About a week ago, Aly and I went to San Francisco to visit Dee and Kent. Due to ongoing problems with my car and the cheap airfare, I found it was actually easier and cheaper to fly there.
I don’t mind flying too much, but I really don’t like the take-off and landings anymore. So I went online and ordered our tickets, making some adjustments for Mike’s schedule. Unfortunately, with the changing, I apparently chose flight that first went to LA and then San Francisco. Another extra take-off and landing…oh goodie! At least the pilot was entertaining. He made some hilarious announcements along the way, all said with a great deadpan voice, including “ladies and gentlemen, we are about to land, so we ask that you turn off all electronic devices including cell phones, I-pods, laptops, mp3 players, weedwackers, hedge trimmers, nose-hair trimmers..(etc)…thank you.” And one that went like “for those of you who are continuing on to San Francisco this morning, please stay in your seat so we can get an accurate count…for everyone else…GET OFF!” The crews switched In LA, but the rest of the flight was pleasant.
Dee picked us up from the airport (thanks!) and we discussed novels on the way to her house. The house is actually a very beautiful three level house. I love the wooden architecture and the bay windows of the homes in the area, and that each house looks different and unique, not the cookie-cutter houses in most modern developments. This uniqueness gives the home character.
There are also some fantastic places to eat within a few blocks of her house. We had an amazing lunch at a Thai place and later found a wonderful Italian restaurant where we all cleared our plates, even Aly. Dee and I both had an orecchiette pasta with mushrooms and cauliflower. WOW! And the dessert was Tiramisu and a chocolate cannoli. Double WOW!
We also got a great workout while in town. I remember seeing the steep streets on television, but actually walking up and down them is a whole other story. After one day, I think both Aly and I had shinsplints and cramped calves. We kept going out on excursions each day, so another time down the hill at the start and up the hill at the end. I really enjoyed it since I had been missing the gym…the challenge was to make it all the way home without stopping. We had also prepared for cold weather (at least for us) but I’m glad we layered as it warmed up quickly while going back up the hill.
I must also say, I love the public transit of a larger town. I had discovered how good Denver’s was right before we left seven years ago, and I found the one in San Francisco so easy to use. We quickly became the masters of transfer tickets and switching buses. On Saturday our first night in town, we went with Dee out to the shopping district and I found a cute new jacket (I had left my good one at school) and then off to meet Kent and the aforementioned Italian dinner. Sunday I went to church in the Castro church, and then we headed off to Japantown for the obligatory visit and buying of books. On Monday, Aly and I headed out to Golden Gate Park (which I remember pieces of from childhood), and went to the Japanese Tea Garden. On Tuesday, we went to Fisherman’s Wharf for a bread bowl with clam chowder and a pizza, another visit to Japantown (gifts for a friend) and then out to the Legion of Honor to view the artwork. The only issue was waiting for the busses in the cold rain. (I think this was part of the reason I got a cold for Thursday and Friday).
On Wednesday, we headed back to the airport using BART. I was a bit stressed, but it went smoothly, at least until we hit the airport. I’m glad we left extraordinarily early, because the line at the counter was HUGE. At least 100 people to check in with only four people on duty and eight computers. It took a good hour to get through the line, and at times, I thought we wouldn’t make our flight. We were fine, but some of the other people in line had flight an hour earlier than ours. We let these people in front of us to help them make their flights (though I was a bit grumbly about it, but it was more about the wait than the people cutting ahead). While we were checking in, the computers were blaring a signal that these people were checking in “late”. The man behind the counter was a bit snippy about it, too. He was telling them that they checked in late and they might have to pay for their bags to be sent to them and it didn’t matter they had been in line for an hour before and it was their fault for being late due to weather problems in part of the country. Excuse me?? I’m hoping he was just frazzled from being short staffed, but are we supposed to psychically know that there is weather delaying other flights and to get to the airport three hours early in anticipation of waiting in line for an hour? The flight back was very smooth and we had a nice dinner in Vegas.
Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009
OK! OK! here it is!
