Two Trips In One

The BIG city

The BIG Subway

I just HAD to have a NYC Hot dog!

The ladies of LIBERTY

Is that TIMES SQUARE below?




The 2nd half of the trip was so much different!

Peaceful rides through the countryside
Erie Canal

The most serene and beautiful cemetery ever!
Watkins Glen

Rich color and natural wonders!
Watkins Glen

What?? Water ruins cameras?

Niagara Falls

THINGS I LOVE ABOUT NYC:

--- modern skyscrapers mixed in with 1930's skyscrapers (loved the skyline)
--- busy, noisy, stinky, grimy, trashy, impersonal, (the big city feel)
--- convoluted subway system, always an adventure going into the bowels of the city
--- NYC drivers ( hard braking alternating with hard acceleration..can you say whiplash?)

Imagine walking to work everyday in your stockbroker suit and high heels, after standing in a subway car rubbing shoulders with total strangers, taking the elevator to your corner office on the 75th floor of some pretentious office building, eating vendor hot dogs and pretzels just to stay alive.... gee sounds tempting!

THINGS I LIKE ABOUT UPSTATE NEW YORK:

---rolling hills of pastures and autumn leaves, red barns and farms
---small, peaceful towns with clapboard houses and iron bridges
---hometown folks like Carolyn and Richard, Aunt Betty and Uncle Gene
---big, beautiful trees...big beautiful color...
---Dad's laughing eyes

Imaging going to work down at the factory with your handful of high school buddies, stopping at the river to skip a few rocks, dropping by mom's every Sunday for a home cooked roast.....

SEE??? Two Totally Different Trips In One.


p.s. Thanks mom and dad, it was great!!!

p.p.s. missed you, Jason and Suz!!!!

Mother Of Two Risks Life Just For Fun

Darn near died trying to climb over a puddle of water

Barely made it down a big hairy cliff

Was up to my knees in toxic mud and nasty water

Wandered for hours in the desert with no chance of rescue

After a week of monitoring the rain forecast, I decided to go to The Swell with Casey, Alisa, Jason, Ryland and Jared. We arrived in the desert late Friday night, layed out the sleeping bags under the stars and relaxed while "Dark Side of the Moon" softly played. It was perfect. The next morning we began our long journey into a winding slot canyon, equiped with ropes and harnesses and water bottles. Left in the capable hands of Casey and Jared, I was able to repel down 3 cliffs with much trepidation and exhilaration. It was so much fun! We then encountered mud, some was dry and crunchy and some was deep and squishy. Some mud looked like yummy fudge. After we left the cozy canyons, Jared led the death march back to the van. We wandered the desert for 4 more miles, putting one foot in front of the other. I thought of the old chant..."oh we oh...ooooooh oh, oh we oh......oooooh oh, as I trudged up one butte after another. Just in the nick of time, before total exhaustion, the van appeared before us. An ice cold soda waited in the cooler. Then to top of a pretty good day, we all had a fat burger at Groggs. And to Dave's surprise I came home alive and well.

How to Eat Spaghetti

Wouldn't you love to eat spaghetti like this? No need to cut it up or twirl it around a fork, just shovel it in your mouth with your hands...don't worry about the mess...don't be so uptight....experience the joy of eating....eat like there's no tomorrow!!!