole" lol) -- Register #3. I am there all shift-long. It's the first day of the semi-annual sale, so there are a LOT of people buying stuff. Returning presents they don't like, spending gift cards, stocking up. At some point, as I'm STILL ringing up people's goods, as I'm scanning something I hear the slightest, almost imperceptible 'tink'. I've never heard the sound, but immediately I know what it is. I look down, horrified, and I see it. Or rather, don't see it. My diamond is gone.
My diamond is gone.
Left is a gaping hole of palladium claws. The prongs taunt me like octopus tentacles. There is nothing there but misshapen metal. I am frozen with terror. It stings as if someone has ripped a tooth from my gums, leaving just an ugly unexpected empty space.
I start lifting things like a pencil cup and rubber bands. As if this diamond is hiding under a paper clip. I have no sense of my surroundings.
This diamond has made it through a lot. My Grandfather bought it in the 1950's and wore it in his Masonic ring. When he died my Gram had it made into a solitaire she wore until she remarried. My mother wore it at her own wedding more than 20 years ago. Gary and I had it reset after we got engaged. It was supposed to last another lifetime. And now I've lost it.
I looked up at the vast line of women in front of my register. I turn back to the 5 other sales associates behind me at the cash wrap. The woman I had been ringing at the time broke the deafening silence in my head. Sounding just like Charlie Brown's teacher, she said suddenly, "Stop! Stop what you're doing for me and we'll look for it!" So we did. Well, they did. Every woman in that line knew my diamond was missing and every one of them looked for it. I, however, could not. I had a moment like only 2 others that I remember in my lifetime - where I willingly gave up control - completely succumbed to whatever was happening around me. I had nowhere else to go. I couldn't put one foot in front of the other. I couldn't fathom what I would tell Gary. We'd only been engaged a few months! Ugh, and what would I tell my mother? Almost 60 years of family history and I'd lost it. And just then, as I put one hand on my stomach to stop the spasms, and the other over my mouth to block the screams and the vomit, from deep, deep inside, a voice screamed in my head... IT'S ... NOT... INSURED!!!
Why? Because I'm an idiot, basically. I had called my insurance guy, but he needed an appraisal, and that seemed like just too much work. I just hadn't gotten around to it yet... and now, this.
It might have literally been a total of 30 seconds. It may have been 3 or 4 minutes. I really don't know. But another sales associate - one I've never met before and haven't seen since - popped up from behind me and shouted gleefully, "here it is!" She handed me the diamond. I stared at it. I started to put it in my pocket, and then considered swallowing it so at least I'd know where it was and that I could get it back. Someone handed me a gift card envelope. I put it in there, taped it shut, folded it up into a tiny piece and put it in my pocket. Then I checked approximately 52 times per minute to make sure it was still there.
After I got off work I drove immediately to the jeweler. They appraised it while the stone was out. Then they fixed it, for free, "good as new". The owner told me in the 20 years he owned the store, that had never happened. Uh huh. On Monday, first thing, I emailed the appraisal to my insurance guy and got it on our homeowner's policy for something like $7 per month.
But even now, after a huge sigh of relief, about 52 times per minute I still check to make sure the stone is there.
So anyway...
The Saturday after Christmas I'm working my post (not "pole" lol) -- Register #3. I am there all shift-long. It's the first day of the semi-annual sale, so there are a LOT of people buying stuff. Returning presents they don't like, spending gift cards, stocking up. At some point, as I'm STILL ringing up people's goods, as I'm scanning something I hear the slightest, almost imperceptible 'tink'. I've never heard the sound, but immediately I know what it is. I look down, horrified, and I see it. Or rather, don't see it. My diamond is gone.
My diamond is gone.
Left is a gaping hole of palladium claws. The prongs taunt me like octopus tentacles. There is nothing there but misshapen metal. I am frozen with terror. It stings as if someone has ripped a tooth from my gums, leaving just an ugly unexpected empty space.
I start lifting things like a pencil cup and rubber bands. As if this diamond is hiding under a paper clip. I have no sense of my surroundings.
This diamond has made it through a lot. My Grandfather bought it in the 1950's and wore it in his Masonic ring. When he died my Gram had it made into a solitaire she wore until she remarried. My mother wore it at her own wedding more than 20 years ago. Gary and I had it reset after we got engaged. It was supposed to last another lifetime. And now I've lost it.