As many of you know, Aly graduated this year. I'm getting a DVD shortly and will post more on that when I get it.
We went to Georgia for one reason, Jim's wedding, and also found another great reason to go, meeting Aly's dad again.
Our trip began with a long drive, as we chose a flight from Phoenix instead of Las Vegas due to our tight budget (gas and meals figured in). So we left at 6am on our drive. We began listening to World War Z, a zombie novel told from the point of view of those who survived. I heard the first few chapters before falling asleep. With only one stop in Wikiup, we made it to the airport and found out our plane would be late. With some time to spare, Mike and I ate some Sbarro pizza, but it didn’t agree with Mike as his slice was underdone (this is a national chain, and usually it’s really good). We went to a bar and each ordered a drink. His beer seemed to settle his stomach, but my $10 margarita (not even top shelf!) made my stomach sour and to not do that again.
We had a very uneventful flight to Georgia (thankfully!) and was on a flight long enough to watch a film! It was Bride Wars, and while cute, it seemed to grate on my nerves at points. It did keep my mind off of being in the air for two hours, so that's a bonus as I seem to not enjoy flying as much as I used to. In fact, I'm surprised I was awake after taking the Dramamine. For the remainder of the hour, I listened to The Music Man (which Aly and I had seen recently in Las Vegas) and was actually able to figure out all the lyrics on the opening song. It was the original stage version of the play with Robert Preston, the only Music Man.
Arriving in Georgia, we picked up our rental car, and drove to his Aunt Carolyn’s place. She was very happy to see us as was Jim. We were a bit late due to our flight, but she had a delicious chicken casserole for us.
The next day entailed some shopping (Aly’s present from Aunt Carolyn – two summer dresses of Aly’s choice) and I found a dress as well as a few scarves, one of which matched the dress I planned to wear to the wedding (same dress as I wore for Aly’s grad as well). Aly chose two short, cute dresses that were her style. One was low cut, but with the scarf she had, she wrapped it around her under the dress and it looked so much better! She wore this one to the wedding the next day. On our shopping trip we also searched for pink flamingos (inside joke – I’m not sure what) but we never found them. Instead we bought mass amounts of bubbles and a poster board for Aly to decorate. We then went shopping for several kinds of fruit for kebabs.
That afternoon we went to Sherry’s place and met her family, all of whom were friendly and fun. I quickly joined the “porch people” out on the deck and we talked for hours. Upon returning home, we realized that we still had to do the fruit kebabs. Carolyn wasn’t back yet and Jim complaining, so I roused the troops (Mike and Andy) and began cutting – get this – One whole watermelon, 3 cantaloupes, 2 honeydew, and 2 pineapples. That’s a lot! It took us over an hour and we finally went to bed after midnight.
The next day, Mike and I were ready for the wedding early, but others were not. Aly was getting ready, as was Aunt Carolyn, and we waited for her neighbor, Connie. We were supposed to leave at 8am, but didn’t get out until after 9am. We were on the way, driving much slower than we wanted, not sure we’d make the wedding. About halfway through the trip, Aunt Carolyn pulled into a McDonalds to get her breakfast. Mike was incensed! I was flabbergasted! We are already running late and you’re getting breakfast! We continued to follow her after her brief respite and made it to the ceremony as everyone was gathering on the porch; in fact, the pre-ceremony music was already playing. Luckily we had made it.
The ceremony was simple and lovely in its simplicity. Jim and Sherry were dressed nicely, but not formally. One of the daughters sang songs throughout the ceremony. They exchanged vows and kissed. After the ceremony, we were posed in groups for various pictures, only two of which involved us (If I get copies I’ll get them to all). One of the cutest was Sherry’s mother with her great grandchildren. Yes, four generations were present, very cool! After the ceremony, we continued the pleasantries of the previous day. Aly made her poster and we surreptitiously placed it in Jim’s truck (again, I hope to get a photo). Many of the family saw it, but we left before the newlyweds, so I don’t know their reaction.
