Day 6 – Visiting Family And Old “Relatives”

Posted on Tuesday, October 1, 2024 by Paul

It was a fantastic morning.

 Day 1 – Day 2 – Day 3 – Day 4 – Day 5 – Day 6 – Day 7 – Day 8 – Day 9 

We were up early and had breakfast at the Silver Fountain Inn.  The dining room was partially decorated, but we expect additional decorations by this evening.  The breakfast was terrific!  It kept us going until lunchtime.

We found black cats everywhere!

Breakfast at the inn!

The theme was Hocus Pocus. Movie summary: A villainous comedic trio of witches (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy) are inadvertently resurrected by a teenage boy (Omri Katz) in Salem, Massachusetts, on Halloween night. Walt Disney Pictures released the film in North America on July 16, 1993.

We watch the movie every year!

Hocus Pocus decor is everywhere around the Inn.  Last year, we contributed to the decorations.

It was decorated for the season.

The signage around the Inn was funny also!

We loved the signs.

We went to Colleens at 9:15 am and then headed south to Connecticut to visit with Ralph and Alyce Chartier, our ex-son-in-laws parents.  We surprised Alyce because the early warning she was supposed to get ( her son, Pete’s brother, Eddie) never happened.

The ride through New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut was beautiful.  The leaves are turning. Trees stop making food in the fall, and chlorophyll production slows down and eventually stops. This reveals the other pigments in the leaf, such as xanthophylls and carotenoids, that were previously masked by chlorophyll.

Two hours on the road was tiring.

Alyce was beside herself when we showed up because we had cards and flowers; it was also her birthday!!  She was still in her jammies!

Hello Alyce, SURPRISE!!!

We gossiped about the past for a good hour and touched on all the family and friends that she knew. Ralph has memory issues but sat quietly and listened to all the goings-on!

We talked for an hour or more.

We were happy that Alyce was doing well and had all her faculties recalling things I had forgotten. We remembered the turn-of-the-century cruise, sitting in the hot tub on the ship, and watching the year 2000 change.

We were saying goodbye!

Alyce was happy to see her grandson, Jon, and his bride, Sarah.  They were also recalling memories of the past!

Alyce with grandson Jon and Sarah.

Even though Colleen is an ex-daughter-in-law, they were happy to see each other after many years.

Colleen and Alyce.

We were hungry and took a vote; it came out Mexican. I was worried about “East Coast Mexican” food because Mexican food was horrible years ago. Tortillas used to come out of a can and have zero spices—ugh!! Jon, Sarah, and Colleen assured us that was no longer true!

We hit the road to a restaurant known by our eastern relatives.  We were traversing I95 north.

We are on our way to lunch.

We landed at Mezcal Tequila Kitchen in Worcester, Mass. The service and food were both outstanding. I had three tacos with hard shells. They had hard shell tacos, and I asked the waiter to surprise me with his selection.

Lunch was terrific.

We had a mountain of food to finish.  We had a blast during the meal, cracking jokes and keeping the waiter amused!

The food kept coming… and we kept eating.

The happy crew was ready to face another two hours on the road. Our tummies were full, and we had a designated driver. Sarah strapped in, fastened the five-point safety belt, and hit the gas pedal with vigor. With flames shooting out the back of the KIA, we were on our way.

The adventurers in action.

Watch out for these three!

Three generations.

We visited Colleen’s home for a while before returning to the Inn. After five hours of riding in the car, we needed to get horizontal!

Mary thinks she has found a hat she might need! Tomorrow, we will have Colleen come over around 11:30 for lunch before we visit family.

Mary looks at the goodies in the Inn.

Since this morning, more decorations have appeared. We will have lunch here tomorrow with Colleen before visiting the grandkids’ homes.

The dining room is ready for Halloween.

We went to our room, got comfortable, and awaited the VP Debate, which ought to be a hoot.

Posted in Adventures, Family, Food and Wine | Comments Off on Day 6 – Visiting Family And Old “Relatives”

Day 5 – A Time To Visit!

Posted on Monday, September 30, 2024 by Paul

 Day 1 – Day 2 – Day 3 – Day 4 – Day 5 – Day 6 – Day 7 – Day 8 – Day 9 

We were up by eight and decided to have breakfast at the B&B before going to Colleen’s home.  There, we met up with Gale, who always dresses up as a witch during Halloween.

Breakfast was terrific, complete with blueberry scones!

The dining room has yet to change to Halloween, but it will be transformed into a more haunted look today!

The dining room was just as we remembered from last year.

Magic began to occur as Mary stepped out the door, and perhaps I had a unique lens on the camera!  Maybe the place is haunted!

Time to go!

We got to Colleen’s around 10:00 am and spent the rest of the day visiting and getting ready for another family dinner this evening.

We arrived at the Perry’s.

I can remember Colleen as a little girl, and I had to get after her for a messy room.  Today, her beautiful home is immaculate and decorated by a professional, Colleen!  We loved the family pictures on the wall and took notes!

We love family!

