tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90061974344312792132024-02-20T15:25:48.889-06:00Hello AllJournal of musings, comments and experiences as life's adventures continue to unfold during retirementHello All from Suzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671732878857293499noreply@blogger.comBlogger95125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9006197434431279213.post-24068684375067186522019-03-20T20:18:00.000-05:002019-03-20T20:18:37.306-05:00<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Palatino; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">The end is night … and so is spring!</span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>20 March, 2019, Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh PA USA </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>HAPPY SPRING</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i>‘The time has come, the walrus said, to speak of many things: of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings.”</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">With apologies to Lewis Carroll, I use that quote to announce the end of “Hello All From Suzi.” Google has reminded me that they will no longer host Blogspot … and honestly, I’m pooped. So, it is with a touch of sadness, I’m ending this meandering journal just as Glenn and I set out on our next adventures: our first trip to Savannah GA (next week), Minneapolis for the 20th anniversary of my son Peter’s death on 8 May, Poland for my semi-annual board meeting, then on to Glenn’s first trip to Scotland where we’ll spend a week in Greenock, origin of the founder of our hometown of Greenock. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Reading that, I’m wondering if I should find another blog site. We’ll see. In the meantime, let’s not lose touch — email me, Skype me, call, just keep in touch and I will too. </span></div>
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Hello All from Suzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671732878857293499noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9006197434431279213.post-67582878766316656462019-02-07T17:58:00.001-06:002019-02-07T17:58:41.774-06:00<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>Pittsburgh Strong</i></span></span><br />
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">19 December 2018, Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh PA</b><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The sun is shining, it’s dry outside, and the temp is cold but not frigid. I am a happy lady.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">As usual, I’m starting the month late. Finally posted the previous blog a week ago! But I have been busy, as you will see.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I started the month in Minneapolis, a sojourn before flying to Poland for my semi-annual board meeting. December 1 found me at Stages Theater in Hopkins MN with my nephew Craig’s son Alijah, now 5. it was a gala fundraiser for the theater, a production of <i>Mary Poppins </i>that I thought Alijah might enjoy and a chance to see Chase and Ella, friends Darryn and Kim’s kids, perform. One of the things I miss about being in Pgh is that I don’t get to see the kids and grandkids of friends in plays, at sports and such. Something I always enjoy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Besides seeing the play, Alijah decorated a gingerbread person, picked out a few cookies for himself and his dad, and had a balloon sword made. I also took his picture on the set provided. And thankfully Craig had offered to be our driver — while we enjoyed the theater, several inches of very wet snow fell. Craig took the long way back to town to avoid getting stuck in freeway traffic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">That evening, nephew Christopher and his significant other Jen picked up my sister Barbara and me at her place, and we went to dinner at yet another new place in the old Forum Cafe spot (3rd or 4th iteration. Niece Tomery met us there. Despite the awful weather, it was fun to get out and celebrate my birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas with my family.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Sunday i took a Lyft to Arden Hills to meet Jodi and her family for the trek to River Falls WI — her younger daughter Lydia had a hockey game. Jodi and my late son Peter went to high school together, and she, her husband Gary and their daughters Lydia and Ada are part of my extended family. We usually bake Christmas cookies, but Lydia had a game. I’m really excited that Lydia will carry on the “girls hockey tradition” that my niece Tomery started at about her age. For good luck, I gave Lydia Peter’s old hockey jacket with all the decals and badges he’d acquired before outgrowing it. Although Lydia’s team lost by two points, she played very well, especially for someone who hasn’t been skating for long.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Dinner that night with Barbara and my oldest niece Michelle, then Barbara and I had dessert at a new spot. All within walking distance of her place. Up and out early Monday for a lake walk with friend Linda — I was dressed for frigid in fleece-lined jeans, several top layers and snow boots with toe warmers inserted. Then it was off to the airport to return the rental car, dump the suitcases and wait for my flight to Warsaw via Amsterdam. NOT.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The 3-ish flight to AMS kept being postponed. It mattered not when I arrived since I was staying overnight in Warsaw before being driven to Sandomierz. However, I didn’t want to get stuck somewhere. An extremely helpful gate agent rerouted me through Paris (Charles de Gaulle), rebooked me from there to Warsaw and arranged for the move of my bags. And it all worked perfectly. Well, except that I forgot how much I hate CDG — you walk forever in an overheated airport to an overcrowded waiting area with small, below ground cafeteria style coffee shops. My gate was changed twice with no discernible announcement. But, enough. i got to the Marriott Courtyard Airport in one piece with luggage and promptly took a nap.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Jim was to arrive at 6 am the next morning. Jim was my first project manager when the Center in Sandomierz was a USAID project that I managed. He left shortly after, and Steve took over and became a board member when we formed an independent board for the Center. Jim and I have stayed in touch over the years, and he and his wife rented my condo for a summer when they moved to MN for one of his jobs. He’s retired now, and he and Irina live in Bucharest, Romania. Anyway, after several false starts, Jim arrived at 2:30 pm, Piotr the driver arrived shortly after and off we went. Steve couldn’t make this trip — he’d recently had his gall bladder out, the same reason Jim couldn’t join us in June. I am hoping this isn’t a trend.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Thursday Jim and I went to Hala’s for lunch. Michał has had his hip replacement surgery and is doing what the doctor ordered. His pain’s reduced but he has a long way to go. After lunch, Hala dropped me at the salon for my semi-annual mani-pedi while she took Jim to the Center to introduce him to the president and other staff.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Nothing exciting at the board meeting since three members were absent although we still don’t have a candidate for president. Anna will retire in June. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Our trip back to Warsaw on Saturday was eventful. Piotr missed turns to the airport twice, but Jim got to the Courtyard. Then I was dropped at my friends Dorota and Jacek’s where I could not get the entry code to work. Finally called Dorota who came down. I had transposed two numbers. Argh!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Dorota had dill pickle soup, one of my favorites, ready for supper. And we had a good catch up. Sunday we had brunch with friend Gina at a nearby cafe that none of us had tried, Hygge. Really good food, and interesting. We will return. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">In the evening, I went to see Hala’s daughter Marta and her family’s newly completed flat. Glenn and I had visited in June while it was about half done. It is gorgeous — spacious, light, simply and beautifully appointed. Perfect for the three of them … and room for company!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back to the airport before dawn on Monday and back in Minneapolis that morning. Ah, the joy of westward travel. After friend Janet picked me up and took me “home,” I promptly fell asleep for a few hours. Dinner with my sister that night, breakfast with friend Marilou the next morning, then off to the airport again. Glenn was waiting for me when I arrived at PIT — hurray, I’m home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">On Thursday, 13 Dec., I ushered for “A Lyrical Christmas Carol” and took Glenn along as I was sure he’d enjoy, which he did. It was a rousing production with a huge cast. The actor who played Scrooge was spot-on during the play, then ditched his character for the bows. They sang the Twelve Days of Christmas as each group of actors cam back out, then at the end Scrooge did the last four stanzas in several genres, rap etc. Spectacular ending.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Friday was my annual mammogram and a bone density test. Oh goody, that was fun. NOT. But it’s done and the test results arrived today. No problems and my bones are normal. I am, however, upset that Park Nicollet hasn’t forwarded my old films to Magee-Women’s. I sent the request in mid-October!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Saturday is poured, and Glenn, Gary, Johanna and I were going to Wreaths Across America at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies. Unfortunately, though we left early, we were in a very long, very slow moving auto queue to enter the cemetery. We never did, didn’t even get to the gate. A driver going in the other direction alerted us that no more cars were being admitted. So, we turned around and returned down the lane to brunch.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Sunday we — mostly I — wrapped Christmas presents. Glenn had decorated the tree on Friday, and it’s beautiful. An abundance of boxes and gift bags now adorn its base.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back to Squirrel Hill on Monday and back to “normal” — Silver Sneakers’ circuit on Tuesday, water ex on Wednesday, errands, library, groceries, etc Made beef vegetable and chicken soups, two of my favorites.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>20 December</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Got so caught up in my current mystery novel that I skipped circuit class. Did a few things around the apartment, then decided to take the bus downtown to check out the Christmas market at Market Square by the PPG Building. The first place I saw was selling Polish pottery, Christmas ornaments, apparel and such. The market is small and was disappointing. I guess I’m a bit jaded after watching the growth of the Kraków market over decades and the huge holiday markets in Warsaw, Budapest and Vienna. Enjoyed a Chicago-style hotdog before returning to Squirrel Hill. Got caught in the rain after I stopped at the library and a coffee shop.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tonight I decided to run a load of towels and try out the new payment app my landlord installed. Washer worked fine, not sure what happened when I started the dryer. When I returned, everything was still wet. Tried again and it seems to be working. Now to get my clean, dry towels.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>21 December, Mount Pleasant</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Granddaughter Emma,4, saw the pediatric surgeon this morning to schedule a procedure. She’s getting tubes in her ears in early January … or next Friday if someone cancels. Deductibles being what they are, her mom is hoping for the latter. Either way, Emma will be in fine hands at Children’s Hospital.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Got caught in the rain again. Thankfully I drove to water ex because I had hoped to hear from Glenn about breakfast with him, Jen and Emma before I left the JCC. But the best laid plans and all that. I had just made a cup of coffee at home when he called.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Traffic was atrocious at 2:30 when i left to drop off soup at friend Janet’s, then drive to MP the “back way.” Easier than backtracking to a packed freeway … but no less traffic on some of the two-lane roads I drove. Ah, well. Made it safe and sound. Let the holidays begin! </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>25 December, Merry Christmas to all who celebrate</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">In the interest of complete honesty, I don’t really like Christmas. It’s not just that Mom died the week before Christmas and Peter was diagnosed shortly after Christmas. I’ve never liked Christmas most of my life. Too much hype, too many unrealistic expectations, too much food and booze. That said, when little kids are around, Christmas can be fun. And when you unexpectedly gain grandchildren you didn’t think you’d have, Christmas can be <i>a lot </i>of fun.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRNh-i50_uF7t30eWW9Ar-hlYukpUeJz2ErTQFxAsVI80PLVtmL1Dmx5ftJBaTq0860osVy0gsuEhpRy1n9N4MKdSeX56oVPWfJ-cat67H03FqD1zlVOeid0T719QToLpFopViozJibI/s1600/Xmas+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1465" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRNh-i50_uF7t30eWW9Ar-hlYukpUeJz2ErTQFxAsVI80PLVtmL1Dmx5ftJBaTq0860osVy0gsuEhpRy1n9N4MKdSeX56oVPWfJ-cat67H03FqD1zlVOeid0T719QToLpFopViozJibI/s320/Xmas+tree.jpg" width="292" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">My fun began when I arrived at Glenn’s and saw his gorgeously decorated Christmas tree. The tree we’d found was perfect and covered in keepsake ornaments and tiny colorful lights and topped with a huge angel Jen had given him. We — mostly I — wrapped the ridiculously huge amount of gifts we’d gotten, mostly for the three granddaughters. By Christmas Eve, you could barely get near the tree. We piled everything into plastic bags and off we went on Christmas Eve to Jen’s for dinner and the opening of presents. Today saw us at Michelle’s for dinner with her husband’s family … and the opening of more presents. Phew! I’m ready for bed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>31 December, New Year’s Eve</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We opted not to join Inga and Craig, Benia and Paweł on the cruise they’d picked instead of Deep Creek where we’d all gone twice before to celebrate the New Year. And volunteered to babysit the granddaughters. Michelle, Seth and Sara had family plans, but Jen and Alan took us up on the offer. We picked up Emma and Callie for their first sleep over. Here we go …</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>1 January 2019, New Year’s Day in Mount Pleasant PA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">… and both granddaughters slept all night! They were both zonked by about 8:30. Emma went to the “granddaughter bedroom” with so much as a squawk, gathered her stuffed toys and fell sound asleep. Callie was in the “pack and play” and soon followed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>25 January, Squirrel Hill</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Yes, another two-month blog post. A brief summary …</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">On the 2nd, Glenn and I met high school friend Gene and his wife Sandy for lunch in Little Washington. Cozy local restaurant that they like and now we do too; great food. Later in the month we had a lovely afternoon playing cards at Johanns and Gary’s farm. Johanna made a delicious Mexican st’oup (stew-soup). I’m really enjoying spending time with old friends and other couples.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Emma had tubes put in her ears at Pittsburgh Children’s on the 8th. Her mom and dad, Jen and Alan, were with her, and their description of the experience reminded me of when Peter had his tonsils out at Minneapolis Children’s. Everything geared to the kid, to make her/him comfortable, allay their fears and their parents’. Whole thing took less than 30 minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">On Saturday that week we took Emma to see <i>Paw Patrol Live</i> at PPG Center. These were real people in incredible costumes to mimic the animated puppies etc. of the cartoon that Emma loves so much. And it seems lots of other kids do too. Our matinee was full despite very cold weather, and the usher said other showings were also well attended. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZer5ocZkZyr4IIQVUqk95p1EaoiuBOsSsV4U8XHcTmIA94TDmmzxnpQY_3YoBpx5K9eITZ0-2GSwqnnP2lia-zNSnYvXJyJ8S6IPhbr7KZzhTgsKLeTFiwKyYJxDTaxenBsYb6fLrHuk/s1600/Paw+patrol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZer5ocZkZyr4IIQVUqk95p1EaoiuBOsSsV4U8XHcTmIA94TDmmzxnpQY_3YoBpx5K9eITZ0-2GSwqnnP2lia-zNSnYvXJyJ8S6IPhbr7KZzhTgsKLeTFiwKyYJxDTaxenBsYb6fLrHuk/s320/Paw+patrol.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Emma & Pappy at Paw Patrol</i></b></td></tr>
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Before the event, we went to Klavon’s in the Strip District for ice cream. Glenn had an Oreo sundae. I had a pecan ball with THE best hot fudge sauce I’ve ever had. We both agreed the vanilla ice cream was outstanding. Emma drank two glasses of white milk! Go figure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I started two Osher courses at Carnegie Mellon — Female Sleuths and Knitting, both on Tuesdays. After my 9 am senior circuit class at the JCC, I bus to the literature class in a CMU classroom building, then walk a mile or so to the Friends Meeting House where the knitting group meets. In between, I have coffee or a light lunch. Am really enjoying both classes and meeting some new people. One of the women in the knitting group is a friend of my friend Peggy in DC — another small world story. i especially am pleased to find the knitting group. I’m using the class to put together the sweater I’m making from Jan’s yarn. We are already talking about continuing the group. I’m taking a third Osher class, Pittsburgh Women in Jazz, starting in February. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Youngest granddaughter Callie turned one on 21st, and we celebrated at Jen and Alan’s the day before. For a kid who didn’t crawl until she was 10 months old, Callie now runs everywhere. She had a wonderful time running from uncle to aunt to grandparent et al. While she didn’t dig into her cake like so many kids, she seemed to be having a great time anyway. Probably good that she doesn’t like cake so much. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSPD0lG8OhDJO4QxULbQVTp3nsgFFjuNSqiLmA0gBzoVYsELGApiLBi10PuQOMh_jPOY2ta7IKLGr3TuZCQIjNqVYbev4x3ti3X0BEUyWI2MOD2EJ6CU20iPWVjVFJq2QO3G8AWHalmS8/s1600/Callie+bday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSPD0lG8OhDJO4QxULbQVTp3nsgFFjuNSqiLmA0gBzoVYsELGApiLBi10PuQOMh_jPOY2ta7IKLGr3TuZCQIjNqVYbev4x3ti3X0BEUyWI2MOD2EJ6CU20iPWVjVFJq2QO3G8AWHalmS8/s320/Callie+bday.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Cowgirl Callie turns one </i></b></td></tr>
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Now that she’s one, Callie is in a new group at her pre-school/day care. When Jen dropped her off the first time, her mom got a bit nostalgic about the transition … Callie ran to play with her friends.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Oldest granddaughter Sara is prepping hard for her showmanship presentation at PaSRBA, the state rabbit breeders convention that we’ll all attend in Lebanon PA at the end of the month. For someone so young, not only does she ace the knowledge part of the presentation but she has incredible poise. I know she’ll do well there, as she did at the nationals last October.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn and I both enjoyed two movies: <i>Vice</i>, about former Vice President Dick Cheney, and <i>On the Basis of Sex</i>, the film about Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s first court case that start the onslaught of overturning scores of laws that discriminated against women. The latter was a good antidote to the former, but both were interesting stories, well acted and presumably close to accurate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Friend Aideen in DC and her employer settled on dates for her trip to Ghana, so I’ll be off to our national capital in mid February, returning just in time for my sister Barbara, nephew Christopher and his girlfriend Jen to arrive for their annual Penguins hockey outing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>26 January</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Got a text message from my sister saying she’d gotten a robocall asking her to help fund the president’s border wall. Obviously whoever initiated those calls just used the phone book as only Hilary Clinton is less likely than my sister to do that. Called Barbara and we had a good laugh. She was out riding her new fat tire bike ahead of the forecast arctic blast (Wednesday windchill to hit 61 below zero).</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>27 January</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">What better way to spend a cold winter Sunday than at the Warhol Museum? Glenn drove in from Mount Pleasant this morning while I was at Whole Foods picking up some last minute items for dinner. It was snowing to beat the band. He couldn’t stay over because tomorrow morning he’s taking Jen’s two to pre-school. Anyway, while I prepped dinner for cooking later, Glenn searched ancestry.com on my laptop. I’d gotten a couple of “leaf” messages. What fun that was. Most of what he found related to my dad and his family — Gramma Kanyr’s death certificate (she died of a heart attack in 1940); another spelling for her maiden name (Tomori); Daddy’s, Uncle Honey’s and others’ military records (musters, requests for post-war pay). </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">And we found more men with Daddy’s name than I could ever imagine. When he’d travel, Daddy used to look up our surname in local phone books. He said he never found anyone that he didn’t already know was a relative. Makes me wonder how many had phones (not uncommon in the 1940s-50s). Glenn found dozens of men with Daddy’s name and various spellings of our Hungarian surname. What caught our eye was a Steve who was in Washington state at the same time Daddy’s was mustered there toward the end of the war, and it wasn’t Daddy; that Steve was born in 1907 in now-former Jugoslavia. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn also found a social security document with Daddy listed as Julius and a footnote that he was elsewhere listed as Steve. That brought back a bunch of old stories. Daddy left high school in 1933 to work in the mill but was actually too young. So he used his older brother Julius’ name and birthdate; Julius had died. When social security was implemented, Daddy was enrolled as Julius. After the war, Daddy wanted his job back: he’d gotten married and I was on the way. He took a lawyer with him to meet the mill superintendent and “fall on his sword.” I wish I could recall the super’s name as my dad’s undying gratitude was expressed every time we passed the man’s house in lower Greenock. The super agreed to give him his job back, adjust his start date and not turn him in while the lawyer helped “fix” the social security problem. My brother reminded me that Daddy started getting social security checks several years before he was eligible. On Dan’s advice, he didn’t cash them but went to the local office to return them and explain. It took a couple of visits to get it squared away.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>29 January, Mount Pleasant</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Much news about the polar vortex that’s descended upon many of us. Frigid here in PA but not as bad as MN. Wind chill will take temps to minus 61F tomorrow. That’s way below anything I endured while there; I think minus 35 was the worst.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Best antidote to cold weather:<br />Wedel hot chocolate, richest, thickest I've<br />ever had, but alas, only available<br />in Warsaw</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>30 January</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Baby, it’s cold outside and not just in the Upper Midwest. When I left Squirrel Hill, I followed my landlord’s instructions — faucets dripping, cabinet doors under sinks open, thermostat on 68-70. I’m hopeful all will be well while I’m at the state rabbit convention with Glenn, Michelle and Sara. And that we’ll be able to leave tomorrow because …</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Meanwhile in Mount Pleasant, Glenn just discovered that there’s no water in the shower or bathroom sink that he uses. My sink, the toilet, kitchen and second bathroom are okay for now. He’s on the phone to Jen to find a plumber (Alan has lots of friends in the trades). </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>31 January</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Unfortunately it’s a frozen pipe. And we can’t leave with that in case it would crack a pipe and start flooding. So, here we are in Mount Pleasant, not Lebanon PA. Glenn alerted Michelle yesterday afternoon that we might have to bail. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Nephew John's daughters,<br />Ruby & Hazel, pretend its summer</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We cleaned out the cabinet and opened the access to the shower plumbing. Glenn had my hairdryer in the space between the shower and drywall and a new space heater aimed under the sink all night and all day today. Glenn was up all night checking to be sure nothing overheated. Midday I drove to Squirrel Hill to check on my plumbing, took a hot shower and a long nap, then returned. About 11 pm Glenn went to check and we had a steady flow into the sink. Hurray! </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Preview of coming attractions</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Lady Sara of PaSRBA</i></b></td></tr>
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Hello All from Suzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671732878857293499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9006197434431279213.post-36764787117754981662018-12-14T19:57:00.000-06:002018-12-14T19:57:40.124-06:00<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>19 October, Mount Pleasant PA USA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The month is half over and I haven’t had time to start this. Ugh! A quick-and-dirty recap of October to date. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Finished up the Sleep Study at UPMC. Day of tests, including EKG and ultrasound of my carotid artery. I asked to have results sent to my primary care doc so I’ll know what’s up. I wasn’t selected for the final phase — 2.5 days, mostly awake without caffeine. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Started annual exams with eye doctor and gynecologist. More tests to be done; nothing worrisome: follow up on cataracts and bone density and mammo scheduled.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Rainy day in Delmont</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Got soaked at the annual Delmont Apple Festival, which we’d attended last year with Glenn’s 89-year-old uncle and aunt. When the heavens burst, we were sooo glad we hadn’t brought Victor and Louise this year. The rain started shortly after we alit from the shuttle bus. We took shelter, such as it was with the high winds and deluge of rain, in a giant tent that was set up with tables and chairs for the food area. When we could finally leave the tent, the sun shone again. We got shivering me a cup of hot coffee, then started to visit some of the 300 artisan vendors. I bought a lot of holiday gifts here last year. Not so this one. We had only visited half a dozen spots when a festival official came through. She announced the police were closing the festival, another — worse — storm was due in half an hour; we needed to evacuate ASAP. The waiting line for the shuttle was already a block long and winding through the admin building and out the other side. We were soaked through when we finally boarded about 30 minutes later. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Sara & Glenn enjoy ice cream</i></b></td></tr>
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</span>Thankfully the next day was sunny and warm. We took our oldest granddaughter Sara to a rabbit show at Penn State. And made the mandatory stop at The Creamery, PSU’s famous ice cream shop. We bought several half gallons for Michelle, Glenn’s older daughter, and one for Glenn. I wasn’t willing to over-spend my Weight Watchers’ points so early in my weight loss effort, so I passed on a pint-sized cone. That was hard (understatement of the year!).</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Glenn and I and our friends Gary and Johanna went to see the reproductions of two of Christopher Columbus’ ships, the Niña and Pinta. The ships were incredibly small, even the Pinta which was upsized to make room for more tourists. Afterwards, we went over to the South Side for lunch. I’m really enjoying spending time with Gary and Johanna and Glenn. Oh, they’re teaching me how to play pinochle and are very patient with my need for a cheat-sheet scorer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Lots of birthday celebrations. Middle granddaughter Emma turned four the day before “Blue Pappy” (Glenn) turned 73. Emma calls Glenn that because he wears blue shirts a lot; her other grandfather works for the highway department, wearing an orange protective vest, hence “Orange Pappy.” I’m Gramma Suzi, and I love it! Big party for Emma — her mom went all out with the decorations. Kids placemats were handmade with photos of that kid and Emma, then laminated, treasure chest piñata. I took Glenn to dinner at Altius on Mount Washington for his birthday. Another spectacular view of our city. Glenn said his steak was the best he’s ever had. We took Lyft both ways so wine was consumed without worry. We’ll celebrate my 73rd when we get to West Springfield MA.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Celebrating Glenn's birthday</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">22 October, Squirrel Hill</b><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I’ve been having trouble shifting my “baby,” a standard transmission Ford Focus, into reverse on very cold days. Happened again when I was leaving Mount Pleasant on Sunday afternoon and yet again today. I called the garage that did my inspection, and the owner recommended a transmission specialist in West Mifflin. That guy agreed to take a look this morning. Glenn met me at the garage, and after drop off, we ran errands that we’d both planned to do. On the way back from The Waterfront, the huge shopping area that was built on the old Homestead steel works site, we crossed the Monongahela River via the Homestead Grays (High) Bridge, something we’ve done together and individually hundreds of times. This time Glenn noticed and pointed out some houses nestled in a forest of trees near the river to the right … but we couldn’t see any roads leading down there. So, off we went to figure it out. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">And we did. Took a few wrong turns but eventually we descended on a narrow road toward the river, crossed a one-lane bridge, made two sharp right-angle turns and right around a corner was this little village of homes isolated by a forest. It could’ve been a village in the mountains of West Virginia. Just a handful of narrow streets and probably a dozen houses, no two the same and most 30+ years old. Life with Glenn is always interesting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Oh, BTW, I’ve officially lost 12 pounds although it’s more like 15. I guessed at my starting weight, using what I’d weighed at a doctor’s appointment last January. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>23 October</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Well, the transmission worked just fine for the mechanic, even on the first try this morning. Isn’t that how it always happens? He said the fluid, clutch etc. were all right and if I have more trouble, he can pull the transmission and check some hydraulic thingy — $1100. Hopefully it won’t be necessary.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>25 October, my 73rd birthday, West Springfield MA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn and I spent last night at his older daughter Michelle’s, so we could leave early this morning (4 am). But first, we went to the Berlin PA Halloween parade last night. Sara dressed as Dorothy from the <i>Wizard of Oz</i> and one of her rabbits was Toto, sitting in her basket. She’ll do the same thing for the “dress up” portion of the rabbit show but add the Cowardly Lion. Michelle found a cat costume that had a lion’s head hat that fit the rabbit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">En route here, we stopped near Harrisburg to caravan with Brian and his six kids. We exchanged Michelle for Abigail, age 8. Michelle and Brian wanted to work on their pitch to the national board; they are seeking the 2020 show for PA. (Brian’s wife Ruth-Ann is in National Guard basic training for two years.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>26 October, Happy Birthday to niece Dyana</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>27 October</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I cannot believe there was a shooting this morning at a synagogue very near my flat in Squirrel Hill. It happened during morning services and details are still sketchy. I emailed Shannon, my water ex instructor at the JCC, and Aaron, my landlord, to see if everyone was okay. So far, that seems to be the case. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Michelle gave Glenn a Groupon for a tasting and tour of a distillery across the border in Connecticut. We went this afternoon, then had dinner in Hartford to celebrate my birthday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Distillery tour was a hoot. I got the giggles after a few sips of our “introductory cocktail” — their vodka and lemonade. Mmm mmm good. The giggles continued through the tasting, tour and dinner: a combination of booze on an empty stomach and a need for relief from the horror of what my neighborhood is experiencing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">More details are coming out about the shooting victims and shooter, a racist anti-semitic ultranationalist. I’ve gotten messages from so many friends who know I live near there. This isn’t a political blog, and I’ve steadfastly avoided that … but this kind of atrocity is a direct result of the change in our country’s culture and norms. We have seen way to much of this in the last few years. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>29 October, Happy Birthday to friend Johanna</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>30 October</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Congratulations to granddaughter Sara on her knowledge of rabbitry. She was second best in the </span><span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;">entire nation</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> in her age category (6-8 years old). <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHVijjgFdCqkk5qILX5QRTBnP7QdfJmmdvv10vzWRVDhqDDKkqNIuNGt2U9a4W_NKwMbfD4PCYg6bU6VBwyoWnAAspOVeDBgdPttKneqR3wZpdhjGzJqT0RiabBXtUqtSkrS-VwlWnCxg/s1600/Sara+at+national.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="943" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHVijjgFdCqkk5qILX5QRTBnP7QdfJmmdvv10vzWRVDhqDDKkqNIuNGt2U9a4W_NKwMbfD4PCYg6bU6VBwyoWnAAspOVeDBgdPttKneqR3wZpdhjGzJqT0RiabBXtUqtSkrS-VwlWnCxg/s320/Sara+at+national.jpg" width="188" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Sara at National Show</i></b></td></tr>
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Her friend and roommate during the convention, Abigail, took first place. The PA group did well overall in the knowledge competitions. All five of Abby’s brothers placed, often first or second, and Zach from Westmoreland took fifth place in his age group. Zach had led the Rabbit Bowl team to an upset victory in the state competition earlier this autumn. But he wasn’t very confident about his chances here, so we were all extremely happy to see him place.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Organization was definitely not a strong suit overall for the convention planners, obvious in so many ways even to me who knew little about anything. But tonight’s Youth Banquet was the biggest mess of a banquet I’ve ever attended. A taco bar, a slider/hotdog bar, a popcorn/pretzel bar and a dessert bar with churros and deep-fried Twinkies — all buffet style with very, very, very long lines. I got a hotdog because that line was shorter than the taco line, which I preferred. I talked to a woman who had waited 30 minutes! By the time we got to dessert, all of the churros were gone … and deep-friend Twinkies are disgusting, even with chocolate sauce. Yeah, I tried them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Organization won’t be an issue in 2020 — the show will be in Harrisburg PA under direction of the same team that handled the 2013 show so well. Congrats to Michelle and Brian!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>31 October, Castleton VT</b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJNwsUnjbpvlNrw30o1MT-D2oCI0reimwqdIYpNIZQ-Nm8K8PdjR2apOIuYcZ9mU6AM0EMDVlp-hKJbUMnGrWvv5UWia_8zuas7jiFWLeegIp5xcdhmhz15eyyaxeBteESXI6eqf_8kTE/s1600/John+H+%2526+Halloween.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJNwsUnjbpvlNrw30o1MT-D2oCI0reimwqdIYpNIZQ-Nm8K8PdjR2apOIuYcZ9mU6AM0EMDVlp-hKJbUMnGrWvv5UWia_8zuas7jiFWLeegIp5xcdhmhz15eyyaxeBteESXI6eqf_8kTE/s320/John+H+%2526+Halloween.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My nephew John & his family<br />are ready for Halloween!</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn went to the conference center very early with Michelle after she carried Sara to our room. While they unpacked the show and repacked vehicles, I organized Glenn’s and my suitcases for our next trips. I really don’t want either of us carrying the big suitcase when we really don’t need too. It now includes bottles from the distillery tour! </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">With a green wire rabbit cage on the roof and several smaller cages in the Jeep’s cargo space, we left for VT in late morning. Most of our stuff was on the backseat. Michelle and Sara drove home with the owner of the cages.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We arrived here in late afternoon. Haven’t seen Dianna in three years, and she looks terrific, and seems to be doing well. It was nice to see her husband Robert again. I met him once when he came to see Dianna when we were both managing projects in Skopje, Macedonia. I’m so glad I got to introduce them and Glenn. After time to settle in and start catching up, we took a drive around this historic area, then had dinner at <i>The Wheel</i>, a real down home, home cooking cafe with incredible food. And desserts to die for. I had a mixed berry crisp too big for one sitting. Saving half for tomorrow’s breakfast. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGH_mnSdOj9pVWIXchdX3DbXTTiOmyZG8q1gLLHCqEB1pNrPU6HBxBzJGMKGNOf2DaMbcKwI3LUBmj8nJotYfTYjlk4N4h-zs7Po8YKS_HVQoxy4_38YgvNp0Q28kzC2s5mMzKjtDRtps/s1600/Castleton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGH_mnSdOj9pVWIXchdX3DbXTTiOmyZG8q1gLLHCqEB1pNrPU6HBxBzJGMKGNOf2DaMbcKwI3LUBmj8nJotYfTYjlk4N4h-zs7Po8YKS_HVQoxy4_38YgvNp0Q28kzC2s5mMzKjtDRtps/s320/Castleton.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Castleton, where Ethan Allan &<br />Benedict Arnold staged before a major<br />Revolutionary War battle</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Lots of colonial and Revolutionary War sites in the area. This is where Ethan Allan and Benedict Arnold organized their “troops” for the Battle of Ticonderoga. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>1 November</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Rainy day. Slow moving morning and late breakfast, then drove around to a cider press and local markets and a huge local book/gift/coffee shop in a nearby town We were going to have coffee at the bookstore but that section was closed for renovation. We did get some cider straight from the press during another stop as well as a few other local artisan items. I wanted to get a few things for Larry and Karen since we’ll have dinner at their house on Friday. We had a late lunch at a resort/spa — really nice to have roaring fires in the nearby fireplaces as it was still rainy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>2 November, Newton MA </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I love having a driver! I can enjoy the scenery, and there’s sure a lot of that in Vermont and New Hampshire. Even though too many trees were still green, we saw bursts of color — firey reds and rusty oranges — every so often. At one point the clouds were below the mountain tops but above us, hanging over the evergreens like gauze on shrubbery at Halloween.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The rain continued most of the day but thankfully took a short break when we needed one. We stopped for lunch at a glass workshop/store/restaurant in Quechee. I had an excellent fish soup, Glenn an equally delicious sandwich. We perused the glass shop but way too expensive for our budgets … plus I can get beautiful glass for a lot less when I’m in Poland.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Oh, you’ve probably seen those commercials for Southern New Hampshire University — they take a big bus around to hand out diplomas to online students. Well, we passed SNHU — it’s a real place with real buildings, not just something in the cloud. Kind of a fun discovery.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We didn’t have as much “down” time between checking in at the Newton Marriott and going to Larry and Karen’s for dinner as we’d’ve liked. But such is life on this trip. Both of their moms, their siblings and kids were at dinner. I’d met many of them at older son Jonah’s bar mitzvah three years ago. Jonah was my first adopted grandson. Now he’s 16 and learning to drive!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Spike had shorter straight hair instead of the mob of longish curls I remembered. But he’s still Spike, full of energy and enthusiasm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Small world story. After dinner, Karen’s brother-in-law Joe leaned over to Glenn and said, “You’re from Pittsburgh, right?” That led to a conversation about how much Joe loved Pgh — he’d gone to Carnegie Mellon, stayed on afterwards for a job at PPG for less pay than one in Detroit. And Joe lived in Squirrel Hill, across from the high school, in the building with the underpass to the parking lot in back. THAT’S MY BUILDING!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>4 November, Alexandria VA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Spike’s bar mitzvah service yesterday morning was all Spike despite sharing it with another boy from the synagogue. His “sermon” was about Isaac sending his servant to find a wife for Isaac’s son and how the servant selected Rebecca because of her innate kindness. Not only did she offer water to the parched servant, but without asking she brought water for his many camels. Using his family’s 16 oz. dinner water glasses, Spike calculated the tremendous about of water Rebecca would’ve need for the camels, who as we are told need a lot as they can go for days without. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">That evening, we all chilled out at Hard Rock Cafe in Boston with a DJ who kept the dozens of kids in attendance busy with trivia, games, and such. One new idea to me was for pairs to develop a secret handshake that involved at least five moves. You should’ve seen some of those — what creativity and moves! Thirteen birthday candles were lined along a baseball bat (Spike plays baseball), and as he lit each, he honored people — his parents, aunts and uncles, neighbors, etc. I was overwhelmed and honored to share a candle with a friend of Larry and Karen’s from their Kenya days. Spike cited my willingness to bring contraband (KinderEggs) for him as well as send him post cards as I travel.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spike & his source</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">The drive to Glenn’s cousin Donald’s house was interesting.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">We first stopped in Salem, having promised his daughter Jen a tee-shirt from there.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">We had breakfast, wandered the infamous town and took a tour of the witches’ museum, learning a lot about the Salem Witch Scare.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">For example, it only lasted 13 months, 19 witches were hanged (one was male); colonists didn’t burn witches, Europeans did.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">A local sheriff had a custom of acquiring the property of “convicted” witches and was thwarted by a male witch who refused to declare himself guilty or not.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Thus the witch who couldn’t be convicted ran away, the sheriff died of a heart attack and the witch returned, stole his body, and held it for ransom — the return of his home.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">The sheriff’s family finally did.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">After that tale, it was time to head homeward.</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Using the GPS, Glenn drove “the fastest route”, through New York City where traffic actually did move quite smoothly, then onward to an Applebee’s for food. Back on the road, we passed the I-695 exit that I had suggested and went further south, through Baltimore tunnels toward Annapolis, finally westward toward Washington’s National Harbor and finally Donald’s. Whew! We were pooped and gladly accepted Donald’s offer wine. Now one of us is going to bed … guess which!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>5 November, Bethesda MD</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Youngest granddaughter Callie had to be taken to the ER as her chest congestion was significantly worse, affecting her breathing. Whatever the doc tried didn’t work as hoped. Glenn decided to return to PA tonight and drove me to Inga’s in Bethesda first. It was dark, rush hour and a nightmare of a drive, but here I am. Tomorrow I’ll go to Aideen’s for 10 days with Mickey. I already have my train ticket for Thanksgiving trip home. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>15 November, Arlington VA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Here I sit watching the snow fall, wondering if Mickey’s school will close early and trying to play blog catch up again. Schools and cities here just don’t know how to deal with snow and ice and that’s a shame considering how much more snow and ice they’ve seen in recent years. I’ve been in the area for at least two major blizzards (20+ inches of snow). Anyway …</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Mickey’s in 8th grade now, last year of middle school, and very involved in music, fencing and tennis, and Latin. He continues with the saxophone, tennis and fencing lessons, making for a varied and interesting schedule. His interest in Latin as an oral and written language and the history and culture of ancient Rome has increased. This coming weekend we’ll go with his school’s Latin Club to the Sunday-Monday state convention where he’ll compete in oratory. Togas are required at the banquet, and I need to find out if I have to have one too!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Have reconnected with a few friends for lunches and a few more planned. I haven’t reached out as much as I usually do because I’m pooped from traveling. It’s been nice to just take a walk to Clarendon, then sit and binge watch something on Acorn or Netflix. I’m enjoying Robson Green in “Wire in the Blood” on Acorn and Julia Roberts in “Homecoming” on Netflix. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I’m also being more domestic than usual — baked banana bread and have chocolate chip cookie dough in the refrigerator ready for baking. I thought if Mickey got home early he might want to help. I promised cookies to my niece Dyana for her birthday and because I was in New England, didn’t get a chance to bake. Today’s a good day for that! I’ve also make a couple of soups and enjoyed some salmon-vegetable soup that Aideen left.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Last weekend Mickey and I joined Inga, Craig, Tosia and Beza the dog at Inga and Craig’s new cottage at Bryce National Park. Had a good time vegging out. Too cold to take the ski lift to the mountain top but Mickey, Tosia and I drove up and down the mountain roads, including several unmarked dead-ends (thankfully all cul de sacs for easier turn around). Saw some incredible houses, one was round with a pond partially beneath. Saw the reservoir and the airport. Yes, lots of small planes fly in/out, and the biggest house we saw apparently belongs to a pilot. It’s literally hotel size so we agreed we could move into the lowest level, and it’d take him years to discover he had guests.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beza & Tosia relax at the new cottage</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>20 November</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">From rabbit convention to Latin convention in less than a month, how’s that for transitions? Mickey’s been studying Latin for several years, language, culture, history and all. Something he loves and excels at. So when Aideen mentioned that the Virginia Classical League Convention would be in Richmond while I”m here, I agreed to attend with him. I did two years of Latin in high school, and Mrs. B., my Latin II teacher, firmly believed it wasn’t a “dead language.” And I thank her for that every time I work a crossword puzzle. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reenactors at Latin convention</span></b></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Must’ve been a couple thousand middle and high schoolers in the Richmond Convention Center, and the Sunday-Monday program was jam packed with oratory (in Latin and English), tests of grammar, vocabulary, mythology, and more, competition in arts (all media), a banquet for toga-clad guests … the only downside was getting up Sunday morning to catch the 6:30 am bus from the school (upside was no driving either way).</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Mickey did a surprisingly good job of self direction — actually pre-selecting activities, then getting to them on time as well as touching base as we decided. As a non-official chaperone, I was in charge of “guarding” the luggage, coats and such — all piled in one spot until hotel rooms were available, and then again after Monday breakfast and checkout. (Reminded me a bit of my Peace Corps group’s layover in Frankfort, Germany. It was so long that we had to get our luggage which we piled in one place and took turns guarding.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Two other chaperones found an outstanding Korean cafe a few blocks away and stood guard while I had a chance to verify their review. I had the leftovers for dinner last night.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Cold and windy today. Mickey called to ask if he could go to a school friend’s house after jazz band practice. So he will return in time to eat and go to his choral group rehearsal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>21 November, Bethesda</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Aideen arrived home after a harrowing series of flights from Bishkek — one of her tickets was cancelled plus she didn’t know she’d have to leave the security in AMS, get her luggage, re-check in and then get to her next flight … in just over an hour. Thankfully she was able to get things squared away. Inga picked me up and I’ll stay here tonight and take the train home tomorrow. Craig is making a turkey for midday celebration of Thanksgiving.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Craig & Inga, chef & assistant on Turkey Day</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>22 November, Mount Pleasant, Thanksgiving Day</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After a huge and delicious dinner thanks to Inga, Craig, Frankie and Tosia, Inga drove me to Union Station and the trip home. Amtrak’s Capitol Limited was beyond my expectations — legroom that exceeds first class on an airplane, clean, friendly and helpful staff, a smooth ride that was only about 20 minutes late due to another train, clear communication about stops etc. Glenn was waiting for me in Connellsville, about 30 minutes from here.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tomek, Frankie, Tosia ready for<br />Thanksgiving</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>23 November</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Mount Pleasant made the television news in Pittsburgh today. Roadway repairs and upgrades that went on forever are finally done. Work on sidewalks required removal of parking meters, the old fashioned kind that require coins, and storage for re-placing in the heart of downtown. Except the parking meters are missing. Apparently someone (or -ones) stole them from the contractor’s storage facility. According to the mayor, it’s unclear who has to pay for the new ones, the city or the contractor. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>26 November</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Been a bit of excitement. We went back to Squirrel Hill so I could check the apartment, empty my overflowing mailbox and prepare for my next trip. All accomplished plus dinner at Murray Avenue Grill to honor “Shop Small Saturday.” MAG was featured in one of my Amex emails and since it’s also a favorite of mine, I took Glenn there for dinner. The next morning as we prepared to leave for breakfast at Pamela’s, another local favorite, Glenn couldn’t find his wallet. We looked high and low to no avail, packed the car and returned here. Perhaps he hadn’t brought it with him. Nope, not here either.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today I suggested a return to SH to re-check for the wallet, get mail (my forwarding order seems to be ignored) and do some shopping at The Waterfront. Funny story — we were leaving Costco when we saw a lovely seven-foot Christmas tree for $45 — looked real but Glenn thought it was fake. After much discussion via phone with his daughter Michelle, they both decided to get one. Back we went, and I used my membership to buy the trees. At the trailer where we went to pick up the trees, Glenn learned they were real … back to Costco to get refund. Who’d a thought Costco sold live Christmas trees? Obviously not us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Then back at my apartment, Glenn found his wallet under the edge of the dust ruffle of the bed. He probably dropped it and kicked it into this hard to see spot. Phew!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>28 November, Minneapolis MN USA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Up at the crack of dawn to get to PIT for my flight to Minneapolis. Because of possible bad weather, we left from Squirrel Hill, not Mount Pleasant. Smooth flight in upgraded seat. Getting rental car was not fun. No one at the Thrift desk and after I waited about 15 minutes, a Dollar agent offered to help. I didn’t know they were owned by the same company. He said someone would be out in the parking garage to help me get a car — Not. I finally found an agent in a small office, and he pointed to where I needed to go and told me to read the signs! So much for customer service. Won’t be using Thrifty again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Had a lovely visit with my friend Lois in Northfield, doing well at 93, and on the way back to Minneapolis, a nice visit with friend Mary, whose husband Ted and I had been friends since my St. Paul Companies’ days. Mary also is doing well, reshaping her life since Ted’s death earlier in the year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Snowed while I was “down south” so I drove very carefully up Lyndale Avenue; no freeways for me when it’s bad weather. Now I’m settled at Janet and Ed’s. Ed is fixing dinner and it smells delicious. Feels like home — a man in the kitchen! Speaking of which, Glenn said his physical therapy is going well and helping his hip. Hurray! I’ve actually missed our early morning walks at the Mount Pleasant YMCA outdoor track.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>30 November</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Yesterday was a whirlwind: Birthday lunch with Susan, teeth cleaning at my old dentist, update with my financial planner, progressive dinner with Jan and Marilyn who now live next door to each other. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I started today with water ex with Andrew and old friends, then coffee with Barb from class. It was great to catch up with another traveler. (Barb helped me with the donation of much of my furniture and household goods to Bridging, a charity where she volunteers; it helps immigrants and others making transitions.) She and her husband were recently in Winnipeg, and I’m trying to talk her into another trip to Pittsburgh. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Met my sister's new pet, Vector. He keeps Stu, her lap-obsessed cat, busy while she works from home. Her company is remodeling its offices.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tonight dinner and handing out with Sabrina and Mark, Peace Corps friends, and their son Christopher. In between, a trip to Urgent Care for a bladder infection. Nice way to end the month, eh?</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Oh, and I wish I hadn’t kept the rental car — it’s supposed to snow tomorrow.</span></div>
