Friday, September 17, 2010
The latest “update” re: my "wheel-less" situation!
If anything…things have degenerated into…me not
[yet another day] doing much of anything unless it
involves“foot-power”. All…however is not lost as Jill will
be free from her professional environment and will be
home Saturday afternoon and through Sunday.
So for now...the plan is to go to various places! What
my daughter has in mind is something that I am
presently unaware of. Whatever it may be…at least I’ll
be spending some actual time with her and my grand-
children…not to mention going…well…someplace J.
I will keep you all advised as to what this place…places…
what-ever may prove to be…when I find out! So…as it
now stands…I will be hiking it once again today. The
difference…is this time I have the breakfast ingredients
in the house…where I can prepare it myself and then
where-in a duplication of my previous walk is highly
“likely”!
The only planned difference will be that I will be doing
some shopping for some “really important” stuff that I
need JJ. Who knows I may even end up with “zilch”.
Basically I’m looking for items that…well that I feel safer
buying here in the states versus buying in Ecuador.
Most things like clothes et al…will be acquired once I’m
at my brother and sister-in-law (Allen and Linda) in
upstate New York (more on this at an obvious later date).
FYI…the reason that I shy away from buying most items
in Cuenca (or for that matter…anywhere in S. America)…
Is quite simple. Even if the item may actually cost less
and may even have the same quality (or better)…the
chance of me being over-charged is quite high.
Why(?)…it’s really simple…I am unequivocally...a Gringo…
Why(?)…it’s really simple…I am unequivocally...a Gringo…
specifically a non-Spanish Speaking Gringo. On top
of that…bargaining is an “art-form”…one which by the
way…yours truly is wholly inept!
A few moments ago…I mentioned I might end up with
"zilch" during my walking shopping spree. To tell you
the truth…I am shocked at how truly insightful I am
sometimes. J
Yep…you guessed it. I bought na-da…zilch…nothin'!
It wasn’t that I didn’t try. Topping my list was a average
priced digital camera. You know…one of the really slim
light ones that are endowed with numerous bells and
whistles. I actually found one in my cost range (the
lower-mid-range)…however the “selected sample"
model on “display” was [hellooo] “powerless”
(i.e.–no batteries). What a way to run a business…
”GO TARGET”…yikes!!!!
As for the rest of my list…yeah you can see the writing
on the wall can’t ‘ye?
Basically I took a long walk...with an air-conditioned
diversion through a large store and ended up killing time.
This by the way…all is good ‘cause I was able to get cool
(this is Florida you know) and get in a few more miles of
exercise walking J
I just had to "add" this little gem…and yes it’s about...
food J
Lunchtime (at Jill's place) and what to eat…ta-dah J…
Salami & Cheese on Stone-ground bread with mustard
along with Sour-cream and Green Onion Chips and…
YES!!...Garlic Pickles and Mountain Dew…HEAVEN J
HAPPY...HAPPY J J
More later if anything happens today. If not …then no
more until manana…
Saturday, September 19, 2010
By the way…before I forget…I’ve simply forgotten about
the heat in South Florida. It’s somewhat humid (not
claustrophobic) but definitely hot as in hovering around
90F.
Remember…I’ve gotten somewhat used to my temps
in Ecuador which hovers between 50 and 75F degrees.
Today was no exception (it’s now late afternoon)
and currently 87F. One could probably say (with
confidence) that it feels hotter than it truly is… as the
sun is very strong!
Besides the above…there’s nothing much to report…
with the exception of my ongoing search for a slim
pocket camera. FYI…on purpose I left my good and
trusty Nikon home in Ecuador mainly because of its
bulkiness…figuring I’d pick one up in S. Florida. The
problem turns out…not of finding one that I am
comfortable with…but finding one that is not…purple…
red… turquoise or any other weird color...which seems
to be all that is available (you'd think they'd realize that
nobody wants these beauty's).
What I’m looking for is something compact...”not”
crazily priced…good quality with a healthy amount of
enhancements and preferably brushed (or not) silver
or something similar…like black! Now I ask you…
is that being too demanding?
