Yankees Sweep the Cubs
It’s taken me a week to deal with the shame of this scenario, the Cubs go to Yankee Stadium and drop three in a row. I lost two bets on the series, and suffered the humiliation of allowing this banner to hang on my house!
We’ll get a flag of our own, and have it hanging on the Holland house one day. You’ll see.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. |
Storm Sprinklers
I stopped at the supermarket on the way home from work today (beer). The radio’s warning of an approaching severe thunderstorm proved accurate, with hail and heavy rain pounding my car. But that didn’t keep these sprinklers from their appointed rounds.
Licensed to Fish
I did some horrible things to fish over the last couple of days, but it’s OK, I have a license. I needed it for the two day canoe trip down the Rapidan and Rappahannock rivers that I just took with some friends and our sons (more on the trip in a later posting when I have photos to share).
I didn’t need a license to take a kayak on the river, I guess any idiot can drift downstream. And I think my new fishing license joins my driver’s license and marriage license as the only things I’m licensed to do, one I did once and one I do daily. Getting my fishing license didn’t require any knowledge, there was no test to pass. It just took $12.50, and I was given a booklet of regulations (I’ll be sure to look at that later).
I probably could use some more skill, I caught only about three fish over two days (a few others ‘got away’, really). My fellow fisherman were much more productive with their rod and reels than I. But it was fun, on the river with my son, putting live minnows on hooks, in hopes of luring something larger onto that hook, only to turn it loose again (we did eat some of them).
The catfish was particularly memorable for the odd barking noise it made. While I don’t claim to talk ‘fish’, it was very apparent what he was saying to me, “Why?? Why are you doing this to me? Get this f-ing hook out of my mouth and put me back in the water you a-hole!”. Not having a good answer, I did what he asked.
Virginia Race is On
Today’s Washington Post included an editorial titled “In Virginia, the Race Is On“, describing the need for serious debate between Gubernatorial candidates Democrat Tim Kaine and Republican Jerry Kilgore on fiscal and transportation issues.
Of the Republican ticket, the Post writes, “They promise new services without new revenue, offering, in explanation, fantasy coupled with wishful thinking.” Of Kilgore’s plan to require voter approval of any tax increases, they call it “a spineless approach to state governance and a sure-fire recipe for demagoguery.”
Kitty Binge & Purge
Aw… isn’t that sweet? We give Kitty some yummy food, and she gives us back some cat gack. Thank you Kitty!
Travel Diaries: Bus – Barcelona
Twenty years ago today I was pretty hung over, but it was worth it. I had been out until 4:15 having enjoyed the benefit of being shown Madrid’s nightlife by some locals. One of the guys on our tour group, Ted, had family friends in Madrid, and Feranado and Alicia were wonderful guides. They introduced me to Tapas, small appetizers that come with the price of your drink at many bars. Going from bar to bar, eating a different Tapa in each one, ends up amounting to a progressive dinner. I was the last one left still ready for action after the rest of our tour group had peeled off, and Feranado announced, “The time for drinking beer has ended. The time for drinking whisky has begun!”
| June 16 / Bus – BarcelonaWoke up at 6:30 A.M. feeling the pain of last night. I shouldn’t have any complaints, I slept for a whole hour. Spent all day on bus trying but failing to sleep. Still winning big at each slot machine Jimme, Ted and I play. Arrived in Barcelona and ate dinner in our hotel, then we all went to a Flamenco show. Back at Hotel we drank champagne and I called home to wish Pop a Happy Father’s Day and to say Hi to everyone. Crashed at 4:00 A.M. |
Travel Diaries: Europe 1985
It was 20 years ago today, Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play.
The Beatles
I’m not used to being able think in terms of things that happened 20 years ago today, primarily because my memory sucks. Sure, I could guess, tell you what age I was, or try to recall events that happened ‘about’ that time. But to be able to say precisely what I was doing 20 years ago today, not a chance. Until now. Because 20 years ago this summer, I kept a diary.
Recently a couple of friends, Nathaniel and Rick, wrote in their blogs about meeting and dating their wives. Their tales got me thinking, and helped me realize that I met my wife 20-years ago, and we had a pretty unique first date. It lasted 62-days and covered 21 countries.
At the time I was in college, and my chosen field of study was International Relations. Never having traveled outside of the U.S. (other than the occasional drinking trip to Tijuana, Mex), and my appeals to expand my horizons further fell on sympathetic ears. Thanks to my folks and grandma, I found myself booked on a summer long trip to Europe, traveling solo, but with a tour group that was compromised of 25 girls and 17 guys, who came from homes reaching from New York to Hawaii. The average age on the bus was around 20 or 21. Nice setup, eh? Our tour group was labeled GT610, AESU’s shorthand for Grand Tour (their longest European trip) departing on June 10, 1985.
And so, dear readers (you are so few that you are indeed dear), I plan to take advantage of this summer and this blog, to share some tidbits from this rare opportunity I have to tell you exactly what I was doing 20 years ago today, by reprinting some of the entries from my travel diary that I wrote that life-changing summer. Where appropriate I will add links, annotations, photos and reflections. And where necessary, I will still leave some of the best stuff out. Even after 20 years, some memories remain my own.
To catch up, we departed New York on June 10, and caught a Madrid to Lisbon connection on June 11th where we met up as a group for the first time. After a brief time in Lisbon and then Guarda, we were in route to Madrid.
| June 14 On Bus/MadridCrossing the border into Spain, our bus died leaving us between countries. Stayed an hour in Rodrigo where we had lunch and I won a 500 psta jackpot on the slot machine. Stopped in Avila, a city inside a huge wall dating to the middle ages and then to Salamanca. Arrived in Madrid at about 7:30 and had a whole fish for dinner. Went to the Orense mall and drank a huge beer called a ‘mini’ and danced. Came home at 5:00 am. |
Coincidentally, it was just a day or two ago my wife Jennifer recalled that fish dinner for our children. We’ve learned to appreciate seafood more than we did before, but we still prefer it not to be looking back at us from our plates.
Bridging to Juniors
Bridging to Juniors
Originally uploaded by Chris Casey.
Colleen ‘bridged’ today from Brownies to Juniors. Her familiar brown vest was retired in favor of a fancy new green sash. The vest is full of patches commemorating years of memories, activities and achievements so far in scouting. The new green sash is bare, ready for many more yet to come.
My wife Jennifer has been a scout leader for our son and daughters; tigers, cub/wolf/bear, weblos, brownies, juniors and cadets. She’s a natural born scout leader, and the kids and I are lucky to have her. Congrats Colleen!