Thought y'all might enjoy this funny story.
On my new cell phone, the phone book entries go on a
SIM card rather than in the phone's memory. If you
have more than one number for a person then you have
to create separate entries, each with a unique name.
So, for my brother Johnny I had an entry called
"Johnny Home" and one called "Johnny Mobile".
My house sitter took me to the airport yesterday and
on the way, I called Johnny on his cell phone using
the voice dial feature. I told my phone to call
"Johnny Mobile". After I hung up, Grace said "Who is
Johnny Mobile? I've never heard you mention him
before?"
There are a whole lot of the Mobile family members in
my cell phone book. :-)
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Belgium 2006 - Press 3 for English and other cultural differences
You know how when you get an automated answer at home, you hear “Press 1 for English, press 2 for
Spanish”. Well, here it is “Press 1 for French, press 2 for Dutch, press THREE for English”. In Flanders,
it is probably 1 for Dutch and 2 for French. I just love observing this little battle between the two
regions….there is something in the paper every day. I’m beginning to feel like a Wallnonian my self and
find myself siding with them against the Flemish - those pesky reprobates!!!! More power to their
secession effort – we don’t need them!!! :)
I know that about the press 3 thing because I called to order a concert ticket today. Tomorrow night I am
going in to Brussels for dinner and a jazz concert. The artist is David Linx – a native of Belgium, but
internationally well-known as a musician. I have listened to him for years and am so excited to see him in
person.
They aren’t real big in on cooking meat all the way through here….that’s OK for beef (I prefer it rare) – but
not chicken and fish. So I was a little under the weather last night – I think a combination of undercooked
salmon croquets for lunch and the jet lag catching up with me. And the hotel’s wake up call system is
tied to the TV which was replaced yesterday so it wasn’t working and there is no clock in my room. So, I
overslept this morning – didn’t wake up till client called to check on me at nearly 11:00!!!!!
The restaurant has a salmon fillet I would be tempted to try except it clearly says “cooked on one side
only” so I won’t be having any of that.
And water and ice – you can’t get ice to save your life!!! No machines anywhere in the hotel or at the
office or in the restaurants. And they don’t automatically bring you a glass of water – with or without
ice. You have to ASK for it and PAY for it – bottled water and cheapest one I’ve had was 4 euros –
about $5 american. I was confused in the beginning when they asked if I wanted “still” or “Sparkling”
water. I thought they were saying distilled so I opted for sparkling even though I’m not real crazy about
it. Now I find they really are saying “still” as in not moving – no bubbles like the sparkling.
And no Diet DP to be found – just coke and pepsi.
But, on the positive side – the bread, cheese and CHOCOLAT is SOOOOOOOOOOO wonderful!!!!!!!
Here’s a few little odd things from the hotel guide in my room…
The front desk is referred to as “the reception”
The fitness center is open “uninterruptedly” (all the time)
If you want your laundry back the same day, must “warn” the front desk.
The coffee, sugar, creamers provided in the room is called a “courtesy trail”
Elevators, of course, are called “lifts”
Well, good night all. It’s almost 11:00 – think I’ll go to bed.
Spanish”. Well, here it is “Press 1 for French, press 2 for Dutch, press THREE for English”. In Flanders,
it is probably 1 for Dutch and 2 for French. I just love observing this little battle between the two
regions….there is something in the paper every day. I’m beginning to feel like a Wallnonian my self and
find myself siding with them against the Flemish - those pesky reprobates!!!! More power to their
secession effort – we don’t need them!!! :)
I know that about the press 3 thing because I called to order a concert ticket today. Tomorrow night I am
going in to Brussels for dinner and a jazz concert. The artist is David Linx – a native of Belgium, but
internationally well-known as a musician. I have listened to him for years and am so excited to see him in
person.
They aren’t real big in on cooking meat all the way through here….that’s OK for beef (I prefer it rare) – but
not chicken and fish. So I was a little under the weather last night – I think a combination of undercooked
salmon croquets for lunch and the jet lag catching up with me. And the hotel’s wake up call system is
tied to the TV which was replaced yesterday so it wasn’t working and there is no clock in my room. So, I
overslept this morning – didn’t wake up till client called to check on me at nearly 11:00!!!!!
The restaurant has a salmon fillet I would be tempted to try except it clearly says “cooked on one side
only” so I won’t be having any of that.
And water and ice – you can’t get ice to save your life!!! No machines anywhere in the hotel or at the
office or in the restaurants. And they don’t automatically bring you a glass of water – with or without
ice. You have to ASK for it and PAY for it – bottled water and cheapest one I’ve had was 4 euros –
about $5 american. I was confused in the beginning when they asked if I wanted “still” or “Sparkling”
water. I thought they were saying distilled so I opted for sparkling even though I’m not real crazy about
it. Now I find they really are saying “still” as in not moving – no bubbles like the sparkling.
And no Diet DP to be found – just coke and pepsi.
But, on the positive side – the bread, cheese and CHOCOLAT is SOOOOOOOOOOO wonderful!!!!!!!
Here’s a few little odd things from the hotel guide in my room…
The front desk is referred to as “the reception”
The fitness center is open “uninterruptedly” (all the time)
If you want your laundry back the same day, must “warn” the front desk.
The coffee, sugar, creamers provided in the room is called a “courtesy trail”
Elevators, of course, are called “lifts”
Well, good night all. It’s almost 11:00 – think I’ll go to bed.
Tulsa November 2006 - Elvis has left the building
For those of you Okies receiving this, I'm sure you know about
the Metro Diner on Route 66 (11th and Harvard). For those of
you who don't here a little background.
The Metro is a 50's style diner that has been in business 22
years. The hostess stand is the back end of a '57 Chevy - it
has a soda fountain with stools, a pink flamingo, lots of
other retro fixtures and many, many pictures of Elvis, and
Marilyn Monroe and others of that era. Even though it opened
AFTER the King died, the marquee often said "ELVIS EATS HERE".
Well, today it said "ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING". The diner
closed today - the property was confiscated by the University
of Tulsa to expand their parking lot. Another one of the
little local controversies going on here that I have enjoyed
following.
The Metro was a neat place - have been there several times
with various family members - and of course my sister Cyndee
knows pretty much everyone who works there. (I've told y'all
before - she knows EVERYONE in Tulsa - we have run into people
she knows at the ballet, concerts, restaurants, everywhere we
go!!!!!
We went over there today and the place was packed. People
getting one last dose of chicken fried steak and chocolate
shakes (my favorite dish there was the Monte Cristo sandwich
and Italian cream cake).
The outside of the diner is pink and black tiles and they were
letting people pry them off and take them. Cyndee did so and
Channel 8 was there taping the activities - they interviewed
and taped her, but I just watched the newscast and they didn't
show her.
I'm attaching a picture of the marquee - but have several more
- if you want to see them let me know and I will e-mail to
you.
Mom - I will get prints for you of Cyndee and also of
Thanksgiving.
the Metro Diner on Route 66 (11th and Harvard). For those of
you who don't here a little background.
The Metro is a 50's style diner that has been in business 22
years. The hostess stand is the back end of a '57 Chevy - it
has a soda fountain with stools, a pink flamingo, lots of
other retro fixtures and many, many pictures of Elvis, and
Marilyn Monroe and others of that era. Even though it opened
AFTER the King died, the marquee often said "ELVIS EATS HERE".
Well, today it said "ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING". The diner
closed today - the property was confiscated by the University
of Tulsa to expand their parking lot. Another one of the
little local controversies going on here that I have enjoyed
following.
The Metro was a neat place - have been there several times
with various family members - and of course my sister Cyndee
knows pretty much everyone who works there. (I've told y'all
before - she knows EVERYONE in Tulsa - we have run into people
she knows at the ballet, concerts, restaurants, everywhere we
go!!!!!
We went over there today and the place was packed. People
getting one last dose of chicken fried steak and chocolate
shakes (my favorite dish there was the Monte Cristo sandwich
and Italian cream cake).
The outside of the diner is pink and black tiles and they were
letting people pry them off and take them. Cyndee did so and
Channel 8 was there taping the activities - they interviewed
and taped her, but I just watched the newscast and they didn't
show her.
I'm attaching a picture of the marquee - but have several more
- if you want to see them let me know and I will e-mail to
you.
Mom - I will get prints for you of Cyndee and also of
Thanksgiving.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Maine September 2007 - From a posh resort to a cabin in the woods
On Monday, we headed north toward Bar Harbor , a quaint little resort town on the northern coast. I have a friend who spends a lot of time in Maine and had given me several tips on things to do and places to stay. He said to definitely take the coast highway to Bar Harbor rather than the interstate. Turns out that is about the only way you can get there short of taking the Interstate up to Bangkor and coming back down.
Now calling it the “coast highway” is a bit of a misnomer. Because of the towns and trees you don’t really see the water that much. The ocean there is not like it is anywhere else. For one thing, the shore is very rocky. There are very few sandy beaches like you see in Florida and California and along the gulf coast. It’s very rugged and rural with a real feel of isolation. Which is one thing that makes it so nice. I rented a convertible and while it was cool in the mornings, it was just warm enough the rest of the day to keep the top down. It was nice just driving along in a peaceful and quiet setting without seeing beach after beach crammed with people and umbrellas.
The only time we encountered any traffic was going to dinner on Bailey’s Island . The traffic coming the other direction was backed up. We found out later that the Blue Angels were at a nearly Naval Air Station.
Bar Harbor is a resort town, but not nearly as trendy and touristy as Kennebunkport . My friend has a connection at a resort hotel and got us a really good deal on a room. We had a beautiful view of the ocean from the balcony.
The entrance to the Acadia National Park was just ten minutes from the hotel so we took a drive through there. Cadillac Mountain in the park is where you can first see the sunrise on the North American continent. We intended to drive up for that Wednesday morning, so we drove up Tuesday during the day so I could make sure I could find it. Well, I’ll tell you – after driving 4,500 feet up the side of a mountain, I decided I was NOT going to do that in the dark. I don’t know what I was thinking – I’ve driven enough in Colorado to know that I don’t like driving in the mountains!!!
We took cruise through the Bay of Maine and saw several lighthouses. And thousands and thousands of colored buoys marking the lobster traps. That was quite a sight!!! And interesting statistic I read was that last year 52 MILLION pounds of lobster was taken out of the Bay of Maine . That is just beyond fathomable!!!
Also saw several homes of the rich and famous, such as Martha Stewart and Dooney of Dooney and Burke. At the neat thing is that the lighthouses are all automated now and people live in them.
On the way back south we stopped at Boothbay Harbor which is just a very quaint little harbor – we sat on the dock of the bay eating lunch and watching a lobster boat come in and unload its catch.
All throughout the drive we had seen motels and many of them were cabins. Very reminiscent of the 50s style motels that still dot Route 66. My sister had read about one in Freeport called the Maine Idyll Court and we had already decided to stay there our last night. Now I have to say I was a little bit leery – I mean there was no security, the lady in the office went home at 10:30, there was no phone. It was in the WOODS for gosh sakes!!!! IF I were a deranged ax murderer, it’s just the kind of place I would pick to slaughter two helpless girls. But, all was well. In fact, it was quite enjoyable – the cabin was rustic, clean, and comfortable. And the price was certainly right. I would do it again – but only with someone – not when I’m traveling alone. In fact, it’s really a great deal if you are going to be in one place for several days. The cabins have porches with rockers and most of them had outdoor grills.
All the while we were driving and seeing these motels and cabins, I couldn’t help but think of PSYCHO and the Bates Motel. And what did we see in one place? The BAIT’S MOTEL – I’m not kidding!!!!
And for those of you who have asked – I did some checking and there is no CRAB APPLE COVE (from MASH) and no CABOT COVE (from MURDER SHE WROTE). There is, however, a Penobscot River (that was the name of Hot Lips’ husband in MASH). Somebody connected with that show must have been from Maine .
Oh, and I saw a house for sale in Boothbay. It was big and right on the water so I thought it must be very pricey. I picked up the flyer and was surprised. It is 4,500 square feet, 6 bedrooms, two of which are part of a mother-in-law suite. Asking price was only $895,000. Now that is still WAY beyond my budget, but a lot less than what I thought it would be.
I really do like New England . If I can ever afford to give up CPAing, I think I’d like to own a little inn there in the summer and fall and then in the winter live in Tulsa and run a little bookstore. Maybe when (if) I retire…….
Oh, and another interesting thing about Maine . And don’t anybody write me back and call me any names or say anything ugly to me for what I’m about to say. You all know I am not a racist and don’t give a flip about politics. I am only stating facts here. We did not see one single foreigner – no Mexican, Hispanic, Middle Easterner, Vietnamese, nothing. And we only saw maybe 5 or 6 blacks. And most of those were Jamaicans who worked at the resort. They work there during the summer and go home during the winter. Many of the hotels, shops, restaurants are closed during the winter.
Well, it was a wonderful trip. Someplace I’ve been trying to get to for several years and can’t wait to go back. It’s also just a short ferry trip to Nova Scotia – I’ve always wanted to go there for some salmon fishing.
Everyone have a good week. I have no more travel plans for the rest of the year except for running up to Oklahoma on weekends. Well, maybe a quick weekend in New York if it comes up on Netsavers!!!
In February, though, I am going back to Italy for two weeks.
Now calling it the “coast highway” is a bit of a misnomer. Because of the towns and trees you don’t really see the water that much. The ocean there is not like it is anywhere else. For one thing, the shore is very rocky. There are very few sandy beaches like you see in Florida and California and along the gulf coast. It’s very rugged and rural with a real feel of isolation. Which is one thing that makes it so nice. I rented a convertible and while it was cool in the mornings, it was just warm enough the rest of the day to keep the top down. It was nice just driving along in a peaceful and quiet setting without seeing beach after beach crammed with people and umbrellas.
The only time we encountered any traffic was going to dinner on Bailey’s Island . The traffic coming the other direction was backed up. We found out later that the Blue Angels were at a nearly Naval Air Station.
Bar Harbor is a resort town, but not nearly as trendy and touristy as Kennebunkport . My friend has a connection at a resort hotel and got us a really good deal on a room. We had a beautiful view of the ocean from the balcony.
The entrance to the Acadia National Park was just ten minutes from the hotel so we took a drive through there. Cadillac Mountain in the park is where you can first see the sunrise on the North American continent. We intended to drive up for that Wednesday morning, so we drove up Tuesday during the day so I could make sure I could find it. Well, I’ll tell you – after driving 4,500 feet up the side of a mountain, I decided I was NOT going to do that in the dark. I don’t know what I was thinking – I’ve driven enough in Colorado to know that I don’t like driving in the mountains!!!
We took cruise through the Bay of Maine and saw several lighthouses. And thousands and thousands of colored buoys marking the lobster traps. That was quite a sight!!! And interesting statistic I read was that last year 52 MILLION pounds of lobster was taken out of the Bay of Maine . That is just beyond fathomable!!!
Also saw several homes of the rich and famous, such as Martha Stewart and Dooney of Dooney and Burke. At the neat thing is that the lighthouses are all automated now and people live in them.
On the way back south we stopped at Boothbay Harbor which is just a very quaint little harbor – we sat on the dock of the bay eating lunch and watching a lobster boat come in and unload its catch.
All throughout the drive we had seen motels and many of them were cabins. Very reminiscent of the 50s style motels that still dot Route 66. My sister had read about one in Freeport called the Maine Idyll Court and we had already decided to stay there our last night. Now I have to say I was a little bit leery – I mean there was no security, the lady in the office went home at 10:30, there was no phone. It was in the WOODS for gosh sakes!!!! IF I were a deranged ax murderer, it’s just the kind of place I would pick to slaughter two helpless girls. But, all was well. In fact, it was quite enjoyable – the cabin was rustic, clean, and comfortable. And the price was certainly right. I would do it again – but only with someone – not when I’m traveling alone. In fact, it’s really a great deal if you are going to be in one place for several days. The cabins have porches with rockers and most of them had outdoor grills.
All the while we were driving and seeing these motels and cabins, I couldn’t help but think of PSYCHO and the Bates Motel. And what did we see in one place? The BAIT’S MOTEL – I’m not kidding!!!!
And for those of you who have asked – I did some checking and there is no CRAB APPLE COVE (from MASH) and no CABOT COVE (from MURDER SHE WROTE). There is, however, a Penobscot River (that was the name of Hot Lips’ husband in MASH). Somebody connected with that show must have been from Maine .
Oh, and I saw a house for sale in Boothbay. It was big and right on the water so I thought it must be very pricey. I picked up the flyer and was surprised. It is 4,500 square feet, 6 bedrooms, two of which are part of a mother-in-law suite. Asking price was only $895,000. Now that is still WAY beyond my budget, but a lot less than what I thought it would be.
I really do like New England . If I can ever afford to give up CPAing, I think I’d like to own a little inn there in the summer and fall and then in the winter live in Tulsa and run a little bookstore. Maybe when (if) I retire…….
Oh, and another interesting thing about Maine . And don’t anybody write me back and call me any names or say anything ugly to me for what I’m about to say. You all know I am not a racist and don’t give a flip about politics. I am only stating facts here. We did not see one single foreigner – no Mexican, Hispanic, Middle Easterner, Vietnamese, nothing. And we only saw maybe 5 or 6 blacks. And most of those were Jamaicans who worked at the resort. They work there during the summer and go home during the winter. Many of the hotels, shops, restaurants are closed during the winter.
Well, it was a wonderful trip. Someplace I’ve been trying to get to for several years and can’t wait to go back. It’s also just a short ferry trip to Nova Scotia – I’ve always wanted to go there for some salmon fishing.
Everyone have a good week. I have no more travel plans for the rest of the year except for running up to Oklahoma on weekends. Well, maybe a quick weekend in New York if it comes up on Netsavers!!!
In February, though, I am going back to Italy for two weeks.
Main 2007 - Lobster, blueberries and beautiful weather
Hey guys, my sister Cyndee and I just got back from five
days in Maine . You may remember that the first time I
went to Boston about ten years ago, I absolutely fell in
love with New England . Since then I’ve seen parts of
Connecticut and Rhode Island , but this was my first trip
to Maine . It was WONDERFUL!!!!
We flew into Manchester , New Hampshire on Saturday. One
of the nice things about living in a city such as Dallas
is that I can get pretty much anywhere in the U.S. on a
direct flight. Maine is the exception. It was tricky
getting flights that didn’t take a whole day, so that is
why I chose Manchester . It’s about a two hour drive to
Freeport , Maine where we started. Could have flown into
Boston – it’s about the same distance but driving in
Boston is a real pain. Of course, had I been able to get
tickets to the SOX/YANKEES game on Saturday night, I
would have done it.
We drove along the coast of Maine starting in FREEPORT ,
which is a charming little town best known for its outlet
shopping and being the home to LL Bean. The Bean store
was just two blocks from our bed and breakfast and it is
open 24/7 365 days a year. Doesn’t even have locks on
the doors. We went there FOUR times (well, twice were to
return things I had bought the 1st and 3rd times).
When someone tells me about fabulous shopping somewhere,
I just scoff. After all, I do live in Dallas TX which
not only has Neiman Marcus (though I don’t shop there)
but also fabulous outlets within a four hour drive. But
the outlets in Freeport were pretty nice – many of them
line the downtown streets and there are city ordinances
that maintain the historical integrity of the
architecture. You wouldn’t even recognize the McDonalds
– it’s in a brick building and the signage is very
understated. Now, here is an interesting thing – we
covered over a thousand miles driving up and down the
coast. We saw very few fast food places – a handful of
McDonalds and one Arbys. Cyndee was having Taco Bell
withdrawal symptoms by the 3rd day!!! We only saw a
couple of Wal-Marts and they were tucked away discreetly.
I discovered one place called SWANS ISLAND BLANKETS.
