Halloween
37 years ago today Penny and I had our first date.
I had a productive day today. I started by stopping off at the insurance office to get my homeowners insurance paid in monthly installments (it’s too big to pay all at once this year – curse you hurricanes). Then it was off to the tax collector to renew our vehicles’ registrations. When I walked in they were serving #67 and I had #80. Rather than wait I went over to my dentist’s office and made an appointment to have a bothersome tooth fixed. I think I cracked it biting down on a cherry pit. X-rays and visuals don’t show any problem with the tooth. I just can’t chew with it! When I got back to the tax collector’s they were on #78. I waited less than 5 minutes to get service. My next appointment was a haircut but I had 45 minutes – so I went to the Library and got a few audio books. When I showed up for my haircut all the hairdressers were dressed for Halloween – a lion, a scarecrow and the wizard – no tin man.
After the haircut I picked up lunch at Crystal and brought it home to Penny. Before heading out in the morning I had sorted the laundry and started the first load. After lunch I went back to laundry and paying some attention to our ailing cat Sunshine. By days end I got all the laundry done and, in my pirate’s get-up, fended off goblins and ghosts and superheroes by giving them candy.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Fading Sunshine
Our 16-year-old cat, Sunshine, is losing her battle with old age. We don’t expect her to last much longer. She is very skinny, although her long hair covers up that fact, and is having trouble controlling her hind legs. Sunshine was a regular purr machine. All it took was walking into the room for her to get her motor going. I haven’t heard her purr for the last 2 days.
Sunshine and Friskie both were cats we rescued from the pound. Sunshine’s mother and littermate were also there. Karen picked Sunshine, Christy picked Friskie, Friskie was a ball-of-fire never stand still little hunk of fur and claws. I tried to convince Christy to get Sunshine’s littermate because I saw nothing but trouble in Friskie. Of course, I was wrong but Friskie was never a sit in your lap purring kind of cat. Sunshine, on the other hand got into the habit of trying to crawl up your arm or leg to make you pick her up. She liked to lie on my chest (usually with her butt in my face). Many times over the past several months when I went to lie on the sofa and soak my shoulders with cold packs Sunshine was up on the sofa and crawling up on me even before I could get the cold packs positioned.
Now we are faced with that sad dilemma that sometimes comes with having a pet. Do we let her slowly fade away hoping she is not in pain or do we have her put to sleep. It’s a dilemma simply because I know I can’t do the latter. I brought our cat Topaz in to be euthanised many years ago and I was so choked up with emotion I couldn’t talk to the veterinarian. So unless Sunshine is in obvious bad pain I would not be able to do it.
I take the death of a pet hard. It’s the main reason I’ve resisted pets whenever I can. Yes I am better for the pet experience. And they bring so much joy and laughter and companionship to life. But as with Brie, our year-old cat, I don’t pick her up or play with her without the thought nagging me that one day I will likely be watching her suffer and die – or worse as with our dog Annie something happens that takes her in her prime. I’ve dug too many graves with tears in my eyes and I’m not totally sure that with me the good outweighs the bad pet experience.
I like to think that our pets join us in heaven. It isn’t unusual thinking. John Edwards, the guy that communicates with those who have crossed over, often mentions pets. Even the TV show “Ghost Whisperer” has animal ghosts. It is nice to think that I will once again see (making the assumption I get there) Candy, Bootsy, Whiskers, Waddles, Pidge, Coffee, Topaz, Big Red, Sheeba, Annie, Allie, Friskie and BYC without having to say good-bye.
Our 16-year-old cat, Sunshine, is losing her battle with old age. We don’t expect her to last much longer. She is very skinny, although her long hair covers up that fact, and is having trouble controlling her hind legs. Sunshine was a regular purr machine. All it took was walking into the room for her to get her motor going. I haven’t heard her purr for the last 2 days.
Sunshine and Friskie both were cats we rescued from the pound. Sunshine’s mother and littermate were also there. Karen picked Sunshine, Christy picked Friskie, Friskie was a ball-of-fire never stand still little hunk of fur and claws. I tried to convince Christy to get Sunshine’s littermate because I saw nothing but trouble in Friskie. Of course, I was wrong but Friskie was never a sit in your lap purring kind of cat. Sunshine, on the other hand got into the habit of trying to crawl up your arm or leg to make you pick her up. She liked to lie on my chest (usually with her butt in my face). Many times over the past several months when I went to lie on the sofa and soak my shoulders with cold packs Sunshine was up on the sofa and crawling up on me even before I could get the cold packs positioned.