Mark is going to BBQ sirloin tips this evening, and Sarah (Jon’s bride)  will make her world-famous oysters.  We needed supplies, including a cake, so we went to the local market.  Logann selected the cake, but we also needed one for Calhan!

We are shopping ahead of a family dinner.

On the way back home, we stopped at McDonalds and, of course, Dunkin’ Donuts!

That morning, Mary attempted to renew her DEA license and discovered that her California Medical License had expired; it was panic time. After calling the California Medical License Bureau, Mary found that the agency needed to send updated cards. You’ll need to go online and print them out.

While at Colleen’s, Mary and Colleen worked together to bring everything up to date.  Mary’s license had NOT run out after all.   Colleen saved us; we needed a printer to print out the medical licenses!  We even went to Staples and had them sealed in plastic.  Now Mary is all up to date!

While that happened, I received a text from Colleen, who recommended my Halloween costume for this year.  I went online and ordered it from Amazon.  I get to be a patriotic Santa.

We are ready to go!

Sarah and Jon arrived first, and then Sarah went to work to prepare the fried oysters.  The aromas coming from that stove were quite impressive.  Mary and I wandered over and watched the process unfold.  And let me tell you, it was like watching a magic show, except instead of a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat, it was more like watching someone try to assemble an IKEA bookshelf without the instructions!

Mary assists.

I tried to take a picture with our oldest grandson, Jon, but he’s so tall that when I made him sit down, he still towered over me.  It looks like we are taking a photo with a friendly giant!

Our oldest grandson, Jon!

Jacquie and Nate also watched the cooking activities and shared stories with everyone.

Chuck stays close to Mom and Dad!  Emmy will be here soon!

We have four generations below. From left to right, we have son-in-law Mark, great-grandson Chunk (1 1/2 years old going on four), great-grandson Calhan, great-grandpa Liles, and grandson Jon. Another nature has a plan; she improves the looks of each generation.

Four generations!

We cannot leave the girls out!  Emmy demanded equal attention!

We allow girls in also!  Emmy was quite happy.  Where is Jacquie?

Great-grandpa Liles and four great-grandchildren are trying to determine if the beard means he is Santa Claus!  What a collection!

Meet great grandkids!  Logann, Emmy, Calhan, and Chunk!

Emmy had to leave early as she had to return to school tomorrow, so we sent her home with some cake.  This slice was for Chunk!

The cake is a vital necessity!

In the front room, Jackie was charged with watching the kids (including Mark)

Jacquie had everything under control!

The dinner bell rang, and the oysters were ready to make a dramatic entrance!  They rolled in on tiny oyster-sized roller skates, wearing tiny chef hats and performing a synchronized dance routine.  It was quite the show!

I downed six of these puppies, and Mary even had one, even though she very seldom eats shellfish!  They were amazing.  The sheet pan was emptied in minutes, and even the kids enjoyed oysters—imagine that!!

Sarah did oysters!

Mary attempted to help, but the kitchen with Mark, Jon, Sarah, and Colleen all working together was like a ballet… we decided to sit in the first row and applaud!

“Can I help??”

The grandparents also get a full circus show with the four little ones running around the house.

Fun with family!

While heading home, I recalled many thoughts about my daughter, Colleen.  It turns out that she and Joe are just like me in so many ways; Mary agreed!  Seeing them with their own family is a pretty fantastic feeling.

She turned out to be an amazing woman and a fantastic grandmother.

Around 9:00 pm, we headed home to the Silver Fountain, exhausted from a full day of visiting.

Going home… in the dark!

Posted in Adventures, Cooking, Family, Fun, Memories | 2 Comments

Day 4 – Have Education Will Travel!

Posted on Sunday, September 29, 2024 by Paul

220 Miles To Go!

 Day 1 – Day 2 – Day 3 – Day 4 – Day 5 – Day 6 – Day 7 – Day 8 – Day 9 

So, Mary was off to school at 7:00 am and I was left to pack our goodies, have breakfast, checkout, and wait for her nibs to be dismissed.  Looks like I’m the designated pack mule and breakfast chef today!

Most everything fits into Mary’s five steamer trunks.  I put my one pair of jeans into the Ralph’s Market paper sack ( I folded it carefully) and went to have breakfast.  Mary allowed me $1.50 for breakfast, so I had a toothpick and a glass of water—known in these parts as a “pine float”!

After arranging for Beakins Moving and Storage to get the steamer trunks and the twelve matching suitcases, we waited outside the one-room schoolhouse for Mary to reappear.

I brought her an apple to give the teacher!

Zot, we were off at approximately 1:00 pm.   The moving van was right behind us!  Our GPS was set to go, revealing we had four hours to get to Dover.  I thought I had put the GPS to the B&B, but it was set to Colleen’s home.

Mary snapped a picture of the foliage around Ba Haba, which is always green and beautiful until winter.

Saying goodbye to Ba Haba.

The signage and roads were in excellent condition, and we made good time until the accident at milepost 113 on Highway 95.  We came to a dead stop.  The GPS asked, “Would you like to save 53 minutes to your destination?”

