A Long Friday

We were up in the 80s today - out ahead of the weather front. We've had a couple of waves of severe thunderstorms going through this afternoon and evening, with more rain due later on tonight and in the morning. And the high tomorrow is predicted for only 66.

I hope the rain finishes early. The graveside service for Vicki's mother is to start at 11. The rowing club is hosting the Chattanooga Head Race tomorrow (a rowing regatta - competition between mostly college teams). There will be timed races all day long. John had worked in the timer's boat for the last several years - and he'll be doing that again. At least it's a nice big boat - out of the weather, and with real bathrooms on board. The last weather report tonight guesses that there will be just a few showers in the morning, and then no more rain.

One of our artists, a sculptor, had the opening reception for her show this month. It's been quite traumatic. Not only because of Vicki's mother's death, but this woman (though quite talented) is a self-centered, scatter-brained, drama queen. Every day this week, she has said she was going to be at the gallery by 9:30; Vicki or I would be there; and she's show up about 3 or later. She's wanted to do things like paint the walls and refinish the floor or buy new carpet, etc., etc. It's been quite an experience. She had a good crowd, and we finally ran them all out about 8:15 (it was due to be over at 8). And I was home before 9. Anyhow, it's now over - and we don't have to do this particular event again any time soon.

Today's photo is of a pothole in the stones along the river in Ohiopyle State Park, PA.

 

Congratulations, President Obama

The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to President Barack Obama this morning. This is the statement that Pres. Obama sent to his e-mail subscribers. I wanted to share this.

This morning, Michelle and I awoke to some surprising and humbling news. At 6 a.m., we received word that I'd been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009.

To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize -- men and women who've inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace.

But I also know that throughout history the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes.

That is why I've said that I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations and all peoples to confront the common challenges of the 21st century. These challenges won't all be met during my presidency, or even my lifetime. But I know these challenges can be met so long as it's recognized that they will not be met by one person or one nation alone.

This award -- and the call to action that comes with it -- does not belong simply to me or my administration; it belongs to all people around the world who have fought for justice and for peace. And most of all, it belongs to you, the men and women of America, who have dared to hope and have worked so hard to make our world a little better.

So today we humbly recommit to the important work that we've begun together. I'm grateful that you've stood with me thus far, and I'm honored to continue our vital work in the years to come.

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

Friends of the Library

I got some work done for the Friends of the Library today. The annual meeting is next month, and we had some fliers printed up to distribute. I got that job. I couldn't believe I didn't know how many branch libraries there are and where they are located.

Fortunately, the internet takes care of such things. The library web site provided not only names, locations, days and hours open, but maps. And so I furthered my education, located and visited the branches, and got the fliers handed out.

I do feel better about serving on the Council of the Friends - at least doing something concrete and seeing the branches.
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Remember to get up early in the morning so you can see the plume from the impact of our rocket hitting the moon. Impact is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. ET.

Blank

I'm drawing a blank tonight - so only a photograph today.

Youghiogheny River, Ohiopyle State Park, PA.

 

RIP Geet

Vicki called this morning to tell me her mother had died. It was not unexpected - she had been unresponsive, in the nursing home, and with Hospice care. But it's still hard, and all that paperwork has to be dealt with. I spent the day at the shop/gallery, and probably will be there a good bit of the rest of the week. There will be a small family-only graveside service. Geet was a special lady and will be missed.

Today's photo is some yellow flowers from Ohiopyle State Park.

 

Monday all day

I guess we're really home. Monday was Monday - all day long!

Swimming, coffee, Walmart, chat with Jean, bridge, and leftovers for supper.

Swimming is always good, and we had a big group continue on at coffee. Walmart was about usual, and chatting with Jean was fun, too. She'll be gone for her fall weekend, so we won't talk for a while. The cards were mediocre to yucky. Oh, well - we were gone so long, we weren't in contention for high this quarter anyway.

The ribs were almost as good tonight as they were last night. And we have one more meal, plus some for the freezer.

We got almost two more inches of rain overnight. Today it was just cloudy.

I guess Alison and Joe got home okay, and Sarah is back at school. John goes to PT and the doctor again tomorrow. He's hoping to get some idea of whether or not he'll be able to row any more this season.

Today's photo is of the Ohiopyle River in Pennsylvania.

 

Surprises

It's cool here, and I love it! We did a rack of ribs tonight, and they were SO good. Allan, John & Sylvia came over to share, along with corn, black beans, and salad. John does a really good job with the meat on the grill - even though it was raining some.

The upcoming week looks pretty normal. John does have his two PT visits, plus another visit to the orthopedist on Tuesday morning. This weekend is his rowing club's big event, a regatta. It's the first such event of the season, and usually draws a pretty big crowd from over the east. They'll be doing a lot of work Saturday and Sunday. He's usually on one of the timing boats, so he'll be able to do that job.

I got a nice surprise tonight. Did I mention that on the trip I somehow managed to lose the battery out of my laptop. I really hate to admit that it was probably gone for about a week before I missed it. I always use the laptop plugged in, and I guess I just never picked it up in such a way as to feel that big gap where the battery should be. And then it was a matter of trying to figure out where it might have gotten lost. Sighhhhhh.

Then we remembered that the laptop had been knocked on the floor under the table, next to the fixed bench, on the barge boat. It was dark under there, with a black battery, so it might have gotten overlooked. I got in touch via e-mail with the management of the boat company, who said one had not been reported found. Then I remembered that I had the phone number of the on-the-dock guy with the boat company. I called him a couple of days ago to tell him about the problem. He said he and the boat-cleaner would check around again.

He called tonight to say that they had actually found the battery. Will wonders never cease!!!! I said he should let me know how much it cost so I could reimburse him for the postage. He told me to assume that it had cost $10.00, to give that to my favorite charity, and consider us even. How great is this!

The only down side of this is that a replacement battery cost so much, that I was considering buying a new laptop rather than just replacing the battery. John's now smiling about the fact that now I don't need a new laptop. It's always good news and bad news, isn't it.

Today's photo is the Ohiopyle River in Ohiopyle State Park, PA.

 

Home again (one more time)

We were in Western South Carolina, south of Anderson. We drove down on the interstate through Atlanta, but came home today through the mountains. John was afraid with Georgia playing at home that I-85 would be crowded. Clemson was playing at Maryland - so that wasn't a problem. Plus it's been a gorgeous day, and a beautiful drive. It takes about an hour longer, but well worth it. If you look at the map, we took US 76 through Clemson, SC, to Hiwasee, GA - then turned north to pick up US 64 in North Carolina, and drove that along the Ocoee River (with all the rafting and kayakers) over to I-75 north of Chattanooga, and then on home. Not really a bad drive.

We stayed with the folks until nearly noon. We went to the auction to benefit one of the Mennonite schools in their area - lots of interesting stuff. They stayed to eat and watch the auction, but we just headed on home. They bought a bunch of stuff - a stool for Sue to do a needlepoint top; Sarah got a game; Randy bought a couple of loads of gravel for his shooting-clays club; and Alison bought a hand-quilted quilt (it was gorgeous - I had looked at it).

The photo is of Joe (Alison's fella), Alison, Sarah, and Sue.

Friday from South Carolina

We went to the Y early this morning, and then headed to South Carolina. It was the usual 4+ hours, but wonderfully uneventful - even through Atlanta.

We're in the motel in Greenwood, SC, tonight. It's been fun being with the kids and grands. We are truly blessed - they are all so great.

We went with Alison and Joe to see the Star Fort at Ninety Six, SC. This was the site of one of the last battles of the Revolutionary War - a siege battle. It was one of the last won by the British, but weakened them so much that they withdrew from the southern "back country". Which, of course, led to the American victory at Yorktown.

Sue fixed a terrific supper - with all the stuff that Alison never gets in CA - turkey, macaroni and cheese, fresh(frozen) corn-off-the-cob, etc. All great. John has now crashed, and I'm getting caught up on the computer.

Tomorrow, we're going to go to a Mennonite auction with the group, have some of their BBQ for lunch, and leave for home shortly after that.

Thursday

We've had our haircuts and feel SO much better - probably even look better.

We've been loving the parks programs on PBS - We missed #3, but did record it. We've been to so many of the places mentioned. And we both said, as the lady in last night's program, it's not only so special that we've been to such wonderful places, but that we've done it with each other. We know that that's a true luxury and what makes them even more special.

