Goodbye Cold Weather, Hello Warm!

Hmmm ... last year at this time I was out in California visiting my good friend Cyndi for what, most sadly, turned out to be the last time ever as she passed away shortly after I came home. This time, I'm going to Orlando to visit Morgen with the hopes that it won't be the last time I go to visit a friend in a sunny climate during the worst of winter.

And boy howdy did we get the worst of winter the other day when Storm Nemo decided to make its way into New England! In spite of all the references to Disney's Finding Nemo, the storm was actually named for Captain Nemo, also known as Prince Dakkar, a fictional character invented by the French science fiction author Jules Verne who appears in two of Verne's novels; Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870) and The Mysterious Island (1874).

The character of Captain Nemo is what's considered an antihero who simply roams the depths of the seas in his submarine, the Nautilus, and personally I would have preferred he remain doing just that rather than coming to the surface and landing in our backyards where in Norwich, Nemo deposited about 25 inches of snow.  Ugh.

Granted, it was quite pretty in places when all was said and done but dang, was it ever a bear to shovel and some folks still aren't dug out.  Needless to say, road crews have been overwhelmed and it's been a real mess but alas, 'tis New England in the winter and sometimes these things happen.

Of course, I would have been happier had it happened after I got on my flight to Orlando so I could have missed all of this but no such luck. The storm actually ended up pushing my flight back a day so rather than winging my way to sunny Florida last evening, I'll be leaving tonight instead.  In about three-and-a-half hours as a matter of fact!

I was going to leave my Nikon home this trip and just use my iPhone for a few photos here and there but when Morgen made mention of the fact that there were a couple of pretty cool lighthouses not too far from his home, that plan went right out the window.  Tomorrow we'll be driving up to Saint Augustine to spend the night there and as an added bonus we'll be meeting my friends from Massachusetts, Walt and Juli, for lunch at The Floridian before they catch their delayed-flight back to Boston.

As an added, added bonus - Barb is going to drive down from Valdosta and not just join us for lunch but she's booked the room next to ours at the Casablanca Inn On the Bay and will be spending the night also!  I predict there will be some wine-drinking on our balconies and lots of laughter to go along with it!

I've got to say that it's pretty darned cool that I get the chance to visit a friend and add in even more friends while enjoying some warmer weather all at the same time.  You can't beat that with a stick or - as the case has been the past few days - a snow shovel!

Hopefully by the time I get home on Friday, all of that up there will be gone or at least reduced to a more manageable level!

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to finish packing and then I am outta here!  Oh ... and don't let me forget some sunscreen! 

Weekend Catch-Up

A few days ago I made my very last trek up to the North Shore for 2012 so that I could meet up with Barb who was spending the Christmas holidays with her family dearest in Tewksbury. After consulting her jam-packed calendar which was overflowing with fun family events, we determined that there was just enough time to spend a day in Salem. Go figure, huh?

With a rather dire weather forecast being predicted, I drove up to Salem on Wednesday evening (just beating the snow that started to fall in Connecticut a short time after I left) and then managed to talk Barb into joining me for two nights at the Hawthorne Hotel rather than just one.  She reluctantly gave up her spot on the couch and I made the short drive over to Tewksbury to pick her up once again being just ahead of the bad weather!

Thursday dawned with lots of wind and rain so we skipped our planned drive up to Kennebunkport, Maine with Juli and opted instead to go see "The Hobbit" at the local theater. I think we both kind of fell asleep during different parts of the movie but not because of the movie itself but due to the late night/early morning we had before the movie!  Following that we made our way back over to the Hawthorne and had a lovely long nap before meeting up with Walt and Juli, as well as her sister Mari-Ann and her husband Steve who were in town for a late Christmas celebration, for a delicious dinner in Nathaniel's.

Before we knew it, it was Friday morning and time for me to take Barb back to her sister Lynda's but not before we hit up Nathaniel's one more time for breakfast!  I snapped the photo below of Barb on her iPhone with my iPhone - two accessories that we never seem to not have with us!

For those who haven't seen photos of it a million and one times over on Facebook, this is Nathaniel's - the more upscale restaurant at the Hawthorne Hotel.  Even though it's upscale, it's not stuffy or snobby at all and it's easy to feel comfortable and relaxed all while being pampered by some real friendly folks who work as waitstaff there.  Not to mention the food is really good!

