Today is my 58th birthday, my last "magical" birthday. A "magical" birthday is when one of the numbers corresponds to the age you are , so since I was born in 1958, this is it.
I woke up thinking about my mom. I was born six weeks premature and she was terrified that something would be wrong with me. One of the neighbors told me that she told THEM I would be ( and I'm quoting here) "retarded and have to be institutionalized" GEE THANKS MOM! That's what they did back then with kids who were differently abled. I was just really small. I was in the hospital for a long time and they would drive to see me and I was sleeping so they wouldn't wake me up. I was there until I gained and held my weight. They were supposed to keep babies until they made 5 pounds, but I was not quite there, but was holding my own. GEE I wish I had trouble gaining weight NOW!
We are heading out for a small vacation. I have NO plans to do anything where we are going except rest and maybe read. I need a vacation of nothing. Vacations like the one we had in May are fun and I loved seeing Anna and hanging out with her, but I really need some down time of just Chris and me.
I will write a more thoughtful blog when I return. I have been thinking about growing up in the Valley in the 60's I saw this thing on line about brown bag lunches through the ages. For the 60's it said kids were sent to school with a wedge salad? HUH? I never even HEARD of a wedge salad until I was in my 40's. Seriously. Lunch was peanutbutter and jelly ( I wasn't allergic as a kid) or bologna or some other gross kind of lunch meat. An orange that usually rolled over on your sandwich in the lunchbox and flattened it, chips maybe ( whatever happened to Laura Scudders or Granny Goose?) and some kind of sweet- "ding dongs" anyone? Milk in a thermos that came with the lunch box. After seeing that, I wondered where the filmmaker did their research.
I've been having conversations with people of my own age about the difference between our childhoods and what kids are doing now. I saw this whole conversation online about how our children's innocence was ruined by lock-down drills. We had A-bomb drills. NOT that they would have helped AT ALL- you can't run and hide form nuclear fallout- but we lived under the constant fear of nuclear annihilation. People built BOMB SHELTERS in their backyard, for crying out loud! Let's not get me started today.
I am off to a free breakfast at some point today at Denny's. They give it to you anytime today and I like breakfast for lunch or breakfast for dinner so it's a win-win for me! I just don't want them singing anything...
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Friday, June 17, 2016
Odd Friday thoughts
I'm running late, as usual, but I wanted to get a thought out there. Yesterday, I went to grab a bite to eat with my husband. I like having a meal out with him, as he and I have work schedules that don't often jibe. It's nice to look across a table at my handsome husband and just talk.
One of the items on the soda machine was Orange Crush and I got that , added to my iced tea. It was ok, but I should have used a larger ratio of soda to tea. I know, I'm weird. It got me thinking about how when I was a kid, you could tell the soda by the shape of the bottle. I miss that. Coke has sort of done that with their product, but the rest of the soda companies have abandoned unique shapes in favor of boring generic plastic bottles. Saves money, but I think the stuff tastes better in the unusual bottles, as if the shape changes the taste somehow. It might. I remember talking to someone about it when I was a kid, about how the long neck on the RC bottle made RC taste different. I haven't HAD an RC in years and I wonder if I can find it, even in plastic, around here. I see the Pepsi and Coke that is bottled in Mexico in the old style bottles, but rarely buy it. Coke sells teeny tiny bottles of Coke in six-packs. It makes me miss the old days. I can hear my mother singing the Pepsi jingle from HER childhood ( "Twice as much, for a nickel too, Pepsi-Cola is the drink for you') When did Coca-Cola become Coke and Pepsi-Cola become Pepsi? Probably in the 70's. Remember the shape of the 7-Up bottle was a fat bottom with a long neck? I wonder why THAT was- maybe just to be different than the cola drinks.
I am showing my age, longing for simple things from my childhood. Next week I will have my last "magical" birthday- I will be 58. I was born in 1958, I had a friend who called those "magical birthdays" when the date and age corresponded. I hope it will be a magical year for me, but I suppose if I just wake up next to Chris every day, it will be.