John saw the therapist again today, and she said his hand was looking good. That was a boost for him. He's really having to use a lot of hand cream (unusual for him) as that yucky skin continues to slough off.

What a glorious day it is again today! Temperature in the low 70s, low humidity, and lots of sunshine. We went to our group lunch, but we were the only ones there today. I didn't check beforehand - so now we'll have to find out what's happened to everybody.

We're going to head to the Y in the morning, and then get back on the road. Alison and Joe are due in to SC tonight. We're going to go see them, spend one night, and then come back home.

The unknown yellow flowers were in Ohiopyle State Park, Pennsylvania.

Proud grandparents

This was a really routine day. It was great getting back to the gallery and getting caught up on all the news. I was even home in time to chat with Jean.

Plus, as they said on the weather report tonight, this was a "Chamber of Commerce Day" - the kind we should be able to bottle and save for midwinter or midsummer. We had a high in the low 70s, bright sunshine, and low humidity. What a treat it was!

I did some work on my photos from the trip. I'll be ready to start posting some soon. But tonight, I want to start by sharing photos of some proud grandparents with their grandson.

 

 

A Day for Doctors

There was good news and not-so-good news from our multiple doctor visits.

The good news was that I saw my radiation oncologist today for what turned out to be my last appointment with him. I'm 4 1/2 years out from my breast cancer treatment, so he's no longer a factor in my followup. I will continue seeing the surgeon following my annual mammogram.

The not-so-good-news is about John's hand. The nurse took the cast off. The pin had gotten embedded in the cast, and came out of the fracture. It was over 3" long, and had been placed from the knuckle length-wise through the center of the bone. The fracture is still displaced and has not healed very well. The doctor says that, after 4 weeks, there should be some healing there, and there is no movement there. But, on x-ray, to us, the fracture looks pretty much the way it did before the surgery. Dr. L said that if he had seen it earlier and that there had been no healing, he would have recommended additional surgery. He is not recommending that now - at least as long as healing eventually does take place. Even though it will not be an optimal result, assuming the fracture does heal, John will be able to use his hand almost normally. I specifically asked if he would be able to grip the handle of his oar. The answer to that was yes.

In any case, he was sent directly to a hand physical therapist where a fitted splint was made, and he was started on an exercise regimen. He is to go to PT twice a week for four weeks, with the first return on Thursday morning. Dr. L wants to see him again next Tuesday, when he'll also probably have his third PT session.

We're disappointed, of course, but we'll have to see what happens from here. John's glad to be out of the cast, and says it's not hurting.

A more regular Monday

And now it's back to the regular routine - mostly.

It was great to get back to the swim class. John walked on the treadmill, and we both enjoyed getting caught up at coffee. We picked up the accumulated mail, and spent about an hour getting through that. And it'll take lots longer to get the magazines at least skimmed. The bills are all taken care of, though.

John has talked to the motel's insurance company, and we've started a file folder for the paper that will quickly document the accident. He'll see the orthopedic surgeon here in town tomorrow morning.

It was great getting back to bridge, too. The cards weren't all that great, but, again, it was good to get caught up with all the folks there.

I hope everybody else is enjoying the Ken Burns series on PBS about the National Parks. So far, there has been only one site where we haven't been - the Devil's Tower. We've seen it in the distance, but not "up close and personal". It's nice to learn the chonology and history of the parks' formations, too.

Scatter-shots

We've had a glorious day in TN today - in the 70s with fairly low humidity - lots of sunshine. Lots of surfaces in our house were covered with mildew when we got home - and we did have the a/c on - just turned up fairly high. The basin in the de-humidifier was full, of course, and it had cut off. Even John's car was all mildew-y. Yuck!

I'd love to have a big HD TV this week for the Ken Burns programs on the national parks. I know that'll be lovely. Remember how we thought that it was so great to see Bonanza in color??

Walmart was a breeze this morning - didn't take as long as I had feared. And the wash has been done and put away. It's been really quiet otherwise.

Alison & Joe will be in South Carolina for a week - arriving next Thursday. We'll be going over there for at least an overnight sometime while she's there. We'll wait until after John sees the doc on Tuesday before we make any decisions as to timing. John's sure the doc will take an x-ray, say it needs more time, and leave the cast on for a few more weeks. We shall see. I see my radiologist on Tuesday for my annual visit to him. I don't expect anything unusual there - but it's always something to worry about.

Matt & Amanda have bought their first house and moved in over the weekend. I'm sure we'll stop in to see them on our way back from SC - just for long enough to oooooohhhh and aaaaahhhh over the new home. They're so excited about it.

Home again!

We left Norfolk about 6:30 a.m., and got home a little after 6 p.m. - a long day, but it's always nice to know that "home" is waiting for you at the end.

The rain during the drive today varied from mildly annoying to "I can't believe I'm still driving in this stuff!" Mostly that was because there was never any place to pull off. Sometimes the rain was incredibly hard, and others it was just the very thick spray kicked up by the cars and trucks. We took a fairly good lunch break at a Cracker Barrel, so the almost 12-hour drive wasn't too bad. It was mostly interstate. We stopped the last time for gas in Knoxville, and there was just light rain after that - and no other problems with the roads.

We drove over 4,000 miles on this trip - and that was considering that we had lots of days when we weren't driving at all. We did four really long days, and the rest was in shorter stretches.

I've got the laundry ready to do tomorrow. I hate going to Walmart on Sunday, but I'm going to go early tomorrow - there is nothing in the refrigerator! And then I pick up the mail on Monday - that'll take ages to go through. But it's still good to be home!

Heading home

Finally back on the internet for a good session. This has been a long, but very good trip. We've spent time with loved ones; seen new places and things; met new people; and learned lots. Sometimes we just manage to get a bunch of good stuff into one package. But we're ready to be on the down side and headed home.

We left Crisfield about noon today and headed down the Delmarva Peninsula. We crossed over and under the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel. It's a great piece of engineering, and good to drive. We got settled into a motel in Norfolk and gave Jesse a call.

We took him out for a steak and a beer, and some catch-up about his life in the Navy. He's such a sweetie - and looks great!

With some suggestions from Jesse, we've figured out a different route home (I-85 to I-40 to I-75), and plan to tough it all out tomorrow (weather and traffic conditions permitting). It looks like we're in for some rain, but hopefully it won't be too bad. We do know the area fairly well, so we can always bail out if need be.

Tuesday - Crisfield, MD

Terrific Elderhostel day! We started out with a second talk by a native Crisfielder/city councilman/hospital charge nurse - a very knowledgeable and entertaining guy. Next, he took us on a walking tour of the area, with visits to the only soft-shell crab packing plant and hard crab picking plant left in Crisfield. The industry has declined substantially. It was fascinating to see how these delicious foods are prepared for market. After lunch, we had a tour of the Tawes Museum (the sponsor of the program) and then a talk by a Museum volunteer. This D-Day survivor showed us how a crab pot works. He also has set up a model of a crab shanty with "pens" holding live crabs. We got to see a crab in the act of shedding her shell - coming out of the old hard one into the new, much larger soft one. This shell will harden in a few hours if the crab is left alone. It's really a fascinating life cycle, and we were shown so much of it.

Unfortunately, after all that, we didn't have soft-shell crabs for dinner. Dinner was good, but land-based. 8^( , We were told that we weren't through getting crabs for meals, so our hopes are high for that.

There was also the news day about the Elderhostel name change. It's changing to Exploritas. WHAT???? How stupid sounding is that?!? And according to our coordinator, the programs will now be open to anyone over 22 years of age. It's going to make for a lot of changes in programs. They are obviously abandoning the previous target consumer of older and retired folks, and heading for a younger demographic. It'll be interesting to see the comments, the fallout, and the results of this new direction for the program.

No internet connection! AAARRRRGGGGHHHH!

Sorry folks - won't have much internet for the rest of this week. But...

Crisfield, MD, is a delightful little fishing town. And I will make you miserable by telling you that we have had crab in one form or another at every meal except breakfast. It's been really tough to take.

We took a boat trip to the tiny Tangiers Island yesterday, and will be going to the even smaller Smith Island tomorrow. Learning all about the Chesapeake Bay and its ecology and bounty.

I'll check in when I can.

Six states

Today was a six-state day!

