I’m a map girl. Always have been and always will be.

That’s not to say I don’t appreciate the convenience of a GPS (or Google maps via cell phone, which is sort of synonymous in my mind) telling you when to turn, but I definitely prefer plotting my course with a map.

I prefer paper maps, for that big-picture view, but nowadays tend to use a combination of paper and electronic maps when planning most trips.

I love DeLorme Gazetteer maps, but they don’t always have enough detail for my liking. They have far more detail than your standard road map, but nothing beats Google maps and being able to zoom in on stuff. Heck, when traveling through unfamiliar territory, I’ll even switch to Google Maps street view to see what the landscape looks like near most turns. That’s particularly helpful when traveling through states like West Virginia with road signs that use teeny-tiny print.

Or states like Virginia that use a unique combination of numbers and names to label roads, which aren’t always consistent between maps. And which can change when you cross from one county to the next.

Or Pennsylvania, which seems to have the most roads without signage at all, at least in my experience.

I’ve been know to take a DeLorme Gazetteer or two to bed at night, fueling dreams of places to go, roads I haven’t traveled, and sights as yet unseen.

Map apps are good, too. I love my RoadsideAmerica app (thanks to Fuzzy the birthday girl for that one!).

And Spotwalla. Gotta love being able to track your route as you go, or follow someone else’s trip.

SpotWalla is a secure personal location manager that supports a wide range of satellite-based tracking devices from SPOT and DeLorme as well as any Android and iOS device running Bubbler GPS or SWConnect respectively.

Spotwalla is especially convenient when Hubby and/or I are traveling without the other. It’s so easy to just look at the Spotwalla map than have to rely on phone and/or text updates. I use SWConnect via my iPhone.

I like AmericaRidesMaps, too. I bought the Va Blue Ridge Parkway series early last year, before I knew I’d actually be riding down the BRP. I should have bought the nine-map Full Southeast Package. It’s well worth the money. (Lynne from CurvyRoads told me about a similar map publisher, but I forget the name. Maybe she’ll chime in with a comment and enlighten us.)

My favorite map software is MS Streets & Trips, but it has been discontinued. One of these days, I guess I’ll have to start using the GPS software Hubby keeps telling me to use. Sigh…

So there you have it.

The shortest and/or quickest route isn’t always the best route. Especially when exploring on two wheels.

Just for giggles, Google “Toadmama map” once. You’ll see far more maps than photos. LOL.

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This Year’s Brave, Bold Bloggers…

Be sure to visit their blogs to see how each interpreted this challenge.

• Richard’s Page
• Fuzzygalore
• ScooterInTheSticks
• markneustadt.com
• Life on Two Wheels
• PrincessScooterpie

Asking me to pick a my favorite book is like asking me to name my favorite musician. There are far too many to choose from. And books, like music, fit a certain mood, speak to a certain interest, meet a need, and/or fit a specific purpose.

While it’s tempting to name a variety of my favorite books, I’ll share the one that’s been on my mind most lately.

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein is a novel about a dog. Like most dog stories, you probably won’t finish without shedding a tear or two. But I like the way it ends from the dog’s perspective.

If you, like me, have ever had to make the horrible, gut-wrenching, humane decision to end you beloved dog’s suffering, you might find a bit of solace in the story. I know I did.

It’s well-written and an all around great read. I really need to find my copy so I can read it again.

 

 

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This Year’s Brave, Bold Bloggers…

Be sure to visit their blogs to see how each interpreted this challenge.

• Richard’s Page
• Fuzzygalore
• ScooterInTheSticks
• markneustadt.com
• Life on Two Wheels
• PrincessScooterpie

I’m not a fan of the term “best friend.” The funny thing is, I’m not entirely sure why. Friends mean a lot to me, and I don’t take friendship lightly. I guess my biggest problem with the term is its implied singularity.

If you’re lucky, and I am, you have more than one friend. To pronounce one of them to be your best friend sort of implies the others aren’t as important. That just seems wrong to me.

Real, true friendship is a mutual thing. It evolves over time. I mean, it takes time to really get to know a person. To understand the way they think, the way they react to situations, their likes and dislikes, how they carry themselves, the way they treat other people, their sense of humor, etc.  It also takes time to figure out if you’re compatible. If you actually like spending time with that person. If they value your friendship the same way you value their friendship.

Making friends is like dating in a lot of ways. You meet someone you like, for one reason or another, and you spend time getting to know them. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t. When it does work out, it’s a mutually beneficial thing.

I get really weirded-out when someone I barely know says I’m their best friend. Or the best friend they ever had. It stresses me out. It should be flattering, I know, but I find it very uncomfortable. Like all of a sudden I’m being held to a higher standard. It’s especially stressful when the feeling isn’t mutual. I start feeling guilty that I don’t like the person as much as they like me, for whatever reason. And all of a sudden it becomes work. It’s easy to overlook flaws in people, or a few things you don’t like about a person, but when there are a number of things you don’t like, or few things you have in common, why would you even want to be friends?

