It is Tuesday evening and I am sitting at BWI waiting for my slightly delayed flight to Boston. I am heading up to Boston because the trail against Fabio Brandao starts tomorrow. For those of you who don't remember the story I was attacked in Boston right before I moved down to DC because I was walking friends home after a night out. Here is the story from Edge Boston...
Gay bashing on Columbus Avenue by Ethan Jacobs Bay Windows Thursday Aug 28, 2008
Police are currently investigating a possible hate crime after three people were viciously attacked by four men shouting homophobic slurs on Columbus Avenue in the early morning hours of August 24. The victims, four friends in their mid-20s, told Bay Windows that they were walking home at around 2:45 a.m., along Columbus Avenue, somewhere between Dartmouth and West Canton streets, after a night clubbing at the Roxy in downtown. One of the victims, a Jamaica Plain woman named Jenna, said that she and her friends heard a group of men shouting at them from a parked white sedan. They kept walking, but before they could go far, the four men got out of their car and started coming towards them."I saw the men getting out of the car, and I approached them first and said, ’Just get back in your car... We’re just heading home,’" said Jenna, who asked that Bay Windows withhold her last name due to safety concerns. "They were like, ’Fuck you, your fucking friends are faggots,’ and one of them punched me in the face."When her two friends, S of the South End and J of Jamaica Plain, who also asked to withhold his last name, came to her aid, the attackers turned on them. Two of them began beating S and another kicked J in the face repeatedly as he lay on the ground, shouting "Fuck you, faggots" throughout the attack. JCH was furthest away from the incident and was not directly involved in the physical confrontation.The attackers ran back to their car to get away, Jenna said, when she pulled her phone out and threatened to call the police. She ran after them and dialed 911 on her cell phone; when an operator answered, she shouted the license plate number of the car into the phone."I was screaming it repeatedly into the phone over and over again," said Jenna. "That’s when the guys in the car yelled, ’Bitch, you better move or I’m going to hit you.’" She jumped out of the way, and the car sped off. After the attackers fled, Jenna and JCH found J lying unconscious on the sidewalk, but Cain was nowhere in sight. They were able to reach him moments later on his cell phone; he was in his Massachusetts Avenue apartment, but had no idea how he got there. "I woke up in my apartment, completely covered in blood, like from the movies," said S who said that he could not remember the assault itself or the immediate aftermath. Police and EMTs arrived on the scene and immediately brought J to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, picking up S on the way. Jenna and JCH stayed behind to report the incident; police also recovered a cell phone at the scene that may have belonged to the attackers. J and S, who both sustained concussions, were released later that day; S also sustained deep cuts above his eye and his temple requiring stitches. Neither man remembers any details of the assault. The three victims and JCH said they told police that the attackers were four Hispanic males, but they were not able to provide police with any further identifying information. S told Bay Windows the attackers looked like "four frat boys."Elaine Driscoll, spokeswoman for the Boston Police, said the Community Disorders Unit, which focuses on hate crimes, is leading the investigation, working with detectives from the Area D4 station. She said police are following up on the information the victims gave them and the 911 operator about the assailants’ car, which they believe was a white Honda station wagon."The detectives do have some information to go by and they are in the process of tracking the information down. I don’t have the conclusive information yet, but investigators are working to determine who the owner of the vehicle is and whether or not the vehicle was involved," said Driscoll, adding that detectives are also trying to verify the identity of the owner of the cell phone and discover whether the owner was involved. S said police interviewed him about what he remembers, took pictures of his wounds and took the bloodied clothes he wore that night to use as evidence. Police and his friends have filled him in about much of what happened that night, but no one knows how S got from the scene of the attack to his apartment."The part that scares me the most is what I don’t remember. ... They said they saw me go down, I was unconscious, and when they drove away I was gone," said S, who said his face is covered in bruises and he has had trouble closing his jaw since the attack. J said the concussion he sustained was relatively minor, and he still has some minor cuts and bruises."Ten years in Boston I’ve never felt uncomfortable, and now it’s weird for me to think about walking down Columbus, which I did all the time," he said. "But I also feel very lucky. I got a couple bruises and scrapes, but it could have been a lot worse."Jenna said she has a bruise over one eye, but most of the trauma she endured has been psychological."Emotionally, I’m completely on edge and I haven’t been sleeping, and the smallest thing makes me go off into bouts of anxiety. Even retelling this story has me shaking," said Jenna.
That was all the way back in August and now at the end of May we are all heading to Boston, including the Doctor who is coming to sit by my side. We are all going to re-live that night as we testify against this man, Fabio Brandao, the man who changed our worlds. The man who shattered my confidence in the overall good of people. This man and his friends (who have yet to be caught or charged) thought it was okay to attack friends walking home, just because they perceived us as gay.
I'm trying not to be scared anymore, it has been months of working at it and I am doing pretty well but tomorrow is frightening. Tomorrow is the first time I am going to see this man who attacked me and my friends. Tomorrow is the first day that I have to relive who happened, and I am scared that somehow tomorrow I will start to remember the night.
And I am conflicted, what if a plea bargain is offered, what if he gets off with no jail time? Does that matter? I have been strong, I have been lucky, but what about that next person. What if one of the kicks to the head is a bit harder, what if that next person blames himself. I know it wasn't my fault. I know I can't change who I am. I know that I will be able to put this behind me and live my life. I know I'll get married (no matter what California says) and I will always have the Doctor by my side, but I am the lucky one.
This case is bigger than me, this case means the world to a lot of people. I hope that the right thing happens and if it doesn't then I hope that we can force change. Hate is never the answer, I have said it over and over again and I won't stop saying it until events like this are things of the past.
Silly Looking
Have you ever really looked at students in their graduation regalia... like an entire horde of them... yeah, they look really silly, especially with that square hat, multi colored tassles and long hoods, then add on some honor cords and velvet stripes, just plain old silly!
The Bookstore Gods
So the last few weeks have been crazy with end of term book buyback, and because I don't have a floor manager I had to run my in store buybacks and my offsite buyback by myself... the result is that on the busiest day I walked 15 miles and my feet were bleeding. I am serious it was a really crazy week... the good news was it started to die down today, so I started prepping my floor for summer term, which starts on Monday. This required my to disassemble and reassemble some shelves, this is where the problems occured.
The shelves are actually pretty easy to take apart and reattach, but they are large, cumbersome, and sharp. I had to remove the center board from the top so I stood precariously on the fifth step of an eight foot ladder and pulled up, the board begins to move and I lean back to make sure I don't lose my balance. As I make my way down the ladder with the center board, my arms fully extended I feel my pants catch on something as I turn. I move forward and my pants are released, but not without damage. Yes, I ripped the butt of my pants. Thank goodness I was wearing decent underwear, and that it was high enough on my pants that when I untucked my shirt it was covered.
About an hour later as I begin to reconstruct the shelving I move the ladder out of the way and prop it up on the wall next to me. I am leaning over putting shelves in when an employee comes by with a cart and taps one of the legs of the ladder causing it to slide, as it begins to teeter I hear the noise, look up just in time for the metal ladder to slam down on my hard head and knock me to the ground.
Man, the bookstore gods really hate me today!
The shelves are actually pretty easy to take apart and reattach, but they are large, cumbersome, and sharp. I had to remove the center board from the top so I stood precariously on the fifth step of an eight foot ladder and pulled up, the board begins to move and I lean back to make sure I don't lose my balance. As I make my way down the ladder with the center board, my arms fully extended I feel my pants catch on something as I turn. I move forward and my pants are released, but not without damage. Yes, I ripped the butt of my pants. Thank goodness I was wearing decent underwear, and that it was high enough on my pants that when I untucked my shirt it was covered.
About an hour later as I begin to reconstruct the shelving I move the ladder out of the way and prop it up on the wall next to me. I am leaning over putting shelves in when an employee comes by with a cart and taps one of the legs of the ladder causing it to slide, as it begins to teeter I hear the noise, look up just in time for the metal ladder to slam down on my hard head and knock me to the ground.
Man, the bookstore gods really hate me today!
CALL TODAY
As the survivor of a hate crime, I urge you all to call your US Representative TODAY and urge them to vot in favor of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act. (202) 224-3121.
That's Funny...
I was reading my book at lunch today when my sandwich arrived. I put my book down on the table upside down so that the back cover was facing up. I eat some of my sandwich and then something on the back of the book catches my eye...
"...son of Prince Charles's wife Camila..."
I immediately reach over and turn the book over, and I think to myself... Funny, he doesn't look like he is the son of a horse!?!
But yes the author of "A Year of Eating Dangerously," Tom Parker Bowles is the son of Camila Parker Bowles!
"...son of Prince Charles's wife Camila..."
I immediately reach over and turn the book over, and I think to myself... Funny, he doesn't look like he is the son of a horse!?!
But yes the author of "A Year of Eating Dangerously," Tom Parker Bowles is the son of Camila Parker Bowles!
The Animals and the House
So it is a georgeous day here in Washington DC and we are keeping it pretty low key, we went to brunch this morning around 11, and then my friend from Boston who is playing down here this weekend (DJR) came over for a bit. We BBQ'd a late lunch and now we are just enjoying the evening out on the front patio. See like I said nothing too exciting. Oh yeah, and then we cleaned this morning.
So I wanted to post today for a few reasons, one... there is not much better to do other than read and blog on our front patio when it is 80 degrees, two... the Doctor is washing the car and I don't want to participate, and three... because I had the camera out today and we took some cute pictures of the animals and the house.
First off, the animals, as I am sure many of you know we have a lot of
animals in the house, even without Tipsy (miss you fat girl) we still have 3 cats and one dog. The Doctor had two cats before we moved in together, I had two, and he had the dog. Now we have a combined family of four animals. We have Val, (full name Valentine) the white Cat who is the ruler of the roost much to Bob's chagrin as he truly enjoyed being the Alpha cat. When it was just him and Tipsy he could boss her around and do whatever he wanted. Now, he has a couple other cats he has to contend with (not to mention Annie). Then there is the Doctor's other cat Indiana. 
Indiana is the resident fat cat who loves to lay around the house all day and lounge in the sun without moving. And then there is my buddy Bob. Bob has been a little grumpier since his sister died and since he was forced into a home with three other animals. He is definitely the step child who has trouble adjusting. However, for the most part all three cats can live calmly in the house with very few disturbances.
And then there is Annie. Annie is a beagle mix who is adorable to
look at but she is a bit hard to live with. She is a very hyper dog, who barks non-stop at anything moving, and in my opinion she is bipolar. She loves me and then she hates me. She will cuddle with me when she is happy and she has learned to weaponize her urine so she can pee on me from a distance when she is mad at me. But she is so darn cute to look at. We obviously love out animals here in the lovely house that I am about to talk about...
So the main focus of the house since the weather has started to get warm is the front patio. We just bought the grill, and the bistro set, and the Doctor wanted a water feature so we bought the fountain. We spend
many evenings out in the front, enjoying the weather grilling, and having a glass or two of wine.
Inside the house we have a huge kitchen, and living room area. The house came with three TV's the one in the living room which is a 55" Sony TV, is amazing, especially since the house is wired with surround sound in all of the rooms. The other TV's we will get to in a second. The center focal area, where we are always entertaining is the kitchen island, which also came with the house, and it glows a soft blue hue in the dark. And yes, the Doctor forgot to put the shoes away when he took one of the pictures.
We have two bathrooms, which is very convenient because we have one for the ca
t food, and litter and another one for the humans. Our bathroom (the human one) is done up in blue and chocolate brown and is a very relaxing room. And here are where the other TV's come into play... each of the bathrooms has a flat screen TV that is hooked up to the cable and the surround sound. Crazy I know but we could never go back to not having one because it is a great way to get the news in the morning (yes I am serous).
One of the two bedrooms in the house belongs to the roomie, so we respected his privacy and
didn't take any pictures, and the other one is our room. It is a very comfortable room, especially since the Doctor loves his pillows and there are about 300 on the bed. And of course another TV for me to all asleep to every night!
So that is our home, with our 4 animals and 3 people in two bedrooms, but it works and we love it!
So I wanted to post today for a few reasons, one... there is not much better to do other than read and blog on our front patio when it is 80 degrees, two... the Doctor is washing the car and I don't want to participate, and three... because I had the camera out today and we took some cute pictures of the animals and the house.
First off, the animals, as I am sure many of you know we have a lot of
animals in the house, even without Tipsy (miss you fat girl) we still have 3 cats and one dog. The Doctor had two cats before we moved in together, I had two, and he had the dog. Now we have a combined family of four animals. We have Val, (full name Valentine) the white Cat who is the ruler of the roost much to Bob's chagrin as he truly enjoyed being the Alpha cat. When it was just him and Tipsy he could boss her around and do whatever he wanted. Now, he has a couple other cats he has to contend with (not to mention Annie). Then there is the Doctor's other cat Indiana. 
Indiana is the resident fat cat who loves to lay around the house all day and lounge in the sun without moving. And then there is my buddy Bob. Bob has been a little grumpier since his sister died and since he was forced into a home with three other animals. He is definitely the step child who has trouble adjusting. However, for the most part all three cats can live calmly in the house with very few disturbances.And then there is Annie. Annie is a beagle mix who is adorable to
look at but she is a bit hard to live with. She is a very hyper dog, who barks non-stop at anything moving, and in my opinion she is bipolar. She loves me and then she hates me. She will cuddle with me when she is happy and she has learned to weaponize her urine so she can pee on me from a distance when she is mad at me. But she is so darn cute to look at. We obviously love out animals here in the lovely house that I am about to talk about...
So the main focus of the house since the weather has started to get warm is the front patio. We just bought the grill, and the bistro set, and the Doctor wanted a water feature so we bought the fountain. We spend
many evenings out in the front, enjoying the weather grilling, and having a glass or two of wine.Inside the house we have a huge kitchen, and living room area. The house came with three TV's the one in the living room which is a 55" Sony TV, is amazing, especially since the house is wired with surround sound in all of the rooms. The other TV's we will get to in a second. The center focal area, where we are always entertaining is the kitchen island, which also came with the house, and it glows a soft blue hue in the dark. And yes, the Doctor forgot to put the shoes away when he took one of the pictures.
We have two bathrooms, which is very convenient because we have one for the ca
t food, and litter and another one for the humans. Our bathroom (the human one) is done up in blue and chocolate brown and is a very relaxing room. And here are where the other TV's come into play... each of the bathrooms has a flat screen TV that is hooked up to the cable and the surround sound. Crazy I know but we could never go back to not having one because it is a great way to get the news in the morning (yes I am serous).One of the two bedrooms in the house belongs to the roomie, so we respected his privacy and
didn't take any pictures, and the other one is our room. It is a very comfortable room, especially since the Doctor loves his pillows and there are about 300 on the bed. And of course another TV for me to all asleep to every night!So that is our home, with our 4 animals and 3 people in two bedrooms, but it works and we love it!
Revenge: Practical Joke Style
Last week I was off on Friday, when I returned to work the following Monday my office had been redone. I was expecting it to be actually redone judging from the email I had received, but I was mistaken.