Swans Island is off the coast of Bar Harbor and is
inhabited only by sheep. Employees go in once a year and
shear the sheep and the wool is spun and hand-dyed and
then woven by hand into the most incredible blankets you
can imagine!!! But, they are also very pricey - $1,075
for a full sized one. Needless to say, I did not buy
one.
We spent two nights in Freeport at a beautiful bed and
breakfast called the Harraseeket Inn. It is a greens
hotel meaning that they practice conversation and
recycling. All of food comes from local farmers and
producers. They had the most incredible, to die for
breakfast buffet – all organic. I will probably never
make Betty Crocker Blueberry Muffins again!!!!
It’s very charming and old world with a common room where
they serve tea in the afternoon and you can just go in
and relax anytime – sit by the fire and read or chat with
others. And one touch I really liked is that there are
old books scattered around in the common rooms as well as
the bedrooms.
We met the Executive Chef, Theda, who overheard us
talking about Steven King who my sister likes. He lives
in Bangor Maine , but Theda told us he had a childhood
home just a few miles away close to where she lives.
Also there is a cemetery, Harmony something, that is
featured in several of his books. She drew us a little
map of how to get there so we drove over one morning.
And she was driving home and saw us at the cemetery so
stopped to chat. She pointed out the farm across the
street and told us that is where the hotel gets 90% of
its produce.
Sunday morning we drove south down to Kennebunkport .
It’s a nice little town – very touristy – had lunch there
and then went to see the Bush compound. It was nice –
not as big as I thought it would be – sits right on the
water of course. Apparently we just missed George Sr. A
couple sitting there (who live in McKinney ) on a bench
told us he had just left in a boat. And they were going
to sit right there until he came back so they could catch
another glimpse of him. How weird. At then right up the
street is his church – there was another couple who had
set up a little area with lawn chairs, coolers, radio –
just making themselves at home waiting to see if they
could get a look at him. And they told us the people who
owned the house across the bay from him are from Houston
and have high-powered binoculars that they keep trained
on his house trying to catch a glimpse of him or his
family. I find that to be very SICK!!!!
On the way we stopped in Portland and saw the oldest
lighthouse in Maine , the Portland Head Light.
Sunday night we drove about 25 miles north and east of Freeport to Bailey’s Island –
which is the third island on a little peninsula. The scenery was incredibly beautiful and
the island quite charming. I had the BEST lobster I have ever had there!!! It was
stuffed lobster which I have never seen before. Oh, Lord my mouth is watering right
now just thinking about it!!!!
Monday we headed up the coast to Bar Harbor – most about
that later.
days in Maine . You may remember that the first time I
went to Boston about ten years ago, I absolutely fell in
love with New England . Since then I’ve seen parts of
Connecticut and Rhode Island , but this was my first trip
to Maine . It was WONDERFUL!!!!
We flew into Manchester , New Hampshire on Saturday. One
of the nice things about living in a city such as Dallas
is that I can get pretty much anywhere in the U.S. on a
direct flight. Maine is the exception. It was tricky
getting flights that didn’t take a whole day, so that is
why I chose Manchester . It’s about a two hour drive to
Freeport , Maine where we started. Could have flown into
Boston – it’s about the same distance but driving in
Boston is a real pain. Of course, had I been able to get
tickets to the SOX/YANKEES game on Saturday night, I
would have done it.
We drove along the coast of Maine starting in FREEPORT ,
which is a charming little town best known for its outlet
shopping and being the home to LL Bean. The Bean store
was just two blocks from our bed and breakfast and it is
open 24/7 365 days a year. Doesn’t even have locks on
the doors. We went there FOUR times (well, twice were to
return things I had bought the 1st and 3rd times).
When someone tells me about fabulous shopping somewhere,
I just scoff. After all, I do live in Dallas TX which
not only has Neiman Marcus (though I don’t shop there)
but also fabulous outlets within a four hour drive. But
the outlets in Freeport were pretty nice – many of them
line the downtown streets and there are city ordinances
that maintain the historical integrity of the
architecture. You wouldn’t even recognize the McDonalds
– it’s in a brick building and the signage is very
understated. Now, here is an interesting thing – we
covered over a thousand miles driving up and down the
coast. We saw very few fast food places – a handful of
McDonalds and one Arbys. Cyndee was having Taco Bell
withdrawal symptoms by the 3rd day!!! We only saw a
couple of Wal-Marts and they were tucked away discreetly.
I discovered one place called SWANS ISLAND BLANKETS.
Swans Island is off the coast of Bar Harbor and is
inhabited only by sheep. Employees go in once a year and
shear the sheep and the wool is spun and hand-dyed and
then woven by hand into the most incredible blankets you
can imagine!!! But, they are also very pricey - $1,075
for a full sized one. Needless to say, I did not buy
one.
We spent two nights in Freeport at a beautiful bed and
breakfast called the Harraseeket Inn. It is a greens
hotel meaning that they practice conversation and
recycling. All of food comes from local farmers and
producers. They had the most incredible, to die for
breakfast buffet – all organic. I will probably never
make Betty Crocker Blueberry Muffins again!!!!
It’s very charming and old world with a common room where
they serve tea in the afternoon and you can just go in
and relax anytime – sit by the fire and read or chat with
others. And one touch I really liked is that there are
old books scattered around in the common rooms as well as
the bedrooms.
We met the Executive Chef, Theda, who overheard us
talking about Steven King who my sister likes. He lives
in Bangor Maine , but Theda told us he had a childhood
home just a few miles away close to where she lives.
Also there is a cemetery, Harmony something, that is
featured in several of his books. She drew us a little
map of how to get there so we drove over one morning.
And she was driving home and saw us at the cemetery so
stopped to chat. She pointed out the farm across the
street and told us that is where the hotel gets 90% of
its produce.
Sunday morning we drove south down to Kennebunkport .
It’s a nice little town – very touristy – had lunch there
and then went to see the Bush compound. It was nice –
not as big as I thought it would be – sits right on the
water of course. Apparently we just missed George Sr. A
couple sitting there (who live in McKinney ) on a bench
told us he had just left in a boat. And they were going
to sit right there until he came back so they could catch
another glimpse of him. How weird. At then right up the
street is his church – there was another couple who had
set up a little area with lawn chairs, coolers, radio –
just making themselves at home waiting to see if they
could get a look at him. And they told us the people who
owned the house across the bay from him are from Houston
and have high-powered binoculars that they keep trained
on his house trying to catch a glimpse of him or his
family. I find that to be very SICK!!!!
On the way we stopped in Portland and saw the oldest
lighthouse in Maine , the Portland Head Light.
Sunday night we drove about 25 miles north and east of Freeport to Bailey’s Island –
which is the third island on a little peninsula. The scenery was incredibly beautiful and
the island quite charming. I had the BEST lobster I have ever had there!!! It was
stuffed lobster which I have never seen before. Oh, Lord my mouth is watering right
now just thinking about it!!!!
Monday we headed up the coast to Bar Harbor – most about
that later.
Belgium March 2006 - The Opera that wasn't
Got back to the hotel after sightseeing and had a WONDERFUL dinner. A really good Ceasar
salad (the hotel in Waterloo does not have salads) and the best seafood stew I have had since
that place in Victoria - in fact this was better!!! The chef had sent out an appetizer for me and
then brought my dessert himself. I had sent my compliments back on the stew.
Then I got all dressed up and headed to the Opera. It was Pucini's La Villi which I have seen
before and really like. Now, I haven't done too badly here with the language - no major screw-
ups until now. But, I really made a major good this time - it was not the Opera - it was the
Brussels Symphony. I do not like the symphony - no matter how good the music is, it bores me
and I cannot stay awake. I like the action and excitement of an opera or a musical.
(I know, I know - I used to go the Symphony in my early years in Dallas - but that wasn't
because I liked the symphony - it was because I liked the hot, Spanish conductor that the DSO
had for a few years.)
But, except for the fact that I paid 67 Euro for the ticket, I did enjoy the "experience" of going
out on the town (though I did leave at the first intermission). It was performed at the Palais de
Beaux Artes (Palace of Fine Arts) which is a very nice modern building with great ACOUSTICS
(something those of us used to Fair Park Music Hall in Dallas are not accustomed to). There
were three people sitting next to me who, before the concert began, were waving and blowing
kisses to the 2nd row, 4th chair violinist. They did not speak a word of English, but using my
fractured French I found out that she was their daughter and neice and this was her debut
performance with the Symphony. They were SO proud!!!!!
Now I'm back at hotel and going to do some reading and get to bed early - got a lot on the agend
for tomorrow.
salad (the hotel in Waterloo does not have salads) and the best seafood stew I have had since
that place in Victoria - in fact this was better!!! The chef had sent out an appetizer for me and
then brought my dessert himself. I had sent my compliments back on the stew.
Then I got all dressed up and headed to the Opera. It was Pucini's La Villi which I have seen
before and really like. Now, I haven't done too badly here with the language - no major screw-
ups until now. But, I really made a major good this time - it was not the Opera - it was the
Brussels Symphony. I do not like the symphony - no matter how good the music is, it bores me
and I cannot stay awake. I like the action and excitement of an opera or a musical.
(I know, I know - I used to go the Symphony in my early years in Dallas - but that wasn't
because I liked the symphony - it was because I liked the hot, Spanish conductor that the DSO
had for a few years.)
But, except for the fact that I paid 67 Euro for the ticket, I did enjoy the "experience" of going
out on the town (though I did leave at the first intermission). It was performed at the Palais de
Beaux Artes (Palace of Fine Arts) which is a very nice modern building with great ACOUSTICS
(something those of us used to Fair Park Music Hall in Dallas are not accustomed to). There
were three people sitting next to me who, before the concert began, were waving and blowing
kisses to the 2nd row, 4th chair violinist. They did not speak a word of English, but using my
fractured French I found out that she was their daughter and neice and this was her debut
performance with the Symphony. They were SO proud!!!!!
Now I'm back at hotel and going to do some reading and get to bed early - got a lot on the agend
for tomorrow.
Belgium April 2006 - I really thought I was going to the opera
Hey guys - I'm having a great time here in Brussels this week-end. The Marriott here is really nice and it is right in the center of things. THey even have ICE MACHINES!!!!! At the hotel in Waterloo, they looked at me really strange when I asked where theirs were.
I had a really frustrating day at office yesterday and then stepped in a mud-filled hole on the way back to hotel twisting my ankle really bad - so I went to the restaurant and had half a bottle of wine with dinner and then went to bed with an ice pack. Slept very well with sweet dreams of the upcoming weekend.
It was pouring rain when I left Waterloo and snowing by the time I got to Brussels. But the snow stopped pretty early and I had a great day. It was bone-chilling cold though, so I hopped on one of those "get on get off" city tour buses. This was probably the worst tour I've ever been on. First of all the coach wasn't heated. And the narration was canned - the driver never said a word not even to announce the stops. I intended to get off in the museum district, but I missed it. Still, it was a good way to see all of the city and my ticket is good for tomorrow so I will pay more attention as to where I want to get off. Impersonl though it was, the narration did give some good history of Brussels.
COld as it was there were quite a few tourists about, but I found a quiet little tea room that wasn;'t very crowded and had really good hot chocolate and waffles which I had for lunch and then again when I got back from the tour. Also found that wonderful chocolate shop I had been to a few weeks ago. I couldn't believe it but they remembered me!!!! Bought TWO boxes of chocolate this time instead of one. Mary Anne - found you some more lace - more on that later.
Then on the way back to the hotel I stopped in at a used record shop I had seen earlier. I know its passe, but I still like listening to my record player and have a pretty fair collection of 33s - some (Elvis mainly) left over from my teen years and my Dad is really good about buying them for me at garage sales. Anyway, I bought four from this guy - Patsy CLine, Hank Williams, Elvis (one of the few I don't have and have looked for for YEARS, and one called "Larry Long and the Children of Oklahoma" - it's a tribute to Woody Guthrie - never heard of Long, but am eager to see what this is about. Had a nice conversation with the guy who owns the shop and told him how there is only one place in Dallas where I could buy needles for my turntable and two years ago they sold me the last one they were going to be able to get. Well, guess what? There is a guy here in Brussels who has needles - the record guy is going to get me his name.
Oh, remember Manneken Pis "the most renowned citizen of Brussels" I told you about before? I had already been to the museum where all his costumes are, but didn't actually see the statue that trip. I did see it today though. Will send some of you pictures.
Second installment coming up......
I had a really frustrating day at office yesterday and then stepped in a mud-filled hole on the way back to hotel twisting my ankle really bad - so I went to the restaurant and had half a bottle of wine with dinner and then went to bed with an ice pack. Slept very well with sweet dreams of the upcoming weekend.
It was pouring rain when I left Waterloo and snowing by the time I got to Brussels. But the snow stopped pretty early and I had a great day. It was bone-chilling cold though, so I hopped on one of those "get on get off" city tour buses. This was probably the worst tour I've ever been on. First of all the coach wasn't heated. And the narration was canned - the driver never said a word not even to announce the stops. I intended to get off in the museum district, but I missed it. Still, it was a good way to see all of the city and my ticket is good for tomorrow so I will pay more attention as to where I want to get off. Impersonl though it was, the narration did give some good history of Brussels.
COld as it was there were quite a few tourists about, but I found a quiet little tea room that wasn;'t very crowded and had really good hot chocolate and waffles which I had for lunch and then again when I got back from the tour. Also found that wonderful chocolate shop I had been to a few weeks ago. I couldn't believe it but they remembered me!!!! Bought TWO boxes of chocolate this time instead of one. Mary Anne - found you some more lace - more on that later.
Then on the way back to the hotel I stopped in at a used record shop I had seen earlier. I know its passe, but I still like listening to my record player and have a pretty fair collection of 33s - some (Elvis mainly) left over from my teen years and my Dad is really good about buying them for me at garage sales. Anyway, I bought four from this guy - Patsy CLine, Hank Williams, Elvis (one of the few I don't have and have looked for for YEARS, and one called "Larry Long and the Children of Oklahoma" - it's a tribute to Woody Guthrie - never heard of Long, but am eager to see what this is about. Had a nice conversation with the guy who owns the shop and told him how there is only one place in Dallas where I could buy needles for my turntable and two years ago they sold me the last one they were going to be able to get. Well, guess what? There is a guy here in Brussels who has needles - the record guy is going to get me his name.
Oh, remember Manneken Pis "the most renowned citizen of Brussels" I told you about before? I had already been to the museum where all his costumes are, but didn't actually see the statue that trip. I did see it today though. Will send some of you pictures.
Second installment coming up......
Belgium April 2006 - My mother is NOT here
Well, I'm almost done here. Actually, I am done with work - headed back into Brussels for a couple of nights before my journey home on Sunday.
You know, even for someone who loves to travel as much as I do, it can sometimes be tedious. Seeing new and exoctic places is wonderful of course, but ocassionally it's the little things that I like most of all. Like, walking into a big hotel in the downtown of a foreign city, followed by my driver carrying my luggage, and being greeted by name by the staff and welcomed back!!!!! Makes me feel so glamourous and sophisticated!!!! (Even if one of them did call me MRS. Cato - I looked around again for my mom, but she wasn't there).
Those of you who have been reading my travelogues for years know that one of my favorite things is seeing the CITY LIGHTS out my hotel window. Nothing yet has beat the view I had in Vancouver, but my view here comes pretty close. It's stunning - not just the lights, but I have a perfect view of the beautiful stock exchange building,
bathed in light with the lighted basilica in the background. THe exchange is another one of those glorious 16th century buildings I have seen so much of here.
Went out for a little walk after dinner - 9 at night and the streets are ALIVE - it was great just walking around watching people and listening to them laugh and chatter about their day.
Anyway, now if's off to bed and then tomorrow back to the museum and a jazz concert tomorrow night and then home Sunday morning. See some of you next week.
You know, even for someone who loves to travel as much as I do, it can sometimes be tedious. Seeing new and exoctic places is wonderful of course, but ocassionally it's the little things that I like most of all. Like, walking into a big hotel in the downtown of a foreign city, followed by my driver carrying my luggage, and being greeted by name by the staff and welcomed back!!!!! Makes me feel so glamourous and sophisticated!!!! (Even if one of them did call me MRS. Cato - I looked around again for my mom, but she wasn't there).
Those of you who have been reading my travelogues for years know that one of my favorite things is seeing the CITY LIGHTS out my hotel window. Nothing yet has beat the view I had in Vancouver, but my view here comes pretty close. It's stunning - not just the lights, but I have a perfect view of the beautiful stock exchange building,
bathed in light with the lighted basilica in the background. THe exchange is another one of those glorious 16th century buildings I have seen so much of here.
Went out for a little walk after dinner - 9 at night and the streets are ALIVE - it was great just walking around watching people and listening to them laugh and chatter about their day.
Anyway, now if's off to bed and then tomorrow back to the museum and a jazz concert tomorrow night and then home Sunday morning. See some of you next week.
Dallas April 2005 - I always thought I'd meet Mr. Right in a bookstore and other odds and ends on being home
Made it safely home Thursday night – sure do miss the mountains, though!!! Every time I go to SLC or Colorado and now Vancouver and come back here – it’s just so depressing – so flat and boring and too much traffic. If I can ever afford to retire, it is definitely going to be someplace where I can see mountains and water every day.
One thing I like about living in a hotel is that I when I go to bed I can go straight to sleep. I’ve lived alone most of my adult life, but I still lay awake 30-40 minutes when I go to bed listening to things that go bump in the night and wondering if THIS is the night someone will break in and murder me in my sleep. I hate that 80 seconds from the time I turn on the alarm system until the light stops blinking and I know it’s engaged.
Been out running errands today – went to podiatrist yesterday – thought I was just having flare up of the plantar facitis I had last year, but turns how I have a bone spur in my heel. So I splurged on a new pair of walking shoes. Went to the bookstore looking for a sequel to a book I just read set in Storyville at the turn of the century – picked up a couple of others, too. When I got to the checkout counter, there were two clerks – I was the only one there – the guy waiting on me started talking about how good one of the books was that I was buying – I said I found the concept interesting and one thing led to another and we ended up having a very pleasant conversation. All of a sudden someone yelled – “Ask her for her phone number so we can check out!!!!!” Looked behind me, and there were about 5 people in line. Oops!!! He was embarrassed…..I was embarrassed….as I was walking away he said “enjoy the book” – I said thanks – then (and I DON”T know what possessed me to do this, but I stopped – reached in my purse – got a pen – grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled on it – walked back and handed it to him. Everybody applauded!!!!! Now, they just THINK I gave him my phone number – in truth all I wrote “thanks for the review”.
Oh, speaking of books – if you haven’t read ANGELS AND DEMONS yet, I recommend it. I read it last week while conclave was going on – a perfect time to read it because it is set in Rome during a fictional conclave. It’s the prequel to THE DAVINCI CODE – which is next on my list. (Jamie, A&D is about the Illuminati – I think you have read some stuff in that genre).
And speaking of men – (guys, you can stop reading now – next part is just for girlfriends).
You know how sometimes you see a guy and it is just OH YES!!!!!! Happened in the VC airport yesterday – he had salt & pepper hair – about a three day growth of beard – white t-shirt – tight slightly rumpled jeans – just an overall macho scruffy look – GREAT eyes!!!!! Couldn’t take mine off of him – until I saw him walk into the salon (a place next to the gate where you can get shoulder massages and pedicures/manicures while you wait on plane). That’s when I noticed he was wearing rubber thongs on his feet!!! (I expected cowboy boots). Didn’t see him come out of the salon, so I guess he was getting a PEDICURE!!!!! Then when I got on the plane and had myself situated, I looked up and saw him trying to get his bag in the overhead about three rows ahead of me. I watched him for a minute and then said “If you turn it over, it should work”. He did – and it worked and said “thanks or good idea or something” – when he opened his mouth, it was obvious he was DUMB AS DIRT!!!!! Then he said down with this woman – I hadn’t seen her in the airport – and for the whole flight they were all over each other. So trashy!!!!!
