I’m melting, melting!

As we get older we become less able to compensate for temperature and tend keep our surroundings warmer and warmer (closer and closer to body temperature.) DG’s parents are in their very late 70’s and have lived in sub-tropical Florida for 24 years. Add the mix weather in the high 70’s, and 14, count them 14 dinner guests and the house was a bit steamy. DG started cooking just after 7:00 AM and started the last load in the dishwasher at 8:00 PM by which time it was 84 degrees with 99% humidity in the kitchen (he checked this with an electronic thermometer;) at that point a slight change in air pressure would have made it cloud up and rain in the house (and that would have dropped the temperature.) At some time in the afternoon the air-conditioning was turned on for a while, set at 78 degrees of course. Then DG’s dad felt a chill and turned it off. Later in the evening DG was slumped in the corner whimpering, “I’m melting, melting, oh my wonderful wonderful wickedness” (line from the death of the wicked witch in the Wizard of Ozz.)

The next day it was in the high 70’s with a light breeze and we went to the beach to broil in the sun and cool off.

Everyone behaved. All four kids made it home for the first time in about 25 years. A great meal and wonderful time was had by all (other then the steam bath.)

It is good to be home.

TR

Merry Christmas to All!

I’m dreaming of a green Christmas, just like the ones I use to know. We are headed over the river and through the woods for a gathering of DG’s family. Nothing says Christmas quiet like palm trees and mistletoe (a parasite that grows in live oak trees in semi-tropical climates.) DG’s started spending Christmas in Florida as a teenager 35 years ago (my, but he is getting old.) Nothing quite gets him in the holiday spirit like sand between the toes on his bare feet. This will be the first time in about 25 years that all of DGs siblings will be together with mom and dad at the same time. Pass the Prozac and Jack Daniels, we’ll be back to report to all you’all before New Years.

TR

Will It Fly?

On my recent trip to Florida we went out to the beach on the north side of the Kennedy Space Center (no we did not go to the far north end, it was far to cold for that.) In the process we passed within a couple of miles of the space shuttle launch pad. The shuttle is scheduled for launch on the 7th. For the first time in several years it is scheduled to be a night launch. The shuttle flies a bit like a penguin; even the paint scheme seems inspired by we wonderful “flightless waterfowl.”

TR

TR

Over the river and through the woods,

to Mom and Dad’s house we went. DG and I went home to see his parent’s for Thanksgiving this year. For DG it was a journey to one of his childhood homes; for me it was a road trip and a visit to the ocean. We had an easy trip on the road, going down we went through Atlanta, coming back we came across South Carolina into North Carolina and across into Tennessee and then north to home (passing very near Frog Pond Holler; where is Ms. Mahala?) We encountered very little road construction and the heavier the traffic the faster people were driving. Florida was cool but beautiful. Mid way through the week the winds and surf picked up whipping the ocean into a powerful froth and furry . . . it reminded me of my childhood, but the water was cooler at home. We are home; there are a few tales to be told from this trip over the next couple of weeks. I hope that all of you had a nice holiday.

TR

ROAD TRIP!

Here I am at the beach in Florida on one of the many trips to visit DG's parents. He decided at the last minute to go visit Mom and Dad for Thanksgiving. It will be a week or so till the next update, I'll try to get a few interesting pictures on the trip.

TR

FIsh!

This great fountain is located in a small plaza in downton Charlottee NC. There are wonderful loft condos overlooking the park. This is litterally in the shadow of a bunch of 40 story bank buildings.

TR

Water, Water everywhere!

Here I am at One Wacchovia Center in Charolotte NC. Great fountain, lots of water, just what a flightless waterfowl is looking for.

TR

It Is Election Day

If you don’t vote, you can’t complain.

Go to the polls and take a friend along with you, I did!

TR

River View

I am never real sure about a town whose claim to fame is being host to the only remaining gaseous diffusion plant (yes, just like the one the Iran has started to operate) in the United States; but DG’s services were needed for an hour and off we went to the far western reaches of the Commonwealth at Paducah, Kentucky. It is actually kind of a neat little town. They have done economic development in the old downtown area by offering low interest financing and very flexible zoning to attract artist to live and work in the historic wharf area along the Ohio River. Here I am down on the landing watching Old Man River roll on by. (Yeah, I know, in a previous post I said the Mississippi River, we were about 50 miles up-stream from the confluence.) Now why are my feathers glowing in the dark?

TR

Trains, Planes and Automobiles

I love to fly, for some reason it just seems right that a “flightless waterfowl” has logged thousands of miles in the air. I also like to travel by car (a road trip to the Mississippi River is coming up later this week.) But I especially like to travel by train. There is just something special about the slow pace, the rhythmic sound of the train on the rails that I love. It is also nice to have lots of room to spread out. Why have airline seats gotten so narrow as the average American has gotten wider? On a train, the cheap seats have plenty of room. Here I am taking an excursion on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railway last summer.

Enjoy!

TR

Getting Older!