Now we are faced with that sad dilemma that sometimes comes with having a pet. Do we let her slowly fade away hoping she is not in pain or do we have her put to sleep. It’s a dilemma simply because I know I can’t do the latter. I brought our cat Topaz in to be euthanised many years ago and I was so choked up with emotion I couldn’t talk to the veterinarian. So unless Sunshine is in obvious bad pain I would not be able to do it.
I take the death of a pet hard. It’s the main reason I’ve resisted pets whenever I can. Yes I am better for the pet experience. And they bring so much joy and laughter and companionship to life. But as with Brie, our year-old cat, I don’t pick her up or play with her without the thought nagging me that one day I will likely be watching her suffer and die – or worse as with our dog Annie something happens that takes her in her prime. I’ve dug too many graves with tears in my eyes and I’m not totally sure that with me the good outweighs the bad pet experience.
I like to think that our pets join us in heaven. It isn’t unusual thinking. John Edwards, the guy that communicates with those who have crossed over, often mentions pets. Even the TV show “Ghost Whisperer” has animal ghosts. It is nice to think that I will once again see (making the assumption I get there) Candy, Bootsy, Whiskers, Waddles, Pidge, Coffee, Topaz, Big Red, Sheeba, Annie, Allie, Friskie and BYC without having to say good-bye.
Friday, October 27, 2006
Ahoy
NovaCare, the people who do my Physical Therapy have all of their local clinics competing in a Halloween Decoration contest. Given that, they are encouraging all their patients to come dressed in a pirate theme on Monday. Now I’m a little uneasy with the idea but Penny and I did get an inexpensive pirate outfit for me today. Now all I need to do is wear it. If I do, of course, there will be a picture which I will add here later.A-A-A-R-R-G-H!
A Masked Bandit
I slept on the recliner last night to see if it would help my shoulder. It’s been waking me up throbbing at 3:30 AM. The Dr suggested that sleeping flat might be the cause. The recliner seems to have worked, but as with everything there was a complication to the night’s sleep.
The recliner is in the sunroom and my super MOD III cat feeder (still going strong) is just outside the glass door there. At about 10:30 I hear a racket out there and look up to see one of the cats dashing away from the feeder. I grabbed a flashlight and looked out to see a raccoon nonchalantly trying to figure out how to get at the stored food. Now a raccoon can do some serious damage so I opened the door and chased him away.
Since I was awake again I watched the end of the World Series game and then began to doze off when again - noise out side and Brie sitting there watching the raccoon at the feeder. I went over to the door and shined the light at the creature. He came right up to the glass, with me shining directly into his face, and sniffs the glass. Then he goes back to the feeder to try to break into it. Once again I chased him off.
Today it rained all day, but I made the area more difficult for the coon to negotiate. Tomorrow I need to protect the food supply so he cant get it.
When we got back from our vacation we found that there were 3 new kittens using the feeder. That’s bad news because we don’t need more cats, but kittens sure are cute to watch.
I slept on the recliner last night to see if it would help my shoulder. It’s been waking me up throbbing at 3:30 AM. The Dr suggested that sleeping flat might be the cause. The recliner seems to have worked, but as with everything there was a complication to the night’s sleep.
The recliner is in the sunroom and my super MOD III cat feeder (still going strong) is just outside the glass door there. At about 10:30 I hear a racket out there and look up to see one of the cats dashing away from the feeder. I grabbed a flashlight and looked out to see a raccoon nonchalantly trying to figure out how to get at the stored food. Now a raccoon can do some serious damage so I opened the door and chased him away.
Since I was awake again I watched the end of the World Series game and then began to doze off when again - noise out side and Brie sitting there watching the raccoon at the feeder. I went over to the door and shined the light at the creature. He came right up to the glass, with me shining directly into his face, and sniffs the glass. Then he goes back to the feeder to try to break into it. Once again I chased him off.
Today it rained all day, but I made the area more difficult for the coon to negotiate. Tomorrow I need to protect the food supply so he cant get it.
When we got back from our vacation we found that there were 3 new kittens using the feeder. That’s bad news because we don’t need more cats, but kittens sure are cute to watch.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Aunt Dot
While we were at Margaret’s we found out where my aunt Dot was staying after her knee replacement surgery. She had both knees done a week and a half ago.