Anyway…sadly my search was once again one of
the “fruitless kind”! Guess I’ll just need to keep on
searching L
Tonight the plan is for my daughter Jill and I to escape
the kiddies (having Cayla [the oldest] baby-sit) for an
hour or so…while we visit Bahama Breeze (mentioned
earlier) for a light snack and “ahhhh”…relaxing tall and
cool and…one more time…relaxing drinks…and with
no pre-teens whining! J
That’s about all for now…
so until the next “news update”…ciao ciao J
Tuesday, September 21 thru
Friday September 24, 2010
Raleigh, NC
Spent a couple few days with my very close friend
Millicent and her husband Allen in Apex, N.C…which
is a stones, throw from Raleigh/Durham. Besides
catching up on times past and the fairly recent…I had
the pleasure of Millicent & Allen’s company or should I
say that they made my brief stay with them very easy
and pleasurable.
Of course…as by now many of you have realized…
I enjoy different and interesting restaurants. This visit
was no exception. Without my usual “foodie” revue…
I will say that all of the visited restaurants “passed” with
flying colors and all gave me an excuse to “take-home”
the spoils of my meal(s)…of which I enjoyed for the
next days breakfast. Incidentally...this breakfast thing
stems back to my former life in Thailand...where the
main meal is breakfast (i.e. Dinner) and has proven to
be a very good thing…health-wise!
The only thing that I can comment on that was not
exceptional was the weather. While it was extremely
sunny for my time in the Apex (Raleigh)…unfortunately
it was in the midst of a mini “heat-wave”. Remember
this is the end of September and the beginning of the
Fall season and…the temperatures(s) are mid 90’s
as in 95F/96F…OUCH!
Anyway…after my relaxing time with Mill and Allen...
it’s now time for the next leg of my U.S.A trip.
If your looking for me…I am now sitting in the
Raleigh/Durham Int’l Airport awaiting my flight. This by
the way isn’t for another hour and a half…so I’m not
exactly partying away the time J. Fortunately…RDU
(the airport) is a very nice…clean…and comfortable
airport.
So mi amigos y amigas…I shall once again bring you
up to date of my roamings…sometime in the very
near future.
Chao (correct spelling in Ecuador) for now J
Friday, September 24 thru
Sunday September 26, 2010
Howard Beach, NY
After a comfortable and quick flight from Raleigh I
landed at JFK to thankfully cooler weather. Once I
gratefully claimed my lone piece of luggage I made
contact with a local private car service (about half the
cost of a taxi) and was whisked to my daughter Lori’s
place all-told...in about a half hour.
My visit with daughter Lori, husband Mike and grand-
kids Victoria and Justin was short…but proved to be
an easy time including all the normal everyday stuff
one would expect. Just for a quick first day outing...
Lori suggested we take the kids (and me) for some
really great Ice Cream (2 x’s in 2 days) and that should
give you a hint! The following day (Saturday) the whole
family (and me again) went to Justin’s Soccer practice
and enjoyed spring like weather while the kids knocked
themselves out J. Following this activity we all got
back in the car (actually a really plush van) and off we
went to play miniature golf. The difference with this
course is that it was 18 holes instead of the usual 9.
I did pretty well at the game...but nothing to jump
up 'n down about :) Then…as I hinted at before
(ahhh anticipation) it was time for another...
“Ice Cream” visit….yeah!!!! J
I didn’t really accomplish anything with my visiting
Lori other than the important stuff like reconnecting
with my grand-kiddies along with Lori & Mike…so it
was a nice break from what...tends to become
hectic vacationing.
A short sweet trip indeed but one with good memories J
Late this morning…it was time to hit the road again.
This time Lori took me to the Short-line Bus departure
point sans the rest of the family…like to a 7-11 shop in
Queens. Then a quick 3 hour trip…to upstate NY and
Allen & Linda… as in brother and sister-in-law. This will
commence my weeklong visit with them and a part-time
visit with my nephew Scott…starting mid-week.
