Eurailin it!

Oh happy day! My Eurail pass has finally arrived in the mail! So now once I get over the pond I can actually travel around worry free.

T-Dizzle and I opted for the 4-day Scandinavian Eurail pass which basically means we can use it any four days in a one month period. That might not seem like much for a $250 pass, but when you start adding up the train costs from city to city they really start to add up. The Eurail pass definitely saves money! Imagine traveling all over the US for only $250?! That'd be quite the bargain.
The whole "4-day" thing means that we can travel on any train to any place for any distance 4 different days of our trip. This works out well for us because we have 3 major travel days planned: Copenhagen to Hirtshals, Bergen to Oslo, Oslo to Stockholm, and one day that we'll use the last day as "flex". If we had purchased those legs of the trip without the Eurail pass, it would have been well into the $300 range, especially considering the Oslo-Stockholm leg is a night train.

On my trip to Europe in 2007 I was completely new to the concept of a Eurail pass and didn't realize that some longer trains still require you make a reservation despite the fact that you have the pass. I ended up on a train from Paris-Amsterdam literally sitting on the floor in between cars with all the luggage. It was horrible torture. And loud. And long. And I felt like a loser. This time around I'll be making sure we have seats!

In other trip planning news, we may be adding another fabulous addition to our trip...my bff KRIS!! She currently lives in London but is hoping to make at least part of the trip with us. I'm crossing my fingers she can make it work because we'd have a ridiculous time if the three of us get together :)

What can I say? I heart her. 

In other, other news, how beautiful is my grandmother?! I never actually got to meet her, but wow, she's awesome!!! I think she looks a lot like my two cousins, Tamsin & Chelsea. I'll be visiting them in the Netherlands :) 

Carrie On!

p.s. I totally cupcaked in April and May...I'll be sure to mention my recipes in the next post!

I iz cozy

The face of innocence.

Oh crap! A goose is attacking my dad!!!!

Actual blog post coming soon.

Hello Normal Life

While I personally consider Christopher Columbus to be more conquistador than hero, I am thankful for this day off. Our event was a HUGE success and I am happy that all of the late nights, stress, and hard work paid off in ways that I can't even describe. We made A LOT of people happy this weekend :) Oh, and I even rappelled off a 400ft building...pics to come as soon as I have them!

So now it is Monday afternoon and I'm still in my pjs. I was sick most of yesterday but feel much better today. My parents were here this weekend and it was SO WONDERFUL to have them around. My mom really helps keep things organized and I just feel *happy* and *comfortable* when they are around. I've seriously neglected my housekeeping duties the past few months (thank goodness for Brian) so it was so nice to have mom's help whipping things into shape around here. I think I am going to make their visits mandatory when I have major work stress :)

Right now I am feeling a sense of relaxation that I haven't felt in what seems like months. The cats are sleeping next to me, it is overcast and chilly outside, I'm sipping a cup of tea, and I am almost finished reading a book about the zombie apocalypse that I just started last night. Oh, and between now and the end of November, I am cashing in all of my "recovery" time and taking every single Friday off if possible. AND my Monday-work-from-home weeks are actually going to be possible. LIFE IS GOOD!

Let's Get to Know Granddad!

In true LGTK fashion I'd like to take the opportunity to showcase my Granddad! Sadly, Granddad passed away this past winter. I won't get into too many detail about that so...While the experience was incredibly sad, I got the opportunity to spend a lot of time with my aunts and uncles. This was great considering they are all spread out (one on the West coast, one in Chi-town, and one in the Netherlands) and we had a fabulous time together despite the circumstances. Lately my dad has spent a lot of time going through some of Granddad's old things. I have really great memories of Granddad  so I was super excited to come across a whole slew of Dyer family photo albums that my Granddad had kept in tip-top shape. One of the most exciting finds was his BABY BOOK! My great-grandmother started the baby book in 1921, when Granddad was born. It is FULL of great old photos, a lot of quirky information, and even a family tree. It is such a cool thing to look at and I feel so lucky to have this kind of information about my family! So rather than just blab on about all the old-timey goodness, here are some pics for your viewing pleasure!

The cover of the book and Granddad's very first picture (surprisingly taken on my dad's (his son's) birthday, October 16th!)

My great-grandparents and Granddad!!

Granddad's first birthday...he even got a romper and stockings!

Granddad's great grandparents...that makes them my great-great-great grandparents right?