MerrinDonahue.com

After about 7 straight hours of sweet, sweet sleep, I finally woke up somewhere over Ethiopia, and we had about 90 minutes left in our flight. Kevin and I were in our own little cocoon in the middle of the plane, so we had no real point of reference out any windows, which was probably just as good, since it was pitch black outside. After a rather bumpy touchdown, we were greeted at the end of the jetway by the incomparable Willis, who took our passports and directed us to baggage claim, where, lo and behold, our bags were already waiting. Willis reappeared, and then Bobby met us and herded us to the van. We literally spent all of 10 minutes in the airport, and at no time did we have to hassle with ANY immigration line. So far, Royal African Safaris was treating us like, well, royalty.

We headed out of the city center and to Ngong House. The drive took about 45 minutes, and even though it was nearing 11:00 PM, Paul met us and arranged for dinner (which was CRAZY good). After one last hurrah on the internet, we headed over to our tree house for the night. I can’t even begin to describe how beautiful it is at Ngong House; the grounds are filled with the biggest bougainvillea you’ve ever seen. We were awakened with coffee and hot chocolate on our patio (helloooooo Kenyan coffee….I heart you so much), and after a shower, we headed over to the main house for breakfast. Paul sat with us for a bit, and then Bobby came to fetch us and take us to the airport, where we caught our 1 hour flight up to Buffalo Springs.

Even though it was seriously overcast when we took off, we were fortunate enough to be able to see Mount Kenya from the plane. It was a stunning sight, to say the least. The descent was bumpy, but we made it to the airstrip in one piece. We were met by Nic (our other guide from Royal African), Robert, and Lepeta (our two Samburu guides), and we began the long game drive to camp. We were instantly fascinated by everything we saw, and we must have been making poor Bobby crazy. We immediately spotted some gerenuk (an antelope which dislocates its hips in order to reach the higher leaves of the acacia) and several weaver birds’ nests.

The drive in was a big wake-up call for both Kevin and me. As we made the 90 minute trek to camp, we passed lots and lots of lion tracks, and it really hit us that there was stuff out there that would kill us. Sure enough, once we got settled in at camp, Bobby gave us what he referred to as the “Pep Talk”, and he reminded us not to wander further than the perimeter of the camp as well as not to go outside of our tents once we were settled in at night. Sure enough, sleeping was a little bit of a challenge that first night in camp; there are LOTS of sounds to contend with, and it was hard to tell the difference between a roaming gazelle or something bigger.

The coolest thing about the first day, though, was the herd of giraffe that made its way through camp. We passed them on the way in, and by the time we had lunch and settled in for an afternoon rest, they had decided to check us out. They skirted around the perimeter, going from tree to tree munching on acacia leaves. There were about 10 of them in all, and they watched us like “What are you doing here? Don’t you know you’re in the middle of nowhere?”.

We ended that day with an evening game drive and our first sundowners (I MISS sundowners!). We drove up to Booze Hill (really. Booze Hill), and Lepeta and Robert poured the wine while we watched our first African sunset. There’s definitely a reason why watching the sun sink down is an event unto itself in Africa; it’s the most beautiful spot in the world to watch day turn into night, and you never forget your first. That evening, with a glass of wine in hand, the sun painted the sky every shade of orange, red, and yellow, and zebras roamed in the distance. We listened to the brush settle in for the night along with the sweet strains of Mozart (seriously. We listened to Figaro that first night while the sun went to bed). And I experienced first hand how very small I am in this world, but how much I love exploring it.

It’s taken a while, but I’m finally back into some sort of routine after our AMAZING trip. Now the plan is to get some of the highlights written down here instead of just in my travel journal. I figured I’d start today with our stopover in London….

We started out from Miami on the upper deck of a British Airways 747. I had my ritual pre-flight Bloody Mary, a couple of glasses of champagne, and 2 sleeping pills…all before they served dinner! Once fed, we stretched out and got a little bit of sleep (side note: the beds are actually more comfortable than the guest bed at my in-laws house. Seriously). 8 short hours later, we landed in London.

One of the great things about flying Club World on BA is the Immigration Fast Pass; we got to avoid the crowds and waltz right to baggage claim. Our car was waiting for us, and we went to the hotel to drop our bags. After a little breakfast, we walked through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park over to Speaker’s Corner. We had a little bit of time before lunch, so we hit the Tube (side note: lots of stations are closed on the weekends while they make improvements for the 2012 Olympics) and went over to see Big Ben, Parliament, and the Eye.