When we arrived on her floor, coming down the hall was my cousin Linda. She did a double take and then ran over and gave me a big hug saying “Oh my God! Oh my God!” then she backed off looked at me and went through the whole routine again. She greeted me the same way when we were here for the memorial service in June. I’m not used to such a joyful greeting but I have to admit it felt good. At least here was someone that not only remembered me but also was excited to see me. Linda asked if we knew what was going on with the family. We didn’t. Her sister Georgette and Georgette’s son, Johnny, had been in a motorcycle accident. Fortunately they were wearing good protective clothing but Johnny still fractured his femur. Georgette’s helmet actually cracked and Johnny’s was deeply gouged. Linda’s brother in law Jim (Diane’s husband) also has medical issues resulting from complications from prostate removal surgery. And my Aunt Dot had gone through some bad reactions to the drug Vicodin. She hallucinated, was combative and here’s the real scary part – she saw the motorcycle accident before it happened.
After our talk with Linda we went in to see Dot. Linda came along to watch her reaction. When I walked in the room she looked at me and got all teary. Granted she was drugged up, but the Lenart side of the family sure makes me feel good. She was so happy to see me. I don’t know why but Dot thinks I am special. Many years ago, I think at Kerry’s wedding, she told me that. So going to see her was a good idea. She told us about seeing the picture of her cat moving and seeing ants crawling all over. She vividly remembers everything about her bad drug reaction and she heard voices too.
Linda set up a Sunday brunch for all the Lenarts. That filled in the only hole in my list of relatives to see while up here. This day was going better than planned.
It turned out that my Aunt Dot experienced chest pains that evening and was readmitted to the hospital. I got a call from Linda. She said Dot was OK but that no one wanted to leave her for the brunch the next day. So we called it off.
While we were at Margaret’s we found out where my aunt Dot was staying after her knee replacement surgery. She had both knees done a week and a half ago.
When we arrived on her floor, coming down the hall was my cousin Linda. She did a double take and then ran over and gave me a big hug saying “Oh my God! Oh my God!” then she backed off looked at me and went through the whole routine again. She greeted me the same way when we were here for the memorial service in June. I’m not used to such a joyful greeting but I have to admit it felt good. At least here was someone that not only remembered me but also was excited to see me. Linda asked if we knew what was going on with the family. We didn’t. Her sister Georgette and Georgette’s son, Johnny, had been in a motorcycle accident. Fortunately they were wearing good protective clothing but Johnny still fractured his femur. Georgette’s helmet actually cracked and Johnny’s was deeply gouged. Linda’s brother in law Jim (Diane’s husband) also has medical issues resulting from complications from prostate removal surgery. And my Aunt Dot had gone through some bad reactions to the drug Vicodin. She hallucinated, was combative and here’s the real scary part – she saw the motorcycle accident before it happened.
After our talk with Linda we went in to see Dot. Linda came along to watch her reaction. When I walked in the room she looked at me and got all teary. Granted she was drugged up, but the Lenart side of the family sure makes me feel good. She was so happy to see me. I don’t know why but Dot thinks I am special. Many years ago, I think at Kerry’s wedding, she told me that. So going to see her was a good idea. She told us about seeing the picture of her cat moving and seeing ants crawling all over. She vividly remembers everything about her bad drug reaction and she heard voices too.
Linda set up a Sunday brunch for all the Lenarts. That filled in the only hole in my list of relatives to see while up here. This day was going better than planned.
It turned out that my Aunt Dot experienced chest pains that evening and was readmitted to the hospital. I got a call from Linda. She said Dot was OK but that no one wanted to leave her for the brunch the next day. So we called it off.
Aunt Margaret - The Visit
The first relative we visited when we drove down to CT on Friday morning (Oct 6) was Aunt Margaret. She is 95 years old. Her mind is sharp but she is suffering from the same problem I had surgery to fix 2 ½ years ago (my butt surgery). She was not diagnosed early enough in life to have it fixed. Now it causes her a great deal of pain and it has started limiting her mobility. I feel sorry for her because I know the pain she is going through and it is frustrating that all she can do is endure it. She lives with her son (my cousin) John and his wife. John is 75 and has been retired 1 year. He has a good-sized house with a big yard in a nice section of Fairfield a cat, a dog and a bird.
One of the first things I learned from them was that they didn’t remember me. (So much for my ego!) Aunt Margaret said her memory isn’t good for that time, John just doesn’t remember me. He said when he heard my voice when we arrived he thought it was my brother Louie. Although I was not remembered, the welcome we received was tremendous. Penny and I had eaten lunch before we arrived but they kept trying to feed us and they succeeded to a point. I told them that my most vivid memory of my visits to Margaret’s house as a kid was walking through her garden and seeing this ceramic cow’s head that she had. To my surprise John said they still had it and, sure enough, out in his backyard there it was. A story went with it, too. Margaret found it at the dump in 1945, thought it was pretty and took it home and has had it ever since.
