I will be starting my travels on Saturday, May 3. They will include the last half of my ATW VIII ticket (which I bought last year in Bangkok) and the first half of my ATW IX ticket (which I will buy this year in either Chiang Mai or Bangkok). Here is the itinerary:
ATW VIII (Part II)
May 3
UA 263 San Antonio (SAT) to San Francisco (SFO)
Dep. 7:22 Arr. 9:14 Dur. 3:52 Dist. 1481 mi
UA 831 San Francisco (SFO) to Nagoya (NGO) (Arrival on May 4)
Dep. 10:52 Arr. 14:30 (5/4) Dur. 11:38 Dist. 5296 mi
May 9
NH 303 Nagoya (NGO) to Okinawa-Naha (OKA)
Dep. 10:35 Arr. 13:15 Dur. 2:30 Dist. 833 mi
May 13
NH 472 Okinawa-Naha (OKA) to Nagasaki (NGS)
Dep. 16:45 Arr. 18:10 Dur. 1:25 Dist. 484 mi
Overland between Nagasaki (NGS) and Fukuoka (FUK)
May 21
OZ 131 Fukuoka (FUK) to Seoul Inchon (ICN)
Dep. 12:00 Arr. 13:20 Dur. 1:20 Dist. 350 mi
OZ 7093 Seoul Inchon (ICN) to Cebu (CEB) (Res. at Pacific Pensionne)
Dep. 20:20 Arr. 23:50 Dur. 4:30 Dist. 1884 mi
Jun. 9 (Night of June 8)
OZ 7103 Cebu (CEB) to Seoul Inchon (ICN)
Dep. 1:00 Arr. 6:25 Dur. 4:25 Dist. 1884 mi
OZ 331 Seoul Inchon (ICN) to Beijing (PEK)
Dep. 8:40 Arr. 9:45 Dur. 2:05 Dist. 560 mi
Overland between Beijing (PEK) and Kunming (KMG) Dist. 2580 mi
July 20
TG 617 Kunming (KMG) to Chaing Mai (CNX)
Dep. 18:15 Arr. 18:50 Dur. 1:35 Dist. 494 mi
July 31
TG 103 Chaing Mai (CNX) to Bangkok (BKK)
Dep. 9:45 Arr. 10:55 Dur. 1:10 Dist. 353 mi
ATW IX (Part I)
Aug. 7
TG 315 Bangkok (BKK) to Delhi (DEL)
Dep. 18:00 Arr. 21:00 Dur. 4:30 Dist. 1816 mi
Overland from Delhi (DEL) to Mumbai (BOM) Dist. 707 mi
Aug. 27
TK 1075 Mumbai (BOM) to Istanbul (IST)
Dep. 4:40 Arr. 9:05 Dur. 7:20 Dist. 2990 mi
Sept. 1
TK 1382 Istanbul (IST) to Tbilisi (TBS)
Dep. 13:10 Arr. 16:25 Dur. 2:15 Dist. 827 mi
Sept. 18
LH 3215 Tbilisi (TBS) to Munich (MUC)
Dep. 4:10 Arr. 6:00 Dur. 4:50 Dist. 1671 mi
LH 3082 Munich (MUC) to Copenhagen (CPH)
Dep. 10:45 Arr. 12:25 Dur. 1:40 Dist. 503 mi
Sept. 22
SK 2743 Copenhagen (CPH) to Palanga (PLQ) (FF Miles rather than ATW)
Dep. 12:30 Arr. 14:40
Sept. 30
SK 2747 Palanga (PLQ) to Copenhagen (CPH) (FF Miles rather than ATW)
Dep. 15:10 Arr. 15:25
Go straight to Zurich or stop in CPH for 1-2 more days?*
Oct. 3
LX 1267 Copenhagen (CPH) to Zurich (ZRH)
Dep. 9:40 Arr. 11:30 Dur. 1:50 Dist. 591 mi
OR LX 1271 Dep. 14:45 Arr. 16:30 Dur. 1:45
Oct. 6
LX 8 Zurich (ZRH) to Chicago (ORD)
Dep. 12:55 Arr. 15:35 Dur. 9:40 Dist. 4435 mi
UA 5867 Chicago (ORD) to San Antonio (SAT)
Dep. 19:55 Arr. 22:53 Dur. 2:58 Dist. 1043 mi
If you are following my travels and want to refer to this regularly, I suggest that you print a copy of it so you won't have to search through the archives to find it each time.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
Visas Can Be Such a Worry!