One thing I like about living in a hotel is that I when I go to bed I can go straight to sleep. I’ve lived alone most of my adult life, but I still lay awake 30-40 minutes when I go to bed listening to things that go bump in the night and wondering if THIS is the night someone will break in and murder me in my sleep. I hate that 80 seconds from the time I turn on the alarm system until the light stops blinking and I know it’s engaged.
Been out running errands today – went to podiatrist yesterday – thought I was just having flare up of the plantar facitis I had last year, but turns how I have a bone spur in my heel. So I splurged on a new pair of walking shoes. Went to the bookstore looking for a sequel to a book I just read set in Storyville at the turn of the century – picked up a couple of others, too. When I got to the checkout counter, there were two clerks – I was the only one there – the guy waiting on me started talking about how good one of the books was that I was buying – I said I found the concept interesting and one thing led to another and we ended up having a very pleasant conversation. All of a sudden someone yelled – “Ask her for her phone number so we can check out!!!!!” Looked behind me, and there were about 5 people in line. Oops!!! He was embarrassed…..I was embarrassed….as I was walking away he said “enjoy the book” – I said thanks – then (and I DON”T know what possessed me to do this, but I stopped – reached in my purse – got a pen – grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled on it – walked back and handed it to him. Everybody applauded!!!!! Now, they just THINK I gave him my phone number – in truth all I wrote “thanks for the review”.
Oh, speaking of books – if you haven’t read ANGELS AND DEMONS yet, I recommend it. I read it last week while conclave was going on – a perfect time to read it because it is set in Rome during a fictional conclave. It’s the prequel to THE DAVINCI CODE – which is next on my list. (Jamie, A&D is about the Illuminati – I think you have read some stuff in that genre).
And speaking of men – (guys, you can stop reading now – next part is just for girlfriends).
You know how sometimes you see a guy and it is just OH YES!!!!!! Happened in the VC airport yesterday – he had salt & pepper hair – about a three day growth of beard – white t-shirt – tight slightly rumpled jeans – just an overall macho scruffy look – GREAT eyes!!!!! Couldn’t take mine off of him – until I saw him walk into the salon (a place next to the gate where you can get shoulder massages and pedicures/manicures while you wait on plane). That’s when I noticed he was wearing rubber thongs on his feet!!! (I expected cowboy boots). Didn’t see him come out of the salon, so I guess he was getting a PEDICURE!!!!! Then when I got on the plane and had myself situated, I looked up and saw him trying to get his bag in the overhead about three rows ahead of me. I watched him for a minute and then said “If you turn it over, it should work”. He did – and it worked and said “thanks or good idea or something” – when he opened his mouth, it was obvious he was DUMB AS DIRT!!!!! Then he said down with this woman – I hadn’t seen her in the airport – and for the whole flight they were all over each other. So trashy!!!!!
Corpus Christi March 2007 - Weekend on the Gulf Coast
Hey guys, I went to Corpus Christi this past weekend. I have lived in Texas for 28 years and this is the first time I have been there. I’ve always gone to Galveston when I wanted beach time. Somehow I had it in my mind that Corpus was a posh resort town. Boy was I wrong!!!! It is a very cool costal city – simple, laid-back, down-to-earth, clean, and modern without being trendy. The beach is VERY nice and clean.
I have a friend who recently moved there. He has a nice little convertible and we drove around with the top down – wind blowing my hair (YES, I finally have enough of my hair back for the wind to blow it), sound of the surf, smell of the sea. The weather was perfect. It was WONDERFUL!!!
Whenever I go someplace like this, I ask myself, “Self, what are you doing living in a land-locked city when you love the ocean so much?” And, of course, the answer is that this is where I can make a living. But, I always come back with renewed resolve to work hard and get to retirement as quickly as I can.
Found a quaint little restaurant on the beach with a beautiful view of the gulf and wonderful food. Did a little sightseeing around the downtown area. Of course, Corpus is heavily Catholic (as if you didn’t know that by the name). The cathedral is an architectural gem and is on the Texas Register of Historic Places. And there is a great old courthouse.
I went to a community theatre production of GUYS AND DOLLS. Now, y’all know that I love the theatre and have seen it all over this country and many places outside of the country – both professional and amateur. This production was pretty good. I’ve seen some better and a whole lot worse. There were three or four really outstanding actors, including my friend who played the grandfather. When he sang his solo song, MORE I CANNOT WISH YOU, to his granddaughter, it was so beautiful. There were several oohhs and ahhs and OH MYs and WOWS from the audience.
Another friend took me on a quick tour of the Naval Air Station to see two more buildings on the Texas Register – a Protestant and a Catholic chapel.
Other than that, I just hung out on the beach and had a wonderful, relaxing weekend. I drove and the drive wasn’t too bad. It’s further than Galveston BUT, you do not have to drive through HOUSTON which makes a huge difference. Corpus is definitely my Texas beach of choice from now on. Except at Christmas, of course. You can’t beat Galveston for that.
Speaking of Houston – Haley, is the birthday party on April 21 a definite? I have it on my calendar. And Susan B – did you get tickets for the May 19 ballgame? I have that on my calendar, too.
Well, guys – until I go to Paris in June, I don’t have any upcoming travel plans – except for some weekends in Houston, Austin, Corpus and Oklahoma.
Dallas friends – anyone interested in going to see Rod Stewart at American Airlines Center on April 18?
I have a friend who recently moved there. He has a nice little convertible and we drove around with the top down – wind blowing my hair (YES, I finally have enough of my hair back for the wind to blow it), sound of the surf, smell of the sea. The weather was perfect. It was WONDERFUL!!!
Whenever I go someplace like this, I ask myself, “Self, what are you doing living in a land-locked city when you love the ocean so much?” And, of course, the answer is that this is where I can make a living. But, I always come back with renewed resolve to work hard and get to retirement as quickly as I can.
Found a quaint little restaurant on the beach with a beautiful view of the gulf and wonderful food. Did a little sightseeing around the downtown area. Of course, Corpus is heavily Catholic (as if you didn’t know that by the name). The cathedral is an architectural gem and is on the Texas Register of Historic Places. And there is a great old courthouse.
I went to a community theatre production of GUYS AND DOLLS. Now, y’all know that I love the theatre and have seen it all over this country and many places outside of the country – both professional and amateur. This production was pretty good. I’ve seen some better and a whole lot worse. There were three or four really outstanding actors, including my friend who played the grandfather. When he sang his solo song, MORE I CANNOT WISH YOU, to his granddaughter, it was so beautiful. There were several oohhs and ahhs and OH MYs and WOWS from the audience.
Another friend took me on a quick tour of the Naval Air Station to see two more buildings on the Texas Register – a Protestant and a Catholic chapel.
Other than that, I just hung out on the beach and had a wonderful, relaxing weekend. I drove and the drive wasn’t too bad. It’s further than Galveston BUT, you do not have to drive through HOUSTON which makes a huge difference. Corpus is definitely my Texas beach of choice from now on. Except at Christmas, of course. You can’t beat Galveston for that.
Speaking of Houston – Haley, is the birthday party on April 21 a definite? I have it on my calendar. And Susan B – did you get tickets for the May 19 ballgame? I have that on my calendar, too.
Well, guys – until I go to Paris in June, I don’t have any upcoming travel plans – except for some weekends in Houston, Austin, Corpus and Oklahoma.
Dallas friends – anyone interested in going to see Rod Stewart at American Airlines Center on April 18?
Tulsa October 2006 - The neice connection in Tulsa
It’s a good thing I like all of my nieces – there seems to be a lot of things here that remind me of them. Tammy, the manager on my project reminds me so much of Melissa – both looks and personality. And one of the girls I audited today IS named Melissa, but she looks just like April. And I discovered today that Gwenda, my neice-in-law works in the IBM building. We had lunch together today – such a delightful young lady. Now, I’ve got to hurry up and finish her baby afghan before the shower!!!!!!
I always seem to get a lot of exercise on my projects – swimming in the hotel pools and lots of walking. The pool here isn’t too great, but there is a LOT of walking. Williams Center is just across the street from the hotel, but with the turns and twists, it’s equivalent to a two block walk. It’s six block from Williams to IBM. At IBM, my 13th floor office is in the North Tower, but all the folks I audit are in the South Tower – a nice little jaunt between the two, but there is an indoor walkway.
Security is really tight in both buildings…. I had to sign away rights to my first-born (sorry John David) to get my badge for Williams. My IBM badge only gives me access to the North Tower 13th floor so when I have to see someone, I call them and they meet me at the elevator. Also, there are no restrooms on the 13th floor and since my badge won’t get me into the 11th floor where they are, I have to walk down (AND BACK UP) two flights of stairs. My feet are killing me!!!!
But, I love it here!!!! Tonight two of my partners and I are going to Jamils tonight – haven’t been there in 28 years. I’m really looking forward to it. OKLA friends – anybody been there lately? TX friends – it’s a Lebanese restaurant that has been around for 60 years.
One of my partners is a Muslim. Since I’ve gotten to know him, I always cringe now when I get all those e-mails that are circulating about Muslims. He is one of the nicest people I have ever met. And he’s just a regular guy like most of my friends – married with some kids, works hard, pays his taxes, lives a simple quite life. Right now he is fasting – doesn’t eat from 5:45 a.m. until 7:45 p.m – has to do that for 30 days. He is always ready for dinner!!!!! And not picky at all ‘cause he is so hungry. And right before we go to dinner, he has to find a quiet place where he can face East to say his prayers. I really admire him a lot – as I do anyone who is devoted to their faith and beliefs the way he is. ALL MUSLIMS ARE NOT TERRORISTS – just like all CPAs are not BORING!!!!
Well, gotta run – heading over to Jamils.
I always seem to get a lot of exercise on my projects – swimming in the hotel pools and lots of walking. The pool here isn’t too great, but there is a LOT of walking. Williams Center is just across the street from the hotel, but with the turns and twists, it’s equivalent to a two block walk. It’s six block from Williams to IBM. At IBM, my 13th floor office is in the North Tower, but all the folks I audit are in the South Tower – a nice little jaunt between the two, but there is an indoor walkway.
Security is really tight in both buildings…. I had to sign away rights to my first-born (sorry John David) to get my badge for Williams. My IBM badge only gives me access to the North Tower 13th floor so when I have to see someone, I call them and they meet me at the elevator. Also, there are no restrooms on the 13th floor and since my badge won’t get me into the 11th floor where they are, I have to walk down (AND BACK UP) two flights of stairs. My feet are killing me!!!!
But, I love it here!!!! Tonight two of my partners and I are going to Jamils tonight – haven’t been there in 28 years. I’m really looking forward to it. OKLA friends – anybody been there lately? TX friends – it’s a Lebanese restaurant that has been around for 60 years.
One of my partners is a Muslim. Since I’ve gotten to know him, I always cringe now when I get all those e-mails that are circulating about Muslims. He is one of the nicest people I have ever met. And he’s just a regular guy like most of my friends – married with some kids, works hard, pays his taxes, lives a simple quite life. Right now he is fasting – doesn’t eat from 5:45 a.m. until 7:45 p.m – has to do that for 30 days. He is always ready for dinner!!!!! And not picky at all ‘cause he is so hungry. And right before we go to dinner, he has to find a quiet place where he can face East to say his prayers. I really admire him a lot – as I do anyone who is devoted to their faith and beliefs the way he is. ALL MUSLIMS ARE NOT TERRORISTS – just like all CPAs are not BORING!!!!
Well, gotta run – heading over to Jamils.
Tulsa October 2006 - Good wine, good food, good friends
I am really making some good friends on this project. I think they are going to be like the friends I made at Tenet – people who will be part of life for years to come.
Four of us went to dinner tonight – there is usually 8 or 9 of us, but several people have already left for the weekend (there are about 12 of us from Dallas on this project).
Jamil’s has not changed ONE IOTA!!! Same food, same restaurant (no updates whatsoever which of course adds to its charm) and even a couple of the same waiters. Ours (an old, black gentleman) has been working there 61 YEARS!!!!! (Okla friends – there was an article about him in the World in August – did anyone see it?)
The food was WONDERFUL!!!! Just as I remember it – tabouli, hummus, ribs and an anti-pasta tray as an appetizer. And the kind of salad I love (Dallas folks – it is just like Campisi salad).
Dad, I had the bologna dinner and had plenty left over so I will bring it home tomorrow night.
Barbara, when you come here to visit we will go there. I predict you will like the steaks. Terry is a steak man and he said his was very good.
The two guys drank Sprite, but Lolly and I each had a glass of cabernet which was very good. Now usually when I have just a glass of wine (as opposed to a bottle), I will ask to see the label. Didn’t do that here though because I’m sure I would have been reprimanded by the waitress (who probably has been working there as long as the waiter). It’s a VERY unpretentious place. She brought the guys a small pitcher of Sprite for refills, but for some reason they thought it was another pitcher of water – even though it had BUBBLES and there was already a larger pitcher of water on the table. When they asked for more, she pointed to the pitcher and said “What do you think that is?” Think Soup Nazi. Lol.
Our conversation tonight was totally about religion – we got started on it when I mentioned the pilgrimage I am going on in February. It was such a stimulating and fascinating conversion – just imagine, two men, two women –a Southern Baptist (me, of course), a Methodist, an Episcopalian, and a Muslim. We shared out beliefs, explained each other’s misconceptions, talked about how each of our faiths deal with current social issues. Johnny, I even worked in a discussion about Mormonism. Agha really believed that Mormons still practice polygamy but and I set him straight on that. I don’t think Lolly, Terry and I learned a whole lot new about our respective religions, but we were all enthralled learning from Agah about Islam. Terry had some interesting perspectives on women in the church – there is a lot of controversy about that in the Methodist church right now. He also pointed out an interesting biblical fact that I did not know. Something about Jesus attending a church led by a woman. Bill B – can you enlighten me more on that?
Night, all.
Four of us went to dinner tonight – there is usually 8 or 9 of us, but several people have already left for the weekend (there are about 12 of us from Dallas on this project).
Jamil’s has not changed ONE IOTA!!! Same food, same restaurant (no updates whatsoever which of course adds to its charm) and even a couple of the same waiters. Ours (an old, black gentleman) has been working there 61 YEARS!!!!! (Okla friends – there was an article about him in the World in August – did anyone see it?)
The food was WONDERFUL!!!! Just as I remember it – tabouli, hummus, ribs and an anti-pasta tray as an appetizer. And the kind of salad I love (Dallas folks – it is just like Campisi salad).
Dad, I had the bologna dinner and had plenty left over so I will bring it home tomorrow night.
Barbara, when you come here to visit we will go there. I predict you will like the steaks. Terry is a steak man and he said his was very good.
The two guys drank Sprite, but Lolly and I each had a glass of cabernet which was very good. Now usually when I have just a glass of wine (as opposed to a bottle), I will ask to see the label. Didn’t do that here though because I’m sure I would have been reprimanded by the waitress (who probably has been working there as long as the waiter). It’s a VERY unpretentious place. She brought the guys a small pitcher of Sprite for refills, but for some reason they thought it was another pitcher of water – even though it had BUBBLES and there was already a larger pitcher of water on the table. When they asked for more, she pointed to the pitcher and said “What do you think that is?” Think Soup Nazi. Lol.
Our conversation tonight was totally about religion – we got started on it when I mentioned the pilgrimage I am going on in February. It was such a stimulating and fascinating conversion – just imagine, two men, two women –a Southern Baptist (me, of course), a Methodist, an Episcopalian, and a Muslim. We shared out beliefs, explained each other’s misconceptions, talked about how each of our faiths deal with current social issues. Johnny, I even worked in a discussion about Mormonism. Agha really believed that Mormons still practice polygamy but and I set him straight on that. I don’t think Lolly, Terry and I learned a whole lot new about our respective religions, but we were all enthralled learning from Agah about Islam. Terry had some interesting perspectives on women in the church – there is a lot of controversy about that in the Methodist church right now. He also pointed out an interesting biblical fact that I did not know. Something about Jesus attending a church led by a woman. Bill B – can you enlighten me more on that?
Night, all.
Oklahoma and New York June 2007 - Miss Belvedere and Coney Island
Hey guys, I just got home from a week in Oklahoma with a little side trip to New York.
I’m sure y’all saw the story about the 1957 Belvedere (it was all over the news) that was buried downtown Tulsa in 1957 and unearthed last week during the state’s centennial celebration.
I was there Friday night for the unveiling. Unfortunately, the car did not come out as good as we had hoped it would. Water had gotten in and it was pretty well rusted and full of holes. Still, it was in one piece and it was really exciting to see it unveiled. Lot of activities going on regarding the centennial, but this was probably the best one. The convention center was packed and everyone had a really good time. The car was moved to one of the exhibit halls after the unveiling to join other antique cars in a show. I went back over Sunday to get a closer look.
Oklahoma has done a really good job celebrating the Centennial. It’s a great time to be a proud Okie.
On Monday, I headed to New York for a couple of days. Primary reason for my visit was to see INHERIT THE WIND starring Brian Dennehy, my A#1 celebrity heart throb. It was an EXCELLENT play – and he, of course, was wonderful. I can’t believe he didn’t get nominated for a TONY. And Christopher Plummer, too, was Tony caliber.
I have a friend, Roberta, who lives in Queens and on Tuesday we went to Coney Island. In the 25 years I have been going to New York, this was my first trip there. It was awesome!!! Coney Island is just like it was in it’s heyday – it hasn’t been turned into a Disneyland like commercialized blight!!! It was a beautiful day to walk along the boardwalk, breathe the wonderful sea air, enjoy an ice cream cone, and just people watch.
We went to the aquarium – which was OK, but nothing to compare to some of the newer, more modern ones like in Atlanta. We rode the WONDER WHEEL – the 87 year old Ferris Wheel in the amusement park. Now, y’all know I love Ferris wheels and carrousels and ride them every chance I get, but this is the first time an operator has asked me if I wanted swinging or non-swinging car. Of course I said swinging which elicited a dirty look from my friend. It was a bit windy that day and boy, the car did swing!!!! But, it was fun.
It’s a good thing we did not get our Nathan’s hot dogs BEFORE riding the wheel, though. And speaking of Nathan’s – it was indeed a good hot dog and well deserving of it’s fame. I was impressed. My favorite is still Chet’s dogs in Muskogee, though (sorry, Chuck).
Now I did something I have never done before in New York. Since it was a short trip and the only thing I was doing in Manhattan was the theatre, I decided to save a few pennies and stay in QUEENS close to the airport and SHEA stadium (I was going to try and go to the game Monday night, but weather delayed my connection in Chicago so I didn’t get there I time).
Anyway, I stayed the first night in a hotel – the people were very nice and I had had good experiences booking the hotel and getting information from them. They got wonderful reviews on TRIPADVISOR. But, I was very uncomfortable there – it is old and dated and I waspractically the only American not to mention the only woman traveling alone there. Clientele appeared to be mainly foreign college kids. I’m sure they were very nice and harmless, but I just didn’t feel good about it and there was a lot of noise and music and running in the hallways. And the subway station was four blocks away. Now, where I usually stay in Manhattan, I have no concerns about walking around after dark, but not knowing Queens very well, I wasn’t too sure about walking four blocks late at night after the theatre.
My friend Roberta lives in QUEENS and she drove us to Coney Island and the bus into the city runs right by her apartment. So I stayed with her the 2nd night. Unfortunately, she has a cat and so by the time I left for home, I was sick and all my clothes smelled of cat urine. Aside from the allergies, her whole apartment smelled of “cat” so I was sick to my stomach most of the time.
So, I have learned my lesson. I will stick with tried and true and stay in Manhattan from now on.