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Hello All from Suzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671732878857293499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9006197434431279213.post-153706758296419652018-10-10T16:01:00.000-05:002018-10-10T16:01:08.488-05:00<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>Catching up</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>2 July 2018, Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh PA USA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Or are we in Arua, Uganda, or Rumbek, South Sudan? I can only remember being this hot in those places. Temps in the mid 90s with equally high humidity. My friend Aideen returned from a trip to west Africa where it was COOLER than in Arlington VA, where she lives. What is wrong with this picture?</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>3 July</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The heat continues. Enough said.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>4 July, Independence Day and my brother Dan’s birthday (cousin Marsha’s too), Mount Pleasant PA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After a lazy morning in Squirrel Hill, we stopped briefly in Mount Pleasant before heading to Somerset. Because his hot water heater is kaput, Glenn had to cancel his annual Fourth of July BBQ for a few friends and family … his older daughter offered to smoke a brisket and include us in her festivities. We had an excellent dinner including red-white-blue mac and cheese, which looked as bad as that sounds but tasted awesome (four white cheeses in the sauce). Granddaughter Sara made dessert — “chipwiches” ( chocolate ice cream between two chocolate chip cookies that she had made). Sara’s becoming quite an accomplished cook thanks to a monthly cooking kit from Radish, complete with recipes, tools sized for kids, lessons on food safety and such, as well as fun activities. She also expanding her food horizons as she makes new dishes. Radish was a birthday gift from an uncle and aunt.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Then on to the highlight of the night — fireworks. We sat on the hillside near the Berlin middle school and watched fireworks from a few other municipalities and individuals before the Berlin extravaganza went off. And that it was. Not as flashy as some I’ve seen in the past but nonetheless very satisfying to this fireworks lover.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>5 July</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I’m pooped and Glenn is already asleep with his laptop in his lap. Today we took care of the two younger granddaughters Emma 3 and Callie 5 month. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Emma and I played outdoors for a while — frisbee and soccer. The long grassy hillside is one big obstacle — neither of us likes to chase our wild throws and kicks. Callie fussed for a bit, ate and fell asleep on Glenn’s chest. He promptly fell asleep too, so I took a pic for Jennifer.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-U5HjHPSueof7S-yqH3HWxuH9L7nqaJEcQ9GeDmSlMVz-ovlafiU3fC8z3N800HELXA4eGgVeX5qRCzW5fv5JWhxiZ5QUjUCn-V1e4NpGRIle-87SDJQgh_6ff0Mjlh-lMy_8LTBew6U/s1600/glenn%252C+callie.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-U5HjHPSueof7S-yqH3HWxuH9L7nqaJEcQ9GeDmSlMVz-ovlafiU3fC8z3N800HELXA4eGgVeX5qRCzW5fv5JWhxiZ5QUjUCn-V1e4NpGRIle-87SDJQgh_6ff0Mjlh-lMy_8LTBew6U/s320/glenn%252C+callie.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Glenn & Callie nap together</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tomorrow Glenn will drive me back to Squirrel Hill and take advantage of my hot water.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>6 July, Squirrel Hill</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Before returning here, Glenn and I walked at the Y with Donna, one of the regular early birds that Glenn walks with. I enjoy walking with her too. A light drizzle slightly offset the 100 percent humidity my weather app showed and we felt. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The temps have really cooled, and I haven’t had the a/c on all day. Hurray. After walking up Murray Avenue a few blocks, I took a bus into the city and picked up the divorce papers for one of Glenn’s uncles (a second marriage that, like the first one, Glenn knew nothing about). I’d ordered them on Tuesday. Then I walked over to Burlington (formerly Burlington Coat Factory) to look for a baby present for Hala’s new granddaughter, Zosia, Marcin and Beata’s daughter who arrived yesterday. Put together a cute size 2 outfit (I like buying things for future use) and also picked up a present for Tosia, Hala’s first granddaughter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>7 July</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Weather is still comfortable. I’ve been sleeping with the screened sliding door open. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I took a Lyft to the New Hazlett Theater where I’m a volunteer usher. Today it was the matinee performance of a musical, “The Bridges of Madison County.” Didn’t even know it had been made into a musical. Read the book, saw the movie, now I’ve seen the musical, which was quite good. The Carnivale theater company’s singers had good, strong voices, and I’m glad I stayed to watch. As I did, it dawned on me that the story was about timing — the timing of the meeting between Francesca and Robert was wrong, just like the timing between Glenn and me was right.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tomorrow we’re meeting friends Gary and Johanna, new retirees, at Stone Villa Winery for some wine tasting … oh, and catching up. We’ll set a time to play cards for another time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>11 July</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Catching up again!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Good friends, gorgeous weather, lovely wine and many tasty snacks — a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon. And that we did. It’s always fun getting together with Gary and Johanna. The time passed way too fast.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">On Monday, after our early walk, I drove home for a day of organizing for our trip to Nashville next week and my colonoscopy on Thursday. Talked with friend Kathy. We’ll stay with her and Chuck. Chuck’s recovery from his hip replacement is going well. We’re hoping they both can join us in some of our adventures. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Yesterday I drove out to Mount Pleasant in the morning for a day at Idlewild Amusement Park, a place I haven’t been to since I was a chid. Kennywood amusement park was closer, so we always went there. By the time I got to his house, Glenn had picked up Sara. We picked up Emma at 12:30, and Glenn’s older daughter Michelle met us at the park. We had a wild and wonderful day — did a few rides, spent a couple of hours in the Soak Zone, checking out various water venues. Emma wanted to go on the tubes — a winding series of tubes not unlike a wet bobsled track, ending in a shallow pool. She insisted she’d done it before. So acrophobic me, grabbed a two-person tube and Emma’s hand and followed Michelle and Sara up the many wooden staircases to the launch spot. First we had to get weighed to ensure our combined weights didn’t exceed 450 pounds. Phew! We made it. I got Emma settled in front, managed to get myself in the back and off we went. Unlike the tubes at the Bloomington MN water park where I’ve been with nephew Craig and sons, the tubes in this one were pitch black. Emma let out a terrified scream the minute we entered. I put my feet around her and constantly reminded her that I was there, But she didn’t stop until we hit the pool at the bottom. She ‘fessed up that that was her first ride. And thanksfully when I ‘fessed up, Jennifer, her mom, took it very well. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLV9I3ZnGuGInzGQHX2J8_fjWeBOi7IjoZVo497e4NkNl_zhxDqd_tfSmJ_g0y4ccylDHQZ4SiYYK_6O3LYLV4W-NkgH1c-LBEW9SICxfozMJtuiUgYf7KaDHHGE6kAPbTCEPRZX0EtfM/s1600/Sara%252C+Emma%252C+Idlewild.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1209" data-original-width="1600" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLV9I3ZnGuGInzGQHX2J8_fjWeBOi7IjoZVo497e4NkNl_zhxDqd_tfSmJ_g0y4ccylDHQZ4SiYYK_6O3LYLV4W-NkgH1c-LBEW9SICxfozMJtuiUgYf7KaDHHGE6kAPbTCEPRZX0EtfM/s320/Sara%252C+Emma%252C+Idlewild.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Sara & Emma on Idlewild Train</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I drove home last night cuz today I have to do the prep for my colonoscopy. Ah, what a fun evening this will be. At 5, I started with the prep liquid, made with lemon-lime Gatorade per the doc’s instructions. Tastes better than the lemonade I used five years ago. Best thing about all this is that my appointment is early — need to be at hospital by 8:30 for 9:30 procedure. Glenn has already arrived and will go with me tomorrow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Speaking of my sweetie, he has had quite an eventful day. Having done some laundry, he could hear something metallic rattling around in the dryer. Turned out to be a single key to his house. After much thought, he could only identify his wallet as the location of a single house key … and low and behold, there in the pocket of a pair of cargo shorts in the dryer was his wallet. Totally destroyed from its thorough washing. Thankfully much of its contents was plastic. The paper money is drying on a rack. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">So off he goes to pick up something for Uncle Victor at Sears and decides to buy a wallet at BonTon since it’s having a huge going-out-of-business sale. He buys a $50 wallet for about $16, then spies a long-sleeved dress shirt in his size. Perhaps a bit too pinkish red but … With all the markdowns, he wasn’t sure of the final price and asked a salesperson. Amazingly he found one who checked the price. For $6 and change, Glenn will wear a pinkish red shirt.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>12 July, Mount Pleasant</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Colonoscopy day. Got about four hours sleep last night. Showered, dressed and off we went. Magee-Women’s is a great hospital; I remember it well from my youth. Although they have many male doctors and employees, my doctor was a woman and all of the nurses and aides I dealt with were women. I liked that. All went well. Glenn was with me until I went in for the procedure and joined me when I was in recovery. I’m a slow recoverer so especially good to have someone around. The doctor removed four small polyps, now with pathology. I’ve had them before and they’ve not been a problem. She did recommend another colonoscopy in three years, not five. Yuck!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn went up to my apartment and got what we needed — laundry basket, homemade chicken soup, my laptop — and then we drove here. I slept most of the afternoon, ate my soup in stages along with some gluten-free pretzel sticks and iced tea. My no-caffeine-today headache is starting to recede. When Glenn returned tonight from his board meeting, I sent him out for a mushroom pizza. I was craving something with lots of favor, something that happens routinely when I’ve had gastro-intestinal issues. In college after a stomach flu bout, I’d head for the pizza parlor. Anyway … </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tomorrow we have much to do to prepare for our trip to Nashville and Saturday we have Emma and Callie for the day while Jen and Alan paint the new house with help from Alan’s family.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>15 July, Franklin, Tennessee</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Up and out before the crack of dawn to catch our 6-ish flight. We used my twofer tickets on Delta which meant a connection. We traveled through Detroit — and our outgoing gate at DTW was right next to our arrival one. Hurray! </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Arrived in Nashville on time and got our rental car, a small SUV. Glenn brought his GPS so we got to Kathy’s without a hitch, stopping for lunch en route. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Kathy’s never met Glenn, and I’ve never met Chuck — and we all clicked beautifully. Glenn and Chuck started talking ancestry … and off they went. Glenn’s already working on Chuck’s father’s family. We practically had to drag them to dinner at a local pub.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Interestingly neither Glenn nor I had heard of the Battle of Franklin in 1864, one of the deciding battles of the American Civil War. While we’re here, we’ll visit quite a few sites related to the battle. It was a bloody defeat in which the South lost 12 generals: six were killed, five were wounded and one captured.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>17 July</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Yesterday Glenn, Kathy and I drove into Nashville to have a look-see. Chuck is recuperating from hip replacement surgery and cannot walk that much.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Music was coming from virtually every bar and restaurant in town … and many are owned by well-known country singers. We checked out Tootsies where I’m told virtually every country star played before making it. After a couple of hours of walking and a trip through the Johnny Cash Museum, we stopped at Ole Red, a new venue owned by Blake Shelton. We had Nashville nachos and biscuits while we listened to an up-and-coming group, the Mobile Homeboys. I’m not a big country music fan but thoroughly enjoyed the day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Grand Ole Opry was high on Glenn’s must-see list and an evening that I thoroughly enjoyed. Two of the headliners were oldies that I recognized, Bill Anderson and Ricky Skaggs. A third, Bobby Bare, was familiar to the others as were some of the groups. Very well organized — because it was Tuesday, each group was allotted three songs (usually it’s two). </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Glenn, Kathy & Chuck at Grand Ole Opry</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">In between all of this, Glenn and Chuck continue to work on the Chuck’s family tree. Glenn’s taken it back to the 17th Century unofficially. Now he’s trying to verify things.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>18 July</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After breakfast at Loveless Cafe, we spent the day driving along the Natchez Trace. We stopped in several small towns along the way as well as the site where Meriwether Lewis, of Lewis & Clark fame, died in 1809. The replica of the tiny inn where he either was murdered or committed suicide had just closed, but the park ranger spent about 45 minutes talking with us. Lewis’ grave, along with almost 100 others, is there. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>19 July, Lynchburg TN</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i>Home of the Jack Daniels Distillery and Miss Mary Bobo’s Boarding House and Restaurant. Jack Daniels is the oldest registered distillery in the US, 1866. Miss Mary’s opened in 1908 and the boarding house was run by her until she died in 1983.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">What a day we have had. We left Kathy and Chuck after breakfast and set out for Lynchburg. We had a lunch reservation for 1:30 and thought we might get in a tour at JD before that, and if not, afterwards We were able to tour before lunch, a non-sampling one (waaay too early for that).</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Some interesting history about JD that we didn’t know. Jasper “Jack” Daniels learned how to make whiskey from the slave of a Lutheran minister. The minister, Dan Call, not only preached on Sunday but had a general store and distillery. Nearest Green, the slave, operated the distillery and took 10-year-old Jack, who worked in the store, under his wing. This was all pre-Civil War. After the war, Call’s congregation took exception to his whiskey enterprise. He sold it to Jack who took Nearest, now a free man, as his head (master) distiller. Since then, a member of Nearest’s family has always worked at the distillery … and Jack’s too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Ironically JD is in a dry county. You can’t buy a drink or a bottle anywhere other than samples on the distillery tours and commemorative bottles only at the distillery gift shop.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Interestingly reviews of Miss Mary Bobo’s that we found were somewhat mixed. Our reviews will be five-star across the board. You dine family style, and our group was about 14 plus a docent. A young woman and her daughter who’d been in our JD tour group were with our lunch group, joined by the husband/father who’d done a tasting tour. The couple across from us is from Savannah, and the wife said she was familiar with the work of an artist there who’s married to one of my late son Peter’s high school friends. In fact, I was at their wedding. All in all, we had a chatty, upbeat group and enjoyed the camaraderie and the Southern style food. Our mains were fried catfish and BBQ’d ribs, both good but the ribs were excellent. A big hit with everyone was the fried apples with a splash of JD. I think our waitress brought three refills! That dish and deep fried okra bites are staples of the meals.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After all that food, we needed some steps despite the heat. We walked over to the town square, found the “hardware” store and picked up a few JD gifts. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>20 July, East of Knoxville, TN</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">9 pm and it’s still 86F outside. Just another day in Tennessee.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After Lynchburg, we drove over to Sewanee: The University of the South where my friend Aideen did her bachelor’s degree. She’s the university’s most vocal fan. We drove through the campus — as gorgeous as described and very un-Southern, a campus of stone Gothic-style buildings in a wooded acreage. Had Glenn take my picture in front of the chapel and texted it to her. We stopped at the university inn where there was no room although we did find cold wine and beer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We stayed overnight between Jasper and Kimball, then set out early today for Lookout Mountain and Ruby Falls. We missed the turn for the incline, which ended up being good. We had thought it went to Ruby Falls, but it actually goes all the way up to the Lookout Mountain. We stopped at Ruby Falls but didn’t take the tour — it would take more than an hour and the line was really long. We drove up to Lookout Mountain — what a view. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We drove on toward Pigeon Forge, home of all things Dolly. We arrived at Dollywood at 5 pm, paid $15 for parking and took the tram to the ticket office. Thankfully the ticket seller told us <i>before</i> we bought tickets that all but two of the shows were over. Two tickets would be almost $150; we decided against staying. Back onto the park train to our car, then on to search for a hotel room and a sit down place to relax and eat. No room at the inns in Pigeon Forge, so we ventured toward the highway — taking the “scenic route.” The receptionist at this Holiday Inn Express recommended Aubrey’s across the street, which proved to be a great choice for our relaxed meal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>21 July, Franklin TN</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Before returning to Franklin, we drove to Pigeon Forge, which reminded Glenn of the Las Vegas Strip — one long roadway with neon signs announcing hotels, museums and other attractions, restaurants, fast food places. We saw King Kong climbing the Empire State Building, sharks swimming out of a billboard, an upside down museum building. Wonder why we didn’t stop?</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">On to Gatlinburg where we parked and walked. Yes, it’s full of tourists and tourist attractions, but you can tell it’s also a real town. My parents took my son and his school friend to the World’s Fair in Knoxville decades ago and made a side trip to Gatlinburg. It was a bit more “real town” then from their descriptions. The boys especially loved riding the gondola to the mountain top (without acrophobic gramma, of course).</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Shortly after arriving, we saw a sign for an artisan and craft show and decided to venture that way. Since the main street traffic lights are numbered, the directions were to walk to light #8, turn left and go another couple of blocks to the convention center. Worked like a charm. The place was packed and we didn’t have time to see it all, but we did have time to buy a few things. Glenn bought a special bread knife that he’s anxious to try out. I picked up a few gifts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">A PA friend had told Glenn about the Bush’s Baked Beans factory, museum and cafe which wasn’t too far from Pigeon Forge, so off we went for lunch. The long wait was well worth it — I had THE best coconut cream pie I’ve ever had, including Mom’s. We shared a slice and brought a second back with us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>22 July, Nashville International Airport</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Breakfast this morning included the incredibly sweet, ripe cantaloup and watermelon we all had bought on Wednesday from an Amish woman. She was selling along the road from her buggy, horse tied under a nearby tree and child playing at her feet. The melons were perfect, not an ounce of green on the cantaloup, and both juicy. Glenn and I laughed as we both salted ours — something most people don’t but a habit learned from our mothers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After breakfast, Kathy, Glenn and I drove over to a nearby park that was a key site in the Battle of Franklin. One hundred years ago the hillside would’ve provided an excellent view of the surrounding countryside. We’d previously visited Carter House where bullet holes are still visible on some of the buildings. Three Carter sons took part in the bloody five-hour battle fought on and around this land and their farm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Under a threat of rain, we said goodbye to Kathy and Chuck. We’ll get to return the hospitality when they come to Pittsburgh, which they’ve agreed to do. This was a great trip — so much more than I’d expected because I didn’t think about being in the heart of the Civil War. Plus it’s always great when one’s sweetie plays well with the sweetie of a good friend.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZVNIXIB7z097Zt2Sl-OQMHn0E8F4kNgY_9vi0znZG7d_bUqgKZea0DVvtxQFYcHl25-MYIPQMxDe5qtr99R1sHggt8Hf52gja_9Nqlh-LrZVSTwWcJWTTDfzgDgFvECD9hPELSW_2y4/s1600/Glenn+%2526+Chuck.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZVNIXIB7z097Zt2Sl-OQMHn0E8F4kNgY_9vi0znZG7d_bUqgKZea0DVvtxQFYcHl25-MYIPQMxDe5qtr99R1sHggt8Hf52gja_9Nqlh-LrZVSTwWcJWTTDfzgDgFvECD9hPELSW_2y4/s320/Glenn+%2526+Chuck.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Chuck & Glenn relax<br />before we depart</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The rain started though not too hard. We got gas, drove around the airport construction twice before finding “rental car return” and arrived at our gate in plenty of time. On to Atlanta, then Pittsburgh — in our upgraded seats.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>29 July, Pittsburgh</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Been a lazy and busy week. On Tuesday Glenn was in Harrisburg with his daughter Michelle for 4-H State Days — and their team won the state Rabbit Bowl championship. Lots of happy faces after that as the team didn’t feel very strong going into the competition.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I headed over to Pitt for the next phase of the sleep study I’m doing — lab work. Although I take a bus to Oakland where Pitt is, I usually walk home. This time I took a different street down the hill from Western Psych where the study group is. Like my mother before me, I always stop to read historical markers and one on a nearby building noted that Standard Chemical, the first commercial producer of radium, had been in that location. Marie Składowska-Curie, discoverer of radium, had visited in 1921 and been given a one gram sample for her research and an honorary degree from Pitt. Learn something new every day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">On Wednesday Glenn came into town and we met high school classmate Gene and his wife Sandy for lunch in the Strip District. Gene’s family is from a town near Florence, Italy, and they’re planning a trip in the fall and wanted to hear about ours. I promised to send brochures and such that I had from our visit to Florence last year. Enjoyed seeing them and we plan to arrange another get together. Nice to have some couples to socialize with.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Thursday I ushered for the Hatch theater in Allegheny Center. Tiny theater in hard-to-find location among small businesses and offices. The play “Gloria” was about an office shooting, before and after. Interesting, disturbing, another new theater experience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Relaxed in Mount Pleasant on Friday and Saturday and returned to Squirrel Hill this morning. I’m ushering at New Hazlett tonight.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Wow! Am I glad that I volunteered to usher tonight. The production was <i>The Wiz</i>, an adaptation of T<i>he Wizard of Oz</i> with an all black cast. In 1978 when it came out, I took my son to see the film, which had an all-star cast: Diana Ross as Dorothy, Lena Horn as Glinda the good witch, Michael Jackson as Scarecrow and Richard Pryor as the wizard. The Alumni Theater Company’s production was spectacular, and the cast included many high-school-aged members. The young woman who sang Dorothy had a magical voice, and her three traveling buddies were wonderfully spot on. Alas, no Toto. The house was sold out and had been sold out for the matinee as well. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>"The Wiz" at New Hazlett Theater</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>30 July</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">One of my two friends named Jan Frisch picked me up this morning; this one was a high school classmate, and we were driving to Somerset to have lunch at Suzie’s. Janet K. was joining us. Suzie had quite a snack-salad-sandwich-dessert spread prepared for enjoying amidst the catching up. Jan and her husband are moving to Florida full time come September, so we’re hoping to have another girls’ lunch before that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>31 July</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Great way to end the month — with a mani-pedi this afternoon at the salon down the street and now enjoying the sound of a good thunderstorm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>3 September 2018, Mount Pleasant PA USA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">August went by in a flash. And that’s how I’ll deal with it today!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">On the first, Glenn and I enjoyed a night of Pirates’ baseball with his Uncle Victor and Aunt Louise, although the home team lost.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4EUuKZx7FT_nSbIkrMipqn4SLkaAd09IcDnrd2XmD77jKPeeA3yltvjPguGEsMd412dj9-bbAbQ7j2Fv6c_L_EQlB1eG20rb_d6v18BfYiZPRSK-B7J-Zm_FMPnTZJrRo1eHJ3_PYYOI/s1600/Baseball+game.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4EUuKZx7FT_nSbIkrMipqn4SLkaAd09IcDnrd2XmD77jKPeeA3yltvjPguGEsMd412dj9-bbAbQ7j2Fv6c_L_EQlB1eG20rb_d6v18BfYiZPRSK-B7J-Zm_FMPnTZJrRo1eHJ3_PYYOI/s320/Baseball+game.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Great night for a ballgame</i></b></td></tr>
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Then my first Westmoreland County Extension Service annual picnic in a county park. Really nice evening of good food — potluck sides and desserts plus pulled pork, corn on the cob, baked beans. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The following week I took my car in for its annual inspection. PA requires both an annual mechanical inspection and emissions inspection, which I had last September. Since I was a few hundred miles overdue for an oil change, I decided to get the inspections over with at the same time. All’s well. In fact, I didn’t need the emissions certification — I hadn’t driven 5000 miles in the previous year! The garage owner did recommend new rear tires. Said he’d never said it before to anyone, but he detected a bit of dry rot in mine — safe for inspection but bearing a watchful eye. They are originals when I bought the car in August 2010. On returning from MN, I headed for Costco and had two new rear tires installed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Ah, yes, I flew to MN for a couple of weeks of McVisits, as my friend Marilyn dubbed my trips back when I lived/worked overseas. And it’s true. I have so many folks to see in MN that it tends to be one lunch, dinner or coffee per friend and that’s it. I was on hand to celebrate the August birthdays — my sister Barbara’s, my niece Tomery’s and Christopher’s sweetie Jen’s. We had an excellent dinner at Mercury, chosen by our restaurant maven Barbara. She and I also did dinner at Mercy, another of her favorites. Unfortunately I had to miss Hagen Day at the Lake with niece Michelle, her husband Jon and all the Hagens. I love that Michelle and Jon have taken over this tradition that I kind of started with Hagen gatherings at Janet and Ed’s cabin years ago. I did get to see Craig and family for a day at the Sculpture Garden, including rooftop golf. And Michelle and I brunched at the Hen House and bought “Eat Cake for Breakfast” tee-shirts.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge9L07CvgHeQ-wkjFxDY72t00oNCcvkYaQPa2sTwxi-GxMJb9r8sNCLGMfC3oS31iebYLDEX20fhXsmp9Dfc7mHsIwJkXI8ChWKpmACNQGinvs4xnHkPvjlSY_oc21TqvV5cRh4aTygmM/s1600/Weiner+mobile.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge9L07CvgHeQ-wkjFxDY72t00oNCcvkYaQPa2sTwxi-GxMJb9r8sNCLGMfC3oS31iebYLDEX20fhXsmp9Dfc7mHsIwJkXI8ChWKpmACNQGinvs4xnHkPvjlSY_oc21TqvV5cRh4aTygmM/s320/Weiner+mobile.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Look what was parked across the street<br />from my sister's condo building</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back in PA in time to spend a couple of days at the Westmoreland Fair where, while I was gone, Glenn had been busy with set up and then the actual fair. Picked up granddaughter Emma for a day at the fair. She had a great time and fell asleep on the ride home. I especially wanted to attend the annual 4-H Auction which always has some great items. And this year one was from Jennerstown Speedway — a chance to ride in the pace car, wave the green ‘start’ flag and some tickets, hats etc. I really wanted that — it just looked like fun the night we were there. So, when the suggested opening bid was $100, I put up our paddle … and no one upped me! It’s for next year and Sara said she wants to ride with me. I’ve told her that’s dependent on her behavior. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8_XSTPTbBOBBpQWyEypjsemcWe-gdunK-V-8ePwG1RO2dnzmqgjJfusLhd59KSeQsLfyODFpqgHfZOnY7CJtjmhkd44Q7pY7oaGShncofLRF-DqjkbPoY-g1_PNwR6moQiYBxtK_rXFA/s1600/fair+fun.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8_XSTPTbBOBBpQWyEypjsemcWe-gdunK-V-8ePwG1RO2dnzmqgjJfusLhd59KSeQsLfyODFpqgHfZOnY7CJtjmhkd44Q7pY7oaGShncofLRF-DqjkbPoY-g1_PNwR6moQiYBxtK_rXFA/s320/fair+fun.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Sara & Emma at fair</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Ended the month back here in Mount Pleasant for the long Labor Day weekend. Glenn had asked for help cleaning out the bedroom that the kids’ use. He was going to take down the crib (he has another portable one), and that means more room. We’ll look for a dresser for the space. We spent the day pulling clothes, boxes, toys, papers and notebooks, and you name it from drawers, the closet, under the bed — and sorting for “save” and charity donations. The non-Glenn save piles were all over the living room for his daughters to check what they wanted before it was boxes and out. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Yesterday (Sunday) we went to Kennywood Park, a huge amusement park that has changed and not changed since our days of annual school picnics there. “We” included both of Glenn’s daughters and their daughters: Michelle and Sara, Jennifer, Emma and Callie.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZdO2o2c4Q-eafvXbLlOTwartFe9oOgSJ93YBDX65QERCJi_7cCx9GkuMoHQbXGrQjnHyE9yX3Mq41WYalts2BX1nbZgyKqFlrY_KWqqJXm6Ca98DNL8WMQboxcjWZO924mcLDSmQqBG0/s1600/Kennywood+car.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZdO2o2c4Q-eafvXbLlOTwartFe9oOgSJ93YBDX65QERCJi_7cCx9GkuMoHQbXGrQjnHyE9yX3Mq41WYalts2BX1nbZgyKqFlrY_KWqqJXm6Ca98DNL8WMQboxcjWZO924mcLDSmQqBG0/s320/Kennywood+car.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Emma, Callie & Sara at Kennywood</i></b></td></tr>
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Hot day, long lines but what a great time. The little girls had fun on most of the rides. Sara wasn’t as happy on the roller coasters as her mom, a coaster lover, had hoped, and Emma didn’t want to do the Pittsburgh Splash again with me despite the heat. But everyone was happy and exhausted when we decamped for home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today (Labor Day) my friend Darryn from St. Paul and his family are coming over. Darryn and I trained for our first marathons in the same ALARC class. Darryn, wife Kim and kids Chase and Ella are in Pittsburgh looking at Carnegie Mellon as a possible university for Chase. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW3lIRlAvvK9eIkL7l4ujFEoh8ce2aV0eX-rd9KUw51HibpdMZjq6_fatOpbYm_QyMqZnlcGDp2fF8aaLOC70Afn2YrfelfaFEJseptGTSZSyf4FqWJsOOR-ZAOaZl8I-QE3L_lN97yKk/s1600/Darryn+%2526+fam.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW3lIRlAvvK9eIkL7l4ujFEoh8ce2aV0eX-rd9KUw51HibpdMZjq6_fatOpbYm_QyMqZnlcGDp2fF8aaLOC70Afn2YrfelfaFEJseptGTSZSyf4FqWJsOOR-ZAOaZl8I-QE3L_lN97yKk/s320/Darryn+%2526+fam.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Darryn, Kim, Ella & Chase<br />atop Mount Washington</i></b></td></tr>
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A good fit — he’s an accomplished musician and thespian; I’ve seen his recitals and productions over the years. Chase is also considering my alma mater, Northwestern, so I have a slight bias in that direction. Glenn and I are taking them to Primanti’s for supper tonight.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>5 September, my late son Peter’s and nephew Craig’s birthday</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Busy day with Callie, Jen’s eight-month-old. Her sitter crapped out on her with a phone call on Labor Day! Jen has a new place arranged, but Callie cannot start until next Monday. So for three days Glenn and I have Callie; Emma is in preschool this year and will switch to the one that takes Callie on Monday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After picking up Callie at 7 am, we drove her with us to Linn Run State Park, my spiritual home and where I need to be on days like this. Erosion in the creek was quite extensive, the result of all the rain in spring and early summer. Otherwise the area by the spring was as beautiful and serene as ever. From there, we went to breakfast at a cafe near Ligonier. Callie in her carrier was our table centerpiece, the best one in the place according to our waitress. Then we ran errands for Glenn, then drove into the city so I could get mail and all the fresh veggies in my refrigerator. We stopped to introduce Victor and Louise to Callie. Finally got home at 3:30, and our charge was a real trooper.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>6 September</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I had Callie alone today as Glenn was helping to move equipment for Saturday’s rabbit show. She was her usual pleasant self. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Callie at almost 9 months</i></b></td></tr>
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By the time Jen arrived, I was too pooped to return to Pittsburgh so decided to stay over. Glenn will be surprised when he gets home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>8 September, Pittsburgh</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Of course I had to forget something important when I left Glenn’s yesterday — the charger and cord to my laptop. Thankfully it had an 80 percent charge and I have an iPad. Glenn can bring it with him tomorrow. We’re taking Sara to see <i>Aladdin</i> at a matinee at the Benedum Theater downtown. Her mom is looking forward to a whole “me day” as Sara will stay with Glenn tonight after their rabbit show today. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">When I got back, it took three trips from/to car to unload laundry etc. Then a wee break before grocery shopping. I fixed a salad with shrimp to take with me to the theater. Like before, I took the bus, then ate supper in a nearby park. The play/modern ballet was<i> Shomer</i>, about the person who sits with a corpse all night in traditional Judaism. Quite well done although some of the dance sequences in particular didn’t resonate with me. But that’s why I volunteer at The New Hazlett — lots of new stuff.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Because the production was only an hour, I finished at shortly after 9 and decided to take the bus home. Walked across the bridge and after a bit of wandering in the dark (lots of people around — ball game, Friday night etc.), i caught a 61C homeward. Busy night as my bus goes through Oakland, home of many universities including Pitt and Carnegie Mellon, and my neighborhood is full of students. Got the only “seniors” seat next to a man who was confused about his stop. He showed me his state ID, and the address was in Duquesne, quite a distance from my stop. I asked the driver to alert him to his stop. She said he’d ridden her bus before and she’d take care of that. We really do have nice bus drivers here — as I exited, she was talking to her supervisor about making sure someone was at his stop to help him get home!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today — very wet and rainy. Slept until after 7, then laid in bed ’til 9. Heaven. Now to get moving and start to run errands and go to a movie.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>9 September</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Well, decided on a lazy day of binge watching TV and reading rather than go out in the driving rain yesterday. But today it was a must … and for a good reason. Glenn and I took Sara to see <i>Aladdin</i> at the Benedum Center downtown. Rain didn’t dampen the good time. Although we were up in the “nose bleeds” of tier two, we had good sight lines. The production was incredible — the genie stole the show, IMHO. The staging was incredible, especially the scene in Act II when Aladdin and Jasmine go out the huge round window onto a magic carpet and fly away. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tomorrow’s a big day. I bought a scale at Bed Bath & Beyond yesterday, the first I’ve owned in decades. I usually gauge my weight by how my clothes fit and don’t weigh myself. I agree that weight is just a number. But I’ve gained too much since I moved despite regular exercise. My clothes are too snug … and I have a winter wardrobe to get out soon. I can’t afford a new one! So I joined Weight Watchers, motivated by my friend Mary from my St. Paul Companies’ days. Three months to get me started.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>10 September</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Another rainy day. Ran errands, including finally getting a new battery for my iPhone. Big thanks to my sister for sending me the link to <a href="http://apple.com/"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">apple.com</span></a> that said new batteries were only $29. The Apple Store in Shadyside was great — friendly, quick. I went to lunch while I waited … and the rain subsided. Also wandered around to see what’s where.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>11 September, another day that shall live in infamy</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Always think of my bestie from grad school Jean on this day as I was visiting her in San Francisco when her sister in Minneapolis awoke us with the news. A day that changed everyone’s lives. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Johanna came in from Latrobe today. Gary is fishing in Canada with other family members. So a girls’ day in the city. We visited the Frick Collection — art gallery, auto museum, conservatory and grounds — and had a lovely lunch in the cafe there. Then we went on a search for a Hindu temple that we both have seen numerous times driving east on the Parkway. We guessed at the exit and actually found a sign, then another. We were on the wrong side of the freeway going down a very long, steep hill — then another sign and an underpass and winding up the other side to the S.V. Temple. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>S.V. Temple</b></td></tr>
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We parked and went into the reception area, saying we’d like to see the temple. We took our shoes off as requested, then walked upstairs to see the temple. I’m thinking a holy day must be coming as several men were unloading boxes of golden items, and along one wall we saw boxes and boxes of green bananas with a “do not touch” sign. No idea the significance of bananas in Hinduism (must google). I wish we could’ve had a guide to understand better what we were seeing in terms of the grottos and statues. But I’m so glad we were able to find and visit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>12 September</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn’s coming in tonight. He spent the day baking his pie for the Berlin (PA) Fair this weekend. His daughter Michelle has entered as well. She swore me to secrecy last week, then told him yesterday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>13 September</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Ever heard about “ground bees?” I hadn’t until I was stung by five or six of them this morning. Guess all the rain has driven them out of their underground homes. Apparently Glenn stirred up a nest when he put my laundry basket into the back of his car (backed against a grassy slope). He got into his side, and by the time I got to mine, a swarm entered the car with me. And took some very painful bites out of my left foot and arm and right hand. You can actually see the holes from the bites. My foot and hand still hurt. I called the landlord right away to alert him; hopefully he’s take care of the problem. My friend Linda in Minneapolis posted on Facebook that something took a painful bite out of her leg — probably a ground bee.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>14 September</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Still in pain from the bites — and itching. Argh. Hope water ex will help today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later, Mount Pleasant</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Still itching. Got some Benedryl. Fingers crossed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Met Suzie for lunch as she drove from The Township (Elizabeth Twp. where we grew up) and her home in Somerset. She enjoyed the peel-and-eat shrimp that I love at Leo’s; I got a salad with chicken breast, fries on the side for Suzie not Suzi. I am being faithful to my Weight Watchers’ regime, and I think I’m making progress.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>15 September</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Whew! Being a gramma can be hard work but is always lots of fun. Glenn and I had Emma and Callie from midday afternoon until their bedtime today while Jen and Alan went to a wedding. Unfortunately Callie — smiley, happy Callie — has a cold and is miserable. We did our best to help her be comfortable. Emma also wasn’t feeling too well and was fussy and hang-y, rather than emptying the toy box. When Callie settled on my chest, Emma climbed up to snuggle too. They napped for more than an hour, and I watched cartoons (the remote was too far away and Glenn was preoccupied). </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tomorrow we’re going to Stahlstown for flax scutching. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>17 September, Squirrel Hill</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">So, flax scutching. It’s the third step in the traditional process for turning flax into linen thread. The first two steps break down the hard stems. Then a sheaf is laid over an upright piece of wood and hit with a wooden paddle — the blows are downward to help remove the stem and free up the fiber inside. I’m hoping the video I took with my phone can be inserted, and you can see for yourself. The only other part of the process that has an interesting name is “heckling,” and I don’t think they wanted a heckling festival. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Flax scutching</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We watched a demonstration of the whole process, including the weaving of linen. One of the presenters wore a 50-year-old shirt made of leather (yoke and shoulders) and linen woven from local flax. A British encampment was part of the event — about eight pup tents plus a series of demonstrations of ancillary services that the camp would have to include — candle maker, doctor, armorer, cook, midwife (wives often followed camps) and such. Every so often they shot off an old cannon, spewing cotton wadding instead of shot. Across the path was a colonists’ camp with tents and a fire! Reenactment of a battle with native Americans was to take place later; we didn’t stay.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>18 September, Squirrel Hill</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Mani-pedi today. I’m getting spoiled but Lynn’s Salon down the street costs about the same as my gal in Poland! </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>21 September, Mount Pleasant</b></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>EFHS Class of '63 -- 55th Reunion Group</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">And a good time was had by all — or at least it seemed so. Tonight Glenn, Suzie and I drove together to our 55th high school class reunion. We were sure what to expect as it seemed response was slow. About 50 classmates, spouses and guests attended, and we had a great time. A DJ played the music of our high school days, and a bunch of us sang karaoke. I hope I can add the video to the blog.</span></div>
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Tomorrow I’m helping Glenn and his daughter Michelle at the Westmoreland Small Animal Fair . They didn’t get enough volunteers, so I’m going to administer the knowledge test. Easy peasy as I’ll have an answer sheet for scoring. Should be fun. We had hoped to join classmates at a winery in late afternoon, but Michelle asked us to keep Sara for her. </div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>23 September, Squirrel Hill</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Dear me, what a day. Johanna and Gary came into the city; Glenn was already here. Johanna had gotten info and tickets about a distillery in Sewickley, a suburb, and suggested some restaurants. We had brunch at Lola on the North Side, a cute, small cafe with a limited but delicious brunch menu. I thought it was the one suggested by Johanna. Not. She had suggested Lula. After the distillery, we drove to find Lula, and it was closed. Good thing we hadn’t set our hearts on that. Another time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">McLaughlin Distillery was nothing like we expected. Didn’t think it’d be ala Jack Daniels, but it was quite mini. Basically a big house converted into a distillery. They make whiskey, vodka and moonshine! Before touring the tiny distillery, we were given some history and samples. Although our ticket included a certain amount, the staff said we could taste as many as we wanted. And we all had a great time tasting. The flavored moonshines were quite interesting Pumpkin Pie was heated and topped with whipping cream. Good but not good enough. I bought three that we’d tasted: Apple Pie for Glenn, Chocolate for me and Jalapeño as a gift. The chocolate is in the ‘frig to be brought out as an ice cream topping. It’s a decadent dark chocolate flavor. Glenn may add some of the Apple Pie in his next pie. And the Jalapeño is definitely hot. I also tried Dill Pickle, yuk. The whiskey was quite nice, but we rarely drink hard liquor. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>28 September, Mount Pleasant</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn couldn’t come into town because he was on call to pick up Emma and/or Callie in case their temperatures rose. (Jen was in audit meetings all day.) And I ate something mid week that didn’t sit well with my gastro-intestinal system. So I had to “suffer” alone, which wasn’t such a bad idea. But at Glenn’s tonight I had a big bowl of his homemade chicken soup along with a big serving of TLC.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tomorrow we’re going to Michelle’s so Glenn can help her decide which rabbit(s) to take to the national show in Springfield next month, and he’ll compete with Sara on breed ID as prep for the show. Michelle offered to make lamb if we’d stay for dinner (her husband doesn’t like lamb, so she always needs company to make it). But with my tummy only just settling down, we had to decline dinner.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>30 September</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Last night we went to the Mount Pleasant Ethnic and Glass Festival, an annual event that we missed last year. Mount Pleasant, like many Western Pennsylvania towns was settled mainly by immigrants from eastern and southern Europe — cheap labor for the mines, mills and factories. So the festival had lots of foods from Italy, Poland and such as well as local wines and brews. And this used to be a hub for glass production because of the availability of glass-quality sand. (Lenox still has a company store/warehouse nearby.) Lots of artisan glass on sale at the festival as well as other hand crafts. We picked up a few stocking stuffers. We also visited two wooden buildings from the early days that are now museums under the local historical society</span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The festival was really crowded, much to Glenn’s surprise, with families, millenials, oldsters all eating, browsing, buying, listening. Three different music stages. We spent our time at the one by the Geary historical marker listening to Wee Jams, a local rock group of oldsters singing oldies. They were backed by four horns as well as the usual keyboard, guitar and drums. Nice was to finish the evening.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i>FYI, John H. Geary, elected first mayor of San Francisco in 1850, was from Mount Pleasant. He was also a governor of Pennsylvania after serving as a Union general in the Civil War.</i></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Pittsburgh at night from Mount Washington</i></b></td></tr>
