Vacay - Day 1, August 23rd, 2014

Hurray for the Vacay!

So, Day 1 was mostly uneventful.  We got up around 4:30 am EST, showered and finished packing and hit the road.  We had a 2.5 hour drive - including bathroom stops - to Chicago to get to the airport for our flight.  We stopped at Speedway and picked up a couple of breakfast sandwiches and a couple of caffeinated drinks for the beginning of our trip.  The drive was foggy, but humid.  The dew point was at 75 degrees with 100% humidity.  The fog seemed to burn off after awhile, but returned the closer we got to Chicago.  In fact, as we got into Chicago, the Sears Tower looked like it was floating inside a cloud -  the fog was that thick.  The funny part was getting a text message from my friend, Diana Murdock, at 6 AM (that's 3 AM her time) asking if we arrived yet.  LOL!   

Getting tickets and passing through security went more quickly than getting a shuttle from the parking lot to the terminal.  Seriously, they went by us as we got out of the car and started unloading it, but since we weren't ready, they didn't stop.  We walked to the nearest shuttle stop, but none of the shuttles were driving by it.  So we hiked it over toward the train that was shut down due to construction and finally had a shuttle stop for us.  

We went inside terminal 3 and handed over our driver's licenses and checked one bag, which went through its own security check before we did.  We had one carry on and my purse to take on the flight.  Then it was time for our security check.  We were smart and had flip-flops on to make it easier to get off for this part of our journey.  It was my first time going through the new full-body scanners.  I haven't been on a flight since 2003, so a lot had changed for me.  

Everything went smoothly and we were on the terminal.  There were no seats available at our terminal, but we were early enough to check out a shop down from the terminal and get second breakfast at the McDonald's across from our terminal.  By the time we got back and our food was ready, they were boarding the flight and we had a couple of seats available for us to sit down and could enjoy our breakfast sandwiches and drinks before our section was called.  Unfortunately, they received word that there was construction at LAX that is delaying our flight for another hour, so they unboarded the plane.  

We people-watched during that time.  There were a number of interesting characters available to watch and laugh about at O'Hare Airport.  Funky hairstyles and clothing choices was my favorite part, but we also had a number of sailors - both men and woman - walking up and down the terminal hall.  I didn't take any photos because I really wanted to have my phone for photos later in my vacation.  

They started calling sections again and we decided to take turns going to the bathroom to keep our seats.  While I was waiting for my turn, they called the first class section.  I decided to take a chance and look over to see who that might be.  There were a lot of uninteresting people in line, but third back was a tall blonde woman dressed all in black with a small backpack on.  She looked so familiar as she waited for the three people ahead of her in line.  She turned slightly and I could barely make out her profile, but the sense of familiarity increased.  When my boyfriend came back from the bathroom, I asked him to look over the woman carefully and tell me if she doesn't look like Jane Lynch.  He said she had a strong resemblance and we should take a closer look as we get on the plane.  We IMDB'ed her to get a fresh idea of what Jane Lynch looked like as we waited to be called up.  I was hopeful.  This trip was about visiting a place where I could see celebrities first hand and this may be my first of many encounters.

Finally, our section was called and we were in line to board.  Slowly we inched onto the plane as people held us up by putting their carry-on's in the overheads and moved around the seating arrangements - getting in and out as people arrived for their inside seats and such.  The plane wasn't nearly as full as one would expect.  There were several empty seats, in fact.

And First Class finally was in sight.  As we inched through, I looked through the seats that were already occupied with individuals wrapped in red blankets with ear buds in and sleeping or on the verge of falling asleep.  It made me wonder if these people were allowed to stay on board to be so far gone already. All the seats in First Class were taken - upon first sight.  The last row of seats on the left were occupied by a couple of technicians that were in the process of fixing the seats, especially the one by the window.  Jane was in the first row of coach on the right and avoiding eye contact.  Her arms were crossed - her face looked cross too.  I don't blame her for being upset having to wait even more for her comfy seat.  First we waited because of an unexpected delay, and now her seat was broken.  As much as I wanted to tell her I love her game show, she obviously wasn't wanting any attention, so I opted out of delivering her words of praise.  If I were in her position, I wouldn't want to hear anything from a fan, either.  It was definitely Jane Lynch, though.  There was no doubt about it.  My boyfriend agreed, it was definitely her and we gave her the peace we would have liked if in her situation.  Jane, if you ever come across this blog, please know, we had nothing but compassion for your situation and we love the Hollywood Game Show.   Keep bringing on those celebrities to get drunk and make them do goofy things - it's crazy hilarious!