Maine - woke up in Lewiston. The overpriced motel didn't even have a free breakfast. But we got a pretty good one at a local cafe a few exits down the Maine Turnpike.

New Hampshire - only 17 miles - but we did help their tax base a bit by stopping at the state liquor store with its own exit on I-95.

Massachusetts - we found Marjorie with no trouble. What a joy it was to give her some big hugs! She looks great - just a few grey hairs among the dark ones. She has a wonderful tiny apartment (although bigger than Alison's), obviously built in an attic. It has a turning staircase to get up to it, and low ceilings. She has it fixed up really nice. Anyhow, it was fun to catch up on family news. Her Mommy and all the rest of the family (except Ricardo) are still living in the Redondero and doing well.

We ate a nice lunch at a little Italian place around the corner from her apartment, then walked her back home. Pictures will come later. We found our way out of Boston OK, and headed west on the Mass Pike.

Connecticut - we thumbed our noses and gave a one-finger salute at the UConn exit.

New York - we managed to traverse a corner of NY and the Tappan Zee Bridge without incident.

New Jersey - we got onto the Garden State Turnpike, heading west and south into the sun.

It was a long day - we didn't stop until 6 p.m. And we had one of the best meals we've had along the road at a little local diner. But we did have the nice break in the middle of the day. Tomorrow will be an easy one. We may drive down to Cape May, NJ, or we may just wander along the upper eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay.

Friday - Grand Manan to Lewiston, ME

We got checked out of the Marathon Inn this morning, and drove around the island some more on our own. The ferry left at 11:30 for its 90 minute trip to the mainland. Another couple left at the same time we did, so the time passed quickly with nice folks to talk to.

When we got to Black Harbour, we headed on down the road toward the border crossing at Calais, ME. No problems there, either. We finally got on to I-95, and pretty much sailed south to a stop in Lewiston, ME. Dinner was a definite come-down. John had a good meal of fried clams and scallops. I had a lobster roll (who can leave Maine without having had lobster), and it was pretty much tasteless. Granted, I'm not a big lobster fan - blue crabs are SO much better and tastier. But anyhow - I did have the required lobster.

John's doing well with his hand. Although he found out tonight that he can't write enough to do the crossword puzzle in USA Today.

We'll be making arrangements tonight to meet up with Marjorie in Boston tomorrow sometime. For those who might not know, Marjorie was our exchange student from Venezuela in the mid1970s for about 9 months. She's living in the US now, so it'll be a real treat to see her.

Thursday, Grand Manan

We had another great day today - out on the boat again. John had gone for a walk with some of the others, and I went to find a pharmacy to pick up some stuff. I found some great gloves! I guess they're usually used as liners, and they looked like children's gloves. But they were very stretchy, and surprisingly warm. Plus they came 4 to a package. So John got to have one on his "good" hand. It wasn't nearly as windy or as cold on the boat today, but I was still very glad for the toboggan hat and the gloves.

We got to go whale watching again and saw another group of whales thrashing and playing - maybe 25 this time. Actually sex play - not mating, but the North Atlantic Right Whale males are just oversexed, and are ready at any time. Just amazing! And we looked at some of what they call the Dark Side of the Island. Not many people live there because there are high cliffs that fall straight into the sea. Grand Manan is really lovely!

We had grilled scallops, basmati rice, sweet potato, and leeks for dinner tonight. The food here has been spectacular! I'm dreading getting on the scales when we get home. But the clothes still fit. And I even got a new t-shirt today in a MEDIUM!!!!! I haven't worn one that size since I can't remember when!

We packed up after dinner tonight. John got our tickets for the ferry tomorrow, and we'll be on the 11:30 a.m. ferry heading back into the US. We'll probably stay somewhere in Maine tomorrow night.

Wednesday on Grand Manan

We've had a lovely day today - a boat trip to some of the small outer islands. We got off at one which is usually unavailable to visitors. It's owned by Bowdoin College and is a research station. It is one of the few (or maybe the only) nesting site of Leach's Storm-Petrels. (Doesn't that sound knowledgeable???) But there are some 30,000 - 40,000 nesting burrows for these birds on this little island. There are only two caretakers there now, and they let the folks who run this Elderhostel come ashore a couple of times a year. The birders were thrilled, and John and I and some others just enjoyed the boat ride and the walking through the woods. The guides showed us a burrow site, reached in and brought out a 5-week-old baby. The parents were off foraging for food, and wouldn't be back to the next until dark. The baby was used to being handled, so wasn't agitated. It was just starting to get some feathers, but was mostly covered with incredibly soft, dark-colored down. That was a treat - even for us.

We stopped at the Grand Manan Museum on the way back and had a nice walk through some of the history here. I also found a warm toboggan hat at a "dollar" store for $3.00, so my ears will be happier on our longer boat trip tomorrow.

Another great meal (pan-fried haddock), then a quick bus ride out to the northern-most point of the island to see the sunset. There was some nice light, but mostly there was a cloud-bank along the western horizon, so not much great color.

Tuesday in Grand Manan

Today was a little quieter. The planned activity was an all-day birding excursion, which we opted to skip. We did go on the small free ferry to the adjoining island with the group - but we were in our car (with another couple who elected to join us), and had a nice time driving around, looking at a few birds, picking up neat rocks. The woman who was with us, Barbara, was a geologist, so she told us a lot about the rocks we saw. Also I found out how to pronounce a word I had only seen in print before...Chalcedony. Basically, it's a red rock, and is pronounced "kal SAID o nee". See - we always learn something new - even if it's unexpected.

I got Betsy's socks mailed to her, and we visited a local knit shop. (suprise!). I bought a couple of skeins of New Brunswick yarn (lucious with lanolin) at $5.00/skin, plus a few odd balls of left-over yarns from the "free basket", which the owner insisted we raid. Great fun.

Supper was another triumph from the sea - salmon this time. Plus I got a load of laundry done.

All in all, a very satisfactory day.

Monday, Grand Manan

A lovely long day today. We spent the morning touring the local marine resource center and the fishing wharf area - the boarded a motor-sailing vessel for a whale-watching afternoon.

We had sack lunches and enjoyed them while motoring with the wind (hence warmer) and in sunshine. After an hour or so, we found whales! Lots and lots of whales!!!! There are only about 400 Northern Right whales left in the entire world, and there were maybe 40! in the group we saw today. They were basking and napping and playing and sounding and having what was probably group sex. It was an incredible experience! There were also some fin-back whales in the vicinity.

Unfortunately, we had not brought my long lens - so no close-up photos for me. And John's battery ran out, so he didn't take as many photos as he had hoped. But we did use up as many pixels as we could. In the meantime, the captain had gone to only sail power so as not to disturb the whales with our engine noise. She (!) was a terrific ship-handler and did a great job maneuvering in and around the whales, keeping us in close proximity to the group.

After an hour or so, the activity slowed down, and we turned to head back to the North Head Harbor. Unfortunately (again), it had clouded over and we were headed into the wind, so it was VERY cold. We put on all the clothes we had brought, and even huddled under some blankets they had on board. But it was still after a hot shower back at the hotel before I warmed up some.

On the voyage back to the harbor, we came across 2-3 humpback whales, feeding and playing. One did a tail flick, dived, and then did a full breach out of the water. What an incredible sight!!! And such a terrific climax to a super whale-watching trip.

Another great meal of cod, rice, broccoli (I got John's, of course), and carrots, with the most obscene 3-layer, 3-variety, chocolate mousse for dessert.

The program after dinner was a slide show by the guy who is doing to lead the bird-watching hikes and walks tomorrow. Interesting, especially to the hard-core birders in the group. But I'm afraid John and I both dozed a bit during the evening.

From Grand Manan Island, NB

After getting lost in Bangor, ME, again this morning...(OK, now if you're through laughing, I'll continue)... we finally got on the right road toward Calais, ME. That's the border crossing we were taking to get into Canada. Once we finally got out of town, it was an uneventful and pleasant drive. I must admit that while driving through the Maine woods, in the fog, in the middle of nowhere, I was somewhat aware of the possibility of a moose hurtling out onto the road in front of me. But no such excitement!

We got to the Blacks Harbour ferry landing in plenty of time, and got on the appropriate ferry for the 90 minute ride. Again, an uneventful trip. The only problem was the thick fog that kept us indoors and unable to see any of the scenery along the trip.