With a resounding yes, we were off for a twenty-minute countryside tour.  We drove through barns, inched through open fields, scared a mess of chickens, and also side-swiped a cow.  Finally, we arrived at milepost 120 and were off and running again!  Later that day, I plucked the car, removing the chicken feathers accumulated during our off-road experience.

We are about three weeks early for the color spectacular, but we get a taste of fall occasionally!

The leaves are beginning to turn.

Commanding the Starship requires a lot of energy as we navigate between the various freeways and byways. My trusty navigator, General Nuisance, kept me on the straight and narrow, with only mild screaming outbursts as I changed lanes.

Captain at the helm!

Mother Nature, that pesky person, started calling us, and we knew we would not make it to Colleen’s, so we stopped at a roadside rest area and did our thing.  Dunkin’ Donuts was there, and we had a Latte to go.

After three hours of driving, we stopped to heed the calls of Mother Nature and get a coffee.

Another hour later, we landed at Colleen’s home in Dover.  We jumped into Colleen and Mark’s truck for a quick trip to The Hold Grail restaurant to meet with the rest of the family.

The Holy Grail has been voted the Best Irish Pub in NH for the past 11 years!  The old St. Joseph’s Church was built by William J. O’Connor in 1895-1896 and established as a Parish in 1898.  In simpler times, this new structure served the residents as a gathering place to worship, meet people, listen to music, and socialize with friends and family.

Today, over 100 years later, Maureen Kennedy has turned the same basic structure into one of the Seacoast’s premier restaurants.  The Holy Grail Food & Spirits strives to be a pub in the truest sense of the word.  They have combined present-day ideas with the family values of our Irish heritage.  The “Cottage Room” resembles the home of Maureen’s grandparents in Rosmuc, Derryrush, Connemara, located down the road from James Joyce, the famous Irish author and poet.

The “Choir Loft” provides the setting for an intimate dining experience.  It overlooks the main bar and Irish village mural on the altar wall.  The loft also features exceptional views of the building’s original stained glass windows.  Pew-like booths line the walls.  Authentic Irish/English cuisine enhances our guests’ overall dining experience.

Dinner at the Holy Grail!

We joined the family, who had been chowing down on appetizers since we were late due to Highway 95 traffic and accidents.  We had a wonderful meal and stuffed our faces like there was no tomorrow!

Our three East Coast grandkids and three great-grandkids joined the fun, but Chunk, the youngest, had to stay home with Daddy!  The management had to warn us twice about being too rowdy. I guess we need to work on our indoor voices and save the party tricks for after-hours!

The gang is all here.

We moved seats as the evening progressed, so everyone got a chance to visit everyone!  Although “relatively new” to the family, Mary fit right in and was welcomed by all.

Mary enjoyed her Irish Stew in a breadbasket.

The “greats” were a hoot, and I got to play schoolhouse with the girls.  They made up games as they went, and I had no idea what I was doing, but they laughed, so that was good.

We also got to visit Cassie’s in-laws, who came along.  Elan was a Marine, and Mary was in the Army, so they had beautiful stories to tell!  Vanessa and I shared stories about growing up.

The kids are all good friends and get along wonderfully!  Calan and Sarah are joined at the hip!!

On the way in, there was one statue in the hallway, but on the way out, there were two.  Then, it became clear that Jon (our oldest grandson) was teasing his nephews and nieces.

It wasn’t easy to figure out who was the most pious!

Jon the Pious meets the Monk!

We had a gaggle for dinner this evening and enjoyed catching up on everything.  We will see everyone again during the week and visit our grandkids homes.  They all live within 20 minutes of each other.

Heading home, Sarah leads the parade.

Calan will be like Jon, which is a good thing!

Oh my, no, there are three of them!!

Calan joins the visit.

Colleen drove us back to her house, where we picked up our car and finished the 1.7 miles to our B&B.  We are staying in the same place as last year.

The Silver Fountain Inn in Dover is 150 years old. The hotel proudly serves Dover, Durham, Portsmouth, Hampton, Somersworth, New Hampshire, Kittery, York, and Ogunquit, Maine.

We stayed there last year; this time, our room was on the first floor.

We turned back the clock 100 years when we opened the doors.

We made it to the hotel!

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Day 3 – Mary Goes To School from 7am until 2 pm

Posted on Saturday, September 28, 2024 by Paul

 Day 1 – Day 2 – Day 3 – Day 4 – Day 5 – Day 6 – Day 7 – Day 8 – Day 9 

Mary had to wake up the chickens this morning because they slept too long.  I mean, someone had to do it, right?  And I didn’t walk her to school because, let’s be honest, I needed to save my energy for all the important stuff I had to do later, like deciding what to have for lunch.  I puttered around the room and finished off Day 2 of this grand adventure, which mostly involved figuring out where I left my ticket to ride the bus.

The bus wanted me there at 9:30, so I departed at 9:00 am and walked to Testa’s Restaurant to pick up my tickets.  As I mosied to the pickup point, the tide was noticeably higher than last night!

I caught the bus at the end of the street.

The Tesla restaurant was empty, so I got some bacon and eggs, as the bus tour did not include dining.  I could watch the bus so I would not miss it.