When I walked in my desk was surrounded, floor to ceiling, with cardboard framing success boxes that had a "gnome sized" door for me to get into my office. The boxes were beautifully decorated and I even had a welcome mat outside my front door. They had finally gotten me, since I am the one usually responsible for practical jokes, like when KE told me she was going to be late because she forgot her pants her entire office was full of pants she could have worn, like pink plaid pajama pants. Or moving JN's desk across the office, throwing her for a complete and total loop. It was funny to watch. I have had many others here and at other stores and many times they have gotten me. All in good fun, my favorite is when I returned from vacation at one of my stores and my desk was shrink wrapped and a large cutout of a crap was wearing one of my extra shirts and nametag hanging from the ceiling.
Anyway back to the point, everybody had been involved in this prank which meant that everybody was going to pay! Now a true practical joker knows when to strike, and I wanted to strike early so they think it has passed and in a few weeks I will get other participants when they least expect it!
So Tuesday night phase one of the strike began, I had 15 minutes in the office by myself, and my boss had already left. The time was right so I walked into her office, closed her door
, and began flipping all of her furniture upside down, except for the chairs and then placing everything back on the upside down furniture exactly as it was. This created maximum impact with very little effort. It was actually funny as all you know what! I left Tuesday night and couldn't wait to return on Wednesday morning for the reaction. Some people would not take it well but my boss loved it and knew she was in for it. She did mention that it was too soon, and that I should have waited!
Oh, I know I should have waited, and I am. I have plans! They may involve shrink wrap, duct tape, or even new springs for some of the doors!
Yes, I know I am evil!
People All Over
I have mentioned this before but I think it is really cool that people from all over the world read all of the silly things I have to say on a day to day basis. Sure I don't get a million hits a day like some of the big blogging folk, but I do have over 6000 hits (sad I know) and they have come from all over the map. Below are the places that people have clicked on my blog from...
United States (US) 1,521
United Kingdom (GB) 47
Canada (CA) 21
Australia (AU) 12
Czech Republic (CZ) 7
Germany (DE) 6
France (FR) 5
Netherlands (NL) 5
Mexico (MX) 4
China (CN) 4
Costa Rica (CR) 4- those are probably from when I was there
India (IN) 3
New Zealand (NZ) 3
Europe (EU) 2
Brazil (BR) 2
Portugal (PT) 2
Argentina (AR) 2
Finland (FI) 2
Poland (PL) 2
Denmark (DK) 2
Saudi Arabia (SA) 2
Slovenia (SI) 2
Greece (GR) 2
Sweden (SE) 2
Norway (NO) 1
Belgium (BE) 1
Ireland (IE) 1
Austria (AT) 1
Switzerland (CH) 1
Iran, Islamic Republic of (IR) 1
Netherlands Antilles (AN) 1
Taiwan (TW) 1
El Salvador (SV) 1
Colombia (CO) 1
Peru (PE) 1
Singapore (SG) 1
Kuwait (KW) 1
Egypt (EG) 1
Korea, Republic of (KR) 1
Turkey (TR) 1
Morocco (MA) 1
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (LY) 1
Jordan (JO) 1
Israel (IL) 1
Romania (RO) 1
Ok, so it may be a boring post, but I find it interesting, I wonder if I can find a way to double the clicks by next year. I already linked to my facebook page, I wonder what else I can do?
United States (US) 1,521
United Kingdom (GB) 47
Canada (CA) 21
Australia (AU) 12
Czech Republic (CZ) 7
Germany (DE) 6
France (FR) 5
Netherlands (NL) 5
Mexico (MX) 4
China (CN) 4
Costa Rica (CR) 4- those are probably from when I was there
India (IN) 3
New Zealand (NZ) 3
Europe (EU) 2
Brazil (BR) 2
Portugal (PT) 2
Argentina (AR) 2
Finland (FI) 2
Poland (PL) 2
Denmark (DK) 2
Saudi Arabia (SA) 2
Slovenia (SI) 2
Greece (GR) 2
Sweden (SE) 2
Norway (NO) 1
Belgium (BE) 1
Ireland (IE) 1
Austria (AT) 1
Switzerland (CH) 1
Iran, Islamic Republic of (IR) 1
Netherlands Antilles (AN) 1
Taiwan (TW) 1
El Salvador (SV) 1
Colombia (CO) 1
Peru (PE) 1
Singapore (SG) 1
Kuwait (KW) 1
Egypt (EG) 1
Korea, Republic of (KR) 1
Turkey (TR) 1
Morocco (MA) 1
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (LY) 1
Jordan (JO) 1
Israel (IL) 1
Romania (RO) 1
Ok, so it may be a boring post, but I find it interesting, I wonder if I can find a way to double the clicks by next year. I already linked to my facebook page, I wonder what else I can do?
Cleaning the Grill Can Be Hazardous
We bought a grill a few weeks ago and since then we have become grilling fiends. Every night it seems rain or shine we are firing up the grill, and making dinner. Yesterday evening we were having a few people over and decided to make some meat and veggie skewers on the grill.
We uncover the grill, and being that it is the first time we have grilled in the daytime we notice that the grill is a little dirty. No worries, I will just light it up, leave it on high, and then scrape the grease off when it warms up. In the meantime I will go inside and help prepare the meal. (And by prepare I mean watch other people cook).
A little bit of time passes and I head out to the grill to start scraping, it is quite warm but there is still a bit of grease that needs to come off of the ceramic. I leave it on high and head back into the house. My next time out I look at the window and notice that there is a small crack at the bottom that I hadn't noticed before. By the time I walk around the corner four feet and outside the crack looks bigger. I quickly realized that the heat from the grill was the cause of the crack and damn the window was hot. The crack continued to spread all the way up the window and I can't cool it down fast enough.
I move the grill away but unfortunately the damage is done, the crack is getting bigger and there is no real way to glue glass back together. Lesson learned I guess, don't grill next to your window it can be hazardous to the window!
We uncover the grill, and being that it is the first time we have grilled in the daytime we notice that the grill is a little dirty. No worries, I will just light it up, leave it on high, and then scrape the grease off when it warms up. In the meantime I will go inside and help prepare the meal. (And by prepare I mean watch other people cook).
A little bit of time passes and I head out to the grill to start scraping, it is quite warm but there is still a bit of grease that needs to come off of the ceramic. I leave it on high and head back into the house. My next time out I look at the window and notice that there is a small crack at the bottom that I hadn't noticed before. By the time I walk around the corner four feet and outside the crack looks bigger. I quickly realized that the heat from the grill was the cause of the crack and damn the window was hot. The crack continued to spread all the way up the window and I can't cool it down fast enough.
I move the grill away but unfortunately the damage is done, the crack is getting bigger and there is no real way to glue glass back together. Lesson learned I guess, don't grill next to your window it can be hazardous to the window!
Love Spring Days Off
I am off today and for the next three days. I have to go back to work on Monday and it may be tough. My parents were supposed to come down today but my Dad had to work. So instead I am being lazy.
I started my day by driving the Doctor to work and then I came home, sat down, and watched the Today show. Now I am going to shower and then hit up the Diner with my book for some lunch. I may even bring Annie. Then I am going to do not much of anything. I do love my random Friday's off.
Tomorrow it looks like we may do another wine tour since the weather is going to be over 70.
Woohoo Spring!
I started my day by driving the Doctor to work and then I came home, sat down, and watched the Today show. Now I am going to shower and then hit up the Diner with my book for some lunch. I may even bring Annie. Then I am going to do not much of anything. I do love my random Friday's off.
Tomorrow it looks like we may do another wine tour since the weather is going to be over 70.
Woohoo Spring!
The Angel's Game
Last week I finished reading The Angel's Game from one of my favorite authors and master storyteller Carlos Zafon. Zafon is the renowned author of The Shadow of the Wind. The The Angel�s Game is touted as "a dazzling new page-turner about the perilous nature of obsession, in literature and in love." I was so excited about this book that I called the publisher and requested the advanced readers copy. As soon as it arrived I jumped right into this amazing story.
The description provided by the publisher starts with the following quote from the books, a pure example as to why Zafon is such a beautiful and descriptive writer...
"The whole of Barcelona stretched out at my feet and I wanted to believe that, when I opened those windows, its streets would whisper stories to me, secrets I could capture on paper and narrate to whomever cared to listen . . ."
The story begins with the protagonist as a young man, and progresses on. He starts out writing for a newspaper, then his own books. He buys a deserted mansion in center of Barcelona and in that house he struggles to write in the evenings deal with a love that can never happen. Then one day he gets a mysterious and lucrative offer.
David receives a letter from a reclusive French editor, Andreas Corelli, who makes him the offer of a lifetime. He is to write a book unlike anything that has ever existed. He is to create a religion, the power of his words should be able to change hearts and minds. In return, he receives more than enough money to live off of, but as he begins to work on his "religion" he begins noticing connections between his book and the life he is living. There are "ghosts" surrounding him and haunting his life. In true Zafon fashion a tangled web of stories, characters and passions begin to come together. Zafon even weaves a web that contains elements of the Shadow of the Wind. At times you are not sure what will happen, and how these character will affect others. You are amazed at how certain characters meet there end, and how others trigger additional chaos.
And then you come to the end of the book, and it all comes together. I put it down and knew that I would need time to recover. A truly amazing story, heartbreaking, romantic, surreal, tragic, secrets, lies, murder and mayhem. Yet it is still a cleanly written and amazingly descriptive novel.
Zafon is a master, and the power of books is evident once again in The Angel's Game. Run out and buy in as soon as it comes out on June 16!
The description provided by the publisher starts with the following quote from the books, a pure example as to why Zafon is such a beautiful and descriptive writer...
"The whole of Barcelona stretched out at my feet and I wanted to believe that, when I opened those windows, its streets would whisper stories to me, secrets I could capture on paper and narrate to whomever cared to listen . . ."
The story begins with the protagonist as a young man, and progresses on. He starts out writing for a newspaper, then his own books. He buys a deserted mansion in center of Barcelona and in that house he struggles to write in the evenings deal with a love that can never happen. Then one day he gets a mysterious and lucrative offer.
David receives a letter from a reclusive French editor, Andreas Corelli, who makes him the offer of a lifetime. He is to write a book unlike anything that has ever existed. He is to create a religion, the power of his words should be able to change hearts and minds. In return, he receives more than enough money to live off of, but as he begins to work on his "religion" he begins noticing connections between his book and the life he is living. There are "ghosts" surrounding him and haunting his life. In true Zafon fashion a tangled web of stories, characters and passions begin to come together. Zafon even weaves a web that contains elements of the Shadow of the Wind. At times you are not sure what will happen, and how these character will affect others. You are amazed at how certain characters meet there end, and how others trigger additional chaos.
And then you come to the end of the book, and it all comes together. I put it down and knew that I would need time to recover. A truly amazing story, heartbreaking, romantic, surreal, tragic, secrets, lies, murder and mayhem. Yet it is still a cleanly written and amazingly descriptive novel.
Zafon is a master, and the power of books is evident once again in The Angel's Game. Run out and buy in as soon as it comes out on June 16!
Beware, Hazards Ahead
This is a warning to anybody in the DC area, Never go to Giant Foods to go grocery shopping... especially if you are used to the upscale feel of the Harris Teeter.
Let me explain, it was Saturday evening and I had just returned from work. The Doctor and I needed to rent a carpet steamer because having 3 cats and a dog makes the light beige carpeting in the house very dirty. The only place that rented the carpet steamer was the Giant Foods in Columbia Heights. At first glance this looks like a fairly nice supermarket, and there isn't much wrong with the facilities per say, it is mainly the fact that it is too small for the onslaught of customers on a Saturday evening and the customers were all screaming, yelling, and crazy!
It was overwhelming with kids screaming and running all over the place and hurling produce at their parents. We knew from the moment we pulled up that we would be in and out as quickly as possible. We literally ran through the store and grabbed the items we needed while avoiding the other patrons. The Doctor ran ahead and got some stuff for brunch while I ran up to grab myself a beer, and Mr. NG went to buy the bacon for Easter brunch, I met up with NG while the Doctor went to get the carpet cleaner, we reviewed the list and realized that we still needed to buy OJ.
We head up the aisle that has the juices, I am walking straight ahead with my eyes scanning for my Tropicana (which is harder to recognize) and I spot it ahead of me. I turn to talk to NG and suddenly a five year old girl is sprinting down the aisle with her pink stroller ahead of her. She is about four feet ahead of me and I jump up to avoid her and end up in a freezer case, of course making a scene. The mother turns to me and looks at me like i am the one causing a problem. She completely ignores her child who running customers over ten feet down the aisle. I remove myself from the freezer case and go grab the orange juice, I put it in the carriage and we head towards checkout as quickly as possible.
We check out, still managing to spend $180, and run out the front door. We have never shopped that quickly, yet we were never quite as exhausted from shopping. I will never go to the Giant again, and I will always be scared of bright pink strollers!
Let me explain, it was Saturday evening and I had just returned from work. The Doctor and I needed to rent a carpet steamer because having 3 cats and a dog makes the light beige carpeting in the house very dirty. The only place that rented the carpet steamer was the Giant Foods in Columbia Heights. At first glance this looks like a fairly nice supermarket, and there isn't much wrong with the facilities per say, it is mainly the fact that it is too small for the onslaught of customers on a Saturday evening and the customers were all screaming, yelling, and crazy!
It was overwhelming with kids screaming and running all over the place and hurling produce at their parents. We knew from the moment we pulled up that we would be in and out as quickly as possible. We literally ran through the store and grabbed the items we needed while avoiding the other patrons. The Doctor ran ahead and got some stuff for brunch while I ran up to grab myself a beer, and Mr. NG went to buy the bacon for Easter brunch, I met up with NG while the Doctor went to get the carpet cleaner, we reviewed the list and realized that we still needed to buy OJ.
We head up the aisle that has the juices, I am walking straight ahead with my eyes scanning for my Tropicana (which is harder to recognize) and I spot it ahead of me. I turn to talk to NG and suddenly a five year old girl is sprinting down the aisle with her pink stroller ahead of her. She is about four feet ahead of me and I jump up to avoid her and end up in a freezer case, of course making a scene. The mother turns to me and looks at me like i am the one causing a problem. She completely ignores her child who running customers over ten feet down the aisle. I remove myself from the freezer case and go grab the orange juice, I put it in the carriage and we head towards checkout as quickly as possible.
We check out, still managing to spend $180, and run out the front door. We have never shopped that quickly, yet we were never quite as exhausted from shopping. I will never go to the Giant again, and I will always be scared of bright pink strollers!
"the dreams in which I'm dying are the best I ever had"
Okay, no I am not suicidal, that is a line from the song that Adam Lambert sang today on American Idol.
It is a sad and haunting song... I had never even heard it before but Adam killed it, he did an amazing job and I felt like I was watching a star being born, that was the moment of the season like Fantasia's "Summertime" that makes the American Idol.
All I have to say is Simon never gives a standing ovation... and he stood up... go Adam!
It is a sad and haunting song... I had never even heard it before but Adam killed it, he did an amazing job and I felt like I was watching a star being born, that was the moment of the season like Fantasia's "Summertime" that makes the American Idol.
All I have to say is Simon never gives a standing ovation... and he stood up... go Adam!
And The Vineyard Trips Resume
A favorite weekend activity of ours (the old married couple as S referred to us today) is to go to local vineyards and enjoy their wine tastings. This weekend the Doctor and I decided to do Northern Virgina's Wine Tour #3 in Leesburg VA. This tour consisted of four small local vineyards that ranged in the type of wine and style made.