England is old, very, very old. People have been getting older in England forever. Word has it that Someone is getting older as I write this.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SOMEONE! Wish we were there!

Travel and DG

Turtle Soup

Turtle, it’s not just for breakfast anymore! Here we are braving the wilds of Akron for the annual Hamster Family Turtle soup festival. My kind of people they hold outdoor parties as the first snow flakes are coming down in the wilds of northeastern Ohio. For those who are tender to the frost, there was Uncle John’s homemade grape anti-freeze. Next comes the mid winter picnic (silly hamsters!)

TR

Pandas at the National Zoo

My only real "must see" on my recent trip to Washington DC was the Pandas at the National Zoo (I only had one free day on the trip.) When I first arrived at the Zoo the "baby" (who is now about 60 pounds) was up a tree munching away and ignoring the world. Later she was was down with mom enjoying a snack in the afternoon sun. I took the hint and had lunch at a nice sidewalk cafe down near the Metro stop. I can't wait to go back.

TR

Happy Birthday Uncle Bert

Unless my notes are wrong, Tuesday is Uncle Bert's birthday. Happy Birthday Bert! Thank you for sharing insight into your wonderful world with us.

What does this picture have to do with Bert's birthday? The picture was taken the last time TR, DG and WH spent the day wandering around London with Bert and Someone. We can't wait to go back!


TR and DG

Tranquility base here, the Eagle has landed!

These are the first words spoken by man from the surface of the moon. Landing astronauts on the moon and returning them safely to the earth is arguably the greatest engineering accomplishment in the history of human kind. Years later I lived across the river from the “Rocket Ranch” and had the pleasure of meeting many of the ordinary people who performed the extraordinary tasks that made landing on the moon possible.

One lasting artifact from those days of extraordinary accomplishment are a few hundred pounds of rocks, sand and dust. Most of it is locked away for study by NASA. But a few pounds are out for people to see. If you look in the right places, you can touch a piece of the moon. The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington DC has four moon rocks on display, one that you can touch. It is on display in the shadow of the Spirit of St Louis, near the entrance on the mall side. Here is Travel stopping to touch the moon. (You can slide your fingers under the sheet of glass, and touch the arrow shaped rock specimen.)

DG and TR

It’s always 5:00 o’clock somewhere

Here I am taking a little break with an “Amber Waves of Ale” at the Capital City Brewing Company. CCBC is in the same building as the National Postal Museum just west of Union Station in Washington DC. They have a sampler of all of their current products, good, very good. One thing I learned, beer and chocolate mouse don’t pair off very well.

Enjoy your weekends,

TR and DG

I just returned from 4 days in Washington DC. DG had three long days of work, but we squeezed in as much sightseeing as we could. As always we took the Metro from National Airport into the city.

We stayed at a very nice hotel near Union Station this trip. The hotel was just across the street from the conference site and very comfortable for me while DG was across the street being enlightened.

We went to the National Zoo to see the exotic wild life. They have a Panda who is less then a year old. The baby was hiding a tree, munching bamboo. The Panda’s are about to be moved to a new a larger habitat, I sure am glad I free to hitch a ride around the world. You never know who you bump into in DC, I walked past Haley Barber on my way to dinner on Tuesday evening, and minutes later watch Senator Clinton get into her armored SUV at the Capital. Then there was this gang of thugs that I ran into down by the Smithsonian Castle building one evening.

TR

TR goes to Washington

I am headed off to Washington DC with DG for a few days. On the agenda is a reception on Capital Hill and a visit to the National Zoo to see the Panda's. I will report back on what we see.

TR

Limo for Bert and Someone

I am waiting to pick a couple of friends up at the station, now what time does their train arrive from France?

TR

Where can I find a red velvet tuxedo?

DG has been shopping for a car; something gently used with lots of plush to accommodate his middle aged behind and what he describes as demanding passengers. After scouring car dealers, the internet and asking every circling vulture what was in the estates they were working on he found something. It is very gently used (less then 12,000 miles in seven years.) The first owner is not dead, but she has no clue who she is or where she is and really does not care as long as they bring her pudding. The vulture in charge finally got the court order approved for the sale and now we are floating along in style. Why do I have this strange desire for a red velvet tuxedo to go along with my fuzzy hat decorated with flamingo feathers?

TR

A Fine English Car and a Fine English Ale

Waiting for the furry forest creatures.

TR

Sad but Safe

DG and Wickedhamster were home asleep when the plane crashed in thier home town this morning. They are safe but saddened by the events so near to home.

Travel

Car Shopping

DG and I have been car shopping. It is time for an upgrade. I keep making recomendations and he keeps looking.

TR

A Penguin Rode Up On A Horse. . .

Carry on! I’ll be back next weekend.

TR

Hazard Kentucky

Hazard Kentucky has nothing to do with the Duke Boys, more like the Hatfields and McCoys. Hazard is deep in the Appalachian region of south-eastern Kentucky.