It’s time for bacon and eggs before the ride.

We were off on time at 10:00 am and headed to Acadia National Forest.  The first stop was “The Wild Gardens”.   The Wild Gardens of Acadia is located in the Sieur de Monts area of Acadia National Park.  The entrance is on Route 3, approximately 2 miles south of Bar Harbor’s Village Green.

First stop: wild gardens.

How many shades of green do you see?  The vegetation  was lush!

It was a bit foggy.

The paths were made of tiny rocks, which helped with the rain. Annual precipitation in Maine averages 40 inches in the Northern Division, about 42 inches in the South, and 46 inches in the Coastal Division where we are visiting.

The pathways were easy to walk.

There were many rivers, streams, and lakes in the area.

The water looked like a mirror.

The Beaver Dam was built so well that no water left the lake.  Beavers build watertight dams made of woven sticks, reeds, branches, and saplings caulked together with mud and rocks.  The dams form low-moving ponds that reduce stream erosion and provide a brand-new habitat for small fish and other aquatic wildlife.  Rocks make up a large part of dams.

The state installed an overflow system.

There were many stairs, so I stayed up on the top.

We saw this from the boat last night.

Ancient geological forces and the passage of time long ago formed Thunder Hole and the surrounding rocky coastline that characterizes Mount Desert Island today.  Clara Barns Martin’s 1867 ‘Guide Book for Mount Desert Island,’ mentions ‘Thunder Hole or Thunder Cave, a deep chasm into which with every returning wave the water rolls and swirls, and when wind and tide conspire, the wave is thrown against the overhanging rock with a blow that makes the whole cliff shake and the air tremble as with the crash of thunder.

Solid Granite.

Reds and greens, who has some Christmas lights??

All it needs is Christmas lights.

The road was blasted out of solid rock in the 1930s. The winding road from the Park Loop Road at the base of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park to the summit is approximately 3.5 miles long.

The road to the top was blasted through this rock.

From the top, you can see the five islands near Bar Harbor.  Lying directly east of the Bar Harbor Public Pier, The Porcupine Islands consist of a chain of five islands: Bar Island, Sheep Porcupine, Burnt Porcupine, Long Porcupine, and Bald Porcupine.

The five islands adjacent to Ba Haba

It is supposed to look like this (when the Sun is out):

Thanks to Post Cards!

The bus returned to Bar Harbor around 12:30, and I returned to the hotel before waiting for Mary to leave class.  The flowers were beautiful, and I could not resist this one with its shades of blue.

These flowers bordered the conference gall all along the main street.

I sat and waited inside the conference center and talked to the coordinator, who remembered us from last year.

I sat patiently for just a few minutes, and the door broke open, and people were escaping the conference.

We passed by the hotel and wandered to the Mexican restaurant Jalepeno’s, but it was closed. A sign stated, “Thanks for a wonderful season; see you next year!” We were hoping to have Mexican food before we departed.

We stumbled back, and Mary made me stop at every store to pick up goodies for her friends.  Finally, we ended up at this super fancy, avant-garde restaurant.  I’m unsure if I was more excited about the food or the chance to finally sit down after all that walking!

The Loft was just that—all upstairs with a fantastic view of the harbor. It is a contemporary Seafood experience. Dishes are prepared in three areas: the main kitchen, Our Raw Bar, and the Seafood Shack. The Loft serves dishes designed to be shared or enjoyed individually.

We watched the ships come and go into the harbor.

Loaded Guacamole: Chopped & Smashed to Order, Hass Avocados, Heirloom Tomato,
Vidalia Sweet Onion, Jalapeno, Fresh Squeezed Lime, Maine Sea Salt served Alongside Home Made Flour Tortillas.

Sushi Burrito:  Just like a sushi roll served as a burrito.  Flash-fried j  bo shrimp, tuna poke, tobiko roe, eel sauce, wasabi aioli, cucumber, carrots & pea greens

I managed to devour most of it but I needed space for Blueberry Pie!

We finally made it back to the hotel at the early hour of 7:00 pm, feeling like true party animals. To cap off our wild evening, we decided to live life on the edge and watched ‘Grease’ before calling it a night. We’re just rebels without a cause, I tell you!

Tomorrow, Mary goes in at 7:00 am again, but she is out at 12:30, and we head to Colleen’s house down in New Hampshire.

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Day 2 – Mary Goes To School!

Posted on Friday, September 27, 2024 by Paul

 Day 1 – Day 2 – Day 3 – Day 4 – Day 5 – Day 6 – Day 7 – Day 8 – Day 9 

We were up and ready to go… at 10:00 am!  OMG, yesterday’s trip was exhausting.  We got to the hotel nine minutes after their breakfast service was over and was done!  We decided to walk to the end of the street and find a quick eatery.

It was a nice walk in the fresh air and sunshine!

We found the perfect place to grab a bite right on the ocean.  The food was excellent and quick for Mary, who had to check in by 11:45 am.  We did bagels, and they were a full meal.

How do you make a bagel stop moving? Put lox on it.

The Sunrise Cafe had everything we could ask for!