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Hello All from Suzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671732878857293499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9006197434431279213.post-46760001551262980322018-07-13T23:17:00.002-05:002018-07-13T23:17:25.140-05:00<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Times; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Buon</i></b></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-family: Mshtakan; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b><i> </i></b></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Giorno</i></b></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-family: Mshtakan; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b><i>, </i></b></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Amici</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>2 June, Salerno, Italy</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Almost ready to leave southern Italy after a whirlwind trip. Yesterday we taxied over to the port for a 90-minute (or so) ferry ride to Capri. Talk about teeming. We could barely get off at the pier so many were landing and leaving along a one-meter-wide walkway.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Entering Capri harbor</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">An interesting and extremely hot, humid day. We ended up just staying in the port area. When we arrived, the line to the funicular was so long that we decided to wait. By the time we got back there, it was dicey as to whether we’d get back to the coast in time for our 4 pm boat back to Salerno.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Shortly after arrival we stopped for coffee … 19 euro ($22) for two cappuccinos and two small bottles of water! That was our introduction to Capri pricing. In Reggio, it’s less than 10 euro ($12) for three americanos, three latte macchiatos and two pastries, and we get small glasses of water for free with each coffee. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We wandered around the port, found some gifts for family and friends, located a quieter, less expensive place to eat and drink. One good deal I got was a colorful, very light weight cotton dress — loose and sleeveless and perfect for the weather. I changed from my capris and teeshirt immediately. We took a boat tour to the Blue Grotto and other sites along the coast. Unfortunately weren’t able to enter the grotto because the water was too high. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back here, we enjoyed our room’s a/c, then wandered down the street to another good meal at a small caffè before returning to organize our packing. Our suitcase is nothing but dirty clothes; the small roller computer bag is all gifts and toiletries. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>3 June, Reggio Emilia</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Although our favorite caffè is closed on Sundays, we have learned that we can use its internet connection after hours by sitting on a nearby retaining wall … or in chairs outside the laundromat across the courtyard. That’s what we’re doing today. In between washing, drying and folding, we’re online in more comfort than the retaining wall. Glenn’s back at his ancestry search and I’m polishing the blog about the first two weeks of the trip. Can’t get pix inserted; probably too far away for enough signal so I’ll do that tomorrow over coffee.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>4 June</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Spent much of this morning in two small towns from which Glenn’s mom’s parents emigrated — Poviglio and Castelnovo di Sotto. Olga (Glenn’s shirt-tail relative) drove and Anna (her retired English-teacher friend) were with us. Glenn was able to request information at the courthouse in Poviglio with Anna’s help; she translated his request as it had to be in writing, complete with a copy of his “document” (driver’s license). In CdiS we spent about an hour looking at the cemetery where older burials had been moved. Found one Pigozzi (his mother’s birth name) and a few other possible relatives. The Pigozzi is his grandfather’s brother who returned to Italy from the US.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Glenn outside church<br />in Castelnovo di Sotto</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We opted not to walk into Reggio, having agreed that we pushed it a bit in the south. But we did stop at the Coop (supermarket) to pick up sandwich stuff for supper. Our fallback meal-at-home (lunch or dinner) has been Italian cold cuts like prosciutto and coppa and perhaps a slice of cheese on the great rolls we found at the Coop. Interestingly the rolls are sold by the kilo, not the piece. Oh, and don’t forget the Coop potato chips, a new favorite junk food along with waffle cookies filled with hazelnut cream.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>5 June</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back in our regular routine — coffee and internet first. Then, before returning to the house, we decided on another trip to the Coop as we had little left in the larder. Glenn says we’re shopping like natives; I say we’re shopping like my Granny — same thing: buying what we need for a day or two only. We probably should’ve joined the Coop!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Yep, back to our old routine. Here we sit outside the laundromat using the caffè’s internet. It’s been a looooong and hot day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We walked into town on a number of errands, including my need for a hamburger. Don’t get me wrong, I love Italian food, but pasta and pizza six days a week is getting to me. WellDone, a caffè near the flat we rented last year, has good burgers, so that was our destination. Because they hadn’t opened yet, we went on an exploration — without a map in hand, Glenn directed us toward the street where Studio Bododi was located. That was the name on a family photo his grandfather brought to the US 100 years ago. I found a Studio Bododi in Reggio online, so we decided to visit. Turns out the address <i>was</i> for a Studio Bododi but not a photo studio. The gentleman who answered our ring explained the photo studio had been in the Center and closed quite some time ago. His English was on a par with my Italian: He said he’d studied it 50 years ago, and I told him I studied Italian 50 years ago. He has a marvelous collection of old manual typewriters, including one like the Royal Standard that I learned to type on. He was quite charming and very polite to the two strangers he let into his office.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back to the streets, hot and humid, and in the air conditioning of WellDone, to my hamburger. Glenn had one too. A brief search for the post office, which wasn’t where we thought it would be. Then to a cemetery that we both have been wanting to explore.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We pass Cimiteri Urbani when we walk to/from town and can see some very interesting mausoleums (mausolea?) behind the tall walls of the cemetery. Inside, we could see that it is huge, makes the one we visited on Monday look like a postage stamp. Keeping in mind that many of the oldest residents are in boxes in a wall, per the cemetery keeper on Monday, I started on the first wall while Glenn explored. Found a Pigozzi and a couple of Nizzolis, names Glenn was looking for. He photographed and we continued to explore until the heat and the size of the task overwhelmed us. We separated to check out different “rows” on the way to the gate and eventually re-connected … and took a bus toward the house. We got off to have a cold drink, then walked home to have a nap. We are definitely getting old!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">While Glenn booked a wine tour in Florence for next week, I ran over to the Coop to get more water … and it was closed. Got to remember it closes at 8 pm, not 9.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tomorrow we’re going to visit the travel agent and see if she can help us book our next trip. We want to got to the seaside with Olga on Thursday, then on to Perugia, Assisi and a Florence wine tour. If she can’t, we’ll do ourselves online.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Buona sera.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>6 June</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Another hot day. Time to make plans. Glenn booked a wine tour for next Tuesday afternoon in Florence; we meet the guide near the train station. We can catch a train back to Reggio afterwards. In between, we’ll go to the seaside with Olga. She has a place in Porto San Giorgio on the Adriatic Sea and leaves tomorrow. If we stay here, we lose our hot water as she turns off the gas, and we do want to see the sea.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Since we’ll be gone for a week again, we did a load of laundry while we had our morning coffees. We’d packed lightly for this adventure knowing we’d have access to a washing machine at Olga’s (minimum). Now have the wonderful self service place with dryers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Our travel agent wasn’t able to help us much because the locations we are venturing to aren’t accessible by AV (high speed) trains. She did book the airport hotel in Milan for our last night in Italy (after Poland) and gave us some ideas about routings. We walked to the old train station and using the self service machine (!!!), I bought our tickets to Porto San Giorgio for tomorrow, same train as Olga is taking. Once there, we’ll find a travel agent to help us get to Assisi and Perugia; from Perugia to Florence is easy, per Glenn’s daughter Jennifer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Before venturing to find a Ganassi Photo Studio (an online find), we stopped at a caffè tucked into a corner near the train station and again had amazing food. The waiter brought us a bread basket, then small plates. He poured on EVOO, added a dash of salt and pepper … voila! I got my usual mixed salad, adding a dash of balsamic and EVOO. Needless to say, we polished off the bread basket and the plates were clean. I had the house specialty (tagliatelli with seafood), Glenn had spaghetti with scampi (two large langoustines). My sauce included pieces of octopus as well as a huge amount of clams, mussels, and more. I tried the octopus and found it too chewy. I gave it all to Glenn; he likes octopus. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The address Glenn had for the photo studio proved to be too far down the road to be practical in today’s heat. Most businesses close at 1 -1:30 pm for lunch and don’t reopen until 3 - 3:30 pm. We didn’t want to walk a kilometer or so in the hot sun and find the studio closed. We’ll make that trek another time. Back home we went for an afternoon nap and to pack. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>7 June, Porto San Giorgio, Italia</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The taxi was on time as was the train. We both snoozed during part of the trip; Glenn even missed the 15 minutes that the train sat (not sure why it did that but afterwards, at every station, the announcement included how late we were: 15 minutes, 21, 18). On arrival, we reconnected with Olga who was in another car and walked to her apartment. A nice L-shaped route that made it easy for us when we walked later.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After we all settled in, we went to a nearby restaurant (a favorite of Olga’s late husband) for lunch. Later we walked toward the center of town in search of wi-fi and a caffè for morning coffee. We stopped for gelato (THE best dark chocolate gelato yet). Then through the railroad underpass to the beach area. Along the walkway it seemed that most beach access was under consignment — caffès and bars, changing cabanas and lots of umbrellas. Nothing said wi-fi. When we came to <i>La Dolce Vita</i>, a freestanding bar/restaurant, I asked the bartender if they had wi-fi. He said yes, scrounged for some paper and wrote the name and password on a piece of scratch paper for me. While a bit of a walk for morning coffee, who cares? They have wi-fi and we can always use the steps. (BTW, we average between 15K and 20K most days!).</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">On the way back, we noticed a tourist information office was being re-opened. The agent gave us a map and location for a travel agent to help us with the next legs in our trip. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back at Olga’s, I took a nap, Glenn played computer solitaire, and we had dinner at the flat with Olga (deep fried calamari that she’d picked up on the way in). Then, computers in hand, we returned to <i>La Dolce Vita</i> where the wi-fi worked, the beer was cold and the Campari came with sufficient soda to dilute the bitter syrupy taste. Every bar here puts out a salty snack, often potato chips. This one gave us pistachios, chips and peanuts. It worked — Glenn had two beers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tomorrow, off to the travel agent as well as “up the hill” to Fermo.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>8 June</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Wow! Have we been lucky today: a new caffè and wi-fi spot near our home base, a helpful travel agent and cool weather. We even missed the rain storm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We set out early with Olga, we walking, she on her bike. She wanted to show us where we’d catch the bus for Fermo and where to get the tickets, then she returned home. We were very near the location of the travel agency, which we found opened at 9 (earlier than our Reggio agency). As the tourism info rep said, it’s across from <i>Bar Italia</i>. We decided to have our morning coffee there and found that <i>Bar Italia</i> has wi-fi! We had two coffees each and a pastry for 7 euro. Our new morning coffee spot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">At the travel agency, the man at reception said he’d understand our English if we spoke very slowly. And we did and he told us how to get near Assisi on the bus on Sunday. His associate helped us with a hotel in Perugia. Perugia and Assisi aren’t far apart, and Santa Maria Degli Angeli, where the bus will drop us, is really close to Assisi. We’re set. All we’ll need is a taxi to the bus stop on Sunday … and a way from Santa Maria to Perugia. Easy peasy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Olga wasn’t exaggerating when she said the bus to Fermo would be straight up the hill. It was a steady climb the entire way. The guidebook says that Fermo was built in a spiral around the Sabulo hill … and you can sure see that as you ride/walk along.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEibj2s0GwRKuqFge4acxEruGwZ1BKqLsQTkHUGHHWtUNfgBUM80YcAkWGrkNa55mRj8QwGEVCS4_3g5LQxSNxlC-IjwQOBidHGI6JttlfPoLNHiDBfZtOqrqi673BaM3ftS5ZZmQ-xYI/s1600/Fermo+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEibj2s0GwRKuqFge4acxEruGwZ1BKqLsQTkHUGHHWtUNfgBUM80YcAkWGrkNa55mRj8QwGEVCS4_3g5LQxSNxlC-IjwQOBidHGI6JttlfPoLNHiDBfZtOqrqi673BaM3ftS5ZZmQ-xYI/s320/Fermo+view.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>View from Fermo<br />to Adriatic Sea</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We exited the bus a little before the town square and climbed the rest of the way on a cobblestone sidewalk until we found an “ascentore,” an elevator! Five floors up through the rocks to a hotel walkway that overlooked the five-floor ascent. I made Glenn walk on the outside and move quickly. Once on solid ground I could better appreciate the view all the way to the Adriatic Then we walked up hill some more to the historic town center. The piazza was lovely, surrounded by beautiful old buildings and a long wall of colonnades.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3j2wjaks7wAEIf67tZdjm138phQ8ooau0nIV_VVVr2NgMkgMJUSZWyS0d7fC6OroWh7kOQxmR1AdlXvyGYQ-6ParI0zIm92rfbmKrS7CXrewV609J9r2T9cXC5F63eM6o1JHL-s66c60/s1600/Fermo+caffe.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3j2wjaks7wAEIf67tZdjm138phQ8ooau0nIV_VVVr2NgMkgMJUSZWyS0d7fC6OroWh7kOQxmR1AdlXvyGYQ-6ParI0zIm92rfbmKrS7CXrewV609J9r2T9cXC5F63eM6o1JHL-s66c60/s320/Fermo+caffe.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>GranCaffè <br />where we ate in Fermo</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Fermo became a Roman village almost 300 years BCC, and a Roman cistern under the main square dates to the first century AD. We weren’t able to see it. Most of the buildings we did see — library, art galleries, churches, etc. — are 13th to 18 century.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The weather all day was cool, windy, overcast and threatening rain. Great for sightseeing on foot since it didn’t rain while we were there. We had morning coffee on the piazza but lunch indoors, both at the same restaurant. </span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-kerning: none;">My knees greatly appreciated that we took the bus from the main square back to Porto San Giorgio, and they weren’t required to walk on cobblestones any more. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Once back in PSG, we stopped at a barber shop Glenn had seen earlier, and he had a “shave and a haircut, 10 euro.” Ali, the barber, did a wonderful job of scalping him in a stylish way. Lots less hair, to say the least, but he looks quite nice. After his first ever shave with a straight razor, Glenn said his cheeks were smoother than a baby’s back side … I checked; he’s right. We’ll see what his Facebook friends have to say; he’s posting later.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-WKzxbnpzP11XeB58ALK-K5ZJ9Mc7jlp7h9JRju_ZTJ7dQ8ZOfCsV8MqVkOtDo8sHUKJLVFGeXWDUaOlTdL-UEhSLhbvu1PYfA1PRw_yPKx9CIJU1g5aIPbhJF7s-61LaPB5-6iIlcE/s1600/Haircut.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-WKzxbnpzP11XeB58ALK-K5ZJ9Mc7jlp7h9JRju_ZTJ7dQ8ZOfCsV8MqVkOtDo8sHUKJLVFGeXWDUaOlTdL-UEhSLhbvu1PYfA1PRw_yPKx9CIJU1g5aIPbhJF7s-61LaPB5-6iIlcE/s320/Haircut.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Ali finishes Glenn's haircut</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>9 June</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After dinner last night, we walked up to <i>Bar Italia</i> to check their hours. OMG, they open at 5 am. Glenn was in heaven … I was a bit more sanguine. So this morning we were up and out and at the caffè around 6:30. We’re on our third coffees and hammering away on our laptops. I’m sure we’re the “weird Americans” to this server as we are to so many others. Locals have one espresso, often standing for a reduced price, and perhaps a sweet roll, and fini, they’re done, even if they stay for a bit of conversation. We sit and drink multiple cups of coffee, a lora. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">When we’re done, we’ll take the laptops back to the apartment and walk to the place where we’ll catch the bus toward Perugia tomorrow morning. We will take a taxi to the bus stop tomorrow but want to have a sense of where we’re meeting our bus.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today’s “breakfast” — three coffees each and one sweet roll. 7 euro. I’m glad we went to Capri, but I’m more likely to return to the seaside here. Not only is it more affordable, it’s much less crowded and not so touristy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The walk to the bus stop was longer than we expected, but at last we know where we’re going. We’ll ask Olga to order a taxi. From the bus stop, we walked to and along the beach, spent a bit of time at <i>La Dolce Vita</i> using the Internet, ate lunch at a new spot by the train station, <i>Cafe</i> <i>Florian</i>, checked out a wine store, made dinner reservations and walked home for a bit of rest. I had an excellent salad at <i>Cafe Florian</i>, lots of fresh greens, tomatoes, mushrooms, corn, assorted seeds; gave Glenn the black olives. We stopped at a wine shop we’d passed earlier this morning to see what they had. Nice selection of 5-euro-a-bottle wines, but our suitcases are too full to add any wines. They had some pricey stuff too — 300 euro for a bottle of wine?!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We took Olga to dinner at <i>LoRè</i>, a seafood restaurant a few blocks from her flat, and of course had great food. Interestingly I noticed on the menu that it said no lemons were served. Thought it was weird, given most of us add lemon to seafood. But I had pasta with a red langoustine sauce so didn’t need lemon. But Olga ordered a mixed fried seafood plate, hadn’t seen the “no lemons” warning on the menu and asked for some lemons. She and the waiter got into quite a spirited discussion, but he finally and reluctantly brought her some lemon wedges. Prices still amaze us — the whole meal, wine through dessert was less than it would cost Glenn and I to eat at a good restaurant in Pittsburgh.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>10 June, Perugia</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today’s adventure was less adventurous than we expected. We had tickets to Santa Maria Degli Angeli, near Assisi, and en route to Perugia where the travel agent had booked a hotel for us. The trip went smoothly through some 20 tunnels and across a beautiful countryside as it was awakening. We saw a lot of round hay bales but ironically not a cow that might consume them. How do they make all that cheese? Saw many a vineyard though.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We both had visions of the SM Degli Angeli (per the signs) bus drop being on a roadside in the middle of nowhere. Not. It was in front of the cathedral, and with a few signs and a helpful policeman, we easily walked about a kilometer to the train station. It was the Assisi train station. We got tickets to Perugia on a train leaving in 30 minutes and our first coffees of the day. In Perugia, a cab driver took us to the top of the hill — the old town — and right to our hotel. On arrival we learned that today was the last day of “Perugia 1416,” a medieval festival. We have enjoyed that all afternoon and evening. Glenn got some incredible shots and videos of a long processional. Beautifully and richly outfitted medieval lords, ladies and retainers glided down the main street behind their commune’s banners. Drum corps competed loudly. A witch was escorted by four ladies in front of the stake at which she’d be burned. Church officials followed the devil and his entourage. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>One of many in<br />processional</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRjpNn9EuVPpHTuAHU8GfyFeiT5VrKPQO3CKVT4VtnrypEAwg4DpQC4p8TQUHLiESqU4psR_zDIz6f5h_121Bq-2G1iVNiieHMxkpgotCa3REHnK38p4dqgYLoPXxQnhR7FadLN_egF4o/s1600/Perugia+drums.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRjpNn9EuVPpHTuAHU8GfyFeiT5VrKPQO3CKVT4VtnrypEAwg4DpQC4p8TQUHLiESqU4psR_zDIz6f5h_121Bq-2G1iVNiieHMxkpgotCa3REHnK38p4dqgYLoPXxQnhR7FadLN_egF4o/s320/Perugia+drums.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Each group has its drum corps</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We broke with the crowds watching the festivities and went to dinner in a small out-of-the-way cafe. Decent pasta and wine in a quiet spot. Then a bit of a walk and on to gelato before turning in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>PS </i></b> I had my one and only “bad” meal to date at lunch today. While the prosciutto was good, the melon was far from ripe and trying to cut it with a “butter” knife almost impossible As a meal, I ordered eggplant parmigiana, one of my favorites. It was layered: The eggplant rounds were about 2 mm thick as were the tomato slices. The cheese was significantly thicker and hard as a rock. And the whole thing was lukewarm. No, I didn’t complain — I haven’t learned how to complain in Italian yet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>11 June</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">A day of climbing stone hills under the hot Umbrian sun. We ventured to Assisi via train, then took a bus as far up the hillside as available. The church of St. Francis was partially visible way up ahead. As we exited the bus, we weren’t sure which route to follow upwards. As we pondered, we talked with a couple from Ohio who were in a quandary about how to get to their hotel, a Best Western. On a three-week European trip, they had two sizable suitcases each. I asked to see their voucher as we had an Assisi map … their hotel’s address is in Santa Maria Degli Angeli, the suburb that we’d come through yesterday. We suggested they take the bus back to the train station and a taxi from there to their hotel. Or a taxi directly from our current spot. With that, we said, “Arriverdverci” and departed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Up we went toward the church and beyond, and while Glenn snapped pix, I tried to stay in the shade when I could. My suntan is peeling. In my whole life I don’t ever recall my skin peeling, which is a very unappealing state. We stopped for a cold drink and to decide how to proceed. Returning to the ticket office, we learned admission today was free. Off we went to explore the Papal Basilica of St. Francis as well as see where St. Francis is buried. It is truly an imposing structure. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Papal Basilica of St. Francis, Assisi</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">The Lower Basilica built in 1230 is Romanesque while the Upper Basilica, completed by 1239, is Gothic. The crypt of St. Francis is under the main altar in the lower church. Some of the most distinguished artists of the middle ages contributed to its frescoes and paintings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">While in the upper church, I “lit’ two electric candles — they’re supposed to light when you make a contribution although I didn’t notice any lighting action. So when we went to the lower church, I bought a real candle and left it in the basket to be lit later. Apparently the monks light the candles for you. The candle was for my friend Maura’s late father who always wanted to go to Assisi.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">On the way uphill earlier, outside at an artisanal food and wine shop, we sampled cheese-and-sausage panini and got a spiel about wine and air conditioning. So that’s where we returned for lunch. The server also gave us two different plates of cheese chunks with flavored Balsamic reductions. Excellent new taste treat. We bought four small bottles to bring home as gifts and half a panini to eat later. They were huge and delicious. A bit more souvenir shopping, then to the bus stop for a ride to the train station and back to Perugia.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Nap and shower done, I was ready for dinner. We looked at menus of all the restaurants on the wide main pedestrian street and settled on <i>Regina</i> because it had lamb chops. That sounded soooo good to me. And Glenn found something with pig jowls that he wanted to try. The food absolutely made up for the two hours it took to get our meals. My Campari spritz was chilled with lots of ice and had a good ratio of liqueur and sparkling water; it just took 20 minutes to arrive at the table. The prosciutto and melon were absolutely ready to eat and delicious … and arrived only after the head waiter offered us a free glass of wine for our ordeal. We declined. And although our mains arrived even later, they were well worth the wait — thank God, as Glenn said. When he went to pay, the head waiter apologized profusely and said they’d just moved to this location and nothing is working as it should.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We walked to the square to buy Baci candy for Jen, then back to the hotel where I have managed to pack everything into our suitcase and small roller computer bag. I have also told Glenn that he is doing the packing for our next trip. He thinks I’m joking.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tomorrow we’ll bus down to the train staton and head for Firenze and a wine tour.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>12 June, AV train from Firenze Santa Maria to Reggio Emilia AV Mediopadana</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Our luck with trains from Florence is holding although today’s 25 minute delay is a pittance compared to last year’s three-plus hours. But we’re streaking across the dark countryside at 260 km per hour. First stop Bologna, then Reggio where we hope there’s a cab to take us home. I would love a hot shower but that won’t be possible. Olga turned off the gas before she left for Porto San Giorgio, and she won’t be back until tomorrow at the earliest. It’ll be a very, very short shower!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn had found a wine tour in the Chianti region of Tuscany, a half day beginning at 2:30. Since we weren’t sure how long it would last, we didn’t book tickets for Reggio. The half-day tour took five hours but was well worth it. Unfortunately it was a large group, 50+ people, but the guide was well organized and well informed as were the winery staffs. The guide did the tour in English and Spanish. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I cadged the two front seats and our guide was sitting across the aisle, so we had a chance to chat with her. She’s three months pregnant with her first baby, and she and her boyfriend are quite excited. She told a few stories to keep us in line, like about the client who got stuck in a church tower and had everyone looking for him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We visited two wineries where we sampled three wines each, and in between a small town Greve in Chianti where we could stretch our legs and shop. Other than one Prosecco, which was quite tasty, the wines were all variations on Chianti. We learned that chianti has to have at least 70 percent Sangiovese grapes to be labeled chianti. Of the six reds we tasted, the Chianti Classico at Il Molino di Grace was our favorite. We bought a bottle as a thank you to Olga’s friends Clara and Annibale where we had dinner a few weeks ago.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Il Molino di Grace Winery</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>13 June, Reggio Emilia</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Good to be “home” and back at our favorite caffè. Less than 10 euro for three americanos, three latte macchiatos and two pastries — free Internet and a barista who’s happy to see us. Who can ask for more?</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Ever the multi-taskers, we schlepped a big bag and a small suitcase full of dirty clothes to the nearby self-service laundromat. It all fit into one 16kg front loader, then I used two dryers so the heavy things could be at a hotter temp. Word of caution: Never leave your clothes alone in an Italian laundromat. No, they won’t get stolen (at least not in Reggio), but they will be dumped into available laundry baskets the minute the dryers stop, even if they are still wet. An untimely trip to the bathroom lengthened my time away, and I returned to two baskets of some dry, some wet clothes and a local woman filling the dryers. I sat and read my book while I waited for her dryers to stop (and to be honest, part of me wanted her to be late so I could dump hers into baskets. But alas, she was back before the dryers finished their cool down. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn went to the Coop for water and lunch stuff while I finished laundry. We rendezvoused back at the house to sort souvenirs and make a list. His backpack is full and probably too heavy to carryon if they weigh it. Ah, travel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I sent a text message to Anna to learn if she still wanted to go to the mountains this weekend. Unfortunately her mother is in the hospital again, so the mountain trip’s undetermined for now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Another afternoon nap, then off to get dinner at our favorite nearby restaurant/pizzeria. Mr. “I’ve got cash” didn’t. He walked off without the ubiquitous safari vest he wears, a pocket for everything and everything in a pocket, including his wallet and money clip with a fresh infusion. I had 20 euro … and a Visa card that worked. We took a walk home via the ice cream store and now we’re winding down. Tomorrow we’ll go to the parmesan cheese place again to buy cheese to take back to PA. Friday we may go to Bologna to see, finally, the photo exhibition of the industrial Pittsburgh of our youth. (We bought tickets to an EU-sponsored</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>14 June</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Overcast and cool. Good day to walk into town, with an umbrella just in case. Did I mention that my arms are peeling? And that the Italian sun is bleaching my hair blonder than either the JCC or YMCA pool? I’m so blonde now that my white roots hardly show! And my hair is shoulder length so I can pony tail it on hot days.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>15 June</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Well, we never did walk into town yesterday, which was actually good. We both needed a lazy day after our hectic trip. Plus, as Olga announced she had a Green Cross ambulance shift starting at 2 pm, she also told us that Luciano was coming by at 5. Luciano is her 75-year-old motorcycle racing friend that we met last year. Due to age restrictions, this is his last year of racing in Italy although he will be able to continue racing elsewhere, like Croatia where he goes often.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We did go to the cheese factory shop and bought five kilos of cheese, only one for Olga, the rest go with us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Oh and it rained in the afternoon. Good time to settle in with a book and to take a nap.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Luciano finally arrived around 6;30; his wife was at the supermarket. We chatted briefly and agreed to lunch on Monday. And Olga mentioned a local event that will include caplets for lunch today, so we’ll do that for sure. (Caplets are cappelletti in local dialect.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>16 June</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">So, yesterday was about the least lazy day we’ve had — today we walked nine miles, all totaled. Of course, it started with a trip to our favorite coffee shop. I made two as I was having trouble with my laptop and needed my iPhone which was at the house. We had lunch at a nearby community center — no caplets, but great ravioli. Glenn’s was filled with pumpkin and mine and Olga’s with pesto. Must admit that given where we were eating, I was amazed at how good the raviolis were. The pasta was especially nice, thin not heavy. And I love pesto and this was lovely.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We walked into town in the afternoon, mostly for a walk and to decide where to have dinner. We ate at <i>Mario’s</i> last night and told them “arriverderci.” We were also doing a bit of last minute souvenir shopping — things that take up no space and add no weight. Glenn wants a Reggio hat, but no luck finding one. We finally sat in one of the squares and had a drink while we waited for restaurants to re-open. Most close from 3-3:30 to early evening. It was nice just sitting and people watching.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Dinner was at a prosciutto shop. Glenn had caplets that looked more like his in size, but he said had lots more flavor; they included mortedello which his don’t. I had gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce, delicious but way too rich. Took half home. We started for our bus stop, then returned to the shop for Glenn’s camera, which he’d left on a chair. They had it behind the counter waiting for him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>17 June</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Here I am, a day behind again, and it’s Sunday so our caffè isn’t open. Thankfully the coffee shop at the supermarket opens at 8 (market at 9). but no wi-fi. We’ll sit outside the laundromat later and use the caffè’s wi-fi.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">When we got home at 8 last night, we were both exhausted. We’d done our usual wi-fi and coffee run early and quickly as Anna was picking us up at 8:45 am, which she did. We climbed into her two-door Suzuki “jeep” (me folded in back) and off we went to the mountains. She had a full itinerary planned, a complete circle with stops at places of interest as well as her mountain house in Piolo, a village of 40 residents. On the way we stopped at the foot of Pietra di Basmantova, a geological formation that is reminiscent of Devil’s Tower in the US and is mentioned by Dante in his <b><i>Divine Comedy</i></b>. Formed in the Miocene period, it was once a sea bed, and many shells, other sea fossils, even shark teeth were found when a core sample was taken. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Pietra di Basmantova</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">It’s popular with rock climbers who favor the straight stone face and of hikers who trek through the forested parts, all aiming for the top which is more than 1000 meters above sea level. From there we found our way to Piolo. where we stayed for several hours — stretched our legs with a walk, met neighbors, had a real Italian four-course lunch and rested. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Anna's mountain cottage</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Anna’s son Matteo had brought a large wardrobe in his van for her, and Glenn helped move it from the entry way to Anna’s bedroom. Matteo and his girlfriend who’s a vegetarian joined us for lunch at the village’s only bar/restaurant. The couple who own it do everything —he was our waiter, she was the cook and bartender. When we arrived, a dozen or so long distance cyclists were everywhere in the small establishment. We had to wait for them to leave before we could fit inside.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Lunch started with assorted vegetarian ravioli, went on to a platter of osso buco, pork kebobs and scallopini with lemon. A green salad with bright fresh red tomato wedges was accompanied by a side of small onion slices for those of us who like onions. Then a platter of locally made cheeses. All accompanied by wine. Wonder why we declined dolci and caffè?</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Completing the route Anna’d plotted, we stopped at a resort that’s next to a hydroelectric dam and were able to get a spectacular view of where we’d been earlier. We visited a sculpture garden, mostly the work of a not-formally-trained sculptor who works in rocks, trees, wood. His wife does scenarios on the remnants of tree stumps, one looking much like a Smurf village. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>19 June, Malpensa Airport, Milan, Italy</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">On the road again … we’re waiting for LOT, the Polish airline, to open its checkin desk, then we’re off to Warsaw. We started the day as usual and did our best to tell the caffè folks we were leaving and how much we had enjoyed ourselves. A young woman who works there (their daughter?) has my contact info in case she gets to the US. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We took the high speed train to Milano Centrale, then a local to the airport. I thought that was much easier than the bus, but it was a mess getting from the train to Departures A, where we found few seats and no one at LOT. It was, however, about five hours until our flight. We shared a sandwich for lunch and got onto wi-fi, then found seats where we could watch the LOT desk. When a queue started to form, we hopped on over. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We were offered to check two extra bags for free and did so, lessening our burden as we wended our way through the long security line and afterwards the high-end duty-free shopping area. We stopped for something to eat — burger and fries for Glenn, caesar salad for me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tonight we’ll stay at the Marriott Courtyard in Warsaw. My colleague Steve arrives Wednesday morning, and a driver will take us first to Piaseczno to shop for pottery, then to my friends Hala and Michał’s farm for a night of fun, food and catching up. We’ll move to the Hotel Basztowy on Thursday afternoon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>20 June, Czermin village, Poland</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">For what it’s worth: FitBit results from the time we left the US until we left Italy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>436,933 steps, which made 206.09 miles</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Maybe I won’t need a new wardrobe after all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>21 June, Sandomierz</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Of course, Hala overfed us and we didn’t complain too loudly. She had dinner ready when we arrived Wednesday afternoon, then at dusk we roasted kielbasa over the fire pit. This morning, as always, Michał had the coffee ready and waiting for me. We all slept in. Breakfast was Michał’s famous salad plus cold meats, cheeses and bread. While I went into town for my semi-annual mani-pedi, Glenn and Steve relaxed under the gazebo and picked cherries with Hala. More food before we all came into the hotel. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn flaked out with his laptop in our room while Steve and I met with two of the three Management Board members to review financials. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>24 June, Warsaw, Poland</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Needless to say, I’m behind again in both writing and steps! </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn said last night that the food at this year’s meeting was the best of the three he’s attended. (He never imagined he visit Poland once, let along three times.) He especially enjoyed the “kolacja na plenerze,” outdoor supper — a barbecue with three kinds of grilled meats, freshly made pierogis of all kinds (savory and dessert), eight or 10 different salads, and the ubiquitous platter of homemade cakes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">That was on Friday at the end of our informal meeting with staff updates and tour to visit a selection of the Center’s clients. Our final visits of the day were in the village of Świnary. At the “Museum of Useless and Forgettable Things” established by a local association, we saw old Communist posters, photographs of life under martial law, old household and farm equipment, typewriters, telephones and radios (that I remember from my childhood!). As a fund raiser and effort to enhance community involvement, the association has as an annual “Pierogarnia,” a pierogi festival. We just missed the 11th annual event but were able to sample some at the BBQ — meat, sauerkraut-mushroom, cheese, various fruit fillings — all delicious, all handmade by association members. (FYI, for the Pierograna this year, about 50 women made 12,000 pierogis.)</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Kolacja na Plenerze<br />Dinner in the outdoors</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The park where we picnicked was on the site of a former sand quarry that had closed. The market for that type of sand had collapsed. The community repurposed the area with a community center, soccer field, small set of heavy duty exercise equipment for adults, fenced playground for small children, a pavilion with picnic tables and benches, and a nearby fire pit and grill. Some of the old quarry was retained and turned into art by community members, including an area for graffiti. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">One of the Poland board members, Krystyna, brought her husband for the first time. Mart, a Dutchman who speaks Polish and English (and more), and Glenn spent time seeing the city while we met on Friday morning. Glenn had the honor of being the tour guide since he’s been to Sandomierz twice before. Mart has worked internationally so we compared experiences in early Poland, Africa and the Balkans.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Yesterday’s formal board meeting went well, lively discussions as usual but perhaps fewer diversions since two members weren’t in attendance. Our van driver brought Steve, Glenn and me to the airBnB that we’ve rented. We took some time to catch our breaths before taking a cab over to Marta and Łukasz’s flat. Marta served a Ukrainian dumpling very much like Glenn’s caplets though larger and filled with lamb. Delicious! He’s going to try lamb in his caplets next time. Łukasz brought out his flavored vodkas and sampling began. I abstained — someone had to be able to operate all the electronic locks to this flat! </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Two-year-old Tosia was the star of the visit, a bit shy at first but venturing into the crowded kitchen to sit with us. Her huge smile lights her face and the room. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Tosia in April</i></b></td></tr>
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At one point she toppled unhurt from her chair but bellowed nonetheless. Marta comforted her and took her into the bedroom. When she asked Tosia what she wanted, Tosia said “That man,” meaning Glenn. They had been playing hand games earlier. Later, while the men sampled Łukasz’s flavoried vodkas, I moved to the living room with Marta and Tosia. Tosia showed me each of her dolls as she lovingly moved them from stroller to bed to pillow. She must have two dozen already. An “American Girl” clone from Germany will be added in February when she turns three. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Eventually Glenn, Marta and I drove over to see the new flat that’s under renovation.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">On the fourth floor (fifth in the US) and without any elevator, it’s a hike but well worth the effort.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">They have an incredible amount of space, not the least bit boxy like so many flats.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">When it’s done, it’ll be gorgeous.</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today we took an osobowy (local) train to Milanówek to spend the afternoon with my friends Maryla, Staś and their son Tomek. Unfortunately the rain prevented us from enjoying the back patio and garden which is my favorite place there. But still, a peaceful, relaxed afternoon chatting, then dining on the meal Staś had prepared. Glenn got to meet Khalif, a rescue macaw that Maryla has had for 25 years. She got him when he was one year old. Macaws are nurtured by their mothers for seven years, and since he was emancipated early, he bonded with Maryla as his mother. He’s very tame and calm now, used to people etc. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>25 June</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Very rainy day … and I’ve got a head cold. That’s what I get for not taking my vitamin C every day. I’ve been very lax about my vitamins this whole trip.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After breakfast at a nearby cafe, we walked to the Marriott where we met Maryla between her meetings. Yesterday I forgot to take the “hostess” gifts I’d gotten for her. Then across the street and through the train station to Złoty Terasy shopping mall to pick up a few more gifts we needed and on to Cepelia for the last. On the way back we stopped for coffee and after dropping all our packages in the flat, we walked over to Hala Koszyki for a lunch of tasty crepes. Hala Koszyki is an old warehouse building repurposed into an upscale mostly “entertainment mall “— restaurants, bars, appropriate retail. Very reminiscent of one near friends Ana and Art in Amsterdam and one Glenn and I visited in Florence last year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back at the flat, I dozed for a couple of hours, then in the driving rain we walked to <i>Wiedz Co</i> <i>Zjedz</i>, a restaurant near Plac Konstytucji that friend Gina had picked. Dorota, Jacek and son Franek also joined us. Everyone enjoyed their entrees: Dorota and Jacek had steak; Gina, fish and Glenn, stuffed chicken breast. I had a huge bowl of hot rosoł (chicken soup) and Russian pierogis (potato and cheese with sauteed onions on top). Perfect. After spending time catching up, we departed to reasonably clear skies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>27 June, Sheraton Malpensa Airport Hotel, Milan, Italy</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Yep, behind again. But looking out at clear, sunny skies. From the time we left Sandomierz until we went to bed last night, all it did in Warsaw was rain. As a result, we had a slow day yesterday, then a leisurely dinner with friends Ula and Iza (they had not met Glenn yet) and an evening of packing … all accompanied to the sound of rain.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Yesterday I did online check-in for LOT but couldn’t add our bags, which were to cost us. Finally got through on the phone to someone who put in our request for a third bag and said to “call back in two hours” to learn if it’d been accepted. Two hours later I was 57th in the queue, waited and waited and got disconnected. My pay-as-you-go Poland phone was down to PLN 9, from about PLN 30 when I started. I used Skype to call LOT’s New York number and was 98th in the queue. While I listened to their orchestral Musak, I went online and figured out how to add money to my phone, did so and hung up on Skype. Dialed LOT again and I was 97th in line (wonder why?), and the Musak started again. Then I got the brilliant idea to run up to the LOT office by the Marriott. Perhaps <i>they</i> could take care of the baggage for me. The stickler was that we wanted to pack Glenn’s “computer bag” with heavy things like the 3 kilos of parmesan cheese we bought. Thus the bag probably would not meet carry on weight limits. AND a second bag on LOT is very expensive — $62 on line, $77 at the airport. Our cheap tickets were getting more and more dear with each add-on cost. Beware, all you cheapo airline travelers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Skies were looking good when I left our flat, still on hold with LOT and listening to Musak. When the friendly agent said, yes, she could help for a fee and found my reservation on her computer, I hung up the phone. No idea where I was in that queue, but I was number one in this one. She took my Visa and gave me receipts for three checked bags and confirmed our seats were reserved (ie, paid for). Despite the onerous charges, at least we were secure in getting bags to Milan. I was feeling good until I started toward the door of the building … it was pouring rain outside and I had no umbrella. No ducking it, I had to get back as dinner with Ula and Iza was in less than an hour. Thanks to tree-lined streets and outdoor cafe umbrellas, I was very wet but not soaked.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Recharging laptop in Italy</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Dark has fallen on Malpensa, and we’re getting ready for our flights homeward tomorrow. We fly to Pittsburgh via Charles de Gaulle in Paris. That leg is on Air France whose systems were down for some time today, but after my nap and some lunch, enough time had passed and I was able to check us in online, confirm that we could check three bags at no cost (thank you, Amex) and print boarding passes. I’ve allowed 2.5 hours between flights at de Gaulle, which should be enough to exit the EU and endure the <i>mishegas</i> to enter the US. And Delta has already upgraded us to Delta Comfort.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">For some fresh air this evening, we walked around the nearby parking lots. We could see them from the floor to ceiling windows as we walked within the hotel. The parking lots are all in circles, rather than a grid —makes for a more interesting view. Returning indoors, we walked around the airport as Glenn was intent that we’d at least get in our five miles (we did). Then to the Sheraton bar where we’d had lunch. We shared a half bottle of delicious, crisp Pinot Grigio and a tasty meat-and-cheese platter as our final meal in Italy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>28 June, Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh PA USA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Home again! Easy flight from CDG. It wasn’t full, and we were in a three-seat row with an empty row ahead of us. I was the “pickle in the middle.” After take off, the man next to me moved to the row ahead, so I could have his seat and a workable TV screen (mine wouldn’t move beyond “choose language.”) One of the movies I watched was “<i>I, Tonya</i>.” Easy to see why Allison Janney won the Oscar for best supporting actress — so different from her CJ Cregg persona on <i>West Wing. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The apartment was surprisingly comfortable temp-wise. I was expecting an oven or sauna. But keeping it closed up seemed to help. We’ll stay here tonight, then go to Mount Pleasant after breakfast tomorrow. Laundry to do plus my car is there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Speaking of cars, Glenn’s did fine in my building’s parking lot while we were gone — other than acquiring a significant layer of leaves and mud from all the storms. Tomorrow he’ll take it to a 25-cent carwash to get that off before going to his regular car wash for a wash-and-shine job.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Final FitBit numbers are in: </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>525,410 steps which made 247.81 miles. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>For 43 days, we averaged 5.63 miles per day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>29 June, Mount Pleasant</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Fell sound asleep at 9:30 last night while Glenn did his usual — sitting on sofa with laptop in his lap and his chin on his chest (snoring, of course). We are definitely home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I’ve started laundry while Glenn’s off to wash the car and get groceries. Wings and farm-fresh corn for supper. Summer is upon us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>30 June, Squirrel Hill</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We discovered last night that Glenn’s hot water heater isn’t working. Given temps in the 90s, a cold shower might feel good. Not. Glenn was able to get through to Sears, but repairs won’t take place until next weekend. So, I packed up and came home before lunch, took a hot shower and ran errands. Glenn arrived a few hours later. We spent most of the afternoon and early evening with Victor and Louise, showing them photos of our trip. Almost as much fun as the actual trip. Great ending to the month. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>PS</i></b> to all you skeptics, 44 days together and we’re still alive and together! </span></div>
