Some meals just don't need gravy, y'know?

Our trip last week was marvelous. We had wonderful accommodations, in spectacular surroundings, and had the opportunity to do so many things that will become life-long memories. Even before we bought the ticket we knew there was no way we could see and do everything we'd have liked to on The Big Island in our one week there, but we had no real concept of just how true that was until we got there. By the middle of the week, we were already trying to figure out how we could arrange to come back and stay for a month, offsetting it with work for a portion of that time. I know how my travel-lust works, and when it comes down to it, it will be difficult to spend the funds on time there instead of someplace I've not yet seen, but even so, we do intend to get back and spend more time there.

It was the perfect blend of relaxation and sightseeing for us. And all those good intentions that kept creeping up? I didn't do a single one of them. Well, beyond getting three repeats into the Betty cardigan before realizing it was going to be way off gauge, and frogging it until I could get home. I'm actually kind of proud of myself for not trying to force more activities into my week. I needed the break, and I needed to take some time off, from everything.

Getting home, though, was challenging. We were on a United red-eye, and even though, after the miserably cramped trip out, we had sucked it up and paid for the upgrade to Steerage Plus with its 'extra 5" of legroom,' the seats were so uncomfortable neither of us got any sleep. (I am still trying to figure out how to phrase my choice comments for the customer survey they asked me to fill out. "Bait and switch" and "never again" will definitely be in there.) When we did finally arrive at home, we discovered to our dismay that despite the fact that we had a catsitter staying the entire time we were gone, our cat had gotten himself into a dreadful state and had to be rushed into the emergency vet. We very nearly lost him, but he is improving at this point. We're hoping he can come home tomorrow, and most of the non-work time since we arrived home has been consumed with dealing with his care. We haven't even finished unpacking yet!

It's time to get back on track with my goals, though; not only do I want to finish this dress before I completely lose momentum on it, I need to finish two baby sweaters in short order (one baby is coming early -- hopefully by Thursday! -- but I won't see him until later in June, so the local baby's sweater is first priority). And then of course restarting that cardigan with the right needle and pattern mods, plus tomorrow I have a local weaving expert coming by to look at my loom and advise me on what needs to be done to get it into working order. Plus all of those photos I need to process -- the remainder from our Oregon trip, all of them from Death Valley, and now Hawaii added on top of it all.

Busy busy already! I'm so glad I had the time to relax in Hawaii. It's what's keeping me going in the chaos since we've been home.