The first Vineyard was our favorite, as it offered a wide variety of red wines, and dessert wines including a Black Raspberry Port which was amazing, and we bought despite it being $32.00 a bottle. This vineyard had a really nice setup, with individual tasting areas, very well educated hosts who knew a lot about the wine and a very comfortable feel. Many vineyards have a tasting room that consists of a shoulder high booth and a swarm of employees babbling. This vineyard was calm peaceful and enjoyable, and they had 7 cats so we didn't feel bad admitting we have 3.
While we are at this vineyard, which I picked from the group because I liked their labels the best, we picked up a map of the other vineyards and decided on a path to follow since there were 4 places located within the 6 mile radius on the one we had just visited. All three of these vineyards had different setups and different wines.
The second vineyard was our least favorite because it seemed very disorganized and we both felt that the wines were very light and almost lacking flavor. Vineyard three was fun because of the people that worked there. They came over had a conversation with us and knew quite a bit about wine, as a matter of fact that liked us so much they gave us a 25% discount on the wine we bought.
Vineyard four was voted the best vineyard/winery in Northern Virginia. We were holding out great hopes for this vineyard, the grounds were beautiful as we walked in, and the tasting room was very nice as well. We approach the counter and ask for two tastings and we were charged $21.00! Most tastings are about $3, $10.50 is a little excessive. Overall, the wines were okay here, especially if you like a dry red wine. But it was not worth the price.
After this vineyard, we snacked on some cheese and crackers and then made our way home to relax for an evening. I am looking forward to a few more trips like this over the summer, they always are a good time.
The first Vineyard was our favorite, as it offered a wide variety of red wines, and dessert wines including a Black Raspberry Port which was amazing, and we bought despite it being $32.00 a bottle. This vineyard had a really nice setup, with individual tasting areas, very well educated hosts who knew a lot about the wine and a very comfortable feel. Many vineyards have a tasting room that consists of a shoulder high booth and a swarm of employees babbling. This vineyard was calm peaceful and enjoyable, and they had 7 cats so we didn't feel bad admitting we have 3.
While we are at this vineyard, which I picked from the group because I liked their labels the best, we picked up a map of the other vineyards and decided on a path to follow since there were 4 places located within the 6 mile radius on the one we had just visited. All three of these vineyards had different setups and different wines.
The second vineyard was our least favorite because it seemed very disorganized and we both felt that the wines were very light and almost lacking flavor. Vineyard three was fun because of the people that worked there. They came over had a conversation with us and knew quite a bit about wine, as a matter of fact that liked us so much they gave us a 25% discount on the wine we bought.
Vineyard four was voted the best vineyard/winery in Northern Virginia. We were holding out great hopes for this vineyard, the grounds were beautiful as we walked in, and the tasting room was very nice as well. We approach the counter and ask for two tastings and we were charged $21.00! Most tastings are about $3, $10.50 is a little excessive. Overall, the wines were okay here, especially if you like a dry red wine. But it was not worth the price.
After this vineyard, we snacked on some cheese and crackers and then made our way home to relax for an evening. I am looking forward to a few more trips like this over the summer, they always are a good time.
Dear Tropicana
Dear Tropicana Marketing and Packaging Department-What the hell were you thinking? From a business perspective I understand the need to keep your brand fresh and current. However, removing the iconic orange from your packaging is one of the stupidest moves that you could have ever made. Did you not test this packaging with test groups? Get feedback?
Old packaging= Iconic
New packaging= Generic
Look at the packaging that you decided on, the brand name is barely visible, the logo that you are known by is no longer there and quite honestly the muted colors just make it look cheap. When you change packaging the idea would be to improve upon your current package. When you are a well known brand you want to keep what you are known by, and most companies would maximize it. Isn't your orange with the straw a Trademark, why would you abandon it?
I would bet that this change in package will diminish your market share, as marketers you really should be aware of this. My recommendation would be to return to your old packaging, eat the losses of the changed packaging, and next time you feel a need to mess with an icon, think twice.
Sincerely,
JRH456
The Doctor says I am a little behind on this post, being that the package change occurred over a month ago, and to be honest I generally avoid orange juice because the acidity messes with my stomach, but when I do drink OJ, I think fresh, and I think Tropicana. Its almost nostalgic as when I see the orange with the straw I think back to the old commercials. As you can tell the package change rubs me the wrong way, and I honestly think it is a really bad marketing decision. Maybe they should have talked to Coca Cola who made the huge mistake of changing the way their 2 liter bottles were made years back resulting in consumer fury, and them having to change back to the normal two liter bottle. This is just my two cents but I really do think my two are the same as millions of other peoples two cents and it will result in Tropicana losing sales.
Once again, just saying...
Guess What Honey...
So I was riding home on the Metro from work on Thursday, I was completely engrossed in my Advanced Readers Copy of The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, and then I realized that the next stop was Metro Center where I needed to get off. As we approached the stop I stood up and expected the woman sitting on the outside of me to let me past. Instead the woman rolls her eyes lets out a loud sigh and stays in her seat...
I kindly say, "Excuse me this is my stop."
Crazy lady sighs again, "Well I just sat down"
"I'm sorry I didn't notice, but I need to get off here"
She doesn't move, "Well I am not standing up because I just sat down, how could you not notice"
"Once again I am sorry but I need to get off" I say as I begin to climb over her.
"Your an asshole, how dare you not notice me."
"Guess what honey... take your stupid sunglasses off and take a look around, the world doesn't revolve around you," I say as I get off the train and the doors close for dramatic effect.
I give her the evil eye as the train pulls away, I just can't believe that she wouldn't move out of the way for me to get off the train, I am never rude to people when they are trying to move on a train, there are tons of people cramped a small over packed cylinder. And by the way there is no sun in the Metro so you don't need sunglasses!
I kindly say, "Excuse me this is my stop."
Crazy lady sighs again, "Well I just sat down"
"I'm sorry I didn't notice, but I need to get off here"
She doesn't move, "Well I am not standing up because I just sat down, how could you not notice"
"Once again I am sorry but I need to get off" I say as I begin to climb over her.
"Your an asshole, how dare you not notice me."
"Guess what honey... take your stupid sunglasses off and take a look around, the world doesn't revolve around you," I say as I get off the train and the doors close for dramatic effect.
I give her the evil eye as the train pulls away, I just can't believe that she wouldn't move out of the way for me to get off the train, I am never rude to people when they are trying to move on a train, there are tons of people cramped a small over packed cylinder. And by the way there is no sun in the Metro so you don't need sunglasses!
Pura Vida
Pura Vida= Pure life
It is not only the motto of Costa Rica but a term used in general conversation and a motto that many Ticos live by. Visitors take on a pure life when they visit. A life without all of the outside interuptions. Pura Vida also takes on the meaning of "everything is well," "life is good" and "living the good life."
While the Doctor and I were in Costa Rica we lived the pure life, the life without the constant interuptions from the cell phone, a life without a watch, and a life maily without TV. We became much more connected with our surrounding and the people around us. We had conversations, and dinner without our blackberrys vibrating off the dinner table.
We were able to enjoy life more when we lived by the motto of "Pura Vida" we were free to enjoy ourselves without the general contraints of everyday life. An afternoon lounging by the pool was not interupped by constantly checking emails. And the best part is we didn't miss it at all.
Looking back over the week I am thrilled that I had the opportunity to go to Costa Rica and enjoy a new place with an amazing person, a person who pushed me out of my comfort zone and forced me to experience so many things that I would have never done. While I missed laying on the beach and reading a book I got to do so much more.
I was lucky to go with somebody who pushed me out of my comfort zone for food as well, I ate fish! For those of you who read my blog you know I am picky... I had amazing coconut crusted Mahi Mahi at Agua Azul and another fish at Kapi Kapi. I didn't eat them as my meal but I tasted them, its progress! We paired all of our meals with an amazing bottle of wine and truly enjoyed a "Pura Vida."
I can't wait to return to Costa Rica, maybe next year, or maybe soon for a special event!
It is not only the motto of Costa Rica but a term used in general conversation and a motto that many Ticos live by. Visitors take on a pure life when they visit. A life without all of the outside interuptions. Pura Vida also takes on the meaning of "everything is well," "life is good" and "living the good life."
While the Doctor and I were in Costa Rica we lived the pure life, the life without the constant interuptions from the cell phone, a life without a watch, and a life maily without TV. We became much more connected with our surrounding and the people around us. We had conversations, and dinner without our blackberrys vibrating off the dinner table.
We were able to enjoy life more when we lived by the motto of "Pura Vida" we were free to enjoy ourselves without the general contraints of everyday life. An afternoon lounging by the pool was not interupped by constantly checking emails. And the best part is we didn't miss it at all.
Looking back over the week I am thrilled that I had the opportunity to go to Costa Rica and enjoy a new place with an amazing person, a person who pushed me out of my comfort zone and forced me to experience so many things that I would have never done. While I missed laying on the beach and reading a book I got to do so much more.
I was lucky to go with somebody who pushed me out of my comfort zone for food as well, I ate fish! For those of you who read my blog you know I am picky... I had amazing coconut crusted Mahi Mahi at Agua Azul and another fish at Kapi Kapi. I didn't eat them as my meal but I tasted them, its progress! We paired all of our meals with an amazing bottle of wine and truly enjoyed a "Pura Vida."
I can't wait to return to Costa Rica, maybe next year, or maybe soon for a special event!
An Unexpected Suprise
Our trip is coming to an end, this morning we left Quepos on the 7:45 flight (again on a tiny plane) and arrive in San Jose for our 6 hour lay over. The plane from Quepos landed at a different airport so we need to arrange for transport to the San Jose International Airport.
Once we land in San Jose our driver meets us to bring us to the hotel. While in transport we ask him what there is to do around the airport, there is shopping and food, and McDonalds. We have five hours until our flight leaves and are not sure that McDonalds will suffice. As we approach the airport we see a sign for Vulcan Poas. The Doctor saw the smile on my face and asks me if I want to see if we can go to the Volcano. We ask the driver and he ensures us that he could get us there and back by noon. He will charge us a little extra but we decide that it is worth it and much better than spending five hours in the San Jose Airport, so we are off.
Our driver is a little bit of a tour guide as we head up the mountain and he stops in a few places and points out some interesting facts, lets us take some pictures, and revels about how beautiful the volcano is. I am as giddy as a school girl as we approach the volcano, and you can even smell sulfur as we get closer. We get to the gate pay the fee and the driver finds out that you can even see the volcano and crater today. There is apparently only a 30% chance to be able to see anything. The Doctor and I practically run up the path towards the Volcano. The clouds are rolling in and I want to see the crater, we have come this far, I really hope we can see it. As we approach we notice a number of people taking pictures and staring in awe at the big hole in the ground, that’s a good sign right! As we approach the fence we see the lagoon in the crater and smell the sulfur gas being emitted from the volcano. I am shocked at how powerful it is to see a hole in the earth as it belches gas out. Not only has the cloud above the volcano lifted, but my dark cloud may be lifting as well. We are incredibly lucky to have time to come to Poas but to be able to see the Volcano in its entirety is very lucky.
We then make our way up the path to see if we can see Lagos Botas, a lake that was formally a volcanic crater that has been filled with rain water. It is pretty much a big puddle! We are hoping that we are able to see this too. And we are lucky once again, we reach the puddle as the clouds begin rolling in, but it is a darn pretty puddle and we are able to take some spectacular pictures.
As the clouds (of gas caused by the volcano) roll in we make our way back to the Volcano just to take one more look. As we approach we notice that all you can see is whiteness. We were very lucky with our timing and it was a great way to end our vacation.
Pura Vida!
Pictures are up on the travel blog... www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gregandjon
Once we land in San Jose our driver meets us to bring us to the hotel. While in transport we ask him what there is to do around the airport, there is shopping and food, and McDonalds. We have five hours until our flight leaves and are not sure that McDonalds will suffice. As we approach the airport we see a sign for Vulcan Poas. The Doctor saw the smile on my face and asks me if I want to see if we can go to the Volcano. We ask the driver and he ensures us that he could get us there and back by noon. He will charge us a little extra but we decide that it is worth it and much better than spending five hours in the San Jose Airport, so we are off.
Our driver is a little bit of a tour guide as we head up the mountain and he stops in a few places and points out some interesting facts, lets us take some pictures, and revels about how beautiful the volcano is. I am as giddy as a school girl as we approach the volcano, and you can even smell sulfur as we get closer. We get to the gate pay the fee and the driver finds out that you can even see the volcano and crater today. There is apparently only a 30% chance to be able to see anything. The Doctor and I practically run up the path towards the Volcano. The clouds are rolling in and I want to see the crater, we have come this far, I really hope we can see it. As we approach we notice a number of people taking pictures and staring in awe at the big hole in the ground, that’s a good sign right! As we approach the fence we see the lagoon in the crater and smell the sulfur gas being emitted from the volcano. I am shocked at how powerful it is to see a hole in the earth as it belches gas out. Not only has the cloud above the volcano lifted, but my dark cloud may be lifting as well. We are incredibly lucky to have time to come to Poas but to be able to see the Volcano in its entirety is very lucky.
We then make our way up the path to see if we can see Lagos Botas, a lake that was formally a volcanic crater that has been filled with rain water. It is pretty much a big puddle! We are hoping that we are able to see this too. And we are lucky once again, we reach the puddle as the clouds begin rolling in, but it is a darn pretty puddle and we are able to take some spectacular pictures.
As the clouds (of gas caused by the volcano) roll in we make our way back to the Volcano just to take one more look. As we approach we notice that all you can see is whiteness. We were very lucky with our timing and it was a great way to end our vacation.
Pura Vida!
Pictures are up on the travel blog... www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gregandjon
I Broke Twelve Toes
I broke twelve toes today… well not exactly 12 toes but it feels like I broke all of the toes on my feet after a day of walking, and hiking up hills in flip flops. We woke up around 8:30 today, went to breakfast at the hotel and then hopped onto the bus down to the park. The Doctor wanted to take another walk through the park in hopes of seeing howler monkeys and another sloth. He does love his sloths.
We got down to the park, the Doctor drank out of a coconut and we found a path that we had not discovered in our previous visit. We were hoping that it wouldn’t have as many people on it and we would have the opportunity to see more wildlife. Well, apparently our eyes are not as good as our guides and we walked all the way to the end of the path and halfway back before we spotted a single animal. However, about halfway back after I broke 5 toes, we heard a rustling in the trees and when the Doctor looked up he spotted a sloth slowly moving down the tree. We broke out the video camera, and digital and started taking pictures, as people passed not noticing the animal above them. Once we got our fill of the sloth (they are slow and rather boring to film after all) we moved back to the main path in hopes of seeing more monkeys. Unfortunately, no monkeys were spotted.
We approach the beach where we saw the deer and decide to set up shop for a bit. This was a very peaceful beach on Sunday when we came to visit, but today it was a bustle of activity. We set up, put on suntan lotion, and head into the surf for a bit. The waves are still rough and we get thrown around a little bit more then we expected. As the waves threaten to get our electronics wet we return to our towel and decide to head off. We walk down the beach a bit and decide to take some pictures of the rocks as the waves hit. Of course I make the Doctor climb some of the rocks so I can take some pictures. Once again a beautiful scene, there have been so many of them over the past few days in Costa Rica.