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Hello All from Suzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671732878857293499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9006197434431279213.post-14385745353564867902018-06-04T09:00:00.000-05:002018-06-04T09:00:08.577-05:00<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "Lucida Grande"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>I</b></span><span style="font-family: "muna"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b> </b></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>promised</b></span><span style="font-family: "muna"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b> </b></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>Glenn</b></span><span style="font-family: "muna"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b> </b></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>adventures,</b></span><span style="font-family: "muna"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b> </b></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>not</b></span><span style="font-family: "muna"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b> </b></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>just</b></span><span style="font-family: "muna"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b> </b></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>travel</b></span><span style="font-family: "muna"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b> …</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>16 May, Atlanta GA USA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">And we are definitely having an adventure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Up early — who can sleep the night before a big trip? Not this woman. It’s why I never really minded those 6 am flights when I lived in Skopje, up and out and on my way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn and I walked up to Pamela’s on Murray for breakfast, then returned to do a final run through of the apartment and call for a taxi. We opted for a regular cab to the airport as we figured the cab driver would have an easier time getting a return fare than a Lyft would. Jason, our driver, was on time, personable and a good driver. We got to the airport at noonish well within the three-hour check in window recommended for our 3:30-ish flight to Atlanta, our first leg. We each did a bit of walking and wistfully wished we were on the overbooked LaGuardia flight that was offering $1200 to anyone willing to relinquish a seat. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Then the first delay of our flight was announced … we could still make the Milan connection, per Mark at Delta. I called to check in lieu of standing in a long line at the counter. After the second delay, I called again, and we decided to rebook We’d never make a 20-minute transfer from one terminal to another. Per Heather’s suggestion, we re-checked in for our original but now very late flight and confirmed that our bags would be in Atlanta. She said to be sure and get a hotel voucher. Our delays had been caused by a mechanical problem that led to a need for different plane. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">And then there was the third delay — after about 20 of us had boarded. A lug nut on a wheel was found sheared off; a new tire was required. We deplaned, re-planed and finally arrived in Atlanta about an hour after we should’ve been over the Atlantic. We found the Delta Help Desk, got help and hotel and meal vouchers, found the shuttle and arrived starving and exhausted at the Marriott Courtyard Atlanta South. But, food first. Or should I say alcohol. I had a glass of wine, Glenn a beer and we shared a caesar salad and chicken/bacon quesadilla. All delicious.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back in our room, I opted to finish my wine on the deck outside our room. Lovely to be outside in fresh air and warm but not hot temp, Glenn talked to both of his daughters … and fell asleep. I’m next. More tomorrow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>17 May, Maynard Jackson International Airport, Atlanta</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Cloudy skies and even a bit of a sprinkle, but off to the airport we came. After breakfast — and coffee, of course. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Sierra, the young woman handling the hotel cafe, was swamped, and the credit card machine still wasn’t working. Our vouchers covered all but 66 cents plus any tip. She had no change, only a drawer full of $20s. Putting anything on our room wouldn’t work; we had filed no credit card with our registration because we used the Delta vouchers. A supervisor came over to help and seemed to make things worse. Sierra politely asked her to leave and continued to get things done as efficiently and pleasantly as possible. Eventually I was able to get change for my $20 from the front desk and paid the check and tip, complimenting Sierra for her fine work in a very tough situation. Meeting nice people has been one of the pluses of this lengthy delay. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Before we left the hotel, I used my Skype Out to call Olga in Reggio Emilia and let her know we’d be a day late (and a dollar short since I used my Skype Out account. which allows me to cheaply call a real phone when someone doesn’t have Skype.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We’d emailed Olga the day before, but we weren’t sure if she was as compulsive about emails as we are. But she’d seen my message on her phone and knew we’d be arriving on Friday. Then I left a voice message on ItaliaRail’s Customer Service line to see if we could get any refund on our Milan to Reggio tickets that we obviously won’t use today. And finally booked new tickets for tomorrow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">With time to kill, we did the “Laurel vs Yanny” test. That’s the sound that some people hear as “Laurel” and others as “Yanny.” I heard Laurel almost the entire spectrum and something like Yanny in about a quarter; Glenn heard Yanny the whole way. Hmmm. No wonder Glenn doesn’t hear sometimes ….</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ_Yiy9sQwIlgLw4Wq1OP8_DTHTentM6fHkvGu66vyn7PxP9OUnnn0wRLxEsc_1hdhLNzGkBqxgQiHtx7FJFPBJ5fihUHS4xUpI5TAYyUtabzKpZX2Vwg_4otDQAtxslsdm-cEb-gjFpo/s1600/Glenn+Atl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1086" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ_Yiy9sQwIlgLw4Wq1OP8_DTHTentM6fHkvGu66vyn7PxP9OUnnn0wRLxEsc_1hdhLNzGkBqxgQiHtx7FJFPBJ5fihUHS4xUpI5TAYyUtabzKpZX2Vwg_4otDQAtxslsdm-cEb-gjFpo/s320/Glenn+Atl.jpg" width="217" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Glenn in Atlanta</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Since we had to check out at noon, we went straight to the airport with lots of time to get to the international terminal, see a ticket agent to be sure that our checked luggage really would meet us in Milan, and get in our daily steps requirement. We took turns sitting with the carryons. Glenn found an interesting art gallery at the end of our concourse: two huge wall murals with a quotation made from business cards on one side, and the opposite wall displayed the five vowels individually made from business cards. </span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>18 May, Milan, Italy</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">It’s official. Glenn slept with another woman. When I had to re-book us for the Atlanta-Milan flight, I wasn’t able to get us an exit row nor Delta Comfort for both of us. Got one of each: I got an aisle Delta Comfort in the center section, and Glenn opted for a two-seat exit row with even more legroom. Next to him sat Angela, 31, a stock broker from Atlanta. With a friend, she is venturing overseas for the first time ever. She had traded seats so a married couple could sit together. When I came by to say “hi,” she thought I was going to ask her to switch. I assured her that we would be fine. We chatted several times during the flight. I invited her to visit Pittsburgh (she’s never been), giving her my contact info. And she and Glenn chatted about places to see while she’s on her whirlwind Italy trip. During the 8+ hour flight, Glenn slept for some time, I nodded off for a bit, and Angela said, despite wearing an eye mask, she didn’t sleep at all. Welcome to transoceanic flights.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>19 May, Reggio Emilia, Italy</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Malpensa Airport in Milan was hectic but pretty easy to get through. We took a bus to “Milano C.le”, the main train station, where it was sunny and pleasant outside. We checked our two biggest suitcases for the day, then found a cafe with outdoor seating and had a European breakfast (sandwich and cappuccino). We checked out where our train would leave from, then wandered around the area of the station. My Poland phone worked to call Olga, but it’s battery was way too low to ensure we could call her when we arrived in Emilia, as promised. The woman who checked our bags let me use an outlet there; I stood for 40 minutes to get a 25 percent charge! Thankfully I was able to continue recharging on the train.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Despite having to double check where Olga’s street Via Alberti is located, the cab driver brought us directly here. As we drove, things actually looked familiar from our visit last summer. A smiling Olga was waiting for us. After she showed us around the flat, complete with a pile of breakfast goodies and nibbles, she departed for her flat upstairs and we took a nap. We all went to dinner at a nearby restaurant where Olga had made reservations. She and Glenn had delicious and very large individual pizzas, and I had a green salad (insalada mista) and linguini con vongole (linguini with white clam sauce). That’s one of my favorite Italian meals, and it was perfect other than half a dozen broken clam shells in the sauce — lots of flavor, lots of clams and al dente pasta.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back at Olga’s, I plugged in both phones for recharging. My international data for the iPhone starts later— heaven forbid that a US company should accommodate time zones; that is, it won’t start until midnight in the US.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">This morning we took a walk to explore a nearby shopping area. We didn’t want to get lost by going too far afield. Found a lovely coffee shop that was open, and Glenn had a cappuccino and I had two americanos. Back at Olga’s we have slowly been getting ready for the day. Olga will take us to the Center, and we’ll bus back. Tonight we have dinner with her friend Anna who taught English. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later</i></b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6PzAbEG9noPhj2RQCNDFN7UxToM7krnvp3NKh0-OxGkSi5_27_9MRcPV5_FrWrbJRVeYmOcQiG5DjKj09-WmS6qNSIOoIIdadNKAd8oacceW0Y9-Ej4whwNb_NRhVM1HP5WY1xBuff_g/s1600/RE+Opera+ceiling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6PzAbEG9noPhj2RQCNDFN7UxToM7krnvp3NKh0-OxGkSi5_27_9MRcPV5_FrWrbJRVeYmOcQiG5DjKj09-WmS6qNSIOoIIdadNKAd8oacceW0Y9-Ej4whwNb_NRhVM1HP5WY1xBuff_g/s320/RE+Opera+ceiling.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Ceiling of Reggio Opera House</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">By the time I leave here, I’m going to need a new — larger — clothing size. Yes, we walked a lot today. Olga drove us to the center at 11 and we returned by bus at 4. We got free city maps from a kiosk which helped a bit. But mostly we wandered and saw a few things we’d seen last year. We went to a European Photographic Exhibit at a museum on the opera house square, went into the opera house (awesome) and found a cafe with internet that worked. I had a panini for breakfast on the museum square, and at WellDone, a cafe near where we stayed last summer, Glenn got chips (french fries) and Italian cola (Molecola) and I had sparkling water and an ice cream sandwich. We found our way to the bus stop and arrived at the Coop supermarket near her flat. Picked up a few things there and returned home for a siesta.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Even later</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Of all the Italian surnames for Olga’s friend Anna to mention as her birth name, it had to be Codeluppi. We had dinner at Anna’s house tonight and a lovely evening of chatter about many things, including family. When Glenn talked about his ancestry work, Anna told us that she’d given her students a project once to map where Italian names were found in the world. She said she was surprised to find hers in New York. And when she answered Glenn’s question about the name, she replied Codeluppi — the birth name of our first grade teacher and part of a big family that lived in the same town where Glenn’s dad grew up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Anna served baked tagliatelli — both pasta and sauce homemade — in delicious but too large portions. Dessert was mini cream-filled donuts and fresh sliced strawberries. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>20 May</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">No internet at all today as Olga has none and our little caffé is closed on Sundays. When we found it yesterday, we noticed a wi-fi sign on the door but neglected to check the hours of operation. Open at 7 am but closed all day Sunday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Midday dinner with Olga and her friends Clara and Annibale was another food and wine extravaganza. We had met them last year and know they are excellent cooks. Bruschetta and Lambrusco on the patio to start, then pork tenderloin, fresh salad, sauteed zucchini, and a tart of green pea and feta mousse that even Glenn liked (I’m going to get the recipe) with a chianti-like homemade wine and Asti Spumante, buraka cheese with grape tomatoes, and finally a fruit tart with fresh strawberries, and a fruit liqueur that Olga brought. Have I eaten enough for a month?</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Lots of family ties discussed as Clara’s grandmothers were from two of the villages from which Glenn had grandparents. They may yet be related. Unfortunately with so much food and wine, I actually started to doze. To distract me, Olga suggested that a short walk to a nearby park.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back home Glenn and I both napped for more than an hour, declined Olga’s kind offer to heat up Anna’s leftover pasta and took a long walk that included a gelato stop. Tomorrow back to the Center to get online and to find a place to print things. We want to go to Rome on Tuesday or Wednesday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>21 May</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Much frustration this morning. We got up early to walk over to our caffé for coffee and try the wi-fi. But for some reason it won’t accept our credit cards. Maybe it’s because it’s 2 am in the US, and I recall that’s when computers are updated. Oh, well. We’ve had excellent cappuccinos. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Patience, patience. The woman who served my panini just brought the caffé’s wi-fi code, and after seeing my many unsuccessful tries, she again took pity on me and came over. I was mis-readying her numeral 9 as the letter “s.” Nearly 200 messages flooded in and were quickly deleted. Among those that arrived were four from my Visa card with international charges alerts and three from Vodafone that I had become part of the Vonafone community. I could just input the code in the email … which I might actually do if the email contained any words. Two messages in the inbox list only get as far as telling me I’ve been charged 5.79 euro, and a third welcomes me, again with no copy. Glenn apparently has codes but cannot figure out how to use them. We’re going home to shower and walk into the Center.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Olga was surprised when I told her we were walking into town. Two kilometers! she said. I told her we’d be okay; Glenn walks at least five every morning. Before going, we checked a map she gave us as well as the one we had.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqAIF3vogyJmP0y94T1uQTutr0xuirsu4HITi2Fvdd2uqqN2V6MN9YeFFDl5ljMnAA60sNZdJ8xt0D5YJDUDPvHxkpJYvoPgrlojPdt8ZutBrRXd7GU7QPRJS-jesZhamctkeN4c4xwE/s1600/Ugo+Bassi+pointing.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqAIF3vogyJmP0y94T1uQTutr0xuirsu4HITi2Fvdd2uqqN2V6MN9YeFFDl5ljMnAA60sNZdJ8xt0D5YJDUDPvHxkpJYvoPgrlojPdt8ZutBrRXd7GU7QPRJS-jesZhamctkeN4c4xwE/s320/Ugo+Bassi+pointing.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Ugo Bossi, where San Pietro meets</i><br /><i>San Stefano and always pointing</i><br /><i>in the right direction</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The only real tension between Glenn and me is when we are planning to go somewhere, especially on foot. His business in traffic control helped make him map-dependent. I like a map to get the lay of things but generally rely on my observations. I had watched the route Olga took when we drove to town yesterday and didn’t need to look at a map to know where to go. We worked it out, as we always do, and had a great day overall.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Internet, or rather lack thereof, seems to be out biggest obstacle. We had lunch at WellDone, and I easily logged into their server. After taking care messages and reading a bit of news in my many news feeds, I sent Jennifer, Glenn’s younger daughter, a text on my iPhone to determine if she was available; it was 6:30 am in PA. Since we was, I opened Skype and used SkypeOut to call her, then handed the earphones to Glenn. Shortly after they finished, I did the same for a call to Michelle, the older daughter. In the late afternoon, I used SkypeOut to call Uncle Victor and set up our Skype call with him and Aunt Louise. Took some doing, but we got through for a few minutes of catching up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After all our hard work, we stopped for a drink (beer for Glenn, Campari Soda for me), then started the walk home. As the winds picked up and skies darkened, we decided to take the bus. Good choice. We only had to walk two blocks in the rain.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>22 May</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Rainy day but fruitful morning. Off to our caffé for coffee and Internet, then to a nearby travel agent where we found Maura, who spoke English, and helped us book next week’s trip south. We’ll go by train to Naples first and stay two nights, then train to Salerno for three nights. Naples will be our base for Pompeii, and Salerno for the Amalfi coast. We’ll return from Salerno to Reggio. We have hotels booked in both Naples and Salerno, and a place to eat in Naples recommended by Maura. Big plus — our train back from Salerno to Reggio is direct, no running through train stations trying to interpret signs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I checked out a local laundromat, and we bought sandwich makings for lunch. After we eat, we’ll return to the “lavanderia self service.” I did a load of light colors at Olga’s last night, and they are still soaking wet today. The laundromat has dryers, so we’ll take the wet things to dry and the dark load to wash and dry. Thankfully the instructions are in English as well as Italian and German. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoTPcwRDsXb4QRsVbCoUdx7Pxk3Kz7Tnf5Tp6-usOnltkMGqkCaQNq_213YCwg-YNELGnn8-o2gn_LzMJaIFFYHsjhxgAH877xkRIWxIR2pEcDTJRiJWWNKwE3zH3PfNL70jNNEDXP3a4/s1600/battery+box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoTPcwRDsXb4QRsVbCoUdx7Pxk3Kz7Tnf5Tp6-usOnltkMGqkCaQNq_213YCwg-YNELGnn8-o2gn_LzMJaIFFYHsjhxgAH877xkRIWxIR2pEcDTJRiJWWNKwE3zH3PfNL70jNNEDXP3a4/s320/battery+box.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Found by shopping center: a receptacle<br />for used batteries. What an idea!</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Laundry done, emails checked, trains to Perugia-Assisi and hotels checked but not booked. A walk through a drizzle home to put away clothes, read, take a short nap. Then back to the caffé for a quick download of a book by Glenn, followed by some shopping for dinner. We’re going to replicate lunch for dinner, too tired to find a restaurant and things close earlier here than in the big cities of last year. Here everyone shuts down at 7:30 while in Rome, Florence, Venice, restaurants re-open at 7 pm for dinner/supper. I had bought a bottle of wine and we picked out some cold, grilled peppers, an orzo salad and some miniature sweets to complete the meal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>24 May</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Another day of high adventure after a pretty tame yesterday. On Wednesday we took our time going into town (read: lots of coffee and wi-fi time at our favorite caffé, showers and clean clothes at home before leaving). We went back to the caffé for lunch (a delicious warm grain salad for me, lovely rigatoni with red sauce for Glenn). In town, we looked for the various museums and galleries where the European Photographic Exhibition is. We learned quickly that none of the venues is open until Friday. In our wanders a German couple who spoke English and heard us talking stopped us. They were seeking a city map. We gave them the best directions we could to the newsagent where we’d gotten ours and later realized we had an extra we could’ve give them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">So, today’s adventure. We walked to the old train station to take a local to Bologna; no need to pay taxis and high speed costs for a less-than-60-minute trip. Yesterday in Reggio we saw a series of free-standing poster boards about the photo exhibit in other Emilia Romagna cities. One that caught our eye is in Bologna and features photos of Pittsburgh during its steel-producing heyday. Olga gave us some ideas of other things to see in Bologna, the two towers and town square, for example. So off we went …</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">In Bologna, we walked into the Center (about 2 km). </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBtEfgVG8_ko4sgSr6_GuEj41i0N_2geTBrzLrAJfpDiwIn_M2bqCQp0PWZVAQDzhTKUnBQvyah1JET556NgDnsLdX1XI1PoQwDyBR7xUf2X9rayZlNsUuGrboxzWZgybLnowqCe6zj0/s1600/Nepture%252C+Bol.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBtEfgVG8_ko4sgSr6_GuEj41i0N_2geTBrzLrAJfpDiwIn_M2bqCQp0PWZVAQDzhTKUnBQvyah1JET556NgDnsLdX1XI1PoQwDyBR7xUf2X9rayZlNsUuGrboxzWZgybLnowqCe6zj0/s320/Nepture%252C+Bol.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Neptune statue on Bologna square</i></b></td></tr>
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Lots of spectator stands being assembled, perhaps for 2 June festivities (a national holiday). Found a tourist info office and got what we thought were directions via bus to Fondazione MAST where the exhibition is. We were told it was outside the city center so not on our map. Carefully watching both sides of the various streets our #19 bus traversed, we got all the way to the end of the line at the village of Casteldebole and no gallery. We sat for a bit, and returned to the center city. Just before we alit the bus, there was a sign directing travelers back to where we’d been to the Fondazione MAST.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We exited the bus a few stops before the city square and headed for the train station which was jammed. We were both tired and hot and ready to be home. The ticket lines were long. I sent Glenn to check which local train we’d take and I got in line at a self service machine. Before I had to buy, he returned. The only train he could identify as going through Reggio was one to Milan that was just leaving. We spotted a train helper at another machine that only handled the high speed AV trains. We told her where we wanted to go, she took great pains to tell us this was the high speed train, and we got tickets. Once we left Bologna, we’d be in Reggio in 20 minutes. And we were. It’s amazing how quickly the AV train gets up to 220 km per hour. It cruised mostly at 240 but got as high as 260, and we didn’t feel like we were moving. We taxied to Olga’s, tired but also very hungry. En route to her meeting, she dropped us at a restaurant we hadn’t seen before. Definitely going to return — it’s an easy walk from Olga’s — and we stopped at our caffé and used the internet en route. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5PXXGksdB3wdGhQE-vHF5z2de-HxOHpoUOWR99ovQNOrvKTCaw0CeZKcGT_tRzjkq-EZhqrre4X9Oy5eHR4FeAoWx9KPMpu4xzdEyev6u5BevXq2huTy1Eugg_3ghvzXkA8f4fm3EWiY/s1600/Fusaro.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5PXXGksdB3wdGhQE-vHF5z2de-HxOHpoUOWR99ovQNOrvKTCaw0CeZKcGT_tRzjkq-EZhqrre4X9Oy5eHR4FeAoWx9KPMpu4xzdEyev6u5BevXq2huTy1Eugg_3ghvzXkA8f4fm3EWiY/s320/Fusaro.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>No art exhibit but a familiar name</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">BTW, if you’ve noticed, I say “we walked” a lot … because that’s what we’re doing. We both wearing FitBits and check at the end of each day. Many days we are well over 15,000 steps, some have approached 20,000. My stride is apparently recorded as shorter than Glenn’s, so his steps equal more miles than mine. Something to fix some day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>25 May</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After our morning coffee-and-Internet run, we told Olga that we weren’t going to Bologna again today. It’s warm and sunny. I’d do some laundry and we’d stay in Reggio. She called the parmesan cheese maker and arranged a tour, pronto. No showers, just a quick teeth brushing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Roncocesi is a small village outside Reggio, and the cheese maker has modernized the facility since Glenn and his family visited a few years ago. For example, a machine turns the huge rounds of cheese, two at a time, not a person, and cheese is lifted from the brine bath by another machine. The cool aging room holds 18,000 rounds of parmesan! It has to age for at least one year, then an official controller checks every round, marking first quality with a special stamp. Second quality is scored on the round edge although we were told sometimes producers or stores sand off the lines and it’s sold improperly. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNeTEk89VgI_ProzljI7YmUDmeHssFRhr3lX5EZyKGgX2ttUiuRLJjtmU8jY6y4OIpXB9uO0ninVbuU4geOEABmjDU-L_9Pn93jF62vsSChtgRT9_mecIAlEtQzuggR-5gslJF8vC4jmc/s1600/G%252C+O+%2526+guide+at+cheese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1054" data-original-width="1600" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNeTEk89VgI_ProzljI7YmUDmeHssFRhr3lX5EZyKGgX2ttUiuRLJjtmU8jY6y4OIpXB9uO0ninVbuU4geOEABmjDU-L_9Pn93jF62vsSChtgRT9_mecIAlEtQzuggR-5gslJF8vC4jmc/s320/G%252C+O+%2526+guide+at+cheese.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Glenn, our guide and Olga</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The retired owner started our tour, and his son completed it. He used a small ball peen hammer to tap two rounds of cheese in many places so we could hear the difference between first and second quality. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjduNdcnURwjsVFA1kpWLh25asa0sjjp3Bfwe7tPkX5lyehrEQVIidxgFD5n_rKBNu7oNYb524qejl3zEJ0_E_9BiXfGFibqXZDTOU2uLHjlE5KjflmTf4t1AAWK0J9tNHqxdMYSTwBbQQ/s1600/cheese+tapping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjduNdcnURwjsVFA1kpWLh25asa0sjjp3Bfwe7tPkX5lyehrEQVIidxgFD5n_rKBNu7oNYb524qejl3zEJ0_E_9BiXfGFibqXZDTOU2uLHjlE5KjflmTf4t1AAWK0J9tNHqxdMYSTwBbQQ/s320/cheese+tapping.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">T<b><i>esting cheese quality</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCu-J11xr9lTBmj2UxOhWAVyIz2Up_5meMJ-vErGYXKc58KxxawGMyQqILDHtrwMNCq5KPborsWWHGJKF3pPCKag4daCS69LqUu1ML35tevu9GStsONPycjdZdVOCGlEP7jJTXSzDOqcM/s1600/18K+cheeses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCu-J11xr9lTBmj2UxOhWAVyIz2Up_5meMJ-vErGYXKc58KxxawGMyQqILDHtrwMNCq5KPborsWWHGJKF3pPCKag4daCS69LqUu1ML35tevu9GStsONPycjdZdVOCGlEP7jJTXSzDOqcM/s320/18K+cheeses.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>A few of the 18,000 wheels<br />in storage for a year or more</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After the tour, we were hosted with beverages (only the Prosecco and water were drunk) and snacks. including some lovely looking sweets. I actually didn’t have any because they also served a spinach pie similar to spanakopita but with more of a pie crust than one of fillo dough. I’d tasted this last year and really like it — an excellent breakfast.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back home I did two loads of laundry and hung it to dry, then we went into the Center. I needed to print our Pompeii tour tickets and directions to the gallery in Bologna (we’ll go there sometime after the Napoli trip). Hot and sweaty day. We stopped several times for something to drink as we visited locations in the European Photography Exhibition. A couple weren’t open but we saw several, ranging from extremely interesting to “huh?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">One of the most interesting was at Spazio Gerra, an open, mostly glass gallery at the end of a piazza near the opera house plaza. A lovely young woman who spoke good English walked us through all three floors, explaining “fotoromanzo” to us. Without her, we would never have understood the gorgeous black and white pix. Pre social media and reality TV, Italy had several magazines similar to comic books only they were illustrated with photographs and the stories were romances typical of those times. One, “La Colpa,” is about a young woman who’s raped and when she goes to the police, she isn’t believed; she’s shunned and made to feel guilty. As part of the exhibition, the story has been updated, photographed and posted on Instagramyui. Our guide said the exhibition director wanted to bring the story into the #metoo generation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>27 May</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I’m slowing down in my writing, so much going on, no time. Yesterday Glenn and I took Olga and her friend Anna, who’d hosted us at her home, to lunch. We spent several hours at the restaurant and at Olga’s chatting. Anna wants us to come to her mountain cottage and also to take us to the largest lake in Italy, a couple of hours north of where we are</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-OkWU8i2EZ3MP6qCNnx8LnfBH9hFBXd5wG-aOgyanyKOPU4fr5KGq7wZ-8GMfEw1boQrRzfkk-cLFprd_osAGcmUmb7ZvwH6FiL3HJCBbeUc8ke0gkOBUKnE43RnUEM_zsTj_zoRjQ0/s1600/Glenn+%2526+Anna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-OkWU8i2EZ3MP6qCNnx8LnfBH9hFBXd5wG-aOgyanyKOPU4fr5KGq7wZ-8GMfEw1boQrRzfkk-cLFprd_osAGcmUmb7ZvwH6FiL3HJCBbeUc8ke0gkOBUKnE43RnUEM_zsTj_zoRjQ0/s320/Glenn+%2526+Anna.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Glenn and Anna talk family</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today we walked to the center for lunch and hoping to see more of the exhibit. No luck on the latter but found an excellent restaurant (does Italy have any other kind?) for lunch. I opted for Nizzarda, a saladé Nicoise) and Glenn had spinach gnocci in gorgonzola sauce with crisp prosciutto sprinkled on top.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>28 May, AV train to Napoli</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Here we are on the high speed train to Napoli. Who’d’a thunk it? We’ll stay two nights in Napoli and three in Salerno. We packed light, one small suitcase and one carryon along with our laptops. Remarkable. Glenn’s getting better at packing light. Just noticed we’re up to 300 mph!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later, Napoli, Italia</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Way hotter than Reggio and humid, but then we’re on the sea. We got a map at the train station, located our hotel (Palazzo Caraccioli, a Sofitel) and trudged upward through a teeming microcosm of the world — natives and immigrants from everywhere. Vendors in small store fronts and moving through the crowds, selling everything you can imagine. “Carton of cigarettes, give you good price.” Every few feet a sidewalk cafe, bar, gelato stand squeezed onto the worst sidewalks I’ve ever experienced: broken pavers, uneven surfaces, garbage and trash Cars parked everywhere literally or driving like bumper cars in the streets. A construction zone blocking our way across the first piazza we had to traverse. But we made it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The hotel is beautiful, truly an old palace with two large interior courtyards (one a formal restaurant and the other a large seating area). Each has a large canopy as well as a unique drainage system to keep guests dry on rainy days. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN5NzPRBMHipiRkaH1qL6xlOZZX4_xu8aPJKHKvxeuT_oKf8ywoYsBkYwVZXQRjWID_jZpkrI9VZSvxQ4Tgd0SCuU3WvxmyvbjOE7AX0xejQ0EM2PXUBp_MEET1rjfV112WNMGrXdK4gI/s1600/Naples+restaurants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN5NzPRBMHipiRkaH1qL6xlOZZX4_xu8aPJKHKvxeuT_oKf8ywoYsBkYwVZXQRjWID_jZpkrI9VZSvxQ4Tgd0SCuU3WvxmyvbjOE7AX0xejQ0EM2PXUBp_MEET1rjfV112WNMGrXdK4gI/s320/Naples+restaurants.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Dining room courtyard at hotel</i></b></td></tr>
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And the wi-fi is strong throughout the hotel. That taken care of, off to find food; we’d left before breakfast and only had complimentary cookies on the train.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I had the best bread I’ve ever had in my entire life at a little sidewalk cafe a block from the hotel. “Nuff said about that.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99Y4Avdvi5AOkmnMQjF7rorb4Hbsznn97b24wO0vbRoAyJ_ZlQc_VZRkFOPgWIsrhwxYq0wxU9QC5onEaP_f8bQ9Y0BS1Z9fMSvZxfzcZmlcj9oWycYr4rBgbR-_r7WefZfhoSeiv37Q/s1600/Bruscetta.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99Y4Avdvi5AOkmnMQjF7rorb4Hbsznn97b24wO0vbRoAyJ_ZlQc_VZRkFOPgWIsrhwxYq0wxU9QC5onEaP_f8bQ9Y0BS1Z9fMSvZxfzcZmlcj9oWycYr4rBgbR-_r7WefZfhoSeiv37Q/s320/Bruscetta.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Bruscetta on THE best bread</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After dithering about transportation to Pompeii (45 minutes away), we finally ordered a taxi to pick us up. We meet out guide tomorrow at a coffee shop near the site entrance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>29 May</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The Acropolis, Delphi and Corinth in Greece, Stobi in Macedonia — all awesome pre-Christian archeological sites that I’ve visited but none comes near Pompeii. Perhaps a big part of my reaction was our guide Barbara: personable, professional, knowledgeable and passionate about her subject. She spoke English well although she didn’t learn it as a child; she didn’t want to sound like her Boston-born father</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOHxoCwJyao7RoUpqYE4d8En1PwOLg76RKwx7EBLpu2bCYp_BFXBnY_ptvT_ofbrN5OfMYNql5G9GRkq_2nT9MjmPceb1De288gtXu1Vm84Yv-KyWFSUGvGkM-jPu8efHLc4VSIBwhUJ4/s1600/Me+at+Pompeii+gate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOHxoCwJyao7RoUpqYE4d8En1PwOLg76RKwx7EBLpu2bCYp_BFXBnY_ptvT_ofbrN5OfMYNql5G9GRkq_2nT9MjmPceb1De288gtXu1Vm84Yv-KyWFSUGvGkM-jPu8efHLc4VSIBwhUJ4/s320/Me+at+Pompeii+gate.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>That's me at gate to Pompeii</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Our group of four (Glenn and I and a young couple from Dallas) got an incredible history lesson full of enlightening tidbits — things you didn’t learn in history class:</span></div>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Pompei held no importance to history or Rome until it was destroyed by the heat (temps of 200-500F) and ash of Vesuvius which literally blew its top. As a result of the eruption, it has two peaks with a valley in between. </span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Vesuvius was said to have erupted in August 79 BC. However, more recent discoveries indicate September or October were more likely. Fragments of freshly harvested foods from were found in excrement in the sewer system.</span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Pompeii is a typical Roman street grid, all of them one way and stone. The first “zebra crossings” were three large flat stone blocks spaced across the street so pedestrians didn’t have to walk in streets fouled by chariot horses. You can still see chariot grooves in some of the crosswalks.</span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Rome was a highly patriarchal society. A woman went from under the thumb of her father to under the thumb of her husband. Husbands could divorce, women couldn’t. One enlightened ruler eventually allowed women to divorce IF they’d produced three children. </span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">In the 19th century a particularly Catholic ruler outlawed the use of the phallus, the long-standing symbol of fertility and good luck found everywhere in Pompeii. But the ever superstitious Romans just switched to a small red chili pepper, now as ubiquitous as the phallus once was.</span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Prostitution was legal, open and accepted. The town brothel provided women for men, men for women and men for men. Notice, no women for women; it would’ve undermined the sense of masculine superiority, per our guide.</span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Slaves, mostly people captured in battle, received housing, food and a small stipend. If they had special skills, those skills were used and rewarded. For example, educated Greeks constituted much of the education system. In some cases a slave was better off than a poor free man. A slave might save his stipend and eventually become a wealthy free man, equal to other men with similar resources. Money ruled.</span></li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJvkI6hy_xGcFgus5WdNCcS97MftzBsZnbGMUG9SdEdVYfWGbpb1LniXfXxLxipl06L7zn-5nlYj-uHerJVwy6Tk1LOqXyxiO16Yq71qEfFk4DtX1NF5Hct1fbhpyVyQendc43Uha4NxA/s1600/Rich+man%2527s+house.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJvkI6hy_xGcFgus5WdNCcS97MftzBsZnbGMUG9SdEdVYfWGbpb1LniXfXxLxipl06L7zn-5nlYj-uHerJVwy6Tk1LOqXyxiO16Yq71qEfFk4DtX1NF5Hct1fbhpyVyQendc43Uha4NxA/s320/Rich+man%2527s+house.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Rich man's house: entry with pool to collect water,<br />open courtyard surrounded by columns, rooms.</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Small world note. As we left Pompeii, I passed a man wearing a Steelers cap and said quietly, “Go Steelers.” He replied in his best Pittsburgh accent; he was from Monroeville, which lies between Squirrel Hill and Mount Pleasant.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Exhausted but throughly satisfied with our day, we took a local train back to Napoli, cleaned up at the hotel, then found another sidewalk cafe with more incredible food. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmCLG6H7IzlmkpZB8qsUsRlT2slyfBOe2x9ioX0BU6OsbsdoGrMOoAysTZTEgseJhHVCpcklNnOprei6anmD90wbcK-WOFzHkN6rUbPSotKfQHbQjQCKuXc3bS4KICItS0b-n68rMIvdg/s1600/Naples+castle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1137" data-original-width="1600" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmCLG6H7IzlmkpZB8qsUsRlT2slyfBOe2x9ioX0BU6OsbsdoGrMOoAysTZTEgseJhHVCpcklNnOprei6anmD90wbcK-WOFzHkN6rUbPSotKfQHbQjQCKuXc3bS4KICItS0b-n68rMIvdg/s320/Naples+castle.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Old and new in Naples.</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>30 May, Inter-City train to Salerno</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After a relatively leisurely breakfast, we taxi’d to the train station, checked two suitcases at “Left Baggage” and hopped on a tour bus for the first of two circuits. Our way to see some of Naples’ history and kill time before our train. An IC train isn’t as luxe as AV but more than sufficient for a 90 minute ride.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhThdrmZ8DCjVd1H4buvFaYKxcyU5YjW61nMilkgOf-21vdmsYaaTqC4MHzzzidtE-DGYRG_ER6MiWL__ANhwADKKndc8LiyilkOJn3ic9f1PkfnMmfwI7RH7rmlB5OtsHBQLHe5Cu8Dlw/s1600/Me+at+Naples+restaurant.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhThdrmZ8DCjVd1H4buvFaYKxcyU5YjW61nMilkgOf-21vdmsYaaTqC4MHzzzidtE-DGYRG_ER6MiWL__ANhwADKKndc8LiyilkOJn3ic9f1PkfnMmfwI7RH7rmlB5OtsHBQLHe5Cu8Dlw/s320/Me+at+Naples+restaurant.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Me outside Napoli's best pasta restaurant,<br />per our travel agent in Reggio</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAWAkXrnyXZx_pRLe3qiR6WwRHgpQFN-d2YianXs8GwomxsMMkE9Xf_xDUcr65oOYnyKr1_HeJe7EICJwmY6nRVSG6J8hOaJwtjzCjOPY1hijuj98lQ6iKAFKIIj5Jke4nywhvb1Mo5Bo/s1600/Rabbit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAWAkXrnyXZx_pRLe3qiR6WwRHgpQFN-d2YianXs8GwomxsMMkE9Xf_xDUcr65oOYnyKr1_HeJe7EICJwmY6nRVSG6J8hOaJwtjzCjOPY1hijuj98lQ6iKAFKIIj5Jke4nywhvb1Mo5Bo/s320/Rabbit.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Glenn enjoying rabbit in the style of<br />Ischia at di Martini. Our travel<br />agent was right!</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later, Salerno</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Here we are at the Grand Hotel Salerno, our home away for three nights. We have a view of the port and of the train station from our balcony, working air conditioning, daily breakfast and a bar that serves Campari Soda and decent beer. We’re set.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>31 May</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Phew! What a day. We walked miles today in the hot sun, first to find the right pier for our trips to Positano and Capri, then in Positano. Somehow we got discombobulated over the Capri schedule and pier and literally missed the boat. We bought tickets for tomorrow. Then we schlepped back to the first pier in the hot sun and headed to Positano. That’s Glenn’s daughter Jennifer’s favorite place. (She did a semester abroad in Italy as a college student.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Positano was a picturesque as expected. Also hot and crowded. Glenn’s photos will tell the story. We checked out a beach-side eatery Jen suggested — up about 200 steps, then down 200 more to the place. it was more bar than food, so we went up about 200 steps, then down again to find another spot to eat. The saving grace was the whole walk was in the shade. So much cooler we thought we’d left the island.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ST3DnH20pZzxVH1fZV2CszB9l3WKItPydGDhkyPgX3WtdNXJGH0lmrRW79PFvlKGOE2_lDWGKpFUzRcu_aH6-Ha5I7n3Icm4f_2WfMEgAD_i_tM1ZhPd8Db1NVAvpatmpq00NoIQvtM/s1600/Positano+bay.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ST3DnH20pZzxVH1fZV2CszB9l3WKItPydGDhkyPgX3WtdNXJGH0lmrRW79PFvlKGOE2_lDWGKpFUzRcu_aH6-Ha5I7n3Icm4f_2WfMEgAD_i_tM1ZhPd8Db1NVAvpatmpq00NoIQvtM/s320/Positano+bay.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Arriving in Positano</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We spent the day wandering and people watching, stopping for cool drinks and comfortable seats. Did a bit of souvenir shopping for the granddaughters. Then back to Salerno to wash away a day’s worth of sweat before dinner.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Dinner was once again spectacular. We walked down to the beach and ate at Surf, “lounge/bar/restaurant.” Are you tired of me writing about incredible food? Well, too bad, as this meal was another outstanding example of Italian cuisine. What’s even more amazing is how humane the portion sizes are — just the right amount to satisfy, not add 20 pounds to your hips. Service was impeccable. A waiter came over to chat because he heard us speaking English; he’d lived in Boston. He escorted us to see the dessert array … which, of course, we could sample because our dinners had been reasonably sized. The owner stopped by to ask if all was well. Another English speaker.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tomorrow we’re off to Capri early and on Saturday we take the train back to Reggio Emilia.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLto0VAi2-J0PKdrRppLrSRZWbGMVBKDXDXE8oeS1c-0bghX95SHlz9BGT3NhgmV8k2eOtokeaOBw-gXS9R0QCN6VKrqYkKESF4_bY-wPEkuMRRf-UYQDca5tH3dxbLFP9V1ADnBiNc4c/s1600/Garabaldi.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLto0VAi2-J0PKdrRppLrSRZWbGMVBKDXDXE8oeS1c-0bghX95SHlz9BGT3NhgmV8k2eOtokeaOBw-gXS9R0QCN6VKrqYkKESF4_bY-wPEkuMRRf-UYQDca5tH3dxbLFP9V1ADnBiNc4c/s320/Garabaldi.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>One of many Garibaldi statues</i></b></td></tr>
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Hello All from Suzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671732878857293499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9006197434431279213.post-11073073552589633102018-05-15T20:27:00.000-05:002018-05-15T20:27:44.695-05:00<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "Lucida Grande"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">They</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-family: STIXVariants; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> w</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">eren’t</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-family: STIXVariants; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">kidding</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-family: STIXVariants; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">about</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-family: STIXVariants; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">April</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-family: STIXVariants; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">sho</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-family: STIXVariants; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">w</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">ers</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-family: STIXVariants; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">…</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>1 April, Easter & April Fool’s Day, Mount Pleasant PA USA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Going to church was a nice way to start this unusual first day of the month — Easter and April Fool’s Day. i won’t make any bad jokes about that. Glenn and I attended his daughter Michelle’s father in law’s church, then had lunch at his home. Since we did all of this last year, I remembered most of the names of Chris and Mindy’s extended family. And again worked hard at not overeating. The buffet was large and delicious.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Sara in her Easter dress</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Since the sun had come out and rains stayed away, granddaughter Sara and her cousin Allison enjoyed their annual Easter Egg hunt, amassing scores of trinket-filled plastic eggs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Now, this evening, Glenn and I are decompressing at his place over a glass of wine and a very light supper.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>2 April, Squirrel Hill</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Returned home this afternoon, then after putting things away, made a trip to the Waterfront shopping area in Homestead. It’s on the site of the old Homestead Works of USSteel where the infamous and bloody strike took place in 1892. Interestingly I am reading <i>Meet You in Hell</i>, a book about the fraught relationship between Andrew Carnegie and Henry Clay Frick.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>3 April</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Rain during the day, and a thunderstorm tonight. I love thunderstorms so enjoyed the that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Did two exercise classes today and ran errands in between — early to bed for me. Argh! I just saw a centipede cross from the wood floor to the rug. Creepy. I’m off to get it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>4 April</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Disappointing that water ex was cancelled, but there’s a circuit class at the same time. Different instructor than my Tue-Thur class but still very energetic. Worked hard.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Mid-day Glenn arrived for our trip to the LDS church in Greentree. They have access to the ancestry documents the church complies. We arrived to find the library doesn’t open until this evening. So, off to IKEA to look for wall shelving for Glenn’s bathroom and small table for my printer. Didn’t find anything for me but got a few ideas for him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">On the way back we stopped to see Victor and Louise. Glenn needed to help Victor with his new mobile phone. Then we went to the Water Front to continue our shelving search. We ended the day with dinner at Vue 412 atop Mount Washington. I had bought a Groupon to check them out. We had a perfect view of the Golden Triangle as the sun went down. The lights came on at PNC Park for an evening baseball game. And the food was great too. I’ll make a reservation to bring Violane and Stephen here when they visit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>5 Apri</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Weather so far today: dark clouds, snow, sunshine. And it’s only 11 am. I’m doing a bit of laundry and cleaning, then I’m off to Mount Pleasant.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>6 April, Mount Pleasant</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn and I did an early morning walk, then lunch with his younger daughter Jen and daughers Emma, 3, and Callie, 3 months, came over for lunch. We were “celebrating” Jen’s last weekend before returning to work from her maternity leave.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>7 April</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">What month is this? It is totally white outside — about 3 inches of snow fell overnight, after a steady rainfall. Glenn’s car is not only covered in snow but also underneath that, ice. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivCjsWYyNFFLt0tJecik-OZlnlJOwDLWwrg1HfPeLJST5AYyLYt7Xav83Q8s8rSxTICvz1ro0UDSIIHT7aQo5d0b27StFJ2BbIZ5dUPutVxQEzo9t_5hy62ipGYWT0KEaOeWa-svAwHOc/s1600/April+2+snow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivCjsWYyNFFLt0tJecik-OZlnlJOwDLWwrg1HfPeLJST5AYyLYt7Xav83Q8s8rSxTICvz1ro0UDSIIHT7aQo5d0b27StFJ2BbIZ5dUPutVxQEzo9t_5hy62ipGYWT0KEaOeWa-svAwHOc/s320/April+2+snow.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>View from Glenn's kitchen</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">We went to see the movie </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Chappaquiddick</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">, then had dinner at Rizzo’s in Crabtree.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Near us was a birthday party for a woman celebrating her 101st.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">The whole restaurant sang “happy birthday” when the server brought her cake with a few candles.</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>8 April, Squirrel Hill</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I slept in this morning in Mount Pleasant, felt good. Then Glenn made a traditional Italian rice cake (done and sampled, mmmmm). We emailed to Olga about our arrival in Reggio next month, then I made train reservations from Milan to Reggio. We checked out tours to Pompei but made no decisions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We met friend Janet and her sister Judy for lunch in Mount Pleasant. They had been at Hidden Valley getting Janet and Dennis’ place ready for friends to use.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back home now, I put away laundry, empty the dishwasher of clean dishes, and got ready for the week.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>9 April, Aunt Louise’s 89th birthday</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back to water ex, hurray. But it’s snowing … again! A “light dusting” fell overnight, covering my car, but by the time I left for the JCC, remained. But now it’s snowing again. Ugh.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I had coffee with Victor and Louise and took her some of Glenn’s scrumptious rice cake. She loved it. Victor doesn’t eat rice, a carryover from his Korean War experience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>10 April</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Spring may finally have sprung: blue skies, a little nip in the air, but my little car looks clean and shiny under the sunshine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I stopped to drop off rice cake to Janet. Had planned to leave the package on her doorstep, as arranged. But she was home, so we talked about a women’s group she belongs to and that she thought might interest me. It does but unfortunately I’ll be arriving in Reggio when they meet next. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>12 April</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn drove in this morning, and we went back to the Mormon Library in Greentree. They’ve changed how they work, no longer providing microfilms. Much more is on line. A very friendly aide helped Glenn get online, and let me use her account to check out how the system worked. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tonight I’m ushering at the New Hazeltt Theater; Glenn will go to Victor’s.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>13 April, Mount Pleasant</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We made a quick early morning trip to Mount Pleasant. Emma had high temp and cannot go to day care. We had her for the day at Glenn’s. She was quite warm to begin with but her temp seemed to improve in the afternoon. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>14 April</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">A week ago it was snowing, today it’s 80 degrees. Friend Johanna joined us for our morning walk at the mall. She and I had coffee for an hour while Glenn continued walking.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Later today we’re going to granddaughter Sara’s 6th birthday part at her other grandparents Chris and Mindy. Michelle is making sushi.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>15 April</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">At last the weather is good enough to walk outside. While I’m used to walking at below freezing temps, Glenn isn’t. So we walk the mall a lot. Today we were outdoors at the local Y. Temps of 50s was perfect for walking but the forecast is for colder temps and snow during week. Yuk!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back at Glenn’s, I “napped” on the porch a while but I needed a light blanket since I was so still. Glenn’s other “non wife” came by to get some documents. Pam and Glenn have worked together for so long that many at the Westmoreland Fair thought they were married. A year or two ago Pam bought a bench for the fairground and had a message carved in the seat back that said she “is not married to Glenn.” I told her maybe I’d buy one to put next to hers, one that says “And neither is Suzi.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn made wings in the air fryer for dinner. That’s among my favorite meals. Tonight I’ll drive back to Squirrel Hill. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>16 April, Squirrel Hill</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back to water ex, then off to lunch with high school classmates. We have a core of friends that get together fairly often and others who join when they can. I’m getting around more easily from Squirrel Hill. I actually found the restaurant with no wrong turns.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>17 April</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Snow, snow and more snow. Unbelievable. I drove to Ross Township to pick up the baskets Glenn ordered at The Container Store and to check out some trousers at the nearby mall. No luck on trousers but the Container Store had the baskets. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>18 April</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Sunshine! I feel like way too many of my blog posts sound like weather reports. But every where I go people are complaining about this winter and how long it’s lasted. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I went with Louise to the doctor this morning, her semi-annual check to get her prescriptions renewed. Glenn came in to join us for lunch at Red Lobster, our treat to celebrate her birthday. Now, as I write this Glenn is napping on the loveseat with his laptop in his lap.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>19 April</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">What was I writing about weather talk? Snowing again — argh! I am so fed up with winter, but then, so is everyone else. As an antidote, I spent the afternoon switching winter and summer clothes around. Egads, do i have a few pairs of navy trousers? Glenn worked on his family tree while I did that. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>My deck in Squirrel Hill</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">I need to clean out the freezer before European trip. I don’t want to risk the something in the refrigerator breaking down.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">That happened a few years ago in Minneapolis, creating a horrible stench from the one pound of hamburger that I’d miss when I cleaned the freezer.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">So, I’m starting early.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Today I defrosted a leftover rice dish for dinner.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">We had our first fresh watermelon for dessert, compliments of Victor and Louise.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>20 April, Mount Pleasant</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn has a cold. He left Squirrel Hill early today, dropping me off at water ex en route. After class, I had coffee with Mary an EFHS ’62 grad who’s in the class. Now I’m watching the Penguins hockey game and doing laundry. So nice not having to schlepp up/down steps.