While our flight started at 10:30 instead of 9:25 and we were expected to arrive in LAX at 12:30 pm instead of 11:25 am, we still had many hours of flight ahead of us.  Fortunately, the flight experience was wonderful.  Virgin America had little screens on the back of every chair, plenty of room for my boyfriend's long legs, the ability to make orders on the same screen as you watch free satellite TV or play free video games.  I fell asleep watching a YouTube of the King of Random.  It was pretty cool with a lot of random facts.  We had white wine with cheese, crackers, and fruit as a snack on the plane, plus some on-the-house drinks.  We did have to get up and use the facilities and stretch our legs during the flight, but with so many open seats, it was easy to do that as well.

Then, we arrived.  And it was time to use the restroom again.  Unfortunately, there was a ginormous line in the ladies, and not a one of them a celebrity to gawk at.  Oh well, do your business and get out.  Then, we went to get luggage.  Ours was the fourth one on the carousel, so that was pretty sweet.  Then we had to wait for a shuttle to take us to the Alamo rental place.  A little more time than we would have liked being as hungry as we were, but it was pretty quick to go on the kiosk, fill in all the needed stuff and pick out our car.  We went with a bluish silvery Hyundai Sonata.  It was big compared to my boyfriend's Toyota Scion.  We loaded up, got our GPS hooked up - bringing that was smart as it would have cost us $5/day to use Alamo's GPS - and found the nearest Subway for lunch.  Wow, was that more than I bargained for.  For the same thing back home, it cost under $10, but in L.A. it was almost $16.

So here is the kicker, my boyfriend was telling me he found a site where it tells you how much a $100 is really worth per state.  For instance, in Michigan, $100 is more like $105.  In California, $100 is more like $88.  Ouch, my wallet is hurting just talking about it.  I probably should have done more research on that before going.  But, I was there, will have to be more savvy in my search for places to eat.  A little 16 ounce bottle of water was going for $3 in Cali where I was used to buying a liter of water for $1. Needless to say, I was pretty thirsty most of the time.

So, we have lunch and a car, and we put in the address for our hotel in Irvine.  Boyfriend was so great at finding bargains online.  At Hotels.com, this place was going for $96 a night and was close to Costa Mesa.  It boasted the "I" experience on the website and it was probably the most comfortable and quiet room I ever stayed in.

We arrived about 45 minutes after we left Subway.  Traffic wasn't as bad as it could have been and what we ended up experiencing later, but it was way more congested than we were used to.  I think traveling south was what made the traffic lighter.  In fact, Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Newport Beach and Laguna Beach traffic was way better than Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Hollywood, and Beverly Hills traffic.

We arrived at the hotel, checked in, discovered the additional cost of $18 a day for parking and took photos from our window.  All the photos on this post is from our hotel room the first day.  We were on the seventh floor and had a fantastic view of the mountains.  After unpacking, we headed for a dip in the hot tub and pool.  We had the place to ourselves after another couple left. shortly after our arrival.

Then we were famished.  We went back to the hotel room, rinsed off, changed and researched places to eat.  I was in the mood for fresh caught fish.  The first place we found was called the California Fish Grill and ended up being a chain restaurant.  It was California's version of Panera Bread, but with fish.  So our next place was in Newport Beach.  It was called Blue Water Grill.  There was at least a fifteen minute wait and we got a nice table out on the deck right on the pier.  It was beautiful to be surrounded by the boats and water as the sun set.  I tried oysters on the half shell for the first time.  It was not terrible, but not my favorite either.  Now I can say I've had them.  I ordered the Jumbo Shrimp Linguine and my boyfriend ordered the tilapia.  The jumbo shrimp was large, perfectly cooked, and seasoned deliciously.  The tilapia was buttery, well-seasoned and melted in your mouth like mashed potatoes.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it.  We had some cocktails and wine with the meal.  I had my first Mai Tai - it was so yummy, but definitely put me over the pleasant buzz the wine and first cocktail had me at.  I don't remember the name of the first cocktail, but it was more sweet than alcoholic tasting with a light tartness.  It was tasty, but reminded me of Koolaid.