New Brunswick is on Atlantic Time (an hour before Eastern Time), but at 10:45 AT (9:45 ET), John's already snoring away.

This wonderful Marathon Inn doesn't have a level floor in it or more than a 60-watt light bulb, but the rooms are big, the ceilings are high, the food so far is great, there is a wrap-around veranda facing the water with Adirondack chairs, and there is wireless internet access in our room. (We're in the Annex - the building to the left in the photo - attached by the veranda.) And they're going to make us go out whale-watching tomorrow. Aaaawwwww...

Back to the internet!

Finally - internet access!

Clyde, NY, and (surprisingly) Seneca Falls, NY, did not have internet access at their boat docks. Of course, Clyde didn't have much of anything - except for two gorgeous peaches at their Thursday afternoon farmers' market.

We got back to the dock at Seneca Falls about 4 Friday afternoon. We all had showers on the boat, and got ready to go out for our final dinner. Which turned out to be a huge bust! We went to a highly recommended restaurant in a hotel across the street from the dock. It was lovely, and elegant. We placed our orders. Then, after over 45 minutes, only Ann's soup had been served. And we decided to leave. They did comp the soup, but with no explanation as to what had happened to our meals. We got the car and went looking for pizza. We finally got some great pizza, but again, the service was interminably slow. We went back to the boat, and just got packed up and went to bed.

This morning, we left the dock about 7:45 a.m. and took Ann & Al to Syracuse to pick up their rental car. They're going to wander around the Adirondacks for a few days before they head back home. We headed out for our longest day of driving. I did most of it, but John did drive some of the more rural stretches. The rain all through Massachusetts didn't help any. At least the traffic was minimal since it was Saturday. This 580+ miles took us about 10 hours (with lots of potty stops).

We had decided to press on to Bangor, to have an early start tomorrow, getting to the ferry in Blacks Harbor, NB. Unfortunately, we had a hard time finding a motel room. A number were full, or wanted lots of money. We wound up in an expensive place after all (Courtyard Suites) about 7 - but it's a lovely, very comfortable room. We did go out and got a good simple dinner, and picked up some stuff at a local drug store.

We'll get an early start in the morning. The Erie Canal trip was really fun - and we had a good time. I'll probably write more of a specific review with recommendations later on.

If it's Wednesday, it must be Newark, NY

We're docked tonight in Newark, NY. They provide great services for boaters (and I presume for bicyclers) - and all free. There's a shower, bathrooms, a washer/dryer, and internet service. I kept asking about charges, and the dockmaster kept saying "Welcome to Newark!" I'm sure this gives them great 'press' throughout the boating community. It was great to get a load of wash done. We've been gone for 10 days with nothing getting washed. I'm sure everybody else appreciates it, too.

John's doing fine. The swelling in his fingers is almost completely gone. He says holding the cards at bridge makes his hand hurt, but he works through that. I think I said he already has an appointment at home with an orthopedic hand specialist when we get back home.

Another good meal tonight - these small towns really have some good local restaurants. We haven't had to eat at a chain yet (except for the first morning when we didn't have shore power and had to eat at a McD's). We're going to eat up leftovers and "doggy bags" we've brought back for lunch and dinner tomorrow.

PS: Joe, thanks for the great research!

Tuesday

Last night we stayed in the charming village of Pittsford, NY. What a wonderful place this would be for bicyclers to stay. There's a B&B (I think), the Canal Lamp Inn, right on the canal, the tow path runs west all the way to Buffalo, and eastward to Newark. Then there's a short break before the final run east to Albany. The canal is lovely through there. We had a nice dinner last night at a Greek place, then breakfast this morning at a creperie (Yum!).

Today, we went west as far as where the Canal crosses the Gennessee River, south of Rochester, and then turned back east. We're stopping tonight at Fairport, NY, another lovely village. There was a classic car show on the opposite side of the canal from where we're tied up, with a local band that played until 9 p.m. I finally found some long-sleeved t-shirts for me, but not before I got some sunburn on the back of my neck and my forearms. (I can go to the beach for a week in July with no sunburn, but....) We had a marvellous dinner at Joey B's just a few minutes' walk from the boat - scallops for John & Al, pork filet mignon for Ann, and shrimp/feta cheese/spinach for me. Excellent food! And we're going to check out a local diner for breakfast in the morning.

We have had such gorgeous weather, chatted with some lovely people, and found great food to eat. Except for the obvious thing with John's arm, this trip has really lived up to expectations. There is a busy train track that runs just on the other side of the tow path from the canal. But that's really kind of nice to listen to at night.

Plus there is an internet connection available here.

Labor Day - 2 p.m.

Just a few minutes of free WiFi dockside in Pittsford, NY. Don't know if I'll get back on or not. All is well. John's able to drive the boat. Beautiful canal going - lots of bicyclers on the tow path. Until next time.

Day 6 and 7 - on the boat

Sunday morning - 9-6-09 - Aboard Freedom. Not too bad a start yesterday. The guy who got us started on the boat was just the "boat guy" (Jerry). He took us through the first lock out of Seneca Falls, and then watched while the guys took us through the second one. Then Jerry abandoned us! Oh, dear.....

We did three locks after that - one on the Seneca Canal, and two (25 & 26) westbound on the Erie Canal. We stopped later than we had hoped at Lyons, just below Lock 27. Unfortunately, we were too late to get a tie-up place where there we could reach a power source. So no overnight power.

The VFW in Seneca Falls had been having a BBQ chicken dinner sale at noon on Saturday, and we loved that idea. We ate those for our dinner. And we had some lights (off battery), but no hot water. We weren't too dirty, so that's okay. And we had enough light to play bridge.

We walked into town this morning looking for a local cafe for breakfast, but nothing to be found on a Sunday morning. We wound up (would you believe?) at McDonald's. I tried to get internet access back at the boat - just across the canal from McD, but it doesn't reach. I could pick up two signals, but both protected.

We're not going to try to go nearly as far today, and we'll get to a power source to tie up. And maybe find some WiFi.

We have found a sort-of distressing lack of information. Jerry didn't show us how to work the range, so we had to call him to get that info (cell phones work!). The information about the towns don't seem to be too accurate - as to where there are power sources or eateries. Plus there's a discrepancy about what we've paid for the boat and what they advertise in the brochure - by enough to definitely want a refund and explanation. We'll have to talk to the business people when we get back.

It was right chilly last night, and we broke out the jackets and sweat shirts. Surprise! John couldn't get into any of his long-sleeved shirts or sweatshirts, or his nice South Carolina jacket. He did bring his rain suit, and that jacket has adjustable cuffs, so it worked.

Sarah, you'll have to get Grandpa a new CofC sweatshirt (size L). I had to cut the cuff off and open up the seam a bit of the right sleeve, so he could get some wear out of it.

Sunday evening - docked at the Macedon Landing west of Lock 30. A lovely day cruising, with a stop for a good lunch in Newark, NY. We had to have help docking here at Macedon landing because our bow thruster wasn't working. Al found out later that a belt had slipped - and it's working now. The others are happily sipping adult beverages, I have a workable, but slow, WiFi connection, and we'll find something for supper.

Life is good!

Day 5 - followup

Thanks for the kind wishes for John. The broken bone is actually in his hand - sort of the continuation of the little finger bones along the edge of his hand. Anyhow, he's in a good sturdy cast. He carried on like a trooper today, and we did all we intended to do (Corning Glass Museum, Glenn Curtiss Airplane Museum, a winery, dinner). But at 9, he admitted to having some pain, took one of his pain pills, and crashed. He even asked me to set out one of the pain pills so he could take it in the middle of the night (he can't open the bottle with only one hand).

I left a message for our family doctor today to make him an appointment for followup and pin removal as soon as we get home. And they've already callled with the information. The orthopedic who did his shoulder repair doesn't "do hands", but there's a new guy in the practice who specializes in hands - and that's great! I've e-mailed the surgeon in Binghamtom and gave him the particulars so his office can get the records to Chattanooga by the time John goes for his appointment. Isn't the internet wonderful!

John has Medicare and a supplementary policy through retirement, but presumably the motel's insurance is going to be paying for this. I don't know how they're going to work that out. I guess we'll notify the two insurance companies when we get home, so they can take care of it.

