Greetings from Sea World
Caseys & Geltmakers have gathered here in San Diego this fine summer Mondsy. We’ve got about 30 minutes to wait until Shamu takes the stage. We’re seated in the “Soak Zone”, so I guess we’re gonna get wet. Should be nice.
Category: Travel
Greetings from Las Vegas
It’s Friday afternoon at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas and I’m hear attending the first YearlyKos Convention. It’s been fascinating so far. Right now California Senator Barbara Boxer is delivering the lunchtime keynote. Earlier this morning Ambassador Joe Willson was among those on a panel discussion about the White House outing of his wife’s identiy as a covert CIA agent.
Two nights of evening receptions, and probably a little gambling, to go. When I have more photos, I’ll add a link here.UPDATE: OK, a growing photo album has been posted.
Greetings from Vermont
OK, so I’m not actually IN Vermont anymore. I returned yesterday. You see, like the President, I needed some more August vacation. The urge to clear brush is strong at the end of summer. And lacking a farm of my own to work, I was fortunate the boss offered up his parent’s place in Bradford, Vermont for a company retreat.
But there was no blogging to be done at the beautiful farm, this 30-year old John Deere backhoe was the most advanced piece of technology around. I wasn’t much good at operating it, but I look forward to another chance at it. Many thanks to Nathaniel and his folks for the wonderful time.Greetings from Kill Devil Hills, NC
We timed our travels well on Saturday. Despite some traffic, we arrived in time to sit down to a great lunch which we finished just as the time arrived we could check into our cool home for the week. And there’s only one way to describe the house, it is indeed a ‘phat pad’. Once unpacked, we hit the pool, made some dinner, and then took an evening stroll on the beach. Stay tuned to my Flicker set of photos from the week for updates.
C’mon Irene
UPDATE: The Friday afternoon update shows Irene strengthening, but turning. My blog-hurricane prevention spell is working!!
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Early Saturday morning we’re scheduled to set out for a week-long vacation in a beautiful beach house on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Three families, consisting of six adults and nine kids (ages 3 – 14), will make for a full house. But it’s a big place, with lots to do and we’re sure to have a great time.
At least, that’s the plan. It seems Mother Nature may send along an uninvited guest, one of her daughters, Irene. As I write this on Thursday night, the National Hurricane Center in Miami reports that Irene is “continuing to gradually get better organized”. That’s how tropical storms become hurricanes I guess, they get organized, pack their rain and winds together tightly, and then get moving! The current track shows Irene will join us by 2pm on Tuesday.
What’s a traveler to do? We did buy the travel insurance to protect us in such a circumstance, but that only pays us back if we are faced with a mandatory evacuation while we’re there. I’m not yet as organized as Irene. I still have packing to do. Nevertheless, this vacation is on, and we won’t be turning back unless we have to.
So C’mon Irene, give us a break. As much you’d like to introduce us to such local customs as filling sandbags, boarding up windows, and listening to waves crash in the darkness of a power outage, we would prefer some sunny skies, gentle breezes and comfortable air conditioning, ok?
Travel Diaries: Athens
Wow, August already! Where has this summer gone? I’ve been so busy that I’m lagging on my reflections on where I was 20 summers ago, but let me take you back again to the summer of 1985. On August 3rd of that year, we were in Athens, Greece.
| August 3 / Athens
Woke up and went on a walking tour of Delphi’s Ruins seeing Apollo’s Temple and the Oracle. Shopped around a bit and had lunch before hopping on the bus for Athens. Arrived in Athens and checked into our Hotel. Showered and layed around trying to cool off, it’s so hot! Had a few beers before going to dinner. At dinner we received the coal mine photos they had taken in Salzburg, when I was in the hotel sick. Jenny had bought me one. After dinner we packed our bags for Poros. Jenny waited with me for Mommy to call from home. I wished her a Happy B-day. Jenny and I colled off, relaxing on the balcony. I stayed out there all night and slept great. |
Greetings from Peoria
It was a multi-family reunion in Peoria on Sunday, with Geltmakers and Caseys gathering to enjoy some Sunday lunch at Joe’s Crab Shack on the River. The temperature was a refreshing 103 degrees, perfect for digesting crab, and pausing for a quick timer shot for posterity.
Travel Diaries: Copenhagen
Twenty years ago today I was in Copenhagen. Fun to read now how I was recognizing the feelings I was having for Jenny, who of course I was far from knowing would one day be my wife.
| July 2 / CopenhagenSkipped the city tour in order to sleep late. Went to McDonalds and walked around a bit despite a hangover. Jimmy and I bought t-shirts and headed back to the hotel. Showered and got myself all together again. Ate an all you can eat buffet dinner which was great and then went to Tivoli (‘I Love It’ spelled backwards), a fantastic amusement part with lit up trees and great rides [doodle of the ride called ‘The Flying Carpet’]. Stayed up late talking in the stairwell with Jenny and I’m finding myself more and more attached to this girl. Pull yourself together Chris! Played a few games of backgammon with Ted and met a few folks from one of the other AESU groups. |
Rappahannock River Trip
We caught some fish, we ran some rapids, and when we had to we got out of the boats and dragged them across the rocky bottom. It was a great way to spend three days covering 14 miles of the Rapidan and Rappahannock rivers.
Check out the rest of the photos.Travel Diaries: Paris
Twenty years ago today I enjoyed the last of three days in Paris, mostly by exploring the city on my own during the day, and then bar hopping with a few friends at night. I enjoy traveling with people, but if you have too large a group you can easily suffer tourist paralysis, unable to decide what to do, where to go, or to all be ready to go and do anything at the same time. In Europe I was quick to bail out on such situations and set out on my own.
One of the things I had to do in Paris, was to play a scene from a movie that had come out the same year, Gotcha, in which a college student goes to Europe and gets caught up in many adventures. One of which, was to order a Pernod at sidewalk cafe from a rude French waiter. But I don’t recall the waiter being rude, and I’m sure I’d have wrote about it if he had been.
| June 24 / ParisAll day is free so I slept late, and then went to do my laundry. It’s still raining on and off. Took Metro to go shopping and bought a blue paisley shirt and grey tie. Saw the Eiffel Tower and the Arc D’Triomphh up close and then walked along the Champs Elysees stopping for a “Pernod avec de l’eau” which was pretty good. When I got back I found out that is was 8:45 PM and not only 4:19 like my watch said it was, which shows how long I can wander. I’ve picked up the nickanme “Crisco” because I wander off from the group and they all ask “Where did Chris Go?” I’m passing up the Cabaret tonight because I didn’t want to blow the $40 it costs. I’ll party on a budget with my other thrifty friends. Went bar hopping with Jimmy, Lyle and Scott. |