We went for a walk after dinner.  It was dark and cool and there was a Bachelorette Party going on at the restaurant at an adjacent pier.  Then we had a fifteen minute drive back to the hotel and we crashed the blissful crash of the exhausted traveler.  First day is done.  Join me next week for Day Two.

Happy Reading!  

Vacay!

Hurray for the Vacay!

 

I know you probably can't understand the excitement I am feeling right now.  But, imagine you haven't gone on a true vacation for the last sixteen years and the other times you've "been somewhere" it was coupled with a major move or more involved with children than yourself.  I adore my kids - don't get me wrong - but often those trips are close to home and more work than play - as many of you parents are perfectly aware of.

 

So, here I am, on the precipice of this vacation that was nearly twenty years in coming.  The idea occurred to me that I have been in so many of the states, but haven't been to this one and I know a couple of wonderfully talented authors who live there - one of which I will be meeting for the first time!!

 

So, I plan to take notes of every day I'm there and will post a blog each week afterwards to describe the day.  Did that make sense?  Each week, I'll describe one day of my vacation.  I'll get into details of where we went, who we saw, what we saw, and how much we paid.  Why not.  Usually when you go on vacation, it's the great money-spender of the year aside from Christmas, but I'm determined to have fun without digging too deeply into my pockets.  I've been putting the research in, so soon it will be time to see if it "pays off." 

 

Keeping my phone on and out for photos that I will post within the blog posts and ready to have a memorable time!  Warning:  Phone does not take the best of photos, so here's hoping they will be totally worthless.

 

Happy Reading!

May the Fourth

Today is May the Fourth!  May the Fourth be with you.

I don't know how many out there have ever seen one of the Star Wars movies, but I've seen them enough to know practically every line.  I've played drinking games to the original trilogy, played the card games, roleplayed in chat rooms, and had the Star Wars themed Trivial Pursuit game.  I can't imagine life without a Star Wars.  I quote from the movies constantly.  I love the scene where Leia confesses she loves Han as he is being put into carbonite.  When someone is laughing at my expense, "Laugh it up, fuzzball" is a great line.  I even speak into my hands in a Vader voice: "Luke, I am your father" for my kids.  They love it.  It's so cute when they say, "No you're not, you're my mother!"  And I say, "And you're not Luke!"

It's an American Icon of pop culture.  It's relate-able to our human experience - fighting for the rights of all sentient-kind.  We can root for the underdog, whiny kid from a backwater planet (that ironically has very little water), and see the Big Bads take a fall due to the fuzzy, little Ewoks.

How much as Star Wars effected your life?  Are you traditional, original trilogy followers, or follow all the movies?  Have you read any of the books related to Star Wars?  How do you feel about Disney purchasing the franchise and changing Star Wars Lore?

Oh, yes.  The books we read in the late 1990's no longer will have a hold on the lore of the next set of movies according to an article I had forwarded to me that you can view here.  While the author appears to be well versed in Star Wars Lore, he doesn't seem to have a lot of good to say about it.

Happy Reading!

Silence: Golden or Broken?

Ever hear of the phrase, "Silence is Golden"?  Yeah, I have too.  There is so much meaning in silence.  I often quote a line from Bambi when my children go flying off at the mouth on what they observe.  "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."  They are so familiar with the saying, they often say it with me.  In this case, if you don't have anything positive to say about a person - whether it’s true or not - it's best to just be pleasant by not saying anything.  Is this the golden silence?

According to The Phrase Finder, this is what is meant.  In fact, they go into the history of that saying that can be dated back to Ancient Egypt.  Even that civilization knew to keep some things to themselves to keep the peace.  Once a word is spoken, it can't be taken back.  Even the Apostle Paul berated the women for gossiping and indicated it best they remain silent in the church; he knew what stirring the pot with gossip could do to undermine the workings of the church, even in its infancy.