We continue walking through the park, not spotting many animals but enjoying the trip. We then emerge on the main beach, and decide since the tide is low enough to venture out to Playitas, a more secluded but beautiful beach down the shore about twenty minutes on foot. The waves are crashing in but they are not nearly as high as they were the day before. As we approach the cross over to Playitas over the rocks we notice that we are going to have to scale the rocks and venture through the waves in order to get over. We decide to take a chance and though a difficult task, we conquer the rocks and make it to the other side. The force of nature is tremendous on this side of the rocks as the waves pound the shore at several different angles. The waves are over fifteen feet tall on this stretch of beach and while we venture into the waves for a bit we are thrown around violently and decide that it would make sense to head back to the hotel. The only problem is as we look over to the rocks the water is over our heads, we can’t escape. We would have been stuck at the beach for hours with the exception of this nice foreign couple who offered to show us up the trail to the road.
They say the trail is a little steep at the beginning but it’s not too bad. As we begin we are climbing a vertical wall of rock (yeah not too bad my butt), we make it up that stretch (once again in flip flops) and then they tell us not to look down because it is a straight fall about 200 feet to the rocks below and we have to cross a path that is only about 12 inches wide. I pass the backpack off to the Doctor who is a lot less accident prone then me and somehow make it across. A few more obstacles and we are up on the road, of course that doesn’t mean the fight is over because roads in Costa Rica are not much more than dirt paths. After about a twenty minute uphill walk I exclaim, “I think I broke twelve toes today” the Doctor is confused!
Tomorrow sadly is a travel day… until then Pura Vida
Pictures are up on the travelblog... www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gregandjon
We got down to the park, the Doctor drank out of a coconut and we found a path that we had not discovered in our previous visit. We were hoping that it wouldn’t have as many people on it and we would have the opportunity to see more wildlife. Well, apparently our eyes are not as good as our guides and we walked all the way to the end of the path and halfway back before we spotted a single animal. However, about halfway back after I broke 5 toes, we heard a rustling in the trees and when the Doctor looked up he spotted a sloth slowly moving down the tree. We broke out the video camera, and digital and started taking pictures, as people passed not noticing the animal above them. Once we got our fill of the sloth (they are slow and rather boring to film after all) we moved back to the main path in hopes of seeing more monkeys. Unfortunately, no monkeys were spotted.
We approach the beach where we saw the deer and decide to set up shop for a bit. This was a very peaceful beach on Sunday when we came to visit, but today it was a bustle of activity. We set up, put on suntan lotion, and head into the surf for a bit. The waves are still rough and we get thrown around a little bit more then we expected. As the waves threaten to get our electronics wet we return to our towel and decide to head off. We walk down the beach a bit and decide to take some pictures of the rocks as the waves hit. Of course I make the Doctor climb some of the rocks so I can take some pictures. Once again a beautiful scene, there have been so many of them over the past few days in Costa Rica.
We continue walking through the park, not spotting many animals but enjoying the trip. We then emerge on the main beach, and decide since the tide is low enough to venture out to Playitas, a more secluded but beautiful beach down the shore about twenty minutes on foot. The waves are crashing in but they are not nearly as high as they were the day before. As we approach the cross over to Playitas over the rocks we notice that we are going to have to scale the rocks and venture through the waves in order to get over. We decide to take a chance and though a difficult task, we conquer the rocks and make it to the other side. The force of nature is tremendous on this side of the rocks as the waves pound the shore at several different angles. The waves are over fifteen feet tall on this stretch of beach and while we venture into the waves for a bit we are thrown around violently and decide that it would make sense to head back to the hotel. The only problem is as we look over to the rocks the water is over our heads, we can’t escape. We would have been stuck at the beach for hours with the exception of this nice foreign couple who offered to show us up the trail to the road.
They say the trail is a little steep at the beginning but it’s not too bad. As we begin we are climbing a vertical wall of rock (yeah not too bad my butt), we make it up that stretch (once again in flip flops) and then they tell us not to look down because it is a straight fall about 200 feet to the rocks below and we have to cross a path that is only about 12 inches wide. I pass the backpack off to the Doctor who is a lot less accident prone then me and somehow make it across. A few more obstacles and we are up on the road, of course that doesn’t mean the fight is over because roads in Costa Rica are not much more than dirt paths. After about a twenty minute uphill walk I exclaim, “I think I broke twelve toes today” the Doctor is confused!
Tomorrow sadly is a travel day… until then Pura Vida
Pictures are up on the travelblog... www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gregandjon
Surfing...
Our last planned activity of the vacation was surfing. Now I had a feeling that I wouldn’t be that good at surfing, and then when we got out there and the waves were ten feet tall and the surf instructor was worried that we might have trouble with a lesson in these conditions I knew it was going to be a bad experience.
We were picked up at 2 in the afternoon about an hour before high tide at our hotel in our instructor Todd’s “Red Rocket” a beaten up Honda that he bought 8 years ago for 2000 dollars, I am not sure I would have paid 2000 colones (4 dollars) for it. And he brings us down the winded road to the beach. He starts by giving us an in depth lesson about the beach and waves and where they come from. How they reached this beach and how you can tell waves apart. I was so confused but tried to look like I was paying attention. At this point I was more worried that I would end up falling under the board and having the fin slice my neck. The Doctor on the other hand could not wait to get out on the water and try to stand up on these ten foot waves. If you have been following this blog then you are not at all surprised by this.
We finally get into the water right as high tide is hitting and there is not really any beach left. The first wave hits me hard but I am able to stand up to it until my board rides the wave back into the trees and pulls my ankle out from under me. I fall face first into the next wave. Hmm, I am not sure that this is going to work out well. But I get out into the water and begin paddling out past the break zone, finally I feel a bit more comfortable and I am able to balance on my board and actually sit up. He gives us a quick lesson on what to feel for when the wave catches us and when to stand up.
The first wave he wants us to catch comes up and we begin paddling to shore. The Doctor catches the wave and is able to get to up on his board. I get thrown from my board head first towards the shore and then pummeled by the waves until I am not sure which way is up. Thank goodness I have spent many years in the ocean so I know not to panic and in a few seconds my head pops to the surface and the board yanks me backwards. So this time was not my turn to be successful so I begin to paddle out again with the Doctor. A couple of waves hit us hard but we make it out again and watch as Todd rides a wave into shore. Apparently that is how you are supposed to do it. Since I have no idea what to do when I wave comes I wait for him to come back and then I try to catch a second wave, that kicks my ass, and then a third which I had no right to even try. It kicks my ass so hard for a moment I almost panicked because I had no idea what was going on and I had swallowed about a gallon of salt water. I come tumbling into shore. I rip the safety cord off my ankle, hold back the urge to throw the board and walk in back up to the red rocket and place the board in front of it. I then go back into the water without the board. Take on the waves without an anchor and have a blast watching the Doctor stand up on his board for some huge waves. I was very impressed.
Finally after about another 30 minutes of me in the water getting beat up by some huge waves the Doctor tries to take one wave and gets clobbered, he tumbles off his board and is then hit by a set of waves that wouldn’t stop. When he finally surfaces he decides that he has had enough and returns to shore with his board and the instructor. The instructor buys us a beer and we talk for a bit before we return to the hotel in the red rocket. It wasn’t my idea of a great time but we made the best of it, and I did enjoy being in the water, I just didn’t enjoy having the board strapped to my ankle. It was fun to watch the Doctor get up on his board though.
Tomorrow is supposed to be a day at the beach, we will see how that goes.
Until then, once again… Pura Vida
Once again photoes are up on the travelblog... www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gregandjon
We were picked up at 2 in the afternoon about an hour before high tide at our hotel in our instructor Todd’s “Red Rocket” a beaten up Honda that he bought 8 years ago for 2000 dollars, I am not sure I would have paid 2000 colones (4 dollars) for it. And he brings us down the winded road to the beach. He starts by giving us an in depth lesson about the beach and waves and where they come from. How they reached this beach and how you can tell waves apart. I was so confused but tried to look like I was paying attention. At this point I was more worried that I would end up falling under the board and having the fin slice my neck. The Doctor on the other hand could not wait to get out on the water and try to stand up on these ten foot waves. If you have been following this blog then you are not at all surprised by this.
We finally get into the water right as high tide is hitting and there is not really any beach left. The first wave hits me hard but I am able to stand up to it until my board rides the wave back into the trees and pulls my ankle out from under me. I fall face first into the next wave. Hmm, I am not sure that this is going to work out well. But I get out into the water and begin paddling out past the break zone, finally I feel a bit more comfortable and I am able to balance on my board and actually sit up. He gives us a quick lesson on what to feel for when the wave catches us and when to stand up.
The first wave he wants us to catch comes up and we begin paddling to shore. The Doctor catches the wave and is able to get to up on his board. I get thrown from my board head first towards the shore and then pummeled by the waves until I am not sure which way is up. Thank goodness I have spent many years in the ocean so I know not to panic and in a few seconds my head pops to the surface and the board yanks me backwards. So this time was not my turn to be successful so I begin to paddle out again with the Doctor. A couple of waves hit us hard but we make it out again and watch as Todd rides a wave into shore. Apparently that is how you are supposed to do it. Since I have no idea what to do when I wave comes I wait for him to come back and then I try to catch a second wave, that kicks my ass, and then a third which I had no right to even try. It kicks my ass so hard for a moment I almost panicked because I had no idea what was going on and I had swallowed about a gallon of salt water. I come tumbling into shore. I rip the safety cord off my ankle, hold back the urge to throw the board and walk in back up to the red rocket and place the board in front of it. I then go back into the water without the board. Take on the waves without an anchor and have a blast watching the Doctor stand up on his board for some huge waves. I was very impressed.
Finally after about another 30 minutes of me in the water getting beat up by some huge waves the Doctor tries to take one wave and gets clobbered, he tumbles off his board and is then hit by a set of waves that wouldn’t stop. When he finally surfaces he decides that he has had enough and returns to shore with his board and the instructor. The instructor buys us a beer and we talk for a bit before we return to the hotel in the red rocket. It wasn’t my idea of a great time but we made the best of it, and I did enjoy being in the water, I just didn’t enjoy having the board strapped to my ankle. It was fun to watch the Doctor get up on his board though.
Tomorrow is supposed to be a day at the beach, we will see how that goes.
Until then, once again… Pura Vida
Once again photoes are up on the travelblog... www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gregandjon
A Whale Pushed Me Into A Volcano
Then there was the snorkeling trip on Wednesday. That was a late minute addition to the schedule when we decided against taking a trip up to the Volcano because everybody who had been up there said you couldn’t see the volcano because of the rain and fog.
Luckily the snorkeling adventure left at 1pm so we were able to sleep in, all the way until 8:30!
We got up and went down for breakfast by the pool and then decided that since we had the time we would go do some souvenir shopping down by the beach. The entrance to Manuel Antonio beach is a 25 minute walk down the hill or a cheap bus ride down. We waited at the bus stop for a few minutes and then I decided that we should walk down to the beach. It was only about 100 degrees under the red hot sun so why not! The walk down was a bit rough but nothing compared to when I didn’t want to wait for the bus back up.
Down along Manuel Antonio beach all of the locals have little tents set up with the goods they are pushing, and I am not kidding when I say pushing… lo siento pero no necessito una vaca… yes I did mean to say I don’t need a cow. Once again the Spanish comes at us fast and furious and while I have enough conversational Spanish to get through this the poor Doctor has no idea what is going on half the time. Throw in the fact that we have to pay everything with colones (monopoly money) and it is a very demanding morning.
We end up buying a few little things for ourselves, a vase and mask and a soda and water, and a drum for my sister because that’s what she asked for and then started heading back up the beach back to the bus stop. On the way back up a woman whistles at the Doctor and exclaims in Spanish… es como un angel! Yeah, ok crazy lady he is like an angel! When we get back to the bus stop and the bus had not arrived in five minutes I decided that it wouldn’t be such a bad walk so we start walking, 30 minutes later we arrive back at the hotel dripping sweat from everywhere, needing a shower desperately!
It is almost 1pm and we are frantically packing our backpack to meet the tour group up in the reception area of our hotel for the snorkeling trip. Not sure what we needed we overpacked a backpack and were out the door. We loaded into another bus and were on our way to the dock where we learned that a marina is being built, however the engineers failed to take into account that the marina was being built on sand so it is now sinking. Silly Tico engineers you say, yes but the engineers are American!
We get onto the boat which is a 12 person sailboat where the Doctor realizes he is going to need Dramamine to survive and then we are off on a seven our sail around the Pacific ocean. The first thing I notice is how stunning the coastline is as we pull away, the rocks jutting out of the water with waves crashing on them and the volcanic hills rising from the coastline with light white clouds puffed up around them. I obviously snap a couple hundred pictures this trip. There really is no better way to appreciate the landscape of this country then experiencing it in all the different ways possible.
About an hour or so into the trip the captain slows the boat down and then tells us to look off to the right of the boat as we look to the right we see some gulls and then two dolphins jump out of the water in front of another boat, and then two more and before you know it there are about 20 dolphins surrounding the boat. Jumping and playing in the water and swimming around. The water is so clear that you could see the dolphins swimming a few feet beneath the boat before the jump. It was amazing.
After about 20 minutes watching the dolphins (which we weren’t able to get a picture of) the boat stopped and told us if we wanted to we could jump in the water. So we all hop off the boat and go for a swim in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Of course Greg has to ask how deep the water was, apparently it was about 500 feet deep where we were swimming. I immediately swim towards the rope attached to the boat. Then we get back on the boat for our trip into the bay to do some snorkeling.
Once we get there we get a quick explanation on how and where to snorkel, as well as how to use the equipment. I immediately recognize a problem, I always breath through my nose, and then my nose is clogged by the stupid goggles. But I give it a try and jump into the water and swim towards the rocks. The problem with the bay we are snorkeling in is that there are about 6 other boats and 200 other fat white men and women and their children snorkeling there. Quite honestly it is way too busy to really see much except for fat people in swimsuits. As the Doctor dives down he is able to see some fish below the water. I dive down and I can’t breathe and my ears pop. The Doctor calls me over to a location by the rock and tells me where to look. As I get ready to dive down and see some fish a whale swims over me pushes me out of the way and into a huge chunk of volcanic rock attached to the sea floor. I gouge my shin open and scream at this stupid whale… and by whale I mean 600 lbs woman.
After a little while longer and seeing a few fish I make my way back to the boat with the Doctor and they have dinner ready for us. We sit enjoy dinner, exchange experiences (I only saw like 3 fish) and I nurse my leg back to health, or at least stop it from bleeding. And then the sun begins to set and red yellow pink and purple hues are scattered throughout the sky, the clouds are kissed with colors and a streak of orange cuts the water. It is a miraculous sunset and once again I make sure to take hundreds of pictures. After the sun sets we head back to shore on the boat and our snorkeling adventure comes to an end. We spend the rest of the evening at the hotel relaxing by the pool and enjoying the company of the others on the snorkeling adventure (except for that one couple that didn’t talk) And then Thursday was surfing.