He's planning on being able to help with the driving after the boat time. I don't particularly like the idea of his driving in any tricky traffic, though - with only one hand. We'll see how it goes.

We went to a really nice restaurant for dinner tonight - sat out on the deck. It was cool, but pleasant - right on the Keuka Lake shore. Unfortunately, the fact of the meal didn't come up to the sound of it on the menu. The wine was too sweet for their tastes (they all like really dry wines). The server was slow getting to us, and the food was WAY too long being served. She said they had given two of our dinners to somebody else. We said to just serve the two they had ready. Mine (which came a bit later) was not correct, and Al's was the last to be served. The server did comp for my meal, but it still wasn't a great experience. Oh, well. Lunch was great at a small-town cafe called "Chat-A-Whyle". How can you NOT like something with that name! We love places like that. This one had the BEST clam chowder and sticky buns. Yum!

We start the canal trip tomorrow. The weather has been gorgeous, and there's even a huge full moon tonight. More smiles today!

Oh, yes - I did take some pictures, but with my phone camera. And, sorry, I don't know what to do with them now. I'll get some more on the boat when I get the REAL camera out.

Day 4 - Shit happens!

Shit really DOES happen! And, of course, at the most inconvenient time and place.

John slipped in the shower this morning, and grabbed at the grab-bar. He caught it only with the little finger of his right hand - with immediate pain. But he didn't fall. He thought he had dislocated it and it had popped back into place. I taped the ring and little fingers together, turned in an incident report to the motel manager, filled a zipper bag with ice, packed up the car, and with me driving, headed down the road to our next stop. This included mostly visiting with one of John's and Ann's cousins.

We left John at a walk-in clinic in town and the rest of us went to the cousin's house. John called - x-rays showed that he had a broken bone in his hand. They were contacting an orthopedic surgeon in Binghamton, NY, who would probably plan to do surgery on his hand. Well, wonderful!!!!

I left Ann & Al with the cousins and went to pick up John and take off for the 20-mile drive to the hospital. I can say that the people at Lourdes Hospital in Binghamton were wonderful to us! We kept telling them - we're just starting on a long vacation. And, no, we weren't planning to head right home. And, no, John didn't want to stay overnight in the hospital. And, yes, they could do the surgery, but no, he didn't want to stay overnight.

They really were so helpful and solicitous and accommodating. They took him off to surgery at 5 p.m., and the surgeon came back out to talk to me at 6:15. He couldn't do a closed reduction, so wound up doing an open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF), with pins and cast, of what they term a "Boxer's" fracture. I saw the x-rays, and the bone of his little finger in the hand (metacarpal?) had a diagonal break and the ends overlapped.

In the meantime, Ann & Al and Bob & Anita had come to the hospital to see how things were going. Then B&A drove A&A around the area, and they all went out for dinner.

John was finally released from the hospital and we got back to the motel to meet the others about 9:30. A&A went out to get us something eat. Now, everybody else has gone to bed, and I'm getting the news out.

We do plan to continue on with our trip. Granted, John won't be much help for a while, but we'll do fine. We didn't have too much planned for tomorrow, and he'll be able to get some rest on the canal boat. I know it's really going to bother him most in the next couple of days, though. The surgeon wants him to be seen in about 10 days for a followup x-ray, so we'll see what we can work out about that. And then he'll see an orthopod at home to see about getting the pins out.

We really weren't looking for this kind of excitment. Sighhhhhhhhhhhh

Day 3

We're still having gorgeous weather - highs in the 70s and lows around 50 (my favorite weather!). We drove a bunch of interstate today, so I did more of the driving. And I got to drive through all the wonderful construction zones. BTW, avoid Wilkes-Barre, PA, on I-81 - It took more than 30 minutes to go 4 miles. John's SO sweet - he always "lets" me drive through the construction stuff.

After lunch, we took off on some back roads. We got lost a couple of times, but still saw some pretty countryside, and got to the Syracuse airport right on time to pick up Ann & Al (John's sister and BIL). We hadn't seen them since last September, and we always have a good time together.

We're in a little town south of Syracuse tonight, then will head to another little town near the PA line to visit with one of their cousins for the day tomorrow.

Questions to research: We've seen a lot of churches that has something like "Sons of the Brethren" in their names. That was a new one on me. Does anybody know about that? (can't find much in google). Also, I noticed a town in PA called "Loyalsock". I found a Wikipedia article about the town, but can't seem to find out how it got its name. Help!!!

Now it's time to crash!

Day 2

We left Morgantown this morning, and drove into PA. We stopped to take some photos of the waterfalls at Ohiopyle State Park - a lovely place, with perfect early morning light.

We went to see the FLWright houses Kentuck Knob and Fallingwater in SW Pennsylvania. We'd been to both before, but they are so wonderful. Glad we decided to make a return visit. We also stopped in Johnstown, PA, and went to a museum with history of the Johnstown Flood. What a tragedy that was!

We'll be picking up Ann & Al tomorrow afternoon at the Syracuse airport.

Day 1

We were on the road for about 9 hours today - nearly 450 miles. But it was not hard driving - just long. We stop about every two hours for a pot stop and to change drivers. It was almost all interstate, and the weather was clear and not too hot. It certainly made our longest driving day much easier. Of course, we were "fresh", too.

Tomorrow will be a day to "do" something, not just drive.

Getting ready on Sunday

Click here to see an article about our library's book sale. The reporter and photographer were there during our shift yesterday. It's great to get such nice publicity, but I wish they had come closer to the beginning of the sale.

We got all the packing done, and there is plenty of room in the trunk for Ann & Al's bags. We must be getting some better and not taking way too much stuff. John is very good about not looking horrified at the amount of knitting I take with me. But, hey - I couldn't stand the thought of running out!! No more than either of us could bear the thought of running out of something to read.

The long range forecast is looking good, though - with highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s. We had a nice day today, high around 80, with somewhat lower humidity. I even used the oven to cook lasagna, and Allan, John & Sylvia, and we ate out on the deck. They took the leftovers and anything else we wanted to get out of the fridge. After all, what are friends for???

Postings may be sporadic while we're gone. We should be able to get wifi most of the time, so I'll check in when I can.

Mildew

We're getting enough rain now that things are starting to show mildew around the house. And the dehumidifier is working overtime. I hate it when that happens. We had to put all the luggage out on the deck to air out.

We worked at the library book sale again this afternoon. It didn't seem as busy as the other day. But they had had a huge sale in the morning. A used book dealer from Nashville had happened to find the sale and bought over $700 worth of books. Sweet!

The rest of the day was spent working on getting the stuff ready for packing. I'll get the laundry done first thing in the morning, so we'll have the stuff from that. Then it's into serious packing.

Last Friday

We had our "Last Friday on Main" late evening at the Gallery tonight (that's the last Friday of the month). We had a few folks come through, but I don't think the organizing group got out much publicity this time. Oh, well - it was nice to see the few folks that did come in. We always hope that lookers will turn into buyers someday.

I saw the dermatology PA this morning for a followup exam. She agreed that the rash was lots better. The itch is pretty much gone, and the awful red places are fading. I'm to stay with the high-powered cream twice a day through Monday, then go to maintenance applications twice a week. But she's left it to me to go back to more frequent use if it should flare up again. She also indicated that a biopsy might be called for if there was another flare. I asked about a specific diagnosis - and she, very honestly, said she really didn't have one - just sort of an unspecified dermatitis. I can live with the status quo for now.

It surely has been a long day today - and I'll bet that I don't make it until my usual midnight tonight.

It's all my fault!

I heard on the news that Chattanooga has had its first H1N1 flu death - a child, but one who was brought in from another area (not a local). Plus there are a number of confirmed cases at the University. So I guess iy'd vomr hrtr, yoo.

It's in the low 70s now - cooler outside than in the house. Makes me a happy camper. However...we had a real frog-strangler rain at midday. We had left our lunch place in one corner of town, and were headed cross-town to where we get our hair cut (me driving, of course), when the bottom fell out. We were on the interstate right at downtown, and nobody could see anything. With the wipers going full speed, I kept going, but very, VERY slowly - as did everybody else, fortunately. Most of us had put our flashers on. Usually, once something like this happens, the rain will be on only one side of the river or the other. But today, it was over all the area. WOW, it was really awful! We got definitely damp getting into the salon, but it had let up considerably when we came out. And at home, we had had only 0.7". The worst thing is knowing that it was ALL my fault. I had the car washed this morning - not just a drive through, but inside and out. Oh, well.....

