Timberland Braes

And the Hugo winners are...

2011-08-20T22:37:00.000-07:00

Hello from Renovation, the World Science Fiction convention in Reno Nevada.

It's 10:38pm and the Hugo Award ceremony has just ended. I am typing this message from the Tuscany ballroom at the Peppermill hotel.

And the winners are...

Forrest J. Ackerman Big Heart Award. -- Gaye Haldeman

John W. Campbell Award -- Lev Grossman

And the Hugo winners are...

Best Fan Artist. -- Brad W. Foster

Best Fan Writer. -- Claire Briarley

Best Fanzine. -- The Drink Tank, edited by Christopher Garcia and James Bacon

Best Professional Artist. -- Shaun Tan

Best Related Work. -- Chicks Dig Time Lords: A Celebration or Dr. who by the Women Who Love It, edited by Lynne M. Thomas and Tara O'Shea

Best Short Story -- For Want of a Nail, by Mary Robinette Kowal

Best Novelette. -- The Emperor of Mars, by Allen M. Steele

Best Novella. -- The Lifecycle of Software Objects, by Ted Chiang

Best Novel. -- Blackout/All Clear, by Connie Willis

Best Semiprozine -- Clarkesworld, edited by Neil Clarke, Cheryl Morgan, and Sean Wallace. Pod Cast directed by Kate Baker

Best Graphic Story. -- Girl Genious, Volume 10: Agatha Heterodyne and the Guardian Muse, written by Phil and Kaja Foglio, colors by Cheyenne Wright, art by Phil Foglio

Best Editor, Short Form. -- Sheila Williams

Best Editor, Long Form. -- Lou Anders

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form. -- Doctor Who: The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang, written by Steven Moffat, directed by Toby Haynes

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form. -- Inception, written and directed by Christopher Nolan

Where am I?

2011-08-18T12:58:00.000-07:00

Well, today, I am at Renovation, the world science fiction convention.

Currently I am waiting for my parents to arrive. They should be here soon.

So far I haven't seen much of the convention or of the hotel or the people I know. Hopefully, that will change soon.

We were supposed to arrive early yesterday, butour flight got bumped, so we finally arrived at the hotel around midnight last night.

I'm hoping my parents will find something interesting once they arrive.

We arrived at the hotel only to find that the room we had rechecked into, complete with refrigerator and microvwave had been given away to someone else, because they wanted adjoining rooms with another party. So, with no refrigerators or microwaves officially left we had to do some wrangling to get them. And in the process we were upgraded to a suite in the Tuscan tower of the Peppermill hotel.

With luck, my parents will also have been upgraded, since I booked both rooms in my name. My guess is they will still be in the standard Peppermill room.

SFWA announces the 2010 Nebula Award Nominees

2011-02-23T13:40:00.000-08:00

And an impressive list it is.

Fermilab Holometer

2011-01-19T13:56:00.000-08:00

What the heck is this? Read and find out.

If you are a particle physicist, astrophysicist, or both, or just like unusual puzzles that need solving, you might find this interesting. I know I do.

Today I spoke with Dr. Aaron Chou, who is one of the Project Scientists on the Holometer, and a very nice gentleman. As a result, I intend to do further detailed reading into the experiment.

Yes, my geekiness is showing again.

Fermilab Holometer

2010 Hugo Awards

2010-09-07T13:18:00.000-07:00

By now surely everyone has heard the results, but for those of you who haven't, here they are.

* Best Novel: TIE: The City & The City, China Miéville (Del Rey; Macmillan UK);
The Windup Girl, Paolo Bacigalupi (Night Shade)

* Best Novella: “Palimpsest”, Charles Stross (Wireless; Ace, Orbit)

* Best Novelette: “The Island”, Peter Watts (The New Space Opera 2; Eos)

* Best Short Story: “Bridesicle”, Will McIntosh (Asimov’s 1/09)

* Best Related Book: This is Me, Jack Vance! (Or, More Properly, This is “I”),
Jack Vance (Subterranean)

* Best Graphic Story: Girl Genius, Volume 9: Agatha Heterodyne and the Heirs of
the Storm Written by Kaja and Phil Foglio; Art by Phil
Foglio; Colours by Cheyenne Wright (Airship Entertainment)

* Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form: Moon Screenplay by Nathan Parker; Story
by Duncan Jones; Directed by Duncan Jones (Liberty Films)

* Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form: Doctor Who: “The Waters of Mars”
Written by Russell T Davies & Phil Ford; Directed by
Graeme Harper (BBC Wales)

* Best Editor Long Form: Patrick Nielsen Hayden

* Best Editor Short Form: Ellen Datlow

* Best Professional Artist: Shaun Tan

* Best Semiprozine: Clarkesworld edited by Neil Clarke, Sean Wallace, & Cheryl
Morgan

* Best Fan Writer: Frederik Pohl

* Best Fanzine: StarShipSofa edited by Tony C. Smith

* Best Fan Artist: Brad W. Foster

And the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer (presented by Dell Magazines): Seanan McGuire

Nebula Award Winners

2010-05-15T15:44:00.000-07:00

And the winners are...

Solstice Award--- Tom Doherty (Tor), Terri Windling, Donald A. Wollheim
SFWA Service Award--- Vonda N. McIntyre and Keith Stokes
Author Emeritus--- Neal Barrett, Jr.
Grand Master--- Joe Haldeman
Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy--- The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland by Catherynne M. Valente
Ray Bradbury Award--- District 9 directed by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell

Nebula Awards

Short Story--- Spar by Kij Johnson
Novelette--- Sinner, Baker, Fabulist, Priest; Red Mask, Black Mask, Gentleman, Priest by Eugie Foster
Novella--- The Women of Nell Gwynne's by Kage Baker
Novel--- The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi

The live feed was not perfect, but it was wonderful to be able to attend virtually.

David Levine did give a very interesting presentation on his two week adventure in the Mars station simulation in Utah.

Nebula Awards webcast

2010-05-15T15:24:00.000-07:00

For those of you who might be interessted, the premiere award for the science fiction and fantasy authors will be webcast live for the first time ever tonight at 7pm eastern time (4pm pacific).

I will be watching. How about you?

http://sfwa.org/nebula-awards-live-broadcast/

Movies seen

2009-12-29T12:55:00.000-08:00

A Christmas Carol:: the typical story, beautifully animated and requiring large silly 3D glasses for viewing. It was an enjoyable movie, well worth seeing with the family.

Blind Side:: A wonderful true story about the life of an unwanted and misunderstood child who turns out to be a well known football player and an all around good guy.

Sherlock Holmes:: This is a fun one, and definitely not your typical Holmes and Watson movie. All the major characters were delightful. I would be happy to see it again.

None of these were award winners, but they all kept me awake, which we all know is difficult to do. Especially since I was only getting about 2-3 hours of sleep a night during the week I saw them.

Still looking forward to seeing Avatar. It's still selling out at our local theater. One of the few movies that the theater staff advises purchasing the tickets for a day or two in advance. I hope to have the pleasure of viewing this latest hit before New Year's day.

More guitar

2009-12-29T12:39:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I slowly worked my way through my very first flamenco guitar lesson, after doing a very slow review of some basic blue grass picking and discovering that I need a lot of practice with basic picking, hammer-ons and pull-offs.

Flamenco is a little closer to finger picking and classical guitar, but does have some differences. The hammer-ons and pull-offs are still a problem, but easier on a nylon stringed classical guitar than on a steel string. Today, I practiced flamenco basics for about an hour. Bar chords are very tough, but I think I can eventually master them.

I have more aching muscles in my left arm and hand than I would get from a good strength training workout. Good news--I can now play an easy version of the Malaguenas at about medium speed. It actually sounds like I know what I'm doing. :-) Who would have thought.

I had forgotten that when I was in junior high I would practice until my finger tips were bleeding and I thought my arms would fall off, just to get a simple song as perfect as I could. I'm told that stubborness and determination is a hereditary factor in my family line. Whether or not that is true, those traits have never left me. For good or bad, I always reach my goals, though some take longer than I might like.

Back to one more pass at the Malaguena, then I think my guitar could use a little bit of a rest.

Debut of the Unbroken Strings

2009-12-25T23:30:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to All!!!

The day went well, though, for the first time, some of the regulars could not make it. And this was the first year that I have not celebrated on Christmas Eve. It felt strange not to be gathering for presents, a large meal, games and caroling, but there was no one around this year.

For the first time we decided to pull out the guitars and try playing as a group. No rehearsal. A bluegrass player, a classical player and a beginner. What we made wasn't exactly music, but we all had a good time. A few playing solos and great singing from the rest of the group.

Our beginner has now decided he would like to learn blue grass, and I have decided to attempt to relearn a little myself--just so I can blend a little better with the group.

I wonder if anyone took photos of the three of us playing? All the photographers in our group are also the musicians.

One tree up...

2009-12-14T19:45:00.000-08:00

One more tree to go.

Christmas trees, that is.

We try to put up a tree in both the living room and the family room each year. The big tree in the family room because of the high ceiling. We didn't get the lights up this weekend--it rained, a lot. And, to be honest, the large tree isn't up yet mostly because we decided to go with a fake tree this year, and, well, the age old trees inherited from our families were in need of replacement. So, we just purchased a new tree Sunday evening.

Most of the shopping is done. Most of the making of gifts is done. The holiday cards are being addressed, with a couple cards in the process of being made. Will I finish them? That is yet to be determined. I'm hoping all the holiday preparations, except for the baking, will be done by Sunday.

My room-mate has asked for guitar lessons so that he can learn to play at least one Christmas Carol by the 24th. I was hoping I could get him to learn to play a simple melody, but he seems determined to have me take the lead and him play accompanying chords. Still, it's his family he wants to play for, so maybe, just maybe, I can talk him into learning that melody. I look forward to the challenge. And looking at our separate schedules, I have a feeling all teaching will be done on the 24th while the cinnamon rolls are rising and the cookies are baking.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

2009-11-25T17:59:00.000-08:00

Whether you spend the holiday with family and friends, or choose to spend it in peaceful contemplation and solitude, I wish all of you a wonderful day. Remember, no matter what your circumstances, you are blessed. Each of us has something, no matter how small it may seem, to be thankful for.

Reasons to be thankful that you may not have thought of--

I AM THANKFUL

For the wife
Who says it's hot dogs tonight
Because she is home with me
And not out with someone else.

For the husband
Who is on the sofa
Being a couch potato
Because he is home with me
And not out at the bars.

For the teenager
Who is complaining about doing dishes
Because it means she is at home,
Not on the streets.

For the taxes I pay
Because it means
I am employed.

For the mess to clean after a party
Because it means I have
Been surrounded by friends

For the clothes that fit a little too snug
Because it means
I have enough to eat.

For my shadow that watches me work
Because it means
I am out in the sunshine.

For a lawn that needs mowing,
Windows that need cleaning,
And gutters that need fixing
Because it means I have a home.

For all the complaining
I hear about the government
Because it means
We have freedom of speech.

For the parking spot
I find at the far end of the parking lot
Because it means
I am capable of walking,
And I have been blessed with transportation.

For my huge heating bill
Because it means
I am warm.

For the lady behind me in church
Who sings off key
Because it means I can hear.

For the pile of laundry and ironing
Because it means
I have clothes to wear.

For weariness and aching muscles
At the end of the day
Because it means I have been
Capable of working.

For the alarm that goes off
In the early morning hours
Because it means
I am alive.

And finally, for too much e-mail
Because it means
I have friend who is thinking of me.

Yes, I really, truly, do exist...

2009-11-19T13:24:00.000-08:00

And for those of you who have been wondering--I am alive.

I know I've been absent from this blog for several months. Nearly half a year. Ouch. Time does fly. And in real, flesh and blood, life, well, I've been missing for a little over a month. Ok, so some of you who know the hours I keep and how rare it is for me to actually appear in the sun lit hours, that flesh and blood part may seem a bit of a myth. Contrary to the popular rumor though, I have not morphed into a vampire. Well, I don't think I have. I did recently have a run in with a stake barely missing my heart, and ended up with a 2" long gash on my right cheek/smile line. The doctor tells me he doesn't think it will scar. In another week or two it should be completely healed. (Ok, the stake was a rusted metal garden stake--no wood anywhere near it, but you get the point. Or at least I did.)

Soon, I promise, I will make another entry and share a little of what has happened in my life in the past couple of months. I'm not going to promise that I will appear again tomorrow or even next week. At the moment I am very busy with both by day job and my writing/editing stuff, and battling my room-mate for the right to use my computer once in a while. But heck, what do you expect? He bought a new camera. We went on a 3 week trip. He took 8500+ photos. I downloaded them for him and haven't seen my lap top since. :-)

Gotta get back to work, but I will return.

Tour de Cure--Thank You !!!!

2009-06-03T13:51:00.001-07:00

Thank you to everyone for your support. It is greatly appreciated.