We then headed to Buford to meet with Toby again. He had reservations for a place, but only Aly had a clue where we were going at the time. We sat visiting and then we were off again. He had made reservations for Medieval Times, a jousting reenactment. When we arrived, we were given our crowns and escorted to take a picture with the king (who I still say has a heavy metal band somewhere – just has that “look” to him). We waited an hour watching the events, then were escorted inside. Toby had gotten some kind of package deal, so we sat in the front row. We each received a picture from the opening, a DVD of the performance and a commemorative booklet. It was very fun and the food was great. Among the entertainment were a falconer, several horse trainers, and the aforementioned jousting/fighting. Our knight (as is usual for me) was out in the first round, but of course the prince and good knight triumphed in the end. Afterwards, Aly and I made the rounds for the signatures of the knights. Most were very pleasant and we commented on our having a good time. The blue knight, our last signature, did give Aly a hard time and was seriously flirting with her. I told her afterwards that he was cute, as were all the knights. She began commenting on how she’d like to work at this kind of place. Oi!
The next day we sat around with Toby and Betty and talked for awhile before heading out. Toby took us to see Aly’s paternal grandfather. He was very surprised to see her and was very happy. We talked for a bit, and then Toby, Mike and Aly wandered off. I was left with Joe and his wife, both of which are very kind. He kept commenting on how good it was to see her and how he never thought he’d meet her. He also said he’d been getting on Toby’s case about it recently and hoped that helped. I’m sure it did, but I think Toby was also ready to meet Aly. Joe also seems great on twisting the truth, as Jim and Mike do, so I saw him apply his craft on some of his “grandkids,” two girls in the neighborhood. When the others returned, we picked up Betty and went to Shogun, a Ginsu style restaurant. I hadn’t been to one in years. The show was great, with the exceptions of the rich rednecks, who had spent all day at “the lake.” It reminded me of the Californians who visit our area and visit “the river.” They had seemed friendly at first, but then it was apparent they were drunk. They shouted across the restaurant to their friends from “the lake” and was rude to our chef. They also doused their food in buckets of sauce and refused parts of the meal (guess who was sitting right next to them?!) They had disappeared outside for a moment, and while we thought they had jumped their check, no such luck. They returned, but didn’t say too long (the man didn’t want the “sherbet” and made a show of how he was going next door for “vanilla” ice cream, and how his truck was faster that his girl’s porche!) Once gone, it was quiet and the food was very good (without sauce, btw).
We spent the night with Toby again. At about 4am, we woke and said our goodbyes and left again to meet with Aunt Carolyn. We were supposed to meet with her the previous evening, but called and stated Aly needed more time with her dad, which Carolyn understood; however, we still felt guilty for breaking our dinner date with her. We knew we had left a few things behind, but once arriving, along with the earrings and book, we found our car keys (what luck we decided to stop!). We visited for about an hour, plenty of time for our flight, and left for the airport. We got caught for a bit in Atlanta travel and also got lost with our off-main car company. I made a few decisions along the way that probably helped us make the flight. One was at the car rental, we were waiting for another couple, and I said we had a flight to catch, so we left without the husband, who would catch the next shuttle. I also found an incredibly short line at security, and we made it through relatively quickly. While Mike said we weren’t the last to board (more on that in a minute), we left fairly quickly after boarding the plane and one wrong misstep, we’d have missed our flight. We made to Phoenix (I watched episodes of Bones throughout the flight), picked up our car and made it back on World War Z.
Luggage and our trip were quite an experience. We each had one carry-on and one personal item, but it seemed we were always in the wrong spot in line. On the flight out, we were told there was room for our carry-ons in the back, but once we arrived, there was no room, so we had to try to get back to the front compartments with all the people boarding. On the return trip it was worse. We boarded, and there was no room, so they began checking bags about 5 people after us in line. Once we boarded, there was no room for our bags. Not wanting a repeat of the “excuse me” plight of our incoming flight, I ushered all of us (mostly our group, but one or two others) to the back of the plane, let everyone else get settled, then check our bags and sit down. It worked well, but we were still a bit miffed that so many people had non-airline compliant carry-ons that we had to check our bags.