RIP - Edward Moore Kennedy

Sad news today of the death of Senator Edward Kennedy. Who would have ever thought that this would be the Kennedy who would be the one who made the greatest difference in this country? As much as some loved to take him to task as being too liberal, he was able to affect legislation, possibly as much as any other single legislator. And was, perhaps and unfortunately, he will be known as the last bridge-builder and compromise-maker in government today. Legislators are more interested in being "right" and uncompromising, than in getting things done. His death does seem to mark the end of an era.

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It was a long busy day for us. We volunteered at the Friends of the Library semiannual book sale this afternoon. It's not hard - just long. It's great to see folks still buying books and reading. And bringing kids in to buy sacks full of books. We'll work again on Saturday afternoon. We finished up the day with dinner at our favorite neighborhood Vietnamese restaurant.

Last photos of shawl

One more way to wear it, plus some close-ups.

 

 

 

Here's the Red Shawl

The first one is of it pinned to the blocking board. The shawl weighs only 3 ounces! I'm going to look for some satin cording or ribbon to use to lace up the sides for more of a kimono look.

 

 

 

 

Busy all day long - sort of

I never thought I'd like to have more than one knitting project going at a time. I guess I figured I'd have a box full of UFOs (unfinished objects) under the bed. But these are all things I'm excited about getting finished. Which one I work on depends on what else is going on. I'm loving doing all of them, and can't wait to get them all finished.

I really accomplished a lot this morning - swimming, coffee, Staples, Aldi's, and Walmart. Whew! and then it was only about 11. But nothing else on the docket for the rest of the day. Bridge was cancelled this week. I guess that's okay - we'll play the whole week we're with Ann & Al.

Accumulating and specifics are getting serious preparatory to leaving. We've made reservations for the tours at Kentuck Knob and Fallingwater - the Frank Lloyd Wright houses in PA. We've seen them both before, but are looking forward to getting to do it again.

A lovely Sunday

It was another glorious day here - with a high of only 81 - lows in the 60s. The kind of weather I love!

We went to Cartersville, GA, to the Booth Western Art Museum this afternoon, to see an exhibit of paintings and photographs of the Grand Canyon. It's a terrific exhibit, and I'm glad we went. This is a new museum, put up by (according to a friend) "the richest man in Cartersville". And it is a gorgeous building. I don't know that we'll go again to see their permanent collection (it's about an hour and 45 minutes away), but might for a special show.

In the Travel Section of the Nashville paper, The Tennessean today, there's an article about the Arts in Chattanooga. There's a brief mention of our gallery and a nice brief overview of the Chattanooga art scene. Click here to read it (I hope). There might be just a short survey to get in, but it's not really "registering".

Saturday, Saturday

We're having gorgous weather tonight. This cool front blew all the hot, humid weather away. It's in the low 70s, with very low humidity, and a bit of a breeze. We've been sitting on the porch, listening to classical guitar music and the cicadas and birds. We even ate our dinner out there tonight. Delightful!

Thanks to Nick for another bunch of chuckles:

The Washington Post's Style Invitational also asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.

Here are this year's winners:

1. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

2. Foreploy (v): Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.

3. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.

4. Giraffiti (n): Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.

5. Sarchasm (n): The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

6. Inoculatte (v): To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

7. Hipatitis (n): Terminal coolness.

8. Osteopornosis (n): A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.) 9. Karmageddon (n): its like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.

10. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

11. Glibido (v): All talk and no action.

12. Dopeler effect (n): The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

13. Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web 14. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito that gets into you bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

15. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a grub in the fruit you're eating.

And the pick of the literature:

16. Ignoranus (n): A person who's both stupid and an asshole.

Fun and laughs

We went to a show opening at the Hunter Museum tonight - a nice members' reception with wine and hors d'oeuvres. We didnt't eat too much and we went to our favorite Mexican place for dinner after that. Fun.

When we got home, we watched the Rachel Maddow Show. She had a neat section on something I'll bet you've never heard of - we certainly hadn't - Artistic Cycling!!! She called it "synchronized swimming on bicycles". Click Here to watch that section of the show. There's an ad and some lead-in, but stick with it. I'll bet you've never seen anything like this before.

And for your evening's laugh, I'll share with you the winning submissions to The Washington Post's yearly neologism contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternative meanings for common words. Some are exceptionally good and applicable to people we know;

The winners are:

1. Coffee (n.), the person upon whom one coughs.

2. Flabbergasted (adj.), appalled over how much weight you have gained.

3. Abdicate (v.), to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.

4. Esplanade (v.), to attempt an explanation while drunk.

5. Willy-nilly (adj.), impotent.

6. Negligent (adj.), describes a condition in which you absentmindedly answer the door in your nightgown.

7. Lymph (v.), to walk with a lisp.

8. Gargoyle (n), olive-flavored mouthwash.

9. Flatulence (n.) emergency vehicle that picks you up after you are run over by a steamroller.

10. Balderdash (n.), a rapidly receding hairline.

11. Testicle (n.), a humorous question on an exam.

12. Rectitude (n.), the formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.

13. Pokemon (n), a Rastafarian proctologist.

14. Oyster (n.), a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.

15. Frisbeetarianism (n.), (back by popular demand): The belief that, when you die, your soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.

16. Circumvent (n.), an opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men
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And as a postscript giggle, I turned on the 1982 movie, "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" near the end. Charles Durning is incredible as the Texas Governor with his wonderful number - "I Love to Dance a Little Sidestep."

Think before you throw it away!

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned the SEAPLEX voyage on the New Horizon to investigate the plastic debris in the Pacific Gyre. The voyage is almost over, and this blog was posted this morning. I wanted to share these observations from one of the scientists involved.

The writer wonders "why people care so much about plastic in the North Pacific Gyre.

Most ocean scientists I’ve talked to don’t understand why marine debris compels the public attention. With so much bad news all around – coral reefs bleaching, sharks careening towards extinction – why care about some trash in an isolated part of the ocean that few have even seen? On the practical side, (unlike, say, global climate change), plastic trash doesn’t require any specialized knowledge to understand. Everyone generates trash, and everyone’s seen litter at the beach or in a park. And plastic is also never found in nature, so any plastic floating in the ocean must have been put there by humans.

But I think there’s something more emotional and deeper going on here to generate such strong public interest. Plastic is symbolic of our times. From its advent in the 1950s, plastic has been an integral part of our shiny industrialized lives. Plastic has brought wonderful things like disposable contact lenses and waterproof paper, but plastic has also brought disposable items made from a permanent material. In the United States, people are deluged with cheap plastic consumer goods that aren’t meant to last, but to be thrown out and bought again.

Plastic litter in the middle of the oceanic wilderness is shocking because it makes human impacts on the earth explicit, and violates our idea of what is natural. The ocean is a very alien and unhuman environment, hostile to human life and populated by strange and exotic beasts. So seeing the undeniable action of humans in the midst of the vast unpopulated sea is far more appalling than seeing it in a forest or a field. People want to know that there are wildernesses out there somewhere, and if even the open sea is no longer a wilderness, what is?

Most scientists would probably say that there are no truly wild places left. Humans are mighty – we can trawl every seamount, climb every mountain, and perturb the atmosphere itself. Everything on earth, from the deepest oceanic abyss to the highest mountain, is touched by human influence. But seeing that influence just floating out here in the middle of nowhere makes our power painfully obvious, and the consequences of the industrial age plain. It’s not a pretty sight."

Something to think about.

Dermatology

The visit with the dermatologist's PA went well. She did a good exam, asked good questions. She made no exceptional diagnosis yet - just an Rx for a "high-powered steroid cream" to stop the itching. Then I'm to go back in 2 weeks (which will be 10 days since we'll be leaving before 2 weeks) to see how it's going.

Then, idiots at Walgreen's couldn't fill the Rx because they didn't understand the directions she wrote, had called the office to check, but hadn't gotten a reply when I went back to pick it up. I came home, called the office, and asked them to just call in the RX, since the pharmacy obviously couldn't understand the written instructions. I understood, and the directions were quite legible. Sheeessshhh! John says I over-reacted. Maybe so, but I was still ticked.