I looked up at the vast line of women in front of my register. I turn back to the 5 other sales associates behind me at the cash wrap. The woman I had been ringing at the time broke the deafening silence in my head. Sounding just like Charlie Brown's teacher, she said suddenly, "Stop! Stop what you're doing for me and we'll look for it!" So we did. Well, they did. Every woman in that line knew my diamond was missing and every one of them looked for it. I, however, could not. I had a moment like only 2 others that I remember in my lifetime - where I willingly gave up control - completely succumbed to whatever was happening around me. I had nowhere else to go. I couldn't put one foot in front of the other. I couldn't fathom what I would tell Gary. We'd only been engaged a few months! Ugh, and what would I tell my mother? Almost 60 years of family history and I'd lost it. And just then, as I put one hand on my stomach to stop the spasms, and the other over my mouth to block the screams and the vomit, from deep, deep inside, a voice screamed in my head... IT'S ... NOT... INSURED!!!
Why? Because I'm an idiot, basically. I had called my insurance guy, but he needed an appraisal, and that seemed like just too much work. I just hadn't gotten around to it yet... and now, this.
It might have literally been a total of 30 seconds. It may have been 3 or 4 minutes. I really don't know. But another sales associate - one I've never met before and haven't seen since - popped up from behind me and shouted gleefully, "here it is!" She handed me the diamond. I stared at it. I started to put it in my pocket, and then considered swallowing it so at least I'd know where it was and that I could get it back. Someone handed me a gift card envelope. I put it in there, taped it shut, folded it up into a tiny piece and put it in my pocket. Then I checked approximately 52 times per minute to make sure it was still there.
After I got off work I drove immediately to the jeweler. They appraised it while the stone was out. Then they fixed it, for free, "good as new". The owner told me in the 20 years he owned the store, that had never happened. Uh huh. On Monday, first thing, I emailed the appraisal to my insurance guy and got it on our homeowner's policy for something like $7 per month.
But even now, after a huge sigh of relief, about 52 times per minute I still check to make sure the stone is there.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Questions...
My mom and stepfather and uncle are here for pre-Christmas. This was the first time I've seen any of them since Gary and I got engaged. It was the first time they saw my engagement ring. I showed them my dress (but did not try it on. Not enough time playing wii boxing, hitting the heavy bag or doing Hip Hop Abs to let anyone see me in it yet...) We went to Dreamland for lunch (because there ain't nothin' like them nowhere) - where we hope to do some kind of dinner while everyone's here. Then I took them to Vulcan, even though they've all been there before. I wanted to show them where we plan to have the ceremony, see if anyone had thoughts on set up and that kind of thing. My mother thought it would be cool to have us face the guests rather than our backs to you. She also suggested we find a, um, smaller officiant. Like someone you could see over and wouldn't block your view of us. I'm not sure she still feels that way about having a smaller person do our wedding - I made her watch Bad Santa tonight. LOL. One of the funniest Christmas movies ever, but not for the faint at heart. Anyway - so later my uncle and I were talking about the reception and I mentioned those conversation starter card things and he then told me that when he used to have parties, he would have guests do sort of a Q&A with each other - kind of like a scavenger hunt only with people. You know, like you have to find a person who owns a boat, and one who has 3 kids and one who has a dog or something... only then, as we drank more wine, we started coming up with the most ridiculous questions - in fact, I'll not even repeat them because they were that raunchy. It reminded me though of when my mom and my sister and I took my niece to the American Girl place in NYC. They had those little cards at our table at lunch to ask each other questions. My sister and I both got one something like, tell the others something you can do that they may not know about. My sister said she was good with vacuum cleaner attachments. I said I could tie a cherry stem with my tongue. My mother insists my sister really is good with vacuum cleaner attachments. I think it was code for other things. So anyway, you see how this could be a fun thing for you all to do while you have cocktails when you're waiting for Gary and I to arrive at the reception. What better way to get to know each other quickly? We're only inviting people we know and love - and we think you'll all have a great time together - we just want to help you break the ice and get that party started! Have ideas for questions for this little game? Bring 'em on. Reply here, email me at mariesawoodring@hotmail.com, or write me on my Facebook page. C'mon - this is going to be so much fun!!!
You ARE reading this! :)
...just a little shout out to Randi because we know at least *she's* reading this... The Christmas card from she and Chad said, "as I am writing this card you have 272 days 7 hours 11 minutes & 40 seconds or 6,535 hours or 392,111 minutes or 23,526,650 seconds until your wedding." Gary and I both laughed out loud. Really.
More about the marriage than the wedding...