I had a worrisome time and a big scare this week. I sent my passport via Priority Mail on Wednesday, Apr. 2, to Washington, DC, to get a China visa. I paid for tracking info and hoped it would be there on Friday. When it wasn't, I spent the weekend worrying a bit, but I realized that Monday would probably be the day of arrival. There was no notice of arrival posted Monday night, so Tuesday I was in a panic. I e-mailed the China Visa Bureau to ask if they had received it thinking that the post office might have failed to do the tracking, but I knew that was unlikely. I called the post office and explained the situation, and they said it would likely arrive there Tuesday; they did say they would check it out and call back within 24 hours. They returned the call late Tuesday saying that the only record they had was that it was sent on Apr. 2 and that possibly it was being delivered that day and the tracking would be posted in the evening. I checked when I went to bed, and there was no posting yet. I awoke in the middle of the night and checked. There still was no posting. I had not heard back from the China Visa Bureau either. I started panicking. I checked on the timeline for getting a new passport. With an extra expediting fee, I could get it in 3 weeks. Well, I had only 3 weeks 3 days before departure. I filled out the forms to cancel my old passport which I now assumed was lost and to apply for a new passport. I checked and found that China has a consulate in Cebu where I could apply for a visa. I worried, however, that I would have to pay for the visa twice, because I was sure the bureau in Washington would process the application if the passport finally arrived. And that would be a wasted $200. I also knew I would have to cancel my trip to India this year because it would just take too long and be too expensive to try to replace my India visa anywhere along the way.
Before heading out to the post office around noon to apply for a new passport, I thought I would make one last try to contact the visa service in Washington to see if my passport arrived today. I still had not heard anything back yet in response to the e-mail I sent them. Well, the guy on the phone told me they got my passport last Friday!!! The post office just forgot to do the tracking info I paid for them to provide. I've been worrying since Friday night, and especially since Monday night for nothing. Anyway, what a relief. I even thought about just canceling my travels instead of worrying about the new passport arriving on time. I HATE having to let my passport out of my hands, and it is required for visas. This time, it really created a lot of trouble and worrying.
Before heading out to the post office around noon to apply for a new passport, I thought I would make one last try to contact the visa service in Washington to see if my passport arrived today. I still had not heard anything back yet in response to the e-mail I sent them. Well, the guy on the phone told me they got my passport last Friday!!! The post office just forgot to do the tracking info I paid for them to provide. I've been worrying since Friday night, and especially since Monday night for nothing. Anyway, what a relief. I even thought about just canceling my travels instead of worrying about the new passport arriving on time. I HATE having to let my passport out of my hands, and it is required for visas. This time, it really created a lot of trouble and worrying.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Christmas in Texas, 2007
Christmas in Texas, 2007
I celebrated Christmas in Texas again this year--only the second time in over 20 years. But this time was a bit different from last year. I made the effort to make it a real Christmas. I took out all my decorations for the first time in years. I was surprised to find ones I had forgotten, including several that Arne had given me over the years. I also put up a tree for the first time in years. I lost a few of my decorations when Arne's half-brothers inherited everything when he died. Fortunately, however, I had kept my most important ones here in Texas and did not lose them. Related to the tree, I had to make an important decision. I've always had a live tree in the past. I love the smell of them and the tradition. But when I went to look for trees, it wasn't easy to find one I liked. There are fewer live trees available these days. And the one I liked the most had such a huge trunk on it that I would have never been able to find a tree stand that would let me set it in water and keep it fresh through the season. Therefore, I gave in and bought an artificial tree. Fortunately, I found a very good one, and everyone has to approach it and feel of it to see if it is artificial or real. I like that aspect.