Anyway, I did get some samples, and I'll use those and try again tomorrow to pick up the cream.

We got some really good rain tonight - 1.5" in about two hours. It did rain hard for a while.

Happy Birthday, Sue!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SUE!! Hope you have a great day!


We just had about 30 minutes of very hard rain - and now I can hear thunder in the distance. Any rain is much slower now.

Things are really piling up to get done during these two weeks before we leave. There's a photo society meeting; an opening at the museum; our "Last Friday" to be open at the gallery; working two afternoon shifts at the library book sale; haircuts. We've been getting great recommendations about the Booth Museum of Western Art in Cartersville, GA. Their current exhibit is art featuring the Grand Canyon, and we'd like to see that.

And, I'm finally getting to see the dermatologist tomorrow. Hooray! And, of course, the itchy places are somewhat better than they've been since we were at the beach. Sighhhhhhhhh.

No photos

I had pretty good cards today - at least until the last round. It certainly did keep my interest through the afternoon. I'm sure we'll be playing lots of bridge when we're with Ann & Al. Fun, as always.

I've temporarily stopped sending my photos of the day. Frankly, I just ran out of new photos to send. We'll surely try to make up for that while we're gone - build up some new "stock". Then I can start the photos again.

Too young or too old

This morning one of the pieces on CBS Sunday Morning was the umpteenth show about the 40th anniversary of Woodstock. I am so tired of hearing about this. I guess this is because of my age - Woodstock was a non-event in our lives. Woodstock was in 1969. Our children were born from 1956 to 1961 - we were up to our eyeballs with stuff like school and carpools and work and general life. Also, we were living in a very pleasant area - a suburban backwater in Middle Tennessee - definitely out of the fast-living corridor. As John says, we were too young for Lawrence Welk, and too old for The Beatles. Oh, well.....
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A friend sent this link to a great site from the Newseum, the journalism museum in Washington, D.C. Hold your cursor over any city's dot on the map, and you'll get that day's front page of the local paper. What a neat site to keep in your bookmarks.

Nothing

Nothing going on today - reading, knitting. I watched Frost/Nixon while John was taking a nap. Frank Langella does an incredible acting job in this one.

And we watched Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. We're working our way through the Harry Potter movies - getting them from the library.

Tomorrow might be just this exciting, too.

Wise words

These words of wisdom came from the Wordsmith.org site, A Word A Day.
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America has been called a melting pot, but it seems better to call it a mosaic, for in it each nation, people or race which has come to its shores has been privileged to keep its individuality, contributing at the same time its share to the unified pattern of a new nation. -King Baudouin of Belgium (1930-1993)
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I had rather take my chance that some traitors will escape detection than spread abroad a spirit of general suspicion and distrust, which accepts rumor and gossip in place of undismayed and unintimidated inquiry. -Learned Hand, jurist (1872-1961)
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In other countries poverty is a misfortune -- with us it is a crime. -Edward Bulwer-Lytton, writer (1803-1873)
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I am an uncompromising opponent of violent methods even to serve the noblest of causes. -Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948)
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And from the sublime to the ridiculous, check out the 14 August 2009 episode of the comic strip, Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller - just to bring us back to earth.

Odds and ends

Why can't clothing manufacturers get together on some consistent sizing. One thing I haven't gotten is a pair of blue jeans. I tried on two pairs today - two different brands - a size #18 and a size #16. Both pairs fit, but the smaller size was cut lower than I like. And there's no way to tell without trying them on first. Oh, well - I did finally get one pair, and that'll have to do for now.

I got lots of computer work done this afternoon. I copied a lot of my photos onto discs and deleted them from the computer. Then, since while traveling I won't have our home router protection on my laptop, I installed some adware and spyware (thanks, Kate).

We're gradually getting things together for the trip. John got out the maps and checked routes and possible stops. I know, I know - we should get a GPS. We have the DeLorme atlas in the laptop. But we DO love maps, enjoy looking at them, and are totally comfortable using them to find our way.

We've gotten the second Harry Potter movie from the library to watch this week. And we also got the latest Nevada Barr book, Borderline, that I've had on reserve. Lots of stuff to watch and read.

Pretty regular Wednesday

I had rather take my chance that some traitors will escape detection than spread abroad a spirit of general suspicion and distrust, which accepts rumor and gossip in place of undismayed and unintimidated inquiry. -Learned Hand, jurist (1872-1961)

Don't you LOVE this quote from Learned Hand?!?
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Today was a pretty normal Wednesday. But I did finish the main part of my red lace shawl-thing. Now I just have to block it, and make some I-cords for possibly lacing up the sides. Then we'll get some photos to post. It's really going to be pretty when it gets blocked. I'm going to do it myself this time. We'll see how it goes.

Sleep well!

Meme about me

I don't usually do meme's, but I read this one in Airy Persiflage, and it looked like fun. So here are my answers....

Me-Ology

***********FOOD-OLOGY***************

What is your salad dressing of choice?
Blue Cheese or balsamic vinaigrette

What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?
Probably La Altena or Blue Orleans Seafood

What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of?
Fresh seafood - especially crabs and/or shrimp

What are your pizza toppings of choice?
mushrooms, olives, onions

What do you like to put on your toast?
Margaret's preserves

***********TECHNOLOGY***************

How many televisions are in your house?
two

What color is your cell phone?
black

Do you have an iPod?
nope

***************BIOLOGY******************

Are you right-handed or left-handed?
Right-handed

Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
Several things

What is the last heavy item you lifted?
the groceries yesterday

Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
No - just unconscious from anesthesia

************BULL-OLOGY**************

If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
I don’t think so.

If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
I'm happy with my name - can't think of anything I'd change it to.

Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?
Nope

**************FAVORIT-OLOGY****************

Season?
fall

Holiday?
Thanksgiving - just for food and family - no gifts.

Day of the week?
I'm retired - they're pretty much alike.

Month?
Guess I'd have to pick March - my birthday, plus March Madness.
***********CURRENT-OLOGY*****************

Missing someone?
no

Mood?
Always good

What are you listening to?
Rachel Maddow

Current worry?
I don't worry - wasted effort

***************RANDOM-OLOGY*****************

First place you went this morning?
To Verizon to renew my contract and get a new cell phone.

What's the last movie you saw?
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone on DVD. In the theater? I can't remember.

***************OTHER-OLOGY*****************

How many pairs of flip flops do you own?
Three

Last time you had a run-in with the cops?
Last traffic ticket I got was 25+ years ago.

Last person you talked to on the phone?
John

Last person you hugged?
John

Do you always answer your phone?
Yes.

It's four in the morning and you get a text message, who is it?
I've had texting blocked on my cell phone - wouldn't happen.

If you could change your eye color what would it be?
I'm happy with brown.

Do you own a digital camera?
Between us we have four, 2 SLRs, one point-and-shoot, and one cell phone camera.

Have you ever had a pet fish?
The girls had one many years ago - Cinderella.

Favorite Christmas song?
None of them

What's on your wish list for your birthday?
Just love to hear from family and friends

Can you do push ups?
You've got to be kidding!

Can you do the splits?
See previous answer.

Does the future make you more nervous or excited?
I don't worry about the future, but I'm excited about our young people and their enthusiasm

Do you have any saved texts?
Have texting blocked from my phone.

Have you ever been in a car accident?
Yes. Fortunately, not serious.

Do you have an accent?
Only if you consider southern mushmouth an accent.

Plans tonight?
Filling this Meme out for my blog, then to bed.

Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom?
Nope

Name 3 things you bought yesterday?
It was a Walmart/Aldi day. Eggs, orange juice, recycle bags

Have you ever been given roses?
No

Met someone who changed your life?
Yes

How will you bring in the New Years?
No different from most other nights.

What song represents you?
I have no idea.

Would you go back in time if you were given the chance?
No, I don't believe in the "good old days" - I like today and the future better (except for the aches and pains, of course)

Have you ever dated someone longer than a year?
Yes (but after 3-4 months, we got married - and that was 53+ years ago)

Do you have any tattoos/piercings?
One piercing in each ear.

Does anyone love you?
Yes - and it's wonderful!

Would you be a pirate?
What for?

What songs do you sing in the shower?
I don't sing in the shower

Ever had someone sing to you?
No.

When did you last cry?
I don't remember. Years ago, I remember crying the first time I saw a "real" Rembrandt painting.

