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September 25, 2006
Newsflash...
There ARE still VERY good people in the world and we found 2 of them!
Our flights to Seattle yesterday did not have the best seats assigned to us. Neither segment had us sitting together and to top it off we BOTH had middle seats from Newark to Seattle. ::::Willies::: We tried to change them at check in but no go, the gate agent said maybe someone would be willing to change with us. Riiiiiight...as IF someone would give up an aisle or window seat so we could be together.
So on the first segment to Newark the guy sitting next to me commented on how no one was getting to sit with their traveling companion....he switched with HGJ so at least we could be together and then he did end up being able to switch again to be with his wife. See how nicely things work out when being cooperative?
We didn't hold out much hope for our duel middle seat exchange. Hell, we were so late arriving in EWR that all we cared at that point about was getting on the plane! As it was we only a few from the last to board. As I saw the disappointment in the eyes of my seatmates when I pointed to the middle seat, I commented at least I wasn't 6'7" and 400 pounds. hehehe...a little levity there. Once my window seat mate realized HGJ was across the aisle he offered (OUTRIGHT & UNASKED) to switch so we could sit together. "WHAT???? You'd really give up your window for a middle seat???" He answered he was traveling alone and it didn't matter to him, we should be able to sit together and he took Greg's middle seat. More levity...Greg got a few chuckles from the surrounding rows when he claimed the nice guy was probably getting the better deal because I snore and probably wouldn't make it past taxiing....;-D Hey! I resemble that remark...I made it most of the way through "X-men" some stupid movie.
Renewed faith in the kindness of our fellow travelers and maybe someday we can be as thoughtful...well, maybe not middle seat kind but something close! snort. Hey, I think I gave up a window to take a middle once to sit next to Greg so I'm not without kindness...
Have a fine day all....it's a beautiful day here in Seattle...I just might take advantage of it out there.
Posted by frani at 12:11 PM | Comments (2)
September 22, 2006
Green Means GO...
...Red means STOP and every one knows Yellow lights mean go like hell.
Yes for all my complaining about other drivers, I do have my flaws. I do have a tendency to run yellow lights even if I've had a little time to acknowledge the fact that the light turned yellow and I've got plenty of time to stop. Frequently I snicker about the guy behind me running the "yellow" light as well...geesh, fella *I* should have stopped...but you! For You it had to have been RED!
So this morning, as I was running a yellow light I full well shouldn't have, I looked in my rear view mirror to see the guy behind me running it too..and I KNOW it was red for him. Oh yeah, HIM being a New Haven Police Officer. Oh shoot...I thought for sure he was going to pull me over...nope.
You'd think I'd be careful after that...you'd be wrong. Well, you see, a light or two later, I got caught in one of those situations where the light turned yellow BUT to stop would have been a little tricky for me so I ran another one...as did said Police Officer.
I have to admit to feeling a bit tense but then I guess the New Haven Police Officers have better things to do with their time than cite some VT Granny with moving violations. Thank Goodness!
Time to pack to go home later today.....have a good one
Posted by frani at 08:57 AM | Comments (5)
September 20, 2006
Dipstick....
The Scene: Howard Ave in New Haven CT
The Traffic Scene: Approaching intersection. Car facing me in other lane waiting to make turn into side street. Half a block in front of me traffic light is red and I would barely make it off crosswalk past the intersection if I continued. I choose to stop and let waiting car make his turn in front of me
The Dipstick: Pickup Truck behind me decides to pass me on the right and nearly collides with turning car.
Oh yeah he gets to the end of the line of stopped cars with his tailgate sticking over the crosswalk lines and waits for the light to turn green before me. Of course, being from California, he is probably used to Road Rage and he won't look at me in his rear view mirror to see me yelling at him! Actually it was very obvious he was looking every where BUT at me and I really wasn't angry, I was struck with how inconsiderate and arrogant and oblivious he really was and I really really wanted him to know it. I guess he did. Geesh.