Christmas has had three main parts for me. First, there was a BIG baking day when i made Danish butter cookies the way I have in Copenhagen for years. I made two kinds that day--klejner, the butter cookie with cardamon which is twisted and deep-fried and reminds people a bit of a doughnut, and Finskbrød, the butter cookie that is just butter, sugar, and flour with a topping of chopped nuts and pearl sugar. Actually, however, I renamed the one I made this year as Texanskbrød, since I used chopped pecans (the Texas state nut) instead of the traditional chopped almonds that are used on Finskbrød. A few days later, I tried to make kokoskranse, a wreath-shaped butter cookie with coconut added. Unfortunately, it flopped in terms of what it should have been, but I ended up with some very tasty flat cookies that are much like coconut macaroons which are another favorite of mine.
Dec. 24 is the day I have traditionally celebrated Christmas for years, since that is when the Danes celebrate it. This year, I decided to make a Christmas dinner. It was my first time ever to do such a thing. All my Christmas dinners in the past have been made either by my mother or by Arne's sister and members of her family. I choose a menu based on Texas tradition and kept it simple--baked turkey, cornmeal dressing, gravy, cranberry sauce, and mashed potatoes. It was quite delicious if I do say so myself. I had it with wine. For dessert, I had the Danish butter cookies with a glass of eggnog. UMMMM!
Arne and I had a tradition of having a big breakfast and opening our presents to each other on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, and I am trying to carry that tradition forward. In the late hours of the morning, I made two small open-faced sandwiches with smoked salmon topped with dill and ground pepper. Then I ate from a platter of four kinds of cold cuts (Canadian baken, thinly sliced dried ham, salami, and another salami-like cold cut from Italy), two kinds of cheeses, crusty bread, butter, sliced onions, sliced tomatoes, butter, cranberry sauce, etc. I had snaps (Brøndums)and a beer.
After the breakfast, I opened my gifts for the year. I got a movie gift card from my friend Merryl which allows me to my local theater which shows foreign and independent films and a variety of gifts from my sister Sue--a jar of Harry and David Pepper and Onion Relish, a box of Belgian Chocolate Cups, and two red pillows to go on my new gray sofa which is expected to arrive in the next 3-4 weeks.
Following that, I finished my Christmas celebrations by having coffee with desserts--Danish cookies, chocolate truffles, and a slice of cinnamon coffee cake. Tripple UMMM!
I have uploaded photos from Christmas 2007 onto a new flickr.com account. You may go there to see my decorations, my baking, my Christmas meals, etc. The address is: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rdrum
Merry Christmas to everyone and I hope we all have a great 2008!
I celebrated Christmas in Texas again this year--only the second time in over 20 years. But this time was a bit different from last year. I made the effort to make it a real Christmas. I took out all my decorations for the first time in years. I was surprised to find ones I had forgotten, including several that Arne had given me over the years. I also put up a tree for the first time in years. I lost a few of my decorations when Arne's half-brothers inherited everything when he died. Fortunately, however, I had kept my most important ones here in Texas and did not lose them. Related to the tree, I had to make an important decision. I've always had a live tree in the past. I love the smell of them and the tradition. But when I went to look for trees, it wasn't easy to find one I liked. There are fewer live trees available these days. And the one I liked the most had such a huge trunk on it that I would have never been able to find a tree stand that would let me set it in water and keep it fresh through the season. Therefore, I gave in and bought an artificial tree. Fortunately, I found a very good one, and everyone has to approach it and feel of it to see if it is artificial or real. I like that aspect.