Surfing was not my cup of tea but I will talk about that a little more tomorrow.
Until then… Pura Vida
The pictures are up and posted on the travel blog www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gregandjon
Luckily the snorkeling adventure left at 1pm so we were able to sleep in, all the way until 8:30!
We got up and went down for breakfast by the pool and then decided that since we had the time we would go do some souvenir shopping down by the beach. The entrance to Manuel Antonio beach is a 25 minute walk down the hill or a cheap bus ride down. We waited at the bus stop for a few minutes and then I decided that we should walk down to the beach. It was only about 100 degrees under the red hot sun so why not! The walk down was a bit rough but nothing compared to when I didn’t want to wait for the bus back up.
Down along Manuel Antonio beach all of the locals have little tents set up with the goods they are pushing, and I am not kidding when I say pushing… lo siento pero no necessito una vaca… yes I did mean to say I don’t need a cow. Once again the Spanish comes at us fast and furious and while I have enough conversational Spanish to get through this the poor Doctor has no idea what is going on half the time. Throw in the fact that we have to pay everything with colones (monopoly money) and it is a very demanding morning.
We end up buying a few little things for ourselves, a vase and mask and a soda and water, and a drum for my sister because that’s what she asked for and then started heading back up the beach back to the bus stop. On the way back up a woman whistles at the Doctor and exclaims in Spanish… es como un angel! Yeah, ok crazy lady he is like an angel! When we get back to the bus stop and the bus had not arrived in five minutes I decided that it wouldn’t be such a bad walk so we start walking, 30 minutes later we arrive back at the hotel dripping sweat from everywhere, needing a shower desperately!
It is almost 1pm and we are frantically packing our backpack to meet the tour group up in the reception area of our hotel for the snorkeling trip. Not sure what we needed we overpacked a backpack and were out the door. We loaded into another bus and were on our way to the dock where we learned that a marina is being built, however the engineers failed to take into account that the marina was being built on sand so it is now sinking. Silly Tico engineers you say, yes but the engineers are American!
We get onto the boat which is a 12 person sailboat where the Doctor realizes he is going to need Dramamine to survive and then we are off on a seven our sail around the Pacific ocean. The first thing I notice is how stunning the coastline is as we pull away, the rocks jutting out of the water with waves crashing on them and the volcanic hills rising from the coastline with light white clouds puffed up around them. I obviously snap a couple hundred pictures this trip. There really is no better way to appreciate the landscape of this country then experiencing it in all the different ways possible.
About an hour or so into the trip the captain slows the boat down and then tells us to look off to the right of the boat as we look to the right we see some gulls and then two dolphins jump out of the water in front of another boat, and then two more and before you know it there are about 20 dolphins surrounding the boat. Jumping and playing in the water and swimming around. The water is so clear that you could see the dolphins swimming a few feet beneath the boat before the jump. It was amazing.
After about 20 minutes watching the dolphins (which we weren’t able to get a picture of) the boat stopped and told us if we wanted to we could jump in the water. So we all hop off the boat and go for a swim in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Of course Greg has to ask how deep the water was, apparently it was about 500 feet deep where we were swimming. I immediately swim towards the rope attached to the boat. Then we get back on the boat for our trip into the bay to do some snorkeling.
Once we get there we get a quick explanation on how and where to snorkel, as well as how to use the equipment. I immediately recognize a problem, I always breath through my nose, and then my nose is clogged by the stupid goggles. But I give it a try and jump into the water and swim towards the rocks. The problem with the bay we are snorkeling in is that there are about 6 other boats and 200 other fat white men and women and their children snorkeling there. Quite honestly it is way too busy to really see much except for fat people in swimsuits. As the Doctor dives down he is able to see some fish below the water. I dive down and I can’t breathe and my ears pop. The Doctor calls me over to a location by the rock and tells me where to look. As I get ready to dive down and see some fish a whale swims over me pushes me out of the way and into a huge chunk of volcanic rock attached to the sea floor. I gouge my shin open and scream at this stupid whale… and by whale I mean 600 lbs woman.
After a little while longer and seeing a few fish I make my way back to the boat with the Doctor and they have dinner ready for us. We sit enjoy dinner, exchange experiences (I only saw like 3 fish) and I nurse my leg back to health, or at least stop it from bleeding. And then the sun begins to set and red yellow pink and purple hues are scattered throughout the sky, the clouds are kissed with colors and a streak of orange cuts the water. It is a miraculous sunset and once again I make sure to take hundreds of pictures. After the sun sets we head back to shore on the boat and our snorkeling adventure comes to an end. We spend the rest of the evening at the hotel relaxing by the pool and enjoying the company of the others on the snorkeling adventure (except for that one couple that didn’t talk) And then Thursday was surfing.
Surfing was not my cup of tea but I will talk about that a little more tomorrow.
Until then… Pura Vida
The pictures are up and posted on the travel blog www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gregandjon
Whitewater Rafting Too
So with the Doctor's crazy scheduling it has been a very busy but enjoyable couple of days. We went white water rafting on Tuesday and then we had an afternoon/sunset snorkel trip yesterday.
White water rafting was another early morning. Our driver picked us up at 7:30 in the morning, brought us to the office to pick up the raft and pay and then informed us that we were the only ones signed up to white water rafting with their company today. Again, lucky… we were going to have a private white water rafting trip. After all of the gear was uploaded they brought us up the hills (with another Costa Rican Car Massage included) to the start of the course we would be taking. It is the dry season in Costa Rica so the river is very low but it was a good place for a beginner like me to take their first white water rafting excursion.
They gave us a quick explanation of how we would be rowing down the river, where to sit, what to do if somebody went overboard etc etc. I was sure that I was going to be the person who went overboard but I was actually more concerned about the fact that I don’t know my left from my right and our lovely instructor Maria wanted to make sure that we know that it was imperative that we did exactly as she said in order to make it down safely. That means if she yelled out right forward, left back I needed to know which way to paddle. I found myself going I am on the right I am on the right I am on the right the entire trip down the river, and when she screamed out right forward I still had to stop and think about which way I needed to paddle.
We made it through the first few rapids, one of them backwards and I started gaining confidence, after all I had not been thrown from the raft yet. A few more rapids and I was actually having fun. It was afterall a nice paddle down a river in the middle of the rainforest. Maria pointed off to the right at a waterfall that fed into the river. A waterfall over jagged rocks surrounded by butterflies and flowers. She asked if we wanted to have a snack beneath this waterfall and had us paddle to that beach and walk up to the waterfall. Stunning is the only word that comes to mind as we approach the waterfall, she tells us to wade in because the fresh water feels great on your shoulders after you have been paddling for a while. We wade in move towards the waterfall and get a great neck massage. I am so disappointed that we didn’t bring down the camera for this trip but we can always remember it and maybe describe it to you one day. As we enjoyed the purity of nature she prepared some pineapple and cookies for us to eat and some water so we had the energy to paddle the rest of the way down the river.
We leave our pictauresque location and head back to the boat. Put our equipment back on and paddle our way through a bunch more rapids. Then the water is calm. She asks if we want to go for a swim among the rocks and fish but I opt not to because my entire goal for white water rafting was to not end up falling out of the boat and I would have succeeded if Doctor hadn’t pulled me violently from the boat almost causing one of my contacts to make the journey down the rapids ahead of me. The water was crisp and cool and we could see the trees and animals around us. There was not a single other person in the surrounding area.
Once the trip was done and we were exhausted and exhilarated at the same time we loaded all of the equipment into the van and they told us we had a bumpy hour ride into town where we were going to grab lunch. We were very confused for a moment expecting it to be four in the afternoon when it was actually only 11 am. They drove us back into downtown Quepos and brought us to a little shack called La Cubanita for an authentic Costa Rican lunch of rice beans, meat, yucca, platanos and fresh squeezed pinapple juice. It was an amazing lunch and it was all included in the tour. They do have tourism down to an exact science in Manuel Antonio, gotta make the customer feel like the trips were worth it.
After lunch they drove us back to the hotel and asked if we needed anything else, we were contemplating the beach and they offered to drive us down, but because it was high tide we were unable to get there so instead we relaxed by the infinity pool overlooking the rainforest at our hotel. It wasn’t a bad option!
No pictures this time unfortunately, but I will post tons of pictures from our sunset snorkeling tour we did. Until then… Pura Vida!
White water rafting was another early morning. Our driver picked us up at 7:30 in the morning, brought us to the office to pick up the raft and pay and then informed us that we were the only ones signed up to white water rafting with their company today. Again, lucky… we were going to have a private white water rafting trip. After all of the gear was uploaded they brought us up the hills (with another Costa Rican Car Massage included) to the start of the course we would be taking. It is the dry season in Costa Rica so the river is very low but it was a good place for a beginner like me to take their first white water rafting excursion.
They gave us a quick explanation of how we would be rowing down the river, where to sit, what to do if somebody went overboard etc etc. I was sure that I was going to be the person who went overboard but I was actually more concerned about the fact that I don’t know my left from my right and our lovely instructor Maria wanted to make sure that we know that it was imperative that we did exactly as she said in order to make it down safely. That means if she yelled out right forward, left back I needed to know which way to paddle. I found myself going I am on the right I am on the right I am on the right the entire trip down the river, and when she screamed out right forward I still had to stop and think about which way I needed to paddle.
We made it through the first few rapids, one of them backwards and I started gaining confidence, after all I had not been thrown from the raft yet. A few more rapids and I was actually having fun. It was afterall a nice paddle down a river in the middle of the rainforest. Maria pointed off to the right at a waterfall that fed into the river. A waterfall over jagged rocks surrounded by butterflies and flowers. She asked if we wanted to have a snack beneath this waterfall and had us paddle to that beach and walk up to the waterfall. Stunning is the only word that comes to mind as we approach the waterfall, she tells us to wade in because the fresh water feels great on your shoulders after you have been paddling for a while. We wade in move towards the waterfall and get a great neck massage. I am so disappointed that we didn’t bring down the camera for this trip but we can always remember it and maybe describe it to you one day. As we enjoyed the purity of nature she prepared some pineapple and cookies for us to eat and some water so we had the energy to paddle the rest of the way down the river.
We leave our pictauresque location and head back to the boat. Put our equipment back on and paddle our way through a bunch more rapids. Then the water is calm. She asks if we want to go for a swim among the rocks and fish but I opt not to because my entire goal for white water rafting was to not end up falling out of the boat and I would have succeeded if Doctor hadn’t pulled me violently from the boat almost causing one of my contacts to make the journey down the rapids ahead of me. The water was crisp and cool and we could see the trees and animals around us. There was not a single other person in the surrounding area.
Once the trip was done and we were exhausted and exhilarated at the same time we loaded all of the equipment into the van and they told us we had a bumpy hour ride into town where we were going to grab lunch. We were very confused for a moment expecting it to be four in the afternoon when it was actually only 11 am. They drove us back into downtown Quepos and brought us to a little shack called La Cubanita for an authentic Costa Rican lunch of rice beans, meat, yucca, platanos and fresh squeezed pinapple juice. It was an amazing lunch and it was all included in the tour. They do have tourism down to an exact science in Manuel Antonio, gotta make the customer feel like the trips were worth it.
After lunch they drove us back to the hotel and asked if we needed anything else, we were contemplating the beach and they offered to drive us down, but because it was high tide we were unable to get there so instead we relaxed by the infinity pool overlooking the rainforest at our hotel. It wasn’t a bad option!
No pictures this time unfortunately, but I will post tons of pictures from our sunset snorkeling tour we did. Until then… Pura Vida!
Ziplines!
Yesterday was Zipline day! Otherwise known as the canopy tour of the hills in the rainforest towards the interior of Costa Rica.
We were able to sleep a little bit later today and then woke up to have breakfast and meet up with our driver who packed us into a van with 10 people to the office, where thank goodness, they moved us into a larger bus and started driving towards the hills.
We were introduced to the Costa Rican Car Massage yesterday, its when the car goes off the paved road and continues on the dirt road through the African palm trees and then some teak trees, and then some hills, well lots of hill, and across some creeks. The Doctor who usually gets sick with my driving on American paved roads somehow managed to not get sick on this bus trip. That doesn’t say much for my driving believe me.
Once again we luck out and while we are with a large group we have the friendliest and most informed tour guides we could hope for. Through our one hour trip up the hills our tour guide gives us information about the area and the uses for the palm trees the teak, points out the history behind some areas and what the landscape looks like during the wet season. We even get to see a small ocelot (adorable little jaguar kitty) and a crocodile in the river off the side of the “road.”
When we arrive they give us some fruit and some instructions on what is going to happen during the ziplines and canopy tour. There are 10 lines, one bridge, and two places to repel. The guides are all very funny, they joke with us and make us feel comfortable. The landscape is once again beautiful. We are up in the hills with creeks running down, flowers and vines. The canopy of a rainforest is really an amazing place.
Before they put us on the ziplines and the hike they lull us into a false sense of security by taking us down into a butterfly garden that they have on site. With over 40 species of butterflies in one small area it was a flutter (pun intended) of activity and flashing colors as they flew around the contained area. Then it was time for us to get our harnesses on and “fly” through the rainforest. They gave us a quick instructional seminar and then we were on our way.
I made the Doctor go first when it was our groups turn up, I have to admit this was once again out of my comfort zone but after my first line I was addicted. However, on the first line I did forget to pick up my feet and crashed them into the deck and was lightly made fun of, but it was for my own safety. This first line was the easy one, all the others got progressively faster and if I had done that on another one I could have broken my foot.
By zipline number 3 the Doctor was pushing his limits and doing the zipline upside down. As the adrenaline junkie of the group he was entertaining everybody as he flew hundreds of feet above the canopy upside down. I was not that crazy. Then there was the Tarzan swing, not really scary especially since you are tied in, maybe 85 feet but it was still fun, and it was even more fun to watch them push the man in front of me who was afraid of heights and watch him flail about (is that mean of me?) There was then a place to repel, pretty much a straight free for all down the tree except you are tied up to the lines. This was the only place that I was even remotely scared, but by the second repel I was laying all the way back and letting them drop me.
We finished up and they had a home cooked Costa Rican lunch ready for us complete with Yuca my family would have fought over.
Overall it was great scenery, an amazing experience, and just plain ole fun. And we got two Costa Rican Car Massages included in the price.
Today was white water rafting, I will write about that tomorrow. Until then… Pura Vida!
Again, the internet is a problem today so I will post pictures up on the travel blog... www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gregandjon
We were able to sleep a little bit later today and then woke up to have breakfast and meet up with our driver who packed us into a van with 10 people to the office, where thank goodness, they moved us into a larger bus and started driving towards the hills.
We were introduced to the Costa Rican Car Massage yesterday, its when the car goes off the paved road and continues on the dirt road through the African palm trees and then some teak trees, and then some hills, well lots of hill, and across some creeks. The Doctor who usually gets sick with my driving on American paved roads somehow managed to not get sick on this bus trip. That doesn’t say much for my driving believe me.
Once again we luck out and while we are with a large group we have the friendliest and most informed tour guides we could hope for. Through our one hour trip up the hills our tour guide gives us information about the area and the uses for the palm trees the teak, points out the history behind some areas and what the landscape looks like during the wet season. We even get to see a small ocelot (adorable little jaguar kitty) and a crocodile in the river off the side of the “road.”