It took no time at all to feel comfortable with them. They broke out cold cuts and we all sat around their table and talked. We took pictures of everyone and even got Aunt Margaret to smile (sort of).
Walt Richardson
We had the pleasure of hearing Walt sing again today in church. Walt is showing his age. He walks unsteadily with a cane and has trouble on the stairs. He sang in the choir today but sat through all the songs. He took communion at the altar so he didn’t have to use the stairs.
Then just before the end of mass he stood at the podium, referred to today’s Gospel as a lead in to singing “Do Not Let Me Pass”. He pulled his rosary out of his breast pocket, he always holds the rosary when he sings and began his song. Each time I hear him sing I savor it now because it may be the last time I hear him. His deep cavernous voice is interspersed with his unique almost crying tone when he sings. The transformation when he sings is amazing to see. He stands up straight and gets so involved with the song that he literally bounced with feeling as he sang. He is a big man and his bouncing made an audible thump. I noticed one of the choir members smiling warmly at Walt when he did the bouncing. He looked strong and straight, not feeble at all. His voice was strong and wonderful. Once you’ve heard Walt sing a song his unique rendition stays with you for the rest of your life. When he sings “How Great Thou Art” you can actually feel Walt’s faith.
Walt lives his faith and it is always a joy to see him. It is almost heaven to hear him sing.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Home Sweet Home
We are home safe and sound after an almost perfect trip. We totaled over 4,000 miles of driving. Our itinerary: Home, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Savannah, Charleston, Wilmington (NC), Williamsburg, Wilmington (VT), Monroe (CT), back to Wilmington, Harrisburg (PA), Lenoir (NC), Jacksonville, Gainesville, HOME.
We had great weather the whole trip. We hit misty rain in upstate NY on the drive home and a little rain in Gainesville also on the way home. We had the delightful problem of having to adapt our picture taking to bright sunlight and blue skies. This is in sharp contrast (pun intended) to last year where it rained or was cloudy every day in Wilmington. The only sun we saw last year was in Northern VT on 1 day.
We saw a good portion of our relatives. The only people we missed were my cousins on the Lenart side of the family. They had medical emergencies to deal with. This is what lowered our trip rating to almost perfect. Everybody we hoped would show up at Donna’s did. We found out that even some of them, who live within 10 miles of one another hadn’t seen each other since the memorial service. So whether you live 10 or 1200 miles away you still get all wrapped up in your personal life and don’t make seeing relatives a priority. It’s human nature, a little sad but the way things are. I intend to follow this blog with more detail on our visits.
Savannah was beautiful. I found that I enjoyed Charleston even more. Colonial Williamsburg was interesting. Vermont was its usual outstanding self. The colors were not as vivid this year but we did have sun and blue skies. We did our usual “pick a road and drive down it and see what we discover” routine and VT did not disappoint us. The only disappointment there was that Ben & Jerry’s no longer distributes their ice cream 2nds. We had the added bonus of seeing Marty at the cabin. Penny made sure he ate well while we were there.
On the way up and back we stopped in at Christy’s work to help her recover office chairs. We also saw and rode in Christy’s new car – very nice. And we met Christian, Christy’s boyfriend (and like him). Christy watched our cats for us. We were worried about the Brie Factor (see earlier blog article) but we didn’t have to. Since our return Brie has been affectionate, less aloof and not so spastic. I did upset her however with a laundry basket. I came in the room and set it on the floor while I tried to pet her. She got very alert and kept watching the basket. I finally realized that the basket resembles the cat carrier we put her in to travel. She was worried about another trip.
On another cat note, my cat feeder MOD III worked! It successfully fed Marmalade and the kitten for the full time we were gone. It’s just another indication of how well this trip went. Interestingly enough, this morning the dispenser used up the supply of food I put in it. How perfect is that! As I write this Brie is pestering me for attention.
The house was still here when we got home. Apart from a few spider webs in the corner of the sink everything was as we left it. The sprinkler timer worked so what lawn we have didn’t die. The cat feeder worked. We had stopped our mail and newspaper but the paper still came. Our neighbor greeted us with an armload of newspapers. The mailman filled our mailbox completely today with our held mail.
So now it is time to do laundry, organize pictures and send them out, do thank you notes, sort mail, pay bills, and remember fondly a wonderful vacation. (Brie has just stepped on the keyboard adding the number”65” in front of thank you notes. I had to delay my typing because she then proceeded to wrap herself around my hand and the mouse. She came to rest with her cheek on the right click button, her chin on the roller ball and her hair fouling any possibility of using the mouse. She keeps clicking the right mouse button and bringing up that menu. I think she wants attention.)