Christmas has had three main parts for me. First, there was a BIG baking day when i made Danish butter cookies the way I have in Copenhagen for years. I made two kinds that day--klejner, the butter cookie with cardamon which is twisted and deep-fried and reminds people a bit of a doughnut, and Finskbrød, the butter cookie that is just butter, sugar, and flour with a topping of chopped nuts and pearl sugar. Actually, however, I renamed the one I made this year as Texanskbrød, since I used chopped pecans (the Texas state nut) instead of the traditional chopped almonds that are used on Finskbrød. A few days later, I tried to make kokoskranse, a wreath-shaped butter cookie with coconut added. Unfortunately, it flopped in terms of what it should have been, but I ended up with some very tasty flat cookies that are much like coconut macaroons which are another favorite of mine.
Dec. 24 is the day I have traditionally celebrated Christmas for years, since that is when the Danes celebrate it. This year, I decided to make a Christmas dinner. It was my first time ever to do such a thing. All my Christmas dinners in the past have been made either by my mother or by Arne's sister and members of her family. I choose a menu based on Texas tradition and kept it simple--baked turkey, cornmeal dressing, gravy, cranberry sauce, and mashed potatoes. It was quite delicious if I do say so myself. I had it with wine. For dessert, I had the Danish butter cookies with a glass of eggnog. UMMMM!
Arne and I had a tradition of having a big breakfast and opening our presents to each other on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, and I am trying to carry that tradition forward. In the late hours of the morning, I made two small open-faced sandwiches with smoked salmon topped with dill and ground pepper. Then I ate from a platter of four kinds of cold cuts (Canadian baken, thinly sliced dried ham, salami, and another salami-like cold cut from Italy), two kinds of cheeses, crusty bread, butter, sliced onions, sliced tomatoes, butter, cranberry sauce, etc. I had snaps (Brøndums)and a beer.
After the breakfast, I opened my gifts for the year. I got a movie gift card from my friend Merryl which allows me to my local theater which shows foreign and independent films and a variety of gifts from my sister Sue--a jar of Harry and David Pepper and Onion Relish, a box of Belgian Chocolate Cups, and two red pillows to go on my new gray sofa which is expected to arrive in the next 3-4 weeks.
Following that, I finished my Christmas celebrations by having coffee with desserts--Danish cookies, chocolate truffles, and a slice of cinnamon coffee cake. Tripple UMMM!
I have uploaded photos from Christmas 2007 onto a new flickr.com account. You may go there to see my decorations, my baking, my Christmas meals, etc. The address is: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rdrum
Merry Christmas to everyone and I hope we all have a great 2008!
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Catching Up after Traveling for 5 Months
Oct. 1-Present, 2007--San Antonio
It's now been 9 days that I have been back in San Antonio. They have been filled with chores related to dealing with problems and catching up on things:
1. I took the car to have the air conditioning repaired. It had started giving me problems just a few days before I departed on my trip.
2. I took the car to have the sunroof adjusted and its drain holes cleaned out. It had gotten out of alignment and was leaving a small gap where water was coming in. That water wasn't draining as it should and was runing down into the floorboard where the carpeting was soaking it up.
3. I tried to install new software/hardware on my computer, and it apparently changed some settings so that the machine would never completely load all its software. Zone Alarm in particular would not load, yet it kept recyling through the process of trying to load. That slowed the computer down to the point where I couldn't do anything. I uninstalled the software/hardware, but that did not change the settings back. I tried deleting Zone Alarm, but it couldn't be deleted because it was an active program (spending every moment the computer was on trying to open itself over and over again). I tried to reset the system settings to a date prior to the date when I installed the software/hardware, but the computer is just too slow to complete such a major task. I returned the software/hardware to the store and will probably have to get a repairman to work on the computer.
4. I went through 5 months of mail. I matched credit card receipts to credit card statements. I balanced my checkbook and put all the entries into it related to the automatic payments I have set up for all of my monthly accounts. I read back issues of magazines and newsletters from organizations.