We walked to the events center two doors from the hotel with our tummies full.  Breakfast was just above the orange kayaks.  We made it up the ramp and headed up the street.

It was obviously low tide!

The walk revealed that some seriously creative folks lurk around here.  Watch out for flying paintbrushes and spontaneous painting parties!  That reminds me, we are going to carve out some fun this fall.

These two guys need to see an eye doctor!

Autumn is not yet in full bloom but has started on some trees.  This guy will be naked in another two weeks, and all his leaves will be swept up and turned into soil!

Do you know what the ginkgo tree says when it answered the phone? “Yellow!”

We wondered if he was red because he was embarrassed.

We stopped at our hotel so Mary could have her picture taken with the flowers.  Ba Haba has flowers everywhere, and they are pruned and maintained daily.

Settled in 1763, the city was incorporated in 1796 as Eden; the present name (for Bar Island in the main harbor) was adopted in 1918. Most of the town was destroyed by fire in 1947. Rebuilt Bar Harbor is the center of a popular resort area verging on Acadia National Park and is a port of entry.

Hey Mary, you could become the “official Greeter”.

Mary went to the convention center two doors down, and I returned to the hotel to fight with the computer.  This morning, it told me, “You have a critical error”.  We can’t let that go on, so I worked on it for two hours and got things back to normal.

Since I planned to be a good boy and patiently wait outside the schoolhouse for my lady, I decided I needed to go to Walgreens and pick up a cane since the sciatica seemed to come and go.

The Criterion Theatre is a historic performance space at 35 Cottage Street in downtown Bar Harbor, Maine.  Built in 1932, when Bar Harbor’s summer scene was at its height, it is one of only two Art Deco theaters in the state.  It seats 588 people and is quite active to this day.

It would be fun to see the inside, but our short stay does not give us the necessary time.  Maybe next year?

Come on in!!

After getting the walking stick, I wandered back to the hotel via Main Street and shopped for some coats in case the boat ride was cold.  Being a prudent shopper and an awful judge of color, I decided we had enough warm clothes for this evening.

Walking is good for you, so I began the journey back to the convention center to await my bride.

The streets were pretty busy as this was the end of the summer season!

On the way home, I stopped at the local pub and had a gimlet or two!  After all, I am Irish and it was Paddy’s Place!

I could NOT resist!

The event times were listed for this evening’s activities.

Mary ran out of the classroom and hightailed it to the hotel, with me hobbling along after her!  We put on our jackets and carried our inflatable rubber ducks just in case.  The boat departed at the dock where we had breakfast this morning, which made it easy to find.

Everyone went upstairs or outside; Mary and I, seasoned travelers, stayed inside and downstairs for three reasons: it was warm, out of the wind, and near the bar!

Our boat is on the left, and it pulled out at 5:00 pm SHARP!

We were on the water for 90 minutes and saw many unique homes.  These places were adjacent to or surrounded by Acadia National Park.

Acadia National Park is a 47,000-acre Atlantic coast recreation area, primarily on Maine’s Mount Desert Island.  Woodland, rocky beaches, and glacier-scoured granite peaks, such as Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the United States East Coast, mark its landscape.  Among the wildlife are moose, bears, whales, and seabirds.  The bayside town of Bar Harbor, with restaurants and shops, is a popular gateway.

There are many multi-million dollar homes around the park’s periphery.  From their vantage points on the coastline, they must have a magical sea view.

Talk about a house with a view!!

Everywhere you turn, there is another sight.  The lighthouse was put into operation in 1828 and still serves.  With technology advancing, it became automated in 1966, so the lightkeeper facilities are unused.

The birds seem to enjoy the house!

As we turned to go back home, we were presented with a magnificent sunset.

 

We had a magnificent sunset, meaning it was 6:18 pm!

On the return, we had a canned wine and enjoyed being inside and warm.  There is lobster ahead!

Yes, there was a fair breeze outside the cabin!

We stopped by the hotel for a few minutes and then went to the lobster bake.  Read about https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/seven-fun-facts-about-the-clambake/ 

Mary and I managed to down three of these beauties, along with a mess of clams, potatoes, and steak thrown in for good measure.

Dinner was served, and we finished off three lobsters!

We wallowed home, and thank goodness it was only three hundred feet away!  The TV stayed off, and we crashed.  Mary has to be in class at 7:00 am tomorrow.  I get a two-hour bus tour of Acadia National Forest.

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Day 1: O-Dark-Thirty And We Are Off And Running

Posted on Thursday, September 26, 2024 by Paul

Airplanes take off at 6:00 am. I  didn’t think airplanes woke up at 6:00 am!!

 Day 1 – Day 2 – Day 3 – Day 4 – Day 5 – Day 6 – Day 7 – Day 8 – Day 9 

Our limo driver was here at 2:30 am; Jonny on the spot!!  We were packed and ready to go with the checklist checked and double-checked.   The limo was loaded, and we were off like a herd of buffalo transversing the 55 to the 91 to the 605 to the 105 and finally into the American Airlines terminal. 