So, in getting ready for the family to come for the holidays, there were a lot of things that needed to be done - as usual. One big thing - we needed a new futon frame. For as long as I can remember, we've had to prop the weight bench under the futon to keep it from flipping over when anyone sleeps on it because the little bar thingy was missing. A few weeks ago the frames were on sale at Big Lots so I went and bought one because it's near my office. Of course then realize there was no way this thing was going to fit in my car. The following weekend, while I was working at Bath & Body, Gary took his much, much bigger vehicle and picked it up and brought it home. We had to get that thing up before anyone got here. On Sunday afternoon, we grabbed the tool box and headed up to the Barbie Room (that's the guest room to those of you who've not yet been here). It only took about 10 seconds to realize we didn't have the right allen wrench. Thinking perhaps the new frame came with an allen wrench, I opened up the enormous box and inside I found two. Armed with those and a set of needle-nosed pliers, Gary took the old futon apart. With just a box cutter and some really bad instructions, I got all the pieces and parts of the new one out. I spread them all over the floor and tried my best to follow the directions. A football game was on the TV, and the dog wedged his fat butt between us on the futon mattress. We had exactly zero space in which to work. Had to squat down and lean because there was no room even to sit on the floor. Gary loosened and wiggled screws and bolts. Having no clear path to the door, he handed sections of the old futon frame to me and I stacked them in the hallway. I took screws and nuts and bolts and washers and springs and lined up what went with what and where. I assembled what could be done ahead of time. When he was done, we moved the new pieces in. We put things together and then he tightened and tightened. Then I realized I had put a big piece on backwards, and we loosened and wiggled and flipped, and screwed (lol - I had to say that) and bolted and tightened again. Piece by piece, part by part, we took the old one apart and put the new one together for close to 2 hours. We dragged the old parts and boxes and plastic protector thingies out to the garbage. We got Bartlet's big doggie butt off of the mattress and put it back on the futon (the mattress, not the butt). And then we moved on to something else.
So, what, you're asking yourself, was the point of that? We do really, really well with DIY projects together. We always have. The first was an enormous glass entertainment center thing - and when we got through that with ease, I knew we'd be good together - and I was right. With the futon frame, even not having the right tools and having no room to work, and a big butted beagle hogging up what little space we had, there were no problems. No griping and whining and cussing at each other. No muttering or bickering or bitching. He did what he was good at, I did what I am good at - without even needing to discuss it. We both jumped in - full speed ahead - with a clear vision of where we needed to be, and what we needed to do to get there. We know ourselves well enough to tackle the task, and know - and trust - each other well enough to not hover or question what the other was doing. We help each other. We complement one another. We work well together. Actually, we always have. And I think that's a wonderful thing to bring into our marriage...
So, what, you're asking yourself, was the point of that? We do really, really well with DIY projects together. We always have. The first was an enormous glass entertainment center thing - and when we got through that with ease, I knew we'd be good together - and I was right. With the futon frame, even not having the right tools and having no room to work, and a big butted beagle hogging up what little space we had, there were no problems. No griping and whining and cussing at each other. No muttering or bickering or bitching. He did what he was good at, I did what I am good at - without even needing to discuss it. We both jumped in - full speed ahead - with a clear vision of where we needed to be, and what we needed to do to get there. We know ourselves well enough to tackle the task, and know - and trust - each other well enough to not hover or question what the other was doing. We help each other. We complement one another. We work well together. Actually, we always have. And I think that's a wonderful thing to bring into our marriage...
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Up, up and away!
So, because I really should be dealing with things like laundry, holiday shopping, putting up the tree, getting cards in the mail -- blah, blah, blah -- instead today seemed like a good day to look up flight information for some of you.
First, you'll be flying into Birmingham (AL) -Shuttlesworth International Airport - BHM. I specify AL because it will ask you when you book it if you want UK or AL. I just thought I'd give you a heads up/reminder that we're in the south, not across the pond. This airport is relatively easy to get in and out of. The biggest problem I've had there (several times) is the automated things where you pay to get out of the parking garage aren't working. Security usually only takes about 10 minutes to get through, but there was some flight we took this year - an early morning one - that the line was about 45 minutes long. We were a little surprised, but being that the airport is so small, once you get through security, there's not a lot of walking to do at all. On a slow day you could probably holler from the x-ray machine and someone would hear you at the furthest gate.