As you can see I did survive. We signed up for the 10mile, with an option for the 20mile route. When I saw how haphazardly they were going to pile our bikes onto the transport truck to return them to the Queen Mary Park after the 10 mile, I decided that I would continue on the 20.

No doubt about it--This Was A Challenging Ride. No one was prepared for the number of hills and bridges to be conquered, or for the railroad track that cut diagonally through the road on one of the few flat sections where we could pick up speed. Several bikers took a fall there. Everyone will know better next year.

I certainly will set aside more time to train, just in case my roommate decides, once again, to announce the weekend before the event that we will be riding. The old routes were much flatter and required minimal training. The new routes require a great deal of training. I haven't heard one person complain about the route being unchallenging. :-)

Thank you again. I hope you will all be able to contribute next year again, either monetarily or with your good wishes and encouragement. Every dollar and word helps.

Tour de Cure Update

2009-05-28T10:48:00.000-07:00

WOW!!!!

Look at that. We still have two days to go and already we made the minimum goal of $150.

I've raised the goal to $200, just to see if we can make, maybe exceed it by Saturday evening.

Thanks to Everyone for the generous contributions.

Tour de Cure for Diabetes

2009-05-26T11:04:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone!

Yep, it's that time of year again. You know the time of year when I pull my bicycle out of the garage, dust it off, check for flats and rust and then decide that I can manage 30 plus miles up and down hills, all for a good cause.

This is a wonderful event that is held every year in Long Beach. The goal is to raise money for the American Diabetes Association to aide in research for a cure.

This year our route has changed. They’ve made it more challenging (translate that as a heck of a lot of hills). It should be a lot of fun. My goal this year is to complete the 20-33 mile route, that starts out at the Queen Mary and then crosses the Vincent St Thomas and Gerald Desmond bridges and eventually brings us back to the Queen Mary.

Because I am starting so late, my current goal is to raise a minimum of $150 dollars by the end of the week.

If you would like to sponsor me, please click on the thermometer over on the right of the page (in the side bar), then click the Red “click here to sponsor me” button and follow the instructions. Give as little or as much as you like. Every dollar counts.

Good Morning!!

2008-11-30T08:53:00.001-08:00

Sometimes, without expecting it, we get to see a real life scene from the movies. The , "oh, that doesn't really happen" sort of every day life event that we would likely never notice if it wasn't forcefully pointed out to us..

There I was, patiently waiting in front of the Starbuck's counter for the early morning hot drink, venti size, of course. Some people need their early morning wake up cal, though I must admit that it doesn't seem to be doing much for my room-mate. Do you suppose that you actually have to open your eyes and ingest the stuff for it to work?

Anyway, back to the tale at hand, Short though it may be. There I was, minding my own business, while waiting for my order to be called, when along came a cute elderly couple. Both completely grey and looking fabulous all the same. Matching glasses, matching jackets, matching in every way, except height. She was at least a foot and a half shorter. When, suddenly, they stopped and both mumbled something about things not looking quite right this morning. Then they both smiled, looked at each other, took off their glasses, swapped and settled the new pair upon the delicate frame of their noses. Smiled again, nodded their heads, and with a united "ah, that's much better", headed off toward the hotel restaurant that had been their goal before their vision cleared. I could not help but smile and silently giggle ( I didn't want them to hear and disturb the moment).

It's nothing much, not really. And yet it is. It's little moments in time like that, even just a nod of the head and a knowing smile between two people, friends, intimates, or both, that make up a portion of the happy sides of our lives. There are larger events too, seemingly more important and perhaps they are, but they come along rarely in comparison. I cannot help but wonder if the little things, the events we do not notice unless placed sharply in front of our noses (and our eyes) are the more important ones. They happen every day, subtly effecting and shaping our lives, strengthening our bonds and leaving lifelong impressions without our even being aware, but if they were not there, I think we would all notice the emptiness their lack left behind.

Fire Update--Triangle Fire (Yorba Linda, Brea, Chino Hills, Anaheim Hills, etc)

2008-11-16T10:47:00.000-08:00

Up-to-date Map:: every time I refresh it there are changes.

Up-to-date News::KFWB 980, KNX 1070, and KFI 640. There are photos, videos and other information on this site as well as live radio feeds.

Stats, Photos, Video:: OCFA Triangle Complex Fire

Fires

2008-11-16T00:45:00.000-08:00

It’s snowing ash here, and the air is filled with smoke. Any car that isn’t caked in ash has been stored in a covered area all day. Helicopters have been flying overhead low all day long (referring to the 15th). Another just flew over, rattling the house and windows as it passed.

I heard on the radio about an hour ago, as we were heading home from the movies, that the Yorba Linda fire, which had jumped into Orange county earlier this afternoon, had worked its way through the Anaheim Hills area and was headed toward Carbon Canyon to join up with the Brea fire. Hopefully, firefighters will be lucky and be able to keep the two fires from joining. I don’t know what the weather is predicted to be like tomorrow, but if winds are anything like they were today it will not be a good sign.

One of the best sites that I could find on the Orange County fires is the Register’s Breaking News Blog You will find a map of the fire area, including evacuation areas and centers at this site, as well as news, statistics and a blog.

Pictures of the fires can be found at

MSNBC fire coverage
FOX News Photos

My prayers are with the many families who have lost their homes and loved ones, and the thousands who have had to evacuate, as well as with the men and women who are putting their lives on the line battling these fires.

And it's back to e-books I go

2008-10-04T22:22:00.000-07:00

While I do enjoy the feel of the paper pages of a traditional reading format between my fingers--And, yes, I do have the nasty habit of dog earing pages when I lack a gum wrapper or some other form of book mark--it is just easier given my current schedule to read a book on the screen of my Palm T/X. It certainly decreases the load I have to carry in my back pack every morning as I trudge the five miles on the way to the bus.

My current e-reads are Anathem by Neil Stephenson and The Magicians and Mrs. Quent by Galen M. Beckett.

I just finished reading Acheron by Sherrilyn Kenyon--a fairly large book and the main reason I switched to e-books again. I had a heck of a time cramming that book into my pack. Ash by Mary Gentle isn't much easier to fit, and is currently the only paper volume of fiction that I am working my way through.

A couple more advantages I've found to the electronic format is that the screen is lit allowing me to read on a dimly lit morning bus. And, I tend to read faster in this format. I'm not certain why.

Such pretty faces

2008-09-06T13:20:00.000-07:00

Well, MRSA it is

2008-07-21T13:32:00.000-07:00

And I have a sudden urge to disinfect everything in sight.

Apparently, the culture results say that the best drug to use for my version of this nasty little bug is Bactrim DS and good old Tetracyclin. Both require me to avoid the sun as much as possible. If I didn't know that my doctor was working hard to clear up this infection as quickly as possible, I'd swear he was looking for any way possible to keep me from exercising. So, I start the new drugs tonight. Hopefully, the healing will continue progressing rapidly and come Wednesday, just maybe my doctor will allow me to do exercise that causes me to break a sweat. Ok, so it will have to be done indoors or after the sun sets for the next 7 days, but it would be better than having a frustrated me slowly bouncing off the walls for the next week. Slowly, because I mustn't take a chance of sweat getting into what little is left of the wound. Ugh.

Yes, I make a rotten patient. Mainly because I have no patience when it comes to me being ill.

Ok, so how bad can a bug bite be?

2008-07-20T10:27:00.000-07:00

Not bad at all, in most cases.

I have pets. I have friends who have pets. I hike. And I live in a warm climate. The result--I taste good to bugs and I get bit quite often. Well, unless I remember to wear my handy dandy OFF insect repellant. Even if I remember, it does wear off after a while.

Mosquitoes and Fleas are my personal bain. Their bites always result in a nasty red welt. Flea bites have the added distraction of a fast forming and popping blister that leaves a pit right in the center of the welt. Occassionally, that bite gets a bit more inflamed than it ought to. Then out come the hydrogen peroxide, neosporin and bandage. Within a few days all is back to normal. No evidence of a bite remains.

And so it was with the latest ugly bite on the back of my right calf. All was healing well. It looked like I might be able to put the bandage aside within a couple days. Was I ever wrong.

A week ago Friday, we were at the movies--Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D--when I whacked the bite on the corner of a seat. I hit it so hard that I curled up in pain (tears in the eyes, the whole bit). Of course, we thought I just hit my calf in the right place, sort of like the funny bone in the arm. :-)

Next morning I had a bruise and a blood filled grey ring around the bite. Sunday, that grey ring was more swollen and my leg was starting to hurt. Monday, the ring broke open and drained, my leg was sore but felt and looked much better. The inflamation was retreating again. Good, I thought, but I think I will call the Doctor in the morning. There hadn't been a chance to call that day.

Tuesday morning I woke up to find blood gushing out of my leg. I managed to stop the bleeding and I did call the Doctor. Meanwhile, my leg started feeling a lot better and looking better to. It was still ugly though. I couldn't get an appointment until mid-day Wednesday.

The Doctor took one look at it, informed me that there is a major outbreak of staph in our area, took a swab for a culture, prescribed Keflex (antibiotic for those who don't know) and sent me off for a CBC, and blood tests to make certain that my liver and kidneys were functioning well and that my mineral and glucose and electrolyte levels were good. I spent the rest of the day dealing with the side effects of Keflex, which aren't fun, and sleeping.

I continued to change the dressing 3 times a day and the wound continued to look much nicer at a very rapid rate. Then it was back to the Doctor on Friday morning. It looks much better he says, but I am worried about the fact that it is still draining. Your blood tests came out great, actually terrific. Everything, cholesterol included, was on the really good end of normal. Blood pressure was 122/80. He never even brought up the fact that I am over weight. I'm healthy and the infection hasn't gone any further than my leg. Though we still don't have the results of the culture. We should have those Monday. I see the Doctor again on Wednesday, but they will call me Monday if I need to change medication. I doubt that I have MRSA, but I know that is what they are worried about.

Meanwhile, at the rate the wound is healing, it is likely to be completely or nearly healed on Wednesday. My fear now is that it is healing too fast and will have to be lanced. Regardless, for now and the last week and a half, I have been on restricted physical activity. I'm not allowed to workout if it will cause me to sweat or there is any possibility, no matter how slight, of dirt getting under the dressing and into the wound. He didn't even like the idea of me going for a walk on the street and wasn't crazy about the gym either. I am going to try to go to the gym today though. However, I will be very careful that the dressing on my leg is fresh and that nothing gets to it. The latest outbreak of staph among the public has been mainly among the atheletic and atheletically inclined and gyms are a great place to pick it up.

So the moral, even though I don't have my results, no matter how minor the cut or scrape or bite, be certain to treat it carefully. A slight infection can unexpectedly turn into something deadly within a couple of days.

I have seen first hand how bad these infections can get. Right now, I am feeling very lucky.

Breaking and entering

2008-07-19T22:07:00.000-07:00

Honest, your honour, we didn't steal anything.

Ok, so it really wasn't anything like that at all. I have a friend visiting from Montana for the month. She's here to clean out her fathers house before it is sold. A sad, haunting and stressful time for her. Her father passed on only a couple months ago. So, in an effort to make certain she gets time away from her task and the emotional strain it involves, many of her local friends have been entertaining her on the weekends. My room-mate and I take our turns as well.

Last night we surprised her by kidnapping her and taking her to see Mama Mia, which she enjoyed. This morning, ok more like this afternoon, we took her out for brunch. She had to be back by 3:30pm because she had a 5pm dinner date with another friend. We actually got her home on time, only to discover that she had left her keys inside on the stairway. She was locked out.

No problem, I said. Last week you forgot to lock the sliding glass door in the back and I easily broke in. So we tried the door and every window on the first floor. No luck. All were very securely locked. But up there on the second floor were two bedroom windows with nothing but the screen between us and entry. Well, if you ignore the twenty feet above the ground. Great! Now all we need is a ladder. Surely one of the neighbours will have one.

So off my friend went to her neighbours to see if she could find a ladder, or possibly another set of keys that had previously not been mentioned. No one had keys, but we did find a ladder that was about eight feet short of what we needed.

And in the backyard there was a fairly sturdy though unlevel picnic table. Luckily, it was light and we were able to move it easily. Directly under a window went the table. On top of the table went the ladder. My friend and I steadied the ladder while my room-mate climbed up and removed the screen. Then climbed up to the very tippy top step of the folding ladder--the one you're not supposed to stand on--and figured out a way to hoist his body slowly into the window. We weren't at all certain he would be able to lift himself the rest of the way. There was that fear that he would fall and splatter himself all over the pool patio. Then what would we do? My friend is too short to reach the window from the top of the ladder and I have a leg injury that prevents me from climbing the ladder. Call a locksmith? Hmmm, maybe we should have done that in the first place? Nah, that would be too easy.