I often default (well, let’s not say default, how about frequently) to silence in order to collect my thoughts, judge my emotional response to something, judge my responses as appropriate for the time and people hearing them, or simply to just collect the general ambiance of a place and the people in it to mull over later.  Our experience in this life is abundant with scenes that affect us.  Do we ever stop to contemplate what in our environment is driving us?  Maybe some quiet reflection is all that is necessary to help us to develop our own thoughts and responses outside of what we believe is “norm”.  We are so driven by society’s norm, that maybe just a little cerebral workout is necessary to change the “norm”.

But, society often dictates for us what is normal.  Silence can be construed as rude, or hiding something.  It can be considered a manipulative tactic.  And it can push labels off on individuals: snob, dumb, weak.  And those labels are stuck on there with this amazing adhesive called “words”.  Someone said it, someone heard it; therefore it must then be true.  Once a word is spoken, it can’t be taken back.

There are so many forms of silence.  There is the silence of nature.  Ever just sit back and listen to the silence of a sunset?  It’s wonderful beyond words. 

I love the silence that ensues after my children have gone to sleep and all the electronics are off in the house.

I enjoy the silence of prayer and meditation; it seems like I can hear my own thoughts more clearly in those times, but I also feel like I can hear the universe in those moments.  When the two don’t match, time to shut down the mind and slip into the universal quiet to reconnect. 

There is also the unfortunate silence of death.  We will miss those who have slipped into this silence.  But their laughter and voices live on in our memories.  In silence, we can hear them more clearly.

I try to write in silence, but I find that I just can’t.  Music inspires my rhythm and generates sparks of electrical current from brain cell to brain cell until they all connect and I’m into the flow of writing practically nonstop.  One-way flight to 1,000 words, please, and thank you.  And I have to admit, sometimes I can’t get to sleep in silence.  I have the TV on with the timer set so it won’t go all night, or I have my guided meditation CD in my computer going as I listen to Esther Hicks soft, melodious voice as she delivers Abraham’s message of the Laws of Attraction.  That’s a positive-thought process of creating your own destiny.  It has nothing to do with come-hither looks to brawny men.

What do you do in silence?

Happy Reading!

The Evil Social Media

The Evil Social Media

I never was one to watch any reality TV.  In fact, the only thing close to reality TV I watch is Ghosthunters on SyFy because I love watching the science evolve in that area of research and the personal experiences of strange phenomena the crew have during the show.  But that is not the evil this particular blog is all about.

This is about social media.  I get we are in the electronic age and this is now the current trend on how to communicate with our peers, family, friends, co-workers, even acquaintances.  But, I wonder how real it is.
  Do you feel your Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and Google Plus profiles are true representations of your personality?  What can you gain from them you can’t from other sites?  Do you get news feeds there any different?  How about sporting events? Weather?  Is it the games that are the enticement?  How about all the ads?

Now let’s ask the grittier questions.  What do you know about the personal lives of your “friends” on those social media accounts?  Is it positively uplifting? Is someone divorcing?  Someone having a hard day? What did they have to eat?  Where have they been?  Is there too much a person can know about another’s life without it being intrusive?

I’ll say.

I think Twitter is fairly safe.  On the profile page, you can have a short description – within the same range of characters as a regular post (140 characters).  And “characters” means spaces too.  Which means the amount of detail about yourself is limited.  You can put in your marital status and number of kids If you like, but what does that really tell about you?  Hopefully not too much.  I only have about half as many followers as I am following and keeping up with 774 followings isn’t a piece of cake.  I miss a bunch.  I do, however, enjoy Pinterest shares on Twitter feeds and occasionally sharing a recipe I’m trying.  I stay away from photo postings of personal stuff, but I do put my blog posts there.  Being an aspiring writer, I follow others in the same boat as myself as well as the accomplished writers and publishing companies.  I try to stay abreast of new developments in that area and to give my fellow writers support.  Overall, I rate it as a benign place to “socialize”.  Or maybe it’s my use of it that makes it so.

MySpace I have issues with figuring out how to setup my page and what to follow.  It’s changed so much since I first heard about it.  Even the original code I had in there for my page setup is all messed up.  Is it just me, or has it turned into a place for just music?  As a matter of fact, it’s been so long I’ve been on it, I don’t remember how to sign into it anymore.  So, moving on.