Following breakfast, we got ready to check out but wanted to be sure to say goodbye to Juli who had yet to arrive at work. While we were waiting, Barb asked a couple of ladies who just happened to be from Norwich, Connecticut if they would mind taking a photo for us as we hadn't had any taken while we were together. Barb had met the ladies earlier and found out that they were there for a relative's funeral. It truly is a small world!

After dropping Barb off with a big hug back in Tewksbury, I made the drive home to Connecticut with a stop at the Market Basket grocery store in Oxford, Massachusetts close to the Connecticut border as they've got lots of things we don't have down here in Norwich plus their milk is only $2.49 a gallon as compared to the $4.09 a gallon here. Yikes!  Add on the fact that I was having a hard time staying awake on the turnpike and I figured getting out of the car for awhile would be a good idea!

Yesterday I worked for 16 hours while outside snow was falling and Norwich was being covered in a blanket of white; the forecasters were predicting 6 to 8 inches - we ended up with 14!  Someday they're going to get it right and I am going to be absolutely astonished!  When I got home from work around 11:30, I spent a little time shoveling away some of the snow that had accumulated since Amanda had last shoveled and while doing so took the time to attempt a couple of photos with my iPhone being that it was so pretty out. These are those!

Today was another round of shoveling followed by a nice hot shower and just being lazy. As cold as it was outside, I thought that was a good plan! Tomorrow Jamie and I will be going to lunch with my friend Paula at the Olive Garden as I'm jonesing for some Zuppa Toscana and maybe a breadstick or two. Amanda is off to friend's house for a few days to celebrate New Year's so she'll miss out but she was there when I took the photo below the last time we were at Olive Garden when Claire was still here visiting.  Wow, that seems so long ago but it really wasn't.

Anyway, after lunch it's back home and hopefully an early night as I've got to work a 16 hour shift on the first day of 2013 - lucky me!  Ah well, the most excitement I ever have on New Year's Eve is to change the calendar and wonder where the past year got off to so it's not like I'm going to miss a party or anything!

Whatever your plans for New Year's Eve may be, I hope you have a great time and that the coming year is a fantastic one for all of us. I'm of the mind that 13 may just be a lucky number after all in spite of all that superstitious nonsense! 

Happy Fourth of July From the North Shore!

Just a quick post before Barb and I head out from our comfy room at the Hawthorne Hotel and make the short walk down to the Peabody Essex Museum where we're going to check out their Ansel Adams Photography Exhibit. With a muggy New England day outside, it's the perfect day to go to a museum!

We've been having a lovely couple of days which started out with a whale watch cruise out of Newburyport on Monday.  We couldn't have had a nicer day to go out in search of whales - between the blue sky, puffy white clouds, and the blue ocean it was just gorgeous!

Once we got far enough out from the mainland we first spotted a few Minke whales which are the second smallest whales out there.  Mostly what we saw were their fins so yes, they do look a bit shark-like but at 20-30 feet long they're just a tad  bigger than a shark! 

Upon reaching Jeffrey's Ledge, which is about 26 miles out, we spotted a Finback whale which is the second largest mammal on earth.  Unfortunately she apparently didn't need to use her tail to go deep enough for food so the only thing we saw was her back and fin and an occasional spout.  And let me just say, whales are NOT easy to photograph! 

Returning to Salem in the late afternoon, Barb and I checked into the Hawthorne and then got together with her SisterDear Janice and NieceDear Holly for a lovely meal in the Tavern before taking our sunburned selves back up to our room and calling it a night.  Of course neither one of us remembered to wear sunscreen while out on the ocean.  Epic fail there as we were both looking a bit like boiled lobsters! 

Tuesday was a beautifully sunny day so we drove out to Cape Ann and spent some time in both Rockport and Gloucester.  Barb took some really great pictures while I took pictures of Barb!  After touring Beauport, the historic Sleeper-McCann House in Gloucester, we went to The Gloucester House for seafood and then walked around the wharf a tiny bit where we finally spotted a whale's tail! 

Barb and Salt's tail were color-coordinated! 

Mine - definitely not! 