We went to Georgia for one reason, Jim's wedding, and also found another great reason to go, meeting Aly's dad again.
Our trip began with a long drive, as we chose a flight from Phoenix instead of Las Vegas due to our tight budget (gas and meals figured in). So we left at 6am on our drive. We began listening to World War Z, a zombie novel told from the point of view of those who survived. I heard the first few chapters before falling asleep. With only one stop in Wikiup, we made it to the airport and found out our plane would be late. With some time to spare, Mike and I ate some Sbarro pizza, but it didn’t agree with Mike as his slice was underdone (this is a national chain, and usually it’s really good). We went to a bar and each ordered a drink. His beer seemed to settle his stomach, but my $10 margarita (not even top shelf!) made my stomach sour and to not do that again.
We had a very uneventful flight to Georgia (thankfully!) and was on a flight long enough to watch a film! It was Bride Wars, and while cute, it seemed to grate on my nerves at points. It did keep my mind off of being in the air for two hours, so that's a bonus as I seem to not enjoy flying as much as I used to. In fact, I'm surprised I was awake after taking the Dramamine. For the remainder of the hour, I listened to The Music Man (which Aly and I had seen recently in Las Vegas) and was actually able to figure out all the lyrics on the opening song. It was the original stage version of the play with Robert Preston, the only Music Man.
Arriving in Georgia, we picked up our rental car, and drove to his Aunt Carolyn’s place. She was very happy to see us as was Jim. We were a bit late due to our flight, but she had a delicious chicken casserole for us.
The next day entailed some shopping (Aly’s present from Aunt Carolyn – two summer dresses of Aly’s choice) and I found a dress as well as a few scarves, one of which matched the dress I planned to wear to the wedding (same dress as I wore for Aly’s grad as well). Aly chose two short, cute dresses that were her style. One was low cut, but with the scarf she had, she wrapped it around her under the dress and it looked so much better! She wore this one to the wedding the next day. On our shopping trip we also searched for pink flamingos (inside joke – I’m not sure what) but we never found them. Instead we bought mass amounts of bubbles and a poster board for Aly to decorate. We then went shopping for several kinds of fruit for kebabs.
That afternoon we went to Sherry’s place and met her family, all of whom were friendly and fun. I quickly joined the “porch people” out on the deck and we talked for hours. Upon returning home, we realized that we still had to do the fruit kebabs. Carolyn wasn’t back yet and Jim complaining, so I roused the troops (Mike and Andy) and began cutting – get this – One whole watermelon, 3 cantaloupes, 2 honeydew, and 2 pineapples. That’s a lot! It took us over an hour and we finally went to bed after midnight.
The next day, Mike and I were ready for the wedding early, but others were not. Aly was getting ready, as was Aunt Carolyn, and we waited for her neighbor, Connie. We were supposed to leave at 8am, but didn’t get out until after 9am. We were on the way, driving much slower than we wanted, not sure we’d make the wedding. About halfway through the trip, Aunt Carolyn pulled into a McDonalds to get her breakfast. Mike was incensed! I was flabbergasted! We are already running late and you’re getting breakfast! We continued to follow her after her brief respite and made it to the ceremony as everyone was gathering on the porch; in fact, the pre-ceremony music was already playing. Luckily we had made it.
The ceremony was simple and lovely in its simplicity. Jim and Sherry were dressed nicely, but not formally. One of the daughters sang songs throughout the ceremony. They exchanged vows and kissed. After the ceremony, we were posed in groups for various pictures, only two of which involved us (If I get copies I’ll get them to all). One of the cutest was Sherry’s mother with her great grandchildren. Yes, four generations were present, very cool! After the ceremony, we continued the pleasantries of the previous day. Aly made her poster and we surreptitiously placed it in Jim’s truck (again, I hope to get a photo). Many of the family saw it, but we left before the newlyweds, so I don’t know their reaction.