We had a wonderful lunch at Maggie Jones, and by then it was finally time to check in to the hotel. After the second best shower of my life, we ordered a little dinner and then collapsed into bed. Sunrise came at 4:15, and it was magnificent. We had a lovely view from our room of not only Kensington Palace and the gardens, but also of the torch that’s being built for the Olympics. It was truly spectacular. We got an early start and headed over to Buckingham Palace.

We then took a little stroll through St. James’ park on the way back over to Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben (again), 10 Downing Street…..Yeah, we did a lot that day. The Abbey was an unplanned stop, and we were both glad we saw it. It was breathtaking, and not a little awe-inspiring. We saw tombs of kings and queens, of poets and adventurers, and we even saw the Coronation Chair (it’s REALLY little!). It was especially cool for me to see the tombs of Stanley Livingstone, Charles Darwin, and of course, Henry V.

We hit the Tube again for the trip over to The Tower of London, where Kevin FINALLY got his picture taken with a guard, and where I got to see the spot on the Tower Green where the privileged lost their heads (Anne Boleyn may be the most famous to die there, but I was always more interested in Lady Jane Grey, and it was nice to see their names etched on the memorial). It was surprisingly calm there, and people were actually very respectful. Of course, the trip to the Tower would not have been complete without a visit to the Crown Jewels…All I can say is WOW. We managed to leave a few things behind in the gift shops, but not much

We headed back to the hotel around 4:00, and then ALLEN came to visit!!!! Drinks happened, then dinner (where our group met up with MORE people from back home), then more drinks. We had a wonderful visit with him, and I’m so glad we got to see him even though we weren’t there nearly long enough to really catch up. I could have stayed up all night talking with him, but it’s probably best I didn’t….especially since I ended up with the mother of all hangovers the next day!

The next morning came excruciatingly early, but the fine folks at British Airways were kind enough to supply me with a new eye mask and earplugs…and a LARGE bottle of water to wash down about 5 aspirin. I slept it off on the 8 1/2 hour flight to Nairobi….

It’s been almost a year in the making, but today we’re finally headed off for our big safari. We’re meeting up with my family in Miami in just a couple of hours, and from there, it’s on to London for a couple of days, and then (finally!) on to Kenya. For better or for worse, everything is packed, the luggage has been weighed (and I’m secretly giddy that I have enough room left over to bring my laptop, even though we’ll have no internet at all in Africa), and we’re *really* ready to hit the road.
I haven’t spent this much time with my family……well, ever, and I’m looking forward to it. I don’t think it’s a big secret that I think my little sister is one of the coolest people I know, not to mention one of the most fun. Somehow, the kinds of memories we’ll be making are better shared with a lot of people. Kevin and I haven’t been on a vacation in nearly a year, and we both *really* need some time away. It will be a relief to get on the plane later today and leave everything behind for a couple of weeks.

Having said that, I’m a little bit afraid that I’ll suffer severe detox symptoms from lack of teh intrawebz. Unlike some, I am perfectly aware of how many times a day I twitter or log on to Facebook. I KNOW I have an addiction, and I’m totally okay with that. After all, the internet is how I stay connected with the people i love most, and who are the farthest away from me. Rest assured, however, that even though I (gulp) won’t be around these parts for the next couple of weeks (after Tuesday, anyway. I fully intend to be connected in London), I will absolutely be thinking about all of my friends and family. In case I haven’t said it enough, I love y’all (and “y’all” know who you are).

In the meantime, have a great couple of weeks, and I can’t wait to annoy the crap out of everybody with pictures and stories. Oh, and one more thing? If anything really good happens, shoot me an email, m’kay? Just in case.

So many people complain about/are in therapy because of their childhood. Not me. I had an awesome childhood. Both of my parents made sure I balanced work and play, and both of them taught me valuable lessons on how to live life. There are two things, though, that came straight from Dad.

The first is my competitive streak (thankfully, Kevin shares this particular trait, otherwise we might have a problem). And yes, Camille, I can hear you snickering and making a “Will and Grace” comment. I don’t mean that I HAVE to win at everything I do; but I’m sure as hell gonna try. The effort is important, and if it’s not worth trying, then it’s certainly not worth winning. I also learned that sometimes people will cheat, and that’s not okay. The best example of this is the famous “little Merrin can cuss like a sailor” story from when I was 9 years old, but that’s a tale for another day (and honestly? I don’t tell it nearly as well as Dad does). Winning isn’t everything, the effort is part of the accomplishment, and it’s okay to be proud of your achievements, as long as you don’t flaunt them.