Apparently the stability of Internet access at this hotel really hasn't changed much in the last year...when we stopped using it because the Internet access was totally unreliable. kept choking last night while trying to get email. It was basically non functioning. We had a little chat with the Manager of this establishment this morning....I'm not sure he really gets it but he tells us they are working on getting a new vendor for their Internet access. Guess we'll check to see if the move has been made before we check in here again. The second choice hotel is 17 miles away and the commute will be at a time when I've noticed clogged highway traffic in the direction we'd be going. Not ideal either and maybe we'd have to find the non-interstate route if we decided to stay there. sigh.
Moving right along...it's a beautiful day with bright sunshine and great temperatures. I'm going to enjoy the day out there!
Home you have great weather where you are too! (Psst Seattlites...gear up that good weather, we'll be back on Sunday! No rain, Please.)
Posted by frani at 09:21 AM | Comments (0)
September 18, 2006
Out of the Mouths of Babes...
Literally
Maura lost her first tooth at a craft Fair in Tarrytown, NY September 16, 2006. In spite of her trepidation (blood!) she gave the applauding and cheering throngs in her midst a winning, albeit toothless, smile.
Figuratively
Daddy" Hey Buddy, What's Wrong?
Kieran: Sooorrrryyy Daddy
Daddy: Oh Oh What are you sorry for?
Kieran: I kicked your wife.
Oh Yeah...we spent the weekend in Stamford and arenow back in New Haven at the ever so lovely hotel of our choice.
Have a good week all....
Posted by frani at 07:51 AM | Comments (5)
September 09, 2006
Long Day's Journey...into Night/Morning.
We're are home safe and sound...Safe at any rate.
It was certainly a long day yesterday since our flight wasn't scheduled to leave for 11.5 hours after I had to check out of the hotel and HE had to put in a days work.
BTW..we went cold turkey for the entire week. We did not bring our own coffee with us. After all we WERE going to Seattle WA, home of the Coffee Experience, ya know. While we weren't wowed by any coffee we had, we also didn't feel the need to spit it out either. Getting home to our own coffee has been a real treat...yum yum we do roast some good coffee if I do say so myself. (psst..I was wowed by one real Barista..he did an excellent job of latte art on my coffee...a very nicely done leaf and I gave him a tip and a compliment.)
Back to the day..Things were working pretty much on schedule. I packed, I surfed, I read email, I IMed. I gave the room over to housekeeping and relinquished our bags to the front desk for the day. I really wasn't up for shopping but I figured the Mall area was as good a place as any to have some lunch and people watch. Oh yeah...watching people....Like the Protest march against the Korea US Free Trade Agreement talks that were announced last minute to forestall a repeat of the large protest of WTA a few years ago that paralyzed the city of Seattle. OK..this wasn't too bad...100 or so protesters...drum, gong, red Stop FTA t-shirts...megaphone or two and several members of Seattle's finest as escorts. Right around the block where I was dropped off. Interesting. They went down a side street shortly after I got there so I thought nothing more of them. I went to Talbots; I went to Nordstroms, I went to Macy's; I got a chicken Quesadilla; I got a latte; I went out to get ready to meet my shuttle back to the hotel.
I saw a couple of police on horses; I saw 4 police on bicycles; I saw several more police on bicycles; I saw 4 motorcycle police; I saw a blue police van of a few more policemen. Hmmm...they all seemed to be congregating and milling about right around the square where I was sitting waiting for my shuttle. More policemen showed up...2 guys in a black Ford Explorer parked right in front of where I was expecting my shuttle. hhhmmm...oh look, flashing lights in the next block coming my way. Oh yes, protesters coming back around the block, slowly. Hmmm...interesting...by my calculations, they should just about make it to my shuttle pick up spot right about the time I was due to be picked up. hhmmm...maybe my brother and sisterinlaw saw me on the NBC news last night. ;-D
I didn't have long to wait at the hotel upon my return for Greg to show up then off to the airport. We only had about 7 hours to wait but we wanted to see what 5pm traffic on I-5 was like as well as check in. Not too bad; we've been in worse on I-95 many times. We found a pretty quiet place to sit in the north terminal and commenced to talking and watching. People need to pick up their feet when they walk..I hate scuffing. Oh my...casual dressers, fancy dressers, snappy dressers and the just plain OH My God I need to wash out my eyes dressers. I don't much care for shorts and muscle shirts anyway but regardless, they belong on the beach or poolside, not on the planes and certainly not on the ..um...er... ah...shall we say "unbuffed" folks. Rule of thumb if you don't know whether you should appear in public in a muscle shirt and shorts? You must not weight 400 pounds, you must not have stump legs with flesh spillage over your socks and high tops...and please please please for the love of all that is humanly decent, please do not lift up said muscle shirt exposing your girth when exiting the men's room and clean your glasses. this all happening around 9pm with still 2 hours to go before take off...I was tired..I did not need to see that; I was over the edge and nearly threw up laughing. Not good.