5. I thoroughly cleaned my two toilets. The water in the bowls had completely dried up while I was gone, so that meant that I could use the cleaner full-strength to get rid of the calcium build-up (which is significant in San Antonio since our water comes from underground limestone caves). They are now both so smooth and shiny inside!
6. I went shopping for basic supplies (and for a few non-necessities such as cookies, cakes, etc.) for eating and to replace items I needed that were lost with my stolen suitcase.
7. I went to my insurance company and filed a claim for the stolen suitcase and the items inside it (a surprisingly high amount of $1800+) for a 21-inch mostly full suitcase. Fortunately, I had removed some things (including the gift items I had bought in Taiwan and India)and left them in Copenhagen, or the claim would have been even higher. When I get paid by them, I have to take the check and start buying everything (suitcase, sandals, travel pants, shorts, shirts, underwear, socks, windbreaker/raincoat, binoculars, flashlight, travel alarm clock, universal stopper [Don't laugh, Torben], battery charger for camera, battery for camera, memory cards for camera, usb camera card reader, international plug/electricity converter kit, chain and lock to lock suitcase in overnight trains and in hotels, suitcase locks, etc., etc., etc. The list was about 4 pages long when I wrote it up with links to indicate the replacement cost of them.
8. I bought a new laptop computer to have one that works for now. I will still get my desktop repaired and then will try to use it as a server so I can move the laptop around within the apartment and even as far away as the pool area.
9. I dusted and cleaned the floors inside the apartment.
10. I repaired my dishwasher when it wouldn't operate after being still for so long.
11. I went to the nearby bus station to get my senior citizen's pass, since I turned 62 while I was gone traveling. It will allow me to take local buses for 25 cents per trip with 1 free transfer for changing buses between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., for 50 cents at other times M-F, and for free on Saturdays and Sundays. I plan to start going downtown regularly by bus to attend concerts, eat lunch, etc.
But, it hasn't all been work. I spent 12 hours downtown on Friday. I ate lunch at MK Davis Restaurant, went to an organ concert at lunchtime at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, stopped at the library for a while, went by the insurance company, walked along the river, went for happy hour at Mexican Manhattan ($1 off drinks and free taco and tamale buffet with a seat on the edge of the patio overlooking the river), went to First Friday (a street fair along a street with lots of galleries who schedule their new shows to begin on the first Friday of each month) in Southtown, and saw "Mama Mia" at the Majestic Theater. The weather was great, I got lots of walking for exercise, and all of my activities were fun!
Last night (Tuesday), Merryl and I had free tickets to be a part of a focus group to preview a new movie at the Silverado Theater that is opening in two weeks--Dan in Real Life. (Note: The link will only work until Touchstone has a new movie coming out, then it will be necessary to go to another page to find the trailer for it.) It's a funny film that is much funnier than most romantic comedies have been in the past few years.
Life is slowly getting back to normal now. I am beginning to feel mostly caught up on critical things. It will be a while still before I get my complete backlog, but my list of things that need to be done is always growing and, therefore, keeping me behind constantly even when I have been here at home for months.
Final Spending Update for 2007 Travels: I traveled 140 days this year and spent $4611.05 for an average of $32.93 per day. That includes my dental expenses in Thailand and the purchase of 6 air tickets (two in India and four in Indonesia) via low-cost airlines. That does NOT include my around-the-world air ticket which cost about $3600. Add that into the picture, and I spent approximately $8200 with a daily average of $59. Even at that, as I have always said, I SAVE money when I travel. That's a monthly expense of only about $1800!
Oct. 1-Present, 2007--San Antonio
It's now been 9 days that I have been back in San Antonio. They have been filled with chores related to dealing with problems and catching up on things:
1. I took the car to have the air conditioning repaired. It had started giving me problems just a few days before I departed on my trip.