But, I had a WONDERFUL time. Had dinner at a new Italian restaurant in the theatre district before the play and it was very good. The weather was nice and it was good to just be walking around Manhattan. We got caught in a sudden rainstorm waiting for the bus home and got soaked to the bone – no umbrellas, but there had been no indication of rain so neither one of us thought to take one. That happened the last time I went to the theatre with her – several years ago.
Well, I’m home now and ready to get back into the daily grind. Y’all have a great weekend. I am going to Durant tomorrow night to see the OAK RIDGE BOYS and Sunday night to the Myerson to see the Turtle Creek Chorale. Dallas friends – you might want to look into this. They are doing a concert of all their favorite numbers over the years. Here’s an excerpt from the promo. And I believe that Jaston Williams is going to be there doing some Vera Carp skits (you know, from GREATER TUNA).
There will be favorites from the 60's show, Broadway concerts, and even a few operatic excerpts. There will be surprises galore and possible special appearances by Patsy Cline on yet another “Back to Earth” tour, the infamous monks, a tutu or two and perhaps even a Strangerette!
I’m sure y’all saw the story about the 1957 Belvedere (it was all over the news) that was buried downtown Tulsa in 1957 and unearthed last week during the state’s centennial celebration.
I was there Friday night for the unveiling. Unfortunately, the car did not come out as good as we had hoped it would. Water had gotten in and it was pretty well rusted and full of holes. Still, it was in one piece and it was really exciting to see it unveiled. Lot of activities going on regarding the centennial, but this was probably the best one. The convention center was packed and everyone had a really good time. The car was moved to one of the exhibit halls after the unveiling to join other antique cars in a show. I went back over Sunday to get a closer look.
Oklahoma has done a really good job celebrating the Centennial. It’s a great time to be a proud Okie.
On Monday, I headed to New York for a couple of days. Primary reason for my visit was to see INHERIT THE WIND starring Brian Dennehy, my A#1 celebrity heart throb. It was an EXCELLENT play – and he, of course, was wonderful. I can’t believe he didn’t get nominated for a TONY. And Christopher Plummer, too, was Tony caliber.
I have a friend, Roberta, who lives in Queens and on Tuesday we went to Coney Island. In the 25 years I have been going to New York, this was my first trip there. It was awesome!!! Coney Island is just like it was in it’s heyday – it hasn’t been turned into a Disneyland like commercialized blight!!! It was a beautiful day to walk along the boardwalk, breathe the wonderful sea air, enjoy an ice cream cone, and just people watch.
We went to the aquarium – which was OK, but nothing to compare to some of the newer, more modern ones like in Atlanta. We rode the WONDER WHEEL – the 87 year old Ferris Wheel in the amusement park. Now, y’all know I love Ferris wheels and carrousels and ride them every chance I get, but this is the first time an operator has asked me if I wanted swinging or non-swinging car. Of course I said swinging which elicited a dirty look from my friend. It was a bit windy that day and boy, the car did swing!!!! But, it was fun.
It’s a good thing we did not get our Nathan’s hot dogs BEFORE riding the wheel, though. And speaking of Nathan’s – it was indeed a good hot dog and well deserving of it’s fame. I was impressed. My favorite is still Chet’s dogs in Muskogee, though (sorry, Chuck).
Now I did something I have never done before in New York. Since it was a short trip and the only thing I was doing in Manhattan was the theatre, I decided to save a few pennies and stay in QUEENS close to the airport and SHEA stadium (I was going to try and go to the game Monday night, but weather delayed my connection in Chicago so I didn’t get there I time).
Anyway, I stayed the first night in a hotel – the people were very nice and I had had good experiences booking the hotel and getting information from them. They got wonderful reviews on TRIPADVISOR. But, I was very uncomfortable there – it is old and dated and I waspractically the only American not to mention the only woman traveling alone there. Clientele appeared to be mainly foreign college kids. I’m sure they were very nice and harmless, but I just didn’t feel good about it and there was a lot of noise and music and running in the hallways. And the subway station was four blocks away. Now, where I usually stay in Manhattan, I have no concerns about walking around after dark, but not knowing Queens very well, I wasn’t too sure about walking four blocks late at night after the theatre.
My friend Roberta lives in QUEENS and she drove us to Coney Island and the bus into the city runs right by her apartment. So I stayed with her the 2nd night. Unfortunately, she has a cat and so by the time I left for home, I was sick and all my clothes smelled of cat urine. Aside from the allergies, her whole apartment smelled of “cat” so I was sick to my stomach most of the time.
So, I have learned my lesson. I will stick with tried and true and stay in Manhattan from now on.
But, I had a WONDERFUL time. Had dinner at a new Italian restaurant in the theatre district before the play and it was very good. The weather was nice and it was good to just be walking around Manhattan. We got caught in a sudden rainstorm waiting for the bus home and got soaked to the bone – no umbrellas, but there had been no indication of rain so neither one of us thought to take one. That happened the last time I went to the theatre with her – several years ago.
Well, I’m home now and ready to get back into the daily grind. Y’all have a great weekend. I am going to Durant tomorrow night to see the OAK RIDGE BOYS and Sunday night to the Myerson to see the Turtle Creek Chorale. Dallas friends – you might want to look into this. They are doing a concert of all their favorite numbers over the years. Here’s an excerpt from the promo. And I believe that Jaston Williams is going to be there doing some Vera Carp skits (you know, from GREATER TUNA).
There will be favorites from the 60's show, Broadway concerts, and even a few operatic excerpts. There will be surprises galore and possible special appearances by Patsy Cline on yet another “Back to Earth” tour, the infamous monks, a tutu or two and perhaps even a Strangerette!
Tulsa October 2006 - They weren't Fletchers but they weren't bad
Hey guys – went to the Tulsa fair with my sister last night. Corny dogs weren’t Fletchers, but they were pretty good nonetheless. We played some games – won a couple of stuffed animals – and saw the exhibits. I’ve told ya’ll before that my sister is a great person to know in Tulsa – she knows all kinds of people (a realtor who is helping me find a house – the service manager at the Cadillac dealership – and the maintenance manager at the Crowne Plaza where I am staying). She also had a connection to get us into the fair free (including parking)!!! And remember, I told you a few months ago when I was here she introduced me to a great little independent bookstore called Steves. This is a great store – they sell a lot of local authors and we met two of them at the fair last night. Both really nice guys and they had new books out – both mysteries – one set in Tulsa and one in Porter. I’m really eager to read them.
Remember a couple of years ago when I went to Chicago and told you about a great book called THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY which was about the building of the 1879 World’s Fair and America’s first serial killer, JJ Holmes? Well, a local author has written a book specifically about him. She was doing a book signing at Steve’s a few weeks ago and Cyndee got me a copy of the book. It’s next on my list to read.
Another great person to know when you are away from home is a NURSE. My brother and sister-in-law also live here in Tulsa and, as many of you know, Marlene is Director of Nursing at a prestigious retirement center. I have to give myself a weekly injection (that old bugaboo skin condition I have) and the last couple of weeks I have been having trouble getting the medicine into the syringe. Marlene and I had dinner together tonight and she helped me with it. Showed me some little tips that I didn’t know. We were doing this while waiting on our food and when the waitress came to the table to bring salads, I was a little worried – here we were waving around a inch and half long syringe. I quickly told here we were legit and what we were doing, but she assured us she wasn’t concerned.
I can’t tell you how much I am loving being here – being able to go to the fair with my sister and have dinner with my sister-in-law and run over to my parents a couple of times a week. My sister-in-law is such a wonderful person – sweet, kind, VERY pretty – just exactly the kind of person who you would want around looking after you if you were sick.
And Tulsa is such a neat city – I was so young when I lived here before that I just didn’t appreciate it. As you know I am working downtown and the Williams Center building is a modern building, but there are some awesome OLD buildings here – most in the art deco style. Today I had to go to the IBM building – it is spectacular!!! It even has a 13th floor – that tells you how old it is!!! Had lunch down the street at the Tulsa Press Club in the Atlas Life building. I wandered around in it for a while – came across a barber shop - three barbers, no customers at that moment – they were all just sitting back in their chairs. Really great scene – I’ve got to start carrying my camera with me here. There are some great photo ops.
I had forgotten that Tulsa has tunnels underground – not an extensive system – and I don’t think they are used just a whole lot. They were built in the 20s (google Tulsa tunnel system – there is some good stuff on the net). But, supposedly they go from my hotel to the IBM building, so I tried it out after lunch – got hopelessly lost, but will go exploring again when I have more time.
Things are going well at work. Williams has decided not to fill the position they wanted to talk to me about – they are going to restructure and try to absorb the work in other ways. They are still interested in me for the other position, but it is not one I am interested in. This is OK – I’m not really convinced that I want to give up the consulting work. It looks like this project is going to extend a couple of months, anyway, and I’ll be here through the end of the year. By then I can assess whether or not I really want to work for Williams on a permanent basis.
In the meantime, I got a call from Dollar Thrift today – they are headquartered here. Somehow my name had made it’s way to them and they want to talk to me about a position they have. Again, it’s not something I am interested in, BUT at least I’ve made contact with them. So, I’m getting some networking going which is good.
Well, getting close to bedtime. Am staying in town this weekend and will be home again on Friday, the 13th. Hmmmm……driving home on Friday the 13th and working in an office on the 13th floor – good thing I’m not superstitious!!!
Remember a couple of years ago when I went to Chicago and told you about a great book called THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY which was about the building of the 1879 World’s Fair and America’s first serial killer, JJ Holmes? Well, a local author has written a book specifically about him. She was doing a book signing at Steve’s a few weeks ago and Cyndee got me a copy of the book. It’s next on my list to read.
Another great person to know when you are away from home is a NURSE. My brother and sister-in-law also live here in Tulsa and, as many of you know, Marlene is Director of Nursing at a prestigious retirement center. I have to give myself a weekly injection (that old bugaboo skin condition I have) and the last couple of weeks I have been having trouble getting the medicine into the syringe. Marlene and I had dinner together tonight and she helped me with it. Showed me some little tips that I didn’t know. We were doing this while waiting on our food and when the waitress came to the table to bring salads, I was a little worried – here we were waving around a inch and half long syringe. I quickly told here we were legit and what we were doing, but she assured us she wasn’t concerned.
I can’t tell you how much I am loving being here – being able to go to the fair with my sister and have dinner with my sister-in-law and run over to my parents a couple of times a week. My sister-in-law is such a wonderful person – sweet, kind, VERY pretty – just exactly the kind of person who you would want around looking after you if you were sick.
And Tulsa is such a neat city – I was so young when I lived here before that I just didn’t appreciate it. As you know I am working downtown and the Williams Center building is a modern building, but there are some awesome OLD buildings here – most in the art deco style. Today I had to go to the IBM building – it is spectacular!!! It even has a 13th floor – that tells you how old it is!!! Had lunch down the street at the Tulsa Press Club in the Atlas Life building. I wandered around in it for a while – came across a barber shop - three barbers, no customers at that moment – they were all just sitting back in their chairs. Really great scene – I’ve got to start carrying my camera with me here. There are some great photo ops.
I had forgotten that Tulsa has tunnels underground – not an extensive system – and I don’t think they are used just a whole lot. They were built in the 20s (google Tulsa tunnel system – there is some good stuff on the net). But, supposedly they go from my hotel to the IBM building, so I tried it out after lunch – got hopelessly lost, but will go exploring again when I have more time.
Things are going well at work. Williams has decided not to fill the position they wanted to talk to me about – they are going to restructure and try to absorb the work in other ways. They are still interested in me for the other position, but it is not one I am interested in. This is OK – I’m not really convinced that I want to give up the consulting work. It looks like this project is going to extend a couple of months, anyway, and I’ll be here through the end of the year. By then I can assess whether or not I really want to work for Williams on a permanent basis.
In the meantime, I got a call from Dollar Thrift today – they are headquartered here. Somehow my name had made it’s way to them and they want to talk to me about a position they have. Again, it’s not something I am interested in, BUT at least I’ve made contact with them. So, I’m getting some networking going which is good.
Well, getting close to bedtime. Am staying in town this weekend and will be home again on Friday, the 13th. Hmmmm……driving home on Friday the 13th and working in an office on the 13th floor – good thing I’m not superstitious!!!
Tulsa September 2006 - CIty Lights of T Town and Way out in Texas
Hey guys – not much “travelogue” type stuff to write from the last couple of weeks here in T Town, but thought I’d catch you up on what’s been happening.
Several of you know that my mom has been in the hospital, but she is home now and doing well. Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers. I’m glad that I’m working close by – it’s only about a 50 minute drive from Tulsa to Muskogee – so I have been able to spend a lot of time with her.
Last week I had to get some lab work done, so I took the request from my Dallas doc to a lab here in Tulsa. They asked me about payment and I told them they were supposed to bill my doctor. Lab tech #1 said to lab tech #2, “She says we are supposed to bill the doctor, but he is WAY OUT IN TEXAS.” That was last week, so hopefully the Pony Express has gotten the bill to Dallas by now.
Had a little challenge with my car last week- long story short – I took it to Tulsa Cadillac dealer who put on a new water pump. Then I went to Muskogee for the weekend, where the bolts holding the pump on fell off!!! My car is now with the Muskogee Cadillac dealer and hopefully I will get it back tomorrow. Before I knew the Tulsa dealer screwed up my car, I was not impressed with them anyway. If I do get to move back here, I think I will trade cars. About the only thing I have liked about this car is the special treatment I get from the dealer in Dallas. Here, I might as well have been at a Ford dealer.
It wasn’t even the water pump that I took it in for – I think they just said that was wrong because it was easy warranty money. Again, it was nice to be close to home – it’s always good to have your dad around when there are car problems. What it really needed was new tires so Daddy and I hung out at Sears on Saturday getting that taken care of.
Job with client is going fine – they have approached me about a permanent position. I have been talked into this a couple of times before and always regretted it. But, I am going to give this some serious thought. I really want to move back to Tulsa, but don’t know if I can sustain a consulting practice here. Taking a “regular” job may be the only way I can get back here. I had actually almost convinced myself today that it would be the right move and then I got an e-mail from someone asking me if I am available for a three month project in Australia and Europe!!! Told them I can’t do it until I fulfill my commitment here, but if they still want me then, I will probably do it.
Y’all know how much I like staying in downtown hotels – no exception here. As I write this, I am looking out the window of my 14th floor room really enjoying the city lights. I’ve been going out at lunch just wandering around downtown and getting to know the area. There are a lot of empty office buildings and not a whole lot of action, but there are downtown revitalization plans in the works. A new stadium is going up downtown (Dallas, are you listening??? – everybody else, including Tulsa, is doing it).
And another interesting thing that is being considered is putting an island in the middle of the river (Arkansas) with retail and condos. There is already a lot of development around the river. In fact, I am going to take my teammates to a Mexican restaurant over there tomorrow night. We have a weekly dinner together on Wednesdays and they rely on me for advice as to where to go. It’s kind of neat being the “local” tour guide. (Chuck, next week I am taking them to Chets in Muskogee ha ha.)
Well, time for bed. I’m having breakfast with an old boyfriend in the morning – haven’t seen him in 28 years. But, I did send him a current picture and he didn’t break the date. In fact, he said “I’d forgotten how pretty you are.” He always was the charmer, but he also has a short memory. The last words I heard him speak in 1979 were “Just go on to Dallas. I hope I never see you again.”
I’ll be home Thursday night – looking forward to going to the fair on Friday. See some of you over the weekend.
Several of you know that my mom has been in the hospital, but she is home now and doing well. Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers. I’m glad that I’m working close by – it’s only about a 50 minute drive from Tulsa to Muskogee – so I have been able to spend a lot of time with her.
Last week I had to get some lab work done, so I took the request from my Dallas doc to a lab here in Tulsa. They asked me about payment and I told them they were supposed to bill my doctor. Lab tech #1 said to lab tech #2, “She says we are supposed to bill the doctor, but he is WAY OUT IN TEXAS.” That was last week, so hopefully the Pony Express has gotten the bill to Dallas by now.
Had a little challenge with my car last week- long story short – I took it to Tulsa Cadillac dealer who put on a new water pump. Then I went to Muskogee for the weekend, where the bolts holding the pump on fell off!!! My car is now with the Muskogee Cadillac dealer and hopefully I will get it back tomorrow. Before I knew the Tulsa dealer screwed up my car, I was not impressed with them anyway. If I do get to move back here, I think I will trade cars. About the only thing I have liked about this car is the special treatment I get from the dealer in Dallas. Here, I might as well have been at a Ford dealer.
It wasn’t even the water pump that I took it in for – I think they just said that was wrong because it was easy warranty money. Again, it was nice to be close to home – it’s always good to have your dad around when there are car problems. What it really needed was new tires so Daddy and I hung out at Sears on Saturday getting that taken care of.
Job with client is going fine – they have approached me about a permanent position. I have been talked into this a couple of times before and always regretted it. But, I am going to give this some serious thought. I really want to move back to Tulsa, but don’t know if I can sustain a consulting practice here. Taking a “regular” job may be the only way I can get back here. I had actually almost convinced myself today that it would be the right move and then I got an e-mail from someone asking me if I am available for a three month project in Australia and Europe!!! Told them I can’t do it until I fulfill my commitment here, but if they still want me then, I will probably do it.
Y’all know how much I like staying in downtown hotels – no exception here. As I write this, I am looking out the window of my 14th floor room really enjoying the city lights. I’ve been going out at lunch just wandering around downtown and getting to know the area. There are a lot of empty office buildings and not a whole lot of action, but there are downtown revitalization plans in the works. A new stadium is going up downtown (Dallas, are you listening??? – everybody else, including Tulsa, is doing it).
And another interesting thing that is being considered is putting an island in the middle of the river (Arkansas) with retail and condos. There is already a lot of development around the river. In fact, I am going to take my teammates to a Mexican restaurant over there tomorrow night. We have a weekly dinner together on Wednesdays and they rely on me for advice as to where to go. It’s kind of neat being the “local” tour guide. (Chuck, next week I am taking them to Chets in Muskogee ha ha.)
Well, time for bed. I’m having breakfast with an old boyfriend in the morning – haven’t seen him in 28 years. But, I did send him a current picture and he didn’t break the date. In fact, he said “I’d forgotten how pretty you are.” He always was the charmer, but he also has a short memory. The last words I heard him speak in 1979 were “Just go on to Dallas. I hope I never see you again.”
I’ll be home Thursday night – looking forward to going to the fair on Friday. See some of you over the weekend.
Tulsa September 2006 - On Working in Tulsa Again
Well, guys, it surely is good to be working in Tulsa again. I am right in the middle of downtown and even though I have spent a lot of time in Tulsa in recent years, I haven’t really been downtown that much. Even when I worked here 25+ years ago, it was not downtown. John David, do you remember when you were about 4 years old and we were over here – not sure why – but we were in one of the office buildings and you didn’t get off the elevator with me and rode all the way to the top by yourself? You loved it – I was scared to death when I realized the door was closing and you were still inside!!!!
Anyway, I stopped in Muskogee and had dinner with my parents yesterday and then got to the hotel just before dark. Downtown Tulsa doesn’t appear to be going through as much revitalization as many cities are. It was kind of dead – but then it was a Sunday evening. The hotel is right next to the Tulsa Performing Arts Center and the ballet is in season so where was some action there. I had taken my great-nieces there a couple of years ago to see THE NUTCRACKER. Wasn’t impressed with the ballet company at all, but right now they are performing CARMINA BURANA which is one of my favorite ballets, so I will probably see it while I’m here. I believe in giving restaurants, performers, and men at least one second chance.