One of the items on the soda machine was Orange Crush and I got that , added to my iced tea. It was ok, but I should have used a larger ratio of soda to tea. I know, I'm weird. It got me thinking about how when I was a kid, you could tell the soda by the shape of the bottle. I miss that. Coke has sort of done that with their product, but the rest of the soda companies have abandoned unique shapes in favor of boring generic plastic bottles. Saves money, but I think the stuff tastes better in the unusual bottles, as if the shape changes the taste somehow. It might. I remember talking to someone about it when I was a kid, about how the long neck on the RC bottle made RC taste different. I haven't HAD an RC in years and I wonder if I can find it, even in plastic, around here. I see the Pepsi and Coke that is bottled in Mexico in the old style bottles, but rarely buy it. Coke sells teeny tiny bottles of Coke in six-packs. It makes me miss the old days. I can hear my mother singing the Pepsi jingle from HER childhood ( "Twice as much, for a nickel too, Pepsi-Cola is the drink for you') When did Coca-Cola become Coke and Pepsi-Cola become Pepsi? Probably in the 70's. Remember the shape of the 7-Up bottle was a fat bottom with a long neck? I wonder why THAT was- maybe just to be different than the cola drinks.
I am showing my age, longing for simple things from my childhood. Next week I will have my last "magical" birthday- I will be 58. I was born in 1958, I had a friend who called those "magical birthdays" when the date and age corresponded. I hope it will be a magical year for me, but I suppose if I just wake up next to Chris every day, it will be.
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Pride Parade, Orlando Shooting.
On Sunday morning, we got up early to ride in the West Hollywood Pride Parade. I saw the horrible news about the shooting at the nightclub in Orlando but I don't think it sunk in that it was a gay nightclub until I got to the branch and we began talking about it. I could not fathom how ONE PERSON could kill and wound so many people. I see he had something called an MCX, which looks like something the military should have. I cannot, for the life of me, understand why a private citizen would want to own and be able to own a gun that is essentially a weapon of mass destruction. I am sick and tired of the extreme gun nuts and YES I called them nuts, who claim the Second Amendment allows them to own such things. I am NOT advocating that people in this country not be allowed to own guns. I know many people ( now I sound like Der Trump) who own guns and who hunt, some to put food on the table. Those people, RESPONSIBLE gun owners, are not my complaint. I wonder about people like the Orlando shooter, who were on some kind of FBI watch list, but seriously I wonder why anyone has to own an assault rifle. Deer don't fire back.
Chris and I joined my colleagues from the library in marching in the parade. Well, WE didn't march. No way my knees could take it. We were able to ride in the van that is painted like the classic LAPL Library card. We rode with the sliding door open, calling out to the crowd. The crowd seemed happy to see us, and especially to see Ghost, the dog who belongs to our coordinator. SHE worked the crowd like a rock star. Poor puppy was wiped by the time the parade was over The crowd was a mixed bag of people, some outlandishly dressed, some that just looked like people from the neighborhood. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. The parade itself started and hour late, or maybe it just took that long for it to reach us at the rear of the procession. There was a heavy presence from the Sheriff's Department, but not dressed in riot gear or helmets. They seemed comforting, somehow as if they were saying, "We are here to make sure YOU can march" They DID have a concerted ring around what I like to think of as the protesters "corral" This is placed off to the side on one of the widest streets. I could hear them chanting "shame on you" and the crowd laughingly chanting back "NO, shame on YOU!" it reminded me of a football game where the fans chanted slogans back and forth, not really meaning anything by it. I found myself, again, wondering just WHO Jesus would hate. I get the feeling that those guys are going to have a long talk with him at some point where he clarifies the "love ye one another" part of his message to his followers. It was a long day, but we felt good at the end of the parade. It is especially important to me that the library be visible as a symbol of inclusion. On the wall of the Central Library there is a quote "Books invite all: they constrain none."
On the drive home, I was looking at the clouds. I was tired. Sometimes when clouds are scattered by the wind, they are drawn across the sky like a child pulling apart cotton candy. To me, this always looks like angels and Sunday was no different except in the middle of one of the angels, I saw what looked like a rainbow. I wish I had taken a photo and wonder if it would have turned out anyway. As a child I was taught that rainbows are a message of hope from God. I believe this rainbow was just that.