2. I took the car to have the sunroof adjusted and its drain holes cleaned out. It had gotten out of alignment and was leaving a small gap where water was coming in. That water wasn't draining as it should and was runing down into the floorboard where the carpeting was soaking it up.
3. I tried to install new software/hardware on my computer, and it apparently changed some settings so that the machine would never completely load all its software. Zone Alarm in particular would not load, yet it kept recyling through the process of trying to load. That slowed the computer down to the point where I couldn't do anything. I uninstalled the software/hardware, but that did not change the settings back. I tried deleting Zone Alarm, but it couldn't be deleted because it was an active program (spending every moment the computer was on trying to open itself over and over again). I tried to reset the system settings to a date prior to the date when I installed the software/hardware, but the computer is just too slow to complete such a major task. I returned the software/hardware to the store and will probably have to get a repairman to work on the computer.
4. I went through 5 months of mail. I matched credit card receipts to credit card statements. I balanced my checkbook and put all the entries into it related to the automatic payments I have set up for all of my monthly accounts. I read back issues of magazines and newsletters from organizations.
5. I thoroughly cleaned my two toilets. The water in the bowls had completely dried up while I was gone, so that meant that I could use the cleaner full-strength to get rid of the calcium build-up (which is significant in San Antonio since our water comes from underground limestone caves). They are now both so smooth and shiny inside!
6. I went shopping for basic supplies (and for a few non-necessities such as cookies, cakes, etc.) for eating and to replace items I needed that were lost with my stolen suitcase.
7. I went to my insurance company and filed a claim for the stolen suitcase and the items inside it (a surprisingly high amount of $1800+) for a 21-inch mostly full suitcase. Fortunately, I had removed some things (including the gift items I had bought in Taiwan and India)and left them in Copenhagen, or the claim would have been even higher. When I get paid by them, I have to take the check and start buying everything (suitcase, sandals, travel pants, shorts, shirts, underwear, socks, windbreaker/raincoat, binoculars, flashlight, travel alarm clock, universal stopper [Don't laugh, Torben], battery charger for camera, battery for camera, memory cards for camera, usb camera card reader, international plug/electricity converter kit, chain and lock to lock suitcase in overnight trains and in hotels, suitcase locks, etc., etc., etc. The list was about 4 pages long when I wrote it up with links to indicate the replacement cost of them.
8. I bought a new laptop computer to have one that works for now. I will still get my desktop repaired and then will try to use it as a server so I can move the laptop around within the apartment and even as far away as the pool area.
9. I dusted and cleaned the floors inside the apartment.
10. I repaired my dishwasher when it wouldn't operate after being still for so long.
11. I went to the nearby bus station to get my senior citizen's pass, since I turned 62 while I was gone traveling. It will allow me to take local buses for 25 cents per trip with 1 free transfer for changing buses between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., for 50 cents at other times M-F, and for free on Saturdays and Sundays. I plan to start going downtown regularly by bus to attend concerts, eat lunch, etc.
But, it hasn't all been work. I spent 12 hours downtown on Friday. I ate lunch at MK Davis Restaurant, went to an organ concert at lunchtime at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, stopped at the library for a while, went by the insurance company, walked along the river, went for happy hour at Mexican Manhattan ($1 off drinks and free taco and tamale buffet with a seat on the edge of the patio overlooking the river), went to First Friday (a street fair along a street with lots of galleries who schedule their new shows to begin on the first Friday of each month) in Southtown, and saw "Mama Mia" at the Majestic Theater. The weather was great, I got lots of walking for exercise, and all of my activities were fun!
Last night (Tuesday), Merryl and I had free tickets to be a part of a focus group to preview a new movie at the Silverado Theater that is opening in two weeks--Dan in Real Life. (Note: The link will only work until Touchstone has a new movie coming out, then it will be necessary to go to another page to find the trailer for it.) It's a funny film that is much funnier than most romantic comedies have been in the past few years.