Then, of course, my room-mate heads out the front door rather than coming to the back where we were standing. Where are they, he wondered as we pounded on the glass of the rear door and laughed. We hadn't told him to open the back door instead. Sheesh. At least he remembered to grab the keys so that we wouldn't be locked out again. :-)

And now my friend has an adventure to share with her evenings date and with her husband and children. The latter arrive in a couple of weeks.

All in all it was a fun and uneventful day.

Movies Scene

2008-07-19T08:54:00.000-07:00

Mama Mia--It will have you bouncing in your seats. A do not miss for all fans of Abba, and anyone else who just wants to have a good time and see a fun and uplifting film. The movie is at least as good as the play. I've seen both.

My rating--A very difficult movie to fall asleep in. And I have slept through many. I can't say the same for the previews before the movie. :-)

HAPPY FATHER's DAY

2008-06-15T11:40:00.000-07:00

to all you Dads, Granddads, Great Granddads and Dads to be--Have a Wonderful Day.

Success

2008-06-15T10:51:00.000-07:00

Well, I did it. Or I should say, we did it. My riding partner and I completed the 35 mile trip on our bikes in 3.5 hours, including the two scheduled rest stops. So riding time was around 3 hours.

No sore muscles. Just a little tired and a lot hungry. Though I will admit that I am happy I didn't sign up for the 65 mile tour. 35 miles was just about my limit.

What I found amazing was that the 65 mile group left an hour before we did, and at about an hour into our ride several from that first group passed us on their way back. Several of the 65 milers did their ride in 3.5 hours or less. They had to average 20mph or better, given all the traffic lights all the riders had to deal with. Talk about fast. I averaged around 12mph, getting up to 21mph only a couple of times. And I thought I was doing pretty good.

We had a lot of fun, met gads of wonderful people, and most importantly helped out a worthy cause.

I will likely do this again next year. I might even go for the 65 mile tour. :-)

And Tomorrow We Ride

2008-06-13T20:13:00.000-07:00

And it looks the weather will be nice. Probably Hot. Thankfully we start early in the morning.

Wish me luck.

And thank you again for the donations. The total so far is $430. Much, much more than I expected, but still I just have to ask--Anyone care to turn it into an even $500?? :-)

Seriously, last minute donations are still very welcome. Just click on the Big Red Thermometer in the sidebar. It will link you to the donation page.

Tour de Cure training update

2008-06-08T10:32:00.000-07:00

The first thing I would like to say is Thank You to everyone who has donated so far. With your generous help we have more than doubled the original $150 goal that I set. Much better than I expected to do. The ride is next Saturday, so if you would still like to donate, but haven't had a chance to do so, please do. Just click on the thermometer in the sidebar and it will take you directly to the donation page. Or, you can donate any time of the year by going to the ADA site and just making a donation to their cause.

Training is going well, though I am sorely behind schedule. At least I am not suffering from sore muscles or seat. :-) Yesterday we did 16.5 miles, half of it against the wind. Time? About 1.5 hrs. I'm suffering no ill effects this morning, though I think I will pick up a pair of gloves before the ride. We estimate that the ride will take about 3-4 hours on Saturday (including the stops and gos that come with city streets). It might be less if we had started training sooner, but this isn't a race. It is a challenge.

A simple thought

2008-05-23T20:07:00.000-07:00

Snake Curled

in the shade
of some bushes

It watched
Eagle
gliding
on waves of wind

It heard
Yellow Finch
singing

It saw
Coyote
scamper through
the long grass

I am only a snake
Snake said

What can I do but crawl
over the Earth
while others are singing and Flying
running and jumping?

I know, it doesn't seem like much of a poem. Not really. You have to pay attention to what it is saying. "Feel" the meaning of the words, not as individuals, but as a whole. An entirety.

Any child, teen, adult, human or even non-human (yep, even a Vulcan--I'm a geek) who has ever felt as if they were nothing compared to all those around them can grasp the simple depth of the message.

This short construction of words, simple and clear, sets forth a commonality, an essence that we all share. And therein lies its strength.

If we were to look at the same scene through the eyes of Eagle, Yellow Finch or Coyote I'm certain we would find that they're thought of their selves is similar to how Snake sees himself.

Wow! The donations are flowing in

2008-05-23T09:58:00.000-07:00

THANK YOU!!! to everyone who has contributed so far. Yes, I know I've already thanked each and everyone of you in person, but I just had to say it again. :-)

I promised to keep you updated on my progress, so here we go. You can see how the fund raising is going by taking a look at the thermometer in my sidebar. We've exceeded expectations. YIPPEE!! Please, though, if you planned on donating and haven't had a chance yet, please still do. Every dollar helps.

Training is being held up by the unexpected wet weather this week. Well, that and I discovered yesterday that my bike computer is a front wheel rather than a rear wheel model. The problem? A rear wheel model is required for use on a stationary trainer. For now, that problem is resolved by using my room-mates bike when on the trainer. He has a rear wheel computer. The problem number 2? I just discovered that assembly of the trainer requires an adjustable wrench or 13mm box wrench. Of course, this is one of the tools that I don't have handy. So, after my appointment with the eye doctor today, I will try to remember to pick up a wrench. Then I will finish assembling the trainer and see if I can get some biking and strength training in today.

Weather? We are expecting rain again today. Ok, it was starting to rain when I came in from my outdoor workout area a few minutes ago. This could slow training down a bit too, though at the very least I might be able to bring my dumbbells inside and at least do some upper body work.

I hope to hit the 15-20 mile distance mark this holiday weekend.

Tour date is June 14.

Tour de Cure--Please Donate

2008-05-17T12:55:00.000-07:00

I recently accepted the challenge of cycling in the American Diabetes Association's Tour de Cure fund-raising event. The Tour de Cure is a series of cycling events held in over 80 cities nationwide. The Tour is a ride, not a race; it features different route lengths from a leisurely 10-mile course to a demanding 100-mile journey. I have joined thousands of others to pedal in support of the Association's mission: to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes.Because I only have a month to prepare for the Long Beach, CA event, I will be riding in the 35 mile tour.

I am asking you, my friends and family, to help by supporting my fund-raising efforts with a donation. Your tax-deductible gift will make a difference in the lives of more than 20 million Americans who suffer from diabetes and another 54 million people in the United States with pre-diabetes. Chances are that you know at least one of them.

It's fast and easy to support this great cause - you can make your donation online by selecting this "Click to Support Me" link. Watch the thermometer (comimg soon) in the sidebar for progress updates.

Any amount, great or small, helps in the fight against this deadly disease. I greatly appreciate your support and will keep you posted on my progress. If you want to do even more to help, please consider joining me in this great event. Our efforts will help set the pace in the fight against diabetes.

More information on the American Diabetes Association, its programs and diabetes in general can be found at the Association's Web site: www.diabetes.org

For more information on Tour de Cure, please visit www.diabetes.org/tour.

Another toy

2008-05-11T11:13:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we went bike shopping. Yes, I already own a beach cruiser that is badly in need of repair and a tune up. Beach cruisers are not much use on the road or for distance or speed, but they have their place and can be a lot of fun too. And while I love my little blue wide tired, low speed baby, I have now added a sleeker, speedier model to my bicycle stable.

I am now the proud owner of a Scattante 660, complete with a fluid trainer for those days when I can't hit the road. The bike can turn on a dime at full speed. I love it. I tested several bikes, even one with a full carbon frame, and I liked this one the best.

Was this a frivolous purchase? Perhaps. I plan to make use of her though, starting with the Tour de Cure in a few weeks. I'm also considering joining Team in Training, but the amount of money and time involved may be a problem in my already tight schedule.

Thoughts....

2008-04-18T18:37:00.000-07:00

Death is nothing at all,
I have only slipped away into the next room,
I am I and you are you;
Whatever we were to each other, That we still are.
Call me by my old familiar name,
Speak to me in the easy way which you always used,
Put no difference in your tone,
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we shared together.
Let my name ever be the household word that it always was.
Let it be spoken without effect, without the trace of a shadow on it.
Life means all that it ever meant,
It is the same as it ever was, there is unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just around
the corner.
All is well.

-Henry Scott Holland, Canon of St. Paul’s Cathedral, London

A friend passed on Wednesday morning after an all too brief illness. He will be very much missed by so many friends and family. Probably more than he realized.

Tonight I will sit with the family. Tomorrow I will attend a day of prayer services, and graveside services and then sit with the family again. Sad as the event is, most of the day, I think, will be spent in laughter, smiles and general joy. All edged with a thin thread of sorrow. This week has been spent in an odd sort of limbo as we all mourned in our own way. Tomorrow puts an end to much of that.

Congratulations! It's an Airport Extreme wifi network

2008-04-12T15:01:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know. Everyone has wifi at home these days, but until recently I couldn't even get internet at home. For months I've been running down to the local Starbuck's just so I could get on-line for a few minutes.

Now, I can do it from home. Better yet, I can do it without wires. It's an oddly liberating experience.

Next step--wander from room to room to see if I'm going to need any routers. It's a large house, so I won't be surprised it I need one or two.

And now I need to prove to my room-mate that this will work with a PC as well as a MAC.

How about a domestic trek

2008-03-26T07:49:00.000-07:00

in Alaska?

Ok, so you don't get to stay in nice hotels, or even semi-nice ones. You get to camp out under a starry sky for 3-5 days instead, and in one of the most beautiful and pristine areas of the world too. Just think of the photo opportunities!

One possible trekking company is the Denali Trekking Company. They offer three treks, two of which can be done as center based rather than point to point. This means you only have to carry your large pack or kit bag onto the plane--they fly you in to the camp site--and off to your tent. The rest of the time you use a day pack for your day hikes.

Of course, they also offer a 3, 5 or 7 day full pack trek through the mountain wilderness, which is the best way to see everything. But , that means you need to be up to carrying a 30-60 pound pack for long distances. I'm not certain about the food situation, or what we would need to carry with us. That will require contacting the company.

What about this or something like it

2008-03-23T19:35:00.000-07:00

as a possible trek?

A while back South America was suggested by one of my fellow trekkers, though I don't think any more was said. Still, it might be worth considering.

One trek I saw that looked interesting, though quite possibly challenging was the Inca Trail offered by Exodus. The scenery shown on their site was beautiful, and seeing Machu Picchu would be amazing. History, beauty, possibly a little religion and the wonders of yet another country...what more could a girl ask for?? Especially one that once considered becoming an archaeologist?

Ok, I admit there is some camping involved, but the actual trekking portion is only 4 or 5 days, and just think of the gorgeous night skys. So many stars you might not be able to pick out the constellations.

And, if by chance the permits for the Inca Trail are dwindling, there is the even more rarely traveled trail of the Moonstone Trek. A bit tougher. A bit higher. More pristine and isolated. And we still get to see Machu Picchu at the end of the trek.

Where to next? Will it be the Dolomites?

2008-03-17T19:08:00.000-07:00

Well, perhaps not--More from a financial perspective than that of an interesting trek. Proposed approximately 3 weeks ago, it looks like this trek suggestion has been filed away for another day. I hope it wasn't actually for lack of interest. I know that two members of the group could not make the trip due to previous obligations. I really haven't heard much else. The exchange rate, though, is not looking good.

Tho Dolomites offer not only substantial beauty, and challenging terrain, but abundent history. As an example of the beauty please take a look at these photos by photographer Jack Brauer. Ok, he even includes some of the history.

Poppy Bright

2008-03-17T18:58:00.000-07:00

A little over a week ago, ok, it's getting close to two weeks now, a friend invited me to join her for a trip up to the Poppy Festival in Lancaster in April. I've never been. Sounds like fun, and I will likely go. First I have to make certain that no one has made any early birthday plans, since the date is near my yearly party time. :-)

I thought some of you might be interested in reading more about the Poppy Festival and all the scheduled events.

Trek....

2008-02-18T12:31:00.000-08:00

Ok, I admit it. I've been very busy lately and haven't had much time to devote to looking into trek possibilities.

The first question that rises to my mind is what difficulty level we want to consider. The members of the group are at varying levels of fitness, me probably being the least fit of the bunch. We've done B and C level treks. Do we want to attempt a D? Are all of us ready, or could all of us be ready for such a feat? We have to take in to account our various daily schedules. Some have more time to train than others.

Possible suggestions so far, serious or not, are Everest Base Camp and Croatia. My room-mate has also asked if anyone would be interested in South American treks. Heck, why not. Seeing the world is part of the adventure. Since we are currently looking at Explore only treks, I'm going to expand the Everest Base Camp to Everest area.

Everest possibilities then become--

Everest Base Camp, 19 days, level D

The Other Side of Everest, 23 days, level C/D

Everest Tea House Trek, 15 days, level B/C

Annapurna Sanctuary, 16 days, level B/C

Annapurna Panorama, 16 days, level A/B

Two members of the group have already done Annapurna. I hear that the trek was very tough. Something about lots and lots and lots of uneven steps, which equates at the very least to aching knees. Another thing to consider, is that due to the climate and the time of year that we would be considering venturing out, the Everest and Annapurna areas might require purchasing more equipment.