This morning we listened to the Fifth Annual Reading of the Declaration of Independence which was supposed to be held on Salem Common but due to the not-so-great weather was relocated into the Grand Ballroom of the Hawthorne Hotel.

There will definitely be more Fourth of July activities later including fireworks tonight for which I am keeping my fingers crossed for good weather but in the meantime, we're going to go hit up the PEM and then arrange to meet up with Karen and RJ later being that when we met them for dinner last night do you think even one of us thought to take a picture of something other than our food?  Nope! 

As you celebrate America's birthday today (provided you do celebrate it!) wherever you are and whatever you're doing, I hope that your Fourth is glorious and safe! 

Monday Musings by Moi!

Whoa ... who turned the heat off?  June 4th and it's a blistering 59 degrees outside!  Mother Nature is definitely back to her old tricks!  Last Monday we were all sweating in 88 degrees with high humidity and today I've got all the windows closed and am wearing my warm robe and slippers.  It gets any colder and I'll be lighting a fire in the fireplace!

Had a nice visit with my mom yesterday; Amanda and I went up and took her for a drive to get her out of the house for a little bit in between rain showers.  We'd had such a deluge of rain on Saturday I think a lot of us were looking to get out and enjoy some sun even if only briefly. Mom seems to be doing great and one would be hard-pressed to tell that she'd ever had a stroke a little less than a month ago.  Just to be safe and to give her more of a sense of security, she's using a cane which I think is a great idea - there are times when I've thought it might not be a bad idea to have one myself! - but beyond that she's doing really, really well.  Once again thank you all for the positive thoughts and prayers that I'm sure helped immensely in her recovery.

As my mom and I were talking about how quickly the rhododendrons had gone by this year it dawned on me that yesterday was the 36th anniversary of my graduation from high school - holy krap!  Where has the time gone? In just a few short days it will be another 36th anniversary - this time of the day that I left for Air Force Basic Training as I boarded a bus in Willimantic (from that very spot) for Springfield, Massachusetts and the Armed Services Center where I met up with my recruiter, did the final official swearing-in, and then got on a plane for the very first time in Hartford to make my way to Lackland Air Force Base and six weeks of hard work, discipline, and fun.  It was June 7th, a mere four days after graduation, and I was only 17 at the time - younger than both of my girls are now.

Speaking of my girls, Jamie has been up in Toronto visiting a friend and has asked if she can stay in Canada longer and go back to Winnipeg to stay with the same friend that she was visiting last year.  She's been talking about going back ever since she got home and she's already partway there so I think I'm going to go ahead and let her stay.  Technically she's almost 19 and could certainly make that decision on her own but if she wants me to buy her bus ticket to Manitoba then she needs my permission!  If she and Amanda got along better here at home then I would be more inclined to tell her she needs to come back to Connecticut but she made a lot of friends when she was in Winnipeg last year and is hopeful that she can somehow figure out a way to permanently move to Canada so I think I should give her the chance to find that out for sure.  I'll miss her but I won't miss the tension between she and Amanda.

I'm still trying to adjust to my new work schedule - as is Amanda who is totally confused on what day it is! - and I'm going to totally confuse both she and I later this week as I switched a Thursday evening shift for a Friday evening shift so I can go see "Man of LaMancha" at the University of Connecticut with my cousins and also picked up an overtime shift on Sunday evening.  No doubt we'll both be wondering what day it is by the end of the week or beginning of next week or whenever that is!

And on a final note, even though I should have been out cruising to Canada with Barb this week on the Carnival Glory (a cruise we had to cancel for various and assorted reasons that were much more important than piano bars and room service and things like that), we have booked another cruise for the first part of July.

The Prince of Whales out of Newburyport, Massachusetts may not have a piano bar but they've got wine and whale sightings are guaranteed!  Barb will be up visiting her SistersDear later on this month and we're going to get together for some fun on the not-quite-as-high seas along with a few other activities that I've yet to determine but give me time and I'm sure I'll come up with something!

Hmm, I wonder if we should wear our tiaras?!?

Okay ... So ... Let's Try This Again!

Just about this time last year - one year ago today to be exact - this was the view I was taking in from the bow of the ship as the Carnival Glory set out from Grand Turk and we began our voyage back to Miami with just one sea-day left on my very first cruise to the Eastern Caribbean.  

