The planting of my first letterbox...

I've been a fan of letterboxing for a while--introduced to it a while back by JoDee and Craig.

Although I did some letterboxes alone within Richmond, this is an activity that Thomas and I have come to participate in with some regularity. And last Friday, we planted our first letterbox!

Needless to say, it was quite fun to assemble it. I hand carved a stamp for the box of a waterfall, to represent the Falling Spring Falls. Since I spent the majority of my life just up the road from here, I felt it would be a fitting spot for my first attempt at letterbox placement.

Thomas and I then spent innumerable hours (okay, not hours--but we DID go to two stores) to find an appropriate box. And to add to the concealment factor, we took a cue from a box we had located the other week, and disguised the box with Camo Duct Tape. Pretty ingenious, eh?

So now, our first box is out in the open, waiting for people to come and find it. Want to locate it yourself? You can get the clue here: Falling Spring Falls Letterbox. It's also posted on the Letterboxing website.

Happy Letterboxing!

If you're really my friends...

You'll go to the Blue Ridge Outdoors Photo Contest and vote for my submission. Oh yeah--you'd also be subscribed to my RSS feed so that you know when I'm updating--which is ALOT lately.

I entered the picture titled, Goshen Pass. By clicking on the previous link, you can go directly to the rating page. Go ahead--give it a 5--it's worth it!

If you read the Traveling Turtle, you'll recall that this was a trip that was taken during the Memorial Day weekend.

Please Please Please go and rate my photo for me!

I have insomnia...

It's just before 3am. I can't sleep. I haven't had caffiene in days. Seriously. I don't know why the insomniac bug bit me, but it has. And it sucks!

This is a picture of what I look like at 3am--after three hours of tossing and turning and finally giving up on sleep, and choosing to blog instead.

I have a TON of things to do tomorrow--and each minute that passes is one less minute of sleep I get.

AAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

On letterboxing and new shoes...

Last week, hoping to escape the incessant heat of Richmond, I headed out to the mountains to visit the 'rents. Unfortunately, the oppressive heat and humidity followed me there.

In addition to getting a haircut, buying new shoes, and letterboxing through West Virginia, another significant event occurred--Thomas met my parents. As I'm sure many of you know--anytime you introduce the person you are dating to your parents is very nerve-wracking. And since this is the first time I've done this particular feat--I was just a bit nervous, as well.

Last Tuesday night, Thomas and I met my parents in Waynesboro at the South River Grill. I believe things went rather well--as the image of Thomas as a 'player'--the one that my parents had of him sight unseen--was diminished on actually meeting him. After dinner, I drove home to Hot Springs to spend the rest of the week.

My mom and I spent Wednesday around town--where I found a cute black bag for my new laptop, as well as some personalized post-it notes (for less than $15).

On Thursday, I got a haircut, and then went and utilized some of the wireless internet at the CP Jones Library in Covington.

Friday found me riding to Staunton with my parents, as my dad needed to pick up some tractor parts. It was there that I found my new shoes.

Saturday, Thomas drove in and we spent the day traversing the area in search of letterboxes. And just for reference, you can find ALOT of letterboxes listed on Atlas Quest that are NOT listed on the Letterboxing website.

We completed the following letterboxes: Two Brothers (Hot Springs, VA), Devil's Backbone (Huntersville, WV), I-64 Welcome Center (en route to Covington, VA), and Humpback Bridge (Covington, VA).

Finally, the weekend wrapped up with Thomas and I having dinner with my parents (again), this time at the Country Cafe in Hot Springs--before making the long drive back to Richmond.

I guess, all in all, it was pretty eventful. Pictures of travels, and Shellby's commentary are on The Traveling Turtle blog.

On turning 27...

I am all about getting deals--or even better, free stuff. So it's no wonder that I am alot of mailing lists. And this being my month of birth, I've been inundated with free goodies. A free burger at Red Robin, $5 off dinner at Red Lobster, $10 of game play at Dave and Busters. It's enough to overwhelm a girl!

So on Saturday, Thomas and I headed out to Red Robin to partake of my free birthday burger (which ended up being a chicken sandwich--but that's neither here nor there). I was very excited, since I haven't eaten at a Red Robin since LAST year's free birthday burger.

So we drove up to Virginia Center Commons (because I hate dealing with Short Pump traffic). I was excited--getting my free meal. I had raspberry lime-ade, and yummy steak fries buried in ketchup. And then it happened. They gathered around the table like vultures circling. The waiter circle--the one that sings and claps. And before you ask--Thomas knows better than to embarrass me like this--and he hadn't been out of my sight. (a few years ago, while at Red Robin in Novi, MI with JoDee, Craig, and my parents--my mom took it upon herself to do this little thing to me--it was not good for anyone present).

My waitress, Babs, currently the purveyor of my bottomless raspberry lime-ades turned against me, and brought forth her waitress friends. And all because I had used a coupon for a free birthday burger--this entitled me to not only a free ice cream sundae--but an embarrassing rendition of "happy birthday"--and an announcement to the establishment that my name was Ruth--and I was celebrating my 27th birthday with them.

It didn't seem to matter that it wasn't actually my birthday for a few more days--or that I'm not actually turning 27--because right now, everyone in that particular Red Robin's thinks I am. When she asked me my age, I just picked the one that fit me best. Besides, everyone on my softball team assumed that I was 26--so now I've aged an entire year. :)

Anyways--I guess I'm free to be 27 (again). I hope that it's alot better than the first time I was 27--because that one kind of sucked, if I remember correctly.

So--I'm off to the 'rents for the rest of the week to escape the crazy hot Richmond weather (predicted 103 on Wednesday), and partake of some of the cool mountain weather (or not--my dad says it's hot and humid there, too).

Stay cool! And talk to you next week!

Rubber-ducky?

Nope--it's a tomato. Seriously. From the garden. But I thought it looked like a rubber-ducky.