The second, and perhaps more valuable, gift from my father is a sense of adventure. I remember snorkling in Mexico, scuba diving in Bimini, sailing in the Caribbean, deep-sea fishing in the Bahamas, and exploring Verona with my Dad. I’ve learned that even the best laid plans can change at the last minute, and if you keep an open mind, sometimes it works out for the best (hellooooo, Hotel Serbelloni on Lake Como). I’ve learned that even if something doesn’t sound appetizing, it just might be the tastiest thing you ever put in your mouth. I’ve learned that if a steak isn’t rare, you may as well be eating shoe leather (if I had to choose a last meal, incidentally, it wouldn’t be a cheeseburger and escargot, it would be my Dad’s steaks). I’ve learned that you should try everything once, even if it scares you. It’s a big world out there, and there’s a lot to see and do and learn.

My life would be a lot less rich if I hadn’t had those experiences or learned those lessons. So thanks, Dad, and Happy Father’s Day.

I used to really enjoy emptying my head on the pages of my blog. A blog I’ve had, might I add, since 2000. Nine years. Wow.

The advent of Twitter has my constantly thinking in 140 characters or less, so my thoughts tend to be far less developed these days, and that’s a shame. I’ve always been a journal-er (I still have my journals dating back to middle school…..I pull them out now and again, and I especially love the high school ones), and I’m glad that our upcoming trip is giving me a reason to get back to that. There is something so much more organic about taking pen to paper.

I have realized lately just how much of my life is online….Everything about it has been documented since the late 90’s, and I’ve tried not to sugarcoat any of it. I’ve meticulously documented happiness, heartbreak, triumph, and tragedy, and I wouldn’t change that for the world. I’m glad it’s out there in case I forget one day. I have pictures, stories, video…You name it. But I’m also really looking forward to getting back to basics. Maybe it will help break me of my technology addiction.

I hope I don’t stay in the rut of 140 characters, though. I have too much to say.

And Facebook. Those two things are really the reasons that I’ve been so absent here lately. Believe me, it’s not that there isn’t anything going on; quite the contrary. I *knew* that once March rolled around that time would start to fly by, and boy, has it ever.

Kevin had his one year check up at the cardiologist, and he’s doing better than we could have ever hoped for. He’s not only officially as good as new, he’s actually BETTER than he was before his heart attack.

Oliver continues to be a little monster, but that’s one of the reasons we love him in the first place. Just since April, we’ve had to replace two phones, one remote, a Kindle, countless socks, and three pillows. He’s a special little beagle, but he’s so cute that we continue to let him get away with murder. That, and Kevin ADORES him.

I spent a week in Texas visiting with the Coopers for The Boy’s fifth birthday….and I STILL can’t believe he’s FIVE. We started our adoption journey a little over three years ago, and that, too, seems like yesterday (at least some days it does; others, it still feels like an endless wait).

We’ve been to Kentucky twice in the last two and a half weeks. Sadly, the second visit was for the funeral of Kevin’s Uncle Bill. Bill and his wife, Virgie, have always been dear to me, and Bill will be missed more than I can possibly say.

We leave in just over three weeks for Africa. This, too, is completely surreal. We started dreaming about this trip a year ago, we’ve planned for countless months (just ask Kevin….the man spent 11 months researching pants, for crying out loud), and now that I’ve lost all control of time, it’s finally here. Life’s funny like that; long stretches of nothing much followed by bursts of HOLY SHIT I HAVE NO TIME.

Even so, though, we’re ready with the right meds (no malaria, here, yo), we’re geared up with super-cool safari wear (I’ve been DYING for an occasion to wear a hat I bought 3 years ago, and this is the perfect excuse!), we’re swimming in memory cards for the Nikons, and the brand new shiny Kindle (courtesy of Oliver), is loaded with reading material.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to not blogging. If you miss me around here, don’t forget you can find me on Twitter (@merrindonahue), Facebook (Merrin McCallum Donahue), FriendFeed (MerrinDonahue), and plain old email. But seriously….I might have time in about, oh, three months to start hanging around here regularly again.

My Miracle Frooties came!!! Actually, they actually came while we were out of town. As soon as I got the mail today, though, I was ready for a little taste-tripping action. After the pill dissolved, I immediately sliced up a lemon, and I was ASTOUNDED that it wasn’t sour AT ALL. It tasted just like lemonade. Chocolate was SUPER-sweet, and straight balsamic vinegar tasted like it had reduced for hours—-just syrupy sweet.