A little earlier in the day the view had looked like the one above as the ship was docked and passengers were taking advantage of the beach in Grand Turk regardless of the clouds in the sky and the rain that was occasionally falling.

I figured that was going to be one of the last pictures that I ever took of the Carnival Glory as it sat in port somewhere as truth be told, I really wasn't too enamored of the whole cruising thing - or at least that's pretty much what I had told myself throughout most of our cruise.  Heck, if you asked any of the other folks that I was cruising with, they'd probably tell you that I downright hated it but that wasn't exactly the case as there were a lot of things I liked about cruising along with a lot of things I didn't.  

Having had the chance to mull it over for the past year and look at the whole thing objectively, I decided that there was probably a lot more that I did like than I didn't like so when Barb, my cabin mate from last year, broached the subject of giving cruising another shot with a 7-day Boston to Canada itinerary it didn't take me long to say "sure, let's go!"  

That's Barb in the picture above while we were in port in San Juan, Puerto Rico and she sure looks like she was having a great time, doesn't she?  Simply put that's because she was and she did for the entire cruise as she's the type of person who knows how to go and have a good time and enjoy herself.  A transplanted New Englander who has obviously learned how to relax since moving to the South, I could take a few lessons from Barb in making the most of a vacation and putting some yay in my day!

No doubt there have been those who have scratched their heads and wondered why on earth Barb would even consider going on another cruise with me when I didn't particularly like the last one which is fair enough but allow me just to say that Barb knew the parts of the cruise that bothered me and the parts of the cruise that I liked and she understood why I was feeling the way I was.  Because of that - and because she really, really wants to go on another cruise! - Barb is willing to take another chance on me and hasn't written me off as a complete and total loss in spite of my past performance!

As it turns out, the cruise that we'll be taking out of Boston on June 3rd just so happens to be on the exact same ship that we were on last year at this time which strikes me as either very ironic or very fortuitous. Yep, I'll be cruising on the Carnival Glory again and giving her a chance to show me what I missed the last time and change my mind about that whole "I'm not so sure about cruising" thing.  Even though it might have been nice to try a different ship, I consider this to be a bit of a plus as I already know my way around the ship and I also know exactly where my favorite spot can be found.

Hello Deck Three - I've missed you!

So during my next cruise I'll be avoiding as much as I can of this ... 

... and enjoying more of this ... 

... while I'll also be doing a lot more of this ... 

... as we sail from Boston to Portland and then on to Saint John and Halifax. There may not be tropical beaches but there will be lots of lighthouses, the bay with the highest tides in the world, and a friend who hasn't given up on me! Sounds just about perfect I think! 

For those who wish to start placing bets that I'm not going to like this cruise any better than I did my last trip on the Glory, feel free to wager away but be prepared to lose as I have already promised Barb that I have every intention of enjoying every minute that I can and that's a promise that I aim to keep - honest! 

Five on Friday - The Bocelli Version

I'm dedicating Travis' Five on Friday set this week to my friend and former Carnival Glory cabin-mate Barb who I happen to know is a major league, big-time Andrea Bocelli fan which means I'm guaranteed at least one listener today!

Had Barb been in New England this week instead of arriving next week, she would have had the chance to go see Mr. Bocelli in New York City last night when he performed a free concert on the Great Lawn in New York City's Central Park.  Her sister Lynda had tickets and when she couldn't use them she gave them to me.  I was really looking forward to going right up until I turned another year older last Friday and immediately came down with one of the nastiest colds I've had in a long time - so bad that I called out of work for the first time in I can't remember when.

Knowing there was no way I was going to get down to Manhattan feeling like ten miles of bad road and not wanting the tickets to go to waste, I passed them on to a friend that I've made at Historic Hotels of America knowing that she worked in New York City and hoping that either she or someone she knew could use them.  Gina was flying out to California today and couldn't go herself but it just so happened she has a co-worker who is probably almost as big of a Bocelli fan as Barb is and she was beyond happy to get the tickets.  So ... neither Barb nor I got to see Andrea perform at Central Park but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy his music today in the comfort of our own homes.

