August 26, 2008

• Back to Iowa

  I will be taking a quick trip back to Iowa next month to do a presentation on IB.  It was nice to get the email request and I look forward to seeing everyone in the group. (…)

• Most Humourous Vacation

  So they asked me to write about the most humourous vacation I've ever had, the list could be endless but since they also require you to take one of the cities they list it limited it somewhat.  That means that I will be writing about a trip to Chicago not too long ago.  We went in for the weekend to meet some college friends of my husband for dinner and drinks.  We arrived a day early so we would have time to visit some of the clubs (at least one) and hear some great jazz and blues. (…)

July 6, 2008

• Don't hire this contractor

  Driving through Fairfield, Iowa on the 5th of July, 2008, we were suprised to see a huge sign in the yard of a house on the main street of the town telling everyone not to hire a certain construction company.  It was such a strange sight that we turned around and took some pictures to share.  Now this is someone that is totally furious with a hired company and letting everyone know about it. (…)

April 17, 2008

• Perspective

  It's interesting to hear the different perspectives on the same subject by different people.  The news media today had different views of who did the best in the debate last night between Obama and Clinton, most saying that Obama tried to take the high road and Clinton went for the kill.  Then there were those that said that Obama is afraid to say anything that will hurt him more than he is already hurting himself with his current and previous associations with people like his pastor and some radical bomber from the "old days".  Then Hillary got good remarks for saying that she was sorry she lied about her experience in the Middle East and getting shot at. 
  Then, in came Steve to work and said how well he thought Hillary did.  He thinks that she showed leadership, strength and just made Obama look like a loser. (…)

March 21, 2008

• San Francisco Trip

  San Francisco is known for the beautiful bridge, the neighborhoods that are ethnically unique, Fisherman's Wharf and lots of hills.  No one warned us about the fact that it rains, a lot! 
  We were visiting the city and wanted to walk around the downtown area and just look at all the buildings and absorb part of the culture of the people, including the hundreds of street people.  We walked out of the hotel, headed down the street and two things became very obvious, it was cold and we didn't have jackets along and it was raining.  Great!  Fortunately there was a shop with both umbrellas and fleece jackets that weren't so expensive that you wanted to take out a loan to pay for them.  The clerk told us that it rains a lot and everyone in San Francisco has umbrellas.  Well, it never rains on the TV shows about the city and the song about leaving his heart in San Francisco doesn't talk about rain and cold! (…)

February 18, 2008

• It's just Wrong!

  When you know that you love the breaking waves in the ocean and the warm sun, fine sand, peaceful existence that is available in some of those favorite vacation spots (such as the Cayman's, Anguilla or Rocky Point) and then you drive into work and look at the snow that is in the shape of breaking waves and the temperature is 5 degrees F, there is just something wrong! (…)

January 6, 2008

• The Trip Home from Arizona

  I took pictures of some interesting things on the way home from AZ that I should post. 
  We were looking forward to visiting the Shakespeare Ghost Town on the way from AZ into NM, sounded like something that would be fun, even in the wind and cold.  Well, the town that the Ghost Town is outside of isn't a whole lot better off than the Ghost Town.  Really appears to be a depressed area, run down double wide trailers, houses with stoops in really bad condition and no one out and about. (…)

October 15, 2007

• Off to the Races

  This is the weekend that I have to be at church camp for a meeting on Saturday morning (some are going over Friday night and spending the night at camp).  I am driving over in the morning, which means I will be on the road by 6 to get there for the 9 am meeting.  Then lunch and I am back on the road. (…)

October 14, 2007

• New Travel Reservation Site

  I have just looked over the new travel site that offers discount airline tickets which was just released to see if it is, in fact, less hassle then some of the other sites that I use all the time.  What I found was an easy to use site with a little more information available than some of the others.  It will give you travel tips for any type of trip you are taking, cruise, air or whatever. (…)

August 23, 2007

• Local Beauty

  We took a drive to the Missouri border today, which is only 40 miles from here.  On the way back I was amazed that I had never noticed the "forest" that runs for miles (east and west) by the Keokuk exit.  Perhaps it was because it was so beautiful that I paid attention today, or because I wasn't driving, but regardless, it was stunning. (…)

August 3, 2007

• We are home!