The hotel (Crowne Plaza) is dated and shabby. I’m not real impressed with it, but am going to stay a few blocks away at the Doubletree next week and will decide which is the better. When I got here last night, they did not have a paper so I actually had to get back in my car and drive a couple of miles to get one. Closest was 15th and Lewis. Those of you who know anything about Tulsa know that is north Tulsa (as is downtown) and not the best of neighborhoods. Kind of like parts of East Dallas (which is where I live so I am not being snobbish when I say it’s not a good part of town). But, I like inner city neighborhoods where there is a lot of character – not like the boring, dull suburbs!!! Driving to get the paper, I was on old Route 66 – Cyndee, I passed a little art deco shopping complex on 11th street – can’t remember the name of it – but it looked interesting – we’ll have to check it out.
I got a couple of blocks away and realized that I had left my cell phone at the hotel. At first that was a bit alarming, but I said to myself, “Self, you are being foolish. You lived the first 45 years of your life without a cell phone – surely you can go 2 miles and 20 minutes without panicking!!!”
The building I’m working in, the Williams Center, is right across the street from the hotel and the tallest building in downtown. It is designed just like the WTC in New York…..and by the same architect. I was telling a friend that the other day and he thought it was a little unnerving to be someplace like that on 9/11. I pooh - poohed that idea, but this morning at the hotel, I was watching the replay of 9/11 on TV and looking out the window across to the building I would be in today and it did seem a little eerie. But all is well – I made it safely through security and up to the 38th floor with no panic attack or anything (not that I would know what a panic attack is like.) I’ve got a beautiful view of the river from my office.
Well, gotta get to bed. This is going to be a “burn the midnight oil” kind of project.
Anyway, I stopped in Muskogee and had dinner with my parents yesterday and then got to the hotel just before dark. Downtown Tulsa doesn’t appear to be going through as much revitalization as many cities are. It was kind of dead – but then it was a Sunday evening. The hotel is right next to the Tulsa Performing Arts Center and the ballet is in season so where was some action there. I had taken my great-nieces there a couple of years ago to see THE NUTCRACKER. Wasn’t impressed with the ballet company at all, but right now they are performing CARMINA BURANA which is one of my favorite ballets, so I will probably see it while I’m here. I believe in giving restaurants, performers, and men at least one second chance.
The hotel (Crowne Plaza) is dated and shabby. I’m not real impressed with it, but am going to stay a few blocks away at the Doubletree next week and will decide which is the better. When I got here last night, they did not have a paper so I actually had to get back in my car and drive a couple of miles to get one. Closest was 15th and Lewis. Those of you who know anything about Tulsa know that is north Tulsa (as is downtown) and not the best of neighborhoods. Kind of like parts of East Dallas (which is where I live so I am not being snobbish when I say it’s not a good part of town). But, I like inner city neighborhoods where there is a lot of character – not like the boring, dull suburbs!!! Driving to get the paper, I was on old Route 66 – Cyndee, I passed a little art deco shopping complex on 11th street – can’t remember the name of it – but it looked interesting – we’ll have to check it out.
I got a couple of blocks away and realized that I had left my cell phone at the hotel. At first that was a bit alarming, but I said to myself, “Self, you are being foolish. You lived the first 45 years of your life without a cell phone – surely you can go 2 miles and 20 minutes without panicking!!!”
The building I’m working in, the Williams Center, is right across the street from the hotel and the tallest building in downtown. It is designed just like the WTC in New York…..and by the same architect. I was telling a friend that the other day and he thought it was a little unnerving to be someplace like that on 9/11. I pooh - poohed that idea, but this morning at the hotel, I was watching the replay of 9/11 on TV and looking out the window across to the building I would be in today and it did seem a little eerie. But all is well – I made it safely through security and up to the 38th floor with no panic attack or anything (not that I would know what a panic attack is like.) I’ve got a beautiful view of the river from my office.
Well, gotta get to bed. This is going to be a “burn the midnight oil” kind of project.
Italy March 2007 - Under the Tuscan Sun
Hey guys. Well I’m finally getting around to my last travelogue for Italy. It’s been an exhausting week since I got home. Even though I am fully recovered from the bronchial infection, I’ve been very tired and have no energy. But, I’m slowly but surely getting back into a normal routine.
Barbara and I left Rome on Monday and headed to Florence via the EUROSTAR. One of the things I like about Europe is train travel. I sure do wish we had it in this country like they do there.
Florence, and all of Tuscany that we saw, was incredibly beautiful!!! While Rome had a more Disneyland atmosphere, Tuscany is elegant, romantic, and magical. Beautiful countryside, wonderful food, excellent wines, enchanting little villages and historic towns. I think I am going to start playing the lottery and as soon as I win, I’m going to buy an Italian villa in the Tuscan countryside.
We stayed in Florence, but about 10 miles out of the city center. (Because I had enough points for a free four-day stay at a Holiday Inn). So, we had to learn the bus system to get around. We did OK with it – always got on the RIGHT bus, but once it was going the wrong way. Strangely enough, we could not find a bus map so had to make do with help from others and our own wits.
Of course, the main reason you go to Florence is for the art. And top on our list, naturally, was Michelangelo’s DAVID. Of course, we have all seen hundreds of pictures of this statue our whole lives, but even so, I was not prepared for the real thing. It is the most magnificent piece of art I have ever seen. I cannot find the words to do it justice. I could have stood there for hours looking at it. Now, get your minds out of the gutter. Of course, there is THAT, but really, it’s insignificant compared to the rest of the statue. Besides, all over Italy there are statues of naked men. Now, the story of DAVID is very interesting. Several other sculptors, including Da Vinci, had attempted to work with the block of stone that was available for it and had given up. Michelangelo, always one to take up a challenge, accepted the commission at the age of 26. The first impression you have is of a colossal naked athlete perfectly formed and proud of face. But, the more you study it, the more you see the more human elements. Every little detail, from the veins in his arms to the toenails to the rippling ribcage is exquisite and so lifelike. What would it be like to have the kind of talent to create something like that?
And, of course, the tourist trade that has built up around DAVID is incredible. There are books, bookmarks, cups, pencils, postcards, everything you can imagine. A friend of mine told me he has a DAVID apron and promised to model it for me. Now that I’ve seen DAVID and seen the aprons hanging in the shops, I am definitely looking forward to this. (Are you listening, WM? I’m going to hold you to that promise.)
The Uffizi Art Museum is in Florence. This is one of the world’s most important museums. We spent a half a day there and saw so many incredible pieces of art, it would be impossible to describe. I would guess that 95% of it is religious in nature. I particularly liked THE VISITATION by Albertinelli and several of the BOticellis and Da Vincis. Now if you had asked me before this trip whether DaVinci or Michelangelo was my favorite, I probably would have said Da Vinci. But, I saw so much great Michelangelo on this trip that I believe I have changed my mind about that. Course, I haven’t been to the Louvre yet.
We took a day trip to Sienna and San Gimigano. Sienna is home of Europe’s greatest medieval square. It is HUGE and is encircled by a ring of medieval palaces. We walked and walked and walked – popping in occasionally to church or a gallery. San Gimigano was my favorite place though. My guidebook says it resembles a medieval Manhattan – and it does. It’s a crop of ancient towers on a beautiful hilltop setting. Lots of crooked little streets to meander through.
Then we went on a wine tour and tasting to an ancient castle. Now I really enjoyed this – the castle was pretty cool though not as much fun as the one in Rome. There is a working vineyard and winery there so we had a tour and tasting. The tour was good – I liked going down in the cellars, but the tasting was so-so. The proprietor was too busy flirting with our tour guide to take time to explain the wines we were tasting. Still, he has won some prestigious awards and I did buy a couple of bottles. Y’all remember I had some wonderful French wines when I was in Belgium last year, but I gotta tell you, the Italian wines are pretty darn good, too.
I have never found my memory card with my Italy pictures which I am just sick about because I had great ones of my niece and her daughter. And, of course, several pictures of Barbara. She has put her pictures on SNAPFISH and I will forward them to some of you later.
I had a wonderful, wonderful time on this trip, guys. It is the best vacation I ever had. I really do want to go back to Jerusalem some day.
Well, now it’s back to my dull old life. But, I do have some good news. My Tulsa client wants me back for another project, so we are negotiating that. Probably will be back there mid to late March for a few months.
And, it’s getting close to BASEBALL time!!! Spring fever is setting in. GO RANGERS!!!!!! THIS WILL BE OUR YEAR!!!
Barbara and I left Rome on Monday and headed to Florence via the EUROSTAR. One of the things I like about Europe is train travel. I sure do wish we had it in this country like they do there.
Florence, and all of Tuscany that we saw, was incredibly beautiful!!! While Rome had a more Disneyland atmosphere, Tuscany is elegant, romantic, and magical. Beautiful countryside, wonderful food, excellent wines, enchanting little villages and historic towns. I think I am going to start playing the lottery and as soon as I win, I’m going to buy an Italian villa in the Tuscan countryside.
We stayed in Florence, but about 10 miles out of the city center. (Because I had enough points for a free four-day stay at a Holiday Inn). So, we had to learn the bus system to get around. We did OK with it – always got on the RIGHT bus, but once it was going the wrong way. Strangely enough, we could not find a bus map so had to make do with help from others and our own wits.
Of course, the main reason you go to Florence is for the art. And top on our list, naturally, was Michelangelo’s DAVID. Of course, we have all seen hundreds of pictures of this statue our whole lives, but even so, I was not prepared for the real thing. It is the most magnificent piece of art I have ever seen. I cannot find the words to do it justice. I could have stood there for hours looking at it. Now, get your minds out of the gutter. Of course, there is THAT, but really, it’s insignificant compared to the rest of the statue. Besides, all over Italy there are statues of naked men. Now, the story of DAVID is very interesting. Several other sculptors, including Da Vinci, had attempted to work with the block of stone that was available for it and had given up. Michelangelo, always one to take up a challenge, accepted the commission at the age of 26. The first impression you have is of a colossal naked athlete perfectly formed and proud of face. But, the more you study it, the more you see the more human elements. Every little detail, from the veins in his arms to the toenails to the rippling ribcage is exquisite and so lifelike. What would it be like to have the kind of talent to create something like that?
And, of course, the tourist trade that has built up around DAVID is incredible. There are books, bookmarks, cups, pencils, postcards, everything you can imagine. A friend of mine told me he has a DAVID apron and promised to model it for me. Now that I’ve seen DAVID and seen the aprons hanging in the shops, I am definitely looking forward to this. (Are you listening, WM? I’m going to hold you to that promise.)
The Uffizi Art Museum is in Florence. This is one of the world’s most important museums. We spent a half a day there and saw so many incredible pieces of art, it would be impossible to describe. I would guess that 95% of it is religious in nature. I particularly liked THE VISITATION by Albertinelli and several of the BOticellis and Da Vincis. Now if you had asked me before this trip whether DaVinci or Michelangelo was my favorite, I probably would have said Da Vinci. But, I saw so much great Michelangelo on this trip that I believe I have changed my mind about that. Course, I haven’t been to the Louvre yet.
We took a day trip to Sienna and San Gimigano. Sienna is home of Europe’s greatest medieval square. It is HUGE and is encircled by a ring of medieval palaces. We walked and walked and walked – popping in occasionally to church or a gallery. San Gimigano was my favorite place though. My guidebook says it resembles a medieval Manhattan – and it does. It’s a crop of ancient towers on a beautiful hilltop setting. Lots of crooked little streets to meander through.
Then we went on a wine tour and tasting to an ancient castle. Now I really enjoyed this – the castle was pretty cool though not as much fun as the one in Rome. There is a working vineyard and winery there so we had a tour and tasting. The tour was good – I liked going down in the cellars, but the tasting was so-so. The proprietor was too busy flirting with our tour guide to take time to explain the wines we were tasting. Still, he has won some prestigious awards and I did buy a couple of bottles. Y’all remember I had some wonderful French wines when I was in Belgium last year, but I gotta tell you, the Italian wines are pretty darn good, too.
I have never found my memory card with my Italy pictures which I am just sick about because I had great ones of my niece and her daughter. And, of course, several pictures of Barbara. She has put her pictures on SNAPFISH and I will forward them to some of you later.
I had a wonderful, wonderful time on this trip, guys. It is the best vacation I ever had. I really do want to go back to Jerusalem some day.
Well, now it’s back to my dull old life. But, I do have some good news. My Tulsa client wants me back for another project, so we are negotiating that. Probably will be back there mid to late March for a few months.
And, it’s getting close to BASEBALL time!!! Spring fever is setting in. GO RANGERS!!!!!! THIS WILL BE OUR YEAR!!!
Italy March 2007 - ROMA ROMA ROMA
Hey guys – Barbara and I arrived safely home last night. It was a long travel day, but with no major challenges. We flew from Rome to London - five hours – changed airports – flight from London to Dallas was ten hours, but plane was not full so it was a comfortable, albeit tiring, trip.
We were in Rome for four days and it rained almost non-stop the first two. BUT, my niece and her daughter met us there and we had a load of fun with them!!!! In spite of the rain, we managed to see quite a bit.
The best part was the SCAVI which is the underground excavation below St. Peters. It is tour that requires connections to get into which we were lucky enough to have compliments of the priest who led our pilgrimage to Israel. (All of the members of that group came to Rome for a few days also). This was an AWESOME tour of the underground crypts (including that of Peter). My 15 year-old great-niece Andrea was particularly thrilled with it as she plans to become an archaeologist.
And the best part about it was that we came up into St. Peter’s cathedral from below rather than thru security at the front door. What an incredible way to see it for the first time!!!! You’re walking along and all of a sudden – there you are – right in the center. This is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. I don’t even know how to describe it. It is so BIG!!! You just stand there in awe of it.
Now, there is not a lot of art work in the cathedral itself. But, there were two things, art wise, that I wanted to see in Rome – the Pieta and the Sistine Chapel. The Pieta is in the Cathedral – I had studied this in an Art History class many years ago at SMU. Pieta is Italian for compassion and refers to any piece of artwork that depicts Mary holding the crucified body of Christ. The one in St. Peter’s is by Michelangelo and is the most well-known. I was a bit disappointed that is was behind glass – that is because several years ago some maniac took a hammer to it!!!! Still, it was amazing to actually stand there and look at it – it was without a doubt my favorite thing in Rome. (Linda, remember the Venus di Milo statue you brought me from Rome several years ago? Well, I bought a similar sized Pieta to set on the opposite end of the table in the hall).
We were going to go on a day trip to Pompeii, but changed plans ‘cause we were afraid we wouldn’t have time to see enough of Rome. Turned out to be a bad decision. The sisters from Brazil went and had a beautiful day while we fought the rain and cold in Rome.
The four of us – Dena, Andrea, Barbara and I – hopped on a tour bus and tried to see more of the city, but it was raining so hard it was a difficult undertaking. Still, we did get to the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish steps. There are many, many fountains in Rome, but the Trevi is without question the most beautiful. If you throw a coin in, you will return to Rome. I did not (more about that later). The Spanish steps are in the Piazza di Spagna which is a beautiful square in the city’s most elegant shopping district. It is a double staircase cascading down the slopes of a hill. We got off the tour bus at the top of the stairs and walked down (not sure how many there are – but I was definitely winded). The views from the top were wonderful. Would love to see it in the spring.
Finally gave up on the tour, but just had a lot of fun hanging out together….grabbing hot chocolates, cappuccinos, and pastries and doing a bit of shopping. Dena has been to Rome before so she kept us from getting hopelessly lost. Andrea is such a beautiful girl – I got several pictures of her around town – she looks like an Italian model!!!!!
We also went to a church that contains the skeletons and loose bones of 4,000 monks. The bones have been used to create chandeliers and other decorative patterns. I thought it was pretty cool, but the others were kind of freaked out by it.
The girls left Sunday morning and took the bad weather with them. It was a beautiful day and Barbara and I spent it in Ancient Rome exploring the Coliseum and the Forum.
On Sunday night, Walter (one of the friends I made on the Pilgrimage) and I went to the Castle Sant’Angelo on the banks of the Tiber right across from St. Peter’s. It dates back to AD 130 when it was a mausoleum. It is circular and we walked all the way to the top, stopping once in a while to revel in the beautiful views of the river, the city, and the Cathedral. There was a street opera going on somewhere and the music drifted up to the castle. I think I told you in an earlier e-mail that Walter is a gifted singer so he sang AVE MARIA along with the music. It was wonderful!!!!
Monday morning Barbara and I went to the Vatican Museums – it was so crowded that it was difficult to really be able to enjoy it. Still, we saw some magnificent art. I guess I had built the Sistine Chapel up too much in my mind and was a bit disappointed. First of all, it is a lot smaller than I thought it would be and we were packed in like sardines so it was difficult to really see. There are benches around the perimeter which were all full and people were elbow to elbow in the center. I finally got a seat at the end with a good vantage point and was able to study the ceiling in more detail. It was just difficult to really get in the right mood with the crowd. My favorite part of the ceiling is THE CREATION OF ADAM. I bought a little painting of the touching fingers. Barbara liked the DELPHIC SIBYL. A sibyl is a pagan prophetess and this one has a really beautiful face. Reminds me of the GIRL WITH THE PEARL EARRING.
I guess I would like to go back to the chapel sometime – if I could ever go when it wasn’t crowded and I could really enjoy studying the art. That will probably never happen, so I bought a book instead!!!! You know me – my world is books. You can learn everything you could possibly want to know from a book.
Now – why do I say I will probably not go back to Rome? In spite of it being February, it was very crowded – I felt like I was at Disneyworld in August!!! The exchange rate on the EURO is horrible right now (about 1.39) and everything is SO expensive. And the Italians are RUDE, RUDE, RUDE!!!! And you have to constantly be on your guard because they will CHEAT you every chance they get. You have to scrutinize every check and if they make a mistake, all of a sudden their English isn’t as good at it was earlier.
BUT – Florence was a different story all together. More on that later.
We were in Rome for four days and it rained almost non-stop the first two. BUT, my niece and her daughter met us there and we had a load of fun with them!!!! In spite of the rain, we managed to see quite a bit.
The best part was the SCAVI which is the underground excavation below St. Peters. It is tour that requires connections to get into which we were lucky enough to have compliments of the priest who led our pilgrimage to Israel. (All of the members of that group came to Rome for a few days also). This was an AWESOME tour of the underground crypts (including that of Peter). My 15 year-old great-niece Andrea was particularly thrilled with it as she plans to become an archaeologist.
And the best part about it was that we came up into St. Peter’s cathedral from below rather than thru security at the front door. What an incredible way to see it for the first time!!!! You’re walking along and all of a sudden – there you are – right in the center. This is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. I don’t even know how to describe it. It is so BIG!!! You just stand there in awe of it.
Now, there is not a lot of art work in the cathedral itself. But, there were two things, art wise, that I wanted to see in Rome – the Pieta and the Sistine Chapel. The Pieta is in the Cathedral – I had studied this in an Art History class many years ago at SMU. Pieta is Italian for compassion and refers to any piece of artwork that depicts Mary holding the crucified body of Christ. The one in St. Peter’s is by Michelangelo and is the most well-known. I was a bit disappointed that is was behind glass – that is because several years ago some maniac took a hammer to it!!!! Still, it was amazing to actually stand there and look at it – it was without a doubt my favorite thing in Rome. (Linda, remember the Venus di Milo statue you brought me from Rome several years ago? Well, I bought a similar sized Pieta to set on the opposite end of the table in the hall).
We were going to go on a day trip to Pompeii, but changed plans ‘cause we were afraid we wouldn’t have time to see enough of Rome. Turned out to be a bad decision. The sisters from Brazil went and had a beautiful day while we fought the rain and cold in Rome.