The Long-Awaited Vacation, Part One

Seems to me that I had best get to writing about my vacation before so much time goes by that I totally forget what happened when and where, huh? After all, it's been over two weeks since I boarded a southbound Amtrak train in New London and made my way to Jacksonville where I met up with Barb for the rest of our journey to West Palm Beach.

For those wondering why I chose to take the train rather than fly to Florida, long ago in what now sometimes seems like another lifetime but which was actually 2002, I took the train from Sacramento, California to Worcester, Massachusetts and had always wanted to take another long-distance train trip.  Of course, there are a couple of differences between taking a train across the west and taking a train from north to south with the first and foremost being that when I took my first long-distance train ride I had a sleeper car.  For this trip I did not and trust me, there is a HUGE difference in having a sleeper car and traveling reserved coach.  The scenery is also vastly different but that's to be expected when you're traveling across the mountains and desert versus the eastern seaboard.

Anyhow, with the assistance of family friend Amy who not only drove me down to New London at a darned early hour but who opened up her home to Jamie while I was gone, I got to the Amtrak station in plenty of time to catch my train.  It was cold and wet and downright nasty - the perfect day to head to warmer climes!  I was just glad that it wasn't snowing as I took my seat in the Business Class section of the Northeast Regional train.  See how much room there is in the picture above?  Nice, huh?  Yea ... you don't get that in reserved coach which is where I was sitting on the next leg of my journey after I changed trains in New York City's Penn Station.

I didn't get any pictures in New London but I did manage to snap a quick shot of the sign at Union Station in New Haven on our way through and the weather looked about the same as it did in New London! Matter of fact, that was about the only picture I took on my way south - I was not exactly being an intrepid photographer but I was enjoying the trip.  Until New York ...

I had about a 50-minute layover at Penn Station which gave me just enough time to take my luggage over to Baggage Check and find something to take on the train with me for a late breakfast.  As they called the track number for my train and we began to line up for boarding, I noticed that there was a lady in front of me with three kids, a HUGE stroller, lots of luggage, and a traveling companion who was wearing fleecy pajama bottoms and fluffy slippers.  Ut-oh ... Occasionally having a 6th sense of impending doom, I was pretty sure those people would somehow be seated close by and sure enough, I found myself sitting directly behind two little girls that looked to be all of six and seven years old while across the aisle were the two women and another little girl who appeared to be about 14 months old or so.  Ah, this could be bad. Sometimes I really hate it when I'm right.

Even while still sitting in Penn Station waiting for the train to leave, the kids were raising quite the row and I knew it was going to be a really, really long ride to Florida as the two older kids jumped up and down in their seats while the youngest began screaming her head off.  Rather than quieting her child down, "Mom" announced to everyone within earshot that the kid was a screamer.  Ya think? I thanked God for ear-buds and iPods as I turned up the music to drown out the noise.

By the time we got to our first stop in Newark to pick up more passengers, the little hooligans in front of me had already thrown the safety travel cards at me while they were bouncing up and down in their seats while having a grand old time playing with the reclining mechanism.  At that stop, a gentleman got on the train and took up the seat next to me which I wasn't surprised about as the conductor had said that they train was sold out and packed full.  My seat-mate introduced himself as John and then proceeded to tell me about how he comes up to visit his kids who are currently living in New Jersey with his wife while they try to work out some issues with her older son from a previous marriage.  He seemed like a nice guy that I wouldn't mind sitting next to for the upcoming 18+ hours but I had a feeling that the passengers in front of me were going to be a problem.

Without going into all of the painful details let me suffice it to say that Trina (as "Mom" turned out to be formally known as) and I exchanged a few words after the little darlings slammed their seat into my knees for the second time.  Trina told me that if I didn't like it then perhaps next time I should take my private jet as she had paid for her tickets and "kids would be kids" - and apparently lousy parents would be lousy parents. Well, nothing for nothing, but I paid for my ticket, too, but I wasn't throwing things at her or slamming a seat into her knees or screaming at the top of my lungs though I was beginning to think that might not be a bad idea.  John, bless his heart, was just about to step in and tell Trina to pipe down when she finally turned around on her own and grumbled to her traveling companion about those who thought they were better than others.