Treks in Croatia and Albania might be a bit less strenuous. Shorter too.

On Foot in Croatia, 8 days, level A/B

On Foot in Montenegro, 9 days, level B

Albanian Trails, 8 days, level B

And, if we want to stick with Europe and the nearby areas, there are quite a few more to choose from, including the other Pyrenees trek that we didn't take two years ago.

There are so many possibilities to choose from and so few listed here that it almost feels like we should just throw them all in a hat and take the luck of the draw. :-)

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!

2008-02-14T11:37:00.000-08:00

We woke to rainy weather here, but that's not really a bad thing for local lovers. It's an excellent excuse to stay home and enjoy a private candle lit dinner for two. Then cozy up in front of the fireplace, or the big screen tv (featuring a romantic movie, of course), or do both. Most importantly, snuggle.

I hope you all have a very happy day whether with your significant other, or just out and about with friends.

My plans--snuggling up with a warm pup, a green feathered fluff ball and a mug of something warm and soothing. :-)

Did you know

2008-02-11T21:28:00.000-08:00

that it is nearly impossible to listen to your iPod while sitting in a busy Starbucks? It's not just the noise created by their sound system, which seems to get louder as soon as your earbuds touch your ears, but the undulating vocal cacophony of your fellow patrons, that disrupts all attempts at personal musical harmony.

Ah well, I will just have to listen to the latest selections during a more peaceful moment, like one of my walks.

And speaking of walks, my trainer has uploaded this months workout schedule today. It looks like we are back on the serious training track. If I survive, I think I will be sleeping very well indeed for some time to come.

This month's schedule--

Look like fun? The newest aspect is the biweekly test to see where I stand. In other words am I improving or back sliding. Yep, there have been some back slides, loathe though I am to admit it. Still, sometime in March, if I stick to my schedule and there are no backward slides, I should be able to run (or more likely slow motion jog) 1.5-2 miles continuously. I have never been able to run without falling unexplicably or having a knee buckle and tumble me painfully down to the ground--not even when I was a little girl. I'm still getting used to the fact that I can run, even a little. Still, I'll never be a marathoner--ok, I don't think I will be. My trainer could prove me wrong.

Now, I need to figure out how to use the lap function on my heart monitor. I'm going to need it in order to gather data for those biweekly tests.

So, did I manage to succeed on day one of this schedule? Well, considering I didn't receive the schedule until this afternoon and had to guess at what would be there, I'd say I did pretty well. 2.5 miles at lunch, no pack. 4 miles in the evening with an approximately 30 pound pack.

When you feel like talking about nothing in particular

2008-02-08T20:44:00.000-08:00

and everyone you know is busy, what do you do?

You write in your journal or in your blog, and when everyone is ready, when everyone is no longer busy, if what you had to say is worth repeating you tell them then. Well, unless they've already read your blog. ;-)

So, the time has come when the possibility of yet another trek is being discussed. Where shall we go? When? For how long? How challenging should it be?

The first possibility mentioned when the call went out was Everest Base Camp. The next, Croatia. Dubrovnik anyone?

Am I ready for Everest Base Camp? No. Could I be? I'm not certain, but I could train in an attempt to be ready, and be all that much better off for wherever we do decide to go.

The list will likely grow as we all receive our trek catalogues. The only definite request so far is that we go with the Explore company and not the Exodus. I'm not completely certain why, though I am under the impression that some of our party did not enjoy last years trip as much as the trip in the Pyranees the year before. We split up onto two separate treks this year. The one I was on was wonderful--good food, plenty of water, entertaining and knowledgeable trek leader, and excellent accomodations.

For a friend

2008-02-08T20:24:00.000-08:00

who thinks I have not been listening to his gifts. I admit I'm a bit behind, but I will catch up. Meanwhile, I'd like to recommend this album.

The Grand Archives

The lyrics are clear and simple, the meanings of the songs not hidden in code. Still, it is the music that I appreciate the most. Upbeat and bright, it leaves a fresh smile on my face each time I play it. Three times so far this week. :-)

Make that four.

Waimea Canyon

2008-01-31T20:23:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of photos from last Monday's drive up the mountain, past Waimea Canyon, on the way up to Awaawapuhi trail. There are more photos yet to come.

Click on the photo to view a larger image

A few photos from Kuaui

2008-01-29T14:50:00.000-08:00

I didn't get to take as many photos as I would have liked on this trip. We were only gone for 5 days. Friday and Tuesday were dedicated mostly to travel time (the flights). Saturday was the wedding. Sunday was the after wedding celebration. Monday was ours to do what we wanted as long as we made it back in time for a dinner with the family. Reservations for the early evening were made without checking with us, and cut our hiking time a bit short. We had to turn back before completing the trail and de-mudify ourselves while taking turns changing in the car. Still, we did have fun.

I haven't had time to sort through the few photos I did manage to take, but until I get a chance, I hope these will tide you over.

The view from the hotel (Resortquest Islander on the Beach). The facility may not be luxourious or have all the ammenities that some might like, but the rooms are large, clean and recently upgraded. They have plenty of storage, including linen closets, and an armoure, and captains beds. They also offer pay by the day internet in the room or free wifi in the lobby. And you have a kitchenette with a larger than average refrigerator, microwave and coffee maker, cups, bowls, plates, glasses and flatware. There are two grocery stores a short distance away. If you plan it right you can cut your food spending by eating fresh foods or zappable foods. The staff is very friendly and helpful, though there is no elevator in these three floor buildings and the bellman only comes by once a day. So be prepared to tote your own luggage or wait a bit for someone to bring it by.

Coconut Market Place is right across the alley/parking lot, and offers a movie theater, touristy shopping, bars, quick and sit down restaurants, and Eggberts, which serves a palatable and large breakfast throughout most of the day (for you late risers). Kountry Kitchen, just down the road in Kapa'a is known for having the best breakfast in town (even the locals say so). It is just past the large ABC store and across from the library on the far side of the park. Park in the dirt lot by the library and cross the road, but get there early or you could have a 45 minute or longer wait. They open at 6am, for you early risers.

to view larger image click here

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Wailua Falls

to view larger image click here

to view larger image click here

The Island Bird

to view larger image click here

Kauai--Day 3

2008-01-28T10:27:00.000-08:00

We began the day slowly.

Originally, we thought we would get in a short hike, maybe a mile or two, but that didn't work out. Instead, we headed out for a quick view of the Wailua waterfall, which is just down the road. You've already seen a couple of the photos. We had thought to hike in to the base of the fall, but the trail was closed a few years back because it is too steep and slippery. Well, that and the fact that several people died making the attempt. A good reason to close the trail. So now you can only view the falls from the road above.

After the falls, we quickly drove over to Port Allen to meet up with my room-mate's family and the newlyweds for the sunrise dinner cruise to the Na Pali coast. The weather was rough, so we didn't make it all the way out to the nose, but still we had a wonderful time. I actually love standing at the front of the boat and letting the wind and salt spray hit me head on. Yes, I was drenched, but it was great fun.

At one point, both on the way out and the way back, we were surrounded by a pod of spinner dolphins. Beautiful and friendly, they put on a show for us. Apparently, this particular breed does not survive well in captivity. They rarely last a day. So you can only view them in the wild.

We also saw whale spouts everywhere. They're here to birth. On the way back one surfaced no more than 25-50 yards behind the boat. It's an amazing sight. I haven't seen so many spouts since I was a kid living off the Strait of Juan de Fuca during migration season.

Wedding Day

2008-01-26T22:03:00.000-08:00

My room-mate's step niece's wedding went well. Though not without a few minor problems.

It seems there was an accident on the bypass highway just a mile or two from our hotel. Sadly, it was a fatality. What that means here on the island is no one is going anywhere for several hours, if not the rest of the day. This highway is the only open road connecting the Lihue side of the island to the Koloa area. The only other way to get there is through cane roads--red dirt/mud roads running through what used to be cane fields--, which need to be opened up for usage-they're generally closed.

We left our hotel on time to reach the wedding, maybe even arrive a little early. But ten minutes before that the accident occurred. Several cars were badly crushed. We've heard that there were possibly two fatalities. The locals are accustomed to this sort of highway blockage. Apparently it happens every two or three months. They all turned their engines off, got out of their cars and wandered off to the local golf course--right next to our stopping position--and had a drink or used the restroom. Some pulled their cars into the golf course lot, until it filled. Then opened their car doors, climbed up onto the roofs and hoods of the cars and sunned themselves while speculating with others on what must have happened. Meanwhile an hour went by and we knew we would not be making the wedding. As one of the locals advised us--Wedding? Ain't gonna get there bro. Hope it's not yours.

So, we joined the crowd and made the best of it. We called every family member cell phone we knew and left a message, hoping that someone who wasn't in the wedding party would at least pick up their voice mail.

Eventually, the golf course opened up a cart road that joined to a cane road and let many, but not all of the cars on our side through. We were among the lucky ones. We didn't make the wedding ceremony, but we arrived early for the reception. Only to find out that everyone thought we had been in a car accident. So, we explained the entire thing to everyone again, and then suddenly realized that if we had been just ten minutes earlier we would have been in the accident. There's always something to be thankful for.

It turned out that the dj was also stuck behind the accident. He'd never been late to a wedding reception before and felt terrible. He was certain the bride and groom wouldn't believe his tale. But, they had us for verification of the tale--he ended up verifying ours as well--so all went well. The dj arrived a few hours late after a can road was opened to bypass the highway, and all went well.

My room-mates family spent a great deal of time apologizing to him. They had all assumed that he was just late again. They may think twice before making that assumption next time. I hope so.

The wedding was beautiful, the bride gorgeous, the groom had a permanent grin on his face. Everyone had a terrific time.

Arrival day continued

2008-01-25T23:59:00.000-08:00

Evening

We left LA in the midst a rainstorm that had sent small tornados through Long Beach—the type that can take a roof off if it hits just right, but usually just tosses a few trash cans about, knocks down a fence here and there, or uproots a few trees. We arrived in Kauai to yet another rain storm, with more to come. It rains a lot here, so that was not a surprise, especially this time of year. I slept well last night. Rain can be very soothing.

We arrived on the island later than planned. Our luggage was waiting for us. It made the flight that we had missed. Then we picked up the rental car and headed off to the rehearsal dinner. Or, perhaps, I should say non-rehearsal dinner. Thankfully someone at the party had the good sense to call us, or we never would have found the house. It was well hidden on the ocean side of Koloa. The food was good, the company pleasant, and the chair that everyone insisted I sit down in comfortable. Too much so.

I curled up and silently slept through much of the evening. Ah well, everyone still had a wonderful time. :-)

Day 1--And We're Off to Kauai

2008-01-25T10:45:00.000-08:00

Well, maybe.

We had an early morning 8:40 am flight. We missed it, but our luggage is on it's way to Honolulu. And then on to Kauai.

We have managed to get on a later flight to Honolulu. We should be boarding a little before noon. When we get to Honolulu we must contact Aloha Airlines and arrange for another flight to Kauai. With luck, we will gather our luggage, the rental car and make it to our hotel room just in time to call everyone at the rehearsal dinner and let them know we will be late.

Don't ask why we were late. I'm not really certain.

The Photos are here

2008-01-19T21:44:00.000-08:00

Check out the new photos of Aguille du Midi.

More to follow later.

More photos coming soon

2008-01-18T06:57:00.000-08:00

More photos are about to be posted to my photo site. (Ok, it could be a few days yet.) Part one of the rest day. What do you do when you’re on trek and a rest day comes up? Why more hiking, of course. In our case we decided to visit Le Praz and Aguille du Midi. The photos from the afternoon at Aguille du Midi are posted. Those from the trail to Le Praz will join them shortly.

And now, according to my trainer, it’s time to pick a new goal. That means selecting a new trek. Since I don’t actually have any one specific destination in mind at the moment, and finances and schedules of all involved need to be considered as well, I have set a temporary goal of trekking up Mount Whitney. It’s a three day trek, requiring reservations for the camp sites on the way up, and a couple more days to acclimate at about the 8000’ level as well. I have enough time to prepare for the trip, if I stick to a strict training schedule. And I don’t expect to make it to summit on my first attempt, but heck, you never know what you can do until you try. There is also a very good chance that I won't be able to reserve space, or be chosen from the lottery. Yes, they hold a lottery for the reservations.

Besides, the training alone should prepare me for whatever goal I actually do accomplish this year. Well, that and I want to lose another 40 pounds by the end of April.

Most immediate hiking goal--perhaps a trail or two in Hawaii. Choice of trail depends on weather conditions as well as people conditions. Many of the trails I was interested in become dangerous when wet or when it rains. And we do have a friend who would like to join us on the trail. The friend's idea of a hike, I fear, is a gentle stroll through a meadow or a flat well tread trail. I could be wrong. Nevertheless, one of my tasks tonight is to pick a few trails that will allow everyone to tag along for a short distance.