The four of us – Dena, Andrea, Barbara and I – hopped on a tour bus and tried to see more of the city, but it was raining so hard it was a difficult undertaking. Still, we did get to the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish steps. There are many, many fountains in Rome, but the Trevi is without question the most beautiful. If you throw a coin in, you will return to Rome. I did not (more about that later). The Spanish steps are in the Piazza di Spagna which is a beautiful square in the city’s most elegant shopping district. It is a double staircase cascading down the slopes of a hill. We got off the tour bus at the top of the stairs and walked down (not sure how many there are – but I was definitely winded). The views from the top were wonderful. Would love to see it in the spring.
Finally gave up on the tour, but just had a lot of fun hanging out together….grabbing hot chocolates, cappuccinos, and pastries and doing a bit of shopping. Dena has been to Rome before so she kept us from getting hopelessly lost. Andrea is such a beautiful girl – I got several pictures of her around town – she looks like an Italian model!!!!!
We also went to a church that contains the skeletons and loose bones of 4,000 monks. The bones have been used to create chandeliers and other decorative patterns. I thought it was pretty cool, but the others were kind of freaked out by it.
The girls left Sunday morning and took the bad weather with them. It was a beautiful day and Barbara and I spent it in Ancient Rome exploring the Coliseum and the Forum.
On Sunday night, Walter (one of the friends I made on the Pilgrimage) and I went to the Castle Sant’Angelo on the banks of the Tiber right across from St. Peter’s. It dates back to AD 130 when it was a mausoleum. It is circular and we walked all the way to the top, stopping once in a while to revel in the beautiful views of the river, the city, and the Cathedral. There was a street opera going on somewhere and the music drifted up to the castle. I think I told you in an earlier e-mail that Walter is a gifted singer so he sang AVE MARIA along with the music. It was wonderful!!!!
Monday morning Barbara and I went to the Vatican Museums – it was so crowded that it was difficult to really be able to enjoy it. Still, we saw some magnificent art. I guess I had built the Sistine Chapel up too much in my mind and was a bit disappointed. First of all, it is a lot smaller than I thought it would be and we were packed in like sardines so it was difficult to really see. There are benches around the perimeter which were all full and people were elbow to elbow in the center. I finally got a seat at the end with a good vantage point and was able to study the ceiling in more detail. It was just difficult to really get in the right mood with the crowd. My favorite part of the ceiling is THE CREATION OF ADAM. I bought a little painting of the touching fingers. Barbara liked the DELPHIC SIBYL. A sibyl is a pagan prophetess and this one has a really beautiful face. Reminds me of the GIRL WITH THE PEARL EARRING.
I guess I would like to go back to the chapel sometime – if I could ever go when it wasn’t crowded and I could really enjoy studying the art. That will probably never happen, so I bought a book instead!!!! You know me – my world is books. You can learn everything you could possibly want to know from a book.
Now – why do I say I will probably not go back to Rome? In spite of it being February, it was very crowded – I felt like I was at Disneyworld in August!!! The exchange rate on the EURO is horrible right now (about 1.39) and everything is SO expensive. And the Italians are RUDE, RUDE, RUDE!!!! And you have to constantly be on your guard because they will CHEAT you every chance they get. You have to scrutinize every check and if they make a mistake, all of a sudden their English isn’t as good at it was earlier.
BUT – Florence was a different story all together. More on that later.
Israel February 2007 - Going to the hospital in Jerusalem
After send e-mail this morning, I took a little turn for the worse with the bronchitis and so went to the emergency room at the hospital. What an experience. Barbara was kind enough to go with me - we took at cab. I had blood work, chest X-ray, and saw the doctor twice and we were in there just barely an hour!!!!! He confirmed diagnosis of bronchitis (the non-contagious version so my companions are happy), but gave me a different antibiotic than the one Barbara had brought with her. ALso, gave me some cough medicine. They called us a cab and gave them directions to the pharmacy and hotel. I was in and out of the pharmacy in less than three minutes with the two prescriptions.
AND - the hospital visit INCLUDING xrays and lab work was a grand total of $32!!!!! In case you think I left out some zeroes, let me spell it out - THIRTY TWO DOLLARS!!!!! Can you believe that???? and the two prescriptions total w was $23.
If I had this experience in Dallas, I would have been in the hospital several hours and probably would have had to mortgage my house or sell my first born to pay the bill.
It's just amazing, isn't it? Why do we have complicate things so much in America?
Bill B - I went to St. Joseph - same hospital you went to when you were here.
Well, gotta run. Am feeling much better, but am taking it easy today and staying close to hotel. I really hate missing the museums, but tomorrow will be a long travel day and I don't want to still be sick.
AND - the hospital visit INCLUDING xrays and lab work was a grand total of $32!!!!! In case you think I left out some zeroes, let me spell it out - THIRTY TWO DOLLARS!!!!! Can you believe that???? and the two prescriptions total w was $23.
If I had this experience in Dallas, I would have been in the hospital several hours and probably would have had to mortgage my house or sell my first born to pay the bill.
It's just amazing, isn't it? Why do we have complicate things so much in America?
Bill B - I went to St. Joseph - same hospital you went to when you were here.
Well, gotta run. Am feeling much better, but am taking it easy today and staying close to hotel. I really hate missing the museums, but tomorrow will be a long travel day and I don't want to still be sick.
Israel February 2007 - Wrapping up in Israel
Hi guys - well the last few days have been jam packed. Sunday was a cold and rainy day, but, hearty pilgrims that this bunch is, we ventured forth anyway and had a full day of visiting the shrines. Monday was much, much nicer. Yesterday was cold but bearable. We've seen so much and done so much that I can't keep it all straight - that is primarily because I am also sick with bronchitis. It started after that dip in the Dead Sea and I thought I had just swallowed too much salt water. But, it got worse and I do get this bronchitis every couple of years. Now, I am one lucky person to have a friend such as Barbara - she brought some anti-biotics with her and it is the same thing my doc at home gave me last time. So I am taking them and hopefully will be all better by the time I get to Rome tomorrow. (and exciting news about that - my neice and great-neice are meeting me there. What a special treat that is going to be. Dena has been to ROme several times and knows her way around so we are going to be very lucky).
I will send another mail later today detailing the sites we've seen the last three days - I just need to get to feeling better so I can sort them all out.
The folks I am traveling with are just so wonderful. The Brazilian sisters and the Polish doctor and Barbara and I have developed a close bond and are having fun together as a girls group. Yesterday after the structured part of the tour ended, we spent the afternoon going back to the Wailing Wall (it was raining too hard on Sunday when we were there and Barbara and Maska wanted to make some rubbings). Then we went back to the Arab market and bargained with the shopkeepers and all bought some trinkets. Barbara is very good at bargaining and we all had so much fun. Today we are going museum hopping - at least I hope I can join them - had a bad night but am up early moving around trying to boost my energy.
The only other woman is the group is here with her husband. Nice couple, but she leans a little to the overly pious side and we are getting pretty sick of her.
From a spritual standpoint, I think we have all accomplished our goals or at least made significant progress.
I am trying to become more politically knowledgeable of the situation over here as you just cannot avoid it. But sometimes it is hard keeping all the players straight - there are the Jews, Christians, Arabs, Armenians, Muslims, Palestinians, Israilies. They each own or control different sites and a couple of the shrines are controlled jointly - one group may have the roof, another the sanctuary, etc. Very, very interesting but confusng. The Catholics, of course, are in control of a good percentage as they are with the rest of the world.
Our preist, Father Bob, arrived Monady night and we are glad to have him here. He is a nice person and mucho fun!!!!! Unfortunately, he has not escaped the preaching from our pious one. She thinks she knows more than anyone, but I guess that's the way saints are. He takes it in stride though and just shrugs her off. Last night at dinner, she made a rude and inappropriate comment to Masaka about taking a rubbing of the wall. Barbara really put her in her place though.
Now, guys if you want to come to Jerusalem and are not going to because you think it is not safe, you are so WRONG!!!! We have had no problems whatsoever. I feel safer here than in Dallas. Yes, there are soldiers everywhere with machine guns slung across their backs and there are walls, walls, walls and we have to go through security checkpoints all the time, but you get used to all of that. There were one place we couldn't see on the scheduled day because the Israelis had it closed off - ones of the groups is digging tunnels under another group's area and I guess there was some concern about rioting taking place. We had to skip going to a restaurant our guide wanted to take us do, because of potention rioting. But, that's a way of life here and just isn't that big a deal.
Well, I'm off to breakfast and hopefully a day of museum hoppingn.
I will send another mail later today detailing the sites we've seen the last three days - I just need to get to feeling better so I can sort them all out.
The folks I am traveling with are just so wonderful. The Brazilian sisters and the Polish doctor and Barbara and I have developed a close bond and are having fun together as a girls group. Yesterday after the structured part of the tour ended, we spent the afternoon going back to the Wailing Wall (it was raining too hard on Sunday when we were there and Barbara and Maska wanted to make some rubbings). Then we went back to the Arab market and bargained with the shopkeepers and all bought some trinkets. Barbara is very good at bargaining and we all had so much fun. Today we are going museum hopping - at least I hope I can join them - had a bad night but am up early moving around trying to boost my energy.
The only other woman is the group is here with her husband. Nice couple, but she leans a little to the overly pious side and we are getting pretty sick of her.
From a spritual standpoint, I think we have all accomplished our goals or at least made significant progress.
I am trying to become more politically knowledgeable of the situation over here as you just cannot avoid it. But sometimes it is hard keeping all the players straight - there are the Jews, Christians, Arabs, Armenians, Muslims, Palestinians, Israilies. They each own or control different sites and a couple of the shrines are controlled jointly - one group may have the roof, another the sanctuary, etc. Very, very interesting but confusng. The Catholics, of course, are in control of a good percentage as they are with the rest of the world.
Our preist, Father Bob, arrived Monady night and we are glad to have him here. He is a nice person and mucho fun!!!!! Unfortunately, he has not escaped the preaching from our pious one. She thinks she knows more than anyone, but I guess that's the way saints are. He takes it in stride though and just shrugs her off. Last night at dinner, she made a rude and inappropriate comment to Masaka about taking a rubbing of the wall. Barbara really put her in her place though.
Now, guys if you want to come to Jerusalem and are not going to because you think it is not safe, you are so WRONG!!!! We have had no problems whatsoever. I feel safer here than in Dallas. Yes, there are soldiers everywhere with machine guns slung across their backs and there are walls, walls, walls and we have to go through security checkpoints all the time, but you get used to all of that. There were one place we couldn't see on the scheduled day because the Israelis had it closed off - ones of the groups is digging tunnels under another group's area and I guess there was some concern about rioting taking place. We had to skip going to a restaurant our guide wanted to take us do, because of potention rioting. But, that's a way of life here and just isn't that big a deal.
Well, I'm off to breakfast and hopefully a day of museum hoppingn.
Israel February 2007 - A Jewish Nespaper
If y'all are wondering what I am doing up so early today, it is two reasons. One, I went to bed right after dinner last night 'cause I wasn't feeling so good from that little dip in the Dead Sea (much better today, thank you.)
But, two - I like to read at least one daily newspaper everyday. They have the English version of the Jerasleum Post here , but they have only one copy at the front desk. This is a very spartan hotel - owned by the Vatican, but designed for pilgrims who I guess have their minds on higher things than comfort. But, it is OK - they do have an internet cafe. But, no newstand where you can buy a paper so you have the borrow the front desk copy. I like to get down early so I can get it right away.
It's a good paper - I enjoy it. The front section is all about the war and I am trying to become more knowledgeable about that, but it is hard to keep up with the players - there are fatahs, hamas, jih kawass, abujuhs - so confusing. I feel like Scarlett in GWTH - "WAR WAR WAR!!!!! If anyone says one more thing about war, I'm going into the house and not eat barbecue with anyone." (btw, more on the food here later)
For some reason, the business section is in Hebrew, though. (Trade secrets they don't want us American to know about??? ha ha).
But the editorial section is great!!! Lots of letters to the editor which I like reading. The the paper's editorilas are very good and cover a very wide range of worldwide issues. There was a good one today about the Bush library.
And one with the headline'SUPER THIN NO LONGER IN SAYS FASHION INDUSTRY". Yeah!!!!!
There is a section on headlines from the past. Today it was interesting - the first one was from 65 years ago and it referred to the newspaper as "THE PALESTINIAN POST". The next one was from 25 years ago (after Israel gained statehood) and referred to 'THE JERUSALEM POST" which is what the paper is now called.
There was also an aritcle about the infighting among the Palestians and how it is damaging their image in the international community. Yeah, that and the vendors who accost you on the streets of Behlehem and make a poor American girl cry!!!!
Well, gotta go get ready for breakfast. We have another full day. Hope everyone has a peaceful Sunday.
But, two - I like to read at least one daily newspaper everyday. They have the English version of the Jerasleum Post here , but they have only one copy at the front desk. This is a very spartan hotel - owned by the Vatican, but designed for pilgrims who I guess have their minds on higher things than comfort. But, it is OK - they do have an internet cafe. But, no newstand where you can buy a paper so you have the borrow the front desk copy. I like to get down early so I can get it right away.
It's a good paper - I enjoy it. The front section is all about the war and I am trying to become more knowledgeable about that, but it is hard to keep up with the players - there are fatahs, hamas, jih kawass, abujuhs - so confusing. I feel like Scarlett in GWTH - "WAR WAR WAR!!!!! If anyone says one more thing about war, I'm going into the house and not eat barbecue with anyone." (btw, more on the food here later)
For some reason, the business section is in Hebrew, though. (Trade secrets they don't want us American to know about??? ha ha).
But the editorial section is great!!! Lots of letters to the editor which I like reading. The the paper's editorilas are very good and cover a very wide range of worldwide issues. There was a good one today about the Bush library.
And one with the headline'SUPER THIN NO LONGER IN SAYS FASHION INDUSTRY". Yeah!!!!!
There is a section on headlines from the past. Today it was interesting - the first one was from 65 years ago and it referred to the newspaper as "THE PALESTINIAN POST". The next one was from 25 years ago (after Israel gained statehood) and referred to 'THE JERUSALEM POST" which is what the paper is now called.
There was also an aritcle about the infighting among the Palestians and how it is damaging their image in the international community. Yeah, that and the vendors who accost you on the streets of Behlehem and make a poor American girl cry!!!!
Well, gotta go get ready for breakfast. We have another full day. Hope everyone has a peaceful Sunday.
Israel February 2007 - A Day in the Desert
You guys CANNOT imagine what fun I had today. I'm sure there has to be something illegal about having so much fun.
This is going to be short - have to meet the others in 20 minutes for dinner - they are all at Mass.
The sites we saw were:
The Qumran - that is where the dead sea scrolls were discovered in the late 40s. Now I've read about it but not in a lot of detail. Now I am very eager to do some serious reading though. But, as with everything in this country, there is controversy and conflict about it.
Next - Masada - the site of the mass suicide back I can't remember when. I didn't even know about this - though there was a movie made in the USA. We saw a short film on it before going up to the top of the mountain - it was a kleenex film. There were some breathtaking views and I got some great pics. Again, though, there are two sides to this story - the Jews and the Christians.
And now for the FUN things -
I rode a CAMEL!!!!! Yes - I did. It was so much FUN you just cannot believe. Of course, I've ridden horses before and even an elephant (remember, John David?). But this was something else - he was all decked out in colorful garb, got down on the ground so I could get on - was led by a Bedouin in the traditional dress and missing several teeth!!!
And then - I floated in the Dead Sea. Notice I did not say swim. You cannot swim because the water is way too bouyant. Now this is probably not the smartest thing I have ever done. The water was very choppy today and I had a hard time keeping my balance. I shouldn't have gone out so far. I swallowed a lot of salt water (and this is SALT water - not like the Pacific or Atlantic - this sea has the highest concentration of salt of any sea in the world). It was a workout getting out of that sea - kept stepping in deep mudholes and falling down and getting floated away. It's a good thing I don't have heart trouble, because I would surely be dead the way my heart was beating. And I cannot talk - my throat is nearly closed up from all the water I took in. And I have quite a few cuts and bruises. But, it was FUN FUN FUN anyway and I can truthfully say I have floated in the Dead Sea.
The scenery we saw in the desert today was just incredible. The Sea itself is awesome - it has so many minerals in it - the colors vary in all shades of green.
Oh and we went to Jericho - saw an old oak tree like the one Zacheus climbed. Not a big deal there.
I am sure having trouble getting comfortable going thruough all these checkpoints and all the young men everywhere, not just the checkpoints, with machine guns slung over their shoulders. And there were vendors like the ones who bother me yesterday right outside the bus, so I didn't even get off.
Oh, I forgot to tell y'all about the Mexican priests. There is a group of them here on a spiritual retreat - we keep running in to them everywhere - they are a lot of fun and a couple of them are real hotties. They laugh at us and with us and are just great to be around. We're gonna have a pic made with them tonight.
Gotta run - more later.
This is going to be short - have to meet the others in 20 minutes for dinner - they are all at Mass.
The sites we saw were:
The Qumran - that is where the dead sea scrolls were discovered in the late 40s. Now I've read about it but not in a lot of detail. Now I am very eager to do some serious reading though. But, as with everything in this country, there is controversy and conflict about it.
Next - Masada - the site of the mass suicide back I can't remember when. I didn't even know about this - though there was a movie made in the USA. We saw a short film on it before going up to the top of the mountain - it was a kleenex film. There were some breathtaking views and I got some great pics. Again, though, there are two sides to this story - the Jews and the Christians.
And now for the FUN things -
I rode a CAMEL!!!!! Yes - I did. It was so much FUN you just cannot believe. Of course, I've ridden horses before and even an elephant (remember, John David?). But this was something else - he was all decked out in colorful garb, got down on the ground so I could get on - was led by a Bedouin in the traditional dress and missing several teeth!!!
And then - I floated in the Dead Sea. Notice I did not say swim. You cannot swim because the water is way too bouyant. Now this is probably not the smartest thing I have ever done. The water was very choppy today and I had a hard time keeping my balance. I shouldn't have gone out so far. I swallowed a lot of salt water (and this is SALT water - not like the Pacific or Atlantic - this sea has the highest concentration of salt of any sea in the world). It was a workout getting out of that sea - kept stepping in deep mudholes and falling down and getting floated away. It's a good thing I don't have heart trouble, because I would surely be dead the way my heart was beating. And I cannot talk - my throat is nearly closed up from all the water I took in. And I have quite a few cuts and bruises. But, it was FUN FUN FUN anyway and I can truthfully say I have floated in the Dead Sea.
The scenery we saw in the desert today was just incredible. The Sea itself is awesome - it has so many minerals in it - the colors vary in all shades of green.
Oh and we went to Jericho - saw an old oak tree like the one Zacheus climbed. Not a big deal there.
I am sure having trouble getting comfortable going thruough all these checkpoints and all the young men everywhere, not just the checkpoints, with machine guns slung over their shoulders. And there were vendors like the ones who bother me yesterday right outside the bus, so I didn't even get off.
Oh, I forgot to tell y'all about the Mexican priests. There is a group of them here on a spiritual retreat - we keep running in to them everywhere - they are a lot of fun and a couple of them are real hotties. They laugh at us and with us and are just great to be around. We're gonna have a pic made with them tonight.
Gotta run - more later.
Israel February 2007 - A Day in a War-torn Country
Well,guys today the conflict over here was brought home to me in a big way. But, first the good parts of the day.
We started out by going to the Jordan River - not the part where Jesus was baptized as it is in the occupied area, but still it was beautiful and we enjoyed it. After that we headed up to Mount Tabor where the ascension took place. The shrine there, The Church of the Transfiguration, is incredibly beautiful!!! We enjoyed a wonderful mass in by a really nice priest. He is a Francisan monk and has only been at the parish three months. He just radiated joy at what he was doing and seemed really pleased to have us there and be able to perform mass. He said one thing that really stuck in my mind as it did everyone else's and we talked about it quite a bit at dinner. He said we must "allow God to love us".