The rest of the trip was less exciting..red eyes are like that..we slept or tried to; I thought the guy next to me was going to crawl over the seats when the good morning announcement woke him up. I do think the volume could have been controlled a bit better for overnight flights. Our Dulles to BTV pilot had a bit of a disagreement with the fuel truck guy..he came back and gave us more fuel..I like that in a pilot; I don't think we needed to to worry about coasting into Burlington on fumes. Too early in the day for that.
Anyway, we've been coffeed, we've been fed, we've napped with cats and had a good dose of rain. I think it was supposed to be Seattle's rain, though, I don't KNOW what it's doing on the East Coast and I want it to Stop now. Thank you very much.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend all.......I'm going to sleep some more, catch up on the news which has not been good and eat food at the neighborhood watch block party tomorrow. Must remember to get napkins....
Posted by frani at 05:09 PM | Comments (3)
September 07, 2006
Guess where we are?
View from our room balcony....
Other view from our balcony....the sea plane taxis are a little noisy
Look at that sky..who says it rains in Seattle? ( I just know they stole our weather and gave us theirs!)
Posted by frani at 12:24 PM | Comments (1)
September 01, 2006
Take what is given...graciously.
Sorry I've neglected my blog all week...I really don't know where the time went..I also didn't have a whole lot to say. Well of any consequence anyway.
I know you've been wondering if I ever found a long shower hose with a hand held sprayer with controls at the head...yes, yes I did at the Medical Supply Store owned by my friend. Just saying...if you ever need an 84inch shower hose...that's the place.
While delivery said shower hose to "the home" we were met by my MIL and her mid 90 year old neighbor Rachel. We like Rachel...she's a no BS Retired Vermonter teacher and she exclaimed her had something for me. She handed over an Irish blown glass paperweight she'd had for many years. She had admired my paperweights when they all came up from the home for lunch last month and thought it would be a nice addition...afterall..."I don't know where I'm going, but I do know I can't take it with me" what a hoot!
My neighbor Tonie gave me a book to read...we often exchange books...anyway, "Plainsong" by Kent Haruf was a good read.
My Partner in Crime spent the big bucks to go to the Champlain Valley Fair this year..hey $4 to park (out in the boonies)and $10 just to get in the gates! She was kind enough to think of me...after several weeks of my whining in anticipation of the fair...she brought me Spun Gold which is maple cotton candy. it is the very best cotton candy and I also might add...drum roll...the best value at the fair of all time. yeah i know, most people near me have heard that a few times in the last month, but it's true. Dinky bags of deflated pink or blue cotton candy sell for $4 but Spun Gold is fresh and huge and only $2.75. hhhmmm...maybe I should offer up my cotton candy making services at the sugar Shack next year. pppssstt...I still look on ebay occasionally to see how much an industrial size cotton candy machine goes for...I would like one.
Talk about a constant sugar high! Reminds me of the year we rented a cotton candy machine and made cotton candy for the trick or treaters. Little critters in the neighborhood didn't come down for days.
Ya know, I wouldn't think it would be all that difficult to find out who your long distance call provider is but then, as I found out this week, it is. I spent an hour on the phone calling all sorts of phone service providers and even when told who our long distance provider was, they had no record of us. Ta da! ...maybe we'll find out next month when we get a bill KNOWING we used the line for a long distance call.
So have a fine day all......
Posted by frani at 09:41 AM | Comments (0)