So as my day draws to a close I look forward to an
enjoyable week in the mountains of upstate NY where
by-the-way…the Fall Foliage is just starting to make
it’s annual appearance. If I’m lucky maybe I’ll get a few
photos of the seasonal changes and…maybe I’ll even
share them with you J
Later the same day (as in Sunday)…
The bus trip was indeed a “trip”.
When I boarded the bus in Queens N.Y. ...destination...
upstate N.Y. specifically Monticello…I was pleasantly
surprised to find about three people on board. I took the
fist "two" seats…as I decided that I didn’t need a seat
partner…and prepared for a relaxing quick trip through
the mountainous regions of upstate New York.
Off we went winding through the streets of Queens and
then to the hinterlands of the northern tiers of New York
City and beyond. Unbeknownst to me…my comfortable
reverie was about to change as we started making
“scheduled” stops to pick up more travelers.
It turns out that we made probably a half dozen or so
stops while filling the bus almost to the full mark. Luckily
I maintained my "double-front seat" un-accosted by the
general populace. Yes…yes…I know I was selfish…
but I didn’t care. All I wanted was for the bus trip to be
completed [in comfort] as soon as possible.
Well…the much awaited time finally arrived as we
pulled into the terminal where I eventually found my
onward ride to my bro ‘n sis-in-law’s place. This ride
came in the form of my Mom and her husband Morty.
So after some hugs and some quick talk we where off to
Allen & Linda place in picturesque...Swan Lake, N.Y.
Surprise surprise as there was a...family and friends
gathering at their house which apparently had grown
beyond anyone’s expectations. This and a very
welcoming B-B-Q helped ease my arrival as I gladly
took-over the duties of lending my manny years of
B-B-Q experience...
by flipping the chicken and hot dogs.
Monday, September 27, 2010
My first full day in the mountains of New York was a day
filled with grey skies and a hell of a lot of rain and...of
course the good company of Allen and Linda (my afore-
mentioned brother and sister-in-law). In a way the
“staying” indoors was a good thing as it gave us all a
chance to play “catch-up” awhile. What we were doing
actually was awaiting the arrival of my cousin Steve and
wife Sue too my Bro an Sis-in-laws upstate abode.
I really cannot thank Steve and Sue enough for visiting
as they are not exactly around the corner. Their
“corner of the world” incidentally is somewhere in
E. Northport N.Y. ...which for all who are unfamiliar with
the greater New York area…on a good day this little trip
can take about a 3 hours to where I am at the present
time. Unfortunately… their trip was not on a good day.
As I mentioned previously it’s…R-A-I-N-I-N-G [and not
lightly]. Anyway the wet trip took Steve and Sue just
about 4 hours.
It should be noted that although the Internet has brought
us together via Facebook…we haven’t seen each
other…well I’ve lost track of really how long that time
frame has become.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Well after a “full” day of shopping…I know now…what…
“shop ‘till you drop” actually means and more importantly…
feels like!
Good God!!!
I truly do not see nor understand…why... many women
are sooo drawn to this act of decadence.
I did however succeed in getting most of the items that
I had decided were important to obtain while in the states.
It’s not because one cannot buy these items in EC but…
because of the ridiculous high costs of the same items in…
well S. America in general.
As you might imagine…after all this shopping...ones
body needs to refuel. I can now tell you that…along with
this urge being addressed it also took care of…a very
long standing wanting of Chinese Food. One needs to
understand that as near as I can recall…it has probably
been a good 13 or 14 years since I’ve tasted NY-style
Chinese type of food.
So...I am now fully satiated in the wanted food areas
involving New York style Chinese Food. However…the
restaurant wasn’t! What????
Actually…Allen & Linda have discovered this little place
and have been eating (notice I didn’t say dining) there
quite regularly. OK…I’ll spill the beans J.