Movies Scene

2008-01-12T23:30:00.000-08:00

After a long day of editing still more photos from my last trek to the Mont Blanc area I was looking forward to heading out with my room-mate to meet a friend and his companion for dinner. They were only going to be in town for one night and we hadn’t seen the friend for a few months. Unfortunately, there was a misunderstanding on my part concerning the meeting arrangements and we were not able to get together. Perhaps next visit. No, make that definitely next visit.

Not wanting to waste an entire evening, my roomie and I decided to head out for dinner and a movie. And an excellent movie it was.

Atonement:: The first movie I have seen in quite a while that might actually be worthy of awards. This is not a movie to see if you are looking for something light hearted or spirit lifting. It is very emotional and dives to the root of your being. The movie centers around Briony, a girl of about 13, who witnesses an incident that she believes she understands, but her perception is colored by emotion and the lack of adult knowledge and judgement. She does not lie when she reports what she has seen to her parents, but in doing so she creates a seemingly unmendable rift between herself and her older sister. While serious, what Briony has done is the sort of thing that might normally heal and be forgiven with time. The trouble is that the time needed never comes. Most of us have memories of what we perceive as a horrible and unforgivable act on our parts, committed when we were children. In most cases our families forget the incident, but often we never do. Briony too cannot forget what she has done. In Briony’s case though, there is no one left to forgive her. She spends her life trying to find a way to repent, to forgive herself. Does she succeed? You must judge the answer for yourself.

In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale:: There is potential here for a good movie. An excellent cast was chosen for the main characters. The story, though not deeply involved, has the possibility of being interesting. Unfortunately, the actors were not given enough to work with and little attention was paid to character development. Nor was much time spent on making the plot of the story feel like more than a drop curtain on the front of the stage. Instead most of the attention was placed on the battle scenes, including Ninja like warriors. The result was a movie filmed more for hack and slash than story. The hero lacked the heroic effect. Even the villain did not feel evil. If you intend to see this movie in the theater, see it as a matinee. Better yet, wait for it to hit the $2 theaters, or dvd.

Off to the Movies again

2008-01-01T17:19:00.000-08:00

A nice matinee at that. Off to see the Water Horse I went, with my room-mate and his mother, early this afternoon. It is a children's movie, and a quite well done one at that. It is both enlightening and sad, and at times may be a little frightening for the very very young. There were a couple of small children who had to be removed from the theater for short periods. Still, I would definitely recommend the movie. If you haven't seen this with your children and their friends, go.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!

2008-01-01T09:40:00.000-08:00

And a a few more photos.

While everyone else is sitting in front of the television, eyes wide in amazement as they watch each and every float in the Rose Parade drift by--each more wondrous than the next--, I sit in front of my computer sorting through and uploading photos from my last trip to Europe. No, not really for anyone else to see, but just for my own enjoyment I suppose. I'd be editing them too, but I am at a friends house and they have no editing software. That seems so odd to me, but I guess not everyone bothers with editing their photos. Some people just pick the ones they like and have them printed at the local photo shop. I'm not really certain what happens to the photos they don't like. They delete them, I suppose.

It seems I will have a busy week in front of me, not only cleaning my office at work and getting ahead of the game a little (I hope), but ploughing through the office at home too. With luck, I will be setting up my room-mate's new photo printer as well as an art printer he bought a couple of year's ago, mainly for my use. I don't really have any resolutions for this new year, though I may begin taking my photography a little more seriously--that's what the art printer was for. (Well that and some of my digital work or perhaps I should say play. Maybe I'll enter a few contests or submit my photos to a few of the UK journals. At least with the UK journals I can keep the rights to my photos, I think. I had better double check that.

Ok, so maybe I do have some resolutions. Clean the office. Set up the printers. Make room for my easel and paints. Load Poser, Bryce, etc onto my new laptop when it arrives, and just maybe actually learn some of the finer points of the software. Organize and edit my photos, maybe scan in some of my negatives. And after all of that, if there's time, I can consider seriously doing something with my work. I know, it sounds more like a weekly todo list, but maybe that is what resolutions are to me. A step by step progression rather than a leap.

Oh, and let's not forget the 20-40 pounds I have yet to lose. Of course, if I lose them, nobody will recognize me. Hmmm, that could be fun.

Anyway, I have another set of photos from the trek available for viewing.

Movies Seen

2007-12-12T13:13:00.000-08:00

The Golden Compass:: A movie that many young girls and even a few boys will delight in seeing. The story is well told. However, something seemed to be missing--a magical quality perhaps? I can't really place my finger on it. I would not recommend this movie for very young children or those who are easily prone to nightmares, since some of the animal souls of the people in this world do attack other animal souls quite violently. If your child cannot deal with even a slight cat fight among the neighborhood critters, you might want to view the movie without him/her first or hide their little eyes and cover their ears during those few parts. I have a niece who at 14 might not be able to handle those small bits of violence in the movie. Her brother and sister wouldn't think twice about them.

Enchanted:: Cute. Very cute. The princesses in your life will love it. So will the adults with a romantic twist to their heart. You must be prepared to put reality aside and just go with the flow or the magic will be lost. A good, but subtle, lesson of learning to take your fate in your own hands rather than willing letting others take the reins and simply following or doing as you are told.

Beowolf:: Excellent 3D animation. The depictions of the characters are amazingly life like. There is still a bit lacking in the movement of the eyes and the facial expressions--emotions do not come through as well as they would on a real person. The voice actors do the best they can to make up for this lack with the inflections in their voices. The story, well, it's a version of Beowolf. What more can I say.

Fred Claus::An ok movie, and an entertaining distraction for one viewing. The one thing that kept the movie going and made it not just a Christmas movie or another movie about Santa and his family, was the ongoing relationship between the two brothers, and the fact that though misunderstood, they truly cared for each other and in the end resolved their differences.

Mr. Magoriums Wonder Emporium:: Another cute movie with a hidden lesson. What I saw of it I liked. Ok, I fell asleep in it twice, but my roommate loved it. Based on what I saw, my nieces and nephews would love it too.

Dan In Real Life:: Was pretty much that--the story of a man who has allowed his life to stop except for caring for his children, after the death of his spouse. He's even given up his music--something that no one should ever due regardless of their ability. Music is an expression of your soul and a healer of wounds. And, Dan, it turns out is quite talented. It is the story of a man falling in love and slowly coming back to life one winter holiday season, much to the joy of his family. While it gets off to a slow start, it is definitely worthy of a watch.

My new favourite drink

2007-12-12T12:32:00.000-08:00

Well, anyone who has read this blog, even just a little, has probably noted at one time or another that the only hot drinks that I am partial to are hot chocolate and mint tea (unsweetened). Ok, I sort of like hot mulled cider too, but not the Starbuck's stuff. It's too sweet, and they don't use mulling spices. They use a sugar based cinnamon flavour syrup.

Anyway, I recently went back on my diet. I still have a few pounds to shed. And, well, drinking only mint tea or water can get a little boring. Since I avoid caffeine like the plague, to use a cliche, I tend to search for herbal teas that have some kick to them or enough natural sweetness to satisfy that sweet tooth of mine. It's rare that I find an herbal tea that I like, however, I am adding Celestial Season's Spiced Sugar Plum to my list. Not only does it taste great, but it smells wonderful. And, at least to me, it is sweet. The only drawback is that it is seasonal. So, I just may have to pick up a few extra boxes to get me through the rest of the year.

Now, if only I could find a chocolate tea that doesn't contain caffeine or peanuts and doesn't need sweetening. Chocolate, chocolate mint, chocolate hazelnut, chocolate whatever..., I'm willing to try it.

Yes, I know, I could use artificial sweeteners to give the mint tea a bit of a change in flavour, and maybe make some of the other herbals I've tried so far palatable, but, guess what? Yep, I've never been a fan of artificial sweeteners--well, excluding a short stint a few years back when nutrasweet first came out. That use was caused by a health issue that has since improved.

I'm open to suggestions for possible drinks, hot or cold, to add to my very short list.

The newest gadget to catch my eye

2007-11-21T11:24:00.000-08:00

If you are an avid reader, like me, and I know some who are even more avid, then you are probably always looking for a way to carry more books with you on trips or even just on your every day travels. A long time ago I started using e-books on my Palm to make life a bit easier on my back. My pack can only hold so much paper. Don't get me wrong. I love books. For every e-book I have, I also have a paper copy. Most likely I read that book partly electronically and partly by paper. While reading on the small screen on my Palm doesn't bother me, I do know that it is a problem for many of my friends.

So, when something comes along that is an electronic gadget, that allows me to be able to carry my entire library with me if I so desire, and that will be much easier on the eye than my current method for e-book digestion, I take a good long look at it. I liked the Sony Reader and others that I have seen, but somehow I feel more attracted to Amazon's Kindle. Read the latest press release here.

The only thing I didn't like about the Kindle was that there currently doesn't seem to be anyway for me to put Kindle e-books on my Amazon wish list. Gosh. Can someone fix this oversight?? Pretty please.

Trek Day 3 Photos

2007-11-12T07:20:00.000-08:00

The very few photos I have of day 3 of the Mont Blanc trek are up on the photo page, as of last night.

It will take me a while to get days 4 and 5 edited. I have quite a few there, though no group shots.

Mont Blanc Trek Day 2

2007-11-07T04:23:00.000-08:00

I know it's taking me way longer than it should to sort through the photos from my last trip, but there truly are a few thousand.

At any rate, the photos from day two of the trek are up, without text narrative (sorry--it will come later).

Day 3 to follow soon.

How to cook a Thanksgiving Turkey

2007-11-04T08:20:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again. The time when many of us are facing the task of preparing the holiday turkey for the first time. It seems a daunting task for those who have never taken on the duty of preparing the main dish for the feast. I know, I've never tackled the bird either, though I have seen it done many times. It truly isn't much different than roasting a chicken or a cornish hen.

I won't be stuffing my oven with a turkey this year, but if I was, I think I would like all the advise I could get.

So, step 1) want to avoid all the work and just warm the bird? Go to your local Honey Baked shop and order your turkey well in advance. Or you could order your entire meal from one of the many local grocers that offer special menus this time of year.

Or, Step 1a) go to the grocers and purchase a turkey of the appropriate size for your dinner. You need to know how many guests will be attending and then assume about 1 1/2 pounds, per person, of whole fresh or frozen bird. It doesn't hurt to get more than you think you will need. There are many different ways to make use of the leftovers, and always someone who will take them off of your hands is you prefer.

Step 2) if frozen, thaw the bird according to the instructions on the package. Don't forget to remove the bag of guts (gizzards, neck, heart, etc) from inside the cavity of the turkey. Rinse out the cavity, and salt and pepper or spice inside accordingly.

Step 3) Follow your recipe of choice, or do a simple roast in a oven set to 350 degrees, allow 15-20 minutes per pound. Baste frequently with melted butter, or you could try pineapple juice or chicken broth.

Links that will probably be much more helpful than anything I can tell you are below.

Roast Turkey with Cranberry Orange Glaze

How to Cook a Turkey

Deep Fried Turkey

Day 7 of the trek

2007-10-29T13:59:00.000-07:00

While I work on sorting through my few thousand photos--yes, I said a few thousand--I thought I would post a couple of photos of the view from just below Brevent. There will be more of my trekking group atop Brevent later.

I will gradually add slide shows of the trip to my photo gallery as I sort and edit. Feel free to stop by and view the new additions as well as those that have been there a while.

The following have not been edited in any way. Those are the actual colors--yes the sky really was that blue.

View from just below the Brevent peak.

to view larger image click here

Photographer at rest.

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Photographer at work.

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The easy way up, but not the way that we travelled. Gee....

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A closer look.

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An Excuse to eat CHOCOLATE????

2007-10-26T15:10:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Cravings Come from Gut, Not Head, Researchers Say
Friday, October 12, 2007

The urge to eat chocolate is more of a gut feeling, according to new research.

A small study links the type of bacteria living in people's digestive system to a desire for chocolate. Everyone has a vast community of microbes in their guts. But people who crave daily chocolate show signs of having different colonies of bacteria than people who are immune to chocolate's allure.

That may be the case for other foods, too. The idea could eventually lead to treating some types of obesity by changing the composition of the trillions of bacteria occupying the intestines and stomach, said Sunil Kochhar, co-author of the study. It appears Friday in the peer-reviewed Journal of Proteome Research.

Kochhar is in charge of metabolism research at the Nestle Research Center in Lausanne, Switzerland. The food conglomerate Nestle SA paid for the study. But this isn't part of an effort to convert a few to the dark side (or even milk) side of cocoa, Kocchar said.

In fact, the study was delayed because it took a year for the researchers to find 11 men who don't eat chocolate.

Kochhar compared the blood and urine of those 11 men, who he jokingly called "weird" for their indifference to chocolate, to 11 similar men who ate chocolate daily. They were all healthy, not obese, and were fed the same food for five days.