We are home safe and sound after an almost perfect trip. We totaled over 4,000 miles of driving. Our itinerary: Home, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Savannah, Charleston, Wilmington (NC), Williamsburg, Wilmington (VT), Monroe (CT), back to Wilmington, Harrisburg (PA), Lenoir (NC), Jacksonville, Gainesville, HOME.
We had great weather the whole trip. We hit misty rain in upstate NY on the drive home and a little rain in Gainesville also on the way home. We had the delightful problem of having to adapt our picture taking to bright sunlight and blue skies. This is in sharp contrast (pun intended) to last year where it rained or was cloudy every day in Wilmington. The only sun we saw last year was in Northern VT on 1 day.
We saw a good portion of our relatives. The only people we missed were my cousins on the Lenart side of the family. They had medical emergencies to deal with. This is what lowered our trip rating to almost perfect. Everybody we hoped would show up at Donna’s did. We found out that even some of them, who live within 10 miles of one another hadn’t seen each other since the memorial service. So whether you live 10 or 1200 miles away you still get all wrapped up in your personal life and don’t make seeing relatives a priority. It’s human nature, a little sad but the way things are. I intend to follow this blog with more detail on our visits.
Savannah was beautiful. I found that I enjoyed Charleston even more. Colonial Williamsburg was interesting. Vermont was its usual outstanding self. The colors were not as vivid this year but we did have sun and blue skies. We did our usual “pick a road and drive down it and see what we discover” routine and VT did not disappoint us. The only disappointment there was that Ben & Jerry’s no longer distributes their ice cream 2nds. We had the added bonus of seeing Marty at the cabin. Penny made sure he ate well while we were there.
On the way up and back we stopped in at Christy’s work to help her recover office chairs. We also saw and rode in Christy’s new car – very nice. And we met Christian, Christy’s boyfriend (and like him). Christy watched our cats for us. We were worried about the Brie Factor (see earlier blog article) but we didn’t have to. Since our return Brie has been affectionate, less aloof and not so spastic. I did upset her however with a laundry basket. I came in the room and set it on the floor while I tried to pet her. She got very alert and kept watching the basket. I finally realized that the basket resembles the cat carrier we put her in to travel. She was worried about another trip.
On another cat note, my cat feeder MOD III worked! It successfully fed Marmalade and the kitten for the full time we were gone. It’s just another indication of how well this trip went. Interestingly enough, this morning the dispenser used up the supply of food I put in it. How perfect is that! As I write this Brie is pestering me for attention.
The house was still here when we got home. Apart from a few spider webs in the corner of the sink everything was as we left it. The sprinkler timer worked so what lawn we have didn’t die. The cat feeder worked. We had stopped our mail and newspaper but the paper still came. Our neighbor greeted us with an armload of newspapers. The mailman filled our mailbox completely today with our held mail.
So now it is time to do laundry, organize pictures and send them out, do thank you notes, sort mail, pay bills, and remember fondly a wonderful vacation. (Brie has just stepped on the keyboard adding the number”65” in front of thank you notes. I had to delay my typing because she then proceeded to wrap herself around my hand and the mouse. She came to rest with her cheek on the right click button, her chin on the roller ball and her hair fouling any possibility of using the mouse. She keeps clicking the right mouse button and bringing up that menu. I think she wants attention.)
Thursday, October 05, 2006
There will be sun
We woke up this morning to 41 degrees and clouds. Around 7AM the clouds began to break and now it is partly cloudy, breezy and cool. This is more sunshine already than we had last October in 2 weeks.
Debbie’s cabin was spotless when we arrived. The cleaners did a good job. We bought some basics at the grocery store (Shaws) before we got to the cabin. This included a small bag of apples. As of 8 AM I’ve only eaten 3 of them.
Now we wait and hope that delivery folks in Vermont arrive according to the schedule. I’m not holding my breath, but how many hot tubs can they be delivering on a Thursday in October to hold them up? Today is a relax and unwind day anyway and the view from the cabin is fine.
The only noticeable effect from the 12 hours on the road yesterday is a sore butt. My shoulders are doing fine. Penny’s jaw is sore but her head doesn’t hurt. So we are here safe and sound and now relatively well rested- more later.
We woke up this morning to 41 degrees and clouds. Around 7AM the clouds began to break and now it is partly cloudy, breezy and cool. This is more sunshine already than we had last October in 2 weeks.
Debbie’s cabin was spotless when we arrived. The cleaners did a good job. We bought some basics at the grocery store (Shaws) before we got to the cabin. This included a small bag of apples. As of 8 AM I’ve only eaten 3 of them.