When we arrive they give us some fruit and some instructions on what is going to happen during the ziplines and canopy tour. There are 10 lines, one bridge, and two places to repel. The guides are all very funny, they joke with us and make us feel comfortable. The landscape is once again beautiful. We are up in the hills with creeks running down, flowers and vines. The canopy of a rainforest is really an amazing place.
Before they put us on the ziplines and the hike they lull us into a false sense of security by taking us down into a butterfly garden that they have on site. With over 40 species of butterflies in one small area it was a flutter (pun intended) of activity and flashing colors as they flew around the contained area. Then it was time for us to get our harnesses on and “fly” through the rainforest. They gave us a quick instructional seminar and then we were on our way.
I made the Doctor go first when it was our groups turn up, I have to admit this was once again out of my comfort zone but after my first line I was addicted. However, on the first line I did forget to pick up my feet and crashed them into the deck and was lightly made fun of, but it was for my own safety. This first line was the easy one, all the others got progressively faster and if I had done that on another one I could have broken my foot.
By zipline number 3 the Doctor was pushing his limits and doing the zipline upside down. As the adrenaline junkie of the group he was entertaining everybody as he flew hundreds of feet above the canopy upside down. I was not that crazy. Then there was the Tarzan swing, not really scary especially since you are tied in, maybe 85 feet but it was still fun, and it was even more fun to watch them push the man in front of me who was afraid of heights and watch him flail about (is that mean of me?) There was then a place to repel, pretty much a straight free for all down the tree except you are tied up to the lines. This was the only place that I was even remotely scared, but by the second repel I was laying all the way back and letting them drop me.
We finished up and they had a home cooked Costa Rican lunch ready for us complete with Yuca my family would have fought over.
Overall it was great scenery, an amazing experience, and just plain ole fun. And we got two Costa Rican Car Massages included in the price.
Today was white water rafting, I will write about that tomorrow. Until then… Pura Vida!
Again, the internet is a problem today so I will post pictures up on the travel blog... www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gregandjon
Sloths (and Monkeys too)
I am going to try to write this entry now for the second time.
Yesterday we went to the Manuel Antonio National Park, we had to get up really early and meet our driver at 7:30 in the morning to bring us down there. We were very excited about our first excursion in Costa Rican and looking forward to seeing all of the animals that inhabit the area. Once our driver got us down to the park we met our guide for the morning, Ricardo. It turned out that booking the smaller private tour was the best investment.
Ricardo started out by walking down the path and setting up his scope pointing at a tree. Both Greg and I were confused because all we saw was a tree, we had no idea that the branch that was jutting out from the tree was actually a rare and beautiful bird. This is when we realized that we were going to have a great tour and see tons of animals. As we walked into the part Ricardo explained the path we were going to take and then asked us if there was anything we really wanted to see. Greg of course has been looking forward to seeing sloths and monkeys so he let Ricardo know. Ricardo said that he would do his best but that yesterday there were no sloths spotted in the area.
We walk with Ricardo and he talks about primary and secondary forests and the plant and wildlife of the area. He stops at irregular intervals and sets up his scope and spots things that we would have never seen with out his expertise. Over there was a crab, on that tree was an iguana, over there another bird. He talks to the animals too, he stops and hears a Tucan, he replies back to the Tucan, it calls back. He is trying to lure it out of the trees so that we can see it, but as he does this people begin to gather around us. I resist the temptation to shoo them away but soon Ricardo finds it hard to resist that same temptation. Unfortunately, because of all the extra noise in the area the Tucan retreats and that is one of Ricardo’s only failed attempts at getting the nature to obey him.
As we continue walking about twenty minutes in Ricardo spots something in the trees, he stops and sets up his scope, he admits that he had a good feeling and as Greg peers through the scope he sees on of the 8 sloths that we will eventually see on the tour. They really are quite cute although I assume that the claws would hurt you if you got too close. After taking some amazing pictures we continue. There is an iguana, some creepy looking bugs on the tree (I admit I forgot the name) and then he hears in the woods a howler monkey, again he makes an attempt to talk to the animals to lure them out but he is not successful again because of the extra people who begin to surround us. We do spot the trees swinging and hear the loud bellow of the howler monkey as he retreats.
But have no fear, we did get to see an entire group of white faced monkeys a little bit further down the trail, first there was just one and then there were twenty white faced monkeys climbing the trees and all around. It really was a surreal sight, we were truly one with nature as the monkeys didn’t even care we were there. They continued looking for food and climbing as if there wasn’t a group of 30 people in their space.
As we continue down the path you can hear the ocean, and then you can see the beach. As we turn the corner Ricardo points and we see a beautiful deer on the beach, he is walking among the people and then he walks up to a three year old girl and licks her hand. It is the second surreal sight in as many minutes and it is only disrupted by the mothers screams as she notices her daughter being licked by a deer.
We take a quick break and then continue onto the tour. We see tons more animals including the Jesus Christ lizard that can run on water. I am shocked at what we see and how little I would have seen if we didn’t have the best guide in the world.
It really made us both realize that nature surrounds us and if we don’t pay attention we will miss the beauty of everyday.
I am posting pictures on the travel blog because I am having trouble posting them on here. www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gregandjon
Yesterday we went to the Manuel Antonio National Park, we had to get up really early and meet our driver at 7:30 in the morning to bring us down there. We were very excited about our first excursion in Costa Rican and looking forward to seeing all of the animals that inhabit the area. Once our driver got us down to the park we met our guide for the morning, Ricardo. It turned out that booking the smaller private tour was the best investment.
Ricardo started out by walking down the path and setting up his scope pointing at a tree. Both Greg and I were confused because all we saw was a tree, we had no idea that the branch that was jutting out from the tree was actually a rare and beautiful bird. This is when we realized that we were going to have a great tour and see tons of animals. As we walked into the part Ricardo explained the path we were going to take and then asked us if there was anything we really wanted to see. Greg of course has been looking forward to seeing sloths and monkeys so he let Ricardo know. Ricardo said that he would do his best but that yesterday there were no sloths spotted in the area.
We walk with Ricardo and he talks about primary and secondary forests and the plant and wildlife of the area. He stops at irregular intervals and sets up his scope and spots things that we would have never seen with out his expertise. Over there was a crab, on that tree was an iguana, over there another bird. He talks to the animals too, he stops and hears a Tucan, he replies back to the Tucan, it calls back. He is trying to lure it out of the trees so that we can see it, but as he does this people begin to gather around us. I resist the temptation to shoo them away but soon Ricardo finds it hard to resist that same temptation. Unfortunately, because of all the extra noise in the area the Tucan retreats and that is one of Ricardo’s only failed attempts at getting the nature to obey him.
As we continue walking about twenty minutes in Ricardo spots something in the trees, he stops and sets up his scope, he admits that he had a good feeling and as Greg peers through the scope he sees on of the 8 sloths that we will eventually see on the tour. They really are quite cute although I assume that the claws would hurt you if you got too close. After taking some amazing pictures we continue. There is an iguana, some creepy looking bugs on the tree (I admit I forgot the name) and then he hears in the woods a howler monkey, again he makes an attempt to talk to the animals to lure them out but he is not successful again because of the extra people who begin to surround us. We do spot the trees swinging and hear the loud bellow of the howler monkey as he retreats.
But have no fear, we did get to see an entire group of white faced monkeys a little bit further down the trail, first there was just one and then there were twenty white faced monkeys climbing the trees and all around. It really was a surreal sight, we were truly one with nature as the monkeys didn’t even care we were there. They continued looking for food and climbing as if there wasn’t a group of 30 people in their space.
As we continue down the path you can hear the ocean, and then you can see the beach. As we turn the corner Ricardo points and we see a beautiful deer on the beach, he is walking among the people and then he walks up to a three year old girl and licks her hand. It is the second surreal sight in as many minutes and it is only disrupted by the mothers screams as she notices her daughter being licked by a deer.
We take a quick break and then continue onto the tour. We see tons more animals including the Jesus Christ lizard that can run on water. I am shocked at what we see and how little I would have seen if we didn’t have the best guide in the world.
It really made us both realize that nature surrounds us and if we don’t pay attention we will miss the beauty of everyday.
I am posting pictures on the travel blog because I am having trouble posting them on here. www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gregandjon
The Flight Over
We landed in the San Jose and cleared customs, exchanged some money and then went over to the "terminal" that we were flying out of to Quepos which is the airport near Manuel Antonio. We had to weigh ourselves with our luggage to make sure that we weighed the right amount. We waiting in the outdoor terminal for a little bit and then they called us to board our plane, took our laminate pass that they reuse and we walked outside.
There are a number of planes outside and the six passengers from our flight all follow the captain as we walk towards the smallest prop plane I have ever seen (although the Doctor says the one he jumped out of was smaller and I now understand why he jumped out of it). As we boarded and the captain helped us fasten our safety harnesses I began to panic a little, this was so out of my comfort zone. The Doctor caught this on video. As we began to move I let the panic slip away and kept telling myself that this was an adventure, a once in a lifetime experience.
The takeoff was a bit rough but once we were in the air I can honestly say that I have never experienced a flight that was so thrilling, the natural beauty of Costa Rica as we flew just slightly above the mountains and hills was breathtaking. As we got closer to Quepos you could begin to see the Pacific Ocean and the islands off coast. Looking directly down you could see the tops of palm trees for miles. It truly was quite a glorious sight. And most importantly we landed safe, the pilot helped us off the plane and we were greated by very friendly airport attendants who spoke spanish at Greg.
It is very funny to watch them try to talk to him and then I have to answer. I think they immediately think he is the one who can speak spanish because he is darker then me. Next post will be about the forest we walked through today, another beautiful site that we won't soon forget.
Until then...
There are a number of planes outside and the six passengers from our flight all follow the captain as we walk towards the smallest prop plane I have ever seen (although the Doctor says the one he jumped out of was smaller and I now understand why he jumped out of it). As we boarded and the captain helped us fasten our safety harnesses I began to panic a little, this was so out of my comfort zone. The Doctor caught this on video. As we began to move I let the panic slip away and kept telling myself that this was an adventure, a once in a lifetime experience.
The takeoff was a bit rough but once we were in the air I can honestly say that I have never experienced a flight that was so thrilling, the natural beauty of Costa Rica as we flew just slightly above the mountains and hills was breathtaking. As we got closer to Quepos you could begin to see the Pacific Ocean and the islands off coast. Looking directly down you could see the tops of palm trees for miles. It truly was quite a glorious sight. And most importantly we landed safe, the pilot helped us off the plane and we were greated by very friendly airport attendants who spoke spanish at Greg.
It is very funny to watch them try to talk to him and then I have to answer. I think they immediately think he is the one who can speak spanish because he is darker then me. Next post will be about the forest we walked through today, another beautiful site that we won't soon forget.
Until then...
So Much For Packing Light
We are all packed and getting ready to head to the airport for the 4am flight on Taca Airlines. We have to be at the airport at 1am. We said that we were going to make sure that we packed light because we have to pay for anything over 26 lbs on our putt putt plane to Quepos on the last leg of the trip. Well, what we said and what we did are two separate things.
The Doctor was making fun of me for packing 14 t-shirts yet he packed the same number and we are heading to the airport with two big suitcases I have my backpack with his computer and the Doctor has a backpack and another carry on bag. I am sure we will be paying extra for the luggage.
We changed our money got some travelers checks and cash, called the credit card companies and changed my phone to the international plan. Everything is checked off of the list so it looks like it is ready to go.
And again if you want to see more pictures and other stories check out the travelblog... www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gregandjon
Until we get there...
The Doctor was making fun of me for packing 14 t-shirts yet he packed the same number and we are heading to the airport with two big suitcases I have my backpack with his computer and the Doctor has a backpack and another carry on bag. I am sure we will be paying extra for the luggage.
We changed our money got some travelers checks and cash, called the credit card companies and changed my phone to the international plan. Everything is checked off of the list so it looks like it is ready to go.
And again if you want to see more pictures and other stories check out the travelblog... www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gregandjon
Until we get there...
Pass It On
They just put bright neon stickers in all of the faculty staff bathrooms at the university. They say...
KNOWLEDGE IS THE KEY TO FOOD SAFETY... PASS IT ON
So I am passing it on!
KNOWLEDGE IS THE KEY TO FOOD SAFETY... PASS IT ON
So I am passing it on!
Travelblog
I kind of feel like I am cheating on my blog, but because the Doctor and I are going away next week to Costa Rica I created a travel blog for us. That way we can both post stories and pictures. Also, the site does make it easier to post a ton of uploaded pictures from the vacation.
That doesn't mean that I will not be posting here. As a matter of fact on my posts the text will probably be similar on both blogs there just may be more pictures on the travelblog site.
The address is: www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gregandjon/
Check it out and talk to you all soon from Costa Rica (flight leaves 4am Saturday)
That doesn't mean that I will not be posting here. As a matter of fact on my posts the text will probably be similar on both blogs there just may be more pictures on the travelblog site.
The address is: www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gregandjon/
Check it out and talk to you all soon from Costa Rica (flight leaves 4am Saturday)
Oh Hell No
So one of the doctors "friends" was writing on his facebook wall to wall yesterday, here is the conversation...
Hi (Doctor)! Who's the nice man? Cheers, (Jackass)
You must really not know him he's a bitch! lol
Well....lol! what is the deal with gay men? It's terrible....I think I should move. Auy suggestions? (Jackass) PS He does have quite a few wrinkles...you can do better guy! (Ouch- and by the way my recomendation is not DC)
Hey that's not nice he may be a bitch but he's my bitch and I love him so be nice. (The sweetest thing he could have said love you too)
just kidding guy! I'm just jealous because I'm single....He's a cutie (uh huh if you are kidding then don't say such mean things asshole)
And finally here is my response via Doctor's wall... and keep in mind, don't mess with me because I am not nice...
Wow i guess I am not the biggest bitch- your friend (Jackass) seems to win... wait I can take back my title, it seems he doesn't even have his own picture as his profile picture... I wonder why, wrinkles? or just plain ugly?
Hi (Doctor)! Who's the nice man? Cheers, (Jackass)
You must really not know him he's a bitch! lol
Well....lol! what is the deal with gay men? It's terrible....I think I should move. Auy suggestions? (Jackass) PS He does have quite a few wrinkles...you can do better guy! (Ouch- and by the way my recomendation is not DC)
Hey that's not nice he may be a bitch but he's my bitch and I love him so be nice. (The sweetest thing he could have said love you too)
just kidding guy! I'm just jealous because I'm single....He's a cutie (uh huh if you are kidding then don't say such mean things asshole)
And finally here is my response via Doctor's wall... and keep in mind, don't mess with me because I am not nice...
Wow i guess I am not the biggest bitch- your friend (Jackass) seems to win... wait I can take back my title, it seems he doesn't even have his own picture as his profile picture... I wonder why, wrinkles? or just plain ugly?
On A Lighter Note
Every morning I walk past the Argentinian Embassy here in DC on my way to work, a few weeks ago (one of those warm days) there were two people sitting outside drinking coffee, and one of them was crying...
I suddenly felt the urge to throw my arms opened and burst out into song...
Can you guess what song?
I know S can!
I suddenly felt the urge to throw my arms opened and burst out into song...