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>21 April, Earth Day</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn and I spent the afternoon at an Earth Day event at St. Vincent College. Sara, Michelle and others from rabbit club were exhibiting. Sara’s rabbit Anna demonstrated hopping, and her Kevin was his usual laid back self and was petted and held by assorted children and adults who stopped at the table. Weather was perfect for such an event, and we wandered around to see other exhibits, all very interesting.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were "hangin' with Kevin" at Earth Day.<br />Kevin is Sara's very mellow rabbit. He endured<br />hours of petting and handling by strangers with nary<br />a complaint.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>24 April, Squirrel Hill</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I had lunch with Victor and Louise. Afterwards we had a spirited discussion around their lack of wills.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>25 April</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I’m taking part in a couple of studies through the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). Today was my first meeting about the sleep study — they’re looking at how shift work and non-shift work affects sleep. I took the bus to UPMC, then walked up the hill to Western Psych where the orientation and initial intake were scheduled. Took 4.5 hours! I left with a sleep monitor that I have to use overnight, then return via UPS.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn came into town in time for dinner. We’ll return to Mount Pleasant together tomorrow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>26 April, Mount Pleasant</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We drove over to Pittsburgh Trophy to get a plaque for Glenn’s friend Frank who won their Final Four competition. The loser has to buy the winner a trophy, always something humorous. Glenn won last year and Frank’s trophy to him mimicked Trump’s language — “yuge” award, etc. Glenn’s giving Frank an old trophy with a rabbit on top and a simple: “2018 winner” and Frank’s name. No indication of what he won etc.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Then we went to Derry for cards, lunch and lots of laughs and fun with friends Gary and Johanna. I’m really enjoying these games and spending time with them. Before we left, we walked around Keystone Lake. We’ve informally talked of joint travel, and Glenn and I agree that we’d enjoy that. We’re all interested in a US river cruise, maybe that’ll be our first.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Big win tonight for the Pens against the Capitals, 3-1 with all Pens’ goals scored in third period. This is going to be a close series.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>27 April</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We haven’t eaten since coffee after our morning walk. We picked up Callie and Emma after daycare and kept them until Jen got home, so busy. Glenn’s cleaning his refrigerator pre-Europe, so nothing to snack on. I’m starving … </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>28 April, Squirrel Hill</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">This morning we walked at Mammoth Lake in Mount Pleasant Township, nice change from the Y (outdoors spot) or mall (indoors). Violane has texted with their estimated ETA. As the day moved on, it got colder and windier. I checked the Gateway Clipper schedule to book our river cruise and found it wasn’t operating (it had been on the schedule two weeks ago when I looked!). So, quick change of plans. We drove to their hotel at the Golden Triangle and walked over toward the Block House and Fort Pitt museum. Then we drove across the river and took the Duquesne Incline up to Mount Washington. We were really early for our dinner reservation at Vue 412 but they were able to seat us fairly quickly. We had a table with a view and enough food for 10. I brought home leftovers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>29 April</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">What a fantastic weekend with Violane, Stephen and Glenn. Still cold and windy but warmed by visiting with good friends.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today we picked Violane and Stephen up at 8, then drove to the Strip District for breakfast at Pamela’s, a local cafe chain. They serve typical Pittsburgh portions — huge. Afterwards, we walked around Strip, checked out Wholey’s market (excellent fresh fish and meat). We drove to Phipps Conservatory in Oakland for a walk through all of the exhibits, then drove through Schenley Park and Squirrel Hill before returning them to their rental car for their drive back to DC.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1VfqaOJ4vY_ZXyVChgmAgr1F9pBGH07nLV3noCH0b-UiudZU5iKdy07MDhri_9QvKlO09h5Ctsc1Hkh3MqM7yi-zphyLycJwi9mR2XYfnRIE5SMw3y4m1KWB9zJYtLqNS90hfgjnowsQ/s1600/Phipps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1VfqaOJ4vY_ZXyVChgmAgr1F9pBGH07nLV3noCH0b-UiudZU5iKdy07MDhri_9QvKlO09h5Ctsc1Hkh3MqM7yi-zphyLycJwi9mR2XYfnRIE5SMw3y4m1KWB9zJYtLqNS90hfgjnowsQ/s320/Phipps.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Some Chihuly glass dots several exhibits<br />at Phipps Conservatory</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijudsJ_2j9kF312OJEKq8WJxytE4LSZcx11vPKyd92j6bsD0pdw-tn38Ykgfmva36w-q5VXFXZL_gHVWOL3qM1mHwQNKpQ2P-JHONODK0pLyU2kjZiOYuRHwyjOiJ2ygt3MSRFG1qKrgk/s1600/V+at+Phipps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijudsJ_2j9kF312OJEKq8WJxytE4LSZcx11vPKyd92j6bsD0pdw-tn38Ykgfmva36w-q5VXFXZL_gHVWOL3qM1mHwQNKpQ2P-JHONODK0pLyU2kjZiOYuRHwyjOiJ2ygt3MSRFG1qKrgk/s320/V+at+Phipps.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Camera-shy Violane snaps pix</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn and I spent a lazy afternoon catching up with emails, then watching a very disappointing Penguins’ hockey game. They lost to the Capitals. Next two games are in Pittsburgh; hope our playing and luck are better. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Since Glenn’s in Mount Pleasant tonight, I’ll use the sleep monitor. Hope I can sleep with all that paraphernalia on me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>30 April</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Well, I slept incredibly well and awoke to a chilly but sunny day. Hurray. Perhaps spring has sprung permanently at last. Off to water ex and to run errands.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsbqW7pyBlIVYBqKUxoM7E69IaNNLoQzM_F9N8ew6tmBtM7ol808HqIZhUU7dkWeWr2dYe76DYWcqGnhWf6u5nqTlOK0QbPqyvC1-ds9UYw0V3rM6rXbg9fRGENocMUczdcX0dbiGQusc/s1600/dandelion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1568" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsbqW7pyBlIVYBqKUxoM7E69IaNNLoQzM_F9N8ew6tmBtM7ol808HqIZhUU7dkWeWr2dYe76DYWcqGnhWf6u5nqTlOK0QbPqyvC1-ds9UYw0V3rM6rXbg9fRGENocMUczdcX0dbiGQusc/s320/dandelion.jpg" width="313" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Is it spring yet?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>1 May, Squirrel Hill, Labor Day in much of the world</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Nice way to start a new month — with a sunny day and a massage.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>3 May, Constitution Day in Poland</b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxns8LiO7Ak51XTtukd2sEUBT1IuXohJnSPbc35Ue4dlLiNYbAeLeflPiY8smRxYIb8Lw5R72cIV9-2SLi86MA8I-MH_PWO7jo8QHAp6zBsU54J1GSrerTR-Us1fQ6C4AHQ7MknAtcAl8/s1600/Tosia+in+hat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1194" data-original-width="778" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxns8LiO7Ak51XTtukd2sEUBT1IuXohJnSPbc35Ue4dlLiNYbAeLeflPiY8smRxYIb8Lw5R72cIV9-2SLi86MA8I-MH_PWO7jo8QHAp6zBsU54J1GSrerTR-Us1fQ6C4AHQ7MknAtcAl8/s320/Tosia+in+hat.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Tosia gets a final wear<br />of the hat I made he</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>4 May, Mount Pleasant</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn and I have the privilege of taking care of granddaughters Emma 3, and Callie, 3 months today. It’s a beautiful day to play outdoors, so Emma and I did just that. Mostly we kicked around a small ball — she’s learning to play soccer. At one point, she sat down on the porch step and said, “How about you kick the ball and I’ll watch?” That’s our girl!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVokmzM12-fpV71TiS6BwWPzLWwAenQTl1ceAmyF2YpYVWHxJEfR6A_wX4ag7y9OhbaVULU_OOvxHNDilXF0SUpRnGN2nUhc0d6YHfybvvwGIs2ikiPskbuG39T4Gm63kd7x5kZ8hpm2g/s1600/Emma+on+porch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVokmzM12-fpV71TiS6BwWPzLWwAenQTl1ceAmyF2YpYVWHxJEfR6A_wX4ag7y9OhbaVULU_OOvxHNDilXF0SUpRnGN2nUhc0d6YHfybvvwGIs2ikiPskbuG39T4Gm63kd7x5kZ8hpm2g/s320/Emma+on+porch.jpg" width="244" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Emma on the porch</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpUP0muHcTv6EujZwSx0Hq2JqHXyXUzolB3yIqSa076DNBcSfQBPfVaydV9Ds-qEZSQUG7E3BcUpgIeyDGBoAotJciKJvjIbLWTUtbX0HNp5W4OIDmIYhfC_J0JIkjFwiWQlyenS1hyphenhyphennk/s1600/Glenn+%2526+Callie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpUP0muHcTv6EujZwSx0Hq2JqHXyXUzolB3yIqSa076DNBcSfQBPfVaydV9Ds-qEZSQUG7E3BcUpgIeyDGBoAotJciKJvjIbLWTUtbX0HNp5W4OIDmIYhfC_J0JIkjFwiWQlyenS1hyphenhyphennk/s320/Glenn+%2526+Callie.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Pappy feeds Callie.</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>5 May, Cinco de Mayo in Mexico & Brunch with the Elephants in Somerset County PA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We were lucky to get tickets for the ‘brunch with the elephants’ event at the Pittsburgh Zoo’s elephant refuge. The zoo opens the refuge to a small number of visitors (under 500) every few years, and the newspaper where Michelle works is a major sponsor. We got five tickets, taking Victor and Louise as well as Pam, Glenn’s other non-wife. Pam and I get along incredibly well; I’m looking forward to spending time with her at the Westmoreland Fair this August. We connected with Michelle’s husband Seth and their daughter Sara at the refuge. We enjoyed a buffet picnic, saw some zoological exhibits, including a one-eyed owl and an opossum, then got into a big wagon for our turn to see the elephants. Three young zoo keepers were incredibly knowledgeable and told us about the five in residence, four females and one male. They were all rescued, some coming by plane from Africa.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I bid on and won a wine basket at the silent auction. Two bottles of wine too sweet for me so Michelle will get those.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>7 May, Berlin, PA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tonight we’re enjoying the company of third granddaughter, Sara, who recently turned 6. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRNIIsdMgsVWPNTVDSMwu05mZ5YdLT9lR_WbJT2bRbq55UXQ2jmhjez7oAuC21ILTa7uBNrLWnVvu_Ulvl0BUtqAGF-t9w4ssqfoLJN8CrUj8SES47kuBe30_GkgX2xxcmgPgHk5A-ong/s1600/Sara+homework.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRNIIsdMgsVWPNTVDSMwu05mZ5YdLT9lR_WbJT2bRbq55UXQ2jmhjez7oAuC21ILTa7uBNrLWnVvu_Ulvl0BUtqAGF-t9w4ssqfoLJN8CrUj8SES47kuBe30_GkgX2xxcmgPgHk5A-ong/s320/Sara+homework.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Sara doing homework.</i></b></td></tr>
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We picked her up after school and will stay until her dad returns around 9:30 from a seminar he’s teaching. Homework was finished without a problem, snack was eaten and a bit of TV watching done, then off to dinner at a Mexican restaurant in Somerset. Sara order enchiladas, adult portion, and declared she loved avocado, ordering a side of guacamole. She proceeded to polish off most of the dinner and all of the guacamole. She just went to bed, upper bunk with three dolls and a host of pillows and comforters. Glenn’s got his laptop on his lap and snoring. I’ll stop now and read a bit.</span></div>
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<b>May 8, 19th anniversary of my son Peter's death</b></div>
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Glenn, our high school friend Suzie and I went to Linn Run State Park for a bit of outdoor air and sunshine while we gather our thoughts of loved ones no longer with us. It was a wonderful time. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbwIGi-pvUyu4QrVdu1WvXrU86Rbo3vveV4Bg4c66aAykPfvkro1Zuo0BcstjEpmPXZO8O5BhCyevYsssBRyBSmwWRZecLwB3S6kzV3RHnzL8O_c9UIegU921l7vkeBh03HcOwbMXhCPI/s1600/G%252C+S+%2526+S+at+Linn+Run.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="1096" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbwIGi-pvUyu4QrVdu1WvXrU86Rbo3vveV4Bg4c66aAykPfvkro1Zuo0BcstjEpmPXZO8O5BhCyevYsssBRyBSmwWRZecLwB3S6kzV3RHnzL8O_c9UIegU921l7vkeBh03HcOwbMXhCPI/s320/G%252C+S+%2526+S+at+Linn+Run.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Glenn, Suzi and Suzie</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibHS3b9O-Woi08XlXHkZsXr6HODidCgiMkr235YdF_qfbBxdXkGtXcJFxJF66GBYW8b_4eRo3mbspGhA4neUWLyJDg8Ks4_QOanpVPJhd7dJvCcTL0lFhpkcZUuZ8H5vipPh5P4mjjKMs/s1600/Linn+Run.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibHS3b9O-Woi08XlXHkZsXr6HODidCgiMkr235YdF_qfbBxdXkGtXcJFxJF66GBYW8b_4eRo3mbspGhA4neUWLyJDg8Ks4_QOanpVPJhd7dJvCcTL0lFhpkcZUuZ8H5vipPh5P4mjjKMs/s320/Linn+Run.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We found these "sculptures" by the creek.<br />So we made our own ...</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-SlDGTnvu3M_QZ1HT_pP2lzI81s7vOco6168Hkjm1IWYFZBLHdryMmOk7fvOuAgWqHJbBWlCNHsRsj8licBMA9mBv2p-ny5l-KyXZzvDUdYklPrzrmId6JFinKHXnNVEq724uziWf46s/s1600/my+rocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-SlDGTnvu3M_QZ1HT_pP2lzI81s7vOco6168Hkjm1IWYFZBLHdryMmOk7fvOuAgWqHJbBWlCNHsRsj8licBMA9mBv2p-ny5l-KyXZzvDUdYklPrzrmId6JFinKHXnNVEq724uziWf46s/s320/my+rocks.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Mine, with a little help from Glenn</b></i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPGoKB5KlrMwlw599S0e_WQ2zfX6DRmS8JdfH4M3TB48MPcGwlldCaCEEUlBnNbc8GbwKunLNoWQcda70hevdrWdiiShTOVsddtNnSXN_dcPSOf54_Gx7iKl7SYnDhv6K-gKOBUPzSyCY/s1600/Suzie%2527s+rocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPGoKB5KlrMwlw599S0e_WQ2zfX6DRmS8JdfH4M3TB48MPcGwlldCaCEEUlBnNbc8GbwKunLNoWQcda70hevdrWdiiShTOVsddtNnSXN_dcPSOf54_Gx7iKl7SYnDhv6K-gKOBUPzSyCY/s320/Suzie%2527s+rocks.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Suzie's creation in memory of<br />Lance, her husband</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>9 May, Alexandria VA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The best laid plans and all that. Glenn and I left early for our drive to Alexandria; we wanted to arrive ahead of DC area rush hour, a nightmare he’s endured unhappily before. Unfortunately the car had other ideas. A problem arose that caused some loss of power and gasoline, but enter Siri. She found a Jeep dealer in Hagerstown MD. They checked it out, had the right part and fixed it, all in about 90 minutes. By then we were hungry … Back on the road, Glenn’s cousin Donald called. We are staying with him, except we aren’t. He is leaving for Alabama, very last minute business trip. May be back by weekend. We have keys, and he’s left some food and beverage. The HOV lane on the ring road north of DC helped but eventually we hit rush hour head on (not literally, of course), and inched our way to Donald’s. Now for some dinner and a glass of wine … or two.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>10 May</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">One big reason we’re in the DC area for this long weekend is that my friend Oren’s husband was buried today at Arlington National Cemetery — with full military honors. Bill died about a year ago, and it took this long to get on the cemetery’s schedule. Not hard to imagine when you see what all goes into full military honors. First, a short service in the Old Post Chapel at Fort Myer, which sits on one border of the cemetery. Honorary pall bearers brought in Bill’s urn and flag, and carried them out at the end. The urn was placed inside a fake casket on a horse drawn wagon, and the casket draped with the flag. Six horses with five riders pulled the caisson through the cemetery to the location. An Air Force band preceded them, and all of the mourners in cars slowly followed. The graveside ceremony was like my friend John’s burial a few years ago, including the 21-gun salute. Oren’s sister handed out roses and we all placed one on his grave before leaving. Afterwards we gathered for a reception.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">It’s hard to describe how breathtaking and moving this ceremony was. Something I’ll never forget. It brought tears to my eyes as I thought of Oren’s loss as well remembering my son Peter and friend John. And it made me proud to see that at least some of our traditions are being continued at a time so many are being destroyed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Each time someone spoke about Bill, they made much of him (and Oren) being a Trekkie and his childhood desire to be an astronaut. When he was graduated from the Air Force Academy and could join the astronaut program, corrected vision wasn’t allowed, so he could not join. But he’ll get some time in space, probably this summer, when a portion of his cremains will go up with a Space-X flight. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Late in the afternoon I took a Metro to Arlington and met Susan, whom I met at the same time as Oren; they hired me for the TechnoServe Uganda program. We nixed the first place we’d decided to meet because the owner has newly uncovered and multiple harassment charges against him. I learned he also owns a Mediterranean restaurant we went to and liked during last trip. Won’t be going there any more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">It’s been more than I year since Susan and I got together, so much territory had to be covered, from my relationship with Glenn to new development in hers with Tony. They are getting married next May. Like Glenn, Tony is Italian, and not long after they met, he accompanied Susan on a business trip to Rome (she was speaking at a conference of some sort). One day they drove to a small town about 90 minutes away and found some of Tony’s relatives. Despite few of them speaking any English and Susan and Tony knowing minimal Italian, an awesome connection was made. I have the name of the town; maybe Glenn and I can visit and send a postcard.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>11 May</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We had a lazy day, probably a good thing since we hit rush-hour traffic on the way to friend Inga’s in Bethesda. We made our dinner reservation on time, and had a lovely time with Inga and her daughter Francesca (I still think of her as Frankie). I remember when she was born, and now she’s already completed her second year of college. Yikes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>12 May</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today was Adah’s Bat Mitzvah at Sixth & I Synagogue, a non-traditional place for a non-traditional ceremony. Adah is the younger daughter of my Peace Corps roommate Stacy and her husband Michael, also a returned PCV. I was at her sister Abby’s Bat three years ago. Although Glenn had attended a Bar Mitzvah as a kid, he’d never been to a Bat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The ceremony was conducted by a female rabbi who had guided Adah’s year-long research into feminism and women’s rights. The ceremony was pure Adah. She addressed the three phases of feminism (suffrage movement, 1960s and current) in her presentation, “Notorious Women.” And it closed with everyone (or most of us anyway) singing “I Am Woman.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>14 May, Squirrel Hill</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Major thunderstorm struck as I approached the turnpike to return home from Glenn’s. I turned around and went back to his place to sit it out. After dinner at our favorite Mount Pleasant restaurant, Margaritta’s, I came home and he went to his meeting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We had an easy drive home yesterday after a lovely brunch with Aideen and Mickey to celebrate Aideen’s 50th birthday and Mother’s Day. Highly recommend The Dirty Habit restaurant/bar which is actually in the Monaco Hotel in the Penn Quarter area of DC.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Con call with Steve and Ryszard re the coming board meeting in Poland. Since I wanted to get started with packing, I decided not to stay at Glenn’s tonight. And I’m making major progress. So — back to packing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>15 May, Mount Pleasant</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Gorgeous sunny and hot day. Is it August already? Walked up to post office to return some mail that was in my “hold” pile but not mine and stopped at Giant Eagle for some yoghurt and milk. My refrigerator and freezer are nearly empty except for condiments and ice. I was sweating profusely when I got home. Now I’m packed except for the laptop and electronics. And Glenn’s packed with a “little help” from me. All of his clothing etc. fit into my big blue suitcase, which is smaller than his big suitcase. I am not gloating but I told him so!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i>Later, Squirrel Hill</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back home after dinner and visiting with Victor and Louise. We will Skype with them from Italy, and Victor wanted to be sure he knew how to handle that. I read and wrote a couple of dozen emails and checked us in for tomorrow’s flights while we all waited for Victor’s PC to update — PCs are sooooo slow. We made a few practice Skype calls, then returned. Glenn’s doing some last minute rabbit club things, I finalized my carryons and am recharging electronics. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">T<b>hat’s all folks until we get to Italy.</b></span></div>
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Hello All from Suzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671732878857293499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9006197434431279213.post-12043013882580286512018-04-02T21:17:00.000-05:002018-04-02T21:27:02.146-05:00<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "Chalkboard SE"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Pothole season has arrived</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>1-4 February, Lebanon PA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">My first venture to the PA State Rabbit Breeders Meeting. Glenn’s and my main task is to keep an eye on granddaughter Sara, 5, as Glenn’s daughter Michelle had a new volunteer job. She was the supervisor for the Youth Hall, an all day every day job. Sara participated in several activities and is going home with a pile of certificates attesting to how her hard work paid off. I video’d her “showmanship” presentation for Michelle; her presence was incredible and she got top grades. And one of her photographs also won an award.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Sara waits for her<br />showmanship<br />presentation.</b></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Sara's photos won ribbons too</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>5 February, Mount Pleasant</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Took a day here to do laundry — no schlepping up and down the stairs. I’ll return to the city later today with baskets of clean clothes. Yippee.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>9 February, Squirrel Hill</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn found an announcement that Phipps Conservatory was having a Valentine’s dinner today and made reservations for us. We got all dressed up and arrived early enough to see most of the new exhibitions in the , Christmas was gone although many of the beautiful Chihuly glass pieces remained. We saw some incredible Bonzai trees, many 50+ years old, as well as some gorgeous orchids. Then into the new Cuba exhibition area where dinner was served in a perfect setting. Only about 30 tables for two and four, beautifully set. When Glenn looked at the menu in advance of reserving, he noted the high number of vegetarian and vegan dishes, along with carvery beef. And he tried almost everything on the buffet … and discovered that quinoa and garlic mashed sweet potatoes are quite tasty. The only flaw in an otherwise perfect evening was the dessert table — all of the cannoli were gone by the time we were ready for sweets. Even without my favorite Italian dessert, it was the best Valentine’s Day ever.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIz_6_DOcA9WIGKS6UO1H_mYYrCehV1-zMAI6nr5HC0n0okLYR4FH5H1YXRv9fx8G0D-5S2dYVNtBUbU6huKVZ1n17-g8qyDKpdpZnHU5P49YHIYd_-eYcQU5Yoe4CDok9K_bc-UKP5w/s1600/Phipps+at+night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIz_6_DOcA9WIGKS6UO1H_mYYrCehV1-zMAI6nr5HC0n0okLYR4FH5H1YXRv9fx8G0D-5S2dYVNtBUbU6huKVZ1n17-g8qyDKpdpZnHU5P49YHIYd_-eYcQU5Yoe4CDok9K_bc-UKP5w/s320/Phipps+at+night.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Phipps Conservatory in the dark</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>11 February</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn dropped me off at the New Hazlett Theater on the North Shore for my volunteer training. I’m an usher who hasn’t had a gig yet. Today’s plan was that I’d call Glenn when I was done, and he’d return for me, visiting with Uncle Victor and Aunt Louise while I trained. Funnily I was done with training before he even got to Victor’s. It lasted about 20 minutes, only focusing on emergencies. Afterwards, I decided to explore the area and went in search of a coffee shop, found none. I did find a bus stop and a bus that was going downtown arrived a few minutes later. And as that bus arrived downtown, a bus to my neighborhood arrived and I was able to catch it. I called Glenn en route and arranged to meet him in West Homestead near Victor’s. On the way two men around my age and seated next to me were talking about the training I’d attended and other ushering they do. We conversed until they disembarked at the Carnegie Library in Oakland. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">While we were at Victor’s, the rains came … heavily. But Glenn and I headed to dinner anyway, at the Hofbrauhaus on the SouthSide. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSvl4zB1EoaJETCYygfFJ2neShcg86ORWbBj-aQvBbORsmw1BltjMXQiXbwy1trixgjMgrqYXTNWvKapZkD5YIqqcaQP0sj3LwxeAzj3Of1MQtjeK7NAmZSMMVOZ7d9K1I_MVUQeoje2w/s1600/Glenn+at+Hof.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSvl4zB1EoaJETCYygfFJ2neShcg86ORWbBj-aQvBbORsmw1BltjMXQiXbwy1trixgjMgrqYXTNWvKapZkD5YIqqcaQP0sj3LwxeAzj3Of1MQtjeK7NAmZSMMVOZ7d9K1I_MVUQeoje2w/s320/Glenn+at+Hof.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>My sweetie at Hofbrauhaus</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>13 February</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Yesterday we got two inches of wet snow. Today it’s sunshine and milder temps. The evening television news featured road work that will begin shortly … shades of Minneapolis. I noticed that pothole repairs were beginning on my street.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After a quick shopping trip, I decided to stop at Lynn’s Salon and Spa for a much-needed pedicure. Ny dry heels have been pumiced, and my toenails are red again. Day brightener!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>14 February, Valentine’s Day, Mount Pleasant</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I bought a second set of flannel sheets the other day. Much as I love my cuddly fleece sheets, they are actually too warm already. I decided a second set of flannel would make bed linen changing easier. i bundled the new sheets and a basket of dirty clothes and took them with me to Glenn’s. Makes doing laundry easier.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn had agreed to watch granddaughter Sara, 5, from after school until her dad got home from work. And since Sara and Emma, 3, play well together, we picked up the younger granddaughter and took her to Somerset where Glenn’s older daughter Michelle and her family live. I had lunch with our friend Suzie, also a Somerseter, while Glenn managed the girls at Michelle’s. Later he and I took them to dinner at the cafe of Sara’s choice. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">By the time we left Somerset with Emma, the sky was black and it was drizzling. To keep Emma awake, I initiated a game of “I spy with my little eye.” And Emma introduced her new catch phrase, “<i>No</i> you don’t.” (It had been a melodic “I got it.”) For the better part of an hour, whenever it was my turn, Emma would say, “No you don’t,” then ask Glenn to tell that I didn’t. But at least it kept her awake!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">By the time we got back to Mount Pleasant it was rain, rain, rain.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Emma gets a haircut</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>15 February, Squirrel Hill</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Saw in the paper today that comedian Marty Allen had died. Not only was he originally from Pittsburgh, but he grew up practically where I live now, across from the high school.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I turned the furnace temp down today because it’s been way too warm in the apartment. And it’s still pretty darned cold outside. I’ve decided that it is well insulated. Not only does it stay warm, but despite hardwood floors, my footfalls haven’t led to ceiling banging by my downstairs neighbor.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">In addition to my Senior Circuit class, I walked a couple miles on treadmill, then went to a neighborhood shoe store that’s having a big sale. I tried on several pairs of shoes but ended up buying a new pair of tall leather boots. My jeans easily fit inside (hurray), and the sales woman water proof sprayed them for me (double hurray).</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tonight Glenn and I are going to see <i>Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat</i> performed by the high school drama program at the Jewish Community Center. Glenn arrives shortly so it’s off to get ready.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Later</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Rain, rain, rain. It was pouring when we left for the JCC and when we exited a few hours later. But in between, we enjoyed a spectacular production of <i>Joseph</i> from our reserved seats in the center of the front row! The costumes were incredibly well done, vibrant colors, very professional looking. The songs, the choreography, the amazing energy — definitely worth the standing ovation they company received. The kids are high schoolers from all over the city who worked on the production of a month, making the professionalism all the more surprising. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Saw cast at Eat N Park where we went for coffee; gave them kudos.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">They were still hyped.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>17 February, Mount Pleasant, 10th anniversary of Kosovo’s independence</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I was living and working in Pristina when Kosovo celebrated the first anniversary of its independence. Pretty peaceful celebration as I recall. I was also in South Sudan when that country celebrated its first anniversary of independence. Unfortunately things are not going well there at all; civil war, continued corruption, massive emigration to Uganda and Kenya, severe food shortages. I fear for the folks who worked for our project.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Closer to home, it’s snowing here — 3 inches by morning is forecast. Then temps will be in the 70s. Go figure. We’re indoors, staying warm and dry, and I”m making muffins.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Snowfall is interfering with Glenn’s satellite TV reception. We’re watching old movies on the DVR as streaming won’t work.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRU1Qet2AAMph-f7fnaIwxiY4NeEDLpFR4rvAA2ppZBmGCPKzVuhm0q9gCWw3vkKN4HhtXiB9JSz64MIlwZiQUUbiDDE7kr0u00nSCIx2SOaindJIXQWVNyw-DFgyJStlTEoQGPhs0w5w/s1600/snow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRU1Qet2AAMph-f7fnaIwxiY4NeEDLpFR4rvAA2ppZBmGCPKzVuhm0q9gCWw3vkKN4HhtXiB9JSz64MIlwZiQUUbiDDE7kr0u00nSCIx2SOaindJIXQWVNyw-DFgyJStlTEoQGPhs0w5w/s320/snow.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>View from Glenn's living room</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>18 February, Squirrel Hill</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Returned to the city after a mall walk. Snow is melting — hurray. Time to catch up with far off friends via Skype — Jean in Eugene, Oregon, and Violane in Vienna, Austria.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>20 February</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Sunshine!!! And warm enough to sit on my deck and read for an hour. Heaven. Plus Glenn’s arriving shortly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>22 February, Alexandria VA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We left midday to drive to the DC area to see my niece Dyana and assorted DC friends. We’re staying here with Glenn’s cousin Donald. Tonight we three had dinner with friends Inga and Craig at an Asian restaurant in Bethesda. Dyana arrives late Saturday night and is staying at a hotel near Pentagon City.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">US Olympic Women’s Hockey team took gold by finally beating Canada. Yeah, women. And quite a few MN players in the mix. OT and shoot out</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Just learned that Anna Mae died. She was my ex’s aunt, the youngest of my mother in law’s sisters and a lovely lady. Last time I saw her, she was planning a train trip to her daughter’s in Montana, something she’d done before. She told me how much she enjoyed talking to the young men who were working in the western ND oil fields, hearing their stories. Oh, and she was still in her own house where she said climbing a few stairs helped keep her fit. The remaining sister Caroline will be 100 in March. She and I had some good times together.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>23 February</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Another rainy day. Glenn and I went to National Harbor, a good place to walk, lots of spots to stop for coffee. The National Rifle Association convention was just finishing its annual convention at the hotel-convention center complex No comment. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV8to22MFzpT_BS0DvDkS0mhVMMUrQEso1Ev91-AgWmX9e7V_pA4uzF3CbS4MLfKatg03DwF00ZvOht8Vv4nIM-YTUwGfKkCAvA7wrpPg4M7o7NExSaP28Eyh-r5TnP1P9vs8AT9o145A/s1600/Natl+Harbor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV8to22MFzpT_BS0DvDkS0mhVMMUrQEso1Ev91-AgWmX9e7V_pA4uzF3CbS4MLfKatg03DwF00ZvOht8Vv4nIM-YTUwGfKkCAvA7wrpPg4M7o7NExSaP28Eyh-r5TnP1P9vs8AT9o145A/s320/Natl+Harbor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Beach sculpture, tour boat and ferris wheel<br />at National Harbor</b></i></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Tonight we had dinner with Donald at a local cafe.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">We had tried for Rosa Mexicano in National Harbor but it had a long waiting list.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Arranged to meet Dyana for brunch tomorrow.</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>24 February</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Dreary day. We picked up Dyana for brunch at very interesting restaurant in Shirlington. Dyana’s a vegetarian. The menu at Poets and Busboys had an especially nice spread of vegetarian and vegan options that actually sounded tasty. But they also had bacon which satisfied Glenn’s meat need. No reservations and although large, the place was packed. Glenn was looking for parking while Dyana and I went to the cafe. One ramp’s retail parking spots were all taken, so Glenn drove to the other. We stopped him as he came by to say we had another 30 minutes to wait. Dyana looks and sounds great, making decisions about her future.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>25 February</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Yet another dreary day so we were lazy. After coffee at Donald’s house, we drove over to a nearby shopping center for an outdoor walk. We stopped at a few shops along the way, but sidewalks all around the place made for an easy walk. Then lunch at a nearby restaurant. Tonight we’re having dinner with Dyana and Donald if he’s available. Then on Tuesday, back to Pennsylvania.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>28 February, shortest month is over</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back to Squirrel Hill and whatever March offers — more snow? more rain? spring? Well, not the last. Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow earlier in the month.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>March roars in like a lion </b></span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b>…</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>1 March 2018, Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, PA USA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">What a way to start the month. A therapeutic massage. I’m so glad I started these. They are really helping my achy joints.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>3 March</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">My turn to host pinocle. Gary, Johanna, Glenn and I play about once a month now. I’m learning pretty quickly. And once again the women won. It was a reverse of the 2016 election. Although the guys had more points, we won the last hand, so they couldn’t win the game. A new wrinkle to the game that I just learned.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Since my small apartment meant we had to play on the dining room table, I opted for pizza at Mineo’s on Murrray for dinner. We walked to and fro in cool, dry evening. and I stumbled on a bad piece of sidewalk, poor lighting and talking contributed. I landed flat on my stomach with only a sore right hand and two very small knee scrapes. Could’ve been worse.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>7 March, Mount Pleasant PA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Spent early days of week getting ready for Minnesota trip and came to Glenn’s tonight. He’ll take me to airport tomorrow morning. Although it’s farther to the airport from here, it’s actually easier because my noonish flight would mean rush hour traffic if we left from Squirrel Hill. From here, it’s interstate all the way and we bypass the downtown and Fort Pitt tunnel traffic back ups. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>8 March, Minneapolis MN</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Here i am in Minneapolis. Uneventful trip. Nice to have been upgraded to first but I closed my eyes as we took off and half dozed the whole way. i was up before dawn. After picking up a rental car, I drove straight to Northfield to see my friend Lois, 92. She looks and sounds good. She had acupuncture today for the first time, to try to alleviate some of her knee pain. Then on to Janet and Ed’s where i’ll stay until Saturday afternoon. Ed had a delicious dinner in the works when I arrived, and Thom has made macaroons for dessert.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Snow is everywhere:<br />Janet & Ed's back deck</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>9 March</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I was up early for 7:15 am water ex with Andrew and a few the Y’s Swimmin’ Women. Always been one of my favorite classes — kind of a yoga-Pilates session in shallow water. The lunch with friends Jan and Sue from my St. Paul days. Sue recently returned from a long trip and cruise to Australia and surrounds. She is slowly healing from the loss of Nancy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Late dinner at Monte Carlo with Judy from grad school. She requested a quiet table, and since the Monte Carlo has several dining areas, that was possible … until they seated a long table full of exuberant women in the same small room. The women were quite loud but seemed to be having a ball, so no complaint from us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>10 March</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today was the memorial for Ted, my friend and former consultant. I sat with Patrick, a St. Paul Companies friend. Ted’s health had deteriorated over the last three years but his demise was still a shock. I had talked to his wife Mary just a few weeks ago since I hadn’t heard anything from Ted in a long, long time. We’d agreed that the three of us would meet when I came to MN.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Ted was the poster boy for the voracious reader, lifelong learner, curiosity personified. The three friends and his daughter Christine gave testimony to that in their eulogies — and I got to put faces to the names I saw Ted’s “clipping service” emails on which he’d bcc me (and I’ll bet others).</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">This was the first time I’d met Christine, although I’d heard much about her. She went to my alma mater Northwestern. Today she was wearing an amber pendant that i’d picked out for her years ago, and she remembered me for that. When Ted came to Warsaw to train my trainers, I took him to Kraków where we picked out amber jewelry for the women in his life (Mary, Christine, his mom and Mary’s mom). Mary liked the jewelry so well that she asked me to buy amber jewelry for them a few more times. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tonight I’m having dinner at new restaurant with sister.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>11 March</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Busy day — early breakfast with friend Susan followed by coffee with friend and condo neighbor Maryanne. Great to catch up with both. I miss them a lot. Tonight it’s dinner with family — niece Michelle’s in town and Jodi, Gary and daughters will also join us.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidr5wnZpAnskazn3FKyvyGKTfEk72L0H2I3lkZY18OkQEbhN_JwCSzp33VkZdnHxtRopjv6uVaSUnnKoQtV9NfoCRcAfMJY3jZpJNMRicQcQ3g1fpvXbtqbqzLxzWKVOaE27LWIGdkiBA/s1600/new+bldg+at+Westm..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidr5wnZpAnskazn3FKyvyGKTfEk72L0H2I3lkZY18OkQEbhN_JwCSzp33VkZdnHxtRopjv6uVaSUnnKoQtV9NfoCRcAfMJY3jZpJNMRicQcQ3g1fpvXbtqbqzLxzWKVOaE27LWIGdkiBA/s320/new+bldg+at+Westm..jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Walked by Westminster Church's<br />spectacular new building</i></b></td></tr>
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Our newest granddaughter Callie Sue was baptized today. Unfortunately the date was set after I bought my Minnesota ticket so I couldn't attend. But her big sister Emma and cousin Sara were among the family members who were there.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBgDx76xZi_1O7TKdfOSTUukAOpVtVbHOw9tXAmdEhVTEnFxjhOpqLaQE3OI9QKtlzD-M772jFa1RsLyxwzv1GlrTVlvoAGNulC621bhET6i2zyLFtfEsHzAhz1-JrzJ7W0DVQ1wDBQAw/s1600/Callie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBgDx76xZi_1O7TKdfOSTUukAOpVtVbHOw9tXAmdEhVTEnFxjhOpqLaQE3OI9QKtlzD-M772jFa1RsLyxwzv1GlrTVlvoAGNulC621bhET6i2zyLFtfEsHzAhz1-JrzJ7W0DVQ1wDBQAw/s320/Callie.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Callie Sue</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqWNjyKIGOvoTs21PZrnTT5WhspDYRvSjwIBd_j0mZajR55NssrFUQYhTq9NegqzVjX9i-7q3OWHYIZ6nVjw3afcKx2bZSNYP0XuTfbDCkN_4RuPaMH3hkmyujE12d18O1mBP0rzU2bI/s1600/Sara+%2526+Emma+at+baptism.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="646" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqWNjyKIGOvoTs21PZrnTT5WhspDYRvSjwIBd_j0mZajR55NssrFUQYhTq9NegqzVjX9i-7q3OWHYIZ6nVjw3afcKx2bZSNYP0XuTfbDCkN_4RuPaMH3hkmyujE12d18O1mBP0rzU2bI/s320/Sara+%2526+Emma+at+baptism.jpg" width="261" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Sara, 5, and Emma, 3</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>12 March</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The move to PA has caused me to look at my will and “estate,” such as it is. Inheritance laws are very different in MN and PA, so I had to do some planning. I met this morning with the lawyer who’s drafting the documents for me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Then off to a late lunch with Marilou at Blvd in St. Louis Park. Marilou loves her new job. Phew. She and our friend Randy leave for Vietnam in a couple of weeks; Randy’s going on to China. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>13 March</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Do you get the feeling the food figures largely in my visits? Today it was lunch with friend Marilyn. When I used to return to MN from overseas, Marilyn dubbed them McVisits — a good descriptor. Tonight I’m having dinner with my sister; I’ve been staying with her since Saturday. She’ll go with me to return the rental car to the airport, then deliver me to Janet and Ed’s. Janet will take me to the airport tomorrow morning. Oh, I forgot laptop at Barbara’s. It’s probably getting a complex because I keep forgetting it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>14 March, Mount Pleasant</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Home again. Glenn picked me up at the airport, and we went straight to Somerset to stay with granddaughter Sara until her dad gets home from work. Glenn’s daughter Michelle is in Indiana on business. We had a a bit of play time, Sara did her homework, then we took her to dinner (broccoli cheese soup for her, salads for us). She went to bed without incident. It snowed steadily in Somerset from early evening, but Glenn’s careful driver and the turnpike is well maintained … and by the time we got to Mount Pleasant, no snow!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>18 March</b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhde6ScLwdH6n9SQbUgzMXI2fEo96oV-gBBc0OMuxB8EcD-EVK7aUZ2I8MWzWR5jlzd9pyu8F2ZDDS2hyK0iIwQHXUXATBGRFwanKm85ZwlM523foOkBLmfslUkLdxKpp_OYW50LP384LI/s1600/Linn+run.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhde6ScLwdH6n9SQbUgzMXI2fEo96oV-gBBc0OMuxB8EcD-EVK7aUZ2I8MWzWR5jlzd9pyu8F2ZDDS2hyK0iIwQHXUXATBGRFwanKm85ZwlM523foOkBLmfslUkLdxKpp_OYW50LP384LI/s320/Linn+run.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Daddy's yahrzeit meant a trip to<br />my spiritual home, Linn Run State Park.</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>20 March, Squirrel Hill</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">First day of spring … ugly skies and snow flurries. Rain sprinkles first then, it looked like a salt shaker was upended. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>21 March</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">5+ inches of snow. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJrmw7V-jT3os9nLLYoSQK-RmgmtDroBRLiYWicpVB2ttQzgN-h5LTdp5MEowGGDOOsmsFmgcLfFiMGyxZpwTeABTw6YHBcBF9qkBYXGDK5v3VpY2Z5xodC-jL0ZviaTN58WRMGFKT60/s1600/3-21+snow+in+SH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1390" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJrmw7V-jT3os9nLLYoSQK-RmgmtDroBRLiYWicpVB2ttQzgN-h5LTdp5MEowGGDOOsmsFmgcLfFiMGyxZpwTeABTw6YHBcBF9qkBYXGDK5v3VpY2Z5xodC-jL0ZviaTN58WRMGFKT60/s320/3-21+snow+in+SH.jpg" width="278" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>View from my living room window</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The television news showed some kids at Point Park. They’re from Jamaica and were seeing snow for first time. They had such fun making snow angels, throwing snow balls. Nice to see people happy with the snowfall.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn drove in this afternoon as tomorrow we have lunch with Uncle Victor and Aunt Louise. They want us to meet friends of theirs. Also Glenn wants to go to courthouse to look for a marriage license of one of his uncles; in doing ancestry work, he discovered this uncle had been married twice, not once.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>24 March, March for Our Lives in Pittsburgh and around the world</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Because I’d committed to ushering at the New Hazlett Theater today, I couldn’t attend the march although several of my water ex friends were going. I’m really impressed with what the Parkland High School kids have initiated, shades of the anti-war movement of the ‘60s. Maybe they too can get something done.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">At the theater, a dance company was performing three short ballets for kids. Then all of the children in the audience were invited to learn a few dance moves</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFife0kDwPwkxk8CnNsgu8tEp3-Bnj2jR2apFNOEGvPsjnuB83wI7uU71ahVQc8f6LkbEwzDr99gUBp6OX9rsn4nFy1CWxYMY7ALX6_AyL8QGv0T36fHp2lemU2R6GJElwBuWm2AboU4/s1600/ballet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFife0kDwPwkxk8CnNsgu8tEp3-Bnj2jR2apFNOEGvPsjnuB83wI7uU71ahVQc8f6LkbEwzDr99gUBp6OX9rsn4nFy1CWxYMY7ALX6_AyL8QGv0T36fHp2lemU2R6GJElwBuWm2AboU4/s320/ballet.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Interactive theater</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>25 March</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Penguins hockey game with Glenn and our friend Suzie. The game was a nail biter, but the Pens won in overtime. We had dinner at Margaritta’s in Mount Pleasant.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Suzi & Suzie at the Pens' game</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>26 March</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn and I walked at Westmoreland Mall this morning, then made a trip to DeLallos Italian Market for vittles for the holidays. We checked out separately and had identical totals, $25.56. Time to play the lottery! I took a bus back to the city, first try at this — clean, comfy Greyhound-type bus, free to seniors like me, and I got off near Carnegie Mellon and caught the bus to my place. Easy peasy. Will definitely use again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>27 March, Squirrel Hill</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Rain, rain, rain. I’m getting tired of this. Trudged up to the JCC for exercise, then took a bus downtown to Allegheny County Courthouse. Glenn’s uncle’ divorce decree had arrived from the archives. On the way back I stopped for lunch at a newish Thai cafe on Forbes. Worth another trip. Then had a mani-pedi at the salon on my street. Tonight is laundry night — </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>28 March</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Bob, an old friend and former consultant to my aid projects, e-troduced me to Rouzbeh, a friend from his work in Afghanistan. Rouzbeh and I had been trying to get together and finally settled on coffee today. He, his wife and three children joined me at Panera in the WaterFront. They have settled in Brentwood, a lovely suburb across the river and over the hills from where I live. I really enjoyed meeting them, and we’ll plan some activities when the weather is nicer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>31 March, Mount Pleasant</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Skies cleared yesterday for a while but it got cold. I know, it’s March. But I am so ready for winter to be over. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We had Easter dinner with Glenn’s daughters and granddaughters today. Glenn smoked a pork butt and made a “gob cake” (local specialty). Nicer weather, sunny but still too chilly to have an outdoor Easter Egg hunt for the granddaughters. I made mac and cheese and a salad. We got six extra large plastic eggs and filled three each with non-candy treats for Sara, 5, and Emma, 3. Glenn hid them around the living room. A kids’ clothing store at Westmoreland Mall was closing and prices were ridiculously low (“nothing more than $2.49), so we went wild getting the girls summer clothes. I rolled each piece in tissue paper, secured one end with ribbon and set them in a big basket that their moms can use later. Should’ve taken a picture when I was done … and while Sara and Emma tore into the baskets. When everyone left, Glenn and I flaked out on the couch for a while, then started clean up. Great ending to a passable month.</span></div>