Now we wait and hope that delivery folks in Vermont arrive according to the schedule. I’m not holding my breath, but how many hot tubs can they be delivering on a Thursday in October to hold them up? Today is a relax and unwind day anyway and the view from the cabin is fine.
The only noticeable effect from the 12 hours on the road yesterday is a sore butt. My shoulders are doing fine. Penny’s jaw is sore but her head doesn’t hurt. So we are here safe and sound and now relatively well rested- more later.
A day with no Pictures
We left Williamsburg around 6 AM and arrived at the cabin in Vermont around 6 PM. We have covered more than 1800 miles since we left home. Since today was all driving all the time we didn’t take any pictures today.
After driving through MD, DE, NJ and NY I am much happier about where I live. Gas prices went from $2.05 in VA to $2.62 in NY. And did I mention the tolls? We didn’t keep an accurate tally but we know we spent more than $22 just on tolls in the northeast. We stopped at a service area on the New Jersey Turnpike thinking we would get lunch. We couldn’t stomach the price of a junior bacon cheeseburger meal – at $8 we decided to munch on our trail mix until we got out of NJ. In NJ it is also illegal to pump your own gas. We finally got off the turnpike in NY, had trouble finding someplace to eat (no signs on the turnpike) and stumbled on a little mom and pop pizza take out place. I got a ham and cheese panini and Penny got their special hero – a great sub sandwich that could have fed both of us. That was probably the high point off our drive today.
We ran into traffic jams south of DC (1/2 hour) and in Albany when we got off the turnpike. It was a pleasure to finally get on rt9 in VT and see that the foliage is just beginning to peak. We hit no ran for the whole trip up here. As I write this it is pouring outside!
Tomorrow we will be at the cabin to take delivery of a hot tub for Marty and Deb. It’s supposed to come in the morning. After the delivery we will probably explore. The good news is that tomorrow is supposed to be cool and partly SUNNY!
We left Williamsburg around 6 AM and arrived at the cabin in Vermont around 6 PM. We have covered more than 1800 miles since we left home. Since today was all driving all the time we didn’t take any pictures today.
After driving through MD, DE, NJ and NY I am much happier about where I live. Gas prices went from $2.05 in VA to $2.62 in NY. And did I mention the tolls? We didn’t keep an accurate tally but we know we spent more than $22 just on tolls in the northeast. We stopped at a service area on the New Jersey Turnpike thinking we would get lunch. We couldn’t stomach the price of a junior bacon cheeseburger meal – at $8 we decided to munch on our trail mix until we got out of NJ. In NJ it is also illegal to pump your own gas. We finally got off the turnpike in NY, had trouble finding someplace to eat (no signs on the turnpike) and stumbled on a little mom and pop pizza take out place. I got a ham and cheese panini and Penny got their special hero – a great sub sandwich that could have fed both of us. That was probably the high point off our drive today.
We ran into traffic jams south of DC (1/2 hour) and in Albany when we got off the turnpike. It was a pleasure to finally get on rt9 in VT and see that the foliage is just beginning to peak. We hit no ran for the whole trip up here. As I write this it is pouring outside!
Tomorrow we will be at the cabin to take delivery of a hot tub for Marty and Deb. It’s supposed to come in the morning. After the delivery we will probably explore. The good news is that tomorrow is supposed to be cool and partly SUNNY!
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Williamsburg
We spent most of the day at Colonial Williamsburg today. Apart from it being expensive and the fact that the signage for tourists is poor it was a very nice day. The admission price does not get you into the 3 main buildings on the grounds. To see them you must pay more – the Governors palace for $9, Basset hall and the Dewitt Wallace Museum $6. We just skipped those.
We had another gorgeous day – no clouds and close to 80 degrees, but with a nice breeze. We began the day with their orientation tour. A period-costumed young lady explained what Colonial Williamsburg was and how it came to be. The financier was John D. Rockefeller. “ Colonial Williamsburg’s Revolutionary City immerses guests in the 18th century. Located in an area surrounding the Capitol building, the Revolutionary City creates a slice of life experience illustrating the daily life in the community of the colonial capitol at the most dynamic period in its history”.
After the orientation we walked up and down Duke of Gloucester Street stopping at all the shops and artisans houses. We chatted with the shoemaker, visited the church, jail, post office, grocer, milliner, silversmith, apothecary, Capitol, cabinetmaker, and blacksmith. We toured a tavern and found that sleeping accommodations were not like in the movies. 3 smelly guys to a bed, others sleeping on the floor and empty the chamber pot out the window when it is full. Yuk! At lunchtime we ate at the King’s Arms Tavern. Penny had Chicken Pottage Pye (pot pie) and I had the Made Beef Dish (beef pot roast cooked with wine served on mashed potatoes with pearl onions, carrots and mushrooms. Of course, in between shops and artisans we walked around and took more pictures.