Chris and I joined my colleagues from the library in marching in the parade. Well, WE didn't march. No way my knees could take it. We were able to ride in the van that is painted like the classic LAPL Library card. We rode with the sliding door open, calling out to the crowd. The crowd seemed happy to see us, and especially to see Ghost, the dog who belongs to our coordinator. SHE worked the crowd like a rock star. Poor puppy was wiped by the time the parade was over The crowd was a mixed bag of people, some outlandishly dressed, some that just looked like people from the neighborhood. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. The parade itself started and hour late, or maybe it just took that long for it to reach us at the rear of the procession. There was a heavy presence from the Sheriff's Department, but not dressed in riot gear or helmets. They seemed comforting, somehow as if they were saying, "We are here to make sure YOU can march" They DID have a concerted ring around what I like to think of as the protesters "corral" This is placed off to the side on one of the widest streets. I could hear them chanting "shame on you" and the crowd laughingly chanting back "NO, shame on YOU!" it reminded me of a football game where the fans chanted slogans back and forth, not really meaning anything by it. I found myself, again, wondering just WHO Jesus would hate. I get the feeling that those guys are going to have a long talk with him at some point where he clarifies the "love ye one another" part of his message to his followers. It was a long day, but we felt good at the end of the parade. It is especially important to me that the library be visible as a symbol of inclusion. On the wall of the Central Library there is a quote "Books invite all: they constrain none."
On the drive home, I was looking at the clouds. I was tired. Sometimes when clouds are scattered by the wind, they are drawn across the sky like a child pulling apart cotton candy. To me, this always looks like angels and Sunday was no different except in the middle of one of the angels, I saw what looked like a rainbow. I wish I had taken a photo and wonder if it would have turned out anyway. As a child I was taught that rainbows are a message of hope from God. I believe this rainbow was just that.
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Trip wrap up and Where NOT to stay in Hayward
We traveled from Reno to Tuloumne via Carson City. We had breakfast at Mom and Pops Diner, and each of us had hearty breakfast I am paying the price of eating too many plates of biscuits and gravy and this place was no exception. The waitress asked me if I could wait, as they had JUST put the biscuits in the oven. Fresh biscuits? Could I WAIT??? YES. The food was good and the service was friendly.
I fell asleep on the ride over the mountains. I missed the treetops, but frankly I was exhausted. Pain is no joke and it has been taking it's toll on me. I had to take much more of the pain meds than I am used to in order to cope. NOT more than the recommended dose, just more than I usually take, as I take the minimum. There was snow on the trip over the mountain back into California.
Black Oak Casino is a kind of new facility, they just opened the hotel three years ago, nice but blah. The food in the casino was good, not as great as I remember from last time, but pretty good for casino food. Maybe I was just tired and somewhat irritable. I hope I was not a "pill"
We made reservations at the La Quinta Hotel in Hayward for our last night. It was near enough to the Amtrak station that Anna would not have to get up at the crack of dawn to take us; we could catch a cab.
We did not stay there.
The first room had a strong smell of mold and when we looked at the ceiling we could see where there had been a leak that was just painted over, no mold abatement. We trooped back to the reservation counter and were given another room.
I found two VERY long black hairs on the bed and when we pulled back the coverlet, it was OBVIOUS that someone had had a romantic encounter on the bed and remade it.
We fled.
We went back to the counter and told him we were leaving. Chris called booking.com to get a refund, they had already charged us, and we were given the ok.
Now that my card has been refunded, I will be posting on their website,
We wound up staying at the Days Inn, or as I call it, the Roach Motel. The smell of disinfectant cleaner was omnipresent, but we were tired and it was clean. The next morning I saw a roach climbing the wall in the bathroom. YUCK, but what did I expect?
We got a taxi ride from a weird guy who was smoking when he got out and wanted to argue with us as to where we wanted to go. He thought he was getting a huge fare to the OAKLAND station when we wanted to go to the Hayward station. He was pissed off. He chanted all the way there. We did give him $10 , which was probably twice what it cost, but he hadn't started the meter (probably cheating his employer anyway)
We caught the Capitol Corridor. Remember I asked the Amtrak person about this train? Her answer was if we could get the luggage on the rack above the seats we could take it. She was wrong. There was a luggage area near the door and we were able to stow our gear easily. We did help out another confused rider, who was unsure as to which station he was at, He needed to get off at the station AFTER ours. I hope he did.
We made the Amtrak heading for home. It was running late. Apparently the southbound train has that issue.
Once again we needed to eat on the train and I discovered that the CAFE CAR had tables that could accommodate Chris! YEAH. The food was still bad, but we were able to watch the ocean going by while eating a meal at a TABLE. While it did not feel like the old time elegance I had desired, it was nice to feel somewhat human as we ate our meal.