The researchers examined the byproducts of metabolism in their blood and urine and found that a dozen substances were significantly different between the two groups. For example, the amino acid glycine was higher in chocolate lovers, while taurine (an active ingredient in energy drinks) was higher in people who didn't eat chocolate. Also chocolate lovers had lower levels of the bad cholesterol, LDL.

The levels of several of the specific substances that were different in the two groups are known to be linked to different types of bacteria, Kochhar said.

Still to be determined is if the bacteria cause the craving, or if early in life people's diets changed the bacteria, which then reinforced food choices.

How gut bacteria affect people is a hot field of scientific research.

Past studies have shown that intestinal bacteria change when people lose weight, said Dr. Sam Klein, an obesity expert and professor of medicine at Washington University in St. Louis.

Since bacteria interact with what you eat, it is logical to think that there is a connection between those microbes and desires for certain foods, said Klein, who wasn't part of Kochhar's study.

Kochhar's research makes so much sense that people should have thought of it earlier, said J. Bruce German, professor of food chemistry at the University of California Davis. While five outside scientists thought the study was intriguing, Dr. Richard Bergman at the University of Southern California School of Medicine, had concerns about the accuracy of the initial division of the men into groups that wanted chocolate or were indifferent to it.

What matters to Kochhar is where the research could lead.

Kochhar said the relationship between food, people and what grows in their gut is important for the future: "If we understand the relationship, then we can find ways to nudge it in the right direction."

Source: Associated Press

Life in the Time of Fire

2007-10-25T06:43:00.001-07:00

Nothing can truly give you a taste of what life has been like in Southern California fire zones these past few days, but these images taken by the locals who have been dealing with thick billowing layers of smoke and ash, and sudden evacuations come very close.

View these slide shows (labeled as "Part 1, Part2, etc...), or add photos of your own experiences from this week of life in the time of fire.

A Thanksgiving Side Dish done many ways...

2007-10-22T20:23:00.000-07:00

Mashed potatoes. Personally, I like mine plain and simple or with garlic. And don't forget the butter or gravy--turkey, pork or chicken preferred.

But these recipes from Williams-Sonoma all look delicious, and not a one requires you to purchase any of their products.

Mashed potatoes, many ways

San Diego Fires

2007-10-22T18:48:00.000-07:00

For those of you, who like me, may be wondering about friends or family--Have they evacuated? Where to? Is the fire near them?--I have attached a few links below that may be of some help.

Unfortunately, I have yet to find a link to help physically locate anyone, but you should be able to determine if evacuation was necessary and you should be able to keep up on some of the breaking news.

Two local radio stations that have been doing an excellent job of covering the fires all over Southern California are FM 1070 FM 1070 and AM 980.

I have friends who were evacuated from Fallbrook. The below information was helpful to me. All of Fallbrook was evacuated. The hospital and urgent care facility were evacuated about an hour before the town. I don't yet know where the patients were taken.

The below is from another blogspot blog (http://sosdfireblog.blogspot.com/) where other San Diego area fire updates can also be found.

------

Fire on the east side of Fallbrook
Posted @ 6:09 PM
Fire raged on the east end of Fallbrook near Interstate 15 as an eight-mile
stretch of bumper to bumper cars fled west out of the community on South
Mission Road and state Route 76.

Authorities called a mandatory evacuation of Fallbrook this afternoon.
Approximately 45,000 Fallbrook residents were evacuated, according to
officials with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Smoke billowing west to the coast from the Fallbrook area could be seen
throughout much of North County. The center of the fire appeared to be near
I-15.

Two lanes of traffic on northbound Mission Road, which led to I-15 north,
were also moving at a slow crawl out of town.

An evacuation center had been set up at El Toro High School in Orange
County. The school is located at 25255 Toledo Way in Lake Forest, Calif.

-------

Fallbrook Evacuation

General information for San Diego County fires can be found on these sites. Be aware that not all sites are functioning up to their standard levels. Understandable, given the circumstances.

San Diego County Emergency

f="http://news.yahoo.com/localnews/24701118/San+Diego+CA">San Diego Local News via Yahoo

Sign On San Diego

LA county information can be found here.

Southland Weather

The majority of the news is concentrated on the San Diego area.

A couple Images from Day 3 of the Trek

2007-09-28T20:22:00.000-07:00

The day was cold and damp. 2C in the valley, and colder up top. It had rained during the night and the early morning. The trails were steep and slick. We walked through damp clouds most of the day, looking forward to the stop at the local refuge where we could get hot wine, coffee and cocoa, along with a generous helping of myrtle berry (blue berry) tart. We wondered if we would get a view of anything but grey gloom, when suddenly, for just a few minutes while we ate our lunch, the sun came out.

The Fez breaks through the clouds for a moment
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A brief moment in the sun--Mont Blanc
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With this cross the mountain is blessed
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Training Schedule

2007-09-27T13:49:00.000-07:00

Did I say less strenuous?

I could have sworn I heard her say 1 workout a day, 5 days a week, and a hike or equivalent activity every other week. I need to get my hearing checked. Or maybe she realized that my schedule was about to get a lot more hectic and she wanted to make certain I had plenty of choices for my exercise routine. At any rate, not a single off day is listed on the calendar. Ok, I have the feeling that Fridays might be my day off, since what is scheduled is pretty much my every day walk, aside from the pack weight.

So, training for the next few weeks is meant to be a post trek cool down of sorts, while still keeping in current trekking condition or better. Compared to what I was doing before my vacation, this is a cool down. This month is also the start of keeping my metabolism up, trying to shed a few pounds and drop a few inches. 40 pounds would be about right, though I imagine more than 20 or so before the end of the year would be unhealthy. If I make it back to skinny, I will post a photo. Maybe I should post a before and after....

Sometime between now and the end of the year, perhaps sooner, I should pick another trekking goal to work toward. Even if it is just a place holder until something firm comes along. Or, even if I am unable to take a trekking break next year. You need a good 6 months of 3 workouts a day, 5-6 days a week to get into excellent condition. A schedule like that means you pretty much have no life.

Ya know, I actually have no idea what is playing on the tv these days. Does anyone know what the latest popular shows are for the "relax at home" after work or school crowd. Lately, the most I catch is a few minutes of the scifi channel (usually Star Gate reruns) just before I crash on the couch, or, if I get a late start in the morning, I might catch the last few minutes of Conan O'Brian and the first few minutes of the 4 am news. Couch potato I am not.

I'll post my current workout schedule as soon as I get a chance.

For now, lunch time is over and I have to get back to work. Day job calls.

Update on Photos

2007-09-17T07:03:00.000-07:00

Finally, I have finished downloading 3 weeks worth of photos, all sorted by day.

It didn't take this long to download and sort through last year, because my camera broke after only a few days of shooting. This year there were no problems, other than wondering if I had brought along enough memory to supply both my needs and my travelling companions. He seemed to constantly be running out of memory.

Now, as soon as my schedule permits, I will start going through the photos, one by one, to see which I will post. Hopefully, I'll be able to start the culling this coming weekend.

And, lo and behold, my trainer has contacted me. The training schedule will be back up and running soon. It will be a little less strenuous for a bit, but will ramp up again.

Home again

2007-09-10T13:38:00.000-07:00

We arrived at the airport very, very, very late Saturday evening. By the time we got home it was early Sunday morning. A few hours sleep and it was off to my roomie's mother's house in San Diego to do laundry and pick up the pets. I'm still not completely unpacked, but at least all the smelly stuff is clean and fresh.

Here it is Monday afternoon and I am back at work. Thankfully, the day job is a little slow today, but maybe that isn't as good as it sounds. I do need the time to get back into gear again, though much of it is coming along instinctively. I admit to having started cleaning up the work e-mail a couple of days before we flew home. But honestly, I only did about an hour a day while everyone else in the chalet was still sound asleep. Still, I have to admit that I am tired and will gladly hit the bed early tonight--like as soon as I get home, if allowed.

I will be posting photos as soon as I get a chance to go through them. This could be a bit, but I promise they will appear.

We thought the group would be full, but there were a few cancellations, so we ended up with 14 members. 14 exhausted but happy members by last Friday evening. I would happilly recommend my guide and the trek to anyone who is interested. Just make certain you are in shape before you go. The climbs are steep and rugged, both uphill and down. The food is filling and good, and the wine is plentiful. You are likely not going to lose weight on this trek, but you won't gain either--unless you opt not to hike at all.

I now know what -7C feels like. No, I didn't hike to that peak. I took a cable car. It was nearly 13000ft. However, we did have mornings where we started the day at 0 or 2C, which means, yes, it was colder up above.

Quick Update from France

2007-08-27T23:01:00.000-07:00

Wow! I know this is a three week trip, but it feels like it is passing by so quickly. A whirlwind of a tour.

So far I have been to the United Nations in Geneva, as well as their Old Towne and the Cathedral de St. Pierre. We also took a boat trip on the lake while there.

Then it was off to Lausanne Switzerland for a couple of days. Where we also visited the Old Towne and it's cathedral. And we took another boat ride on Lake Geneva to visit the Chateua de Chillon.

Now I am in France with friends Pauline and David. Perouges did not turn out to be what we had hoped. Today we will tour a little of Lyon.

More details later.

From Geneva

2007-08-23T23:38:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Geneva in the early evening on Wednesday after a very long and tiring day of flying. Somewhere around 20 hours.

Yesterday we got a late start and spent most of the day on a company tour of Geneva, by bus, boat and train. We took the bus around most of central Geneva including the UN. The train through Old Town. The boat around a large portion of Lake Geneva or Leman, depending on your preference. Then off to the bus again to view the country side.

Today, as soon as we pack, have breakfast, and I finish here, it's off to tour old town and the Cathedral of St. Pierre more thoroughly. Then possibly the UN, and a little bit of the lake shore. After which we take a half hour train ride to Lausanne. From Lausanne we intend to not only tour the city but Chateau de Chillon and Montreaux (I think I spelled that correctly). And, if there is time, which I doubt there will be, we will head off to a local site that is supposed to be well known for its Roman ruins. I don't know the city name, but my room-mate does, and I trust him to remember, since he located it.

Then it is off to the train again and onward to meet friends in Lyon France on Sunday.

Geneva is an interesting city. It is very expensive to live here, so most of the workers actually live in France, which just happens to surround Geneva on three sides. It is not unusual for the small local villages on the edge of Geneva to be partly in both countries, or even to have two different names, depending on which side of the border you are on. And apparently Geneva was once part of what is now France. History holds many strange border swapping stories, I'm certain.

More later, if I can get internet access. Off to find a functioning printer now.

Swiss train schedules are just a mouse click away

2007-08-20T13:56:00.000-07:00

There's a link just for checking the schedules way down at the bottom of the side bar.

Enjoy.

The trip moves ever closer

2007-07-31T13:30:00.000-07:00

and I wasn't able to train at all last week, though I did try a few times. There's a nasty cold going around work, and, of course, I caught it--sniffles, cough and all. I still have it, but I will survive. And, heck, I was still able to out hike my room-mate on Sunday. Though I did discover that trekking poles have other uses besides balance. It seems that when you are out on the ridge with nothing but rocks way down below you and the trail under your feet decides it's time to go for a run down the side of the hill a trekking pole can be very useful for bracing you up against that rock face you just dove into to keep from joining that over enthusiastic dirt that is now bouncing off the rocks below. Funny thing is I wasn't at all frightened, though my room-mate apparently was. He was behind me. I just reacted instinctively, evaluated my twisted ankle and sprain pinkie, and continued on. And then I forgot about the incident until my roomie brought it up to a friend at dinner. But now that I look back on the incident all I can think is that I was very lucky and that some adult, way back when I was a stick thin, gangly limbed little toe-headed brat, must have managed to drill something useful into my head afterall. I'm often accused of being too stubborn to take advice, so that is quite a feat.

My room-mate now has his first technical daypack. It's a little large for the particular trek we will be on, but it will do. He had a great deal of difficulty choosing between two different packs. I did find the pack he decided not to purchase (on the cute girl at the registers advice) on sale for approximately half price in a color that is no longer made, but that I think he would approve of. I just might pick it up for him. Mainly because every hiker needs more than one bag, and also because I think it's design will be better for the short trek we will be taking. Of course, the ultimate decision of which pack to take on the trek is his. So he has his shoes. He has his pack. Now he needs his cloths and all the other fun stuff useful for the trip.

It's time to make our shopping lists and final purchases.

Latest trip info

2007-07-17T22:28:00.000-07:00

Well, we ran into a little bit of a scheduling problem with our pet sitter, so we will adding a few days to the front end of the trip and subtracting from the tail end.

This vacation will begin in Switzerland, Geneva to be exact. We will also visit Lausanne and Chateau de Chillon in the nearby Vaud. Then a quick train ride to Lyon France, arriving in plenty of time to meet up with a friend fresh off his flight from the US, and spend anywhere from a few hours to a few days together before heading off to Annecy, then off to our separate treks.