Can you guess what song?
I know S can!
April 14, 2009
I am writing this post not really for your benefit but more for mine. Sorry guys, but it is my blog after all so I am pretty sure that I can do what I want!
April 14, 2009 will now be the second date I will no forget because of the attack that happened while I was still in Boston. Now, my goal for this date is to remember it because it is the day that the good people in the state of Massachusetts show that hate will not be tolerated.
I am scared though, I am scared for my normal reasons like
I don't like to speak in front of large groups of people... but I am also scared for a much bigger reason...
I don't want to go back there, and there is more like a state of mind then a place, as I have been back to Boston. I don't want to go back to feeling small, and being traumatized because of violence and hate speech. I don't want to go back to the nightmares and not being able to sleep. I am scared of the person this attack made me. I am (and never will be) the most positive person, but the feelings inside of me were dark and full of hate. I wanted to crawl into a corner and sit there until everything was over.
And then I started to move on, I started to feel like myself again, a little bit grumpy (bitchy) but not the person that cried everyday. I was okay walking down the street by myself and while I would still look behind me as I walked I wouldn't feel my heart racing in my chest. I stopped crying when I was alone in the house. I felt like my life belonged to me again. This all took a lot of work on my part, I forced myself, with the help of the doctor to not let this bother me. I believe I said in my blog right after the attack...
And now I vow that I am not going to cry anymore, I am not going to let this affect my life in a negative way. I am going to live my life safely but I am going to be myself.
I AM GOING TO LIVE MY LIFE!
And I didn't live by this saying, and now that this is being thrust back into my life I feel like I am back there. I feel like I am scared to live my life, but I am not going to let it get to me. I am going to live my life (this time I am not lying) and I am going to make sure that we win.
With the days and weeks that are leading up to April 14, 2009 I will try to remain positive, I will do all that I can to make sure that hate does not win by taking over my life. I will do all that I can to make sure that HATE does not conquer other peoples lives. We all are entitled to the right to live our lives the way that we want to live them. Nobody can take this away from us and what I am hoping for is that this trial in Boston shows people that. A conviction will not only help all of the people involved get some closure but it will help everybody in Boston, in Massachusetts and in the United States. We can not and will not tolerate HATE.
I had my last cry of fear last night, I stood there and admitted I was scared. I stood there and had all the "buts" in the world. In my mind I knew what I needed to do and the Doctor continued to hit me upside the head with it. I just needed to make that change in my heart. That is the difference between now and August, I am passed the stress, I know I can live my life with this. I can be happy. I can sleep. I can eat. I can love. And no matter what I am still me, that has not changed.
So now I am going to live by what I said a few months ago, and I am going to do one better... I am going to make sure that I help other people live their lives as well!
Now I am done ranting about my feelings, I promise you won't have to read any more emotional rants from me for a little bit. But like I have said many times, this blog can be like a free shrink for me... so every once in a while you are gonna have to read about my craziness... or just not read that post.
April 14, 2009 will now be the second date I will no forget because of the attack that happened while I was still in Boston. Now, my goal for this date is to remember it because it is the day that the good people in the state of Massachusetts show that hate will not be tolerated.
I am scared though, I am scared for my normal reasons like
I don't like to speak in front of large groups of people... but I am also scared for a much bigger reason...
I don't want to go back there, and there is more like a state of mind then a place, as I have been back to Boston. I don't want to go back to feeling small, and being traumatized because of violence and hate speech. I don't want to go back to the nightmares and not being able to sleep. I am scared of the person this attack made me. I am (and never will be) the most positive person, but the feelings inside of me were dark and full of hate. I wanted to crawl into a corner and sit there until everything was over.
And then I started to move on, I started to feel like myself again, a little bit grumpy (bitchy) but not the person that cried everyday. I was okay walking down the street by myself and while I would still look behind me as I walked I wouldn't feel my heart racing in my chest. I stopped crying when I was alone in the house. I felt like my life belonged to me again. This all took a lot of work on my part, I forced myself, with the help of the doctor to not let this bother me. I believe I said in my blog right after the attack...
And now I vow that I am not going to cry anymore, I am not going to let this affect my life in a negative way. I am going to live my life safely but I am going to be myself.
I AM GOING TO LIVE MY LIFE!
And I didn't live by this saying, and now that this is being thrust back into my life I feel like I am back there. I feel like I am scared to live my life, but I am not going to let it get to me. I am going to live my life (this time I am not lying) and I am going to make sure that we win.
With the days and weeks that are leading up to April 14, 2009 I will try to remain positive, I will do all that I can to make sure that hate does not win by taking over my life. I will do all that I can to make sure that HATE does not conquer other peoples lives. We all are entitled to the right to live our lives the way that we want to live them. Nobody can take this away from us and what I am hoping for is that this trial in Boston shows people that. A conviction will not only help all of the people involved get some closure but it will help everybody in Boston, in Massachusetts and in the United States. We can not and will not tolerate HATE.
I had my last cry of fear last night, I stood there and admitted I was scared. I stood there and had all the "buts" in the world. In my mind I knew what I needed to do and the Doctor continued to hit me upside the head with it. I just needed to make that change in my heart. That is the difference between now and August, I am passed the stress, I know I can live my life with this. I can be happy. I can sleep. I can eat. I can love. And no matter what I am still me, that has not changed.
So now I am going to live by what I said a few months ago, and I am going to do one better... I am going to make sure that I help other people live their lives as well!
Now I am done ranting about my feelings, I promise you won't have to read any more emotional rants from me for a little bit. But like I have said many times, this blog can be like a free shrink for me... so every once in a while you are gonna have to read about my craziness... or just not read that post.
com-mence-ment
com·mence·ment (k-mnsmnt)n.
1. A beginning; a start.
2.
a. A ceremony at which academic degrees or diplomas are conferred.
b. The day on which such a ceremony occurs.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Yesterday was the third day of the commencement fair here at my store. It is an event that kicks off the graduation season where students can pick up their caps and gowns, order a ring, get a diploma frame, and pick up their commencement tickets. Being that the third day was the last day for students to do all of these things in one centralized location it was a bit busy and I was called over to help out during the afternoon.
I worked the tables a little bit and as the line built up at the registers I went over to help ringing up the students who were purchasing caps and gowns. I ring a few customers up and answer some questions. I call the next customer down to my register and greet him, ask him if he found everything he was looking for, and if he has any additional questions. He does have another question, and he asks me what the people at the table behind me were doing...
"That is where you pick up your commencement tickets"
The student honestly, with a straight face responds, "what's commencement?"
I try to keep a straight face as I kindly respond, "commencement is your graduation ceremony, you pick up tickets for it right there"
"Oh, cool thanks"
I have a line of students, but I just want to scream, "YOU ARE GRADUATING, HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW WHAT COMMENCEMENT IS!" I am honestly amazed that this man could be finishing college and not know the meaning of commencement, he is attending a commencement ceremony yet he doesn't know what he is attending.
It really makes me question the current state of higher education.
1. A beginning; a start.
2.
a. A ceremony at which academic degrees or diplomas are conferred.
b. The day on which such a ceremony occurs.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Yesterday was the third day of the commencement fair here at my store. It is an event that kicks off the graduation season where students can pick up their caps and gowns, order a ring, get a diploma frame, and pick up their commencement tickets. Being that the third day was the last day for students to do all of these things in one centralized location it was a bit busy and I was called over to help out during the afternoon.
I worked the tables a little bit and as the line built up at the registers I went over to help ringing up the students who were purchasing caps and gowns. I ring a few customers up and answer some questions. I call the next customer down to my register and greet him, ask him if he found everything he was looking for, and if he has any additional questions. He does have another question, and he asks me what the people at the table behind me were doing...
"That is where you pick up your commencement tickets"
The student honestly, with a straight face responds, "what's commencement?"
I try to keep a straight face as I kindly respond, "commencement is your graduation ceremony, you pick up tickets for it right there"
"Oh, cool thanks"
I have a line of students, but I just want to scream, "YOU ARE GRADUATING, HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW WHAT COMMENCEMENT IS!" I am honestly amazed that this man could be finishing college and not know the meaning of commencement, he is attending a commencement ceremony yet he doesn't know what he is attending.
It really makes me question the current state of higher education.
A Blog Post About Nancy Pelosi
Mr. NG don't get too excited about this post its really not about politics, despite the title. It is however about a politician.
Last night I was very disappointed that I couldn't watch American Idol because of the Presidential Speech, not that I didn't want to watch the speech but because it was Tuesday and I needed my weekly dose of crazy from Paula.
But as a good American who voted for Obama and who believes that this man can make the changes needed to put this country back on the right track I sat and watched the speech and I enjoyed and agreed with most of the points made in the speech. I was amazed at the energy in the room and I was proud to see what was happening.
But I was not nearly as proud, happy, caffeinated, or hyper as a certain speaker of the house! I was watching as Nancy could barely keep her butt in the seat, and she would literally jump up as Obama was making a point she obviously believed in. I know that traditionally you stand and clap for the President when he makes strong points that you believe in, but I don't think Nancy realized that she was on camera and she looked like a bored four year old who couldn't sit down. Right behind the president up and down what felt like 200 times each time more animated then the last.
Now don't get me wrong I like Nancy, I think she is an excellent politician and has done amazing things for her state and the country. But as I watched it I realized, that on this Tuesday night I didn't need my Paula for my weekly dose of crazy... I had Nancy this week instead!
Last night I was very disappointed that I couldn't watch American Idol because of the Presidential Speech, not that I didn't want to watch the speech but because it was Tuesday and I needed my weekly dose of crazy from Paula.
But as a good American who voted for Obama and who believes that this man can make the changes needed to put this country back on the right track I sat and watched the speech and I enjoyed and agreed with most of the points made in the speech. I was amazed at the energy in the room and I was proud to see what was happening.
But I was not nearly as proud, happy, caffeinated, or hyper as a certain speaker of the house! I was watching as Nancy could barely keep her butt in the seat, and she would literally jump up as Obama was making a point she obviously believed in. I know that traditionally you stand and clap for the President when he makes strong points that you believe in, but I don't think Nancy realized that she was on camera and she looked like a bored four year old who couldn't sit down. Right behind the president up and down what felt like 200 times each time more animated then the last.
Now don't get me wrong I like Nancy, I think she is an excellent politician and has done amazing things for her state and the country. But as I watched it I realized, that on this Tuesday night I didn't need my Paula for my weekly dose of crazy... I had Nancy this week instead!
A Conversation With An Automated System
Thank you for calling the National Passport Information System, for information in English please press 1 por informacion en espanol oprima el numero dos.
The doctor coughs... gracias
Hang up and try again... Thank you for calling the National Passport Information System, for information in English... I press 1... I'm sorry I didn't understand your selection... goodbye
Seriously, dial the number again and wait for the automated ass to finish speaking then I press 1 for English.
If you are traveling internationally within the next 14 days you can access our automated appointment system in the following menu, if you are not traveling within the next 14 days please visit our website... (literally talks for 2 minutes) For more information we are available Monday- Friday 9-4.
For information on how to apply for your passport or Visa please press 1... the coffee maker clicks on... thank you... the requirements for a passport are... the system goes through the options but then doesn't give you the opportunity to apply or set up an appointment.
I hang up and try 6 more times to get through the menus one the neighbor get home and turns the key in his door... thank you for making your selection the code to nuclear launch is... then the dog barks.... thank you... in order to eliminate this system you must travel to space... Gracias... tu mama es... thank you... we are complete and utter idiots and we know that you hate us and this is just fun on our end.
I finally retire to the bedroom, pull the covers over my head, make sure to not labor my breathing and get through the screens and make my appointment for next Tuesday. I should then have a passport just 2 days after that!
And that young people is our government at work. They can't even get a phone tree right!
The doctor coughs... gracias
Hang up and try again... Thank you for calling the National Passport Information System, for information in English... I press 1... I'm sorry I didn't understand your selection... goodbye
Seriously, dial the number again and wait for the automated ass to finish speaking then I press 1 for English.
If you are traveling internationally within the next 14 days you can access our automated appointment system in the following menu, if you are not traveling within the next 14 days please visit our website... (literally talks for 2 minutes) For more information we are available Monday- Friday 9-4.
For information on how to apply for your passport or Visa please press 1... the coffee maker clicks on... thank you... the requirements for a passport are... the system goes through the options but then doesn't give you the opportunity to apply or set up an appointment.
I hang up and try 6 more times to get through the menus one the neighbor get home and turns the key in his door... thank you for making your selection the code to nuclear launch is... then the dog barks.... thank you... in order to eliminate this system you must travel to space... Gracias... tu mama es... thank you... we are complete and utter idiots and we know that you hate us and this is just fun on our end.
I finally retire to the bedroom, pull the covers over my head, make sure to not labor my breathing and get through the screens and make my appointment for next Tuesday. I should then have a passport just 2 days after that!
And that young people is our government at work. They can't even get a phone tree right!
Costa Rica Here We Come
So in just a couple weeks myself and the doctor will be heading to Costa Rica. The picture off to the side here is the view from our hotel... OK that's not the best picture but it is the one that I pulled from the hotel website.The infinity pool looking out to the ocean with an island in view is amazing and I can't wait to go. Now this is kind of a spur of the moment trip. We both have the same spring breaks at the schools we are working at so we decided we should go somewhere. i was thinking Florida, but the Doctor was thinking on a much grander scale. He has always wanted to go to Costa Rica and after seeing pictures and listing of the things you could do there I couldn't really disagree. The only problem of course is we leave in just 2 weeks and I still don't have a passport... but I am working on that!
The plan is to arrive in the capital and then head out to the middle of the rain forest practically to this cute little hotel with the amazing views that is right on the beach. While we are there we are going to do a zip line through the rain forest, go white water rafting and take a tour of the national park. We wanted to go see the volcanoes too, but it appears that they are too far away from our destination and the infrastructure of the country would really prevent us from traveling all the way out there. The Doctor wanted to do a lot of other things but i am trying to limit him to 3 or 4 activities so that I can spend some of my week on the beach reading a book or two.And the best part is that we have wireless Internet in the room so I will make sure that I am updating the blog while I am there with pictures and stories of the daily occurrences, and knowing my luck it could be some great reading!
A New Blog on the Roll (at least on my roll)
I added a new blog to my blogroll off to the side there. A friend of mine here in DC writes this blog, it is very different from the other blogs on the blogroll (except for maybe my celebrity gossip link.) As much as I loved and laughed at his blog the first time I looked at it I will warn you that it is not for all my readers.
Take a look and support his blog is you like... http://skylorlicio.us
For those of you who make the jump to the site, I hope you Enjoy!
ETA: OMG so I totally forgot to mention that depending on the place you work this may not be an appropriate work site! Sorry!
Take a look and support his blog is you like... http://skylorlicio.us
For those of you who make the jump to the site, I hope you Enjoy!
ETA: OMG so I totally forgot to mention that depending on the place you work this may not be an appropriate work site! Sorry!
June 16
It is very rare that I get so excited about a book, however, since I finished reading the Shadow of the Wind a couple years ago I have been waiting for Carlos Ruiz Zafon to have another book released in English. On June 16, The Angel's Game is released and I am not sure that I can wait, as a matter of fact I may try to get an Advanced Readers Copy from the publisher...