We had an interesting encounter when we walked back behind a house to look at the garden. Penny was concerned that I was walking into someone’s private garden and she voiced that fear. That’s when a landscaper (not an 18th century character) poked his head up from behind a picket fence and said, “Don’t worry, all the gardens are open to our guests.” This guy looked and sounded like Tim the tool man’s neighbor Wilson. He went on to explain about the garden and the crepe myrtle tree that was there and how the colonials might have gotten some of the plants and grown them. Both Penny and I came away feeling as if we just had a conversation with Wilson.
Penny has been sinking a little earlier each day and around 3 o’clock today we had to call it quits. We had done a good job of seeing Williamsburg and our vacation policy is not to push ourselves (except for the 10-hour drive tomorrow). That’s also why we didn’t go to either of the gardens I tentatively planned into this trip. We found that it was plenty to just do 1 city a day.
So now we relax for the rest of today and tomorrow it is off early to Wilmington.
We spent most of the day at Colonial Williamsburg today. Apart from it being expensive and the fact that the signage for tourists is poor it was a very nice day. The admission price does not get you into the 3 main buildings on the grounds. To see them you must pay more – the Governors palace for $9, Basset hall and the Dewitt Wallace Museum $6. We just skipped those.
We had another gorgeous day – no clouds and close to 80 degrees, but with a nice breeze. We began the day with their orientation tour. A period-costumed young lady explained what Colonial Williamsburg was and how it came to be. The financier was John D. Rockefeller. “ Colonial Williamsburg’s Revolutionary City immerses guests in the 18th century. Located in an area surrounding the Capitol building, the Revolutionary City creates a slice of life experience illustrating the daily life in the community of the colonial capitol at the most dynamic period in its history”.
After the orientation we walked up and down Duke of Gloucester Street stopping at all the shops and artisans houses. We chatted with the shoemaker, visited the church, jail, post office, grocer, milliner, silversmith, apothecary, Capitol, cabinetmaker, and blacksmith. We toured a tavern and found that sleeping accommodations were not like in the movies. 3 smelly guys to a bed, others sleeping on the floor and empty the chamber pot out the window when it is full. Yuk! At lunchtime we ate at the King’s Arms Tavern. Penny had Chicken Pottage Pye (pot pie) and I had the Made Beef Dish (beef pot roast cooked with wine served on mashed potatoes with pearl onions, carrots and mushrooms. Of course, in between shops and artisans we walked around and took more pictures.
We had an interesting encounter when we walked back behind a house to look at the garden. Penny was concerned that I was walking into someone’s private garden and she voiced that fear. That’s when a landscaper (not an 18th century character) poked his head up from behind a picket fence and said, “Don’t worry, all the gardens are open to our guests.” This guy looked and sounded like Tim the tool man’s neighbor Wilson. He went on to explain about the garden and the crepe myrtle tree that was there and how the colonials might have gotten some of the plants and grown them. Both Penny and I came away feeling as if we just had a conversation with Wilson.
Penny has been sinking a little earlier each day and around 3 o’clock today we had to call it quits. We had done a good job of seeing Williamsburg and our vacation policy is not to push ourselves (except for the 10-hour drive tomorrow). That’s also why we didn’t go to either of the gardens I tentatively planned into this trip. We found that it was plenty to just do 1 city a day.
So now we relax for the rest of today and tomorrow it is off early to Wilmington.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Hampton Outs
Today started with the 5+ hour drive to Williamsburg and finished with sightseeing and pizza. We were given another beautiful day and the drive was interesting- especially in North Carolina. Periodically in the median there are hundreds of feet of flowers. Sometimes all one color, red, blue, yellow and other times combinations. One stretch went for about 500 feet and consisted of red and white stripes of flowers. Then there were the billboards. “ Get US out of the UN”. “Jesus is the answer”. “Truck Pull”. We stopped at our old standard- Cracker Barrel- for lunch and Diane, our waitress told us her special today was baked chicken with cornbread dressing and one side. We both got it with fried apples and biscuits (which is our dessert).