Then immediately back to the US, via Geneva airport, after the trek.

Another Possibility

2007-07-11T04:38:00.001-07:00

and one I probably would not have found on my own since I was restricting myself to the Rhone-Alps area and, for some silly reason, had not considered looking just outside the borders.

Perouges is a beautifully preserved and still lived in medieval city about 30km away from Lyon. I may not have found it myself--a friend did--but it is a now a definite on my list of possibilities, if for no other reason than the photographic opportunities it offers.

And while I was researching Perouges, Lyon and Annecy, I came upon yet another photographer, Carole Devillers, who offers the opportunity to dreamers like me to travel and improve your photography at the same time. I've never actually tried one of these photo treks, and there are many photographers and companies out there that offer them, including National Geographic, though I have wanted to for some time now. Timing and expense are usually the road blocks that stop me. Barriers are meant to be broken, and one of these days I most certainly will.

France again??

2007-07-04T20:41:00.000-07:00

Definitely add Vienne and St. Romain-en-Gal to the list.

And possibly Bourg-en Bresse.

It's not easy to find detailed information on a lot of sites that look like they might be interesting. There are a few nature made sites that look nice, but since we will likely be travelling by train most of the time, they are probably not practical. Besides, we'll be spending much of the week following our touristiness popping in and out of nature's realm.

So, at the moment, the list contains the following::

Lyon, Vienne and St. Romain-en-Gal, Bourg-en-Bresse, Palais Ideal du Facteur Cheval, Annecy and Geneve.

That may actually be more than we can fit in, depending on when we arrive and how bad the jet lag is.

Anyone have any more suggestions of sites to see in the local area??

There is the possibility of meeting up with friends who will also be travelling in the same area as well. What a coincidence. Spending time with them so far from home can only make the trip more memorable. :-)

So where in the world is Zara Elis??

2007-07-02T10:29:00.000-07:00

She's at Westercon in San Mateo, CA. Photos and updates coming soon.

More on France

2007-07-02T10:24:00.000-07:00

Lyon area in particular.

We have decided to take in the Lyon area and possibly Annecy before the trek. And maybe a day or to in Geneva afterward. Ok, we don't have our hotels or flights yet. It's time to get those set, and very quickly.

Here's a great link for seeing some of the sites of Lyon and area.

So, what do you do if

2007-06-16T17:11:00.001-07:00

you are a mailman, a little bit bored, and live in France?

Well, you build a palace right out of a childs imagination. The Le Palais Ideal Facteur Cheval is just such a place, and I think well worth a visit with a camera. Take a look for yourself.

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That's right, I'm getting ready for my next trek, which just happens to start out near the Rhone Alps region of France. That means I will need something to do for a few days before the hike. So, how about some site seeing? And this humble little palace caught my eye.

There are plenty of places I'd like to see. Among them some of the sites of Lyon, Roman ruins and Annecy. My roommate however, seems to have his heart set on Paris. Though, I think that is in part nostalgic because he remembers having gone there with only change in his pockets back in his very early college years. And part of it is because he seems to think that there isn't much else to see outside of the tourist centers of Paris--at least that is the impression I have been getting from him. I'm hoping to encourage him to venture out a little further. After all, it isn't all just scenery and sitting around in cafes people watching. There's a lot to see and do.

More updates on sites to see soon.

The next question is whether to take the one week trek or the two week trek around Mont Blanc. It's looking like the one week. Mostly because he claims he doesn't have the vacation time and partly because he's never been on a trek of more than 1 days length. Though he will tell you that it's because I can't heft 30 pounds with my left arm yet. Last week that weight limitation was 10 pounds. I wonder how long it will be before he realizes I've been donning 30 pound plus packs for a couple of weeks now without any limitations from my left arm. I've always used my right arm to heft the pack up on the back. Besides, our packs will likely never be heavier than 15 pounds, if that.

crocheted lace

2007-06-09T10:58:00.000-07:00

Ok, silly and old fashioned though it might seem, one of my favourite hobbies is to tie really long, seemingly unending, creative knots. Yep, I like to crochet. Lately, I've been concentrating mostly on afghans, but not all that many years ago I also used to crochet lace--doilies, table cloths, that sort of thing. I've always preferred the older lace patterns to the more modern motifs.

I recently decided to try my hand at lace again, partly because I wanted to see if I could still do such fine work and partly because I wanted to make a special "just because" gift for a friend. So I hit the web looking for a good source of patterns and motifs to base my work off of. If you like crocheted lace, you might like these links too.

Crochet Pattern Central

Angelfire Crochet Patterns

Arm update

2007-06-09T10:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my last day of in office physical therapy. I've regained full range of motion. I have to continue therapy exercises for a few more months to ensure that I keep full bend and straightness.

Now the hard work starts--strengthening the arm back to the condition it was in before the accident,and preferably better. I'm up to a 6 pound dumbbell now. I'm hoping to be up to 10 pounds before the trek to Mont Blanc. And, I am back on the machines at the gym, though I admit the weights are very very light. It will be a while before I can do pushups or get back on the vertical ascent machine (mountain climber), but I am working on it.

So what happens

2007-05-31T21:01:00.000-07:00

when you admit to your trainer that you are having more and more difficulty meeting the stair climbing requirement of your training? She names the month Mastering Stairs and then fills it with stair workouts and other incline training. So far I'm doing much better than the last two weeks, but it's definitely going to be a much more challenging month.

Here's Junes schedule

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Arm update

2007-05-15T15:12:00.000-07:00

Healing very well apparently.

I saw the surgeon for a follow-up visit last week. He was shocked that I had regained nearly all of the motion in my arm--full extension and full bend. He didn't think I'd ever get close. I'm glad he didn't tell me that a few weeks ago when the cast came off.

I have to see him again in a couple of weeks for one last visit, but for now he says I can do whatever I want with the arm, as long as there is no pain. It still won't hold my weight, or much weight for that matter. It will be a while before I regain full strength, but I managed a 4 pound dumb bell yesterday. I know it doesn't sound like much, but I still remember how my arm trembled when I tried 1 pound just four weeks ago.

My elbow still hasn't turned all the way back into its proper position--ie, the joint still looks a bit odd--but I am told that this is mostly due to atrophy in the muscles and that as they strengthen the elbow will look more normal.

I see the physical therapy doctor for an evaluation today. I think he will be very happy with my progress. I'm way ahead of schedule, so he better be. :-) Maybe I'll try 5 pounds, just to see if I can do it.

Off to my appointment now. Then home to do stair climbing (yuck--I'd much prefer a steep climb in the woods) and home strength training.

If you've ever considered marrying a Super Hero

2007-05-07T13:22:00.000-07:00

I strongly suggest you watch the new Spiderman movie before you carry through with your vows. You just might stop to think twice. Even the thought of dating might give you pause.

That being said, the movie was fun and filled with so much action that I never once noticed how long it was. Heck, I didn't even dose off once, not even for a few seconds. That's saying something to anyone who's ever had the experience of attending a movie with me. There was even more than one bad guy, or should I say villain.

May's Proposed Training Schedule

2007-04-29T16:50:00.000-07:00

Ok, so at this point I actually don't know if I will be able to join the Mont Blanc trek in September, but I still want to train for it as best I can.

I have put down my deposit and made certain that it is transferable to another trek should I need to substitute an easier or shorter hike. I have until June 21 to make that decision. The factors that will influence that decision are how I feel about my preparation, my doctor's recommendations and my roommate. Yes, my roommate. He would like to try his hand at a trek, but is not certain that he can manage one as difficult as a two week Mont Blanc hike. So, he is also looking at shorter, less difficult treks. Since, I, of course, have gotten him into this, I will not abandon him to travel on his own. (I don't like to travel on my own either, though I am perfectly capable of it.) I am, however, encouraging him to get better hiking shoes asap as well as custom orthotics--he has flat feet. And I need to get around to picking up a light weight, but strong, trekking pole. I can't continue to use my roommates shoulder whenever I hit a section in the trail where I need to put weight on my left arm to balance myself.

Maybe I'll encourage him to work on his uphill stamina as well.

Uphill Stamina Training::

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Week 4 and 5 training update

2007-04-29T13:19:00.000-07:00

Ok, so here is week 4 updated and complete along with the last week's training.

I wasn't able to get as much training in as I would have liked this last week, and I feel bad about that, but I have to realize that sometimes schedules just don't let us do everything we would like to do or have planned. In other words life happens and can get in the way from time to time.

My physical therapy (PT) is going very well, though it is amazing how tiring it can be. I'm still amazed at how easily they can get my arm to straighten out in the office, and with little pain at all. It's frustrating to see my arm bend back up an hour or two later. On the other hand, it is getting straighter and stronger. The elbow is starting to look like a normal elbow, with the inner bend in my arm slowly starting to turn the correct direction. And I can, ocassionally, under weight, get my arm to straighten out for a minute or two. And then there's the vain part of my soul that is getting really sick of seeing that flappy saggy upper arm hang, and wonders how much longer it will be before I can get back to such exercises as push ups and bicep and tricep curls.

Meanwhile, the trainer is working on strengthening my core--maybe we'll get the gut, butt and upper thighs narrowed down a bit--and walking and ascent training. I'll be doing 10-15% inclines on treadmill, starting this week. And, of course, more stair work. Uphill climbs are my weak point, so they need more work. Still, I do need to add in more walking. And we'll be adding weight to a few of the strength training exercises.

So here are weeks 4 and 5. I'll update as I get my new monthly training schedule.

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Training Update

2007-04-18T19:56:00.000-07:00

Well, how is the first month of training with Body Results going?

Honestly, not bad if you take into consideration that I was in a cast until a little over a week ago. The cast did slow things down. But now I am getting back up to the level I should be at and sometimes exceeding the expected progress. Physical therapy for my left arm is also going well. I will regain full movement, though it may take a while. The arm came out of the cast much more flexible than expected and I started the physical therapy much further along than most.

Ok, so the first two days of the training schedule were a loss. We simply weren't set up for it here yet. But I did what I could that weekend.

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Week 2:: The amount of training done was a great deal less than expected. The arm tended to swell up inside the cast, cutting off circulation a bit. Also, it turns out that the healing process and carrying the weight of the cast around all day can be more exhausting than I realized.

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Week 3:: The cast came off on Monday. The arm is a little tender and very bruised (from the cast), but I am continueing training and picking up the pace as the week progresses. I had my first physical therapy (PT) session on Friday afternoon. I now do PT three times a day at home and three days a week at the doctor. I am in little to no pain, and have very little muscular atrophy. The doctor is enjoying the fact that I have a high pain tolerance threshold and that my elbow did not lock up while in the cast. It is a bit frustrating to watch the therapist easily straighten out my arm in the office and realize that by the time I walk the half mile home it will be bent again and I will not be able to straighten it.

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Week 4:: So far, so good.

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Role Model for All Us Young Whipper-Snappers

2007-03-30T13:22:00.000-07:00

No fading star: Actress gets roles at 97

By JOHN ROGERS, Associated Press Writer
Fri Mar 30, 10:11 AM ET

SANTA MONICA, Calif. - Hollywood's starmakers always are on the lookout for a fresh new face and they found one in Mae Laborde, albeit of the wrinkled variety. The 97-year-old Laborde is just four years into her acting career and hotter than ever. Standing 4-feet-10, with snow-white hair, rosy-red cheeks and a sweet-as-peaches-and-cream smile, she's becoming TV's ubiquitous grandma.

She was "Wheel of Fortune's" Vanna White (40 years in the future) for a recent episode of "MADtv." She was the stunned fiancee whose boyfriend finally gets around to proposing in a jewelry commercial. She faced down the Grim Reaper himself in a bit about elderly people without health insurance for "Real Time With Bill Maher."

She's also been a cheerleader on ESPN, appeared in a Lexus commercial, had a recurring role on Spike Feresten's "Talkshow" and had a role in a JP Morgan Chase Bank commercial.

"Now that one paid good!" says Laborde, eyes twinkling under knitted brows and behind rhinestone glasses. Then, lowering her voice conspiratorially, she adds, "I mean like a few hundred dollars."

As she speaks, she sits perched on the living room couch of her small Southern California home, just a couple blocks from the beach.

So what's the secret to her late-blooming success? She never had any training and, until four years ago, the closest she came to show business was working as a bookkeeper in the late bandleader Lawrence Welk's office.

"I'm just a natural," she says with a broad smile as she heads to her dining room table to sift through some of her press clippings.

It's not unheard of for actors to work well into their 90s, of course. Think George Burns and Bob Hope or, more recently, Gloria Stuart of "Titanic" fame. But all of them started in the business young, unlike Laborde who didn't earn her Screen Actors Guild card until she was in her mid-90s.