Often it’s time and previous shared experiences that bind people together. I’ll be going on an annual girlfriend getaway next weekend with two women I’ve known for around 40 years. We all have very different lives, different interests, etc. Heck, we don’t even live in the same state anymore. But we all have a lot in common, too, and we’ve been through a lot together. I can’t imagine life without either of them even if we do only see each other a few times a year.

I have a couple of other friends I’ve known for a very long time, too. I see them less often, but we have history together. I value their friendships as well.

I’ve known Brad since I was about 15. We met in high school.

 

Diana and I have been friends since about second grade. So, over 40 years. (Wow, I’m getting old.)

There are others I have known for less time, but they still mean a lot to me.

Tammy, Annelies, Heather, and I used to work together. As luck would have it, our husbands/significant others enjoy each others’ company, too.

 

And we can’t forget the fine folks I’ve befriended since moving to Virginia.

I don’t have a picture of Janet and me. She’s the lady who owns The Empty Nest (Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Stockist). There’s Sandy and Sandra, neighbors who I know and like, but need to spend more time with.

There are others, too, some of whom I am still getting to know better. Some I interact with more on Facebook than in person, but would love to get to spend time with in person.

And we can’t forget Mike. He’s my husband, and my friend, too. We have lots of fun together.

And we can’t forget all my blog friends. Even if I haven’t met you all in person, you’re important, too.

I told you I’m lucky. I have lots of friends. They all mean a lot to me, all in different ways. How could I possibly proclaim one of them as being the best?

Finally, a prompt that requires little thought or time from me.

My favorite snack food, hands down, is potato chips.

And, if we’re getting particular, not just any potato chip, but the Nibble with Gibble’s brand.

There was an uproar within the last couple of years when the plant was sold and the new owner decided to cease operations. Then a local couple swooped in to save the day, buying the production facility, extending the beloved brand’s life.

Gibble’s are a localish thing. They’re made in Chambersburg, PA and sold sort of regionally. So it’s hard to find them in most parts of Maryland and Virginia. Our West Virginia cabin was relatively close to Chambersburg, so we could always buy them there. Now, unless we go to Pennsylvania or luck out and find a local shop that carries them, we can’t get our Gibble’s chips.

Why Gibble’s? They’re made with lard. And they’re deliciously salty, with lots of bent chips and grease bubbles. YUM.

 

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This Year’s Brave, Bold Bloggers…

Be sure to visit their blogs to see how each interpreted this challenge.

• Richard’s Page
• Fuzzygalore
• ScooterInTheSticks
• markneustadt.com
• Life on Two Wheels
• PrincessScooterpie

In life, things are rarely as straightforward as they appear. It’s a lesson I learned ages ago. Unfortunately, it’s something I encounter frequently. Especially while I’m working. Tasks that appear as if they will be easy to complete rarely are. Questions that should be simple to answer usually have answers that spawn more questions.

Today’s prompt — fruit — is yet another example. It seems so simple. One short, five-letter word.

But it has like TEN different meanings. Or so.

First is the obvious meaning. The edible part of a tree or other plant that you can eat.

Sweet Grapes!

A photo posted by Kathy Kirkpatrick (@vatoadmama) on Jan 28, 2016 at 4:59pm PST

I take all kinds of pictures, and I post a wide variety of things on Instagram. Lots of dog pics, of course. I often wonder if people who follow my feed are dismayed or amused by my sharing of random images. More likely, people just scroll past or unfollow me. LOL.

A couple of weeks ago I posted this image to see if anyone asked WHY I would post a picture of grapes. No one did. But then, it is sort of artistic, isn’t it? Two people liked it, anyway.

Of course, fruit also means the part of a plant that contains the seeds from which new plants can grow. Not all fruit can be eaten.

And, if I said, “Hey, look at the fruit!“, I could be talking about one of these:

 

Of course, I would never call a gay man a “fruit.” Not only is it an outdated term, it’s also sort of derogatory.

 

Talk about an outdated term. “Um yes, this is Eric, fruit of my loins.” That just sounds so wrong somehow.

Speaking of wrong… what an unusual prompt.

I couldn’t imagine having to learn English as a non-native language.

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This Year’s Brave, Bold Bloggers…

Be sure to visit their blogs to see how each interpreted this challenge.

• Richard’s Page
• Fuzzygalore
• ScooterInTheSticks
• markneustadt.com
• Life on Two Wheels
• PrincessScooterpie

Believe it or not, the “animal” prompt was easy for me. Some of you may be surprised by my choice. Others who have been following my blog longer won’t be surprised at all.

I’m not sure why I like cows so much, I just do. And seeing this particular herd had me giggling, laughing, and just about dancing a jig. Because they were atop Splugen Pass in Switzerland. You can see the whole post here.

Such grand memories. 🙂

 

This Year’s Brave, Bold Bloggers…

Be sure to visit their blogs to see how each interpreted this challenge.

• Richard’s Page
• Fuzzygalore
• ScooterInTheSticks
• markneustadt.com
• Life on Two Wheels
• PrincessScooterpie