I checked on flights from some specific cities and here's what I found:
From Honolulu (HNL)- bring a really long book and a pillow. I couldn't find a single flight that wasn't an overnight one. Of course, if you're going to spend that much time in a plane, you might as well sleep through it. Here's a weird thing - I found one flight that has a layover in Atlanta, and then a layover in Memphis before coming to Birmingham. That's like having a layover in Norfolk and then Newport News before flying into Richmond.
And speaking of Southeast Virginia -- coming from Norfolk/Virginia Beach is a little easier. From ORF -- wow! -- these are the cheapest flights I've seen lately for anything. Not CHEAP mind you, but everything we've been looking at lately has been close to a grand. Anyway, looks like USAir will get you here in about 3 hours with one quick stop in Charlotte. (Remember, we're on Central Time. It looks like 2 hours, but it's 3.) United is a bit more time and money, but it will get you here. I think we almost always fly Southwest when we go to VB. That flight makes a quick stop in Baltimore, but those tickets can be pretty inexpensive if you book at the right time. (That time is not right now. Southwest won't let you book more than about 6 months in advance.)
Next stop, Newark (EWR). USAir seems to offer the most flights at the more reasonable prices. Continental appears to be cheaper right now, but makes 2 stops instead of just one on USAir. I checked to see which ones are the most kid-friendly, and it doesn't look like anything coming from NJ to AL is on that list. Of course Jordan and Jayden are both so charming, anyone on any flight is going to be sweet to them. :)
Philly (PHL) gets the cheap flight of the day award. This is the least expensive I've seen on any airline from any of your cities -- on Continental it's only $216 right now. The one stop it makes is in Newark though, which defeats the purpose I think. I was trying to find those of you in the NJ/PA area an alternative - this doesn't seem to be any easier than just flying out of Newark. Except it's cheaper. Northwest offers quite a selection at a slightly higher rate, but will still get you here in a little more than 4 hours.
From Akron (CAK), USAir and Northwest seem to be the best bets for least amount of time traveling and for cost. USAir offers more flights, and with only one stop in Charlotte, will get you here in just about 4 hours.
Cleveland-Hopkins (CLE) offers a Southwest flight that's pretty easy. There's one that stops in Baltimore, one in Chicago and one in Nashville. This is a great stop if you have a lot of time to look at all the trinkets honoring a billion musicians, including every country singer ever alive.
From Charleston, WV (CRW), again, it looks like USAir may be the way to go. It offers the most selection, at reasonable prices, and can get you here in 3 to 4 hours depending. Most of these stop in Charlotte, but the layover isn't long enough to enjoy the airport's mall or cute little rocking chairs.
For the two of you coming from California - I think you can pretty easily fly out of Ontario or Los Angeles. From ONT, Continental and American are about the same rates, but American offers a lot more selection. When I was out there a few months ago, I flew Southwest. The rates weren't bad, and it was relatively easy, but, as you may recall because I talked to you on my layover, nobody reminded me that NO ONE WINS on the slot machines at the airport in Las Vegas. That was an expensive lesson. If you want to fly from LAX here are your options - (but first - I'm sure Gary is one of the only people in the world other than me who sees "LAX" and has a mental image of Heather Locklear and Blair Underwood in his head, and hearing that catchy little theme song that I don't know the name of... and that's just one of the million reasons I love him) - the cost looks to be about the same as ONT, but the flights look like they take longer. Check United, Northwest and Continental. Seems though for the headache of getting into LAX, might just be easier (and the same cost) to fly out of Ontario, but that's just my opinion. BTW - I think the song may be called "Brand New Day."
From Greenville (GSP) -- although I think you'll probably drive -- yikes! Yes, you'll want to drive. It's showing more than $500 right now. There's a bunch of USAir/United combos, but I'm not even going to bother to link them, they'll take you 9 HOURS to fly here - you can drive it in 4 for the cost of a half a tank of gas.
...and with that, I'm off to do some laundry/holiday/run/long walk the dog stuff, but I will tackle driving info next. I think it might be fun for some of you to road-trip together. It's pretty much a day drive for most of you, and it could be an enjoyable and more cost-efficient alternative to flying...
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First, you'll be flying into Birmingham (AL) -Shuttlesworth International Airport - BHM. I specify AL because it will ask you when you book it if you want UK or AL. I just thought I'd give you a heads up/reminder that we're in the south, not across the pond. This airport is relatively easy to get in and out of. The biggest problem I've had there (several times) is the automated things where you pay to get out of the parking garage aren't working. Security usually only takes about 10 minutes to get through, but there was some flight we took this year - an early morning one - that the line was about 45 minutes long. We were a little surprised, but being that the airport is so small, once you get through security, there's not a lot of walking to do at all. On a slow day you could probably holler from the x-ray machine and someone would hear you at the furthest gate.