After that, we headed toward Jerusalem. Mount Tabor is 1900 feet high and the road was twisting and winding and I got extremely carsick on the way. It got worse on the way back down and continued all the way to Jerusalem. But, we saw some beautiful scenery in the Jordan Valley and then suddenly we were in the Judean wilderness. At that is exactly what it was - a wilderness - very desolate, ugly. We saw Bedouion camps scattered here and there. Passed some shepherds with their herds of sheep and goats. It really was beginning to feel like we were in Biblical times. By now we were in the West Bank. The guide told us that we would go through some security checkpoints and might be asked to show our passports. We stopped for a break and the first thing we saw getting off the bus was several soldiers with their machine guns strapped to their backs. These were just kids!!!!
Things were changing quickly from what we have experienced so far on this trip. I was really beginning to see the evidence of what I have only read and heard about in the news.
I don't know what I was expecting Jerusalem to be like, but I was really not prepared for what I saw. Now keep in mind, this was just the journey into town - we're not really doing any sightseeing yet. But, it all just looks like a big slum!!! And the wall - I don't even know how to describe what that is like and how it made me feel. I really began to realize that we are so sheltered and naive in America - never having had a war at our doorstep. How blessed we are!!!
I believe I told you that our guide is a Palestinian. He has been very vocal about us not shopping until we get to Bethelem. He says they are struggling there and need our money. So, even though we are not touring Bethehem until next week, he took us there today to a store where he wanted us to shop. Said he knew them, they would give us some good deals. Bethlehem is very close to Jerusalem so we headed that way. And what did we encounter? Another wall is being put up there by the Isralies closing the city off. Now I am not a polititcal person and I do not know a lot about the conflict over here - I did try to brush up on it before starting this trip. And with all the talk from our guide and now seeing this wall, my sympathies were with the Palestinians. We went to the store - we all bought quite a bit. I got everything I had decided I wanted to buy here gift-wise and even bought a little jewelry for myself. I thought (and still do) that I made a pretty good deal and I felt good about helping the Palestinians.
Then something happend to change all of that. I finished my shopping before everyone else and head back to the bus. I was immediately accosted by someone outside the store tyring to sell me an agate necklace. I laughed and said no, I just spent $$$ in the store and wasn't going to spend anymore. I thought he was with the store. He told me how poor his family was - he had four children - little food - no money coming in. The necklace was only $8 and I think he saw me weakening because he started pushing harder. I started to back away and he got more forceful. I was trying to get on the bus and he was holding me back and piling more necklaces on me and talking and talking about his family. Walter had stayed on the bus to take a nap and the commotion awoke him so he became my Sir Galahad and got me back on the bus and drove the guy away. By this time, I was crying and very upset. A little bit later everyone else started coming back including our guide, but not Anna. Everyone was concerned about me and Walter told them what happened. By now, the same guy who accosted me and several others were back surrounding the bus tyring to get everyone to buy stuff. We were alarmed for Anna and asked the guide to go in and escort her out. He would not. I was very, very upset about that. Anna did make it back OK and we got out of there. I found out that these guys were not associated with the store and I still do not regret any of my purchases. But, when we go to Bethlehem next week I am going to be on my guard.
And I am questioning our tour guide. Is the situation really as dire as he painted it? Were we really helping the people of Bethlehem by purchasing from them? Did he take us there TODAY because Father BOb was not here and he knew Bob would not let him take us when he gets here next week? Is he getting a kickback? I just don't know. All I know is that I was scared and upset and I don't know where my sympathies lie anymore.
But, Walter made a very good point. We are here in country for a purpose. I am going to proceed with that purpose and I am not going to let their conflict interfere with that.
This is the Holy Lands for crying out loud. If these there major religious faiths can't get their act together, why should I try to help anyone? Let them figure it out.
BUt, we all got past that incident and got to the hotel - had a wonderful dinner (and a couple of bottles of wine). These folks I am touring with are just wonderful!!! We all get along so well and have so much fun and I am learning a lot.
Well, it's been a long, tough day. I'm going to bed. Tomorrow we have a full day of sightseeing.
We started out by going to the Jordan River - not the part where Jesus was baptized as it is in the occupied area, but still it was beautiful and we enjoyed it. After that we headed up to Mount Tabor where the ascension took place. The shrine there, The Church of the Transfiguration, is incredibly beautiful!!! We enjoyed a wonderful mass in by a really nice priest. He is a Francisan monk and has only been at the parish three months. He just radiated joy at what he was doing and seemed really pleased to have us there and be able to perform mass. He said one thing that really stuck in my mind as it did everyone else's and we talked about it quite a bit at dinner. He said we must "allow God to love us".
After that, we headed toward Jerusalem. Mount Tabor is 1900 feet high and the road was twisting and winding and I got extremely carsick on the way. It got worse on the way back down and continued all the way to Jerusalem. But, we saw some beautiful scenery in the Jordan Valley and then suddenly we were in the Judean wilderness. At that is exactly what it was - a wilderness - very desolate, ugly. We saw Bedouion camps scattered here and there. Passed some shepherds with their herds of sheep and goats. It really was beginning to feel like we were in Biblical times. By now we were in the West Bank. The guide told us that we would go through some security checkpoints and might be asked to show our passports. We stopped for a break and the first thing we saw getting off the bus was several soldiers with their machine guns strapped to their backs. These were just kids!!!!
Things were changing quickly from what we have experienced so far on this trip. I was really beginning to see the evidence of what I have only read and heard about in the news.
I don't know what I was expecting Jerusalem to be like, but I was really not prepared for what I saw. Now keep in mind, this was just the journey into town - we're not really doing any sightseeing yet. But, it all just looks like a big slum!!! And the wall - I don't even know how to describe what that is like and how it made me feel. I really began to realize that we are so sheltered and naive in America - never having had a war at our doorstep. How blessed we are!!!
I believe I told you that our guide is a Palestinian. He has been very vocal about us not shopping until we get to Bethelem. He says they are struggling there and need our money. So, even though we are not touring Bethehem until next week, he took us there today to a store where he wanted us to shop. Said he knew them, they would give us some good deals. Bethlehem is very close to Jerusalem so we headed that way. And what did we encounter? Another wall is being put up there by the Isralies closing the city off. Now I am not a polititcal person and I do not know a lot about the conflict over here - I did try to brush up on it before starting this trip. And with all the talk from our guide and now seeing this wall, my sympathies were with the Palestinians. We went to the store - we all bought quite a bit. I got everything I had decided I wanted to buy here gift-wise and even bought a little jewelry for myself. I thought (and still do) that I made a pretty good deal and I felt good about helping the Palestinians.
Then something happend to change all of that. I finished my shopping before everyone else and head back to the bus. I was immediately accosted by someone outside the store tyring to sell me an agate necklace. I laughed and said no, I just spent $$$ in the store and wasn't going to spend anymore. I thought he was with the store. He told me how poor his family was - he had four children - little food - no money coming in. The necklace was only $8 and I think he saw me weakening because he started pushing harder. I started to back away and he got more forceful. I was trying to get on the bus and he was holding me back and piling more necklaces on me and talking and talking about his family. Walter had stayed on the bus to take a nap and the commotion awoke him so he became my Sir Galahad and got me back on the bus and drove the guy away. By this time, I was crying and very upset. A little bit later everyone else started coming back including our guide, but not Anna. Everyone was concerned about me and Walter told them what happened. By now, the same guy who accosted me and several others were back surrounding the bus tyring to get everyone to buy stuff. We were alarmed for Anna and asked the guide to go in and escort her out. He would not. I was very, very upset about that. Anna did make it back OK and we got out of there. I found out that these guys were not associated with the store and I still do not regret any of my purchases. But, when we go to Bethlehem next week I am going to be on my guard.
And I am questioning our tour guide. Is the situation really as dire as he painted it? Were we really helping the people of Bethlehem by purchasing from them? Did he take us there TODAY because Father BOb was not here and he knew Bob would not let him take us when he gets here next week? Is he getting a kickback? I just don't know. All I know is that I was scared and upset and I don't know where my sympathies lie anymore.
But, Walter made a very good point. We are here in country for a purpose. I am going to proceed with that purpose and I am not going to let their conflict interfere with that.
This is the Holy Lands for crying out loud. If these there major religious faiths can't get their act together, why should I try to help anyone? Let them figure it out.
BUt, we all got past that incident and got to the hotel - had a wonderful dinner (and a couple of bottles of wine). These folks I am touring with are just wonderful!!! We all get along so well and have so much fun and I am learning a lot.
Well, it's been a long, tough day. I'm going to bed. Tomorrow we have a full day of sightseeing.
Israel February 2007 - One Land, Three Faiths
what an incredible, incredible time i am having here, guys. excuse the lower case, but i cannot figure out how to do caps on this keyboard. as most of you know i am here on a christian pilgrimmage. my friend barbara is with me. there are eight in our group - we are the only two protestants - the rest are catholic. they all live in houston and five of them have been in a bible study group together for 20 years and are all retired. the priest who is leading this pilgrimmage fell suddenly ill the day before we left and is in the hospital in houston - he will join us on monday. our tour guide is a palestinian catholic who is extremely knowledgable of christian history. we are learning a lot from him. the folks in my group are very nice - they are all highly intelligent - and even fun. they are all very strong in their faith as is my friend barbara. i am quite intimiated by them, but am having a wonderful time. the group consists of -finia and jule - a couple married 55 years - he is an attorney of some renown and she is a teacher. walter - who i find to be the most interesting of the group - he was a new york city policeman for 40 years and has seven sons. he is a widower and when he retired, he moved to houston to be close to grandchildren. he has since gone on to earn four university degrees, become active in local theatres and the art community, and travels extensively. masoko is japanese, but born in brazil. she is a retired research scientist living in houston with her husband. she is travelling with her sister, who still lives in brazil. anna is polish and is a geratic doctor in houston. she is the youngest of the group.i cannot possibly write in an e-mail everything we are doing and seeing, so i am just going to touch on some general kinds of things and highlights. barbara is keeping a more detailed daily journal which she is going to e-mail to her friends and i will forward y'all a copy of that. this is the holy lands - comprised of jews, muslims, and christians of which the christians are in the minority. no matter what your belief is about the divinity of christ, the fact is that he was the founder of christianity - one of the major religions of the world and the one on which our country was founded. it is absolutely fascinating for me to be here and to be going to the places where he lived and died. someone in our group today said this trip puts it all on a human level. and that is so true - that is what i feel going to the holy sites and hearing the stories - all stories that i grew up with in the church - but am learning more about now.
that said, much as i am enjoying visiting the holy sites of christainity, i would like to come back here some other time and visit the jewish and muslim sites. there is much, much more to this land than christianity.now, because we are traveling with a group of catholics, there is a lot of scripture reading, praying, and we attend mass every day. truthfully, i am beginning to tire of that a bit, but i am learning a lot more about catholocism than i knew before and i am enjoing the discussions among the members of the group. at one of the masses, the priest, father jack, also did an annoiting of everyone. barbara and i declined since we are not catholic, but he insisted on annoiting barbara anyway so she acquiesed. our guide had told us earlier that father jack is a healer. after the service, he told us that the reason he insisted on annointing barbara was because she had had a coughing fit when we first went in and had gone outside until it was over. he was concerned for her. amer, our guide, also told us that father jack has a piece of the cross that he carries in his pocket. nobody even questioned him about that because it is just too far-fetched. even our catholic friends i don't think were buying that. today, one of the sites we visited was cana, where jesus performed his first miracle of turning water into wine at a wedding. julie and finis had their wedding vows renewed while we were there. it was a very nice touch. i went to the restroom while there, and the toilet paper is white with red hearts. i haven't really seen many muslims here, but i guess that is primarily because we are seeing the christian holy sites. i have seen a number of the orthodox jews dressed in the long black garments and wearing the sidelocks and of course the jews are the majority of this country. most of the christian sites are run by the franciscan or benedictine orders, so we see lots of monks and nuns. other sites we have seen this week are caesarea, a port city built by king herod, the stella maris church and cave where elijah hid from jezebel. nazareth where jesus grew up. here we saw the basilica of the annunication where mary was told she would be the mother of the jesus. now, keep in mind, the church was not there at the time as were none of the churches i am seeing. they were built later on the site of where these events took place. the most impressive thing to me about the basilica was the paintings of mary that are all throughout the church. more than 50 countries donated a painting of the mary they worhip. for example, mexico's is our lady of guadalupe. the one from the us is not a painting, but a metal sculpture. an interesting fact about nazareth is that no jews live there. we went to mount of beatitudes where jesus preached his most famous sermon and then to the church of the muliplcation, the shrine commenorating the miracle of the fishes and loaves. here we also saw an olive tree and olive press and got a demonstraton of the making of olive oil. today we saw a ship that was discovered in 1980 that dates back to the time of christ. it was buried in the mud and brought up and restored. fascinating story. tomorrow we head for the jordan river and jerusalem. will write more in a few days. oh - one more thing. yesterday afternoon, barbara and anna and i walked into tiberius - our hotel is just at the edge of town. we had a nice walk along the boardwalk of the sea of galilee and stopped for some refereshment. it was so beautiful and pleasant. i have not felt any fear here at all - everyone is so nice. but, when we did decide to head back to the hotel when it starting getting dark - after all, we are in the middle east. and speakign of the sea of galillee - my hotel is right on the banks - we have a beautiful view and saw a wonderful sunrise yesterday. and also, we went for a boat ride on the sea and then had st. peter's fish for lunch. don't ask me what st. peter's fish is - i do not know - just some kind of whitefish. we have been having lunch at kibbutzes - jewish communes. guys - just reading back through this - i realize it is not very well written and kind of scattered. there is just so much in my head i want to tell you, and i cannot possibly say it all. and not being able to use the caps key is really confusing. more later.
that said, much as i am enjoying visiting the holy sites of christainity, i would like to come back here some other time and visit the jewish and muslim sites. there is much, much more to this land than christianity.now, because we are traveling with a group of catholics, there is a lot of scripture reading, praying, and we attend mass every day. truthfully, i am beginning to tire of that a bit, but i am learning a lot more about catholocism than i knew before and i am enjoing the discussions among the members of the group. at one of the masses, the priest, father jack, also did an annoiting of everyone. barbara and i declined since we are not catholic, but he insisted on annoiting barbara anyway so she acquiesed. our guide had told us earlier that father jack is a healer. after the service, he told us that the reason he insisted on annointing barbara was because she had had a coughing fit when we first went in and had gone outside until it was over. he was concerned for her. amer, our guide, also told us that father jack has a piece of the cross that he carries in his pocket. nobody even questioned him about that because it is just too far-fetched. even our catholic friends i don't think were buying that. today, one of the sites we visited was cana, where jesus performed his first miracle of turning water into wine at a wedding. julie and finis had their wedding vows renewed while we were there. it was a very nice touch. i went to the restroom while there, and the toilet paper is white with red hearts. i haven't really seen many muslims here, but i guess that is primarily because we are seeing the christian holy sites. i have seen a number of the orthodox jews dressed in the long black garments and wearing the sidelocks and of course the jews are the majority of this country. most of the christian sites are run by the franciscan or benedictine orders, so we see lots of monks and nuns. other sites we have seen this week are caesarea, a port city built by king herod, the stella maris church and cave where elijah hid from jezebel. nazareth where jesus grew up. here we saw the basilica of the annunication where mary was told she would be the mother of the jesus. now, keep in mind, the church was not there at the time as were none of the churches i am seeing. they were built later on the site of where these events took place. the most impressive thing to me about the basilica was the paintings of mary that are all throughout the church. more than 50 countries donated a painting of the mary they worhip. for example, mexico's is our lady of guadalupe. the one from the us is not a painting, but a metal sculpture. an interesting fact about nazareth is that no jews live there. we went to mount of beatitudes where jesus preached his most famous sermon and then to the church of the muliplcation, the shrine commenorating the miracle of the fishes and loaves. here we also saw an olive tree and olive press and got a demonstraton of the making of olive oil. today we saw a ship that was discovered in 1980 that dates back to the time of christ. it was buried in the mud and brought up and restored. fascinating story. tomorrow we head for the jordan river and jerusalem. will write more in a few days. oh - one more thing. yesterday afternoon, barbara and anna and i walked into tiberius - our hotel is just at the edge of town. we had a nice walk along the boardwalk of the sea of galilee and stopped for some refereshment. it was so beautiful and pleasant. i have not felt any fear here at all - everyone is so nice. but, when we did decide to head back to the hotel when it starting getting dark - after all, we are in the middle east. and speakign of the sea of galillee - my hotel is right on the banks - we have a beautiful view and saw a wonderful sunrise yesterday. and also, we went for a boat ride on the sea and then had st. peter's fish for lunch. don't ask me what st. peter's fish is - i do not know - just some kind of whitefish. we have been having lunch at kibbutzes - jewish communes. guys - just reading back through this - i realize it is not very well written and kind of scattered. there is just so much in my head i want to tell you, and i cannot possibly say it all. and not being able to use the caps key is really confusing. more later.
Israel February 2007 - An Enchanting Evening
As you can see I figured out the caps key.
Just wanted to share with you the wonderful evening we had tonight. We all dine together every night - well, actually we have all our meals together. Earlier in the day today we decided that every night at dinner we would share with each other the highlight of the day. What a great idea that turned out to be!!!!! It was really wonderful hearing what everyone else had to say and hearing each other's perspective. For the most part, we all get along great. Catholics aren't as stuffy as I thought - we laugh together quite a bit. And, or course, the wine helps. Those Catholics, they are drinkers!!! And, of course, Barbara and I do NOT want to offend them by not drinking with them!!!
On the way back to the room, Walter and I stopped at the front desk to ask them something and there was a woman there who was leading a tour group. She asked us who we were and when we said we were from Texas and on a pilgrimmage, she said you must be the Catholic group. Walter answered yes and she looked at my glass of wine (Walter did not have one) and said, "Well, I can tell you are not Baptist". I laughed and told her there are two Baptists in the group and that I am one of them, but was just being sociable.
The real highlight of the night was that we had a "wedding reception" for the couple who renewed their vows today. I think I told you before that Walter is a singer (btw, I said in earlier mail that the couple was Walter and Julie - typo on my part - his name is Finis - Walter is the retired NYC policeman).
Anyway, at the "reception", he gave a little talk about Broadway and various musicals and sang a couple of songs from GUYS AND DOLLS. He has a wonderful voice!!! What a treat to hear him sing throughout the day.
What a wonderful evening!!!!! Oh, and speaking of wine, at all of the holy sites (which are owned by the Catholics), you can buy wine and beer!!!! That is SO weird!!!!
Well, off to bed. Early morning trip to Mt. Tabor, the river Jordan, and Jerusalem.
Just wanted to share with you the wonderful evening we had tonight. We all dine together every night - well, actually we have all our meals together. Earlier in the day today we decided that every night at dinner we would share with each other the highlight of the day. What a great idea that turned out to be!!!!! It was really wonderful hearing what everyone else had to say and hearing each other's perspective. For the most part, we all get along great. Catholics aren't as stuffy as I thought - we laugh together quite a bit. And, or course, the wine helps. Those Catholics, they are drinkers!!! And, of course, Barbara and I do NOT want to offend them by not drinking with them!!!
On the way back to the room, Walter and I stopped at the front desk to ask them something and there was a woman there who was leading a tour group. She asked us who we were and when we said we were from Texas and on a pilgrimmage, she said you must be the Catholic group. Walter answered yes and she looked at my glass of wine (Walter did not have one) and said, "Well, I can tell you are not Baptist". I laughed and told her there are two Baptists in the group and that I am one of them, but was just being sociable.
The real highlight of the night was that we had a "wedding reception" for the couple who renewed their vows today. I think I told you before that Walter is a singer (btw, I said in earlier mail that the couple was Walter and Julie - typo on my part - his name is Finis - Walter is the retired NYC policeman).