We then headed to Buford to meet with Toby again. He had reservations for a place, but only Aly had a clue where we were going at the time. We sat visiting and then we were off again. He had made reservations for Medieval Times, a jousting reenactment. When we arrived, we were given our crowns and escorted to take a picture with the king (who I still say has a heavy metal band somewhere – just has that “look” to him). We waited an hour watching the events, then were escorted inside. Toby had gotten some kind of package deal, so we sat in the front row. We each received a picture from the opening, a DVD of the performance and a commemorative booklet. It was very fun and the food was great. Among the entertainment were a falconer, several horse trainers, and the aforementioned jousting/fighting. Our knight (as is usual for me) was out in the first round, but of course the prince and good knight triumphed in the end. Afterwards, Aly and I made the rounds for the signatures of the knights. Most were very pleasant and we commented on our having a good time. The blue knight, our last signature, did give Aly a hard time and was seriously flirting with her. I told her afterwards that he was cute, as were all the knights. She began commenting on how she’d like to work at this kind of place. Oi!
The next day we sat around with Toby and Betty and talked for awhile before heading out. Toby took us to see Aly’s paternal grandfather. He was very surprised to see her and was very happy. We talked for a bit, and then Toby, Mike and Aly wandered off. I was left with Joe and his wife, both of which are very kind. He kept commenting on how good it was to see her and how he never thought he’d meet her. He also said he’d been getting on Toby’s case about it recently and hoped that helped. I’m sure it did, but I think Toby was also ready to meet Aly. Joe also seems great on twisting the truth, as Jim and Mike do, so I saw him apply his craft on some of his “grandkids,” two girls in the neighborhood. When the others returned, we picked up Betty and went to Shogun, a Ginsu style restaurant. I hadn’t been to one in years. The show was great, with the exceptions of the rich rednecks, who had spent all day at “the lake.” It reminded me of the Californians who visit our area and visit “the river.” They had seemed friendly at first, but then it was apparent they were drunk. They shouted across the restaurant to their friends from “the lake” and was rude to our chef. They also doused their food in buckets of sauce and refused parts of the meal (guess who was sitting right next to them?!) They had disappeared outside for a moment, and while we thought they had jumped their check, no such luck. They returned, but didn’t say too long (the man didn’t want the “sherbet” and made a show of how he was going next door for “vanilla” ice cream, and how his truck was faster that his girl’s porche!) Once gone, it was quiet and the food was very good (without sauce, btw).
We spent the night with Toby again. At about 4am, we woke and said our goodbyes and left again to meet with Aunt Carolyn. We were supposed to meet with her the previous evening, but called and stated Aly needed more time with her dad, which Carolyn understood; however, we still felt guilty for breaking our dinner date with her. We knew we had left a few things behind, but once arriving, along with the earrings and book, we found our car keys (what luck we decided to stop!). We visited for about an hour, plenty of time for our flight, and left for the airport. We got caught for a bit in Atlanta travel and also got lost with our off-main car company. I made a few decisions along the way that probably helped us make the flight. One was at the car rental, we were waiting for another couple, and I said we had a flight to catch, so we left without the husband, who would catch the next shuttle. I also found an incredibly short line at security, and we made it through relatively quickly. While Mike said we weren’t the last to board (more on that in a minute), we left fairly quickly after boarding the plane and one wrong misstep, we’d have missed our flight. We made to Phoenix (I watched episodes of Bones throughout the flight), picked up our car and made it back on World War Z.
