Sorry !!!

Ocean City, NJ boardwalk

Okay, I'll admit it and, hopefully, accept it as fact. Scheduled pre-posting simply DOES NOT WORK !!!!

I keep living in hope. I plan ahead and create posts that are, through the magic of computer technology, supposed to post themselves at a pre-appointed time. Each time, I return to find they simply sat there in their unpublished draft form, waiting for my return or for some other human intervention.

I'm a baseball fan so I believe in the three strikes you're out maxim. I guess in the future, I'll have to drag Dawn back in to physically publish the pre-planned posts here.
Yes, I was off breathing in some sea breezes and enjoying the sunshine and a few other vices. (Ocean smells and sunshine do give me such pleasure, they MUST be vices!!) We skipped off to Ocean City, NJ on Tuesday where we walked the boardwalk, enjoyed a frozen custard and simply sat and people watched. Since we were only there for the day, it just wasn't practical to purchase a beach pass to allow us access to the sand. I understand the water temp was still only in the 60s so I wouldn't have even dipped a toe!

This is normally just a day trip for us but we splurged this week and spent the night in Atlantic City. (Once beach season starts, the best mid-week hotel deals along the coast tend to be at the casinos themselves.) We stayed at the Tropicana this time.

The sunset over the bay as seen from our window.

This was the first time we'd ever stayed there and found the room to be very large, bright and sophisticated in its decor. The bathroom was HUGE. We could have rented it out to additional guests! If you go there, beware. It's a very, very LONG walk to the West Tower from the casino. At the end of the day, a shuttle to take you down the hall to your room would be a fantastic option. (Don't laugh. Circus Circus in Vegas does have a shuttle from the registration desk to some of the rooms! I speak from experience.) We got plenty of exercise in a our short stay!

Inside The Quarter at the Trop.
Designed to look like Havana.

Since I don't spend near as much time in the casino as The Big Guy, I found the great selection of stores in The Quarter (Tropicana's upscale shopping mall) an attraction. It just so happened, strolling the mall was a much more relaxing walk from our room to the casino floor than that boring old hallway.

I needed to be home for an appointment Wednesday afternoon, so we checked out by 9 a.m. and began the wait for the valet to bring our car. And we waited...and waited...and waited. Finally, they came and told us they couldn't get the car started. The Big Guy went with them to check it out himself and was eventually towed from the valet lot. The tow truck driver stopped so we could load the luggage into the vehicle and then The Big Guy went with him to a service station. I occupied myself by returning to a penny slot machine for the duration!

Kudos to the Tropicana's valet crew. They did get us quick service and referred us to a station that did good, fast service for, get this, a very reasonable price!!! ( We expected to be gouged as we appeared desperate and it IS a resort town! I've lied in a resort town. Believe me, it happens.) Although, it didn't take long, it did prevent me from keeping my appointment which, ultimately, gave us more time to play around on our way home.

Yeah, that IS a Delaware horse track!

5 Constructive Things I Should Have Done Today ...

As most of you know, we'll be traveling again at the end of the week. I'll be disconnected from the internet for two weeks so I've been stockpiling some posts to run while I'm gone.

Sometimes, it's hard enough to come up with one post a day but today I created six with pictures and such. Pre-posting is considerably more difficult from a technical viewpoint. Spacing doesn't always publish as planned and often pics will be off a bit. For this reason, I try not to do any creative layouts so there is less to go wrong. Dating needs to be adjusted carefully or the post won't land when and where I've planned. This all takes a considerable amount of time. Time I should have spent on other activities. Activities that are much more vital to getting out of here on this trip this week. (At least The Big Guy would think so!)

So, here's a list of 5 more constructive things I should have done today:

1. Finished all of the laundry so I won't be rushing to wash things that need to be packed the night before we leave. (I guess I could have been doing that AND working on those blog posts simultaneously. After all, I didn't need to carry them down to the river to beat them on the rocks - just down to the basement.)
2. Ironed all of the clothes that are already clean but do need to be pressed. (You've got to agree that would cut into my blogging time! )
3. Gathered all of the toiletries, jewelry, hair accessories, books, etc. that also need to be packed. (It is amazing how long that takes. I also know there will be some I need to add to the shopping list as they will also be needed here at home while we're gone.)
4. Finished the two birthday gifts that need to go with us. (I'd like to be able to load the car without worrying about situating the item whose paint is still wet! Now that would be a novelty!)
5. Shortening two pairs of pants I'd like to take with me. (I have found it awkward to balance a whole pair of pants in my lap while sewing and riding simultaneously. I always seem to drop the needle or spool of thread on the floor and then need to wait until the next rest stop to get them!)

So, we now know what I should have done but I did legitimately do some constructive chores (besides blogging and twittering). I did some grocery shopping, made a good meal for our dinner (Yes, I did make it from scratch!), cleaned the kitchen and bathroom, and refined the packing list. I am making progress.

After all, tomorrow is another day!