Google Plus….  Does anyone use it other than being forced to by Google on their androids?  I put people in my circles, but I don’t ever see anything from them.  I notice my phone has a tendency to back up my photos into it – which I appreciate, really I do.  If I decide to post them, I can; otherwise they remain hidden from everyone in my circle – which is like two.  Those poor two souls never get to see anything of my photos.  Oh well, such is life. 

Facebook, however, seems to be the place where you can go and completely intrude on another person’s life just by being a silent observer.  You can get a person’s email, phone number, marital status, number of kids, photos of their kids, photos of them (the bathroom selfies, OMG!), where they have been, where they are, what they have been eating (I’m staying clear of your house if you are having tacos again), as well as a regular accounting of their general well-being.  And, quite frankly, I was tired of the constant posts about Paul Walker, gun laws, the constant reminder that its flipping snowing like the devil outside (I can see that out my window, thank you), and Obamacare.  I will miss Candy Crush Saga the most, I think.  So long, Level 215.  It was nice seeing you, but since I deleted my Facebook account, my phone thinks it should steal the few lives I get every hour by randomly crashing because it can’t find the FB account any longer.    That’s just another level of stress I don’t need.  I also removed the stress of thinking someone can find photos of my children and use them for advertising or stalking my kids at school.  I realize now that Facebook had sucked me down a deep, dark hole of constantly needing others approval.  Now I don’t think about what other people are thinking about my profile and what I post.  The notifications have ended and so has that false sense of belonging whenever someone liked something I liked or posted.  That doesn’t define me.  I do.  Without that particular social site, I might even have energy and time to blog, write, read, and seek out only the important things on the Internet that truly inspire.  I can research new things to post blogs about.  I’ve already begun the process of planning it in my head.  And I’ll have the time and resources to do it without the mental distraction of who did what today on Facebook.  Facebook, you rank in the stank.

 I realize Twitter never pulled me into its web as Facebook did.  MySpace and Google Plus were bland and had a confusing structure, so they didn't take much time from my life.  And now I've removed Facebook from my life, it will move on (my life that is; although I can see Facebook will survive my absence, so will I survive its absence).  I can see myself becoming more productive in all things relative to my life already. 

Happy Reading!

Sticks and Stones

Sticks and Stones

Because I have become so sick and tired of all the branches (e.g. very large sticks) in my yard from all of the storms we have been experiencing, I decided to talk about stones today.  Don’t get me wrong; I love my trees and Michigan’s summer storms, especially after the dry summer we experienced last year.  I am just a little tired of the spring clean-up being extended and making playing in the backyard (and having a fire) a bit more hazardous.

But, I digress.  I came here to talk about stones.  Sound boring?  Wait.  I’m about to reveal something that isn't widely known.  You know of some very well-known stones, right?  Come on, think about it.  Not gemstones, and not Petoskey stones.  I’ll give you another hint.  It’s in the shape of a ring.  If you are thinking of wedding bands, I’m going to be extremely disappointed in all of you.  STONEHENGE is the correct answer.  Well, while they sound really awesome, it’s awfully expensive to go overseas to view them and I've heard you can’t even touch them anymore due to erosion.  I can tell you of some stonehenges in the United States that you probably weren't aware of before.  A couple of them are in my native state of Michigan, just you still can’t touch one of them – they’re a bit hard to get to.

So, I’ll start with America’s Stonehenge.  It’s located in Salem, New Hampshire and they have tours offered for a fee (you can even snowshoe and see alpacas).  No visa required!  It’s a fantastic touristic attraction and no one knows for sure who built it or when.  It could be as old as 4,000 years old.  William Goodwin was known to have done some quarrying around the area, but others are convinced there are pre-Columbian and “Old World” evidence.  But there is evidence of Native American occupation at some point too.  Sounds like a great place to visit and see for yourself what you think is really there and how old it really is. Circa 1907.

Then there’s Sam Hills Henge which is a replica of England’s Stonehenge located in Maryhill, Washington. This was built as a memorial dedicated to the fallen of Klickitat County in World War I. He was a bit confused about the function of the original Stonehenge, believing it was a place of human sacrifice.  He’s reportedly buried at the base of the bluff it was built on overlooking the Columbia River.  Circa 1931.