We arrived about an hour late, bedraggled and ready for home. It took forever to get a taxi, but once he arrived it was a nice trip back to the car. We left our car at Chris' work, leaving it in Van Nuys for that long would have been an invitation to disaster.
Home again, I collapsed in our bed and I had to get u at 5:30 for work. Remind me to build in a rest day next time.
I am STILL tired!
I fell asleep on the ride over the mountains. I missed the treetops, but frankly I was exhausted. Pain is no joke and it has been taking it's toll on me. I had to take much more of the pain meds than I am used to in order to cope. NOT more than the recommended dose, just more than I usually take, as I take the minimum. There was snow on the trip over the mountain back into California.
Black Oak Casino is a kind of new facility, they just opened the hotel three years ago, nice but blah. The food in the casino was good, not as great as I remember from last time, but pretty good for casino food. Maybe I was just tired and somewhat irritable. I hope I was not a "pill"
We made reservations at the La Quinta Hotel in Hayward for our last night. It was near enough to the Amtrak station that Anna would not have to get up at the crack of dawn to take us; we could catch a cab.
We did not stay there.
The first room had a strong smell of mold and when we looked at the ceiling we could see where there had been a leak that was just painted over, no mold abatement. We trooped back to the reservation counter and were given another room.
I found two VERY long black hairs on the bed and when we pulled back the coverlet, it was OBVIOUS that someone had had a romantic encounter on the bed and remade it.
We fled.
We went back to the counter and told him we were leaving. Chris called booking.com to get a refund, they had already charged us, and we were given the ok.
Now that my card has been refunded, I will be posting on their website,
We wound up staying at the Days Inn, or as I call it, the Roach Motel. The smell of disinfectant cleaner was omnipresent, but we were tired and it was clean. The next morning I saw a roach climbing the wall in the bathroom. YUCK, but what did I expect?
We got a taxi ride from a weird guy who was smoking when he got out and wanted to argue with us as to where we wanted to go. He thought he was getting a huge fare to the OAKLAND station when we wanted to go to the Hayward station. He was pissed off. He chanted all the way there. We did give him $10 , which was probably twice what it cost, but he hadn't started the meter (probably cheating his employer anyway)
We caught the Capitol Corridor. Remember I asked the Amtrak person about this train? Her answer was if we could get the luggage on the rack above the seats we could take it. She was wrong. There was a luggage area near the door and we were able to stow our gear easily. We did help out another confused rider, who was unsure as to which station he was at, He needed to get off at the station AFTER ours. I hope he did.
We made the Amtrak heading for home. It was running late. Apparently the southbound train has that issue.
Once again we needed to eat on the train and I discovered that the CAFE CAR had tables that could accommodate Chris! YEAH. The food was still bad, but we were able to watch the ocean going by while eating a meal at a TABLE. While it did not feel like the old time elegance I had desired, it was nice to feel somewhat human as we ate our meal.
We arrived about an hour late, bedraggled and ready for home. It took forever to get a taxi, but once he arrived it was a nice trip back to the car. We left our car at Chris' work, leaving it in Van Nuys for that long would have been an invitation to disaster.
Home again, I collapsed in our bed and I had to get u at 5:30 for work. Remind me to build in a rest day next time.
I am STILL tired!
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
Vacation, Part 3 Delights and disappointments
We arrived at Harrah's on Friday night and after much indecision, decided to go to the Carvings Buffet at Harrah's. I had been there before and had not been really impressed but we were hungry and tired from the road and it seemed like a good idea. I had seen a sign about half price if you were over 55 ( which I am) and we asked about it. The cashier said no that was only Sunday - Thursday. Bummer. We laughed and thanked her and decided to eat there anyway. We were already there, we were hungry. Anna paid the bill and neither of us realized that she had comped us two meals until we sat down and looked at the check. With Chris using some of his points, the meal for the three of us was around $16. That was amazing.
Friday was seafood and I ate a HUGE pile of steamed clams and peel and eat shrimp. I posted a more detailed review on www.stuffyoucanstomach.com. The service was good and the food was a surprise.
I have detailed our breakfast adventure on www.stuffyoucanstomach.com as well.