The conductor was no help whatsoever as the only thing he did was tell Trina that the kids couldn't run up and down the aisles. Yea, thanks, fella. John and I looked at each other and quietly rolled our eyes so as not to invoke another tongue-lashing from Trina who had by now pulled out her cell phone and was loudly bemoaning to her mother that it might be too long of a ride for the kids all the way to Florida as there was nothing for them to do and the oldest had what sounded suspiciously like the Whooping Cough and refused to take her medicine.

As we pulled out of Philadelphia, Trina finally got "The Screamer" and the other two settled down for a nap after repeated threats of dire consequences that were never followed through on and I was able to take my headphones off for a little while. When I got up to walk around and stretch my legs I was offered sympathy by everyone else in our area of the car for having the bad misfortune to be seated directly behind the zoo as we all enjoyed the peace and quiet for as long as it was going to last which was - of course - nowhere near long enough.

With a packed train there was nowhere to move to though John had quickly fled to the lounge car for a little peace and quiet and eventually conned the conductor into moving him to a seat that was vacated when another passenger got off in Baltimore. I teased him about abandoning me but I can't say that I blame him! Speaking of Baltimore, I did manage to get the shot above which doesn't exactly show the city at its finest. Still, I have fond memories of previous trips to Baltimore with Amanda and it was nice to see the city again even if it was "the wrong side of the tracks".

The rest of the trip is rather a blur except for the nice gentleman that I ate dinner with in the dining car as we made our way through Virginia (he lives on Long Island and was quite familiar with the Mohegan Sun Casino and thought it was fascinating that I used to be a blackjack dealer there).  Even though I'm not much of a drinker, I decided that self-medication via alcohol might be the best way to get through the rest of the trip ahead so I ordered a drink with dinner and followed it up with a couple more before I made my way back to my seat.  When I got there Trina was telling her oldest child that if she didn't settle down she was going to take her into the restroom and beat her - a threat that she repeated at least another three times before I got my earphones back on and turned up the volume in an attempt to drown them out.

At 10:00 the lights were turned down in the car and I had no problems falling asleep as the rocking of the train and the numbing effects of the alcohol kicked in.  Unfortunately my sleep was interrupted in Raleigh, North Carolina when I found myself presented with another seat-mate - a 75-year old gent named Beebee who was going down to Florida to visit his brother before he went in for knee surgery.  Even though he was a nice enough fella, Beebee not only snored but talked in his sleep and kept grabbing my knee which would jolt me awake.  There was no end to the fun on this trip!

We were scheduled to arrive in Jacksonville, Florida around 6:45 but to my delight we pulled in early around 6:15 so while Trina, "The Screamer", and Beebee were still sleeping I gathered my things and exited the train while the other passengers around me congratulated me on making it through the entire trip - something I probably never would have done were it not for the magic of Facebook and texting. A big thank you to everyone who helped me on my journey south!

As soon as I got off the train Barb met me with a big hug probably made even bigger as she had followed my adventures through my frequent Facebook updates and probably figured I was in need of a good hug! As we waited to collect my checked baggage I snapped a couple quick pictures of my ride south.  It was a lot longer of a train than I thought it was but then again, I hadn't seen the outside of it since we left New York City!

Jacksonville looked pretty much like it did when I was there in June for Jamie's graduation from FLYCA though as Barb and I made our way to Interstate 95 and the almost 5-hour drive to West Palm Beach it was a bit overcast.  Not exactly what I was expecting for Florida weather but there was neither rain nor snow or the need for a jacket so I was quite happy.  Plus there were no screaming children, old men with groping hands, or moms who threatened their kids but never followed through!  Ah, bliss!

It was also really nice to be the passenger in a car for once rather than the driver and as we ventured south, blue skies and puffy clouds appeared overhead. Now this was more like it in spite of the stop we made in what seemed to be the middle of nowhere at a Stuckey's that looked like it had seen much better days. As I waited for Barb to come out of the ladies room I could've sworn I heard the banjo music from "Deliverance"!

I don't know if it did for Barb but the drive seemed to fly for me and we were in West Palm Beach before I knew it and making our way to the home of the Traveling Bells in their very nice motor home park where we met up with them before heading down to Lake Worth and the famous John G's on the Beach for lunch with Empress Bee and Sarge Charlie. Jamie and I had the extreme pleasure to eat breakfast at John G's when we were in West Palm Beach in June so I knew exactly what sort of treat we were in for!