Her acting career was started by a 2002 Los Angeles Times story, when columnist Steve Lopez, her former neighbor, decided to seek her out for some lighthearted driving tips.

In those days she was well known around Santa Monica as the little old lady who barreled up and down her neighborhood's hilly streets and across the freeways in a gigantic 1977 Oldsmobile Delta 88. Laborde, who only stopped driving last year, was so small, and the car so big, Lopez wrote, that behind the wheel she looked like a cricket driving a tank.

His description caught the eye of Sherrie Spillane, the veteran L.A. talent agent and ex-wife of the late crime novelist Mickey Spillane. Spillane decided she had to meet Laborde. The two got together for a tea-leaf reading (Laborde's hobby), and the next thing Spillane knew she had a new client.

"She's got this way about her that's so endearing that everybody falls in love with her," Spillane says. "She's got that cute little face and she's very funny."

Laborde also has nearly a century of experience to draw on when the director yells action.

She arrived in Los Angeles from her hometown of Fresno at the height of the Great Depression, meeting her husband when he was the conductor on L.A.'s fabled old Red Car trolley line that she used to take home from work.

A few years later, her husband and baby daughter in tow, she moved into a tiny, straight-out-of-a-storybook house on a street so narrow that cars traveling in opposite directions can't pass if someone has parked at the curb. It was back in the day when Santa Monica was just a quaint little California town of beach cottages.

Seventy years later, many of those cottages have been razed in favor of multimillion-dollar "McMansions." Laborde's remains unchanged. Even the orchid-colored tile the young mother picked out for her 1930s-era bathroom remains.

As the years passed, Laborde always kept working at one job or another, going on to outlive both her husband, Nicholas, and their only child, Shirley.

A Girl Scout leader for her daughter's troop, she has kept in touch with most of her daughter's friends. Now in their 70s, they'll ask her for secrets to living a long life. She'll tell them to never retire.

When she was 89 Laborde took a police training course just for fun, and she still cooks for herself, paints and raises tomatoes in her garden that she sells to a local restaurant.

But she'll drop whatever she's doing when there's a call for an audition.

Recently she landed a small role in a forthcoming movie opposite Ben Stiller. She'll be the grandmotherly lady sitting in a restaurant near Stiller and his girlfriend as they speculate what their lives will be like at that age.

"I don't know anyone else her age that could keep up with her," says Spillane, who has become both her agent and close friend.

"But then I don't know anyone else her age," Spillane adds with a laugh.

2007-03-29T21:45:00.000-07:00

Link courtesy of my friend, David Gordon. Try it, you might like it.

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

Promised Training Schedule

2007-03-29T13:33:00.000-07:00

Yep, I start working with the trainer tomorrow. With my arm still in a cast, we are a little limited in what we can do, but we will make do. So this month will concentrate mostly on walking with some strength training thrown in. Rest days are not scheduled, but are suggested at 1 day per week. This week, I've been doing 2.5 miles at lunch each day, just to see if I could do it. I'm only a few minutes slower than I was this time last year. I put that up to the added weight of the cast and not being able to swing my left arm.

Hmmm, the inclined treadmill workouts, for the most part are at lower inclines than I'm already doing--I usually do 10%, sometimes 15%. I'm certain the trainer has a reason, and I will be finding out what it is.

The ultimate goal is to be able to handle the Mont Blanc Circuit by August--whether I actually get to go or not.

April's Training Schedule::

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It's a little early to be certain, but if this works out well, I just may continue with this trainer through most of the year.

Oh, and yep, that 1400' rise hike at the end of the month is on the same trail that bit me a couple weeks ago. It will not defeat me again. Ok, so it didn't actually defeat me last time, but it did bruise me. :-)

Good News

2007-03-26T19:51:00.000-07:00

at least as far as my elbow is concerned. After one week, it has managed to stay in joint--apparently, there was a concern that surgery would be required. I am actually glad I didn't know that when I made my last post.

I am still in high spirits and determined not to let this little mishap keep me from training, whether I get the privelage of joining my friends on the Mont Blanc Circuit or not this year. I managed to walk 2 miles, with cast in sling, in the heat without losing my balance yesterday. I only stopped because one of my laces came undone--yep, tying my shoes is something I need help with at the moment. So, balance issue under control, my trainer and I will start working late this week to see what we can accomplish.

Bad news--the pretty purple cast came off today. (Nope, that's not the bad news.) A pretty pink cast went on in it's place--longer and a lot snugger, but I have the use of my fingers and thumb again. (That's not the bad news either.) I'll be in the new cast for two weeks, instead of one. (Yep, miner though it is, that's the bad news.) :-)

Why you should never hike alone, part 2

2007-03-20T13:32:00.000-07:00

If you remember the mother bear and cubs that my roommate ran into on the trail last year, then you remember part 1 of tis lesson. Get ready for part 2.

So, here it is Sunday morning the day we've chosen for the first hike of the season.We're packed and ready to go. I need an evaluation hike for my trainer to reference. We've chosen Switzer as a good starting point.

Yes, as usual we got a late start. The trail was nice--not too hot, not too cold, very few people and the water was low. We stopped just short of Oakwilde Campground due to time constraints, ate lunch, then headed back up the 1400'we had earlier descended. We had to stop a little more than we would have liked, but all in all the climb and the switchbacks were not as difficult as either of us recalled. With a little more training we would certainly have no difficulty at all.

So when did the problem occur? On the return trip, thankfully, or we would not have found any help. We had just passed a couple taking photos of their two month old son asleep in his back pack carrier on his first hike, and we were fording a stream. I've crossed at this particular point at least a dozen times--it's easy even in high water, but it is also very slippery if you hit it wrong, and the boulders are granite.

Well, you guessed it, I was basically across when the heal of my rear foot came down on the slime, I slipped in the direction of the stream flow and fell to my left. My left arm reached out to stop my fall on a granite boulder, there was a loud cracking noise, like a young limb being broken off a tree, and the next thing I knew I was sitting in ice cold water, unable to get any traction under my boots or find any thing on my right side to lever myself upright with. My left arm was bent at an impossible angle and would not bend. I have no idea how my roommate managed to get me out of the creek, but he succeeded. And the couple we had passed also helped us get through the remaining boulders and creek crossings--I no longer had certain balance, so this was greatly appreciated.

An hour late we arrived at the closest emergency room--Huntington Hospital in Pasadena. 9 hours later after several x-rays, a few doses of morphine, several attempts at finding a vein that was large enough for an IV--someone finally figured out to use the needle they normally use for toddlers--and having been knocked out twice while they tried to reset my very stubborn arm, I got to go home wearing a very large 30 pound temporary splint. I'm not kidding, the thing was a two man lift.

The good news, and much to everyone's surprise, there was not one single break in my arm. Apparently, I have strong bones. I was lucky. It's just a dislocated elbow, which will take a while to heal--I'll be in a cast for two weeks and then have rehab after that--but it won't prevent me from hiking or training for hiking. And my trainer says she can work around the injury.

Of course, my wardrobe has become rather limited, since there isn't much in my closet that will pull over this pretty purple cast that the orthopedic surgeon put on yesterday after even more x-rays.

Here's me, all dopey from anethesia, dirty, propped up against the brick chimney at home and holding on to that hefty splint.

Getting Physically Fit?

2007-03-16T13:43:00.000-07:00

Well, we'll see. :-)

At the very least, I should be a little healthier, in better condition, and maybe a little thinner by the time I finish this program.

Here's what I have decided to do.

Starting tomorrow, I will be officially and strictly back on my diet for at least the next 6-8 weeks. I may continue after that, depending on the results.

I will also start back on my conditioning regime, and, hopefully sign up with a trainer this weekend. Now, I can't afford the trainers at my local gym. And, the last time I spoke to them they had no idea how to go about preparing someone for a hike. In fact, I got the feeling that they didn't think of it as much of a goal or a sport for that matter. Ok, I don't think of it as a sport either, at least not involving me. However, I know that there are exercises that are specific to hiking improvement, just as there are exercises that are specific to improvement in track or basketball. And sport specific exercises are an excellent way to improve your body for that activity.

So, I am going to try doing a coaching at a distance program with Body Results. Yes, that's right, the link over there in my sidebar under Hiking Interests. So far everything I have used them for and the advice they have given me for free has given excellent results. So, now I plan to give them a try with their on-line training program. They will taylor specifically to my schedule and my needs. And my schedule is tight, my needs great. Still, I haven't paid yet, and the consultation is looking good. I would not be surprised if I had my first month's schedule by the beginning of next week.

I plan on posting those schedules here on this blog for those who are interested to see what I am being advised on. I also plan on posting my progress. I like these people, they are friendly and knowledgable and practice what they teach. I know they will impress me and hold up their end of the bargain. The difficult part will be for me to hold up mine.

I wonder if they can get me to the point that I can impress anyone with how much I've improved since the trek through the Pyranees. Hmmm, I think I would really like to see that happen. :-)

Starbucks takes their Tunes to the next level

2007-03-13T09:10:00.000-07:00

Soon, when you walk into a local Starbucks, you will be able to download that tune that just caught your ear while you sip on your latte. But, yet, there is more--a new music label? Heck, why not? Read the article from BusinessWeek for more info.

When I was a little girl

2007-02-25T09:16:00.000-08:00

this was one of my favourite poems.

MONDAY'S CHILD IS FAIR OF FACE
by Mother Goose

Monday's child is fair of face,
Tuesday's child is full of grace,
Wednesday's child is full of woe,
Thursday's child has far to go.
Friday's child is loving and giving,
Saturday's child works hard for a living,
But the child born on the Sabbath Day,
Is fair and wise and good and gay.

I liked knowing what I was supposed to be like by the day of the week on which I was born. Of course, I always wanted to be Sunday's Child,but I wasn't. I'm a Saturday Child, and in many ways the definition fits me. But there was more to the poem than just that for me. I've always had a fascination with numbers and with puzzles. This poem opened up the puzzle of finding out what day of the week I was born on. Now this was long before computers were accessible to everyone, in fact it was at a time when the first computers were being built and the word "debug" was being invented by literally walking into that room size computer and pulling a dead bug out of the system allowing whatever glitch had occurred to mend itself and the computer to operate properly again. So, I was amazed when I opened up the phone book and found a perpetual calendar that actually allowed me to figure out what day of the week I was born. And that day, Saturday, stuck in my head. Much later, when I learned about astrology, I also came to realize that the fact that I was a taurus was well matched with Saturdays blessing.

I was the only one among my acquaintances at the time who not only knew the day and date of my birth, but also the time, as well as my height and weight. Recalling the house that I was living in at the time, on the shore of Lake Ponderay just outside Sandpoint Idaho, my age had to have been 7, or just barely 8. Knowing such trivial facts can be fascinating for a child, maybe even for an adult. :-)

For my nieces and nephews, this is the meaning of each line of the poem.

MONDAY:
Monday's child is fair of face.
You are good-looking, especially when you smile!
You are beautiful inside and out.

TUESDAY:
Tuesday's child is full of grace.
You have many talents, and are fun to be around.
You dance through life!

WEDNESDAY:
Wednesday's child is full of woe.
You are a serious person, and try to change things that seem unfair.
You make the world a better place!

THURSDAY:
Thursday's child has far to go.
You have many ideas, and you want to do them all.
You will go far in life!

FRIDAY:
Friday's child is loving and giving.
You are caring and sharing. You are kind,
you love people, and people love you!

SATURDAY:
Saturday's child works hard for a living.
You are ambitious, enjoy work, and like to accomplish things.
You know what you want!

SUNDAY:
But the child born on the Sabbath day,
Is fair and wise and good and gay.
You are sunny, fun, and loving.
You bring much joy to other people!

And, if you want to know what day of the week you were born on, try this site.

They make a Pop-Up book for everything these days...

2007-02-22T13:43:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm not currently reading this book, but, for some unknown reason, Amazon.com thinks I need to. I have a few friends who would probably agree. :-)

Amazon actually has a video link for previewing the book too. Gee.

Finished

2007-02-15T13:05:00.000-08:00

yet another book this week, and one I actually hadn't intended to read.

Now, off to start Diane Setterfield's

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HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

2007-02-14T04:33:00.000-08:00

Sooo, travel again

2007-02-13T13:55:00.000-08:00

Well, as I've already said, the latest word from my travelling friend is Spain. Just looking at the regional areas we'll be hiking through or near, that leaves a lot of territory to look at and see what we want to discover while we are there. Galicia, Asturias, Castilla y Leon, La Rioja, Navarra, Catalonia, and Cantabria. I told you it was a lot. And would you believe it, I don't have a single book in my collection on Spain. Time to go shopping. :-)

For those of you who do have a book or two on Spain, here's a link to the regional map and some sites of the regions, as well as the train schedules.

Now, let's see, what else can we talk about? I know. Anyone got any juicy gossip about my hiking partner? He rarely come by here, so we can probably say anything we want and he'll most likely never, ever, ever find out. ;-)