259. Convenient

259. Convenient
Definition: (adj) involving little trouble or effort
Location Placed: Baymont Inn & Suites, Wilmington, North Carolina
Date Placed: 7/31/11 at 7:45am





What's more convenient than releasing a crane while the hotel is releasing your money during check out? Not much, especially if you're checking out at the crack of dawn along with a bunch of others. It was a little later than the crack of dawn but I wanted to get as early a start as I could for my drive from Wilmington to Charleston. For someone not really a fan of driving, the 3+ hours was a wee bit daunting. But it turned out to be absolutely fine.

258. Splendiferous

258. Splendiferous
Definition: (adj) splendid
Location Placed: Best Western Coastline Inn, Wilmington, North Carolina
Date Placed: 7/30/11 at 6:54pm





Until I google defined this word when I was making my original list of words, I thought it was a made up word without definition. Imagine my surprise to find that it could be defined. So on my list it went! Of course that doesn't mean that all of the spell-checkers except that it is a "real" word instead of a misspelling of something else...

257. Impeccable

257. Impeccable
Definition: (adj) in accordance with the highest standards
Location Placed: Bellamy House, Wilmington, North Carolina
Date Placed: 7/30/11 at 4:27pm





The self-guided tour of the Bellamy House was pretty awesome. It allowed you to go at your own pace listening to their audio tracks. For people like me, I was able to re-listen to interesting bits and skip the boring bits unlike a regular tour. I love being able to wander around old houses and learn their history as well as that of the family that lived in it.

256. Correct

256. Correct
Definition: (adj) free from error
Location Placed: Latimer House, Wilmington, North Carolina
Date Placed: 7/30/11 at 3:22pm





This crane was a first for me. It was the first time that someone found a crane and tried to return it to me because she thought I had accidentally left it there. I had no idea what to say or do! In hindsight, I probably should've just told her what I was doing. Perhaps explained the point to her, or even tell her to pass it on to someone else. Instead, I clammed up, thanked her and turtled up. Then decided to leave it at the next stop on my journey, which was the Latimer House. This also reaffirmed that I need to make sure I leave the cranes at the tail end of my visit to wherever I am. Lesson learned!

255. Affable

255. Affable
Definition: (adj) friendly or good natured
Location Placed: Java City, Wilmington, North Caroling
Date Placed: 7/30/11 at 12:16pm





This was definitely another one of those times where I will never will Secret Agent of the Year award. Generally being sneaky is hard when you're in a place where the workers are trained to zero in on you as soon as your foot passes the threshold. I just have to remember that it doesn't matter whether or not I am seen. All that matters is that the crane that I release brightens someones day.

254. Resplendent

254. Resplendent
Definition: (adj) attractive and impressive through being richly colorful
Location Placed: Cape Fear Museum, Wilmington, North Carolina
Date Placed: 7/30/11 at 11:24am





For being a smaller museum, I was really impressed by the Cape Fear Museum. (The Giant Ground Sloth they had was especially impressive. Imagine how slow a massive sloth would be!) I can totally see a family really having a great time at the museum with all the kid oriented activities. We'll also pretend that the only picture of me from the trip is one I took of myself in the stocks at the pirate exhibit...

253. Versatile

253. Versatile
Definition: (adj) able to adapt to different functions and situations
Location Placed: USS North Carolina, Wilmington, North Carolina
Date Placed: 7/29/11 at 7:06pm





It wasn't until this trip that I realized I am a bit of a history nerd. Not that I go out and I search for it. Or that I like all bits of history equally. But the tour of the USS North Carolina, now that I could get into. I mean, who wouldn't enjoy traveling several levels above and below deck to see how the navy ship was run. Aside from getting quite lost at one point and not being able to find my way up to the deck (obviously I made it. My cell phone didn't have reception after a couple levels down.) But even still, it was a really cool trip and I found it super interesting to have been able to explore. Definitely recommended if you ever happen to be in the area. Not to mention it's open later that all the other tourist-y stuff, making it a good evening activity.

252. Sure

252. Sure
Definition: (adj) confident in what one thinks or knows
Location Placed: Soldier Memorial, USS North Carolina, Wilmington, North Carolina
Date Placed: 7/29/11 at 6:52pm





I'm sure (ha!) you've noticed that the last couple cranes (as well as a number that haven't been written up/placed yet) are a lot more fancy and different than the previous cranes. That's because this was from the packet of origami paper that I got while at the Japan Pavilion in Epcot at Disney World. The paper is almost like fabric and it's a bit plastic-y on top. So it doesn't really hold the writing well. (And as I've found out, it doesn't particularly hold the tape well either. Oops!) But the paper was so pretty, and well suited to the project at the exact right size, that I knew I had to use them. I'm excited to have been able to make some cranes out of cool paper like that. Sometimes you just have to remember to get excited about those little things.

251. Active

251. Active
Definition: (adj) engaging in physically energetic pursuits
Location Placed: Airlie Gardens, Wilmington, North Carolina
Date Placed: 7/29/11 at 3:57pm





Perhaps it's just the way that I "vacation" but most of mine tend to be active. I am definitely a doer and a see-er. I usually jam pack my days so that by dusk, I am beat. This one has been no different. Airlie Gardens, as well as a couple of my other activities, have been exploring based with a ton of walking. Always a positive after indulging on the foods that usually come with vacation. (I'm talking to you Chocolate Raspberry Delice. Best bad life decision so far.) Are your vacations normally more relaxed or jam packed?

250. Heartwarming

250. Heartwarming
Definition: (adj) emotionally rewarding or uplifting
Location Placed: Poplar Grove Museum, Wilmington, North Carolina
Date Placed: 7/29/11 at 3:19pm





You could tell that the workers of this historic site, Poplar Grove, really find their jobs heartwarming. They told me about the children's groups they have come in and they give demonstrations for. In the basket weaving area, the lady told me about how the kids enjoy seeing the wood bent and pieces of furniture made or weaved bowls. It made the trip out there seem heartwarming by association. Any money spent on a tour there is certainly going to better the types of programs that children are participating in. Well worth it!

BTW- Do you see the different type of paper the crane has been made out of? I'll talk about it a little be more in my next grouping of entries.

249. Acumen

249. Acumen
Definition: (n) ability to make good judgements and quick decisions
Location Placed: Starbucks, Wilmington, North Carolina
Date Placed: 7/29/11 at 1:20pm





Give this release shot, I'd say my acumen is low. I managed to only get the top bit of the head an a small portion of a wing in this photo. Where you see the water drops on the table, that third drop is on a wing in disguise. In contrast to another recent entry where I mentioned being the most awkward person to try to secretly place cranes, I probably ought to be a bit less concerned with my stealth and a little more attention to detail. Namely making sure the crane actually makes it into the picture. Haha.

149. Daring

149. Daring
Definition: (adj) adventurous, bold
Location Placed: Charlotte Douglas International Airport (D), Charlotte, North Carolina
Date Placed: 11/28/10 2:26pm





I am a bit hesitant to say this... Charlotte Airport is probably my favorite airport I've ever been to. I don't think I've ever felt so relaxed during a layover. While this isn't my first stop, I discovered a terminal that no flights were arriving or departing from. That left me with a row of empty rocking chairs (!), a lovely view of the city of Charlotte, and some of my favorite holiday tunes playing. I could not imagine a better way to spend a little over an hour between flights. If all airports could only be like that... Rest assured, this will not be my last visit to that airport or North Carolina.

Do you have any airport that you favorite more? Or any interesting flight stories?