Anyway, at the "reception", he gave a little talk about Broadway and various musicals and sang a couple of songs from GUYS AND DOLLS. He has a wonderful voice!!! What a treat to hear him sing throughout the day.
What a wonderful evening!!!!! Oh, and speaking of wine, at all of the holy sites (which are owned by the Catholics), you can buy wine and beer!!!! That is SO weird!!!!
Well, off to bed. Early morning trip to Mt. Tabor, the river Jordan, and Jerusalem.
Israel January 2007 - Just a quick note
to let everyone know we arrived safely.
no time to write detailed travelogues right now but internet acces is prevalent so will be able to write as we go along.
Just let me say right now though that this is going to be a WONDERFUL trip - probably best
i have ever ever ever had. you just cannot imagine what it is like over here - the religion, the politices, the people \i am traveling with \sorry about the \ - got to figure out this foreign keyboard\)
onight we are in hotel right on the Sea of Galliee - beautiful beautiful veiw from our room.
Well, gotta get to bed - jet lag is setting in and we had a couple of bottles of wine at dinner.
More later.
BTW - some challenges iwth cell phone, but will get it ifugred out.
Love to all.
no time to write detailed travelogues right now but internet acces is prevalent so will be able to write as we go along.
Just let me say right now though that this is going to be a WONDERFUL trip - probably best
i have ever ever ever had. you just cannot imagine what it is like over here - the religion, the politices, the people \i am traveling with \sorry about the \ - got to figure out this foreign keyboard\)
onight we are in hotel right on the Sea of Galliee - beautiful beautiful veiw from our room.
Well, gotta get to bed - jet lag is setting in and we had a couple of bottles of wine at dinner.
More later.
BTW - some challenges iwth cell phone, but will get it ifugred out.
Love to all.
Vancouver May 2005 - Dim Sum and Not so Canadian Bacon
I like Chinese food and eat it at least as often as I eat Mexican. But I do not like Canadian Chinese food. I see restaurants here all over the place advertising “Dim Sum” but didn’t know what it was. The Project Manager took the team to lunch yesterday at a Chinese restaurant where we had it. It’s kind of like the English high tea – basically a series of appetizers served family style. Very small portions (thank God!!!!). There was only one thing I kind of sort of liked even though there was a lot of pork and seafood (but the shrimp wasn’t COOKED). They just had a way of fixing everything that was totally disgusting. I noticed that the Australian member of our team wasn’t looking too thrilled either and we talked today and she was of the same opinion as me (said that chicken fried steak I described to her the other day was sounding might good about halfway through lunch). The last course before dessert was breaded and fried CHICKEN FEET!!!!! I have to tell you that I thought I was going to throw up just watching the two Canadians eat them (the other three of us just couldn’t do it). It’s mainly all gristle and bone and you suck the gristle off the bone and spit the bones out. Dessert was egg custard tart – how could you go wrong with that?? Well, you could – the custard appeared to be all YOLK!!!!! Thank God, it was very tiny – I just held my breath and swallowed it.
Tonight I got back to hotel and decided I just couldn’t take another night of salad, cereal, canned tuna or popcorn so I called down the street and ordered pizza and wings. (I had bought some groceries last week but the kitchen isn’t well equipped and the oven doesn’t work very well and when I’ve tried to cook, I’ve always seem to be missing something – so I just gave up).
I ordered Canadian bacon pizza (that and hamburger are the only kind I ever eat) and hot wings (because they didn’t have mild). Went to pick it up and on way back I thought the wings certainly had a pungent odor. Opened up the pizza when I got back – the bacon was not AMERICAN Canadian bacon – it was just big chunks of brown PIG and VERY PUNGENT. Now, I like pork and eat it often and I know it comes from pigs. But, this is the first time I ever KNEW when I bit into it that it was a PIG. It was just like, OH MY GOD – this is a PIG!!!!! I had just had a salad for lunch so nothing to come up but I was a good 15 minutes with the dry heaves. So thought, well let me try the wings – opened up the box – they were very tiny and skinny – all I could think of was those damn chicken feet!!!! It’s all sitting outside in the hall now and I can STILL smell it.
Food has not been good to me here – and it’s surprising – I love seafood and thought I would be in heaven here, but just haven’t had that good of luck. Oh well, I know there are some really good restaurants here – wish I had more time to really scout them out.
Tonight I got back to hotel and decided I just couldn’t take another night of salad, cereal, canned tuna or popcorn so I called down the street and ordered pizza and wings. (I had bought some groceries last week but the kitchen isn’t well equipped and the oven doesn’t work very well and when I’ve tried to cook, I’ve always seem to be missing something – so I just gave up).
I ordered Canadian bacon pizza (that and hamburger are the only kind I ever eat) and hot wings (because they didn’t have mild). Went to pick it up and on way back I thought the wings certainly had a pungent odor. Opened up the pizza when I got back – the bacon was not AMERICAN Canadian bacon – it was just big chunks of brown PIG and VERY PUNGENT. Now, I like pork and eat it often and I know it comes from pigs. But, this is the first time I ever KNEW when I bit into it that it was a PIG. It was just like, OH MY GOD – this is a PIG!!!!! I had just had a salad for lunch so nothing to come up but I was a good 15 minutes with the dry heaves. So thought, well let me try the wings – opened up the box – they were very tiny and skinny – all I could think of was those damn chicken feet!!!! It’s all sitting outside in the hall now and I can STILL smell it.
Food has not been good to me here – and it’s surprising – I love seafood and thought I would be in heaven here, but just haven’t had that good of luck. Oh well, I know there are some really good restaurants here – wish I had more time to really scout them out.
Vancouver May 2005 - Weekend in Victoria
What can I say but WOW!!! This was one of my most enjoyable weekends ever!!!! The weather was beautiful – had an excellent tour guide who knew a lot about the history of BC – found some great books – and saw WHALES!!!! I know some of you have been to Victoria and told me how wonderful it is and you were so RIGHT!!!
Ended up booking a package tour with Grayline. They picked me up at hotel Saturday morning in VC – took me via ferry to Victoria, stopping for 1 ½ hour at Butchart Gardens, dropped me at hotel in Victoria and then on Sunday the whale watching expedition and the return to Vancouver via seaplane was all part of the package.
Now, I have been on a number of ferries in New York and Europe – even drove my car onto one in Louisiana – but I have never been on one like this!!! It wasn’t what I think of as a ferry – it was a SHIP!! In addition to foot traffic and bicycles, it holds 500 cars and I don’t know how many tour buses – I counted at least 20 – and two semis. It is 7 decks high and it was really just like being in a building – I didn’t even go up to the top deck to go outside – way too crowded.
Butchart Gardens were beautiful, of course. But, you know, the Dallas Arboretum and the Azalea Gardens in Muskogee are just as beautiful. Still it was a nice diversion after being on the bus and ferry for two hours.
Got to my hotel about 4:00 and started exploring the city. Unfortunately, because it is so slow and laid back there, all the museums and galleries were closing by 5 or 6. So, I just walked for a couple of hours exploring and taking pictures. There was a bookstore I had read about, Munros, that I was eager to check out and did get there before it closed. I had already built it up in my mind so that I was expecting it to replace CITY LIGHTS (San Francisco) in my heart. ‘Fraid not, though. It was a great store, but what made it great was not the books per se, but the building itself. There is some fabulous architecture in Victoria and this is one example. I did buy three books – one on the castles of Victoria, another of ghost stories of British Columbia, and one on the Dunsmuirs – one of the founding families of Victoria. Dunsmuir is a Scottish name – I was surprised to see quite a bit of Scottish and some Irish influence there. And the story of the Dunsmuirs rivals the Kennedy saga any day!!!!
Headed back to the hotel about dark – rested for about an hour – opted against venturing out to dinner and just ate there instead. I’m glad I did – they had a fabulous seafood chowder!!! After dinner I was going to walk down to the harbor – about 4 blocks – started that way, but had second thoughts. Guess I’m just not as gutsy about wandering around an unfamiliar city after dark as I used to be. But, next to the hotel there was a pub with a live band – playing really great music from the 60s and 70s – didn’t even have to go in – just sat on a bench outside listening and watching the young people inside dancing. It was below street level so it was kind of neat to watch. (One nice thing about both Victoria and Vancouver is that there are benches EVERYWHERE).
Sunday morning, first stop was the Royal British Columbia Museum. This is probably the BEST museum I have ever been in (well, that shipwreck one Mom and Dad and I went to in KC was pretty good, too ). First thing when you walk in the door is John Lennon’s Rolls Royce – the one he had painted in psychedelic colors and patterns which created such a controversy. There are several floors and different exhibits, but the best is the floor about the FIRST NATIONS (the Indians who were the first inhabitants of Canada). It was awesome with original totem poles, burial masks, and a HUGE lodge. There is a natural history gallery with dioramas of a seacoast, rainforest, etc.
Walked around downtown some more looking at the parliament buildings – some really fabulous architecture in this city!!!!! Victoria was first a trading post and then a gold rush town and a naval base. It is the capital of British Columbia, but in a lot of way it’s just a sleepy little provincial town. I had heard it is very British, but I didn’t really get that sense. It’s very touristy, of course but not overbearingly so like a lot of places. If you take away the Pacific Ocean, the architecture and the RBC museum, then you’ve got a town similar to Hot Springs or Estes Park.
Oh, and the Empress Hotel – absolutely gorgeous!!!! Frommer’s says they ought to charge for the view. Built in 1908 right on the harbor – the definition of opulence. (If I hadn’t fallen down on the job in planning this weekend, I would have known that there was a jazz band playing in the lounge Saturday and could have gone over there.) Darn, darn, darn!!!!! http://www.fairmont.com/FA/en/CDA/Home/Hotels/AboutHotel/CDHotelHomePage/0,2993,property%25255Fseq%253D100128,00.html
Next I scooted over to Craigdarroch Castle – http://www.craigdarrochcastle.com/ - built by the aforementioned Dunsmuirs – it is STUNNING!!!! Four stories, 39 rooms, 87 stairs to the top where there is a spectacular view of the city. And the furnishings!!!! Just what you would expect in a Victorian home – beautiful carpets – stained glass windows – paintings – sculptures, but yet from the OUTSIDE – there is no mistaking that it is a Scottish castle. And the interesting thing about it is that it is not outside of town like I expected – its right in the middle of a residential area just a few blocks from downtown. There were a number of castles built in Victoria in late 1800s and early 1900s. Not all are still standing, but the book I bought on castles was very interesting. One of the side stories was about Carey Castle – the youngest daughter (yes, daughter) was a longtime lover of Tallulah Bankhead.
After the castle, I headed back over to the pub from the night before for a lunch of fish and chips. Then, the crowning point of the whole weekend. WHALE WATCHING!!!! It was GREAT!!!! The day was beautiful – and while they tell you they can’t guarantee that you will see a whale (after all, it isn’t Sea World – it’s the Pacific Ocean), they said it was the perfect day for it. And boy, was it. We saw TWENTY-THREE!!!! And it was awesome – it was a whole family – from a 94 year old grandmother to a cub born last November. The amazing thing is that the captains of the boats know them all my name and can tell them apart - something to do with their fins. I took a lot of pictures, but it wasn’t easy. Soon as you set your camera down, here comes one and you miss it. And then, of course, you get so busy trying to get pictures that you don’t really enjoy seeing them. They were just going in and out of the water (respirating is what it is called) – sometime more than one – and we saw one chasing salmon (they eat about 300 POUNDS a day and prefer the King Salmon). Once, several came out at once – it was awesome. And then the mother was bouncing the baby on her nose!!!!! There were about 15 different whale watching crafts out there – and all the captains talked to each other telling them where they were – so here we all were going round and round to get a good look – it was cool. Of course, there are rules – the boats have to stay a certain distance away from the whales – in 25 years of whale watching in that area a boat has never hit a whale. We were about a hundred yards from them. If you want to see the boat I was on, click on this link http://www.5starwhales.com/cruisers.html - it’s the BLACKFIN on the right. And, yes, I had to wear one of those big orange suits.
After getting back to Victoria, I had about an hour to grab some dinner and catch my flight back to Vancouver on the seaplane. If you’ve never been on a seaplane, think American Eagle, but half the size or maybe even smaller. It was kind of nice, though, because the sun was just beginning to set so it was very pretty. But it’s kind of strange to look at the window and see someone UNTYING the plane and then to taxi along the water. I thought landing would be strange, but it really didn’t feel that much different than a regular plane.
Well, that’s all for now. I want to go back to Victoria sometime – see some more museums and castles and there is a cemetery I read about but didn’t have time to see. Here are a couple of pictures – will send more later.
For those of you who don’t know, I will not be coming back to Vancouver. My client is postponing the second part of this project. So, I am going to take a few weeks to catch up on some other work and then go see John David in Virginia (he is stationed at Ft. Lee) before I start my next project.
Ended up booking a package tour with Grayline. They picked me up at hotel Saturday morning in VC – took me via ferry to Victoria, stopping for 1 ½ hour at Butchart Gardens, dropped me at hotel in Victoria and then on Sunday the whale watching expedition and the return to Vancouver via seaplane was all part of the package.
Now, I have been on a number of ferries in New York and Europe – even drove my car onto one in Louisiana – but I have never been on one like this!!! It wasn’t what I think of as a ferry – it was a SHIP!! In addition to foot traffic and bicycles, it holds 500 cars and I don’t know how many tour buses – I counted at least 20 – and two semis. It is 7 decks high and it was really just like being in a building – I didn’t even go up to the top deck to go outside – way too crowded.
Butchart Gardens were beautiful, of course. But, you know, the Dallas Arboretum and the Azalea Gardens in Muskogee are just as beautiful. Still it was a nice diversion after being on the bus and ferry for two hours.
Got to my hotel about 4:00 and started exploring the city. Unfortunately, because it is so slow and laid back there, all the museums and galleries were closing by 5 or 6. So, I just walked for a couple of hours exploring and taking pictures. There was a bookstore I had read about, Munros, that I was eager to check out and did get there before it closed. I had already built it up in my mind so that I was expecting it to replace CITY LIGHTS (San Francisco) in my heart. ‘Fraid not, though. It was a great store, but what made it great was not the books per se, but the building itself. There is some fabulous architecture in Victoria and this is one example. I did buy three books – one on the castles of Victoria, another of ghost stories of British Columbia, and one on the Dunsmuirs – one of the founding families of Victoria. Dunsmuir is a Scottish name – I was surprised to see quite a bit of Scottish and some Irish influence there. And the story of the Dunsmuirs rivals the Kennedy saga any day!!!!
Headed back to the hotel about dark – rested for about an hour – opted against venturing out to dinner and just ate there instead. I’m glad I did – they had a fabulous seafood chowder!!! After dinner I was going to walk down to the harbor – about 4 blocks – started that way, but had second thoughts. Guess I’m just not as gutsy about wandering around an unfamiliar city after dark as I used to be. But, next to the hotel there was a pub with a live band – playing really great music from the 60s and 70s – didn’t even have to go in – just sat on a bench outside listening and watching the young people inside dancing. It was below street level so it was kind of neat to watch. (One nice thing about both Victoria and Vancouver is that there are benches EVERYWHERE).
Sunday morning, first stop was the Royal British Columbia Museum. This is probably the BEST museum I have ever been in (well, that shipwreck one Mom and Dad and I went to in KC was pretty good, too ). First thing when you walk in the door is John Lennon’s Rolls Royce – the one he had painted in psychedelic colors and patterns which created such a controversy. There are several floors and different exhibits, but the best is the floor about the FIRST NATIONS (the Indians who were the first inhabitants of Canada). It was awesome with original totem poles, burial masks, and a HUGE lodge. There is a natural history gallery with dioramas of a seacoast, rainforest, etc.
Walked around downtown some more looking at the parliament buildings – some really fabulous architecture in this city!!!!! Victoria was first a trading post and then a gold rush town and a naval base. It is the capital of British Columbia, but in a lot of way it’s just a sleepy little provincial town. I had heard it is very British, but I didn’t really get that sense. It’s very touristy, of course but not overbearingly so like a lot of places. If you take away the Pacific Ocean, the architecture and the RBC museum, then you’ve got a town similar to Hot Springs or Estes Park.
Oh, and the Empress Hotel – absolutely gorgeous!!!! Frommer’s says they ought to charge for the view. Built in 1908 right on the harbor – the definition of opulence. (If I hadn’t fallen down on the job in planning this weekend, I would have known that there was a jazz band playing in the lounge Saturday and could have gone over there.) Darn, darn, darn!!!!! http://www.fairmont.com/FA/en/CDA/Home/Hotels/AboutHotel/CDHotelHomePage/0,2993,property%25255Fseq%253D100128,00.html
Next I scooted over to Craigdarroch Castle – http://www.craigdarrochcastle.com/ - built by the aforementioned Dunsmuirs – it is STUNNING!!!! Four stories, 39 rooms, 87 stairs to the top where there is a spectacular view of the city. And the furnishings!!!! Just what you would expect in a Victorian home – beautiful carpets – stained glass windows – paintings – sculptures, but yet from the OUTSIDE – there is no mistaking that it is a Scottish castle. And the interesting thing about it is that it is not outside of town like I expected – its right in the middle of a residential area just a few blocks from downtown. There were a number of castles built in Victoria in late 1800s and early 1900s. Not all are still standing, but the book I bought on castles was very interesting. One of the side stories was about Carey Castle – the youngest daughter (yes, daughter) was a longtime lover of Tallulah Bankhead.
After the castle, I headed back over to the pub from the night before for a lunch of fish and chips. Then, the crowning point of the whole weekend. WHALE WATCHING!!!! It was GREAT!!!! The day was beautiful – and while they tell you they can’t guarantee that you will see a whale (after all, it isn’t Sea World – it’s the Pacific Ocean), they said it was the perfect day for it. And boy, was it. We saw TWENTY-THREE!!!! And it was awesome – it was a whole family – from a 94 year old grandmother to a cub born last November. The amazing thing is that the captains of the boats know them all my name and can tell them apart - something to do with their fins. I took a lot of pictures, but it wasn’t easy. Soon as you set your camera down, here comes one and you miss it. And then, of course, you get so busy trying to get pictures that you don’t really enjoy seeing them. They were just going in and out of the water (respirating is what it is called) – sometime more than one – and we saw one chasing salmon (they eat about 300 POUNDS a day and prefer the King Salmon). Once, several came out at once – it was awesome. And then the mother was bouncing the baby on her nose!!!!! There were about 15 different whale watching crafts out there – and all the captains talked to each other telling them where they were – so here we all were going round and round to get a good look – it was cool. Of course, there are rules – the boats have to stay a certain distance away from the whales – in 25 years of whale watching in that area a boat has never hit a whale. We were about a hundred yards from them. If you want to see the boat I was on, click on this link http://www.5starwhales.com/cruisers.html - it’s the BLACKFIN on the right. And, yes, I had to wear one of those big orange suits.
After getting back to Victoria, I had about an hour to grab some dinner and catch my flight back to Vancouver on the seaplane. If you’ve never been on a seaplane, think American Eagle, but half the size or maybe even smaller. It was kind of nice, though, because the sun was just beginning to set so it was very pretty. But it’s kind of strange to look at the window and see someone UNTYING the plane and then to taxi along the water. I thought landing would be strange, but it really didn’t feel that much different than a regular plane.
Well, that’s all for now. I want to go back to Victoria sometime – see some more museums and castles and there is a cemetery I read about but didn’t have time to see. Here are a couple of pictures – will send more later.
For those of you who don’t know, I will not be coming back to Vancouver. My client is postponing the second part of this project. So, I am going to take a few weeks to catch up on some other work and then go see John David in Virginia (he is stationed at Ft. Lee) before I start my next project.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