Luggage and our trip were quite an experience. We each had one carry-on and one personal item, but it seemed we were always in the wrong spot in line. On the flight out, we were told there was room for our carry-ons in the back, but once we arrived, there was no room, so we had to try to get back to the front compartments with all the people boarding. On the return trip it was worse. We boarded, and there was no room, so they began checking bags about 5 people after us in line. Once we boarded, there was no room for our bags. Not wanting a repeat of the “excuse me” plight of our incoming flight, I ushered all of us (mostly our group, but one or two others) to the back of the plane, let everyone else get settled, then check our bags and sit down. It worked well, but we were still a bit miffed that so many people had non-airline compliant carry-ons that we had to check our bags.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Still relaxing
I've been on my own for two days. I've been alone for the first time in years in my own home I'm not quite sure what to do with myself. I went to the library and rented a few movies. I rented a few silly things, and I rented a few serious movies. One was a show called Ghost Hunters. It's a fun show and I don't take it too seriously. It is really fun to watch at night, but I didn't realize just how much I could scare myself by watching it alone. Freaky yet fun! I also rented a few things on Jane Austen as well as a musical are two. One other thing I rented was The Other Boleyn Girl. It took some liberties with the history, but it was still quite fun to watch. These are due back by Saturday and I think all pick up a few more things. Oh don't worry, I've been doing laundry and dishes in the interim. The house is cleaner than it has been a in a long time. Yipee!
I also want to say how much fun I had why was in Colorado. Although the time was too short, I had so much fun of being with my family and my husband. The sunburn that I got after an hour's walk outside did peel, but I think the walk was worth it. I do need to remember to put on sunscreen next time. I did enjoy seeing green again, and also I enjoyed the cool temperatures which I am sure I will not see for several months (We have just started hitting the hundreds and summer is just beginning). I wanted to thank everyone for their support. I am much more relaxed and feel that I can finally think clearly. Thank you.
I will post again shortly after watching a few more films and indulging in a nap or two but before having to work this weekend.
I also want to say how much fun I had why was in Colorado. Although the time was too short, I had so much fun of being with my family and my husband. The sunburn that I got after an hour's walk outside did peel, but I think the walk was worth it. I do need to remember to put on sunscreen next time. I did enjoy seeing green again, and also I enjoyed the cool temperatures which I am sure I will not see for several months (We have just started hitting the hundreds and summer is just beginning). I wanted to thank everyone for their support. I am much more relaxed and feel that I can finally think clearly. Thank you.
I will post again shortly after watching a few more films and indulging in a nap or two but before having to work this weekend.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Finally done!
The last few weeks of school have been extremely stressful. I finally figured out that I have five classes of research papers to grade instead of just two. Totally sucks! It turns out that my senior class is also have to write papers of approximately the same length as by juniors. By the time they're done researching it is the end of April or early May. So instead of having spring break and several weeks to grade these papers, I have one or two weeks. Needless to say, I cannot be as thorough as I would like on these; however, I checked to make sure there is no plagiarism and it is not entirely quotes. Good enough for me and for credit
To add to the chaos I also had to do finals which includes an in class essay and a fill in the blank test. I suppose I could've made it easier on myself and have given it a multiple guess, I mean choice, test but I can never tell if they know the answer by using this. Add in Hastings on the weekends leaving little time for grading and you have a recipe for little sleep, little fun, and... and...not much else, except maybe cats, Aly's a year and a trip to California and ensuing choir concerts, graduation, visits from former students, great... did I mention sleep? It's a good thing the school year ended or I think there might have been a fatality or a loony bin involved.
Yes, I finally got some sleep and lots of it. Now all I have to do is clean my house.
(btw I've been practicing using the microphone speech recognition on this blog.. . Quite fun and it makes an interesting words. Sorry if there's any typos.)
To add to the chaos I also had to do finals which includes an in class essay and a fill in the blank test. I suppose I could've made it easier on myself and have given it a multiple guess, I mean choice, test but I can never tell if they know the answer by using this. Add in Hastings on the weekends leaving little time for grading and you have a recipe for little sleep, little fun, and... and...not much else, except maybe cats, Aly's a year and a trip to California and ensuing choir concerts, graduation, visits from former students, great... did I mention sleep? It's a good thing the school year ended or I think there might have been a fatality or a loony bin involved.
Yes, I finally got some sleep and lots of it. Now all I have to do is clean my house.
(btw I've been practicing using the microphone speech recognition on this blog.. . Quite fun and it makes an interesting words. Sorry if there's any typos.)
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