To be honest, I didn’t really expect much; I’ve read varying accounts of success with these pills. If you’ve never heard of them, you’re not alone. Doctors, however, have started using them with chemo patients and diabetics, as they make sugar-free foods taste awesome and reduce the metallic taste that a lot of chemo patients suffer. The pills themselves are a powdered form of the miracle fruit, and it takes about 5 minutes for a half a pill to fully dissolve. It’s important to roll it around all over the mouth so it has a chance to turn all your tastebuds upside down. The effect only lasts for 20 minutes or so, which is probably for the best, since I think I’d be eating everything in sight otherwise, if only to see how it all tasted.

I got mine here, and she got them to me in no time. I’m going to try not to use them all at once, but I have a feeling I’ll be ordering more, just because it’s frickin’ WEIRD to eat a lemon and not pucker.

So Much WTF

I’m pretty sure I’m going to have nightmares of this guy eating my soul. Still and all, though, it’s entertaining.

Nine years ago today, I married my best friend. I love you baby. Happy Anniversary.

I can’t believe that Oliver is a year old today. I fell instantly in love with him when Kevin brought him home, but it took Kev a little more time to come around. Clearly, he’s come around now Somewhere along the line Oliver stopped being my baby and he’s now fully Daddy’s boy. He’s a good little beagle (most of the time), and even though he’s still a puppy, he’s calming down quite a bit (at least in comparison to what he was when he first came home). There is no way we would ever trade him in, and I think he likes us okay, too!

I wouldn’t recommend the beagle for everyone; he’s a lot of work, especially now that he’s growing into his nose. But if you have a WHOLE LOT of time, patience, and love, then beagles are a great addition to your family. They LOVE people (kids especially), and are definitely pack animals.

We’ve had a whirlwind three days at Disney World, and I think it’s a hit with The Boy. Tower of Terror was his favorite today, and he got to meet Woody and Buzz! Yesterday we went to Epcot, and Soarin’ was the big hit. Friday was Magic Kingdom, and I think EVERYTHING was the fave, including Space Mountain!

I’m sure I’ll have a recap at the end of the week (tomorrow is the ginormous Lego Store), but for right now I’ll just say that we’re all having a blast!

Extreme Sheep LED Art

This just may be the most awesome thing I’ve ever seen.

Excited enough to read Hemingway. There are two American authors that I simply can’t stand: Faulkner and Hemingway. Reading Faulkner is like watching paint dry, and Hemingway’s ego consistently gets in the way of his writing. It’s no secret that I think that “The Old Man and the Sea” is one of the most overrated books of the 20th century.
Our safari company has provided us with a suggested reading list for our upcoming trip, and while I’ve read a few of the books on there, I hadn’t read “Green Hills of Africa” (because, helllloooo? It’s Hemingway), but I needed something to read on the Kindle today while I got my nails done. I managed to plow through about half of it in the two hours I was getting manicured, pedicured, and waxed, and I have to say, my initial impressions hold firm. Hemingway has a HUGE ego, and so far most of the book is his obnoxious whining about almost everything (his wife’s feet hurt, the other guy shot a bigger rhino, it’s hot….blah blah blah). Once you get past that, however, there are flashes of poetry in the descriptions of landscapes and the native people of Kenya.
Because I have a hard and fast rule that once I start a book I have to finish it, I’ll slog through the second half of this one. I wish I had bought a hard copy, though; not because I think it would make an invaluable addition to my library, but because of those one or two brilliant lines I’d like to underline and revisit. Bottom line? Unless you’re a die-hard Hemingway fan or you’re planning a trip to Kenya, skip this one. Read “Out of Africa” instead.

Since Kevin is out of town this week, I thought I’d take the opportunity to test drive some new recipes. I’ve been addicted to Foodgawker for a while now; it’s become my go-to destination for finding new stuff to stuff into my mouth. Even though I have a core collection of 31 recipes (yes, I’m a big old dork who doesn’t like to eat the same thing twice in a month) that are already Kevin-approved, I feel like I’ve been in a food rut lately, and my usual online recipe haunts just weren’t helping me out.

The best (worst?) thing I’ve done in a long time was adding Foodgawker to my RSS feed. Now I see every single thing posted, and believe me, I have a backlog of stuff I’m waiting to try. Homemade oreos, anyone?

The Crisis of Credit Visualized – Part 2

And part two, in which he will explain how it all went straight to hell.