Still not being a very intrepid photographer though I was dutifully carrying my camera, I only snapped the two pictures above and a quick one of Dick who was wearing his official John G's t-shirt. My sincerest apologies but there are no pictures of Bee & Charlie or Sandy & Barb or anyone else that you might know - just a bunch of strangers enjoying what is probably the best food in Lake Worth!

I also took a picture of the beautiful beaded earrings that Bee made for me - aren't they gorgeous?  She also beaded wine charms for all of us that are just adorable.  She really has quite the talent and I think that Sarge should give her free reign to get as many beads as she wants as she could quite easily go into business!

Following a delicious lunch of some of the best fried shrimp I've had in ages (nope, no picture of that either!) Sandy and Dick drove us over to our hotel for the evening - the Holiday Inn at West Palm Beach Airport.  It was a lovely hotel that I got a good deal with through Priceline and had a nice bar where Barb and I relaxed with drinks later in the evening.  They were out of of Sam Adams so I introduced her to Yuengling which is a favorite of many of the folks I work with but not available in Connecticut (much to their dismay).  Just to show what a small world it was, I found myself talking to several people from the New Haven area including the Administrator of Saint Raphael's Hospital which we occasionally transport patients to.

Pretty soon it was time to call it a night and head upstairs to get some sleep. Barb had been up since the very wee hours of the morning and I was ready to get some sleep lying down rather than in a sitting position!  Barb was asleep before her head hit the pillow and I'm pretty sure I followed quite soon after even without the rocking motion of the train to lull me to sleep!

The next day dawned bright and beautiful over West Palm Beach and soon we were on our way back to meet up with Dick and Sandy for our drive down to the Port of Miami and the beginning of our cruise ...

Meanwhile, Back in Tewksbury ...

Following my exit from Beverly after leaving Amanda at college last Saturday afternoon I stopped at the closest Dunkin Donuts I could find to get a nice cold iced coffee in an effort to stave off the "haven't had caffeine all day" headache I was starting to get and then I pointed the car in the direction of Tewksbury which was only about 25 miles in a northwesterly direction. Originally I had planned to swing by the Lexington/Concord area to check out some of the history there before making my way to Tewksbury for the night but what with it being almost 3:00 and the fact that I was feeling less than adventurous, I decided to do the history tour on Sunday and go in search of my hotel for the night instead.

I was able to score a good price at the Holiday Inn in Tewksbury via my good friend William Shatner over at Priceline.com and I thought it might be a good idea to get checked in and take a short nap before meeting up with Barb for the evening. Barb was up from Georgia for a couple of weeks visiting family and attending a nephew's wedding and we had planned to get together for the evening being that I was going to be in "the neighborhood".

As it was a bit warm out, the thought of spending some quiet time in a nicely air-conditioned hotel room while I unwound from the whole "leaving Amanda at college" thing was sounding pretty darned appealing but as I pulled into the parking lot of the Holiday Inn, I was greeted by this sight ...

which was quickly followed by this sight ...

and topped off by this sight ...

Rut-r'oh, George, it looked like something was afoot - though hopefully not afire! - at my hotel. This had the potential for bad written all over it but I was hoping it would be just a bit of a delay until I could get to that nice air-conditioned room. Fortunately, it was and after about ten minutes or so the all-clear sign was given and everyone was allowed to go back inside. I had to laugh when I walked up to the registration desk to check in and the girl behind the counter told me that I had missed all of the excitement. I told her that as a 911 operator that sort of thing was pretty routine and I was just glad the hotel wasn't on fire as I was really in need of a nap! She assured me that all was well and that it was just one of "those things" that the fire department tends to blow out of proportion. That's okay, I'd rather have them send the cavalry and it be nothing then just one guy with a garden hose and it be the equivalent of the Chicago Fire!

My accommodation for the night was a very nice room on the fifth floor with a gargantuan king-size bed that was extremely comfortable and a nicely appointed bathroom that had all the fixin's ...

 ... except for towels! Luckily I noticed that slight omission right after checking into my room and there was a maid just down the hall tending to other rooms. My guess was that she had been in the process of finishing up the room when the fire alarm went off and the building was evacuated and she just forgot about the towels when she went back in. I padded down the hall in my bare feet where I was very apologetically given extra towels for the night though I assured her that it was quite okay. However had I not noticed until getting out of the shower it might not have been quite as okay!