  Wow, talk about a LONG day!  We left Vilcabamba yesterday at 2:45 pm for the trip to Loja to catch the plane for Quito.  The ride to the airport is not a hasty one, the roads are really curvey (obviously since they are mountain roads) so it takes a while.  It isn't that many miles, just that long (about an hour and a half.) 
  When we got to the airport in Loja, paid the driver, got our bags and walked up the steps to the airport I remembered our camera was in the backseat of the taxi…Greg ran out but he was already gone!  Great!  At least I had uploaded all but the last three pictures.  Then I found out (from Cyn) that they didn't display on the site (I'll fix them in the morning…too pooped now)
  We flew from Loja to Quito, then on to Quayaquill (which we didn't know we were going to do, Delta didn't tell us that stop on our tickets).  The gal that sat in the seat next to me was coming back "home" from Atlanta so she flew into Quito and then the Quayaquill leg.  She was charming, 28  years old, college student that wants to come to the states to get her masters in GA because USA men are better (and taller) than the men from Quayaquill….funny! (…)

August 1, 2007

• Last night in Ecuador

  We had the privilage of having dinner with Jon Cypher, co-owner of the spa.  He has a rich history as a broadway actor (even in Evita…my favorite!) and on Major Dad, Hill Street Blues and other movies and TV.  We have had the privilage to call him a friend while we are here, as with his wife, Carol Risen, a brilliant scientist and peace activist.  What a joy! (…)

• Greg Helping Carol

  Greg helped Carol on the net this morning and so I thought I would post a picture of the setting of where they worked, not all that tough of a location! (…)

• Next to last day

  I told my husband this morning that I wasn't ready to leave.  This place is beautiful and we seem to get so much done!  Not only enjoying the location, the peace and ability to be creative has been wonderful.  I have built a new website, met lots of interesting people and hope to be able to help the financial situation of some of the local artists by selling their creations on line. (…)

July 31, 2007

• Greg is in Loja and I'm TRYING to work

  Ok, so Greg told me the other day that I had gotten much better on the website and was doing well.  I truly believe that when he gets back from Loja he is going to recind all those remarks!  I am totally frustrated on how to do the page on the vegetable ivory items I bought….not the content….the loading of the pictures (which I know how to do) for the display page.  Now, I know I know how to do it, I just plain can't remember!  I need Greg! 
  Hopefully he is enjoying his time at the college and will have great stories to tell when he returns, until then, screw it, I'm going to take a nap!

• Monday July 30, 2007

  We had quite a busy day today.  We looked at properties around the Vilcabamba area, two WAY up in the mountains that had a wonderful view for a goat.  I really don't like being that high and I really don't like roads that are so rough they make your bottom and back feel like they have just gone 9 rounds with a heavy weight boxer!  Now, that being said, the view was outstanding.  You could see for miles and miles. (…)

• A Hotel Reservation Site - Looks Pretty Good to Me

  I went online to check out the new site Hotel Reservations to see how easily it worked and the variety of options it offers to the traveler, whether domestic or international.  I must admit that I was pleased with how easily it works, the wide variety of offerings and the fact that it not only gives domestic travel and hotels but also international options. (…)

July 29, 2007

• Sunday

  Today was windy, very windy, in Vilcabamba, Carol said it usually is like this in August but that it started early this year…whee!  It's not that it was cold, just windy.  Tonight will probably be pretty cool, more blankets for the beds and we will be fine. (…)

July 28, 2007

• Ok, So I'm Not in Shape…Riding for 4.5 Hours is Tough on the Legs!

  I had the most delightful day, regardless of the shape my fanny and legs are in now!  Carol, Juan (the trainer) and I rode for about 5 hours today.  We left the resort around 10:30 this morning, rode into Vilcabamba which is probably a mile or so from the resort.  We rode on through the town and out into the mountain area behind the town, up some gentle mountain roads that were dotted with homes, a beautiful river (more on that in a minute) and a manufacturing plant.  Oh yes, and there is "The Forgotten School" there too where kids and teachers go everyday but they have no supplies, desks, chairs or anything.  Carol said they call themselves the "Fogotten School" because no one seems to care that there are kids that desperatly want an education and teachers that want to teach and have to do the best they can with nothing. (…)

July 27, 2007

• Mountain Homes

  As we were going to Loja we saw a number of homes on the side of the mountains.  I asked our driver how people got to them.  He said the walked or rode horse or donkey.  Well folks, that is out for this old woman!  Good grief, some of them are WAY up the side of a mountain, you have to cross a river and them climb for a LONG way just to get to the house.  God love them all, they are better people than I am to do that! (…)