Monday, September 19, 2011

Boo hoo, vacation is over.

Wait, was it not apparent I was on 'vacation' last week? Well I was......sort of. I still worked an awful lot but we managed to get out and do a few things outdoors too before the weather gets totally frigid.


He worked on painting the window sills for a couple days, another day we headed down to the RI coast to walk the Cliff Walk in Newport with my mother. I haven't been on the Walk in quite a few years so that was a treat.
It's a walkway on the edge of the cliff that runs parallel to the backyards of all those spiffy, old skool, multi-gazillion dollar mansions from days gone by. (We didn't go back through on the street though where you can see the mansions from the front because if you've seen them once, there ain't much else to see. /shrug) I just like the walking by the ocean part. Oh, and these signs that are posted everywhere:

 OH NOES! DON'T JUMP CARTOON MAN! 

The whole thing is 3.5 miles long (though you have to COME BACK so it's really 7 miles if you start at the beginning) and we did maybe 2 miles. (Which was kind of needed because OMG WHOA vacation eating!)

My 'new' threads came the other day so I sat on the deck for a couple hours and got that organized and put to rights and reorganized my WIP's, etc.


(There might have been some new-new stashing too. *ahem*)

So today is back to the normal schedule, normal eating plan (*cough*) and mentally preparing for fall because, wow, is it chilly already! :(

I'm insanely excited for the new tv season starting this week but my love is mostly limited to two shows: my beloved Fringe and.......
Downton Abbey.

OH YEAH PEOPLES. Can I get a wut-wut for the start of the second season?
How much did I enjoy this series last year? Enough to download the UK version (longer/uncut) and obsess over every last detail. I might have entire scenes memorized. Maybe. *cough*

Well the UK version started yesterday* and I might have already downloaded the episode. And peeked at it. Maybe. Just a LITTLE. (Who is this new maid sassing my Anna???) The hubby wants me to wait to watch it with him but.........I don't know if I can do that. I would have to wait until WEDNESDAY in that case to watch it and I don't know if I can resist the voice in my head going "watch me.........watch the precioussssss............watch me......." until then. *twitch*  

And yes, I got him hooked on it too. Mr. I only watch Pawn Stars/Top Gear/NASCAR and Ice Road Truckers when left to his own devices. Hooked. On a period drama. THAT IS THE POWER OF MAGGIE SMITH aka Cousin Violet. :)

I heard they won a bunch of Emmys last night too, including best miniseries/tv movie so yayyy!
(I couldn't get past the opening of the Emmys to watch the rest of the show. Wow. Painful. As in painfully unfunny.)

*If you're download-averse, the PBS version starts in January. I love you PBS but I can't wait that long. And I don't like that you cut it down to 'fit' some predetermined notion you have of how long an episode 'should' be vs. how long IT ACTUALLY WAS. Pfffttttt!


14 comments:

geeky Heather said...

ROTFL at clumsy cartoon man! That kind of sign always causes me to dissolve in hilarity.

Hmmm, I see Downtown Abbey is on Netflix instant. If new Fall TV wasn't starting up, we might have a new obsession. We've watched two episodes of Sherlock (only one left), so it's time for a new Instant series. <3 Maggie Smith!

valerie said...

Looks like you had a great vacation. I never did get out to Newport when I went to RI a couple of years ago. I kinda regret that now.

Maggie Smith is in Downtown Abbey? I love her! I may have to check this out on netflix!

Maggie said...

Isn't Maggie Smith wonderful in Downton? She had some wonderful lines in the last series. I watched it Sunday - wonderful!

Jan said...

Lovely pictures. The cartoon man is a riot.
Yay Fringe!

Margaret said...

You downloaded the first episode?? Hold everything! Where did you get it?! I need it!!!!!! I'd better go search now. I so want to see the next season. Soooo much! I have yet to watch the UK version of the first season. Maybe I should do that first.

Ahem. Sorry, got carried away there. Congrats on the new stash coming. That walk behind the mansions in Newport -- didn't know about that! Now I have to go back just to do the walk. lol! I've only visited maybe one of the mansions, but I'm not big into house tours. I'd rather do that walk -- looks so pretty!

Jackie's Stitches said...

You must share the location of the English version! I just watched this last weekend on NetFlix. I. Am. Hooked.

Sylvia said...

Oh,oh, oh, did not know Downton Abbey started again... whoowee, I loved it so much. Totally love Fringe as well.

Gald you had a nice vacation.

KarenV said...

Wut-wut from over here re: Downton! We watched the first episode of S2 last night and loved it! I still can't believe it took us about 6 months to watch S1 - I'm so excited that it's back on again now.

That's a nice lot of new stash you got there ;) Sorry to hear about the cat pee woes on the previous lot (I'm behind on comments again) - I think I would have sat and cried if that had happened here.

Carol said...

I never even heard of Downton Abbey until the Emmy awards the other night--I'll definitely have to check it out!

I've always wanted to see Newport--it looks fabulous! And who doesn't like to see mansions?

Glad your stash is being replenished, Melanie--still can't imagine the horror of finding your old stash container like that!!

Minerva said...

THe new stash looks so vibrant and full of possibilities! Have fun.
Those cliff signs are scary.

Pumpkin said...

Glad you had some nice time away. Lovely pictures!

Ohhhhh, that stash looks soooo yummy :o)

I've never heard of this show...

Catherine said...

Okay, my curiosity is peeked. I've never watched that show, but I think I'll be checking it out now!

That walk looks beautiful - loved the cartoon man.

It must have felt so good to have your threads back. And some new stash to boot! Yay!

Leslie said...

glad that you got some new threads. I immediatly thought of the cat. lol, that just sucked.
Hope that you enjoyed your vacation.. they are always over to soon.'have a great weekend.

Dani - tkdchick said...

Oh my goodness I'm so ready for a vacation alread!!! Sometimes its nice to have staycation get things done and enjoy some of the local scenery