Life is slowly getting back to normal now. I am beginning to feel mostly caught up on critical things. It will be a while still before I get my complete backlog, but my list of things that need to be done is always growing and, therefore, keeping me behind constantly even when I have been here at home for months.
Final Spending Update for 2007 Travels: I traveled 140 days this year and spent $4611.05 for an average of $32.93 per day. That includes my dental expenses in Thailand and the purchase of 6 air tickets (two in India and four in Indonesia) via low-cost airlines. That does NOT include my around-the-world air ticket which cost about $3600. Add that into the picture, and I spent approximately $8200 with a daily average of $59. Even at that, as I have always said, I SAVE money when I travel. That's a monthly expense of only about $1800!
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Returning Home
Sunday, Sept. 30, 2007--Lancaster County, PA
It's another nice spring day. We all went on an outing to a local nursery where we ate hotdogs and the children participated in activities. They had pumpkin painting and scarecrow making activities among others. Here, many of the homes have stalks of corn tied to their porch posts, have scarecrows on the porches, and have pumpkins either in the yard, on the porch, or in flower boxes. They are really celebrating the harvest season, and the decorations will be appropriate for Halloween later in the month, too.
Jack and I went walking in the early afternoon. I couldn't believe he wanted to do so. And once we got started, he kept saying he wanted to go further for me to see certain things. I was amazed at how far we walked. Later we measured it in a car because he was so proud of going so far. It was 2.3 miles!
Jack and I drove to Delaware. I had only been through it on a train before, so it was fun to get out and see the countryside and to see Newark, the city that is the home of the University of Delaware. It is only about an hour from Lancaster County and involves 3 states going there--Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware. On the way, we encountered the Amish out in their buggies and a few of them walking. The men were all wearing their black suits, black ties, and black hats completed with bright colored shirts--purple or green. Newark is a wonder example of a college town--not too big nor too small. The campus is just a block behind the main street and actually spreads across the main street on one end. Main Street is lined with restaurants and cafes with outdoor tables. We went into a gelato place and had an ice cream cone.
In the evening, we went down the street 1 1/2 blocks to the Sugar Bowl, the local college hangout that is managed by Jack's and Drew's son Kyle. They have strombolis, pizzas, cheese steaks, etc. Jack and I each had a stromboli. We ordered the regular (vs. the large), but I think Kyle must have made us the large. I could barely finish it all. It was good, though. Drew had a pizza.
Monday, Oct. 1, 2007--Harrisburg to San Antonio
I went out early in the morning for donuts and the newspaper. Millersville is such an easy place to explore on foot. Everything is really within walking distance. And downtown Lancaster is only 3 miles away which is walking distance for me.
Drew and Kyle drove me to the airport in Harrisburg, since Jack had left for a meeting at the International Reading Association office in Newark where we had been the day before. It was an easy drive, and I enjoyed seeing the countryside on the way. I was surprised when we arrived at the airport to have them point out the cooling towers of a nuclear power plant and tell me that it was Three Mile Island, the place that had a limited meltdown a few years ago. I knew about TMI, but I really didn't know where it was. It is just by the airport.
The Harrisburg airport operates a lounge for all silver and gold members of frequent flyer clubs of the airlines serving the airport. I went in there and had a complimentary soft drink and read the New York Times. It is a conservative area, and all the other men in there were watching Fox News. I wonder if they noticed I was reading such a liberal newspaper?
My flight to Dulles was short and easy. Then I had another wait of several hours for my flight to San Antonio. I read more newspapers, I watched people, I walked up and down the terminal for exercise, and I finally went to a sandwich place and got an Italian sandwich on focacio bread, since the airline doesn't serve food on the San Antonio flight. Just before boarding, I was watching a man work on his computer creating a painting. He had a large sketchpad attached via a usb port and would draw on the pad, and it would show up on the computer screen. I don't know if he started the picture from scratch or was altering one that he had imported from elsewhere, but it was fun to see his equipment and what he was doing.