We wanted to go to Virginia City. I had seen this page about a stagecoach ride and it looked REALLY fun. We decided we wanted to do it. We got out really late, as it took us forever to find a breakfast house and eat. We got to Virginia City and found the Visitor Center only to be told that the stagecoach hadn't run in TWO YEARS! We were very disappointed, but they told us to take the tractor tour ( it's a tractor pulling a line of tram cars) Nice tour with a lot of colorful information. We missed the train ride and we have talked about going back, maybe staying at a B&B in town and seeing all the sights. There was an old time candy store and I bought a bag of rock candy on a string, like I remember from my childhood. Now they put it on a stick but I bought the string kind for old times sake. We had a drink ( sarsaparilla for me) in a themed saloon and played the Kenny Roger Gambler machine. We should have known when to fold 'em, We lost! But it was fun and we returned to Reno. We went to the three Casinos that are connected Circus Circus, Silver Legacy and the El Dorado. We neither won nor lost there, stayed much later than my knees could take and tumbled into bed. Dinner at the Silver Legacy was "meh" and I am not going to rate it except to say the cheese dip appetizer was SO bad we sent it back,
We headed for Carson City for breakfast and back to Black Oak Casino in Tuolumne, CA
Friday was seafood and I ate a HUGE pile of steamed clams and peel and eat shrimp. I posted a more detailed review on www.stuffyoucanstomach.com. The service was good and the food was a surprise.
I have detailed our breakfast adventure on www.stuffyoucanstomach.com as well.
We wanted to go to Virginia City. I had seen this page about a stagecoach ride and it looked REALLY fun. We decided we wanted to do it. We got out really late, as it took us forever to find a breakfast house and eat. We got to Virginia City and found the Visitor Center only to be told that the stagecoach hadn't run in TWO YEARS! We were very disappointed, but they told us to take the tractor tour ( it's a tractor pulling a line of tram cars) Nice tour with a lot of colorful information. We missed the train ride and we have talked about going back, maybe staying at a B&B in town and seeing all the sights. There was an old time candy store and I bought a bag of rock candy on a string, like I remember from my childhood. Now they put it on a stick but I bought the string kind for old times sake. We had a drink ( sarsaparilla for me) in a themed saloon and played the Kenny Roger Gambler machine. We should have known when to fold 'em, We lost! But it was fun and we returned to Reno. We went to the three Casinos that are connected Circus Circus, Silver Legacy and the El Dorado. We neither won nor lost there, stayed much later than my knees could take and tumbled into bed. Dinner at the Silver Legacy was "meh" and I am not going to rate it except to say the cheese dip appetizer was SO bad we sent it back,
We headed for Carson City for breakfast and back to Black Oak Casino in Tuolumne, CA
Thursday, June 2, 2016
Vacation Part 2
Chris reminded me that not everything on our vacation was bad. I agree there were good parts, but my perception is colored by the fact that I was in more pain than I could really cope with,despite taking larger than normal doses of my meds. I was not over dosing, but I take the bare minimum usually and now I was taking the recommended dose. I was hurting and frustrated. I used to be able to at least WALK. Now I can't even do that. I need to really start to push myself to get stronger. I hate feeling this way. Osteoarthritis sucks.
So.. The good stuff. We stayed at the Fairfield Inn in Hayward the first night. Anna has adopted cats and I am allergic to them so we could not stay with her. Hotels are getting a bit pricey for what you get but this was a large comfortable room The bed was comfortable, the bathroom spacious and the place was super clean, We had been on the train forever and we were exhausted. We fell asleep quickly. I had forgotten to pack the toothpaste, but the hotel had emergency packs and they handed me two. I went next door to the 7-11 to use the ATM only to discover it had been ripped out. It had yellow tape all around the area where it had been. I joked it looked like crime scene tape, but more likely it was just being upgraded. Our window overlooked the Starbucks drive through which was packed with caffeine junkies all morning ( no judgement, I love my coffee too!)
The price of the room included breakfast, so although he was reluctant to go, I made Chris go to the courtyard to get something. It was a delight. A full breakfast bar with real coffee, eggs and do-it-yourself- waffles. I was stuffed! I am supposed to cut back on coffee, but this vacation I drank a lot of it.
We took off for Reno, after finding a 7-11 with a working ATM. I bought three scratchers and Anna won! I had hoped it would be the start of a winning vacation for her, but no such luck. We spent most of what I call my "entertainment budget" coming home with some of it but not really winning anything. We won enough to keep playing, that's about it..