Believe it or not…I’m talking about a Chinese Take-out
place which has about a dozen mundane tables and
chairs. The food and friendliness of the owners is
delicious and very neighborly (in that order). Mmmmmm…
I can still taste the food J…
and it’s hours later J
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
A day in the wilds of the Catskills!
Yes…your eyes are not
playing tricks on you.
I confess…that’s me (the
kid from Brooklyn) in my
“apple pickin’ gear’.
Incidentally the long “high-
tech plunger” lookin’ thingee
is how you get the “really”
high apples to detach them-
selves from their twigs…
branches…what-ever and
then…[hopefully] fall into the
bucket (that’s the red
thinkgee part) and “not”…fall
onto the ground. This by the
way is generally what happened to the…ahem…so called
picked apples L
After about 2 fun-filled hours we were again off to
parts unknown (at least to me).
The next stop was the town of New Paltz, NY which
I confess…I didn’t know was a college town. Not
only is it a college town but…the SUNY New Paltz
University is geared to the “arts”. With this information…
and if you closed your eyes…you might imagine the
dress and demeanor of some of the art students.
To call some of the outfits “off the wall” would be an
understatement…to say the least.
Do to the mix of college students and the historic nature
of the city and it’s two plus century homes…along with
beautiful weather…well it was a really nice…relaxing
and enjoyable experience…even with the “grueling”
and forced walking J J [joking]J J
Like all of my roamings..we took a much needed break
to ingest some food-stuffs. The mentioned food-stuffs
came in the form of Pizza…the likes that which…
would rival any N.Y.C. pizza joint and might…just might
even beat some of the NY City places at their own game.
This by the way comes from the “mouth of babes”...as
(if you weren't already aware) yours truly...was born
and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. and I know my Pizza.
So there!! J
After that really good pizza break it was once again
time to continue our fun time odyssey!
From the city of New Paltz proper…and being that we
were close…we arrived at a place high in the
mountains…which turned out to be a spa aptly named
Mohonk Mountain House.
The spa is located
near the actual city
of New Paltz, NY.
and is surrounded
by what one can
only call deep
forests. By the way…
I used the term “aptly”
do to the fact that this
entire region…many
moons ago…was inhabited by what were commonly known
as “redskins”or “Injuns” by the then new-comers…
the “white-man”!
Anyway (forgive the little history lesson) we then
surreptitiously roamed the scenically wooded play-ground
of the “well-heeled” clientele...that regularly visit Mohonk
Spa (as it is commonly called). This incidentally…is enjoyed
by what ”few” average people have experienced or for that
matter...are even aware of.
surreptitiously roamed the scenically wooded play-ground
of the “well-heeled” clientele...that regularly visit Mohonk
Spa (as it is commonly called). This incidentally…is enjoyed
by what ”few” average people have experienced or for that
matter...are even aware of.
we were doing (after
all I am on vacation).
That walking “part” of
the grounds and
breathing the fresh…
crisp…cool scented
air was extremely
invigorating and
calming at the same
time.
calming at the same
time.
I now understand why this Spa… which has been in
business for the past One-Hundred and Forty
[yes…140] years…is a well-reserved focal point for the
mid to upper crust.
From there it was back on the road and back to Allen
and Linda retreat in the mountains…which they call home.
Tomorrow…
the “all-knowing-all seeing” weatherman (hmmm) is
calling for heavy rains…all day! Time (as always) will
tell and I will be sure to keep you all informed…as I know…
tell and I will be sure to keep you all informed…as I know…
you are all awaiting this news with baited breath. J
Adios for now…
Note:
You'll probably notice that some of the type
alignment is "out-of-whack". This is do to the fact that
well...I've thrown-up my hands in trying to outwit the
program (yeah...like that's possible). Hopefully...
this won't affect your enjoyment.
More to come in the very near future!
Note:
You'll probably notice that some of the type
alignment is "out-of-whack". This is do to the fact that
well...I've thrown-up my hands in trying to outwit the
program (yeah...like that's possible). Hopefully...
this won't affect your enjoyment.
More to come in the very near future!