TR

Amish Auction Day

I spent Thursday in north central Ohio exploring Amish country. We stopped to visit a hardware store that is famous for a wide array of goods and stumbled across an Amish livestock auction across the street. Here I am in the parking lot outside of the action barn, watch your step!

TR

On the Road Again

I am off to Cleveland for a few days. Pictures when I return.

Rock on!

TR

Independence Hall

Independence is a wonderful thing to celebrate. DG is celebrating finally paying off his student loans! Free at last! Free at last!

TR

Surfs Up!

It’s been one of those weeks that gets me to thinking how much fun the Ocean can be. At this time of the year the water is warm and comfortable. When a tropical storm moves up the coast the surf is up and I am ready to ride. I have a key to Mom and Dad’s house in Florida and they have gone north for a couple of months; does anyone want to go?

TR

Waiting for the show

Every city should have great architecture. More then just building a space, great architecture builds a sense of place. The building should excite the visitors’ curiosity and draw them into the place. I love to explore great places. This is in Millennium Park in Chicago. I’ve been quietly at home for six weeks; it is another month before I am back on the road.

TR

Seeking Shelter from the Heat

At times a hat alone is just not enough shelter for sensitive birds in the blazing Greek sun.

TR

Staying Cool On a Hot Summer Day

Here I am staying cool on a hot summer day in Chicago.

TR

High in the Greek Countryside

Here I am enjoying a warm sunny afternoon high the Greek countryside at the Temple of Delphi. I consulted the Oracle and it said that I would live long and visit many exciting places as long as I didn’t melt in the sun, hence the sun hat.

TR

Melenium Park in Chicago

I've been reading about Bert, overheated in London. Just think cool thoughts and find someplace to wade in a fountain; it always works for me.

TR

A bit of a handyman special, but what a great location!

Here I am in the Roman Agora in Athens. This is just a couple of blocks from a major metro stop, right in the middle of all of the shops and restaurants that fill the Plaka area of Athens. The place is in disarray, there are columns, a tower, some great marble floors, and the remains of an ancient public toilet (a gift from the emperor.) There is even the remains of a public fountain with water still dripping in from a hidden spring. I could live here. The place needs some work, but if I look up the Acropolis is right there.

TR

Grilled Octopus anyone?

When we started planning for a trip to Greece I had dreams of fresh local seafood at a harbor front restaurant. Dreams do come true. I had grilled Octopus for lunch on the Island of Aegina. The fishing fleet was tied up just across the street from this delightful sidewalk café. Oh my! When can I go back?

Travel

I smell FISH!

I smell fish; the building across the street houses the historic market in Athens. The fish market is in the very center, surrounded by meat and poultry sellers. The fresh vegetable sellers are on this side of the street, but none of them had seaweed (like the market in Wales did three summers ago.) I may be tiny, but I can have a mighty appetite.

Travel

Live On Stage at the Pritzger Pavilion In Chicago

It’s Travel, doing his world famous travel monolog. The Pritzger Pavilion is one of several modern wonders in Millennium Park in Chicago. I had a wonderful time in Chicago, the crowds were so receptive to my message about the importance of seeing the world to understand the world. I can’t wait to return again next year!

Travel

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

I got my name from my love of travel. I love to go, be it by land, sea or air. Here I am waiting for the Metro train to leave the station from the Athens airport into the city center. Clickity-clack, Clickity-clack, ding, ding!

Travel

Acropolis

For well over 2000 years crowds have flocked to the Acropolis in Athens to offer thanks to the gods for the beauty that is Greece, to ask for favors and forgiveness and to absorb the wonders of it all. It is a bit of a climb, but well worth it. Here I am in front of the Parthenon. This ancient temple can be seen from the core of the city of Athens, serving today as it has for centuries as a true landmark, look up, take your bearings from the Parthenon and you know were you are in Athens.

Travel

Everybody Hurry Up!

Pack your bags, get your passport and Euros in hand and head to the nearest airport and go to Greece. It is wonderful! The weather is delightful; the people are warm and inviting. The Greek language is impenetrable, but most of the adults speak at least a little English. Buildings are considered new if they are less then 1000 years old. History and legend are dripping from every olive tree (and the country seems to be covered in olive trees.)

There will be more, much-much more to follow. At this point we have been out of bed for about 25 hours, and DG insists that he needs his beauty rest (and I don’t have the nerve to tell him it is too late!)

Travel

TAKE A BREAK!

When was the last time you took some real time off? Not a long weekend, or a week, but a couple of weeks or longer? Research shows that when you take a vacation it takes 3 or 4 days to fully relax and forget about the demands of day to day living, and then you start thinking about returning to home and work 2 or 3 days before you return. Hence if you take a week off, you barely have any real down time in the middle of it. We try to take a couple of weeks off every year or so. The last time was the trip to Paris at Christmas of 2004; DG was off from December 15th through New Years that year. We are very ready for another nice break. We will be back on the blog on May 19th. (And we are already making plans for 2 weeks in August of 2007.)

Take care; I’ll try to have lots of pictures and stories from the ancient world when we return.

Travel