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Hello All from Suzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671732878857293499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9006197434431279213.post-84412482786580016562018-02-11T18:16:00.000-06:002018-02-11T18:16:14.132-06:00<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: SignPainter; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">-20 Wind Chill: Am I back in Minnesota?</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Start Rynek in Sandomierz, ready for Christmas</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>1 December 2017, Sandomierz, Poland</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">As the month of November ended, off we went to Poland for the semi-annual board meeting. I’m so glad Glenn decided to come along again. After the meeting, we’ll spend three nights in Amsterdam, sightseeing and visiting with friends Ana and Art.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Our flights to DTW, AMS and WAW on 28-29 November went smoothly. Long layover in DTW gave us more than enough time to eat and walk and check emails. AMS was a shorter layover but moved efficiently. In Warsaw, we waited for Steve, the other US-based board member, then Piotr, our driver from the Center, took us all first to Piaseczno. We all found Boleslawiec pottery pieces to buy (no surprise there!), then on to Hala’s farm near Sandomierz. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We three stayed in Hala’s bed-and-breakfast house. She had dinner ready for us, and Michal had a variety of his delicious homemade fruit liqueurs for us to sample, which we did. Thankfully all we needed to do was walk next door and navigate upstairs. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Yesterday afternoon we moved to Hotel Basztowy, and I had my semi-annual mani-pedi at Nefertiti salon. Dinner was at the hotel with arriving board members. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today the board visited the food incubator that the Center helped establish in Dwikozy. Exciting to see it up and running although it’s capacity is quite small. We sampled some of its wares. Formal board meeting tomorrow — our first with the new director, Anna.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Marta & Tosia at dinner</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>3 December, Amsterdam, Holland</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Per usual, we spent last night at the Marriott Courtyard right across the street from Chopin Airport because I had booked us on the 6 am flight to AMS. Friend Ana picked us up and we got a view of the newly opened parking ramp at Schiphol — lots of space for cars and bicycles. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Ana had arranged for us to use a friend’s flat since Art’s daughter is temporarily bunking in their spare room. It’s closer to the city, very near a canal and main street in a lovely residential area. She took us there and helped schlepp our suitcases up to the first floor (second in the US). We had put some of our unnecessary bags into a big locker at the airport, and when we saw the stairs to our new digs, we were VERY grateful. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After we had time to refresh, Ana and her husband Art picked us up for an afternoon at the Rijksmuseum and dinner at their place. We only had time for one floor where most of the Old Masters are displayed. One of the greatest new features since the renovation of the museum is the information sheets on the most famous pieces. Each sheet identifies details in the painting related to the technique, history etc., and they’re available in four or five languages. They are all published in a book which we bought for Glenn’s uncle and aunt.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Looking down, staircase to our flat <br />in AMS</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>6 December</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">On Monday we walked over to the main street near the flat and had a light breakfast at Bagels & Beans, a local chain of coffee shops; I had stopped at one last December when I made a wrong turn and needed wi-fi. Good coffee and bagels. We decided to walk toward the town center and take a canal boat ride. We stopped at a pharmacy to get some lozenges for Glenn’s sore throat, and on the way home stopped at the same spot for some cough syrup. He’s feeling much better. The canal tour in a covered canal boat was just the thing; got to see quite a bit of the city and get some additional history. Tuesday, after breakfast again at Bagels & Beans, we enjoyed an afternoon “windmill tour.” The quite-lovely bus took us to a town with working windmills, and we saw flaxseed oil being made under windmill power. We also visited a bakery that made those delicious caramel filled Dutch waffle cookies, a cheese maker and a wooden shoe maker. At one point we went by boat over a fresh water lake that was created to manage flooding; a dike was built and over time rainwater replaced sea water. Amazing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Excellent meals at very different eateries each day: Monday at a pub-style place where I’d eaten with Ana and Art before and Tuesday at a very tony prix fixe spot (I had the fish as my main, Glenn had the quail). </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today we again had breakfast at Bagels & Beans, and the waiter said, “Your usual?” We’d ordered the same things both previous visits. We agreed but told him we’re returning home today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Soon we’ll settle into our exit row seats on the flight back to Detroit, then onto Pittsburgh. I try to book early enough to get those seats on the transAtlantic legs without having to pay extra. We retrieved our stored baggage after a short detour due to using the wrong elevator. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>8 December, Arlington VA USA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Quick turnaround in Pittsburgh as I’m taking care of Mickey for a week while Aideen goes to a ‘stan on business. Glenn took me to the airport and will drive to DC when it’s time for me to return.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Mickey’s really taken to spoken Latin and vocal music, and we have a few dates on the calendar for those. First one was tonight, his school chorus’ holiday event. Tomorrow he’s carpooling to a spoken Latin competition in DC.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>9 December</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Well, Mickey’s team won an award at the Latin competition. Unfortunately the company that made the plaques used the wrong medallion. The Latin groups’ plaques have a Kung Fu symbol on them.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2mrPHhrYHlgV1k2r8Eh7L-ghRCQrtSOKAieHxk88MOclVkwKLT5GOiUbgA00EZ1QfyiwX0DKH6BTqZ7lI28ENw81aPlNXElOnhKgJ7arN-axUiicxXP1Dq-_kEN1FFsvRHUeKzDo1a7g/s1600/mickey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1551" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2mrPHhrYHlgV1k2r8Eh7L-ghRCQrtSOKAieHxk88MOclVkwKLT5GOiUbgA00EZ1QfyiwX0DKH6BTqZ7lI28ENw81aPlNXElOnhKgJ7arN-axUiicxXP1Dq-_kEN1FFsvRHUeKzDo1a7g/s320/mickey.jpg" width="310" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Mickey & his Latin Club's plaque; he made<br />the gingerbread house at Inga's</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>10 December</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Lunch with BAH friend Maury at a Korean quick food spot in McLean. Always fun catching up with her. Con all with my new lawyer, Karen, about setting up a Revocable Trust in lieu of the will that I know have. And pick up and feed Mickey so he’s ready for his carpool to fencing lessons. He does have some eclectic tastes!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>11 December, Hanukkah starts tonight</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Lunch with Peace Corps friend Larry. Yes, I do a lot of lunches when I’m here. Since Mickey’s in school all way, it’s a good way to catch up with DC-area friends. Tomorrow it’s lunch with Alfreda who has retired and moved to Penn Square. And Thursday Peggy and I will dine at our usual place, Lauriol. I met Alfreda while we were both working in Macedonia, and Peggy was a freelance reporter in Poland when I lived there. I love that we can keep in contact via email and Facebook in between lunch visits.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>16 December</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Thursday Mickey and I drove over to Bethesda to see Inga and Craig. The girls were home: Frankie from university, and Tosia who’s in high school now. Tomek and his son were there too. Creative Inga bought gingerbread house kits which she and the kids put together. Then some of us went to dinner. Fun evening.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Friday afternoon Glenn arrived and stopped by on his way to his cousin’s where he’ll stay. He called later to say it took almost two hours to get from Arlington to Alexandria and less than four from Pittsburgh to Arlington.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today I roused Mickey very early, and we took a Lyft to Arlington Cemetery to help put wreaths on the graves. Tens of thousands turned out to help, and we had to exit the car on the bridge just before the cemetery road. Finding Glenn and his cousin was like searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack, but after many cell phone calls, we finally connected. We four walked into the cemetery, located a truck with wreaths (everyone received one), then found graves on which to leave them. We also stopped to see my friend John.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZyTMyL-sX9Yx6-On01rJ8cN8sJBJSzgguJ2HK6RqWiVCCG1tSVmzZWKDUqB0uVm4akBlOb8tzHyNuckrckwbPQJ98hih21GzqcesMTJi3gvwNfVQZwtG14NYa3cDBnBovRTEOTk6E38/s1600/wreaths.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZyTMyL-sX9Yx6-On01rJ8cN8sJBJSzgguJ2HK6RqWiVCCG1tSVmzZWKDUqB0uVm4akBlOb8tzHyNuckrckwbPQJ98hih21GzqcesMTJi3gvwNfVQZwtG14NYa3cDBnBovRTEOTk6E38/s320/wreaths.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Friend John's wreath at Arlington</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>17 December, Mount Pleasant PA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn and I took Aideen, Mickey and Glenn’s cousin Donald to lunch before taking off for Mount Pleasant. It was a relatively easy drive homeward — sunshine and clean roads.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>20 December, Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh PA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Drove back to the township today to put flowers on Mom and Dad’s grave (Daddy was cremated so they share one place). Then joined Glenn and his younger granddaughter Emma at the home of childhood neighbors of Glenn’s family, Skip and Joy. Emma was a bit clingy at first. Joy brought some treats, and i sat at the dining room table with Emma while she enjoyed a cookie and sipped milk from a glass (not a sippy cup). Then she discovered the ‘saloon” door between the kitchen and a hallway. For the rest of our visit, she walked in a circle so she could swing through those doors.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>22 December, Mom’s yahrzeit and Jan F’s birthday</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>23 December, Mount Pleasant</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The holiday eating has started. Today we stopped for tea at high school friend Suzie’s in Somerset, then over to Glenn’s older daughter’s to drop off unnecessary rabbit food … a ruse to get her husband Seth’s surprise Christmas gift there. The huge tool box stand has been at Glenn’s; too big to hide easily. Unfortunately Seth came down with the flu and wasn’t at work, complicating the best laid plans for getting it into the house, wrapped and under the tree. I talked with Seth while Glenn and Michelle moved the gift and rabbit food into the garage. Glenn tripped over and fell into a garbage can full of rabbit food.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tomorrow night Glenn and I will host his traditional dinner for Michelle and her family. Jen who is nine months pregnant doesn’t feel up to a lot of traipsing around, so we will have Christmas morning breakfast at her house. Christmas dinner is at Michelle’s and I hear she’s making three different kinds of meat. And just before going to Deep Creek, we’re having dinner with friends Gary and Johanna whom I met in Poland and Glenn met through the Extension Service. Not sure any of my jeans will fit come the new year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Christmas Eve & Day</b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwbHcRZPYp4o3OAIHWHAlrXzBZf-1Ll1KrYmadIaJaNOyhkhW92tbqji0p6tDpJcwt-vo6-MRlCYYgD33z_US9GTnyD3d-oVIjYnroPAHRL-rSYmZx1rfZaDRF8w6Dt1hJygfghskUOS8/s1600/clogs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwbHcRZPYp4o3OAIHWHAlrXzBZf-1Ll1KrYmadIaJaNOyhkhW92tbqji0p6tDpJcwt-vo6-MRlCYYgD33z_US9GTnyD3d-oVIjYnroPAHRL-rSYmZx1rfZaDRF8w6Dt1hJygfghskUOS8/s320/clogs.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Sara & Emma try out their<br />new clog slippers from Holland</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Sd6bW2Dploa1uzG_lJo43oESlTlMQjOJ8jk7irCPZXT2CKtYe7mn8H5j6r4bGKk26kDkZ-tymhh0BxvQfocViqaw8u3v0TjEdNcL1pV58NahirvYmyojMw1D3RNw47Oxqt-Yhn4J_4Q/s1600/gfts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Sd6bW2Dploa1uzG_lJo43oESlTlMQjOJ8jk7irCPZXT2CKtYe7mn8H5j6r4bGKk26kDkZ-tymhh0BxvQfocViqaw8u3v0TjEdNcL1pV58NahirvYmyojMw1D3RNw47Oxqt-Yhn4J_4Q/s320/gfts.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Can't see the kids for the gift wrap!</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbxO06Ip4WEfRivlTdNNR-3aztxuXgnxRbqmzoeXYNqdH8aDaZ5DJdGs56rgugKwSyltQF1hjKRf-13ncIDXdxl58_owYwtbOpWVJb6onZpoYVyqQH8wAqjPRI5tWGCWRGBOCSkymv_c8/s1600/sara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbxO06Ip4WEfRivlTdNNR-3aztxuXgnxRbqmzoeXYNqdH8aDaZ5DJdGs56rgugKwSyltQF1hjKRf-13ncIDXdxl58_owYwtbOpWVJb6onZpoYVyqQH8wAqjPRI5tWGCWRGBOCSkymv_c8/s320/sara.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Sara, ready to open gifts</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>29 December, Deep Creek MD</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Like last year, we’re joining my Polish friends from DC-area for New Year’s here. Besides the three couples (Inga and Craig, Benia and Paweł, Monika and Sylwek), Craig’s son and Monika and Sylwek’s daughters are with us. Benia’s twins will arrive later.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Much bigger house than last year — four bedrooms en suite plus an extra and some rollaway beds. A huge main floor common space for meals and gatherings. Downstairs there’s a pool table and beanbag toss game. The jigsaw puzzle is out and getting a lot of groans. Took two hours just to put together the outer edge. And of course enough food to feed an army and plenty of libations too. A good time will be had by all.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhb3r06Fv-As3KSJznL-TCzz7R4gZGZZZfNKoW4sAwtR4B9-2yiYLAxYTn71231vYy7-zYKCtIbDSJpcFxW37up7etIzd9L9IWOhaflSoh1ptavtx2RdOJag8OTjW9zr1-Hviz9C4OTCY/s1600/deep+creek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhb3r06Fv-As3KSJznL-TCzz7R4gZGZZZfNKoW4sAwtR4B9-2yiYLAxYTn71231vYy7-zYKCtIbDSJpcFxW37up7etIzd9L9IWOhaflSoh1ptavtx2RdOJag8OTjW9zr1-Hviz9C4OTCY/s320/deep+creek.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Glenn, Inga, Craig & Benia taking a break</b></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsmH95LFrQpuucF2plaqRFKHlc1fZXEe726UsIUc8F9ZZpaCP2Dti7FQyiePhKoL_CBOrRtVRil3I5nuZH754ZVnzwfBWwXQTKVVeK-brWi1bKcifUFa2K4rLAFimsE4hl_vwv7zpj_Rw/s1600/snowbirds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsmH95LFrQpuucF2plaqRFKHlc1fZXEe726UsIUc8F9ZZpaCP2Dti7FQyiePhKoL_CBOrRtVRil3I5nuZH754ZVnzwfBWwXQTKVVeK-brWi1bKcifUFa2K4rLAFimsE4hl_vwv7zpj_Rw/s320/snowbirds.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Snowbirds in Deep Creek</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>31 December, New Year’s Eve</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The jigsaw puzzle is done! And we’re all dressed and ready to celebrate the new year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>1 January 2018, Happy New Year</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Last year brought lots of changes, like a whole new life with Glenn “living together apart.” I wonder what this one will bring (besides a baby sister for Emma)? Whatever it is, it’s full of possibilities and I’m ready to explore them — and I think Glenn is too!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>3 January, Pittsburgh</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Phipps Conservatory in Oakland has a marvelous holiday flower show that I haven’t seen since high school. Glenn’s Uncle Victor and Aunt Louise invited us to join them today, and we spent a couple of hours wandering through the beautiful exhibits.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxiIQ7doyeCb_GrmxvSAdM6626XrxTVTsPVSkpsB9SCdeHBub9c-LRv-b7pXhCAhfCm6EFaa74r8tttz5X_b1Jb-1laCgBcUUS3voQhN5drmFclZWJ_mJn0m6T7fn_CHA9Hp8IjPEslE/s1600/Glenn+%2526+Victor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxiIQ7doyeCb_GrmxvSAdM6626XrxTVTsPVSkpsB9SCdeHBub9c-LRv-b7pXhCAhfCm6EFaa74r8tttz5X_b1Jb-1laCgBcUUS3voQhN5drmFclZWJ_mJn0m6T7fn_CHA9Hp8IjPEslE/s320/Glenn+%2526+Victor.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Glenn & Victor at Phipps</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWQWrncudr3-BmiuOZJi1QM_XKRjLy_TllTs5PNFGoL-PfDM3y9M4JwCQnOVjlKeqi6fo6jGHh7TkyVtV8eUYrgcWMMQvbmK7VqH5GDja_I-sesnv5bk22WCST7q7XJqXzPSLnAEF_xA/s1600/Phipps+dinner+table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWQWrncudr3-BmiuOZJi1QM_XKRjLy_TllTs5PNFGoL-PfDM3y9M4JwCQnOVjlKeqi6fo6jGHh7TkyVtV8eUYrgcWMMQvbmK7VqH5GDja_I-sesnv5bk22WCST7q7XJqXzPSLnAEF_xA/s320/Phipps+dinner+table.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of many Phipps displays</td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>5 January, Has hell frozen over?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">In all the years I previously lived in PA full time (17+) and part time (college) and visited (the rest of the time until last August), I could count on ONE HAND the number of cars that have crossed the double white line in a Pennsylvania highway tunnel. We understood how dangerous even a fender-benders accident in a two-lane, no berm tunnel of any length can be. Since moving here, I’ve seen a couple more … and today we saw two cars pass in two tunnels within a few minutes of each other. I do believe hell may have frozen over.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Actually, although hell probably hasn’t frozen, PA sure is getting colder. Good thing I lived in MN for so long; I have a coat for every temperature. My long down-filled coat and tall boots are getting quite a work out already. Can’t believe the temps and wind chills numbers we’re seeing. Ouch.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>6 January, Harrisburg PA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn and I drove here yesterday to bring his apple pie to the state competition at the annual Pennsylvania State Farm Show. That’s Pennsylvania’s equivalent to a state fair, but it’s in January and needless to say, indoors (albeit not exactly a warm indoors).<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFL884Z1UO0YuxxhhHMwPHgOsqEpVp_wBJlCdviIT3xL0TSVExNXrcPu71mW5Mta5G9YMOGePxov29dCI8LiUuEzvPZo1thvbYB0IIndScZSNsb1Wdj610PQ5YHQ1CN76dW2v_TM68Hg/s1600/butter+sculpture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFL884Z1UO0YuxxhhHMwPHgOsqEpVp_wBJlCdviIT3xL0TSVExNXrcPu71mW5Mta5G9YMOGePxov29dCI8LiUuEzvPZo1thvbYB0IIndScZSNsb1Wdj610PQ5YHQ1CN76dW2v_TM68Hg/s320/butter+sculpture.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>No state fair anywhere is<br />complete without a<br />butter sculpture</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After we arrived yesterday, we went to Appalachian Brewery for a late lunch/early dinner. And we had their famous and fabulous homemade potato chips with blue cheese and balsamic reduction. Heaven. At Glenn’s request, I posted a photo on Facebook. His daughter Michelle, who loves this dish, reacted as Glenn predicted, and our friend Suzie opined that she’d love a batch. So I suggested we lunch at the same spot today and take two orders back with us, one for each of them. Unfortunately Glenn’s pie wasn’t received as well as the chips were. Since he didn’t make the cut, we left for home early and had time to make our special deliveries.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4i7LF-8FBTrksNURrxGkbOu61C5pvfKDFlh8LdVVoyWGTuH6bUROs3CIRnwJx8_nPx-IvLtCTxSvAcfqIV7ivnKO0JP7dYwTMaXtjHKCPh1sX7x43E3lBaShRSd4l2AOGQtnNLA2pBY/s1600/chips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4i7LF-8FBTrksNURrxGkbOu61C5pvfKDFlh8LdVVoyWGTuH6bUROs3CIRnwJx8_nPx-IvLtCTxSvAcfqIV7ivnKO0JP7dYwTMaXtjHKCPh1sX7x43E3lBaShRSd4l2AOGQtnNLA2pBY/s320/chips.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>10 January, Somerset PA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Michelle’s husband’s grandfather passed away, and Glenn and I attended the service today. He was a well known pastor in this area, and the visitation was very well attended. I had met Roger several times, and he was a kind soul, generous of spirit, a lovely man. I’m glad I was able to visit his family and honor his memory.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>11 January, Squirrel Hill</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Met with my new doctor today. I like her a lot. We had a good conversation, and she wrote an order for my colonoscopy with a couple of recommended docs. And she’s within a long walk from my apartment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>13 January, Mount Pleasant PA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Drove up here yesterday and today Glenn and I met friend Suzie, his daughter Michelle and granddaughter Sara at the <i>Fire & Ice Festival</i> in Somerset where the others live. The temps were single digit, but we all dressed for the day. An ice rink with artificial ice was a popular spot for local youth hockey enthusiasts, including Suzie’s younger grandson Henry. He took part in a shots-on-the-net game and did quite well. I told him that when he started playing, I’d come to watch and cheer. i kinda miss all those youth hockey games — good way to get rid of any frustrations in the old days.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We went to a chili competition for an early supper. A dozen or so local restaurants and others prepared their own versions of the hearty winter dish, beans and/or meat, spicy or not. Suzie, Glenn and I sampled several, then voted on our favorite. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>16 January, Squirrel Hill</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">So, I spent some time today with Apple Support. My Apple TV wouldn’t work. I recharged the remote for a while (remember when I learned last year that it needed recharging?), but that didn’t help. I called tech support, and the helpful fellow suggested I leave the remote plugged in and charging for at least four hours, and he’d order a call back. As promised, I got a call back, this one from a young woman who offered some other suggestions since the recharging did nothing to change things. Then she put me on hold (i chose classical music this time) and went to find a consult. While holding, I decided to check plug ins one more time … and accidentally unplugged my whole system: TV, cable, Apple TV. It had almost rebooted when the tech returned. i asked her to wait until it finished. And when it did, the Apple TV worked just fine. Reminded me of something my sister always asked when I’d call her for help — have you rebooted the system? </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>21 January, Mount Pleasant, Happy birthday, Seth … and Callie Sue</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn’s daughter Jen alerted him that she was starting to have regular labor pains and going in to the hospital, so we drove back to Mount Pleasant around midnight. Then in the early morning hours she asked him to come to the hospital. He and her mother in law Rhonda were with her until it was time to deliver, then her husband Alan took over solo. Early afternoon I returned to the hospital with Glenn to meet Callie and congratulate her parents. Big sister Emma arrived shortly after, climbed on the bed to join her mom and new sister. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOdOOU10EF5id-13mGH6mDbbNn1AJUfMsNIuL-dThxsA7tWl6iixUzu7XWiBc9aHQ3CpmV_4Qn2i7U-tY8LjjArZDdIAA-W338oYvqCxq3yTG_t_87Mc2C6Eobwtl8UrC73JRB2Z2jxE/s1600/Glenn+with+Callie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOdOOU10EF5id-13mGH6mDbbNn1AJUfMsNIuL-dThxsA7tWl6iixUzu7XWiBc9aHQ3CpmV_4Qn2i7U-tY8LjjArZDdIAA-W338oYvqCxq3yTG_t_87Mc2C6Eobwtl8UrC73JRB2Z2jxE/s320/Glenn+with+Callie.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Pappy & his newest granddaughter</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Emma holds her new sister while<br />mom and dad smile on</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW04KoIwc_Wihra3krHYq6fPnfUkJYCmln1D6jZDk_BggDjTG6mVt5Zsbutwysk96yrl0YHcE-SjmAzE44ywgQLJZrlS_55f_ZRkHE1VXC3SCjnaPBsUX_d5XNupLDpO-EGQLudT2ycpE/s1600/Jennifer+%2526+Callie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW04KoIwc_Wihra3krHYq6fPnfUkJYCmln1D6jZDk_BggDjTG6mVt5Zsbutwysk96yrl0YHcE-SjmAzE44ywgQLJZrlS_55f_ZRkHE1VXC3SCjnaPBsUX_d5XNupLDpO-EGQLudT2ycpE/s320/Jennifer+%2526+Callie.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Jen & Callie Sue</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today is also Michelle’s husband Seth’s birthday. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>22 January, Happy birthday, Jen G.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn’s younger daughter turns 30 today. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I had lunch with friend Janet at a hole-in-the-wall Japanese-Korean cafe near Mount Lebanon. Food was quite good and cheap, company fantastic. Because of Callie’s birth, I wasn’t at the Women’s March in downtown Pittsburgh on Sunday, as planned. But Janet went and said it was a huge success.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>23 January, Squirrel Hill</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tonight I attended a volunteer recognition event “Night of a Thousand Stars” at New Hazlett Theater where I’m going to be a volunteer usher. Got dressed up and took a Lyft to and fro. I told the organizer that I felt a little like a fraud since I hadn’t done any work yet, but I found, neither had others that I met. Met some new and interesting people that I look forward to seeing when we actually do volunteer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>25 January</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn, Uncle Victor and i saw an exciting hockey game tonight as the Pens beat the Minnesota Wild in a game was shouldn’t have ended in such a close score. During the first two periods, the Pens were on fire and it seemed the Wild were phoning it in. Then the Wild caught fire and almost won. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>28 January, Mount Pleasant</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? And she’ll take some too. Glenn and I hosted Johanna and Gary today for pinocle and dinner. They were all very patient with this new player, and — ta duh — Team Girls beat Team Boys. We’re going to give them a chance to redeem themselves in a month or so. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Yesterday Glenn and I went to the AAA Travel & Tourism Fair at the convention center in Pittsburgh. Picked up some good ideas for things to do, bought some kind of expensive (but extremely delicious) garlic-parmesan popcorn and got AAA Visa cards … and a $5 hard-sided carry-on size suitcase. We used my GroupOn at Social in Bakery Square for an early dinner. Nice way to spend a rainy, ugly day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>30 January, Squirrel Hill</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Lots of snow today but that doesn’t stop us intrepid EFHS Class of ’63 grads. More than a dozen classmates and a couple of spouses got together for lunch at Driscoll’s in the township. The flu did stop a few, including Suzie. We outlined our 55th class reunion which will be in September and generally did the catch-up thing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b> 31 January</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Temps below zero again. Remind me where I live …</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Ice piling along the Allegheny River near<br />Golden Triangle</i></b></td></tr>
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Hello All from Suzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671732878857293499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9006197434431279213.post-22448910997513086212017-11-27T19:14:00.000-06:002017-11-27T19:14:43.550-06:00<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "Bradley Hand"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Easing into life in Pittsburgh</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>4 September 2017, US Labor Day, Mount Pleasant PA USA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Returned from Minneapolis sojourn to plumbing issues at 6350, so we cut Glenn’s stay in Pittsburgh short and lengthened mine in Mount Pleasant. Got to bring a huge basket of laundry along, so it’s been a busy weekend. I spent some time Saturday doing laundry. High school friend Suzie drove over from Somerset, and we went to Levin’s in Greensburg to look at chairs while Glenn smoked ribs for supper. I made baked beans earlier (doctored up some Bush’s as I usually do), and we had fresh, locally grown corn on the cob. Heaven. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tomorrow Glenn and I will go to Linn Run State Park near Ligonier to mark my late son Peter’s 45th birthday. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>5 September, my nephew Craig’s birthday too</b></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Creek at Linn Run</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>7 September, Happy Birthday, Spike and Marilou</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I remember this day well. Larry and Karen’s younger son Spike was born in London when I was there on a business trip. I took his big brother Jonah who was three to Regent’s Park Zoo on Peter’s birthday; Karen was due imminently. I got to see Spike before I returned to Macedonia. Now i have his bar mitzvah on next year’s calendar. Time flies …</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">This is the last month of regular season baseball, and Glenn and his Uncle Victor are getting in a few games, and later in the month I’m joining them as is his daughter Michelle and her family. Should be fun.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Last night while Glenn and Uncle Victor watched the Pirates lose, Aunt Louise and I went to dinner at Mitchell’s, our favorite spot at The Waterfront, then watched the end of the game at her house. Nice way to spend an evening.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>10 September, Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh PA USA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">One aspect of my Minneapolis life that I miss is all of the wonderful theater. I had several season tickets with various friends — a good way to stay in touch, have a night out, be entertained or knocked up side of the head about some relevant issue or other. I’m sure there is good theater here. I just haven’t found it yet. At the library the other day I picked up some announcements and a local <i>City Pages</i> to explore what’s available. And I decided to try what I thought was a play today before it closed. Nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Six A Breast” was actually a modern ballet performed by three women, and ironically all three had Minneapolis connections! They’d lived and worked there and received grants from well known MN foundations that support the arts. How’s that for the luck of the draw? </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">While I’m not a big dance person, this was excellent. It focused on myths and stereotypes around women. One set of notable scenes had a woman demonstrating how to properly fold a fitted sheet. Ladies, haven’t we all seen those videos or read those blurbs? The last woman did what I often do, rolled it into a ball and tossed it into the cupboard. Another set had each dancer trying to become the ideal woman — the funniest of the three kept adding layer upon layer of make up that she pulled from al large purse. Then she pulled out and put on an “apron” that stuck out horizontally at the waist. Lastly she pulled out a small bottle of wine and a glass, setting them on her apron/table, and with a wry smile, poured a glass. The audience broke up laughing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The ballet was at a theater on the North Side and being uncertain about football game traffic and parking, I tried Lyft both ways — nice. Oh, and I signed up to volunteer at the theater. Small theater groups from around the city use the theater which features many new plays.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>12 September</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Slowly but surely becoming a Pennsylvanian again. Got my driver’s license on 8/31. Last week Glenn took me to AAA in Pittsburgh to get my license plates and apply for a new car title. He added me to his AAA membership. I now have a temporary title and owner’s card. Today I had the car inspected at the garage recommended by Uncle Victor. A safety inspection and emissions inspection are required, and thankfully, my little Focus passed both. My windshield is appropriately stickered! </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>14 September</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Skyped with Hala in Sandomierz today. She’s well into her retirement and seems to be enjoying herself, finding things to do. Actually on a farm there’s no end to things to do, even without animals. I told her we’d see her in December for the board meeting; Glenn’s coming with me again and we’ll spend some time in Amsterdam afterwards.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tomorrow Glenn and I are driving to Harrisburg for the day. We’ll pick up his daughter Michelle’s birthday present from her husband — new rabbit cages, and have lunch at a restaurant that we went to last January. Weather report is for sunny skies, a nice day for a road trip and it’s the turnpike the whole way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>16 September, Happy Birthday, EFHS Class of '63</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>17 September, Happy Birthday, Michelle F.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Yesterday Glenn and I joined other members of the EFHS Class of ’63 in celebrating our 72nd birthdays. This has become an annual event supplemented with the occasional lunch in between. Donnie and Gene organized this lunch at Eagle’s Landing II, the restaurant at Rostraver Regional Airport not far from our old high school. While that might seem an unlikely place to dine, I can assure you it isn’t. Several years ago a friend and I asked someone to recommend a place to eat, and were directed to that one. We figured, why not. And found an outstanding menu, including the best coconut custard pie on earth! </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Keeping with the “good food” theme, we celebrated Glenn’s daughter Michelle’s birthday at Seven Springs, a ski resort in the nearby mountains. They have a sumptuous buffet that includes steamed crab legs, Michelle’s favorite. Since we had younger granddaughter Emma for the day, she joined us, and she and Sara enjoyed quality cousin time. Both were very well behaved, and we all ate very, very well!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>19 September</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn and Uncle Victor went to another Pirates’ game tonight. Aunt Louise was too tired from a busy weekend to go out, so we didn’t get together. Pirates lost again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>20 September</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins tonight. <i>Shanah Tovah</i> to all of my Jewish friends. Good health, happiness, peace and prosperity in the coming year to all my friends and family of any, or no, religion.</span></div>
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<i><b> Today I walked over to see this incredible memorial to the Holocaust which sits on the grounds of a private school on my street. A now retired history teacher wanted his students to understand the magnitude of that loss. Over several years he collected pop top tabs until he had six million. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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A school benefactor underwrote an artist to "do" something with the collection. The result is this "star of David."</b></i><br />
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">21 September, Matt & Will’s wedding day</b></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">My friend Jan’s son Matt married his long time love in a civil ceremony in France where they live. Jan, her ex, Matt’s siblings, Will’s family along with a few friends were in attendance. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">When I lived in Warsaw in the mid ‘90s, Matt spent a month with me, a break from youth hostels as he flew around the world. More recently, a friend and I visited Matt and Will at their idyllic homestead in the Dordogne region. We spent an amazing weekend of excellent food, interesting sights and warm hospitality. Mazel Tov to the newlyweds.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>23 September</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Bruce, a high school classmate and friend, was inducted into the EFHS Hall of Fame tonight. Eileen, Suzie and I helped get the word out to other classmates, and a tableful attended. Additionally, quite a few Greenockers were there, “kids” I haven’t seen in some time. Lousy food, much-too-long speeches but a good chance to honor one of us and re-connect with old friends.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Friend and classmate Janet rode to the banquet with me while Suzie drove to Glenn’s, then rode with him. She’ll spend the night here as she doesn’t want to drive back over the mountain from Mount Pleasant to Somerset late at night, and I don’t blame her. We’ll have brunch with classmate Alana at Eagle’s Landing tomorrow on our way back to Glenn’s.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>24 September</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Cannot believe how busy Eagle’s Landing was today. Luckily Suzie and I were there early. The place was filling fast as friend/classmate Alana arrived, and by the time we left, a couple of dozen people were standing in line. Told you the food was good (oh, and affordable too).</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>26 September</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">One of the nicest things about coming “home” to Pittsburgh is reconnecting with people from my growing up years. Today I had lunch with two “girls” from the street where we lived: Debbie and Linda. I haven’t seen them in decades so we had a lot of catch up on, and we did. More to come.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>29 September, Bethesda MD</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">That wonderful man I love came to Squirrel Hill last night so he could drive me to the airport this morning, then return to Mount Pleasant to pack for his trip to the national rabbit show in Indianapolis. His daughter Michelle, her husband Seth and are going too. Since we all get back to PA next Thursday, I’m going to check out the airport bus for my homeward transport.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Aideen picked me up at Reagan, and we had lunch in Arlington on the way back to her condo. Tonight we took her son Mickey with us to meet Inga, her beau Craig and friends Benia and Paweł for a Polish dinner in Arlington. </span>Then I went home with Inga and Craig.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Front: Craig, Inga, Mickey<br />Back, Paweł, Benia, Aideen</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Love Inga’s new townhouse/row house. Not far from her old house, and a bus to the Friendship Heights Metro stops on the corner, a few steps from her door. Inga’s hard at work updating some rooms, and although it’s way smaller than the house, it’s spacious and warm and all Inga.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tomorrow I’m having lunch with Glenn’s cousin Donald. We may go to a winery if the weather is good. We’re flexible.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>30 September</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today is Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement. So tonight I’ve been thinking about what I have to atone for. I hope I’ve said “mea culpa” (or moje wina) whenever I’ve erred. I definitely know I’m not perfect, but I don’t go around purposely hurting people. But if I’ve done that inadvertently and thus not apologized, please tell me. Don’t wait 17 years as one now-former friend did.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">I didn't count the number of Sunday hours in September and October that Suzie and I spent at Levin Furniture in Greensburg looking for a chair, but it was more than a few. Decision still TBD, but we both did make some purchases.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDz4y42MEntK1CT2qYAXuE7odOueZoKZwDIYHgiaCMYdQLz0SDHekqR9dEfIiSVcbaeKQkE7U4p8rpxtL_8zABw8O4z2LfQwx0LP9WwXtvuHX_EyX_HMfvwaz7r7I3NPk78vDL8W4q85k/s1600/Pick+a+fabric.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDz4y42MEntK1CT2qYAXuE7odOueZoKZwDIYHgiaCMYdQLz0SDHekqR9dEfIiSVcbaeKQkE7U4p8rpxtL_8zABw8O4z2LfQwx0LP9WwXtvuHX_EyX_HMfvwaz7r7I3NPk78vDL8W4q85k/s320/Pick+a+fabric.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pick a fabric, any fabric & order the chair!</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>October 2017</b></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">A hectic month and thus I did virtually no blogging. Thanks to my calendar I can, however, give you the highlights. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>1 October 2017, Bethesda</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The month started with a Sunday hike and winery visit with Inga and Craig, Benia and Paweł. We brought snacks and bought wine and enjoyed a gorgeous day sitting outdoors. Spent the rest of the week catching up with a few friends and helping Glenn’s cousin with a project. All in all, a lovely way to start the month. Glenn picked me up at the airport, and spent the weekend in Mount Pleasant.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>7 October, Mount Pleasant</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The first Saturday saw me enjoying another glorious day outdoors. I had found an apple festival not far from Mount Pleasant, where Glenn lives. We invited his Uncle Victor and Aunt Louise to join us at the festival for good food and shopping. We had incredible BBQ for lunch and apple dumpling ice cream for dessert — no calories there. Aunt Louise tried a local brewed root beer that she declared excellent. A couple of hundred vendors were spread out across the hilly fairgrounds, mostly local artisans with good stuff for Christmas and Hanukkah gifts. Needless to say, I shopped.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>9 October, Squirrel Hill</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Friend Jan in Minneapolis did an e-intro for me and a friend of hers from her grad school days at Pitt. Nymphe and I finally connected over lunch at Curry on Murray, then walked up the hill to the Manor Theater to see <i>Victoria and Abdul</i>, a very interesting film about Queen Victoria’s relationship with a Muslim Indian clerk who’s initially sent to London to present her with gift from the country. Excellent film and fun meeting Nymphe of whom I hope to see more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>11 October</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">If you ever get a chance to see <i>A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Gynecologic Cancer Ward at Sloan Kettering Institute in New York City</i> (phew!), do! It was at the City Theater on the South Side, and I got a solo ticket to the matinee today. Very racy occasionally but hysterical. I know, you are wondering how female cancer can be funny, but believe, I laughed so hard I was crying. On the way out, I can into two women that I’d been in high school with! I actually saw Mary first at the Jewish Community Center water ex class. She was a year ahead of me at EFHS. Her cousin Martha, also in her class, was at the play. Small world getting smaller.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>14 October, Emma’s 3rd Birthday, Mount Pleasant</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today is Glenn’s younger granddaughter’s birthday. Glenn and I joined her, her mom Jennifer and a friend of Jen’s at Chuck E. Cheese to celebrate. Everyone enjoyed the games of skill and chance, collecting tickets for each win. At the end Emma got to pick prizes and pay with the tickets. Tomorrow her dad’s family will host a surprise party for her, and we’re invited. Another group of new faces to remember.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>15 October, Glenn’s birthday</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We’re celebrating on Friday when he’s in Squirrel Hill. Today we participated in Emma’s surprise party at her dad’s parents’ house. A mile-high pile of presents and enough food to feed an army.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXO8FrpLvk8wZiqDM17GWWKBF5l-2WB7tm8CLVFz4TDoEX7MmLyyYfZTGcvntLg30KjFCvKZFqruaTH1LY_Mt6hdzAdjOp29XMvuV7FKTaXO9VeSQK5C3eM4CDeu83Jq-Lq851N9AjOs/s1600/Emma+cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXO8FrpLvk8wZiqDM17GWWKBF5l-2WB7tm8CLVFz4TDoEX7MmLyyYfZTGcvntLg30KjFCvKZFqruaTH1LY_Mt6hdzAdjOp29XMvuV7FKTaXO9VeSQK5C3eM4CDeu83Jq-Lq851N9AjOs/s200/Emma+cake.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Emma & her birthday cake</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>19 October</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The world continues to get smaller. Today I did my free session with jamie, a trainer at the JCC. When the training manager and I were emailing, he asked about my preferences. I said only that the trainer realized I’m 72 not 22. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>20 October</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Wow! What a fantastic evening. Glenn came into the city for the weekend, and we celebrated his birthday at Senti, an Italian restaurant that we sampled on our walking tour of Lawrenceville. Outstanding food and wine, as we had expected fro our sampling. Definitely nice not to be disappointed. Uber drivers were on hand so we shared a bottle of wine too. The going-home driver offered to sing Happy Birthday to Glenn, then Glenn pranked him. The driver asked is it had been an enjoyable celebration. With a straight face, Glenn said yes, as long as his wife didn’t find out. We all got a good laugh.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Sunday we’ll go to a retirement party for our friend Gary. He’s half of Gary and Johanna whom I met in Poland and Glenn knows through his work with 4-H and the Extension Service. Johanna will continue to work full time, so a return trip to Poland, as we’ve all discussed, won’t be for a while.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>25 October, Suzi turns 72!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">To be celebrated on 5 November with <i>The Capital Steps</i> and dinner at The Melting Pot, as planned by my sweetie.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioxnBvoJ11c9rODSf8arO0KgEGs6OUque2cRh2yWW2BlfQX7Xo2Q2e-0s4ROzzMm7Eo46-QdTvUSKVCpheiXjNKyGk7wnXnuGJ6EPYeuLFSzcb30Aq1_piNAqdgkiRC_FCGfHms4yoCIw/s1600/10-16+Frederic+MD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1297" data-original-width="1600" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioxnBvoJ11c9rODSf8arO0KgEGs6OUque2cRh2yWW2BlfQX7Xo2Q2e-0s4ROzzMm7Eo46-QdTvUSKVCpheiXjNKyGk7wnXnuGJ6EPYeuLFSzcb30Aq1_piNAqdgkiRC_FCGfHms4yoCIw/s320/10-16+Frederic+MD.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Glenn & I a year ago ... and now</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>26 October, Mount Pleasant</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Halloween comes early in the mountains of Western Pennsylvania. Glenn picked me up yesterday, and we had dinner in town for a birth day celebration. Tonight we met our high school friend Suzie in Somerset for an early dinner before we all went off to grandchildrens’ Halloween parades. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Berlin, where Glenn’s daughter Michelle and her family live, has a huge Halloween parade with prizes and goodie bags, then a few hours of “Halloweening” in the town. Sara’s costume was incredible — her dad made her a jewelry box and she was the ballerina on top. An amazing number of kids trudging through the not-terribly-well-light streets after treats. Sara got quite a haul before she pooped out; she’s only 5 1/2 and probably walked a few miles in her box.</span></div>
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<i><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Sara, the ballerina on the jewelry box</span></b></i></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>29 October</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Another Halloween … this time in Mount Pleasant on a rainy, chilly day. Glenn doesn’t usually hand out treats, but I love this holiday. (As a kid, I never had birthday parties; my mom didn’t believe in them. But I did get to host a Halloween party many years.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">As hand outs, Glenn bought an assortment of one-serving bags of chips. More than a dozen neighborhood kids braved the weather to our door, zombies and princesses and football players and one little cowgirl, granddaughter #2, Emma, who stayed to play for a while, along with her parents, Jennifer and Allen.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Cowgirl Emma</i></b></td></tr>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">31 October, real Halloween in Squirrel Hill</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Pumpkins courtesy of Oscar<br />who lives near Zurich</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Drove over to the Waterfront tonight and saw lots of lit-up houses and costumed kids walking along Beechwood Boulevard. Had forgotten today is Halloween. Nice to see so many homes welcoming kids.</span></div>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">5 November</b></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Driving into Pittsburgh today to celebrate my birthday, Glenn gave me the best present ever — he said we should go to Italy for a month this summer!</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Yaaaaay.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Now we’re off to The Melting Pot and the </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Capital Steps</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>11 November, Minneapolis</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Argh! I am so behind in blogging and posting that I think I’ll wait and post just before we leave for Poland. We’ll attend my December board meeting in Sandomierz, then we’ll stay in Amsterdam with Ana and Art for a few days. I’m so excited.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">To recap — my birthday celebration on 5 November was a 10, an A+, a night to remember. I haven’t had fondue since Switzerland in the ‘80s. The Melting Pot does a delicious job, just way too much food. The cheese fondue was superb, the meal/seafood/veggies delicious, and the dark chocolate with pineapple, marshmallows and such to die for. And the <i>Capital Steps</i> were in rare form. I wish I could remember all of their hilarious skits, and the closing Lirty Diars was as funny as I recall from the old tapes. In short, a perfect birthday celebration. Thank you, Glenn.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Saw a few snowflakes in Squirrel Hill on Election Day, 7 November. I didn’t vote since I know nothing about the candidates. Next year …</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Met with an insurance agent about my Medicare Advantage plans here. And had a lovely early dinner with Uncle Victor and Aunt Louise; they have embraced me as family. We went to Falce’s, an old fashioned cafe that we all love — comfort food at a very reasonable price. Victor and I had the liver and onions, mmmm good; my once a year dive into one of my favorite meals (no comments please). </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>18 November</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Recap of whirlwind week in Minneapolis — wonderful “homecoming” and reconnecting with family and old friends. Dinner, opera and B&B with Janet and Ed, water ex and coffee with the Swimmin’ Women of the Y, early morning lake walk with Linda and later lunch complete with piña colada cake (!), lunch with Sabrina, coffee with my first Minneapolis boss Roland and his wife Merle, trip to Northfield for lunch with Lois, and dinner with friend Marilyn (sorry to miss Jan who was sick).</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Early morning Lake Harriet walk with Linda</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>An earlier walk in Schenley Park in Pittsburgh</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">lso, a fun afternoon at the newly reopened Children’ Museum and dinner at St. Paul landmark Mickey’s Diner with nephew Craig and his son Alijah; meeting with Ben, my financial planner; catching up with Dr. Brown, CNP Lydia, Office Manager Barb and Dr. Gary (oh, and having my annual physical exams and a dental check too); dropping off no-long-needed business clothes at Dress for Success with Janet’s help, meeting with Kamal, a grad student and colleague of a former client of mine (Kamal wants to develop a project in Somalia for his grad school), researching and buying a new dishwasher for my condo (thank you, sister Barbara, for your patience).<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnfmakk_oVJE-EUOdmdcdCUTwujQdc6wYxflN2iPYHeMnVmO5bbstLfoEwO5wX7fXQmlCH-LsPBTJ1mH0qqdaV20PcDRDnNFfEzk1StV2XCiyyaU5PuaB_UmWO9z6dJ-gDfSMxmCb1KMs/s1600/Alijah+%2526+tower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnfmakk_oVJE-EUOdmdcdCUTwujQdc6wYxflN2iPYHeMnVmO5bbstLfoEwO5wX7fXQmlCH-LsPBTJ1mH0qqdaV20PcDRDnNFfEzk1StV2XCiyyaU5PuaB_UmWO9z6dJ-gDfSMxmCb1KMs/s320/Alijah+%2526+tower.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Alijah & his tower at<br />Minnesota Children's Museum</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Craig & Alijah enjoy burgers<br />at Mickey's Diner</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">And finally tonight a glorious dinner with Barbara, her kids and their sweeties. That last dinner was at a new spot that Barbara suggested, Porter & Smith, which I heartily recommend. Barbara and I both bought $50 Groupons which they honored by giving us two separate checks for three people each. Thank you, P&S. Tomorrow morning bright and early Janet will drive me back to MSP and my flight home.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2MjSjJF8Dr9R8R2JqYyEYwNGReWHw18mz03On3c6oxUNFOEagIcdyndUSYi4hEOF0ouQUxmecZJ8NQpYiU0vaGjCC9SSQpVyuRwoWsBi3mNu014oOSs-cmiFmLaTqA83kkYWII99IjtQ/s1600/B%252C+C%252C+J+at+dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1108" data-original-width="1600" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2MjSjJF8Dr9R8R2JqYyEYwNGReWHw18mz03On3c6oxUNFOEagIcdyndUSYi4hEOF0ouQUxmecZJ8NQpYiU0vaGjCC9SSQpVyuRwoWsBi3mNu014oOSs-cmiFmLaTqA83kkYWII99IjtQ/s320/B%252C+C%252C+J+at+dinner.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Barbara, Chris, Jen</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Tomery & Clint</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Oh, the every-five-years </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">colonoscopy that created the need for a trip at this particular time — it was cancelled.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">They forgot to schedule an anesthesiologist and were unable to reschedule the procedure with one for this week.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">So, I’ll need to find a gastroenterologist in Pgh soon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>19 November, Squirrel Hill</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Home again, home again. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoR-iZS9-z6M5bd2Ag6JNCsWL6FqWT1c7yPntEymODy26dsWqgSY-Ose9dOWnrtQfo89W1qE7bRJPKdn0tuC_A2cKkbAwHslmYxqAtQjCgvxWF_sPZEcueka6MVpDk63oUpKiSk3UERxc/s1600/SH+bike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoR-iZS9-z6M5bd2Ag6JNCsWL6FqWT1c7yPntEymODy26dsWqgSY-Ose9dOWnrtQfo89W1qE7bRJPKdn0tuC_A2cKkbAwHslmYxqAtQjCgvxWF_sPZEcueka6MVpDk63oUpKiSk3UERxc/s200/SH+bike.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Bike rack in Squirrel Hill</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">My wonderful sweetie was right there waiting for me when I arrived in baggage claim. We stopped in the Strip District to pick up a few things — poultry scissors and hazelnut coffee beans to be precise — and had brunch. Then home for a disaster …</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn’s tablet wasn’t working so I offered him my laptop … except that I couldn’t find it. And then I realized that I didn’t have it. I’d left it in the seat pocket on my flight from MSP today. I’d been working the <i>Sunday NY Times</i> crossword, then it was time to land, and I stowed it … and totally forgot it when the bell chimed that passengers could get up and out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">You may have heard me screaming “Representative” to assorted computer-generated “Help” voices. Finally reached a real person, Elizabeth, who called PIT and got the skinny on Lost and Found. Long story short, no real news. But Glenn offered to drive me to the airport to see if the laptop was at the Ticket Counter (per the helpful human, that’s where lost items end up at 8 pm). We did that with no luck. I will call again tomorrow, scream “Representative” a few more times and see if the laptop turns up. In the meantime I changed a few key passwords to online accounts. Nightmare. So much for getting a good night’s sleep.