We unloaded my tiny little Ralph’s Market shopping bag of clothes and then hailed three porters to carry Mary’s steamer trunk and eight suitcases to the check-in desk. Did I fail to mention Mary had eleven carry-ons, and I was not one of them?!

The lady at the counter asked if we were smuggling pirates!

We arrived at LAX a little early, so we found a place to sit. We ordered breakfast at a small place. One cold turkey sandwich and two lattes for $36—we are in the wrong business! It was like a holdup!

Airport food can be expensive for a number of reasons, including:

High retail space costs – Airport retailers pay a premium for small spaces, and the cost is not fixed. They may also pay a monthly rate plus a commission on sales.

Security – Airport food must go through airport security frequently due to limited storage space. This includes extra precautions like counting knives multiple times a day.

Transportation – Airport vendors may need to pay for transportation to the airport and parking.

Employee badges – Vendors may need to pay for special badges for their employees.

Supply chain – Airport food delivery trucks need to clear security and may need extra insurance.

Demand and supply – Airports are high-security zones, so many outside food items are not allowed inside.

Competition – Airports have limited space, so there are fewer stores and less competition.

Supplier prices – Food wholesalers may charge more to businesses near airport terminals.

 

The first flight took off like clockwork on a swanky new 321 aircraft. It was so shiny, I think I saw my reflection in the fuselage! We had a lovely brunch on the airplane and a glass of champagne. We were both tired, so we crashed (excuse the expression) for the four-and-a-half-hour flight.

Leaving LAX this early was terrific!  It was foggy but as soon as we got to about 3,000 the Sun was out and the view was terrific.

… into the wild grey wonder!

As we banked to the south and eventually northeast, the Catalina Islands emerged from the clouds.  It is amazing how the Sun can burn off the clouds in a hour or so.

Catalina sticks her head out of the clouds.

About 30 minutes into the flight, the steward came by with breakfast. It was pretty good and warm, except for the champagne.  Even the fruit was ripe!

Breakfast is served.

After four hours of flying, we were over Philadelphia, and the aircraft was running low on essentials: wine!!

Philadelphia is our first stop!

We were first in line after a quick sip of the wine at the nearby saloon.

Bangor, next stop!

Mary had all the tickets, passports, and other documents we needed to check in. I took a wheelchair and am glad I did, as we came in on concourse C and departed on F, which was quite a walk!

Stop! I have the boarding passes!!

The next lap was approximately one hour, and it went fast.  The airplane was a puddle jumper, but it was comfortable, and the stews were terrific.

We are here!

The car trip from Bangor to Bar Harbor took about 60 minutes, but it was a little slower than expected because the rain fell fast, and this part of the country did not have street lights.

Check-in was easy, and the people at the front desk remembered us from last year.

After arriving at the hotel, we opened our drawers and put our things together before going to dinner at the hotel’s eatery!

I must say their Fish Stew had everything in it!

Fish soup in Bar Haba cannot be beat!

I was so hungry that my silverware looked like lights flashing on a dark night.

The wise old man!!

At 8:30 pm local time, we were in the sack and sound asleep!  These 3:00 am departures are NOT as easy as they used to be.

 

Posted in Adventures, Just Us | 1 Comment

Wednesday, One More Tortue Day And We Are Off!

Posted on Wednesday, September 25, 2024 by Paul

Up and at ’em!  We were ready for the trip to the torture chamber by 8:15 am and did 45 minutes on the stationary bikes before being called into the chamber, tied to a big machine, and had our muscles moved in very unnatural ways!

After the gym, we refilled our calories at the local bagel bar and then home to put the final touches on the packing.

Our cleaning team arrived about 1:00 p.m., and we left for the garden while they cleaned tho office and the master bedroom.

We planted peanuts in the garden a month ago an, and we expect a super crop in about two more months.

Goober—a nickname for peanuts—comes from “nguba”, the Congo language name for peanut.  By law, any product labeled “peanut butter” in the United States must be at least 90 percent peanuts.

We are gonna have peanuts in about 65 days!

The Mexican  squash was doing well, but we had to send them home with Domi as we will be gone and they will get too big. Mild in flavor and varying in size from baby to medium to large, Mexican squash sports a pale green thin edible skin. Appearing nearly seedless, its tasty flesh is whiter and sweeter than zucchini. Shaped somewhat like zucchini, this variety is most often larger more e, more extensive,.

The Mexican squash is milder and sweeter than zucchini and has green, speckled skin. Can you eat the skin on Mexican squash? Yes.

The rest of the afternoon, and had a small dinner before Irene joined us.  We crashed around 9:00 pm as we had to be up at 1:30 am to await our ride.

Posted in Just Us | Comments Off on Wednesday, One More Tortue Day And We Are Off!

Time To Pack And Sing “Happy Birthday”!!

Posted on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 by Paul

Happy birthday to grandsons Zachary, 34, and Nick Duda, 25! They celebrate the same birthday!  We are very proud of these young men!

Suitcase #1 of 8 almost closed!

This morning we departed for Dianne’s home to meet with Zachary so he could estimate the cost of putting in a first-class set of  security cameras and a updated wifi system in her home.  We arrived at Dianne’s and had a cup of coffee and Zack joined us at 8:30 am.