We stayed at Harrah's in Reno. I like Harrah's The place is comfortable, the staff is friendly and they have a Starbucks right when you get off the elevator. They DO have in-room coffee but that's more like coffee flavored water than real java. I bought VENTIS for me and Anna!
More on Reno and the ill-fated trip to Virginia City tomorrow!
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
Vacation Blogs Day 1
I am back from vacation and I am sifting through notes and recollections for the six days of possibly the most frustrating, in many ways, vacation I have ever known. There were good parts- hanging out with my husband and my mother in law, which was mostly the point of this vacation. Almost NOTHING went as anticipated. Maybe I should not expect anything next time and I will be surprised.
DAY ON on Amtrak
My "romance" with train travel pretty much dies on Thursday. I've been on trains before and I was sure I would love this trip from Van Nuys to Oakland. People who have taken the train said I would love it too. We upgraded to Business class, which gave you free WiFi two bottles of water and $6 off the food. The seats were larger, which was a good thing, because Chris is a large man, This experience does not have me hungering for more and as I write this in the hotel, I am not looking forward to the trip home. When I was on the train before, we had wonderful service. This time, although it was a long haul train ( this is the Coast Starlight, Northbound I am talking about), we might just as well have been riding an MTA bus. I had to hunt down a conductor to ask my questions and I am Still not sure I got the right answers. We will see. ( The answer was yes and no, but it worked out ok)
AS I suspected, the best seats on the observation car were staked out early and were not relinquished until the beach scenery was gone. On the plus side, we did get seats on the beach side of the train in Business class. Those seats were nicer and roomier than coach.
We snagged seats upstairs on the Beach side and that was very nice until the aging Valley Girl sat down behind us and got on her phone and began yapping. She complained- LOUDLY_ that she had to buy an upgrade to Business Class to get WiFi and that she was PISSED that she could not sit in the observation car and do her work. I did not realize just how far it is from Van Nuys to San Luis Obispo, HER final destination. Maybe it just seemed longer. She was very loud on her multiple business calls.
The scenery was lovely and Chris and I took turns taking photos. There are places I just want to visit, by car this time, to get some nice photos.
The food on the train deserves it's own page. Go to my restaurant review page www.stuffyoucanstomach.com to see the gory details!
The trip was long, but we did get to Oakland on time, which was nice. The snafu of missing my Mother-in law, who had a new phone number and thought we had it was a bit disconcerting and began the series of WTF moments that made up this vacation.
AS she has just adopted a few cats and I am allergic, we spent the night at a local hotel which will be covered in the next blog
DAY ON on Amtrak
My "romance" with train travel pretty much dies on Thursday. I've been on trains before and I was sure I would love this trip from Van Nuys to Oakland. People who have taken the train said I would love it too. We upgraded to Business class, which gave you free WiFi two bottles of water and $6 off the food. The seats were larger, which was a good thing, because Chris is a large man, This experience does not have me hungering for more and as I write this in the hotel, I am not looking forward to the trip home. When I was on the train before, we had wonderful service. This time, although it was a long haul train ( this is the Coast Starlight, Northbound I am talking about), we might just as well have been riding an MTA bus. I had to hunt down a conductor to ask my questions and I am Still not sure I got the right answers. We will see. ( The answer was yes and no, but it worked out ok)
AS I suspected, the best seats on the observation car were staked out early and were not relinquished until the beach scenery was gone. On the plus side, we did get seats on the beach side of the train in Business class. Those seats were nicer and roomier than coach.
We snagged seats upstairs on the Beach side and that was very nice until the aging Valley Girl sat down behind us and got on her phone and began yapping. She complained- LOUDLY_ that she had to buy an upgrade to Business Class to get WiFi and that she was PISSED that she could not sit in the observation car and do her work. I did not realize just how far it is from Van Nuys to San Luis Obispo, HER final destination. Maybe it just seemed longer. She was very loud on her multiple business calls.
The scenery was lovely and Chris and I took turns taking photos. There are places I just want to visit, by car this time, to get some nice photos.
The food on the train deserves it's own page. Go to my restaurant review page www.stuffyoucanstomach.com to see the gory details!
The trip was long, but we did get to Oakland on time, which was nice. The snafu of missing my Mother-in law, who had a new phone number and thought we had it was a bit disconcerting and began the series of WTF moments that made up this vacation.
AS she has just adopted a few cats and I am allergic, we spent the night at a local hotel which will be covered in the next blog
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