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>20 November</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">There is a Goddess and she loves me. Sleepless night. Glenn left to help Victor with something and called me when he finished. Hearing the distress in my voice, he offered another trek to the airport. Off we went, another explanation to a ticket agent, a check of the locked storage place, and out the agent came with my laptop! Now I can get on with life …</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">It’s snowing A really lovely snowfall is visible outside my living room window. Lots of big fluffy flakes. I love it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>21 November</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Know how you see all those folks, young yes but older too, walking down the street, eyes down reading or watching something on their mobile phones? Well, today I walked down my street with my head down too … reading a snail mail letter. A lovely note from Jan’s son Matt and his hubby Will thanking me for the wedding present.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Busy day getting ready for travel. When Glenn and I leave for Poland and Amsterdam on Tuesday, I won’t be back here until mid December. I’ll leave for 10 days in DC two days after we return from overseas. I know, you know, I love to travel anywhere anytime. But this winter’s schedule is a bit much even for me! </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I spent much of today getting organized for both trips plus Thanksgiving in Mount Pleasant … doing laundry (down the stairs, up the stairs, repeat often), select and pack clothes/boots/shoes for Poland, Amsterdam and DC, find three kinds of money, Mickey’s presents and my travel kit (pills, cosmetics etc.) … and I returned to my regular exercise regime. Today was Silver Sneakers Circuit, a 45-minute work out that’s lot tougher than you think. I walked home down Shady Avenue, a roller coaster-style street, and passed a handful of pre-school teachers with their flock of toddlers. We were all smiling as the kids gleefully kicked through the leaves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>22 November, 54th anniversary of President Kennedy’s assassination</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">To all my NU and EFHS friends — and others of a certain age — where were you when you learned the president ha been shot? I know you remember, we all do. I was crossing Sheridan Road in Evanston IL. A classmate Ann and I were returning to our dorm after our 12 o’clock freshman English class. We heard passing mumbles, thought it was a joke and didn’t take it seriously until we got back to Willard Hall and saw the newscasts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">A morning of last minute packing and organizing for my coming trips, housekeeping duties — trash and recycling taken out, dishwasher filled and run, bedsheets changed, laundry basket filled. Then a relaxing lunch at Ramen House with high school friend Janet (I think my address has more Janets than any other woman’s name!). This Janet has excellent taste in coats; she was wearing a Burberry coat in light green just like mine in dark blue. Haven’t seen Janet for about a month so it was good to catch up. Then I went off to Costco for gasoline and a big bouquet of flowers for Jennifer who’s fixing breakfast tomorrow — French toast an BYOC (bring your own coffee). </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>23 November, Mount Pleasant, Happy Thanksgiving</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today and every day I am thankful for family and friends. I could not have had this adventurous life without your love and support. And now I have added Glenn and his family to the mix. And the adventure continues.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Great nieces Hazel & Ruby sent a pic for the holiday</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">This morning Glenn and I joined daughter Jennifer and her family for breakfast. Jen made cinnamon French toast with a little help from Emma who hates French toast but loves “cakes,” as her mom calls it. Alan fried pile of bacon and sausage. And we all ate well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back here, it’s been a lazy day. I took a two-hour nap while Glenn continued to prep for Saturday’s turkey dinner with daughter Michelle and her family. Tonight we had Glenn’s special air-fried Buffalo wings for dinner, and i’m hoping for a few homemade ladilocks later for dessert. Glenn and Michelle with a bit of help from Sara made 260 mini ladilocks last weekend (oh, that doesn’t count those eaten during construction). </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>24 November</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">It’s almost midnight. Glenn’s napping on the sofa (a nightly ritual), Sara’s asleep in a spare bedroom and I’m ready to hit the hay. We’re pooped. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">No kindergarten today for Sara although both of her parents ha to work. So we volunteered to take Emma too. She’s always asking to play with her cousin. They really were pretty good, played well until supper time. Then, adventurers that we are, we took them out to eat.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Emma after a hard day of play</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sara as Princess Popi (sp?)</span></b></i></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">Valley Dairy is a nice family restaurant that we like and good for kids’ messes and noise. They ate well and got the promised sundaes for dessert. Back at Glenn’s, they played for a bit, then Glenn had to take Emma home. He told Sara to pick up the toys and Emma chimed in, “I want to help.” She who was “too sad” to help her mom clean up toys a while back. And help she did. Needless to say, I called Jennifer to tell her, and we had a good laugh.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Sara and I changed into sleepwear and watched two animated specials, <i>How the Grinch Stole Christmas</i> and the new <i>Troll Holiday</i>. Then it was off to bed for her. And not long after, off to bed for me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>25 November</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Five stuffed people relaxing after Glenn’s incredible turkey dinner. He spatchcocked the bird, which meant less cooking time, and dry brined it, which meant a very moist and tasty bird. Michelle made dynamite cranberry sauce; I definitely need that recipe. And she made a surprise dessert — Twix cake — that was also a hit. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>26 November</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Prepping for our trip to Poland and Amsterdam, departure from Mount Pleasant at the crack of dawn on Tuesday. I am determined we’ll back efficiently and so far have all of Glenn’s needs in his usual carryon suitcase. Ok, he’s not happy about wearing his sport coat on the plane, but it fits nicely in the overhead bin with his computer case. And I may snuggle under his winter jacket as my coat isn’t as roomy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>27 November</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We walked at the Y again this morning, finished our packing/re-packing as well as laundry/last-minute-stuff, then lunch at Panera, a trip to Target for me to buy Christmas gift cards and finally the car wash. My car’s first wash since the move; it’ll stay at Glenn’s while we’re overseas and while I’m in DC. Now Glenn’s at his Extension Board meeting and I’ll post this in a minute. Tomorrow we leave for Detroit, Amsterdam, Warsaw and final destination, Sandomierz. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I’ll sign of with this from <b><i>Thrillist </i></b>(<a href="mailto:themove@newletter.thrillist.com"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">themove@newletter.thrillist.com</span></a>) :</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i>“If you were born in 1945...</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i>The BIGGEST song was "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiayZdPESno"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">Rum and Coca-Cola</span></a>" performed by the Andrew Sisters and "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSJ-oT2ZBa0"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">Till the End of Time</span></a>" performed by Perry Como, which were both the No. 1 song in the country for 10 weeks.</i></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><i>“But the best song was "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxiMrvDbq3s"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">This Land is Your Land</span></a>" performed by Woody Guthrie. Maybe America was humming along to the sounds of the Andrews Sisters and Perry Como at the time, but this confrontational folk song pointed towards a musical revolution to come.”</i></span></div>
Hello All from Suzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671732878857293499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9006197434431279213.post-38787124856218683552017-09-14T11:57:00.002-05:002017-09-14T11:57:22.289-05:00<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: SignPainter; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Home is where the heart is …</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>1 August 2017, Mount Pleasant PA USA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">So, if you read my three-month update, you know that my sweetie Glenn, sister Barbara and I made it successfully from Minneapolis to Pittsburgh with my car and a U-Haul. I will be eternally grateful to them for their help. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">When we arrived in Squirrel Hill, my new neighborhood, last night, we left the U-Haul in the parking lot of my apartment building. I breathed much easier when it easily fit in the underpass to the back parking lot. Glenn got his car, and we drove here. Tomorrow he has a 4-H meeting in Harrisburg, and Barbara and I will return to Squirrel Hill to start the move-in process.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">This morning I got the keys to my new apartment and met Aaron, the landlord. Actually we ran into him just after we pulled into the parking lot. He seems like a nice fellow, open and friendly and involved in his properties. The steps to the third floor (second floor for my European/African readers) aren’t as bad as I had expected, and the apartment is bigger than I remembered. Definitely need chairs for the living area and a rug for the hardwood floors.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We drove across the river to The Waterfront in Homestead. The Waterfront is a river side development that breathed new life into a dead steel town, a “new town” with shops, restaurants and curbside parking as well as big box stores on the edges. And along the river housing units — apartments and townhouses — and a biking/hiking/walking path the follows the Monongahela River for many miles. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">At The Waterfront Target store I found the same rug that Barbara and I had seen in Minneapolis. I bought it and left it in the apartment along with a few other things. Tomorrow the local movers come to schlepp everything up the stairs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>2 August,</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Of course it was a hot, hot day, but that’s why I paid to have my worldly possessions carried by professionals up to the third floor. My apartment is right at the head of the staircase, making the trip the shortest possible. Still, all three fellows were sweating up a storm. I passed out cans of cold water. They put the plastic caps under the heavy bedroom dresser and re-assembled the bed and a bookshelf for me. And Barbara and I started unpacking, also sweating. Once everything was in and the movers left, I turned on the air conditioner — window-style in the living room. Took Barbara to Mitchell’s for lunch. That’s my favorite seafood restaurant along the river at The Waterfront, and it has great air conditioning for a day like today. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We’re staying at Glenn’s again tonight since I don’t have enough things unpacked for a comfortable night here. He had to be in Harrisburg for a 4-H meeting today but should be home by the time we get there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>2 August, Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">First night in the new place. Slept well. Barbara said the blow-up mattress is comfortable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>6 August</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The days are a blur — unpacking, shopping, cleaning, organizing. And since lots of others in the building are doing the same, the trash bins remind me of Rome — full to the brim and overflowing onto the ground. I hope tomorrow is garbage day. And I have to ask Aaron which bin(s) is for recycling and which for trash — they all say recycling but are definitely full of trash. Taking Barbara to the airport shortly. It’s been so great having her here and her help has been invaluable. As I said to her the other day when we cleaned the living room window, sisters are wonderful, tall sisters with long arms are awesome. </span></div>
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I’m glad she had a chance to get together with her friend Vickie and that I got to meet Vickie and her husband after all these years of hearing about each other.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later, Mount Pleasant</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We made a stop in the Strip District for a bit of wandering and then brunch at a restaurant that Barbara and Chris had found in March. Excellent food. Was strange walking in the Strip District in warm weather; we’re usually here in hockey season. Lots of vendors with sidewalk displays, several huge fresh fruit and vegetable stands. i stopped at the Italian store and got some prosciutto for Glenn, and picked up a lovely looking cantaloupe to go with it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Had one of my driving adventures when I allowed the GPS to take me a short cut. It took me through assorted neighborhoods until I got to the Fort Pitt Tunnel, which I had been trying to avoid. Ah, well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>7 August, Happy Birthday to Christopher’s sweetie Jennifer</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>8 August, Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh PA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">On the way to IKEA today Glenn and I saw a real anomaly — a pick up crossed the double line in the Fort Pitt Tunnel. It’s only the third time in my whole life that I’ve seen that happen. It’s illegal but more importantly, everyone knows what a total disaster even a fender bender can be in a tunnel. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">At IKEA I bought a television stand and small nightstand, both of which Glenn carefully and laboriously put together after carrying the boxes up here. What a wonderful man! I told him if he hadn’t been around, I’d’ve paid IKEA to deliver and assemble as I do not have that kind of patience — or I’d’ve gone to a furniture store. The apartment is looking more like home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn put the television in place, disconnecting all of the cables and wiring and reconnecting them so they are all behind the table. I tried my Apple TV and yet again could not get it to work. It hadn’t worked yesterday either. Much frustrated, I went online and arranged a call back from an Apple Genius. I explained the situation and he gave me two different things to do with no result. Then he asked, “When was the last time you recharged your remote?” And I replied, “I’ve never recharged my remote. I didn’t know I had to.” Duh. Connected the remote to a recharging cord and voila! It all works now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>9 August</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn brought his younger granddaughter Emma into “the city,” as my great-nephew Alijah called coming to see me in Minneapolis. I showed her the toy box and she took to the Matchbox cars as quickly as AJ from Stevens Park had. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Some serious art being made</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">We drove up to Frick Park, which is only about six blocks away but all up hill. There’s a big playground, and Emma had a ball climbing and sliding. She especially loved riding down the concrete hill/slide on a piece of cardboard. After lunch at Eat’n’Park, we spent a little more time at my place where she found the toy box again, then later fell asleep for a while. Pappy took her home before dark.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn’s tied up with preparations for the Westmoreland fair for the next few days. I’ll be continuing my move in process and preparing for trips back to MN.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>15 August, Golden Valley MN</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Relaxing with friend Jan after flying in from Pittsburgh and driving from the airport. I hate rental cars but it’s a must this trip — my appointments are too spread out. Going to water ex in the morning, then to see Janet and Ed about last minute party issues. They have graciously allowed me to use their home and yard again. Not sure what I've done to deserve such wonderful friends, but I'm definitely keeping them!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>16 August</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Just a couple of regulars at water ex this morning, but felt so good to be back in the pool. Afterwards, Bente and I asked another woman in the Y locker room take our photo. She'd promised one to the GYN we share. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic5MBjOjlrhqww5KKTMAlU7LNPTnK4GEJOlDBWxQJgduHfDzQqSbercoqTZB15LQaWGsGrwnbkHaX8ZXL14sPi7l72ycfmptIR7pUPf90TPNrsWhG98TKuK1YMFR4p_B0iLkvL9TAGtQ4/s1600/IMG_1911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic5MBjOjlrhqww5KKTMAlU7LNPTnK4GEJOlDBWxQJgduHfDzQqSbercoqTZB15LQaWGsGrwnbkHaX8ZXL14sPi7l72ycfmptIR7pUPf90TPNrsWhG98TKuK1YMFR4p_B0iLkvL9TAGtQ4/s320/IMG_1911.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After water ex, breakfast at Elsie’s with David and his wife Nara who are home from Paris. David and I worked together on the project I managed in South Sudan, and we’ve kept in touch. He took a job in Paris a couple of years ago which means annual trips back to his home state, Minnesota, and catching up. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tonight I have hair-and-dinner with friends Connie and Tom. We met in Adult Fitness at the Y in the late ‘70s, and Connie and I ran our first road race together. She’s done my hair almost since then, and now I have to find a new hair dresser. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>17 August, my sister Barbara’s real 65th birthday</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Barbara has to work late tonight so she can take tomorrow off. Can’t do anything special today, but tomorrow brother Dan arrives. We'll go to breakfast and take her to dinner at St. Genevieve to celebrate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>18 August, Happy Birthday to niece Tomery</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Picked up Dan at the Metro, then breakfast with Barbara, meeting with financial planner, then time to relax before dinner. Having the three of us together was great; it’s been a long time. And the dinner at St. Genevieve was as good as the reviewers predicted. Barbara and I both had the excellent and perfectly prepared lamb. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Everything’s pretty much ready for Sunday. Niece Tomery has arranged “brunch,” her ruse for getting Barbara to the party. Tomery will bring Dan and Barbara as well as her beau Clint. Christopher will pick up Barbara’s New York friend Sharon who’s flying in. Our cousins Melanie and Dan and their spouses will drive from Illinois and join us. Looks like about 25 people in all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>19 August</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I called Barbara’s friend Sharon this morning to learn when she’d land in case I could pick her up at the airport. Her flight was delayed. We talked about getting her together with Barbara on Saturday as Sharon has to leave early on Monday, not much visiting time. We agreed she’d call Barbara and say her NYC delay meant she’d missed a connection to a flight to Tahoe. Sharon texted me when she arrived, and we agreed she’d call Barbara once she’d checked into her downtown Minneapolis hotel. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Barbara, Dan and I were sitting on the deck at Barbara’s condo enjoying the beautiful day. When Sharon called, Barbara looked at her phone and said, “Oh, that’s just Sharon wishing me a happy birthday. I’ll call her back.” I told her to answer and to check the voice mail that was left but she declined. Via text to Sharon, I suggested she try in an hour. That time Barbara answered, Sharon told her our story and Barbara excitedly invited her to join us, which she did. Later in the evening, on my way back to Jan’s, I drove Sharon back to her hotel, and we agreed Barbara was clueless about the party. Amazing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>20 August, the big day</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Yep, Barbara was actually surprised. I cannot believe we pulled it off.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5GegbdzejetIziIaMiAFAP7NF8oiTGt4HG7hRtiqv_1BRTpFpJ7_gfcCthDYx4sJVYjNSPpzrXS-st_yhgwhy35cytXm728BgRXSq-duOXn0niq8uQdCdB-gMwIdQQSmmE5snZwMvRcw/s1600/IMG_4744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5GegbdzejetIziIaMiAFAP7NF8oiTGt4HG7hRtiqv_1BRTpFpJ7_gfcCthDYx4sJVYjNSPpzrXS-st_yhgwhy35cytXm728BgRXSq-duOXn0niq8uQdCdB-gMwIdQQSmmE5snZwMvRcw/s320/IMG_4744.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>21 candle salute</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Every one of Barbara’s friends told me on arrival how much she hates surprises, which I know.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">“This is one she has to endure,” I’d replied to each.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">To make it easier on her, I had everyone go out into the Fosters’ front yard as she arrived. That way we wouldn’t overwhelm her.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">I put the biggest surprises, Sharon and our cousins, in front</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Because it was so hot, everyone mostly stayed indoors, but I think a good time was had by all, especially the guest of honor. And I loved finally putting faces to all the names of her friends and colleagues. Barbara said the only thing that gave her pause was Sharon staying at the W, a pricey boutique hotel. She couldn’t imagine an airline footing the bill for that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We three Kanyrs and Sharon stayed at Fosters into the early evening while Barbara, Sharon and Janet’s son-in-law John played “Did you know? Do you remember?” about Denver and Colorado. John and Peggy live in Fort Collins, and he grew up in Denver.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCFgLJD_idvYofXWxiGqUkc15YxFRe3wP95zYcT8Hu17zpq39P4l8f4XvqqhsL097Eo6R1jzBaj7JGiwgL5kRf0E4BIzRfmMIh9T9LseNgpgD-SBTS4tYqdekv53DPLKQdjmtSuBNOPHc/s1600/IMG_4745.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="511" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCFgLJD_idvYofXWxiGqUkc15YxFRe3wP95zYcT8Hu17zpq39P4l8f4XvqqhsL097Eo6R1jzBaj7JGiwgL5kRf0E4BIzRfmMIh9T9LseNgpgD-SBTS4tYqdekv53DPLKQdjmtSuBNOPHc/s320/IMG_4745.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Dan, Barbara, Tomery, Christopher and I</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>21 August, Squirrel Hill</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Craig brought Jaiden to Jan’s this morning, then Jaiden and I returned my rental car to the airport, checked our bags, got through security despite the forewarnings about possible long lines and off we went to Pittsburgh. Glenn and his older granddaughter Sara were in baggage claim waiting to meet us. We stopped at Cracker Barrel for something to eat before going to my place.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After Glenn and Sara returned to Mount Pleasant, Jaiden and I went to The Waterfront in search of food and a bit of leg stretching. We hit a few stores — he’s a price conscious shopper — then Giant Eagle (Jiahnt Iggle in local parlance) for some groceries. Mostly snacks and breakfast stuff since we’ll be sightseeing most days.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back at the apartment, I got the blow up bed ready. Plenty of room so we won’t need to deflate it nightly; we can just push it to the corner.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>22 August</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">What a day. Sunny and warm, perfect for a trip to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. Glenn and Sara arrived mid day, and Glenn drove. I didn’t recognize a thing — definitely not the zoo I saw at the kids’ ages. Now it’s a more animal friendly place, no cages, confined spaces are more natural. But it was hot and many animals were keeping cool in the shade or in the case of smallish cats, flaked out and asleep on tree branches. A female lion graced us with her presence and when we returned a few minutes later, she’d gone but two big males were visible. The monkeys had a good time swinging on their ropes course, then went indoors to cool off.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Zoo pix of Sara and Jaiden:</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We were en route to the Children’s Zoo area when the heavens opened and quickly soaked us. We headed for a shelter, hopped a passing zoo train and rode toward the parking lot. By the time Glenn got to the car, the rain had stopped but we were all soaked.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back home, Glenn made spaghetti with his homemade sauce for dinner. Mmm, good. As I’ve said many times orally, he drives, he cooks, he makes me laugh —he’s a keeper!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jaiden on Mount Washington</td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">A drive around and up to Mount Washington just before dusk.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>23 August</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">This would’ve been my dad’s 101st birthday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Gorgeous day again. Glenn called this morning to say that he and Sara wouldn’t join us today as had been planned. Sara’s pooped; last night she was asleep by the time he got to Murray Avenue (two blocks from my apartment). </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Jaiden and I set off for Carnegie Museum only to discover it was move-in time at Pitt. No parking, mucho double-parked cars/vans/trucks and more than the usual number of people. I drove around the blocks a few times before giving up. (Aside for those not familiar with Pittsburgh geography. Streets are platted to the rivers which form The Golden Triangle, and thus one cannot make three right turns and end up where she started.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Off we went to the Strip District to shop for tee-shirts and caps and such. Actually found a meter near the shop where I mostly find such things. Jaiden again played money-wise shopper, and we went down one side of Penn and up the other before he made his purchases. From there, the GPS helped me get to Station Square across the Monongahela River where I found a parking lot near the Gateway Clipper river landing. A boat was leaving in an hour, but we hadn’t eaten so we hustled along to Houlihan’s for lunch first. While there, we decided to check out the baseball schedule. Found a Pirates-Dodgers game at 7 pm. Downloaded an app to buy tickets, another to secure parking and we were set. We returned to the Clipper in time for 4:15 sailing, all three rivers with interesting commentary by a guide and the captain.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Because I couldn’t locate the digital baseball tickets on my phone, we went back to the apartment for an hour. Still couldn’t find tickets but printed the receipt along with the parking voucher. Glenn’s handy Garmin got us to Allegheny Center parking way faster than I’d expected. From there we followed the crowd to PNC Park a half mile away, got tickets at Will Call and found our seats with the help of a couple of attendants. Great seats just to the right of home plate and about 10 rows back with no one in front of us. Since we hadn’t eaten, we got hotdogs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Slow game — Pirates got one man on base and that was due to a Dodgers’ error. Dodgers left 8 or so men on base but scored no runs. Jaiden asked what happens if no one scored. I explained how extra innings worked. Top of 10th and Dodgers didn’t score. Then Josh Harrison for the Pirates came to bat — and hit a beautiful home run for a Pirates' win. What a game for Jaiden to see. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUJl2qC99aax8EH19toixiRMDlmzCpBhGIHiBC6btqxLrDhmNp_bhD5punXD9MTvs-cU_zKgTcNganixKm-OAXsJtq_GhvmB_T_EBkO-wgVOD8KOXZTwUDSGwYuZKKjuFetbjNW2hjQk/s1600/IMG_1939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUJl2qC99aax8EH19toixiRMDlmzCpBhGIHiBC6btqxLrDhmNp_bhD5punXD9MTvs-cU_zKgTcNganixKm-OAXsJtq_GhvmB_T_EBkO-wgVOD8KOXZTwUDSGwYuZKKjuFetbjNW2hjQk/s320/IMG_1939.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>PNC Park from out seats</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>24 August</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Because I decided to let Jaiden sleep in this morning, we didn’t get to the Westmoreland Fair until midday. Glenn returned shortly after. We saw Sara and her rabbits, watched the hopping contest, visited animal barns, wandered. I met some of the “names” that I’ve heard about and saw a few folks I’d met before. Glenn’s Uncle Victor and Aunt Louise arrived, and Louise took Jaiden for ice cream before we departed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back in Squirrel Hill, we decided to go to a movie at The Waterfront, and <i>Logan Lucky</i> started in 20 minutes. We were easily on time, but the movie wasn’t, technical problems apparently. The film finally ran and we enjoyed the caper film. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Exited to find it had rained. We went to the Murray Avenue Eat ’N’ Park for a late dinner.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>25 August, Andover MN</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Nephew Craig called this morning to find out where we were. I said, “In my apartment in Pittsburgh.” He'd misread my message about our arrival time and was already at the end of the Minneapolis Light Rail looking for us. Later he texted that April would meet us at the established time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back in the apartment, Jaiden got packed, and the air bed went back into the closet. Much laundry to do when I return. Glenn drove us to the airport and again things went smoothly on both ends. April arrived at the Target Field station about five minutes after we did. I’m staying with Craig, April and the boys tonight and tomorrow. Alijah was happy to see me and had to show me how well he’s riding his bike. Craig said he’s quite the moto-crosser.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgGEn5nVizedYtjQxPR9xb4e6tc3GjjQfoXQB_1NiCCLvGgA71m_luU9qLJkIrPdalt1AGEZ3d-Qp9QLJjF4_7z-fbPFXjIJSYwrjqAITiXo9fDf7nIkxzc2HYN49X1wzBOdh3aEzDYk/s1600/IMG_1945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1044" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgGEn5nVizedYtjQxPR9xb4e6tc3GjjQfoXQB_1NiCCLvGgA71m_luU9qLJkIrPdalt1AGEZ3d-Qp9QLJjF4_7z-fbPFXjIJSYwrjqAITiXo9fDf7nIkxzc2HYN49X1wzBOdh3aEzDYk/s320/IMG_1945.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Alijah models the shirt Jaiden<br />picked for him</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>26 August</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Rain, rain, go away. But even pouring rain couldn’t put a damper on the Hagen family day at niece Michelle and hubby Jon’s lake place. Everyone made it, even sister in law Sally from Bismarck and niece Dyana back from her last overseas assignment and settling in CA again. Evie insisted on a tube ride despite the rain, the Hagen boys went fishing and we celebrated Sally’s 70th birthday. Glad I was able to return for this.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>27 August, Minneapolis MN</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Barbara picked me up at Craig and April’s this afternoon, and I’ll stay with her tonight and tomorrow, then I can take the LRT to the airport on Tuesday morning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Had a lovely catch up and dinner with friend and former neighbor Maryanne at Mercury tonight. Because it had been drizzling, Barbara dropped me off but I was able to walk back. Much needed exercise! Now to bed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>29 August, Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Yesterday was hectic. Got a ride to my financial planner meeting with Barbara since her office is nearby, and a ride back to town with my broker. He and his wife are expecting twins in October. Stopped to see friend Susan for a few minutes after shopping. Actually found a sweater and a jacket at Off 5th; I never find anything there! Dinner with Barbara at a nearby restaurant/bar that’s definitely been renovated and updated. And ran into my former next door neighbors Ryan and Chelsey as we walked back to Barbara’s. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Barbara dropped me at the LRT on her way to work and all went smoothly. I had plenty of time to grab some food and coffee before my flight. Now I sit and wait …</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later, Squirrel Hill PA</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">That wonderful man I love was waiting for me at baggage claim again. Usually he’s very early and has time to relax; today the traffic was so heavy that he said he only beat me by five minutes. We stopped for dinner on the way back, to avoid rush hour. Not good planning of arrival time on my part, but … </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back here, the landlord called to say we have plumbing problems again. Can’t use the shower, dishwasher etc. and only flush if necessary. Argh!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>31 August, Mount Pleasant</b></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Well, when we got up yesterday, there was no word on the plumbing/water situation. Glenn suggested coming here. I had planned to drive out on Friday morning, after doing laundry and a few errands in Squirrel Hill. But when he suggested packing up the laundry and doing it here, how could I refuse? A driver, a cook and free laundry — big smile on my face.</span></div>
Hello All from Suzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671732878857293499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9006197434431279213.post-13556179764196192272017-08-09T21:03:00.002-05:002017-08-09T21:03:21.817-05:00<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Suzi</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-family: Baghdad; line-height: normal;"> & </span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Glenn’s</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-family: Baghdad; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Excellent</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-family: Baghdad; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Adventure</span></span></div>
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<i>Dear Followers, Family, Friends:</i></div>
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<i>As you'll see when you read, scan, glance at this three-month epic, it's been a hectic few months. Hence the long lag in posting. My apologies to those of you waiting with bated breath for updates. I'll try to be more prompt but make no promises. My hectic life has become ever more so having added Glenn and his family. But it's definitely more interesting and fun. So hang in there!</i></div>
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<i>Big hugs all 'round,</i></div>
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<i>Suzi</i></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>May 23, 2017, Amsterdam, Holland</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Our adventure began with Glenn’s arrival from Pittsburgh on Sunday. Despite a late night babysitting with his younger granddaughter, he was up early to get to his car to long-term parking and himself to Delta Airlines. Dinner at Erté in Northeast Minneapolis set the tone for the trip — good food and wine, comfortable setting, friendly service. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Wonderful Janet picked us up yesterday for the overnight flight to Amsterdam. Easy flight once KLM reinstated the “comfort” seats that we paid for and that had disappeared from our confirmation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Bless my friend Ana who arose early to meet our 6 am arrival. Ana and I worked together in Macedonia and have kept in touch as we each moved around in the world. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuDgq0IP801hFQnnSwplf3PpfyyyWQRiRtSGUaIMOCfv12jpfpH2SzxpVPP0WH_z2VIojFU1pCXXiAi25bUoEV4UuAgUNShEcy7NKRsnqG2B8RL6fQwYQmxkAPq6RclMJZbXNU3mEB0IU/s1600/Glenn+at+Van+Gogh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuDgq0IP801hFQnnSwplf3PpfyyyWQRiRtSGUaIMOCfv12jpfpH2SzxpVPP0WH_z2VIojFU1pCXXiAi25bUoEV4UuAgUNShEcy7NKRsnqG2B8RL6fQwYQmxkAPq6RclMJZbXNU3mEB0IU/s320/Glenn+at+Van+Gogh.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Glenn at the Van Gogh in AMS</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Glenn and I napped for a while at Ana and Art’s flat while they went to work.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Then we walked over to the museum district.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">We decided on visiting the Van Gogh, which I think has been expanded since my last visit in 1995.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">After dinner with Ana and Art, they will take us back to Schiphol Airport for our 8 pm flight to Warsaw.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later, Warsaw Poland</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">At last, to bed. I booked us at the MDM on Plac Konstitucji for three nights of friend-seeing and sightseeing, then we’ll drive to Sandomierz. Glenn was introduced to a Polish (Eastern European?) bed anomaly — our double bed had separate duvets for each occupant.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>May 24</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After introducing Glenn to a typical Polish hotel breakfast buffet (everything from cold cuts and fresh veggies to eggs and desserts), we walked to IKO, the Polish language school owned by my friends who were my first Polish teachers, Dorota and Małgosia. Meeting the friends has begun! </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Małgosia told us about a new City of Warsaw Museum. It’s in the Old Town near a spot where you can look across the Wisła River and see where the Russians sat and watched the Nazis destroy 85 percent of the city. Excellent 20 minute documentary on the destruction as well as exhibits, photos and memorabilia. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We found a place for lunch on Stary Rynek (Old Market Square), then took a tram back to the hotel. I debated on a turn and we went the long way to the tram. Got in lots of steps! Dinner tonight was with Hala’s daughter Marta and her family, significant other Łukaś and one-year-old Tosia. Tosia saw a kindred spirit in Glenn, grandfather of two pre-school-aged girls, and they bonded. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGv4TE5qaZldUXhbgNoSDzXpgWQR81VbWZAMikAShJQDV1RB2i3gsbRG08K5LkLYXKX84pF27apWUdfkQeUvxYSaraAcuZRYxIHvwXwqp7Eqn4izemXc83g2mVoO9ChFajyPBB-LBgrrk/s1600/Glenn+%2526+Tosia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGv4TE5qaZldUXhbgNoSDzXpgWQR81VbWZAMikAShJQDV1RB2i3gsbRG08K5LkLYXKX84pF27apWUdfkQeUvxYSaraAcuZRYxIHvwXwqp7Eqn4izemXc83g2mVoO9ChFajyPBB-LBgrrk/s320/Glenn+%2526+Tosia.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Glenn & Tosia</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>May 25</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We decided to skip the breakfast buffet and found a spot for something lighter. Then off to Złoty Terasy shopping center so I could buy a new phone. My vintage Nokia smartphone is becoming more unreliable, and the two cheapos I tried to replace it with had horrible audio quality. So now I am the owner of a Huawei (Android system) — argh! a new electronic thing to master.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Quick “hello” with friend Gina before she dashed to a business reception. We met her at a lovely new wine bar, restaurant and wine store in lower Mokotów, not an easy place to find, plus it was a much longer walk than indicated on MapQuest. Afterwards we had dinner with Dorora, Jacek and Franek at our favorite Mediterranean restaurant near their flat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>May 26</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Piotr the driver picked us up on time and off we went to Piaseczno, the standard intermediate stop en route to Sandomierz. That’s where we buy Bolesławiec pottery at a fraction of the US price even though prices have increased here. Despite my caution about carrying so much all over Italy, Glenn bought a large round baking dish and four mugs. Zobaczymy (we shall see).</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Things were very somber at the Center. Marek’s funeral was today; he died suddenly and unexpectedly. He was the Center’s IT person and an Apple fan. This has been another period of bad news. Dorota’s father died several weeks ago of the cancer he’d been battling for several years. Steve won’t be at the board meeting because his sister died in the UK of her cancer. And I just saw on Facebook that while my friend Oren was traveling overseas on business, her husband also died suddenly and unexpectedly. I need to at least get an electronic note off to her and ensure Steve and others who know Oren get the horrible news.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn and I drove to the farm with Hala, who had greeted him warmly. Michał seems to be holding judgement. Ah, men! We’re staying in the new B&B house. Hope I can still smell my morning coffee wake-up call.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Oh, Hala finally renovated her kitchen, and it is gorgeous. Much more functional and up to date. At the builder’s suggestion, she left the old steel sink; he said she’d never get the same quality in a new one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>May 27, Hala and Michał’s farm in Czermin</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">This morning Glenn was introduced to Michał’s unique breakfast: a very large green salad full of fresh veggies from the garden and a lot of garlic, plus assorted cold cuts and bread, and coffee. Salad wasn’t Glenn’s favorite way to start the day, but he was a good guest and cleaned his plate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Hala suggested a visit to my favorite castle in Poland, Krzyżtopór in Ujazd. This was one of the castles in Michener’s <b><i>Poland , </i></b>and I visited for the first time shortly after arriving in Sandomierz in 1994. The Center staff, none of whom had ever been there, were boggled by my fascination with this castle ruins. Built by the local magnate for his bride who came from the area where I’d been a Peace Corps volunteer, the castle was occupied for less than 100 years because the “Swedish hordes” partially destroyed it in 1655 and the Russians finished the job in 1770. The construction is unique — four towers for the four seasons, 12 long halls for the months, 365 windows (plus one covered) for the days, and 52 rooms including an octagonal dining room with an aquarium in the ceiling and dumbwaiters for bringing up food. It had a heating and ventilation system unique in the 17th Century as was the system that provided fresh water to all the rooms. Eventually I took Hala and most of the original Center staff to “my” castle, and now I got to introduce Glenn to it. And he loved it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tonight we visited Hala’s neighbor Dorota who grows vegetables commercially. She and Hala help each other in their gardens. Glenn took lots of pix of Dorota’s greenhouses full of tomato plants. He wants to share the pix with his uncle Victor, a smaller scale tomato grower.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I enjoyed some gazebo time as well as getting some laundry done. Ah, it’s so nice to be able to hang clothes outdoors on a clothesline.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>May 28</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today we took Glenn to see the area’s most beautiful castle, one that has been pretty well maintained throughout the years, Baranów Sandomierski. We did a short, formal tour with Hala translating for us, then wandered the grounds and had coffee before returning to the farm. This castle is in some ways a preview of coming attractions. It’s described in Wikipedia as a “Mannerist” castle, designed by a famous Italian architect and reacting to and reflecting the “harmonious ideals” of da Vinci, Raphael and other artists of the high Italian Renaissance. Lots more of that to come when we get to Italy!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB_a4qnQ__6hS4rfBiQVO_RSxWvm6Yk10L7Ww3EDagm6BfCbf-yG9QztP6ZDPdKWzV1WVJ75TvvdUTIzzJcflGq0vry8fOqQoYa95nVgQxYlgkTqh6TvWR3ctCnKix6h0uwMbmcn3We_I/s1600/Baranow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB_a4qnQ__6hS4rfBiQVO_RSxWvm6Yk10L7Ww3EDagm6BfCbf-yG9QztP6ZDPdKWzV1WVJ75TvvdUTIzzJcflGq0vry8fOqQoYa95nVgQxYlgkTqh6TvWR3ctCnKix6h0uwMbmcn3We_I/s320/Baranow.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back home, Hala made duck for obiad, then afterwards, Glenn and Hala went to Dorota’s to take more photos, Dorota joined us to play boules (bocce) in the court Michał had built. And of course we finished with an ognisko, cooking the sausage-we-didn’t-need-to-be-eating-but-did-anyway over a fire in Michał’s new fire pit. Another lovely evening at the farm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>May 29, Kraków </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Another new experience for Glenn — riding a Polish mini bus. It was full to capacity, and we were lucky to snare two seats, albeit in the back row. While Glenn had lots of leg room with the aisle in front of him, he risked flying from his seat every time the driver hit the breaks, which was too often. The man sitting next to him was so close Glenn couldn’t get the seat belt attached. Hope we can get better seats on the return trip. At least it was a new mini-bus with reasonably comfortable seats.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We took a cab to the Airbnb that I’d rented in the Kazimierz district. First experience with Airbnb for both of us, and if this is what their flats are like, I’m glad we’re using them in Italy too. Almost brand new, modern, one bedroom, immaculate, well appointed, stocked with clean towels, shampoos and such, and enough dishes and cookware if we choose to cook. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We walked around Kazimierz, the former Jewish quarter, and then over to the Old Town, and I showed Glenn Inga’s flat across from Wawel Castle. And en route to the Głowny Rynek (main square), we passed a McDonald’s that’s where my favorite gyros place used to be. I forgot it was field trip season; everywhere was overrun with groups of wandering school kids.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>May 30</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Too late to get tickets for either of the museums I had hoped we could visit, the one under the Rynek or the Schindler Factory Museum. So, more walking around and an hour-long river taxi ride on the Wisła to cool off. It’s got to be 90+F today. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Rain storm, so dinner was wine, bread & cheese in the flat. Then relaxing with reruns of “Soap” on Glenn’s laptop. Glenn has a sore throat, so good to stay out of the rain and veg tonight.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>May 31, Hala and Michał’s farm in Czermin</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back to Sandomierz on the mini-bus. Bit of nervousness at the bus station as our bus wasn’t listed where the driver told me. Finally found what I thought was the right spot (it was, phew!). We were among the first to board and got seats in the front row, legroom and seat belts! </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn’s sore throat is getting worse, and he had a temp and severe chills tonight. Tomorrow we’ll got to Hala’s local doctor; he may have strep. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>June 2, Sandomierz</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Yesterday early we saw the village doc who said it looked like strep throat. She gave Glenn a prescription for antibiotics because we’re traveling so soon. Also some tablets to help his stomach bear with the antibiotics and lozenges to soothe his throat as needed. The whole thing came to PLN 63 (about $15). No charge for the doctor. Oh, and she pronounced Glenn’s heart, lungs, blood pressure as those of an 18 year old!. He was smiling a lot as we drove into town with Hala. We moved to Hotel Basztowy for the board meeting and related events.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">While I went to my semi-annual Sandomierz mani-pedi yesterday, Halinka from the Center wore herself and Glenn out with a local tour. They climbed Brama Opatowska (a tower of the former walled city), saw the town square, Cathedral, the castle, St. James Church, one of the oldest in Europe. Both came back sweating. This morning Glenn checked his Fitbit. He’d missed his steps goal but did 31 flights of stairs during yesterday. Not bad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today nothing scheduled until the 25th anniversary event starts at 1 pm. We’re having a slow morning of checking emails, news etc. and soon off to breakfast.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">What a spectacular event on a beautiful day in the riverside park. So many mayors and others offering thanks and praise to the Center for its work and Hala for her leadership. Clients set up booths to display, discuss and sell their products and services. Wonderful music. Big white tent with typically generous buffet of Polish specialties like pierogi. Lots and lots of people enjoying themselves. Perfect way to mark 25 years of hard work that’s paying off.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf1cltWwYfuMJau5Xs9TxQQuAm4tutaF-DZ3xAQFva2qeyosKxPm_1knl00opYMQxyYiEfZ9yXE2Sli7p_oxa37QFWrMYuSwLeHsHQgCSVc4mXO-oxXqR4VzW5Z1PyB06TPD7YWkSDafA/s1600/Dobre+trailer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf1cltWwYfuMJau5Xs9TxQQuAm4tutaF-DZ3xAQFva2qeyosKxPm_1knl00opYMQxyYiEfZ9yXE2Sli7p_oxa37QFWrMYuSwLeHsHQgCSVc4mXO-oxXqR4VzW5Z1PyB06TPD7YWkSDafA/s320/Dobre+trailer.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>The kitchen incubator's traveling trailer</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">In the evening, a dinner for the board, staff and a few guests like former board members who returned to help celebrate. I forewarned Glenn that supper would arrive shortly after dinner ended, and it did. He could not believe all the food. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>June 3, Warsaw</b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdzSSaP2v7jrzBbzSNBlz199hRWqCXvk1EBBPMVQ8iTihA4uPDbOF_LA1xVmrg9qdQzWUmu9bIznUEiEAyTK0JOm2vv-3BinOIR9Qp6-riamgm6LqqkLQDLjOW4OKwokOC-UUzqbmkLb8/s1600/Rocking+chairs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdzSSaP2v7jrzBbzSNBlz199hRWqCXvk1EBBPMVQ8iTihA4uPDbOF_LA1xVmrg9qdQzWUmu9bIznUEiEAyTK0JOm2vv-3BinOIR9Qp6-riamgm6LqqkLQDLjOW4OKwokOC-UUzqbmkLb8/s320/Rocking+chairs.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Halinka and Hala enjoy their retirement gifts <br />from the board.</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Argh. I cannot get us checked in on line with Alitalia. Poor Glenn. i am a crazy lady trying to figure out what to do. Plus I’d love to check our bags in Warsaw through to Rome. Probably not possible as we have separate tickets for the WAW-AMS and AMS-FCO flights. I hope 2 1/2 hours in AMS are enough to retrieve and re-check our bags. At least we’re at the Marriott Courtyard tonight, literally a stone’s throw from Chopin Airport, making it easier to be on time for our 6 am flight.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>June 4, Firenze, Italia (Florence, Italy)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We made the transfer in AMS without a hitch and with much time to spare. Good flight on Alitalia to Rome, and we found a train that went directly from the Rome airport to Florence. It was a long schlepp with minimal signage and our limited understanding of where we’d been directed to go; a kind airport staffer told us about the train leaving in 30 minutes. Off we flew.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">In Firenze, we taxi’d to our Airbnb flat where we were met by Andrea, a lovely young man who showed us his flat, then left. We unpacked, then decided to look for food … Sunday in Italy in a residential neighborhood — guess how much luck we had finding food. Not. My map function led us down a weird route, so we returned and used a laptop. My hungry, tired sweetie was not at his happiest. After another short walk, we caught a taxi into the train station and found a nice place that had coconut gelato too. To minimize my ice cream/gelato consumption, a few years ago I limited myself to coconut only, a “rule” that I rarely break. Tonight I didn’t have gelato since I’d had pasta with pesto for dinner, another of my favorites, but I made note of the coconut gelato for future.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>June 5</b> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvs7V8XwjFjmLV23sEHL9t1C6v_7tf768kgKVzh1r01uD4nvZShvdRt6hmHTVLQTW64W-6JPqlVHCxLintbAurzCezDNX0JSVtxtqZ3iix4y2RTEBWharNgqYNIiO_A7AsLq3pCRz8SKg/s1600/Uffizi+on+Monday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvs7V8XwjFjmLV23sEHL9t1C6v_7tf768kgKVzh1r01uD4nvZShvdRt6hmHTVLQTW64W-6JPqlVHCxLintbAurzCezDNX0JSVtxtqZ3iix4y2RTEBWharNgqYNIiO_A7AsLq3pCRz8SKg/s320/Uffizi+on+Monday.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Uffizi on a Monday</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Walked to the Cure area and caught a taxi right where last night’s drivers said we would. But, we were 26 hours early for our entrance to the Uffizi gallery. Oh, well. We had breakfast at an outdoor cafe, then wandered around … walked across Ponte Vecchio and along the other side of the Arno and then back to the Duomo. We weren’t able to get tickets beforehand online … and I’m glad we weren’t standing in the two-block-long line. We went through the Museo di Duomo instead, very interesting. Then to we stopped at Hard Rock Cafe for shopping.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDPK_VV7TnSCU2TAXDjNwkq1Tissz3RbJuiWcD-wOCCBLHK7uXAClGbM7QzOug_0nW0sbrg-kkxWdkFxgQPw634kzKspuF2Jq-QFhdZ7IHS1ph7KgJMfaxz9YmdBoCZ2EwERNR5RvRK7c/s1600/duomo+from+museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDPK_VV7TnSCU2TAXDjNwkq1Tissz3RbJuiWcD-wOCCBLHK7uXAClGbM7QzOug_0nW0sbrg-kkxWdkFxgQPw634kzKspuF2Jq-QFhdZ7IHS1ph7KgJMfaxz9YmdBoCZ2EwERNR5RvRK7c/s320/duomo+from+museum.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>View of Duomo's dome from Museo</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZYROLH_5EgyDZK7VjqKKzNC_NKnobXBk0o15YC2K5m7Xq0uLHtYPlW9XCS_gV8TUatD0gUuDBNqn9D5yPo35_8Kn1GiI-8eN0ZvNDFv-CLHV7p3j1_YY0uIDTPzIUr7wFrXljHFp1aq0/s1600/Duomo+in+Flo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZYROLH_5EgyDZK7VjqKKzNC_NKnobXBk0o15YC2K5m7Xq0uLHtYPlW9XCS_gV8TUatD0gUuDBNqn9D5yPo35_8Kn1GiI-8eN0ZvNDFv-CLHV7p3j1_YY0uIDTPzIUr7wFrXljHFp1aq0/s320/Duomo+in+Flo.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Wouldn't fit entire Duomo into one photo!</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKsJp8beCZtVZS5EgMrplfxXWtkXrdYPz2Z73UKJE-Gl5NwhW9kl6IewsuNQXnwsHb3K0G1iCgKsXKzKGmUqe5yKddKmp8mKsRvM5-wX2LEgX8KSYLix4lOJKyJOWsRivphcq_rIUrRWI/s1600/electric+cars+in+Flo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKsJp8beCZtVZS5EgMrplfxXWtkXrdYPz2Z73UKJE-Gl5NwhW9kl6IewsuNQXnwsHb3K0G1iCgKsXKzKGmUqe5yKddKmp8mKsRvM5-wX2LEgX8KSYLix4lOJKyJOWsRivphcq_rIUrRWI/s320/electric+cars+in+Flo.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Electric cars recharging in Florence</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back to flat on the bus! One leaves from the train station area fairly often and has a stop about two blocks from where we’re staying. Easy, cheap transport.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We found the Osteria that our host Andrea had recommended. It didn’t open until 7:30, so we walked around the neighborhood to kill time. Lovely dinner with a charming server. Between her minimal English and my even more minimal Italian, we got our meals.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn got eaten alive by mosquitos last night, it’s worst I’ve ever seen; his right arm is a mess. No more open windows at night. Curiously I got none.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>6 June, D-Day anniversary</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We took a bus to the train station for free this morning. The driver had no tickets and thankfully we didn’t get controlled. Then we walked to the Uffizi (again) and exchanged our vouchers for tickets for 10 am entrance. Time for cappuccino and a morning sandwich. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We spent three hours in the Uffizi, visiting each floor, the cafe for coffee and finally the da Vinci exhibit.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-sfySD499zRkmfSE36OOr8d001HchACdp9fVaGMZN_CZgN4nz4Y-C5CkDsipRpJCe5OQYRfr3tnh9D6I1XwWKG-Xu0fu0NyJx2srwxAkVsfl0bSYsxH0FTOCKPKtLVJvRssh7IIiDSI/s1600/Venus+rising.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-sfySD499zRkmfSE36OOr8d001HchACdp9fVaGMZN_CZgN4nz4Y-C5CkDsipRpJCe5OQYRfr3tnh9D6I1XwWKG-Xu0fu0NyJx2srwxAkVsfl0bSYsxH0FTOCKPKtLVJvRssh7IIiDSI/s320/Venus+rising.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Botticelli's Venus Rising from the Sea at the Uffizi</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Because rain was forecast and it was getting chilly, we opted for a Hop on/Hop off tour for the afternoon. I love these tours because they give a great overview of a new city, a chance to see a lot and choose what to spend time at. We only hopped off a couple of times, mostly to transfer to between routes. We wanted to see Fiesole, a small, ancient town on the hillside outside Firenze. Glenn got out to take a few pix, but I stayed put; it was cold and windy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The weather had improved a lot in the last hour of our tour, and we walked to the Mercado Centrale area for dinner. Lots of places to eat and one we would’ve enjoyed if a waiter hadn’t been so intent on “selling” it to us. We had a nice meal elsewhere, then home to prepare for tomorrow — Accademia and the David, then baggage and train station. Leaving for Emilia Romana in the afternoon.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-tJGwtYYC5aZhzuawTpMoBh9y_kt_XYKLY3J2kOnQBVAaRR-pDFtSyd14pOawDs_0HxrPq8YyqKPBNL4TYmsJWA35GtfwBGFvXMmqHmW0NPNdqeDsNPpj4U_9h_4jy3U7uI_8lptbHDY/s1600/Flo+from+hill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-tJGwtYYC5aZhzuawTpMoBh9y_kt_XYKLY3J2kOnQBVAaRR-pDFtSyd14pOawDs_0HxrPq8YyqKPBNL4TYmsJWA35GtfwBGFvXMmqHmW0NPNdqeDsNPpj4U_9h_4jy3U7uI_8lptbHDY/s320/Flo+from+hill.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Florence from across the Arno</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>7 June, En route to Reggio Emilia</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">This morning we went to see the David by Michelangelo at the Accademia. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzSfNtXmsxcOzsUYl_zDRIsGuHYZPVuB3vkLM-kaHufsltrkPq12ucu_CRul2-gNAUlYnQqcROBJZmqAM8u9Q1om9ti-a9ZRoWZhKLfHxnuis1bx9eEjv0MOuQpwETHp00oR72RmOp98/s1600/David+statue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzSfNtXmsxcOzsUYl_zDRIsGuHYZPVuB3vkLM-kaHufsltrkPq12ucu_CRul2-gNAUlYnQqcROBJZmqAM8u9Q1om9ti-a9ZRoWZhKLfHxnuis1bx9eEjv0MOuQpwETHp00oR72RmOp98/s320/David+statue.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