I checked on flights from some specific cities and here's what I found:
From Honolulu (HNL)- bring a really long book and a pillow. I couldn't find a single flight that wasn't an overnight one. Of course, if you're going to spend that much time in a plane, you might as well sleep through it. Here's a weird thing - I found one flight that has a layover in Atlanta, and then a layover in Memphis before coming to Birmingham. That's like having a layover in Norfolk and then Newport News before flying into Richmond.
And speaking of Southeast Virginia -- coming from Norfolk/Virginia Beach is a little easier. From ORF -- wow! -- these are the cheapest flights I've seen lately for anything. Not CHEAP mind you, but everything we've been looking at lately has been close to a grand. Anyway, looks like USAir will get you here in about 3 hours with one quick stop in Charlotte. (Remember, we're on Central Time. It looks like 2 hours, but it's 3.) United is a bit more time and money, but it will get you here. I think we almost always fly Southwest when we go to VB. That flight makes a quick stop in Baltimore, but those tickets can be pretty inexpensive if you book at the right time. (That time is not right now. Southwest won't let you book more than about 6 months in advance.)
Next stop, Newark (EWR). USAir seems to offer the most flights at the more reasonable prices. Continental appears to be cheaper right now, but makes 2 stops instead of just one on USAir. I checked to see which ones are the most kid-friendly, and it doesn't look like anything coming from NJ to AL is on that list. Of course Jordan and Jayden are both so charming, anyone on any flight is going to be sweet to them. :)
Philly (PHL) gets the cheap flight of the day award. This is the least expensive I've seen on any airline from any of your cities -- on Continental it's only $216 right now. The one stop it makes is in Newark though, which defeats the purpose I think. I was trying to find those of you in the NJ/PA area an alternative - this doesn't seem to be any easier than just flying out of Newark. Except it's cheaper. Northwest offers quite a selection at a slightly higher rate, but will still get you here in a little more than 4 hours.
From Akron (CAK), USAir and Northwest seem to be the best bets for least amount of time traveling and for cost. USAir offers more flights, and with only one stop in Charlotte, will get you here in just about 4 hours.
Cleveland-Hopkins (CLE) offers a Southwest flight that's pretty easy. There's one that stops in Baltimore, one in Chicago and one in Nashville. This is a great stop if you have a lot of time to look at all the trinkets honoring a billion musicians, including every country singer ever alive.
From Charleston, WV (CRW), again, it looks like USAir may be the way to go. It offers the most selection, at reasonable prices, and can get you here in 3 to 4 hours depending. Most of these stop in Charlotte, but the layover isn't long enough to enjoy the airport's mall or cute little rocking chairs.
For the two of you coming from California - I think you can pretty easily fly out of Ontario or Los Angeles. From ONT, Continental and American are about the same rates, but American offers a lot more selection. When I was out there a few months ago, I flew Southwest. The rates weren't bad, and it was relatively easy, but, as you may recall because I talked to you on my layover, nobody reminded me that NO ONE WINS on the slot machines at the airport in Las Vegas. That was an expensive lesson. If you want to fly from LAX here are your options - (but first - I'm sure Gary is one of the only people in the world other than me who sees "LAX" and has a mental image of Heather Locklear and Blair Underwood in his head, and hearing that catchy little theme song that I don't know the name of... and that's just one of the million reasons I love him) - the cost looks to be about the same as ONT, but the flights look like they take longer. Check United, Northwest and Continental. Seems though for the headache of getting into LAX, might just be easier (and the same cost) to fly out of Ontario, but that's just my opinion. BTW - I think the song may be called "Brand New Day."
From Greenville (GSP) -- although I think you'll probably drive -- yikes! Yes, you'll want to drive. It's showing more than $500 right now. There's a bunch of USAir/United combos, but I'm not even going to bother to link them, they'll take you 9 HOURS to fly here - you can drive it in 4 for the cost of a half a tank of gas.
...and with that, I'm off to do some laundry/holiday/run/long walk the dog stuff, but I will tackle driving info next. I think it might be fun for some of you to road-trip together. It's pretty much a day drive for most of you, and it could be an enjoyable and more cost-efficient alternative to flying...
travelocity
priceline
orbitz
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