For my southern friends and acquaintances, you can always go visit the Georgia Guidestones.  Located in Nuberg, Georgia, this replica has its origins deep in mystery.  No one knows the true name of the person wanting it built.  A granite company near the site was approached by a man reportedly called “R.C. Christian” who was carrying a model of the Stonehenge in a shoe box and had very specific requirements of it.  The company built it and became $50,000 wealthier, but the “R.C. Christian” disappeared from existence after making the deposit.  There are several messages in many languages carved on the six stones that make up this replica, one of which demanding we not become a cancer on the earth.  Circa 1980.

For the fun-loving, quirky folks visiting this page, you might want to see Carhenge.  Apparently, this all started with a family reunion and also became a memorial.  Wish mine were so fun! (Uh, reunions, not memorials.)  So, for my Midwestern folks, a visit to Alliance, Nebraska will bring you to the site of some ancient cars (or classic as the case may be) set up like the ancient stones of Great Britain.  It’s a mechanic’s delight!  Be sure to visit the site’s new visitor’s center and the adjacent car-art sculpture park.  Circa 1987.

Then there’s Stonehenge II in Kerrville, Texas.  Not actually stone, except for the single limestone piece the idea sprung from, but steel frames covered in plaster.  There are some Easter Island heads at this site too.  Guess it Al Shepperd thought that another Stonehenge would be better than a fake UFO crash.  I would have gone with UFOs just to be different. Circa 1989.

Now, I’m asking you…FOAMHENGE?  I think we are way too far away from stone to be even close to interesting now.  But, if you want to see a foam replica of Stonehenge, you can see it in Natural Bridge, Virginia.  Circa 2004.

And the last ridiculous one I’m going to talk about before getting serious again is Stonefridge.  Ok, I’m just going to say it, the guy who built it was a bit nuts.  Adam Horowitz spent nine years working on a 200+ refrigerator monument that looks like Stonehenge, but is not even remotely close to replicating it.  It just looks like it – with painted refrigerators.  And he decided to have it made by workers wearing loincloths and using teepee poles, ropes, pulleys, and muscle to build it.  He totally set himself up for the vandals who reportedly set off bombs inside the refrigerators. Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico. Circa 1997. Thankfully removed for good in 2007.

Ok, so back to Michigan.  In 2007 (how ironic is that?), researchers from Northern Michigan College were using a new sonar system to map the bottom of Lake Michigan for evidence of historical events since archaeology cannot be successfully conducted underwater.  During the scans they found old cars, a ring of stones, buggies, boats, Civil-war era piers, and a stone which appears to have a mastodon carved into it.  The stone carving hasn't been verified by the “experts” yet since none are trained in scuba diving, but some believe that it and the ring of stones it was a part of could date back 10,000 years.  That is when humans and mastodons were believed to be in that part of Michigan (Grand Traverse Bay).  These are just another set of standing stones found in the Michigan area.  Beaver Island has a stone circle discovered in 1985 (again, there’s some irony in there if you’re a Back to the Future fan).

References to some of these incredible and incredulous information is in part from an NBCNEWS.com article entitled “America Unhenged: 7 great Stonehenge Replicas”, although America’s Stonehenge doesn't sound like a replica….  Oh well.

Happy Reading!

Discouraged

In a word…discouraged

Well, exactly what I thought would happen did directly after my editor looked over and marked up my novel.  I lost my desire to write more.  I think about all the time I put in just to feel like it’s not good or good enough for public consumption.  Seeing all the blocks, all the nit-picking details requested, all the sections being written out and the sections requiring rewrite has effectively put a stop to my writing.  If you have noticed, I haven’t blogged, I haven’t gone on Twitter, I haven’t pulled up any of my drafts to work on….  It just wasn't worth seeing all the red anymore.  I haven’t even been reading and seeking new inspiration.  And at the same time the world seems to be taking on black and white dimensions instead of the full color brilliance I am so used to.

I need to write, though.  Even as discouraged as I am, I know in my heart and deep in my marrow that this is what I must do in order to feel complete.  Has anyone felt this discouraged and off course before?  Have you found your way back?

I could use a few pointers….