We walked the yard as well as visit the in-home museum!  I believe Zack was quite amazed!

One could spend an hour in here discovering the past!!

Even the ceiling was adorned with solid copper foil!

The Wurlitzer sounds like a full orchestra!

Did You Know?

The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to as simply Wurlitzer, is an American company started in Cincinnati in 1853 by German immigrant (Franz) Rudolph Wurlitzer. The company initially imported stringed, woodwind and brass ,instruments from Germany for resale in the United States. Wurlitzer enjoyed initial success, largely due to contracts to provide musical instruments to the U.S. military. In 1880, th1880y began manufacturing pianos and eventually relocated to North Tonawanda, New York. It quickly expanded to make band organs, orchestrions, player pianos and pipe organ theatre organs popular in theatres during the days of silent movies.

Wurlitzer also operated a chain of retail stores where the company’s  products were sold. As technology evolved, Wurlitzer began producing electric pianos, electronic organs, and jukeboxes. It eventually became known more for jukeboxes and vending machines, which are still made by Wurlitzer.

Wurlitzer’s jukebox operations were sold and moved to Germany in 1973. The Wurlitzer piano and organ brands and U.S. manufacturing facilities were acquired by the Baldwin Piano Company in 1988, and most piano manufacturing moved overseas.

The Baldwin Co., including its Wurlitzer assets, was acquired by the Gibson Guitar Corporation in about 1996. Ten years later, Gibson acquired Deutsche Wurlitzer and the Wurlitzer Jukebox and Vending Electronics trademarks, briefly reuniting Wurlitzer’s best-known products under a single corporate banner in 2006. Baldwin ceased making Wurlitzer-brand pianos in 2009. Vending machines are still manufactured in Germany using the Wurlitzer name under Gibson ownership. The company ceased manufacturing  jukeboxes in 2013 but they still sell replacement parts.

Returning home, we packed and began getting things ready for Thursday morning for our 2:30 am departure to LAX via limo!

We finished up around 4:45 pm  and went to Benihana’s Restaurant in Santa Ana to celebrate Nick’s birthday.

Nick has been wanting to go here for a long time.

We sat in the Tappan room with 200,000 others— level sounded like that!  It was like trying to have a peaceful converse peacefully at rock concert featuring a very enthusiastic marching band.

Fun with family!

The chef was amazing making the knives clank on the steel table.  Flames were shooting into the air, I almost wanted to sing the Star Spangled Banner as I was  finishing my rice.

Call 911, my shrimp just blew u;!

We took a picture of the original photo the restaurant provided us. Bob’s sister and mother joined us for the celebration!

A picture of a picture!

We headed home and admired out new iPhone controlled outdoor lighting.  Sometimes it even scares me!!

New lighting can be changed with the touch of the iPhone!

We stayed up until almost midnight finishing some of the packing we had to do.

Here we come!

Posted in Dining Out, Family | Comments Off on Time To Pack And Sing “Happy Birthday”!!

Fall Plus One And All Is “OK”

Posted on Monday, September 23, 2024 by Paul

We were up at Oh-Dark Thirty this morning because we had an appointment at the torture chamber commonly referred to as “the gym.”  We managed to lap down our coffee in order to to get the hearts started before departing.  We left Scout behind  doing his job guarding the backyard from stray elephants!

My trainer worked on my back as the sciatica has been giving me fits for the past week.  Mary rotated between all the pain-inducing mechanical equipment.  Even though I was face down on the floor, I could triangulate her approximate position in the gym by the yells, moans, and screams!

We escaped with our lives and ran into the Ralphs Market next door before they could find us.  We got milk and some other goodies.

We headed home because our masseur was due at 11:00 am to continue working on the back!  He worked on my back for a good hour, and it felt very different.  The sciatic nerve is a real pain when it goes south.  When he started by left leg was about two inches shorter than the right due to the nerves being tight.

OUCH!

The sciatic nerve helps you feel sensations in your legs, including the back of the thigh, the outer and back part of the lower leg, and the sole of the foot.

Double ouch!!

The sciatic nerve also connects the central nervous system to the legs. It originates in the lower back and runs down the back of each leg. Damage to the sciatic nerve can cause numbness, tingling, and weakness in the legs or knees. If left untreated, numbness and weakness can become permanent.

I worked in the office, sitting down the rest of the day until it was time to go to dinner with Dianne’s family on “the hill.” While sitting, the trusty computer reminded me of days gone by when it showed the following:

Mary is at home with Scout, The Wonder Dog.

She loves to cook, and we made a pot load of baked apples as well as applesauce  in the last few weeks!

Applesauce anyone?

Dianne’s family found a fantastic B&B up on the hill overlooking Orange County with a view from downtown LA to almost San Diego!  They cooked up some lasagne, and we ate, drank wine, and shared stories!  It was a lovely evening,

After dinner, stories.

The view from the dining table was amazing.  The local High School football stadium is in the distance.

It’s a fantastic view.

I parked just adjacent to the building and was a tad worried about falling off the face of the Earth!