The flight to San Antonio went well again, but it seems long at 3 1/2 hours. Anyway, my luggage came quickly, and my sister picked me up just 7-8 minutes after I went outside. I was back home again a few minutes after that for the first time in over 4 1/2 months.
Note: I will write another update with final spending info and notes about my first week home in a day or two.
Sunday, Sept. 30, 2007--Lancaster County, PA
It's another nice spring day. We all went on an outing to a local nursery where we ate hotdogs and the children participated in activities. They had pumpkin painting and scarecrow making activities among others. Here, many of the homes have stalks of corn tied to their porch posts, have scarecrows on the porches, and have pumpkins either in the yard, on the porch, or in flower boxes. They are really celebrating the harvest season, and the decorations will be appropriate for Halloween later in the month, too.
Jack and I went walking in the early afternoon. I couldn't believe he wanted to do so. And once we got started, he kept saying he wanted to go further for me to see certain things. I was amazed at how far we walked. Later we measured it in a car because he was so proud of going so far. It was 2.3 miles!
Jack and I drove to Delaware. I had only been through it on a train before, so it was fun to get out and see the countryside and to see Newark, the city that is the home of the University of Delaware. It is only about an hour from Lancaster County and involves 3 states going there--Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware. On the way, we encountered the Amish out in their buggies and a few of them walking. The men were all wearing their black suits, black ties, and black hats completed with bright colored shirts--purple or green. Newark is a wonder example of a college town--not too big nor too small. The campus is just a block behind the main street and actually spreads across the main street on one end. Main Street is lined with restaurants and cafes with outdoor tables. We went into a gelato place and had an ice cream cone.
In the evening, we went down the street 1 1/2 blocks to the Sugar Bowl, the local college hangout that is managed by Jack's and Drew's son Kyle. They have strombolis, pizzas, cheese steaks, etc. Jack and I each had a stromboli. We ordered the regular (vs. the large), but I think Kyle must have made us the large. I could barely finish it all. It was good, though. Drew had a pizza.
Monday, Oct. 1, 2007--Harrisburg to San Antonio
I went out early in the morning for donuts and the newspaper. Millersville is such an easy place to explore on foot. Everything is really within walking distance. And downtown Lancaster is only 3 miles away which is walking distance for me.
Drew and Kyle drove me to the airport in Harrisburg, since Jack had left for a meeting at the International Reading Association office in Newark where we had been the day before. It was an easy drive, and I enjoyed seeing the countryside on the way. I was surprised when we arrived at the airport to have them point out the cooling towers of a nuclear power plant and tell me that it was Three Mile Island, the place that had a limited meltdown a few years ago. I knew about TMI, but I really didn't know where it was. It is just by the airport.
The Harrisburg airport operates a lounge for all silver and gold members of frequent flyer clubs of the airlines serving the airport. I went in there and had a complimentary soft drink and read the New York Times. It is a conservative area, and all the other men in there were watching Fox News. I wonder if they noticed I was reading such a liberal newspaper?
My flight to Dulles was short and easy. Then I had another wait of several hours for my flight to San Antonio. I read more newspapers, I watched people, I walked up and down the terminal for exercise, and I finally went to a sandwich place and got an Italian sandwich on focacio bread, since the airline doesn't serve food on the San Antonio flight. Just before boarding, I was watching a man work on his computer creating a painting. He had a large sketchpad attached via a usb port and would draw on the pad, and it would show up on the computer screen. I don't know if he started the picture from scratch or was altering one that he had imported from elsewhere, but it was fun to see his equipment and what he was doing.
The flight to San Antonio went well again, but it seems long at 3 1/2 hours. Anyway, my luggage came quickly, and my sister picked me up just 7-8 minutes after I went outside. I was back home again a few minutes after that for the first time in over 4 1/2 months.
Note: I will write another update with final spending info and notes about my first week home in a day or two.
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