Who was the last person you took a picture of?
The Fort Morgan Old Farts and BS Society.

Are most of the friends in your life new or old?
Some of each.

Do you like pulpy orange juice?
Yes.

What is something your friends make fun of you for?
Having knitted so many pairs of socks.

Monday's rant

I did the usual Monday stuff. Bridge was either feast or famine. I had three rounds with totals over 1000 points, and three with them down around 200. In two of those "bad" rounds, the opponents had over 2500 points. No fun at all.

And now my rant...

The invective and hatred that is growing against any kind of health care reform is really getting pretty scary. It's hard to believe that these people are not only telling these insane lies about death squads and euthanasia, etc., but that people seem to be believing this stuff. It would be almost idiotic and comical if it weren't so scary. How can somebody actually say that the "government is going to ration health care"? It has been obvious to anyone who has had to deal with it that it is the insurance companies which are rationing health care. They're the ones who deny treatment based on decisions made by insurance company workers. They're the ones who drop people from coverage when catastrophic illness occurs. They're the ones who refuse to insure people for pre-existing conditions. And they've been doing it for years. And we've let them do it.

Guess I need to stop watching TV and reading the newspaper. Right - like that's going to happen.

Slow, very slow

Today was another one of our lovely Sundays. High of 94 - a good time for staying inside in the air conditioning. And that's just what we did. Activities consisted of eating, sleeping, reading, knitting, laundry, TV, and computer time. It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it.

This is one of our very special guys!

 

Dalton, Donnie, and Martha Ann

I did next-to-nothing today until after supper.

And then we went out and had such a good time! Our friends, Dalton Roberts (you've seen his column here from time to time) and Donnie Jenkins were playing a gig at a local coffee house this evening. What a great treat this was! These two are so talented and so funny. And they had a young woman performing with them, Martha Ann Baker. She has a marvelous, rich voice. All three are talented songwriters, and, for the most part, they were playing their own songs.

Here are links to two videos of his songs: An Ex-Wife Goes On Forever and A Tribute to Bessie Smith. Check it out.

A different Friday

We had two fun events today. John went with me to the pool this morning, and after swimming, the group went to a member's house for a covered-dish breakfast. We're such good cooks, and we try to do this 3-4 times a year. Yum!

This afternoon, I went to the gallery. One of the artists had an opening reception for her solo show this month. Things went very well, and she even sold a few small pieces. John came down about suppertime, and we went to eat at a sushi place across the street (yum!). He didn't stay until the bitter end, but I stayed until about 8:15. A long, but good evening.

Lots of laughs

We did our usual Thursday lunch - lots of laughs as always. Then we went for haircuts, came home, and both took killer naps. Another exciting day in Tennessee.

We have what I call a "grabber". A long thing with rubber-suction-tipped pinchers on one end, and a pistol-grip handle on the other. Great for getting things that fall behind the washer or under the bed or just off the floor when you don't want to get up to pick up something that's just a little bit out of reach. Anyhow, John picked up a second one that he saw on sale today. There was a moveable button on the handle that didn't seem to do anything, so John got the direction sheet out of the box. On the small description sheet he saw this

Note: The switch on the handle has no function.

How hysterical is that!!!!!!!!!!!! Love those direction sheets.

Portuguese knitting

Gee, a second entry today.

In a comment on the previous entry, "m" asked about Portuguese knitting. No, it's isn't knitting backward across the row, without turning. I don't think I'm interested in that yet.

In the Portuguese style, I route the yarn from the ball on my right (I'm right-handed - don't know what a leftie would do), threaded through my right-hand fingers, through a pin or hook pinned to my left shoulder area. This provides the necessary tension (trial and error, and I haven't gotten it consistently right yet). The yarn is thrown for each new stitch with the left thumb, and my right hand rarely has to leave the needle.

Click here for a good UTube video - scroll down just a bit to the top response. She shows knitting and purling, and it's where I got my best look at how it's done.

I experimented with some scrap yarn and about #7 or 8 needles. Give it a try.

Trip preparations

We've settled in on an itinerary for our September trip. And we've made reservations in those places where they're needed. It's good to have that done, so we don't have to worry about having a place to sleep on those potentially busy days and in potentially busy places. But we still have nights that are "open", where we decide where we'll stop when the opportunity arises. That's the way we mostly like to travel.
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I'm still working on using the Portuguese style of knitting. It's all Kate's fault - she started it! It is a faster, more comfortable style of knitting, and I'm getting more comfortable with it. Now, if I could only figure out how to "ssk". (knitters will understand).

Miscellany

Some of you may have read about the SEAPLEX voyage to study the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" off our West Coast. This is the blog of folks on the mission. Alison who is posting/writing/editing some of the entries is our granddaughter. Just thought you might want to check it out.
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Wonderful news about the personal diplomacy that secured the release of the two Americans from North Korea.
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Can you believe the rain in Louisville today?!? 6.5" of rain in one hour. Amazing! What did you get, Kate?
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It's not really funny, I guess, but a woman in north Georgia was charged with murdering her husband. The cause of death was a blow to the back of the head, but they're not saying what the instrument was. Any bets? I say cast-iron skillet: John says rolling pin. Or there's always the possibility of a baseball bat. Whatever - I'm sure the bastard needed killing (as they used to say in Texas) - still a sad situation. I'll bring you up to date when it's finally announced.

Breaking a Barrier!

Today, I broke a personal barrier. For the first time in almost 20 years, I weigh less than 200 pounds. I don't know that I ever thought I'd see the day. I've always known that any body change means a life-style change. And, over the last year, I've managed to do that. I have to admit that I really do feel better; I have more energy; I can move easier; and my knees and hips don't hurt as much.

A side benefit is that I have totally cleaned out my closet. Literally, all the clothes I had last year are gone - even the underwear. I'm trying to get new stuff a little at a time - not only because of the expense, but because I'd love to lose some more. And the first time in ages, I'm no longer buying clothes in women's sizes. Which means I can buy cheaper, on sale clothes.

It's a new world - or at least one I haven't seen in a long, long time. And I'm enjoying it!
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Happy Birthday, Jean! Hope you've had a great day. Did you know that you are one day older than Barack Obama? It's the first time you've been older than the President. (Sorry, I just couldn't let that pass.)
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This photo of Sunkenkirk was posted by "maxakropolis" on the The Modern Antiquarian blog. It was SO gorgeous, I just had to share.
 

Out of the Ordinary

We did something we don't usually do tonight. We watched one of the PBS begathon programs. This was was quite good - a special for Pete Seeger's 90th birthday. If it shows up on your PBS station, give it a watch. Such good music! And incredible guests.
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Have you ever used one of the rice bags that you can heat for a warm pad on your neck? They're easy to make - use a tube sock, and fill it about 1/2 to 2/3 full of plain rice (uncooked, please). Then tie a knot in the open end. You'll have to figure out how much rice works. That's all there is to it. I heat mine about a minute in the microwave. But you can use it cold, too.

Active weather

The weather was the most active thing around here today. In midmorning, there was a 3.2 magnitude about centered 50 miles east of us. We didn't feel it, but lots of folks in that area did.

After supper tonight, it started to rain. We had thunder, but mainly just hard steady rain. We had 1.5" of rain in a relatively short time.

Before all this, I did go out to shop for some end-of-season bathing suits, and found two.

John rowed this morning, so that was his exercise. But, the above was all the exercise I got all day - except for knitting. The shawl is coming along beautifully.

A long Friday

I was at the gallery this morning, came home, changed clothes, and then headed back downtown. Our gallery was open late tonight (until 7), with all the other galleries and shops in our neighborhood. It's a good way to get new people to drop in and see what's offered. We had a guy playing the hammered dulcimer (a local who sells his CDs), and we had wine and a few snacky food things. I guess we had maybe 25-30 people come in during the evening. We think it went well. John and I went to our favorite hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant right down the street. It was so good (chile relleno for me and carnitas with salsa verde for John).

And then we came home and hopped into our "soft clothes" and watched the first Harry Potter movie. We've not seen all of them, but can't remember how many we have seen. So we're just starting over from the beginning. I'm getting them from the library. They are really good movies!

We got about .7" rain yesterday, and 1.3" this morning, plus the 2" we had on Wednesday. Both days, though, it cleared off by noon, and we had lovely weather the rest of the day.