Do you see my shadow?

The white house (mansion) at the top of the hill had a view of all of OC.

Wow!

We headed home around 8:30 pm and crashed; I needed to ensure the leg had a good night’s sleep!

Posted in Cooking, Food and Wine, Friends, Gym | Comments Off on Fall Plus One And All Is “OK”

I Was A Sad Day, David Reidy 1942-2024

Posted on Sunday, September 22, 2024 by Paul

RIP – DAVID REIDY 1942-2024

OBITUARY

David George Reidy, 81, of Santa Ana, California, passed away on September 8, 2024. He was born on November 19, 1942, in Plymouth, New Hampshire.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Dianne Phyllis Reidy.

David attended LaSalle High School in Pasadena, California, and graduated in 1961.

His military service was from 1964 to 1970 in the U.S. Army Reserves, where he started his medical career, which he would continue for 60 years.

He began his career at Orange County Medical Center in the Army Reserve Unit, where he was hired as an orderly and then promoted to Autopsy Technician.

The county hospital became the University of California, Irvine Medical Center, and he worked there from 1964 through 2024. He was always proud to say that he and his wife, Dianne, had 97 years of service to UCI.

During most of those 60 years, he held the position of Anatomic Pathology Manager and specialized in training the resident physicians in autopsy procedures. Around 1987 he was asked to be involved with procurement for a new Alzheimer’s research program, today known as UCI MIND.

He reluctantly retired in 2004 after 40 years. The retirement officer asked him why he had waited so long. The answer became evident when they asked him if they could hire him back part-time. He couldn’t wait to sign up! He continued working with the residents on autopsy procedures and with the procurement for UCI MIND.

David met his wife Dianne at the hospital in 1969, when she began working as an account clerk. Dianne likes to tell the story of him showing up in front of her parents’ house in a yellow sports car (his second classic car) and her mother asking, “Who’s that boy out front?” He was relentless in the chase, as he also followed her to Disneyland, where she and her girlfriends spent weekends at the teenage dances.

They were married on September 14, 1973, at Holy Family Chapel in Orange, California.

Not like most young couples blessed with children, they began their married life collecting antiques, namely a piano for their living room. Then came music boxes, phonographs, and nickelodeons. They joined music collector’s clubs: Automated Music Instruments Collector’s Association (AMICA), Musical Box Society, and Antique Phonograph Society.

Because they enjoyed the old dance music and dressing vintage, they joined a vintage dance class and went on to dance at many ragtime and jazz festivals.

They became interested in old Hollywood movies and attended many Hollywood autograph shows, where they met Margaret O’Brien (once a child star) and many other movie celebrities. They collected well over 100 personal autographed photos that they beautifully display on their hallway walls.

THEN! Movieland Wax Museum in Buena Park closed its doors in 2005. David and Dianne attended the auction of hundreds of wax figures. This was life-changing. David purchased several to the point that another attendee asked Dianne if they had a museum. Her reply “Ah, yes, I guess we do now!” David continued the hunt for more celebrity and famous wax figures over the next 17 years. They have entertained many curious friends, from Shirley Temple to former President Trump. Of course, their house had “no vacancy,” so eventually, they had to annex part of their collection to a small museum where David created a mini Movieland and housed his antique cars. This was a milestone.

Throughout all of his collecting, automobiles remained his first passion. He has belonged to many car clubs, including Packards International, Classic Car Club, Antique Automobile Club, and the Buick Club of America.

David was quite a storyteller. As many of you know, he could talk to you about his life, growing up, his school days, his army years, his work-related stories, their vintage dancing, meeting the Hollywood stars, collecting and creating a museum that told a story of David Reidy. A man with a mission accomplished.

The service was held at Saddleback Chapel Funeral Home in Tustin starting at 10:00 am.

It was a simple but elegant service.

Many friends brought their cars to the service and parked them out in front of the chapel.  Each vehicle has a story to tell.

His friends brought their cars.

The Honor Guard from the American Legion, located on Balboa Island in Newport, honored his military service.

The American Legion accomplished the flag ceremony

Ten speakers had stories to tell about David, and they all rang true. Robert Escalante of Custom Auto Service did an excellent job.

Many friends stood up and spoke about David.

Mary decided to say a few words at the last minute, and she did it very well while fighting back tears.

Mary kept her composure the whole time.

The service was over at noon, and we headed to Highway 39 Event Center, which was very close to UCI Medical Center and just off State College Boulevard South. Inside, it was loaded with classic cars.

We departed the chapel at 12:30 and headed to Highway 39 Event Center

Many items at the mortuary were also brought to the center for display.  The house was packed and we dined on hot dogs and hamburgers, David’s favorite foods!  Stories were told and retold.

More cars.

Almost 200 people were participating in the honoring of David, including a family from Oregon who drove down for the event.

Dianne’s sister and family were there.

We went to Casa D’Oro Restaurant later in the evening. We were supposed to meet Vicky and Jim at the Elks, but we invited them to the restaurant to meet family.

Vicky joined us for dinner.

The evening was joyful, and lots of memories were shared.

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