Before lying down to see if I could take a nap, I sent Barb a text to let her know that I had skipped Concord for the day, checked into my hotel early, and that I'd be ready to meet up with her whenever she was done reminiscing with her high school alumni. Barb had planned a mini-reunion for some of her classmates from the Tewksbury High School Class of 1972 at a local Chinese restaurant and the plan was for us to get together afterward.

Shortly after I had awoken from a nice little nap, I got a phone call from Barb who said that I should join her down at The Jade as there were only four other former classmates there but she was having a wonderful time and I should join them as she would be done soon and then we could sit and gab. The Jade is actually the Jade East restaurant but apparently in Tewksbury it's known simply as The Jade and hasn't changed in the many, many years that it's been there. From the looks of the cracked and old as the sign out front, I get the feeling it hasn't ever been changed either!

The restaurant was very easy to find once I plugged the address into my GPS and Barb was even easier to find once I got to the restaurant as all I had to do was follow the laughter! The group of five had grown to nine since Barb had called me and they were having themselves a fine old time catching up over food and drink. I was invited to sit down and dig into the Poo-Poo Platters that had been ordered and being quite hungry, I did just that. When I was asked what I wanted to drink I drew somewhat of a blank as it's been so long since I've gone out with adults for a drink, I couldn't remember what I liked! I finally decided on a Midori Sour and quite enjoyed it while I listened to all of Barb's classmates talking about their exploits from back in the day and such.

Without Amanda there to nag at me that I had to drive and shouldn't be drinking I ended up having not just the one Midori Sour but another and then later on yet another. Luckily, they don't have much of an alcohol content and I had spaced them far enough apart to not be at all tipsy or impaired but that didn't stop me from hearing my daughter's voice in my head telling me I shouldn't have another. Cripes, it was like having Jiminy Cricket sitting next to me at the table or something!

It was a real pleasure to meet Barb's classmates and even though I had no idea who or what they were talking about, their stories were all quite humorous and it was easy to find myself laughing along with them. At Barb's request, I went out to the car and brought my Nikon in to take some pictures of the group for her - I later forwarded them over to her on Flickr so that she'd have some pictures from the evening. As you can see from the picture below, Barb was having herself a wonderful time!

Now ... see that guy in the gray shirt behind the bag? That's Paul and he was the Class President back in the day. Paul drives a really, really nice car, he's divorced, is retired from a job with the State Department, lives in New Hampshire and had a marvelous sense of humor. All pretty darned good attributes! I told Barb that I thought she should start emailing the man as he seemed like a pretty good catch but alas, he has one glaring fault ... he's a Democrat. A major Democrat. And Barb is a Republican. Generally speaking, in Massachusetts Democrats and Republicans are like oil and water and they just don't mix at all but I told Barb that considering the man drives a Mercedes convertible, maybe politics could be forgotten! Oh well, I guess I'm a better photographer than I am matchmaker!

Sometime after 9:00 Barb and I took our leave from The Jade and made our way over to her sister's house on the other side of Tewksbury where Barb and her parents had been staying. It was very nice to see Barb's mother again who was just about to go to bed when we came in (Barb comes from a family of early bed-goers) and who joked with Barb about being out so late before she stayed up and had a glass of wine with us on the screened-in patio. Her father even got up and joined us briefly before he went back to bed but other than that, the house was totally silent.

It was a lovely night out as we sat out on the porch and talked until sometime around 12:00 when we both decided it was getting pretty late. Seems like the two times I've met up with Barb, I've kept her up way past her bedtime. I wonder if that makes me a bad influence?? Or maybe I'm just getting Barb ready for our cruise when I seriously doubt she's going to be going to bed at her usual early hour - not with comedy clubs and piano bars on-board! Heck, maybe I can even teach her the fine art of sleeping in!

All in all, it was a very nice evening and I was happy that Barb had invited me over to The Jade. I had the chance to meet some lovely people, eat some tasty Chinese food, and drink more than I have in years. Hmm, on second thought, maybe it's Barb who's the bad influence??