Here is the synopsis from Barnes and Noble...
In the turbulent and mysterious Barcelona of the 1920s, David Martin, a young novelist obsessed with a forbidden love, receives an offer from an enigmatic publisher to write a book like no other before — a book for which “people will live and die.” In return, he is promised a fortune and, perhaps, much more.
Once again, the author of The Shadow of the Wind takes us into the gothic universe of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books and creates a breathtaking adventure of intrigue, romance and tragedy, and a dizzingly constructed labyrinth of secrets where the magic of books, passion and friendship blend into a masterful story.
Yes, I am really that excited about a book, and if you haven't read Shadow of the Wind, read it now!
Here is the synopsis from Barnes and Noble...
In the turbulent and mysterious Barcelona of the 1920s, David Martin, a young novelist obsessed with a forbidden love, receives an offer from an enigmatic publisher to write a book like no other before — a book for which “people will live and die.” In return, he is promised a fortune and, perhaps, much more.
Once again, the author of The Shadow of the Wind takes us into the gothic universe of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books and creates a breathtaking adventure of intrigue, romance and tragedy, and a dizzingly constructed labyrinth of secrets where the magic of books, passion and friendship blend into a masterful story.
Yes, I am really that excited about a book, and if you haven't read Shadow of the Wind, read it now!
Holy Mashed Potatoes
Saturday night, Valentines Day, we had a reservation here in DC at Capital Grille. Thank goodness we had a late reservation because the Doctor was taking a review course for his exam that didn't allow him to get home until after 8pm. We changed and hopped in the car where we got in a disagreement with the GPS, then we had to return home to get the gift cards, and then finally we were on our way to the restaurant.
When we arrived there was a huge line of cars at the valet but the moved them quickly and amazingly there was no charge. We walked in checked our coats and within two minutes they had us at our seats. It is a very pretty restaurant and everybody had a smile on their faces and seemed to be having a great time (that's always a sign of great service.) The hostess presented us with our menus and the waiter (who became practically a friend) was over in a few minutes to help us decide on drinks meals and appetizers.
After a little while the doctor decided on a salad and steak in some fungus (as in mushrooms) and I decided on the mozzarella tomato and basil salad and the 14oz fillet Mignon. We also decided to split a side of mashed potatoes (because I love my carbs). The waiter was very attentive and filled our glasses of wine regularly, the salads and bread came promptly and were delectable.
When the entree arrived I was already starting to feel the effects of a food coma, but I needed to eat because it just looked so damn good. I cut into my fillet and it was like cutting into melted butter. I was amazing and I probably could have died right there and been happy (yes, I stole that from Jacques Pepin's comment on this weeks Top Chef) and then i had a fork full of the mashed potatoes...
Oh my god, I could not believe what I was tasting, I am not a huge foodie but I do love my white carbs and up until now my grandmothers mashed potatoes were by far the best in the world. I am sorry Bella but these were amazing, just pure perfect mashed potatoes no extra stuff getting in the way and they were amazing.
I wasn't sure how I did it but I finished a majority of my steak, as did the doctor, and we cleaned the plate of mashed potatoes. And there was no way we were going to pass up dessert. The waiter kindly helped us decide on a champagne to accompany our dessert and recommended the coconut cream pie as the perfect dessert to share with this champagne. He was right again and we enjoyed every bite and sip we could fit into our bodies.
Pleasantly plump after this meal and loving the ambiance of the restaurant we were both presented with a single red rose and a box of chocolate (possibly to soften the blow of the bill we were just presented) or maybe because the waiter was actually excellent at what he does. We paid and left completely and utterly satisfied. This was one of the best meals we have ever had.
And damn those mashed potatoes were good!
When we arrived there was a huge line of cars at the valet but the moved them quickly and amazingly there was no charge. We walked in checked our coats and within two minutes they had us at our seats. It is a very pretty restaurant and everybody had a smile on their faces and seemed to be having a great time (that's always a sign of great service.) The hostess presented us with our menus and the waiter (who became practically a friend) was over in a few minutes to help us decide on drinks meals and appetizers.
After a little while the doctor decided on a salad and steak in some fungus (as in mushrooms) and I decided on the mozzarella tomato and basil salad and the 14oz fillet Mignon. We also decided to split a side of mashed potatoes (because I love my carbs). The waiter was very attentive and filled our glasses of wine regularly, the salads and bread came promptly and were delectable.
When the entree arrived I was already starting to feel the effects of a food coma, but I needed to eat because it just looked so damn good. I cut into my fillet and it was like cutting into melted butter. I was amazing and I probably could have died right there and been happy (yes, I stole that from Jacques Pepin's comment on this weeks Top Chef) and then i had a fork full of the mashed potatoes...
Oh my god, I could not believe what I was tasting, I am not a huge foodie but I do love my white carbs and up until now my grandmothers mashed potatoes were by far the best in the world. I am sorry Bella but these were amazing, just pure perfect mashed potatoes no extra stuff getting in the way and they were amazing.
I wasn't sure how I did it but I finished a majority of my steak, as did the doctor, and we cleaned the plate of mashed potatoes. And there was no way we were going to pass up dessert. The waiter kindly helped us decide on a champagne to accompany our dessert and recommended the coconut cream pie as the perfect dessert to share with this champagne. He was right again and we enjoyed every bite and sip we could fit into our bodies.
Pleasantly plump after this meal and loving the ambiance of the restaurant we were both presented with a single red rose and a box of chocolate (possibly to soften the blow of the bill we were just presented) or maybe because the waiter was actually excellent at what he does. We paid and left completely and utterly satisfied. This was one of the best meals we have ever had.
And damn those mashed potatoes were good!
Watch Out Mr. NG
Yesterday afternoon my facebook post was:
Jonathan updated his blog again and it includes comments on Paula's broken mirror necklace from last nights AI.
Mr NG commented on this facebook status saying:
Those are such valuable, meaningful, thoughtful posts about the most salient "stuff" on your mind. :-)
I immediately ran to my computer and look up salient in the online dictionary (ok not really) and then I realize that he is making fun of my very thoughtful and salient posts about American Idol and cute animals. I then respond to Mr. NG via blackberry messenger telling him that he is going to need to pipe down. I then say that I can't always be commenting on world events, political issues and books I have read.
His response was "You could comment on little philosophies of life"
And my response to that was, "But my philosophy is "be a bitch... Always"
Now, I am not sure if this is what he was looking for, I think he was hoping I would have some deep insights on the way a person should live life, maybe some overarching ideas on world affairs. Something deep, but you don't always have to be deep, you can have fun and enjoy.
I guess when it comes down to it, American Idol and cute animals sort of encompass my overarching idea on life though. The way that I should live life (not that I always follow it). You need to enjoy your life, not care what other people think, break down boundaries, and experience all that you can. You should work hard and play hard, but most of all you should enjoy the life that you lead. You should enjoy the work that you do, spend time with those you love, and just have a good time.
Sure I have hard days at work, and crazy days, there are days that I want to kill customers, but for the most part I don't dread going into work (although getting up at 5:45 am I do dread!) I never dread coming home either because I have a great person to come home to, that I love very much. A person that I can talk to and I can fight with, a person who loves me back even when I am a grumpy bitch. So to a certain extent I am living a happy life, and following my idea of what I should do, and the person I should be...
This is a very different direction then I thought that this post would go in, as a matter of fact I was planning on being a total bitch to Mr. NG because... well because it would be fun to do, but instead I kind of discussed a way of life and some thoughts that are slightly "deeper" than American Idol. But I am sure that I will have additional posts on American Idol but I will also have ones that are slightly more salient.
And soon enough I will be a complete and total bitch to Mr. NG... because I have to have a post that goes in that direction.
Jonathan updated his blog again and it includes comments on Paula's broken mirror necklace from last nights AI.
Mr NG commented on this facebook status saying:
Those are such valuable, meaningful, thoughtful posts about the most salient "stuff" on your mind. :-)
I immediately ran to my computer and look up salient in the online dictionary (ok not really) and then I realize that he is making fun of my very thoughtful and salient posts about American Idol and cute animals. I then respond to Mr. NG via blackberry messenger telling him that he is going to need to pipe down. I then say that I can't always be commenting on world events, political issues and books I have read.
His response was "You could comment on little philosophies of life"
And my response to that was, "But my philosophy is "be a bitch... Always"
Now, I am not sure if this is what he was looking for, I think he was hoping I would have some deep insights on the way a person should live life, maybe some overarching ideas on world affairs. Something deep, but you don't always have to be deep, you can have fun and enjoy.
I guess when it comes down to it, American Idol and cute animals sort of encompass my overarching idea on life though. The way that I should live life (not that I always follow it). You need to enjoy your life, not care what other people think, break down boundaries, and experience all that you can. You should work hard and play hard, but most of all you should enjoy the life that you lead. You should enjoy the work that you do, spend time with those you love, and just have a good time.
Sure I have hard days at work, and crazy days, there are days that I want to kill customers, but for the most part I don't dread going into work (although getting up at 5:45 am I do dread!) I never dread coming home either because I have a great person to come home to, that I love very much. A person that I can talk to and I can fight with, a person who loves me back even when I am a grumpy bitch. So to a certain extent I am living a happy life, and following my idea of what I should do, and the person I should be...
This is a very different direction then I thought that this post would go in, as a matter of fact I was planning on being a total bitch to Mr. NG because... well because it would be fun to do, but instead I kind of discussed a way of life and some thoughts that are slightly "deeper" than American Idol. But I am sure that I will have additional posts on American Idol but I will also have ones that are slightly more salient.
And soon enough I will be a complete and total bitch to Mr. NG... because I have to have a post that goes in that direction.
Paula Paula Paula
So many of you know I am addicted to American Idol, I love it and I just can't pull myself away. Yes I know there are a lot of things I could do to make better use of my time but when I get home from work or the gym it is enjoyable to sit down and watch some "brainless" television.
This year there is a change on American Idol... a new judge... some uppity chick whom I hate. The Doctor says I am crazy for hating her but she just seems to ruin the dynamic.
I like my Paula CRAZY, my Simon GRUMPY and my RANDY all sorts of dawg like. This woman just doesn't fit into my concept of the show. And I don't think she brings anything to AI at all. I would like for her to be gone!
Ah yes and speaking of Paula... what was that necklace she was wearing last night... did she break her bedroom mirror and not want it to go to waste so she strung it together and wore it around her neck... it was sooooo UGLY and I LOVED it because my Paula was CRAZY!
This year there is a change on American Idol... a new judge... some uppity chick whom I hate. The Doctor says I am crazy for hating her but she just seems to ruin the dynamic.
I like my Paula CRAZY, my Simon GRUMPY and my RANDY all sorts of dawg like. This woman just doesn't fit into my concept of the show. And I don't think she brings anything to AI at all. I would like for her to be gone!
Ah yes and speaking of Paula... what was that necklace she was wearing last night... did she break her bedroom mirror and not want it to go to waste so she strung it together and wore it around her neck... it was sooooo UGLY and I LOVED it because my Paula was CRAZY!
Cute Animals
I had to go to the pet store last night to pick up a new dog cage for Annie. While I was there I saw a really cute kitten, looked exactly like a baby Val (the doctor's cat), his name was Joe. He was white with little orange spots and the cutest little face. I stared at him for a good 15 minutes but I had to walk away because more animals in this house would be a bad thing.
Last night when I went to bed I popped in Planet Earth to watch. I knew there would be something cute to keep me happy. We were watching it and the most adorable ducklings were jumping out of a tree for the first time, and they flop around and then fall and then bounce. It was so cute... I was laughing, really really adorable. And there were cute little cat like animals and the squirrels were adorable too.
So now anytime I need to see cute animals, or I walk into a pet store and see an animal I want to adopt I will walk away and watch Planet Earth and I will get my cute animal fix... at least I hope.
Last night when I went to bed I popped in Planet Earth to watch. I knew there would be something cute to keep me happy. We were watching it and the most adorable ducklings were jumping out of a tree for the first time, and they flop around and then fall and then bounce. It was so cute... I was laughing, really really adorable. And there were cute little cat like animals and the squirrels were adorable too.
So now anytime I need to see cute animals, or I walk into a pet store and see an animal I want to adopt I will walk away and watch Planet Earth and I will get my cute animal fix... at least I hope.
Mistakes Were Made...
The last few weeks have been a rude awakening for me. When I came on as text manager here at my new store I was told to sit back and watch and learn. My general tendency when I come into a new store is to bulldoze the people and make changes that I see need to be made. I am pretty quick to realize where deficiencies are and I recognized a few in the system here at my new store.
However “baby steps” where the key words. I sat back and watched how the process worked and made changes as where I saw fit but still things were not done according to my standards. And then Rush arrived, and I found myself writing a whole lot of letters like the one below:
Professor -
I wanted to follow up on our conversation from earlier and extend my apologies for not having the books in by the start of classes. I know that apologies will not get the books here faster, but we are rushing them all here to hopefully minimize the impact on your schedule and your students ability to learn. They should arrive tomorrow and at the latest on Friday. I will contact you when they do arrive. The desk copy you need must be ordered through your department since Oxford does not allow the bookstore to order a desk copy.
Unfortunately, when the order came in it was not entered into the system. Human error is to blame and I take full responsibility. I am looking to make some changes to prevent things like this from happening next semester. While the changes in the future don't excuse the mistakes of the past I wanted you to know that we are working to improve the process.
Once again my apologies. If you have any additional questions or concerns, or simply suggestions on ways to improve the process please let me know.
Thank you,
Textbook Manager
After about two weeks of falling on the sword I started to fall apart and get very stressed. Generally 90 hour work weeks can do that to you but when you are working 90 hours covering for your subordinates and taking the fall it gets to be exhausting.
Yes, I know mistakes were made… but not by me! The problem there is… this is my department! The one thing that I can guarantee is that next semester none of these mistakes will be made and we will run a clean Rush.
If only we could flash forward to September!
However “baby steps” where the key words. I sat back and watched how the process worked and made changes as where I saw fit but still things were not done according to my standards. And then Rush arrived, and I found myself writing a whole lot of letters like the one below:
Professor -
I wanted to follow up on our conversation from earlier and extend my apologies for not having the books in by the start of classes. I know that apologies will not get the books here faster, but we are rushing them all here to hopefully minimize the impact on your schedule and your students ability to learn. They should arrive tomorrow and at the latest on Friday. I will contact you when they do arrive. The desk copy you need must be ordered through your department since Oxford does not allow the bookstore to order a desk copy.
Unfortunately, when the order came in it was not entered into the system. Human error is to blame and I take full responsibility. I am looking to make some changes to prevent things like this from happening next semester. While the changes in the future don't excuse the mistakes of the past I wanted you to know that we are working to improve the process.
Once again my apologies. If you have any additional questions or concerns, or simply suggestions on ways to improve the process please let me know.
Thank you,
Textbook Manager
After about two weeks of falling on the sword I started to fall apart and get very stressed. Generally 90 hour work weeks can do that to you but when you are working 90 hours covering for your subordinates and taking the fall it gets to be exhausting.
Yes, I know mistakes were made… but not by me! The problem there is… this is my department! The one thing that I can guarantee is that next semester none of these mistakes will be made and we will run a clean Rush.
If only we could flash forward to September!
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