I forgot to mention yesterday that the Hampton Inn we stayed at in Wilmington will be changing to a Red Roof Inn soon. It was really not up to Hampton standards, but I did get a great rate. So today, when we arrive at the Williamsburg hotel, there is no signpost saying Hampton Inn and the building itself had all the Hampton signs removed. You could still see the outline of the signs. When we checked in we found that as of last Friday this hotel was no longer part of the Hampton chain. They didn’t comply with something Hampton required so they had there plug pulled. The good news is that everything but the name is the same. It is interesting to me that the Hamptons I got good rates at are no longer part of the chain.
We got to Williamsburg early enough to do some sight seeing. We went down to the Historic Section (that’s the way it is spelled on the map) and walked around. This turned out to be Colonial Williamsburg Lite. The way Williamsburg works is it is free to walk around. If you want to go in any buildings and see the colonial artisans doing their thing you have to buy a $34 ticket. That’s the plan for tomorrow. Williamsburg is wonderfully preserved and steeped in history. We’ve got all day to see it tomorrow – no driving.
We finished up at UNO’s Pizza. Just our luck, it was full of kids, teachers and family all supporting their school by going to UNOs with a discount coupon. Service was good once we were seated. We had a deep-dish cheeseburger pizza. Then back to the hotel. Our room has a Jacuzzi bath tub – That should be good for my shoulders. I’m going to go try it out.
Today started with the 5+ hour drive to Williamsburg and finished with sightseeing and pizza. We were given another beautiful day and the drive was interesting- especially in North Carolina. Periodically in the median there are hundreds of feet of flowers. Sometimes all one color, red, blue, yellow and other times combinations. One stretch went for about 500 feet and consisted of red and white stripes of flowers. Then there were the billboards. “ Get US out of the UN”. “Jesus is the answer”. “Truck Pull”. We stopped at our old standard- Cracker Barrel- for lunch and Diane, our waitress told us her special today was baked chicken with cornbread dressing and one side. We both got it with fried apples and biscuits (which is our dessert).
I forgot to mention yesterday that the Hampton Inn we stayed at in Wilmington will be changing to a Red Roof Inn soon. It was really not up to Hampton standards, but I did get a great rate. So today, when we arrive at the Williamsburg hotel, there is no signpost saying Hampton Inn and the building itself had all the Hampton signs removed. You could still see the outline of the signs. When we checked in we found that as of last Friday this hotel was no longer part of the Hampton chain. They didn’t comply with something Hampton required so they had there plug pulled. The good news is that everything but the name is the same. It is interesting to me that the Hamptons I got good rates at are no longer part of the chain.
We got to Williamsburg early enough to do some sight seeing. We went down to the Historic Section (that’s the way it is spelled on the map) and walked around. This turned out to be Colonial Williamsburg Lite. The way Williamsburg works is it is free to walk around. If you want to go in any buildings and see the colonial artisans doing their thing you have to buy a $34 ticket. That’s the plan for tomorrow. Williamsburg is wonderfully preserved and steeped in history. We’ve got all day to see it tomorrow – no driving.
We finished up at UNO’s Pizza. Just our luck, it was full of kids, teachers and family all supporting their school by going to UNOs with a discount coupon. Service was good once we were seated. We had a deep-dish cheeseburger pizza. Then back to the hotel. Our room has a Jacuzzi bath tub – That should be good for my shoulders. I’m going to go try it out.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Doin’ the Charleston
Charleston was even more incredible than Savannah!
Our day started with breakfast at the Hampton Inn. Then it was off to church. The small church we went to had a nice pipe organ. It was sort of funny because the priest looked and sounded like a Disney character. He wasn’t short but he looked like one of the 7 dwarfs – and he had this bandage thing on his nose.
After church we headed to Charleston. We got to the visitor center at 9:30, just in time to hop on a 90-minute tour bus. We did Charleston in the same manner we did Savannah. After the tour, which was enjoyable, we walked south on Meeting Street in search of lunch. We ate at a chain barbeque place called Sticky Fingers. I had a lunch plate of ribs with their #1 selling sweet Carolina barbeque sauce. Of course it came with baked beans and slaw. Penny got a smoked chicken with barbeque sauce, rice and green beans. The portions were just right and gave us the energy to do our walking tour.
We walked through the open market – sort of like the French Market in New Orleans but smaller. Then we headed to the Battery waterfront area. The closer to the water you get the grander the architecture until those buildings right on the water are incredibly beautiful. We passed “Rainbow Row”, a section with 11 houses each painted a different color. There are also huge churches everywhere. Every neighborhood we walked through was well preserved and maintained. We had a beautiful weather-day once again.
After Charleston we drove about 4 hours to Wilmington NC. This leaves us a 5-6 hour drive tomorrow to get to Williamsburg. So tomorrow is an easy day.
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