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Since that’s basically what I wanted to see there, we scheduled the visit for our partial day. Like everywhere, it was crowded but we could still get some good photos. We got in an hour early which gave us time to lunch at Mercado Centrale. So much food, so little time. Afterwards, taxi to flat, load up and close up, on to train station. Our train was more than 90 minutes late leaving, but we were lucky. Some trains were four and more hours delayed. I sat onthe “table” at the end of a seating section, then finally cadged a real seat for Glenn. We took turns walking around, getting something to drink, using bathroom etc. And we discovered that I hadn’t grabbed Glenn’s camera from the cab seat when we got to the station. I called taxi company; while the dispatcher was nice and took info, it’s not likely to get it back. It was an old one that Glenn hadn’t used since bringing his mother to Italy several years ago; he wasn’t the least bit upset, but I was and am.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Track postings for arriving trains occurs 20 minutes before departure time. Not a lot for us novices. When our train’s arrival was announced, we did a fast run to board … thank God someone was sitting in “my” seat; he looked at ticket and said I was on wrong train. Ours was across the platform. We got off and onto the right train. Phew!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Much later, Reggio Emilia, Italy</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Wow! What a work of modern art the new train station is. It services the high speed trains, which we’ve come to love, as well as locals. Italians are noted for their superior design and this station is an excellent example of that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I’d had been in touch with our hostess about our train delay, and her assistant met us at flat, showed us how things worked; gave us keys. She’s an American who’s been living/working here for several years. This is area from which Glenn’s four grandparents emigrated. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Unlike in Florence, here we’re staying in the center of town. Since it’s a small place, we thought that would be easier. We walked around a bit, then grabbed a quick bite to eat at a small take-out cafe around corner. We ate outdoors next to four locals playing cards.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The flat is very nice with an extra bedroom that has become our closet. Great wi-fi and a washing machine so I’ll do laundry tomorrow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>8 June</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn called Olga, the widow of Adolfo, a relative on his father’s side; they had met on his last trip with his mom and daughters. We will meet her shortly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We ended up spending a delightful day with Olga and her friends. Luciano, age 75, picked us up and drove us to see his motorcycles. He’s a friend of Olga’s and a moto-racer with scores of trophies and at least half a dozen Ducatis. Then we went to Olga’s for lunch. Later Clara and Annibale came over, and we visited in English for some time. Annibale picked a newish restaurant, and we took eveyone to dinner. Now we’re home after an exhausting but fun day.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdQwVBwRPU92tC6biStrSXJgXDOrA948ItO-5GJnkgou9ZwPiI7XIkGGmyVQrgBnp3DhB0hat3Z-w0-2UOB1KkkWMoz-gZl_k4LU_x-rrx0ZvtmV3VuUTQNfZGG3otibZHGPfnp0sBtw/s1600/Luciano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdQwVBwRPU92tC6biStrSXJgXDOrA948ItO-5GJnkgou9ZwPiI7XIkGGmyVQrgBnp3DhB0hat3Z-w0-2UOB1KkkWMoz-gZl_k4LU_x-rrx0ZvtmV3VuUTQNfZGG3otibZHGPfnp0sBtw/s320/Luciano.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Luciano & one of his Ducatis</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>9 June</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The day of not finding post office. I followed the directions from my GPS but couldn’t find a street, tried an alternative and after 20 minutes of wandering Glenn had had enough. We returned to the flat. I did laundry as planned; he played on his laptop. Olga picked us up for dinner at Clara and Annibale’s house. This is the best part of traveling — spending time with real people living real lives.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQgw6H0WYZi43KG_bI6JW2auoTFm-L4NX4AIXEcGbS4IThEQoEIECJIjpzK0mrAQuXHc9t6m8UH-w9k1B6DO38ibiU6I0DI9_j5xg0tVuZVI_MaTacYSzNRDF-C6gGwRBrE44d-vkLskY/s1600/Reggio+mkt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQgw6H0WYZi43KG_bI6JW2auoTFm-L4NX4AIXEcGbS4IThEQoEIECJIjpzK0mrAQuXHc9t6m8UH-w9k1B6DO38ibiU6I0DI9_j5xg0tVuZVI_MaTacYSzNRDF-C6gGwRBrE44d-vkLskY/s320/Reggio+mkt.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Outdoor market in Reggio</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>10 June, Venezia, Italia (Venice, Italy)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We spent the morning walking around the city, having coffee and visiting an outdoor market. Then took a taxi to the train. I figured out how to find where to stand to board our car on the train to Bologna. We boarded last and stood with all our bags in the space between cars for the 30 minute trip. Then we made a mad dash through Bologna station, up escalator, down hallways, up elevator and out to the platform. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The train to Venezia was on time — hurray! — and we can relax for an hour in our air conditioned car. In Venezia, Glenn negotiated with a porter who wheeled our bags from the station to our Airbnb flat. Our hostess’ husband met us and oriented us.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTgIT_wgVrVebVrQe1q-0bDf98ZhYJbs7hs3lptS8QcL7qlPGUBe_0S-2tvYai7a9FvHwURTULhCCt67uCKRo-M8ccCusU6-ofxapvIip3j0uzO92_uYuYFKDGbPYYgUK48Ifhpnchf7o/s1600/Venice+dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTgIT_wgVrVebVrQe1q-0bDf98ZhYJbs7hs3lptS8QcL7qlPGUBe_0S-2tvYai7a9FvHwURTULhCCt67uCKRo-M8ccCusU6-ofxapvIip3j0uzO92_uYuYFKDGbPYYgUK48Ifhpnchf7o/s320/Venice+dinner.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Canal side dinner</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Dinner in a canal-side cafe near flat: me, fried calamari, way too much food but delicious. Glenn’s pasta also. We walked back to the train station to check on Rome trains. We haven’t bought those tickets yet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Since Firenze, Glenn has acquired more and more “mosquito bites.” They don’t really look like mosquito bites. We Googled and cannot identify what they are. These hot, hot days mean lots of sweat and that make the bites itch fiercely. Nothing seems to help.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>11 June</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Awoke to church bells. We joked about not being able to attend since neither of us is Catholic and definitely wouldn’t find a Methodist or Presbyterian church here. But in our travels over to the Piazza del San Marco, we passed a Lutheran Church! Very crowded on the piazza so didn’t stay as long as we might’ve liked.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBlhFJ2SbVUc_79U5zHwEpe-XPxapQVBUtn17zpoz5q7pVgohaurevoembpjGifWqkMIB_34wlo64i5UQBT8z1ihe7uZUYrk4CaWaCZRT_veBuqLkhRsCC6waevGjYe3iQDfyyIB933QU/s1600/St.+Mark%2527s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBlhFJ2SbVUc_79U5zHwEpe-XPxapQVBUtn17zpoz5q7pVgohaurevoembpjGifWqkMIB_34wlo64i5UQBT8z1ihe7uZUYrk4CaWaCZRT_veBuqLkhRsCC6waevGjYe3iQDfyyIB933QU/s320/St.+Mark%2527s.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>St. Mark's in Venice</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">We returned to the train station to buy our tickets to Rome, a longer trip so we upgraded a little.</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We had dinner at another restaurant near the flat, excellent food again. We have not had a bad meal yet, and great house wines.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today walked more than 7 miles … and that’s close to our average most days on this trip. We’re also eating only two meals most days, so maybe I won’t have added 10 pounds despite all the gelato and pasta!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>12 June</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The Penguins won Stanley Cup again. Hurray. We’ve been following their progress despite the time zone differences. Oh, and per Glenn’s cousin Donald’s request and gift of a “Steelers Country” banner, we have been taking pix in each location with the banner and one or both of us. We Pittsburghers support our teams!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_vCSpVoXMgqiTNMRKHMzh7gnB3Li9GmkzysFqjaIiwZFRQOfqNUr4fT3z9M0P6RyBsqG4O0hf2zV1KJM7fN1jlpVMWM0x66_QLV5mQl7Pv1rGbrNm3etGRoQfUJKTRY_JMJc6E9cw_0/s1600/Steeler+country.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_vCSpVoXMgqiTNMRKHMzh7gnB3Li9GmkzysFqjaIiwZFRQOfqNUr4fT3z9M0P6RyBsqG4O0hf2zV1KJM7fN1jlpVMWM0x66_QLV5mQl7Pv1rGbrNm3etGRoQfUJKTRY_JMJc6E9cw_0/s320/Steeler+country.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Venice is Steelers' Country!</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After a leisurely breakfast, we caught a water taxi to Murano Island. We walked around the town, then stopped to watch a glass blower in his studio. More walking, then shopping in the famous Murano glass factory. Many gifts were purchased but all are small and easily carried. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back on the main island, it was time for a gondola ride. I was reticent because of the outrageous price (80 euro for half an hour), but Glenn said we couldn’t leave Venice without this … and of course, he was right. Our gondolier took us off the beaten path into small side canals that were so quiet you’d not know you were in Venice, and cool after all the heat and humidity earlier. Glenn posted our photo on Facebook.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZNXHJXxuAEvXFjposrO5Hw_Djc7JBAvtXJkAvb4jB3zBXvziKP17vmtzCN_A1JjNlMxWRxgPT5zwbpWxdMvhT2blOMl8PuUI20XVEiqDouIZMwOnToMxqOIdOhTd6iBEhvhSAia5yuF4/s1600/gondola.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZNXHJXxuAEvXFjposrO5Hw_Djc7JBAvtXJkAvb4jB3zBXvziKP17vmtzCN_A1JjNlMxWRxgPT5zwbpWxdMvhT2blOMl8PuUI20XVEiqDouIZMwOnToMxqOIdOhTd6iBEhvhSAia5yuF4/s320/gondola.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Gondola rides may be obligatory<br />& expensive, but they are also<br />fun & romantic!</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Before we went back to the flat, Glenn found a porter to come to flat in morning and schlepp our suitcases to train station.</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">An evening of relaxation — another marvelous dinner, then a bit of wandering to find my BAH colleague Remer’s favorite place, Cafe Remer. No luck.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTNqLZMJrTv0iuyDapobeo4mnl3LbKmUA3_T-sevxfAhn1gfJwjGB7sHSSPnPx1sGoEU4MsDBLpoqAbEsnWimuabWcYmQVBKvDgigUHQDaw2O6asPqKgRw4Xe3_4c12L2F_kdx2Kmlr9s/s1600/baggage+in+Venice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTNqLZMJrTv0iuyDapobeo4mnl3LbKmUA3_T-sevxfAhn1gfJwjGB7sHSSPnPx1sGoEU4MsDBLpoqAbEsnWimuabWcYmQVBKvDgigUHQDaw2O6asPqKgRw4Xe3_4c12L2F_kdx2Kmlr9s/s320/baggage+in+Venice.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our Venetian porter</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>13 June, Roma, Italia (Rome)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Suzi, you aren’t in Venezia any more. The Airbnb we rented is even lovelier than the last one, but the outside world … let’s just say trash is not picked up every day in Rome as it is in Venice. In fact, the dumpsters on our street are overflowing onto the street and sidewalk. But we have air conditioning! What a treat after being in the sweltering heat and humidity of Rome today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We found a restaurant for dinner in the neighborhood but arrived too early; it didn’t open until 7:30 pm. Very common here for eateries to close at 3 or 3:30 and re-open later. So we walked around a bit, then returned to excellent food and great cheap house wine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>14 June</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I’m totally exhausted and somewhat “art-ed out” for today. The “skip the line” tour of the Vatican Museums that we booked was fantastic. Our guide was a great story teller, excellent cat herder, and very knowledgeable with a bit of humor tossed in. Much as I dislike organized tours, this was well worth enduring the temps and crowds to see the Rafaels, Michelangelos et al. Our guide showed us where the painters had added themselves, competitors or enemies into their works. A tidbit I was not aware of. The Pope had finished his Wednesday audience in St. Peter’s so we were able to go inside before departing. In St. Peter’s Square I spotted a post office trailer — and finally got stamps to mail cards to my kids’ list.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoaYuhPjBhVKVVcI7UE_cfmJOvq8GtioLa9YbD5DkJTU8PMBA5H8MGVOJAfr0F2eG682y4YaY1imVh3_1Bu9SxrLJeX0sWciGgeVisL5DQHs_LASiBMcN6puCMadOgkK-6v47S57T_xUA/s1600/Jan+III.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoaYuhPjBhVKVVcI7UE_cfmJOvq8GtioLa9YbD5DkJTU8PMBA5H8MGVOJAfr0F2eG682y4YaY1imVh3_1Bu9SxrLJeX0sWciGgeVisL5DQHs_LASiBMcN6puCMadOgkK-6v47S57T_xUA/s320/Jan+III.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Painting of Jan III Sobieski, Polish<br />king who defended Vienna from<br />the Moors</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpzGnz0lDf4WmWxr7UKnmstOEBPIPFpfLDsSMjKXCdsVGQIooxtYRuVATgTQnKPQJ7bpRkR7BJ9q1XMrw83PJQLExzT72nFnEtmz3630fbkBmaNla6UHMy2WwhUYr86C3oax99q4x-HAY/s1600/Vatican+tour+guide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpzGnz0lDf4WmWxr7UKnmstOEBPIPFpfLDsSMjKXCdsVGQIooxtYRuVATgTQnKPQJ7bpRkR7BJ9q1XMrw83PJQLExzT72nFnEtmz3630fbkBmaNla6UHMy2WwhUYr86C3oax99q4x-HAY/s320/Vatican+tour+guide.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Our excellent Vatican tour guide</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhBh26xrrC6ytC_LJjz12yvFxwgN8dQ-Kklw9zKlGtKreMifCrVnxVG_MpF14G6mxORfEIEIJ5AG-Pdj8NjgzVqYCmMGTSV58z4zVS7p-KZFXm2wA91HaVDqmVlPHEJZZ_ND6Bm9362CM/s1600/Inside+St.+Peter%2527s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhBh26xrrC6ytC_LJjz12yvFxwgN8dQ-Kklw9zKlGtKreMifCrVnxVG_MpF14G6mxORfEIEIJ5AG-Pdj8NjgzVqYCmMGTSV58z4zVS7p-KZFXm2wA91HaVDqmVlPHEJZZ_ND6Bm9362CM/s320/Inside+St.+Peter%2527s.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Inside St. Peter's</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Afterwards, we took the Metro and went to locate Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. Yes, I made a wish and threw some coins in the fountain. And we found the Spanish Steps, where we meet our walking tour in the morning. Before Metro’ing back to the flat, we had our daily afternoon gelato. Dinner at another restaurant near the flat, more great food and house wine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>15 June</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Up and out for a 7 am walking tour. Given how hot it’s been, I’m so glad it was early morning. Two plus hours with another excellent guide. Afterwards, we had coffee and something to eat, then went to see the Coliseum. Long lines and no escaping the heat even with a ‘skip the line’ ticket, so we decided to stick to the outside. We walked around the area and took pix, then back to our air conditioned flat before returning to our first restaurant for dinner. I wanted to have the stone-grilled chicken that Glenn had the first time. And it was as delicious as he had described.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>View from atop Spanish Steps at 7 am</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpiHcPJDB_2_etQ8P2SULT6FETRx4j9xRd3MbF0zfpnP19U4V_zPF6_mm08xxyQWSPPYge677avHPUtk_rQkl6u0-fiJFUM0WzH06M2PnXSLMPMdA4GaTtDHP0RRM5DztpkTRUGqhWKhU/s1600/Trevi+fountain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1146" data-original-width="1600" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpiHcPJDB_2_etQ8P2SULT6FETRx4j9xRd3MbF0zfpnP19U4V_zPF6_mm08xxyQWSPPYge677avHPUtk_rQkl6u0-fiJFUM0WzH06M2PnXSLMPMdA4GaTtDHP0RRM5DztpkTRUGqhWKhU/s320/Trevi+fountain.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Trevi Fountain, and yes, I threw <br />in a coin & made a wish</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6yQKQ-FPDt1uknMt4QBC6MP7lQmC18lgacHeHC6R_CTpxgsYzUzZNHph1uXrD9_nAK4Pq4xd7fL5fTS3DKS-Q4ULv36ws8fKWWRnn3cPS5NbdueZd0sGWPdPrcx4pbkB_IIe-1YqPmJk/s1600/Pantheon-Rome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6yQKQ-FPDt1uknMt4QBC6MP7lQmC18lgacHeHC6R_CTpxgsYzUzZNHph1uXrD9_nAK4Pq4xd7fL5fTS3DKS-Q4ULv36ws8fKWWRnn3cPS5NbdueZd0sGWPdPrcx4pbkB_IIe-1YqPmJk/s320/Pantheon-Rome.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Pantheon</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWeb7tSsGfuPR_HFhS8UlIl_0nb_bKRuy6OKxPu3AqLjhu1G8AilfjGfVwrP9zyzUQ779ZWDEQnzDVyXKOl2zLAERksl49Zy6jRH_nfYhkh4riycqHGuiMvXaf844sdd3fe1EGn34PR0c/s1600/Pope+graffiti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWeb7tSsGfuPR_HFhS8UlIl_0nb_bKRuy6OKxPu3AqLjhu1G8AilfjGfVwrP9zyzUQ779ZWDEQnzDVyXKOl2zLAERksl49Zy6jRH_nfYhkh4riycqHGuiMvXaf844sdd3fe1EGn34PR0c/s320/Pope+graffiti.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Graffiti in Rome</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSh73ujYT5VkqqoWhOUbKlPGw6Kkq1nz4QPEUb2QVl2G3gTKiNK5PVun6NzMyeFhPQVhr01eEeTMvUa3jlJiLfoLnvg_zgkTkg8wFJoHs6NsV5dd6iSbpJ5FKkIy6Qr-bup92zqC1QQZA/s1600/St.+Peter%2527s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSh73ujYT5VkqqoWhOUbKlPGw6Kkq1nz4QPEUb2QVl2G3gTKiNK5PVun6NzMyeFhPQVhr01eEeTMvUa3jlJiLfoLnvg_zgkTkg8wFJoHs6NsV5dd6iSbpJ5FKkIy6Qr-bup92zqC1QQZA/s320/St.+Peter%2527s.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Looking at St. Peter's</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmbfrNwUOe-r43gFIoqGR2u_hoKehNTwNaBAuvmR6Ti-Zx1e6uEVm6pj6mNn_LA_mGqD3j_9KeqhyphenhyphenJh6Rgc28WheIXdJCbatahsthe-FVB8rY2wC5YdYslPi9BF2QoSRWKDGDxSd-F41I/s1600/Colloseum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmbfrNwUOe-r43gFIoqGR2u_hoKehNTwNaBAuvmR6Ti-Zx1e6uEVm6pj6mNn_LA_mGqD3j_9KeqhyphenhyphenJh6Rgc28WheIXdJCbatahsthe-FVB8rY2wC5YdYslPi9BF2QoSRWKDGDxSd-F41I/s320/Colloseum.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Too hot to tour the Coliseum -- no a/c!</span></i></b> </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirCWHcdz2oxYZi4ba6u0VrSRTYDohkUDo-k-jwPkOBYiVNQXWKk_V3pBdX5Hhy_9_bvF7NoBYkdwR0-7SMC7ypjXEh3TJdtGVeottAQQC6-23whBPBVbT_2XMNGugdj6y0TWp9C3ug2Y0/s1600/gladiators.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1223" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirCWHcdz2oxYZi4ba6u0VrSRTYDohkUDo-k-jwPkOBYiVNQXWKk_V3pBdX5Hhy_9_bvF7NoBYkdwR0-7SMC7ypjXEh3TJdtGVeottAQQC6-23whBPBVbT_2XMNGugdj6y0TWp9C3ug2Y0/s320/gladiators.jpg" width="244" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sneaked a pic of the Coliseum <br />centurions who ham it up &<br /> charge for photos</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Just got a text from our host. He cannot reserve a taxi for us to get to the airport. A public transportation strike has been called for 8:30 tomorrow morning. He said to call in the morning, an hour before we want the cab to arrive. He sent along the phone number and how to order the taxi in Italian. Oh, joy, oh rapture, a new challenge.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>16 June</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I woke up at 4 am and Glenn was already dressed. Like me, he doesn’t sleep well before a flight … and we’re both nervous about getting to the airport. At 6:05 I steeled myself, practiced my Italian taxi-ordering script and called. After listening to a recorded message several times (I understood about five words), a woman finally came on with, Buon Giorno.” I said my piece and her rapid response made no sense, then she was gone and no music. Had she hung up? A moment of panic before another, male, said, “Buon Giorno.” I replied in English that I’d ordered a taxi. He said, “Yes, it will be there in three minutes.” I shouted to Glenn to get out there now. Thankfully we were on the ground floor and near the entrance. The taxi was at the curb when Glenn got there. By 7 am we were at Fiumicino Airport for our 2:30 pm flight.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Since I hadn’t heard from my friend Ana, I booked a hotel near the Amsterdam airport for tonight. I figured something had come up and she’d forgotten about our return visit. And since I always have trouble with airport Internet, I wanted to do everything that needed doing on line before we left the flat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later, Amsterdam, Holland</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Long day but ended very nicely, but I’m in the dog house. Ana and Art were planning on hosting us at their apartment. Ana has a new phone and thought she’d replied to my message but it hadn’t sent. Ah, well. We had a relaxing dinner with them at a Dutch restaurant they like. Now to bed. Tomorrow we return home. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_GYTVpe8yKHUgztYw4S_WxTajzlY920KVhLQVxT8f_X0vwtY0vSTIScSEkEkzbQ-R-rhpjQIWbVMJoRPf9rgOfkFCN0Xy_6-K1F0UNDDOymTAtC8Xry2sysBR8v_sK_LjKQ2bhnGwOE/s1600/with+Glenn+in+AMS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_GYTVpe8yKHUgztYw4S_WxTajzlY920KVhLQVxT8f_X0vwtY0vSTIScSEkEkzbQ-R-rhpjQIWbVMJoRPf9rgOfkFCN0Xy_6-K1F0UNDDOymTAtC8Xry2sysBR8v_sK_LjKQ2bhnGwOE/s320/with+Glenn+in+AMS.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Canal side dinner with Ana & Art in AMS</i></b></td></tr>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-align: center;">17 June</b></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Glenn is really great at airport sitting.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Hurray.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Like me, he hates being late and rushing.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">So, we took the 10:30 van back to Schiphol for our 3:15 flight homeward. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We are boggled by how KLM, Alitalia and Delta handle baggage. Makes no sense when they decide to charge us and when not. For example, in AMS, Alitalia didn’t charge us for our checked bags; in Rome they did … and Glenn had to repack his carry on. Even with all that pottery from Poland in a backpack he bought in Florence, his carryon was too heavy. I guess if we could figure out airlines we’d have a whole new consulting career ahead of us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Later, Minneapolis MN USA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Uneventful flight with “comfort” seats offering decent legroom. Back at my place, we reorganized Glenn’s suitcases and sorted gifts, then dined at Nicollet Cafe on the burgers and fries we were both craving.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>18 June</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We drove out to 24-hour Perkins for breakfast before heading to the airport. Yes, we were early. It’s going to seem so strange and lonely without my sweetie around every day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">In the afternoon I went to the season finale Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus concert with friend Jan. And tonight I talked to Glenn — as soon as his flight landed in Pittsburgh, a thunder-and-lightning storm started, delaying baggage removal for 90 minutes. He was still driving home when I called him. Now I’m crashing — walking with Linda at 6:30 tomorrow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>22 June</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Just got a FaceTime call from Alijah, my nephew Craig’s four year old. No Craig in sight, and I asked where he was. Alijah said he couldn’t find his dad. I was sure Craig was around and suggested perhaps he’d gone into the bathroom. Alijah walked around until he found Craig — in the bathroom — and proceeded to show him sitting on the toilet. With admonitions from both Craig and me, Alijah finally closed the door, and we talked a while more before he disconnected. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkpaZxHEDjVEq3f3JDpGnwmzXEP03lay2PxPBHrZQdBHwODP8icPBNnTxRryXj9wqB_UzrTshkJFKWKMptz-KLZ2IsyiJR-NuyxbYq1xAebD0Yx071VPDPw5z4MReiXrndMLfNxNKZEJA/s1600/with+Alijah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1585" data-original-width="1600" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkpaZxHEDjVEq3f3JDpGnwmzXEP03lay2PxPBHrZQdBHwODP8icPBNnTxRryXj9wqB_UzrTshkJFKWKMptz-KLZ2IsyiJR-NuyxbYq1xAebD0Yx071VPDPw5z4MReiXrndMLfNxNKZEJA/s320/with+Alijah.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Alijah & I at breakfast.</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>27 June</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back to my “bad” habit of eating out, but it’s such a wonderful way to stay connected with friends. On Thursday, Jan and I learned about the possibility of Sue buying a winter place in Peoria, AZ. Friday Maryanne and I finally managed to catch up over lunch, and she lives across the hall! Saturday brunch with my niece Tomery got me a bit more background on her sweeties Clint; aunts can ask leading questions! Later I had dinner with my sister Barbara. And today Craig, April and the boys came into “the city to see Aunt Suzi,” per Alijah. We went to the Pride Parade for a while, leaving quite early as it was stalled due to picketers who objected to parade organizers allowing the police to take part. Afterwards, we drove over to Uptown for the Food Truck Festival, and April, Jaiden and I pigged out while Craig stayed with Alijah who was too tired to handle the overcrowded streets. Sunday was my last Book Club meeting. I’ll miss this lively, opinionated group that Pam introduced me to. Tuesday lunch with Marilyn, who’s off on the Baltic Sea cruise in a few days, and coffee with Mary who still works part time at an ad agency. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Oh, last Friday, Glenn installed Skype on his uncle and aunt’s laptop, as we prearranged. Then, he, Victor and Louise called me so Louise could open her earring gifts from our trip with me present. She liked all three pairs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>25 June</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Saying "good bye" to my book club. I've had spotty attendance at best, but they have been fun and supportive and a wonderful group to get to know. I hope I can find something similar in PA.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiepBy7ySwotJUNJu85tcxKQ_-tK_2vywBezAy3yZE5qE-ohb9rO_Wmu0oMa2IBGMgoLLFvvFxFsD51VPRWjqZ8AceqYgak76CEC5Ya9bfbl22FBW-OGOQWm5a64ce49ITfVUkqgq60kqg/s1600/Book+club.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiepBy7ySwotJUNJu85tcxKQ_-tK_2vywBezAy3yZE5qE-ohb9rO_Wmu0oMa2IBGMgoLLFvvFxFsD51VPRWjqZ8AceqYgak76CEC5Ya9bfbl22FBW-OGOQWm5a64ce49ITfVUkqgq60kqg/s320/Book+club.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Book Club at Nan's</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>29 June</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">What a wild couple of days! Yesterday I picked up my college roommate Marilyn and her significant other Norman at the airport, showed them a bit of the city, spent some time relaxing and chatting here and at dinner in my favorite Greek restaurant, then deposited them at the train depot in St. Paul. They were en route to their place in Montana. Always fun to see them, and I promised to bring Glenn to the Eastern Shore to visit them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today it was lunch with Marilou at my favorite Perkins, then off to Temple Israel with Judy to hear Thomas Friedman, the <i>New York Times</i> columnist who’s from and stays connected with St. Louis Park. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>30 June, “Career Day”</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today was the fourth annual Suzi-and-Maryanne-Clean-Their-Storage-Closets event and like several in the past, it was hot. Maryanne and I motivate and help each other to keep our garage storage spaces in decent shape. once a year This year, as part of my major sorting and tossing, I threw away my career. Yes, you read that correctly. I threw out boxes of samples of annual reports, articles, speeches, brochures, minutes from Center Board meetings, diaries and calendars and notebooks. Lots of old photos went too. All into the dumpster, save a few samples and photos for my “funeral box,” should my survivors choose to use them. No more job hunting: I am officially fully retired. Scary on one level, but freeing on another. All set for the next stage of my life. Look out, Glenn!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">In keeping with the "clean up" theme, a couple of photos from the trip. My European friends think Americans are obsessed with bathrooms. We insist they be clean and operational and that the TP doesn't cause bleeding. While traveling, Glenn and I became fascinated with how garbage was handled -- stored underground in Amsterdam, collected daily in Venice, unmentionably badly in Rome.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Garbage barge collecting and stashing garbage <br />canal side in Venice, a daily occurrence</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trash is collected below street level in Amsterdam,<br />then a crane lifts the container into a truck.</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>1-16 July 2017, Minneapolis MN USA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Sort, toss, pack, repeat ad naus. That’s July so far and into the foreseeable future. Moving is not fun! Talked to many movers from near and far. Not sure if some of the Chicago ones were legit although they were friendly and helpful. One local mover suggested that I get a U-Haul Pod, something totally unfamiliar to me, or that I could get everything into the smallest U-Haul truck. If I went either of those routes, he offered to pack and load the pod/truck for me. My new landlord identified someone to unload in Pittsburgh.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After many calls and much thought, i decided there was no way to leave a pod on my street in the highest car-theft neighborhood in the city … and where my niece’s car was broken into several times when she lived here. I was skeptical about getting everything into the truck despite reassurances from Glenn, U-Haul and the mover. For my peace of mind and ease of move, I decided to bite the bullet and hire the helpful local mover. I knew he was on vacation much of June (we’d talked in May), so I didn’t email him until July 1. He replied that he’d call “tomorrow,” Sunday, so I replied, recommending afternoon or evening as the best times. And that was the last I heard from him. I emailed. Nothing. Left voice mails. Nothing. In the meantime I went to U-Haul and scheduled a truck, talked to the guy in Pittsburgh and started sorting, tossing, packing myself. Alexandra, the manager, her colleague Tommy and their crew at U-Haul were fantastic as I ventured in with questions, purchased boxes, tape and such. Tommy recommended a local firm to load the truck for me, Alexandra gave me an extra day so I can pick up the truck on Saturday night, 29 July because the loaders are coming between 7 and 9 am on 30 July.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>16 July</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn arrived today. Hurray! I am calmer already. We had a couple of hours before we needed to drive to Northfield for dinner with my friend Lois. We started talking about ancestry hunting, and I mentioned my interest in my paternal grandparents’ immigration. Glenn’s as on good computer keyboard at the ancestry site and Liberace was on the piano keyboard in Vegas. One thing led to another and we found my dad’s name in the McKeesport High School yearbook — 1933, his sophomore year and last in school. Glenn wondered if any of his relatives were at MHS that year … and we found his dad on the same page as mine. His dad also left school after that year. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tomorrow we walk Lake Harriet with Linda and have breakfast at the bandstand. I’m going to miss those walks. Maybe I can find someone to walk in Frick Park with.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>18 July, Jean’s cabin near Side Lake MN</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Another traveling adventure. County Road 5 was closed, the signage was bad and I didn’t understand Jean’s minimalist directions for a detour. So we ended up touring the Superior National Forest, complete with a very long dirt road, and coming toward our final road to Jean’s from another direction. But we made it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">While Glenn tended the charcoal, Jean told me it seemed like he’d been part of the family forever.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>25 July, Minneapolis MN</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">A week has passed. Glenn and I had a relaxing time with Jean and Lisa. Played tourist and took him to the “world’s largest open pit iron mine,” soon to get larger. Three years of prep work before the visitor’s center area becomes part of the mine operation in 2018. Of course, we took him to Hibbing for walleye at Grandma’s in the Park (best we’ve had, Jean declared and I agreed).</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Much walking and sighting of deer. Jean and Glenn saw seven on an evening walk after we arrived.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Overnight in Grand Rapids, a place I’ve only driven through. Visited the Judy Garland’s childhood home and Wizard of Oz Museum. Had dinner outdoors at the Pickled Loon Saloon beside a waterway into Pokegama Lake. Breakfast with Anne, from my TSPC days, and her husband Peter; they are moving to Minneapolis shortly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Friday was meeting the Brainerd Hagens — David, Heidi and kids and John, Heather and girls joined us at Steve and Elyse’s for dinner. Both Sam and Johnny are on Little League teams that are playing in national tournaments shortly, and of course in different states with overlapping time frames. Evie is still playing basketball. I hadn’t seen Hazel yet and she’s almost 1; Ruby’s had her second birthday. All in all, great fun to see everyone. I’ll miss them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Weekend — had lunch with my sister at a new small cafe, Byte. Different stuff and very good. I had a taco salad with chicken mole. Glenn and I walked there and back, about five miles round trip! More packing, taking to charities etc.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Sunday evening I made separate daily lists of “must do’s” and taped them to the front door. We have our marching orders as we slide toward moving day, next Sunday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Monday was breakfast at Curran’s with Randy of the Brunch Bunch. Lots of catching up on his Rick Steves’ trip to Europe and our trip to Poland and Italy. BB has had so many deaths that it stopped functioning a while back. But I will always have fond memories of that supportive, fun cadre of folks who joined and left as their lives changed, as mine did. Sundays are the hardest days for singles, and worse in foreign territory. So I started brunch groups when I was in the Balkans. Perhaps I’ll do the same in Pittsburgh …</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Incredible sweet potato enchiladas made by Jan were Monday dinner, along with strawberry shortcake and good conversation. Glenn requested and received the recipe. And we tore up the Monday list by completing all errands and tasks. Yes! </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>26 July</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn asked if I could envision everything fitting in the little U-Haul now that several large things have been removed and others shifted to the edges. Maybe. My friend Barb took two three-shelf cubes, the IKEA rocking chair and auto drip coffee pot for Bridging, Tomery enlisted two of her trainers to take Mom’s cedar chest to her condo, I took several bags to Salvation Army, and Glenn moved furniture around. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Two “minor” mishaps. The dryer vent pipe (from dryer to outside vent) has been falling off almost every time I use the dryer this week. Javier, our building handyman, fixed that (he’d spackled and painted several rooms while I was gone). And yesterday before going to Jan’s for dinner I broke a tooth. Nothing major but I made an unplanned trek to the dentist’s office this afternoon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>29 July</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tomorrow’s the big day — at last. Not sure I can take any more sorting and tossing and packing, even with the good help I’ve gotten. But things are aligning — returned from dropping a few things at Janet & Ed’s and there it was, three empty parking spots in a row right in front of my building. My little Focus is now taking up 1.5 of those, so the U-Haul will have a convenient place to park while it’s packed. I am still nervous about everything fitting, but I trust Glenn and he says it will. So …</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>30 July, Portage IN</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">O, me of little faith. Windell and Floyd got everything in the truck in record time. They arrived a few minutes early; I was at the Boiler Room getting coffee for the arriving helpers. Glenn and my neighbor Ryan had already started carrying boxes down. By the time Christopher, Barbara, and Janet & Ed’s son Thom arrived, they were nearly done. I’m kinda glad nephew John didn’t make the trip from Brainerd though sorry for the reason. En route, his truck acted up and required a tow truck homeward. Meanwhile in Minneapolis, we were packed and paid by 9:30. Since my sister couldn’t deliver Stu, her cat, to daughter Tomery until after 10, she, Christopher, Thom, Glenn and I went to Nicollet Cafe for breakfast. Barbara, Glenn and I were on the road by 12:30-ish with Barbara taking first shift on the truck and me driving my car with Glenn.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">It was a long tedious day of driving, stopping for gas, bathrooms, water and good, but we made it past Chicago by bedtime, as planned. Went for some food and got separated in the dark, so Barbara and I ended up in one diner and Glenn in another. We rallied at a Quality Inn and soon to sleep.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>31 July, Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh PA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Okay, we’re really at Glenn’s house in Mount Pleasant because I cannot get the keys for the flat until tomorrow and cannot move in until Tuesday when another moving team will schlepp my furniture and boxes up to the third floor, no elevator. But we’re here. We made it!</span></div>
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<i>My new home:</i></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-style: italic; text-align: center;">6350 Forward Avenue</span></div>
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Pittsburgh PA 15217<br /><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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Hello All from Suzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671732878857293499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9006197434431279213.post-29022020869870653062017-05-17T17:29:00.001-05:002017-05-17T17:29:24.305-05:00<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Synchro LET'; font-size: 36px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">Time marches on …</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Busy is no excuse, but busy is what I’ve been. Hence, no blog posted for March or April. So here I go … and hope my memory is accurate!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>March 7, Mount Pleasant PA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The month started with my sister Barbara, nephew Christopher and I flying off to Pittsburgh for a weekend of Penguins hockey. We planned this trip way back in early September and at the time, I invited Glenn to join us. One of my bold attempts to get to know him again. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn picked us up at PIT and before we deposited Barbara and Chris at the William Penn Hotel, we all went to Primante’s in the Strip District for a late lunch/early dinner. Primante’s is famous for its Pittsburgher, a huge beef patty with the works including fries between the buns. It’s a hangover from the days when workers didn’t have much time for lunch and wanted a hearty, easy to eat meal. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Friday morning I finally met Glenn’s younger daughter Jennifer and her two-year-old Emma. Both that Jennifer and Chris’ Jennifer are called Jen, so not sure how I’ll differentiate. Hmm. Friday night we saw the Pens’ win, always fun. Chris had asked if we could visit “the township,” the area of Alleghany County where my siblings, Glenn and I grew up. Glenn accommodated the request with a wonderful tour of sights, including the old homestead which is looking a bit worse for the wear. Oh, and someone erected a wooden fence around the back yard! No more sledding back there … and I’ll bet no more sledding down Everglade Drive, our street, with or without a lookout at the crossroads.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Sunday was another winning day for the Pens and for Chris. Glenn had gotten his cousin’s box for the hockey game, and it includes three tickets. We took his Uncle Victor with us and after the first period, I traded seats with Chris so he could watch from the box … and answer all of Uncle Victor’s Costco questions. Chris participated in an annual Pens’ charity fundraiser, paying for the chance to pick one of 200 memorabilia-filled duffles, including a limited number with a player’s jersey inside. My keen-eyed nephew picked one with a LeTang shirt!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today Glenn, our friend Suzie and I will head to Elizabeth PA for lunch with high school classmates, then on to Squirrel Hill to look at apartment buildings. It’s fun that the class gets together whenever we can.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>March 9</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn and I watched his older granddaughter, Sara, almost 5, today. We picked her up and took her to breakfast, then back to his place. She’s a delight but insisted that I participate in her activities. And I was pooped already, not having slept well (too much on my mind). We played “library” for a while. We had posted the Peter Rabbit books around the living room for library visitors to see. I was the intern, relegated to Sara’s bedroom where I could check email. She has quite an imagination. She “read” one of the books to me, spinning an imaginative story that bore to resemblance to the written words. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tomorrow we’re looking at apartments with two leasing agents, then going to the funeral of our family doctor/Glenn’s mom’s cousin. Dr. Bill was 100. His sons Bruce (our classmate) and Robert and Bruce’s significant other Donna have already held a service in Ohio where Dr. Bill had been living and arranged another in Greenock where he started out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>11 March</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">This morning we attended Dr. Bill’s funeral at the Lutheran Church in Greenock. Robert gave a beautiful eulogy to the man we all remember so well. Two female ministers conducted the service, and as one commented, that was especially fitting since Dr. Bill’s life had been managed by women — his two wives and his office manager. Everyone laughed in recognition. It was freezing cold and very windy, so the burial was short and not graveside.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Later we drove to the Lawrenceville section of Pittsburgh for a walking tour of the neighborhood. Glenn’s older daughter Michelle discovered ‘Burgh Bits & Bites, and she and her husband have toured two neighborhoods. We picked a different one. Our group of 12 gathered at a Greek deli where we met our leader, an elementary school teacher (ideal skills for this job!). At the deli we tasted yoghurt with honey, feta cheese and other delicacies. Then on to a series of local restaurants and a cupcake shop where we tasted their wares. We also visited an art gallery that focuses on local artists. By the end of the tour, we definitely didn’t need dinner. Check them out: <a href="http://www.burghfoodtour.com/">http://www.burghfoodtour.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>16 March, Minneapolis MN</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back home. Yesterday Sara and I went to the nail shop. She had a manicure with a shamrock on each nail, and I had a pedicure. Nice way to spend a snowy day.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz43S9qtDppd-S7EXDVnjxqMlSTSIg0XQaDBVBX0dZpz6qmKogLTbPqlb0IiFSbVuszkIWGedxPyu9VthuGzsG3PejQMWk4G_h6a86bZ86IxYY8AZ0EAbc6kX386QThlqwtPJGvVKanrM/s1600/Snowy+azaleas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz43S9qtDppd-S7EXDVnjxqMlSTSIg0XQaDBVBX0dZpz6qmKogLTbPqlb0IiFSbVuszkIWGedxPyu9VthuGzsG3PejQMWk4G_h6a86bZ86IxYY8AZ0EAbc6kX386QThlqwtPJGvVKanrM/s320/Snowy+azaleas.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Glenn's snow-covered azaleas</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Tonight I went to a Northwestern alumni reception that promised food that I never saw.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Had a glass of wine so I’m glad I took the bus. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> Had a nice visit with one other "older" alum, Sally, that I haven't seen in some time.</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>17 March</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">This morning I went to see Lydia, my nurse practitioner, about my increasing sciatic pain in my left leg. Tried everything from aspirin to Tylenol. The pain got so bad in PA that I called the clinic, then went to the emergency room at their direction. No blood clots or anything, thankfully. Lydia ordered an MRI so we can see how bad my back is. In the meantime, I find sleeping on the opposite side helps.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Now I’m off to St. Pat’s Day dinner with Sabrina, Mark and Christopher in St. Paul.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>18 March</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Several months back Randy, an old friend from the now defunct Brunch Bunch, invited me to the Minnesota Opera. Last year we heard the opera made of <i>Stephen King’s The Shining</i>. This year it was <i>Dinner at Eight</i>. We agreed it was good but had no memorable tunes we’d be humming. The opera program did have a memorable description of one of the actors: “(the actor) was praised in the Minneapolis Star Tribune for his ‘large, ingratiating baritone’” in another production. Randy and I agreed that “ingratiating” didn’t sound like a compliment and could not imagine why the actor chose the quote. Ah, well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Dinner at the Commodore beforehand was fun. That place reminded both Randy and me of our late friend John who would’ve loved the art deco, 1920s feel of the place, as well as the craft cocktails. We were celebrating Randy’s retirement from teaching music to junior high kids (h e was my niece Tomery’s saxophone teacher). Randy’s got the travel bug even worse now that he’s retired and takes off soon for Down Under and later for Europe. Yay, Randy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>19 March</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Friend/neighbor Maryanne and I decided to catch “Real Housewives of Edina, Part II,” having enjoyed the original last year. Funny and well worth an afternoon, but not going to see Part III if there is one. Nice dinner afterwards at Zelo, a favorite among my crowd; we’re all glad it’s open again. So many places along Nicollet Mall are closing because the renovations have made a mess of the place. The Local has a huge sign across the upper front that announces it’s open and they’re playing loudish music into the street.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXqse7NKgZr6tbyRqKzvp8VSZU8jbr7xbn7UwGJRsr0CGpQLkjvov7ajaRIkHrLJk7uGTRctlhlUDLlOatvQ9Ymv-FiSGDiVdoiRgQFyueI5FW0d7Ssm0114x8Rz8wMeyjNg6lMZ5fEbU/s1600/Bfast+with+Craig%252C+family+3-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXqse7NKgZr6tbyRqKzvp8VSZU8jbr7xbn7UwGJRsr0CGpQLkjvov7ajaRIkHrLJk7uGTRctlhlUDLlOatvQ9Ymv-FiSGDiVdoiRgQFyueI5FW0d7Ssm0114x8Rz8wMeyjNg6lMZ5fEbU/s320/Bfast+with+Craig%252C+family+3-25.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Breakfast with nephew Craig and his beautiful family,<br />Jaiden, April an Alijah</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>25 March</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Well, I survived my first MRI on Thursday. I had no idea what to expect and was afraid I’d get claustrophobic, so I took a pill to relax me. I think it kicked in when I got home afterwards. But I could see beyond my feet to the outside, so (like my mom in PA’s tunnel) that made it easier to be confined. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Overall it’s been a busy week of lunches, including friend Cathy that I haven’t seen in at least a year, and today my niece Michelle. Michelle made us a reservation at Young Joni, a new restaurant in Northeast Minneapolis that has gotten rave reviews. And we’d do the same. We shared small plates that were well flavored, interesting and just the right size. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>26 March</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tonight Michelle and I recorded a Podcast with Brett Robert Gebbie who hosts “Inspect Your Elders.” My friend Susan had done one with him and recommended me. Michelle and I had had a conversation about “life purposes,” and that was the theme of the Podcast. It’s on iTunes — Check it out, episode 19.” </span><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/inspect-your-elders/id1056231530?mt=2">https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/inspect-your-elders/id1056231530?mt=2</a></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>27 March</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Lydia called and said I need another MRI, with contrast, because they found “something” undefinable on my kidney. I am trying not to panic; my mother had a malignant tumor in one of her kidneys. After her kidney was removed, Mom needed no more treatment but … Lydia also scheduled me for Monday with the physical medicine doctor to work on my sciatica.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>31 March</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">MRI with contrast over and done. Now to wait ….</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>3 April</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I really like the physical medicine (rehab), and not just because she went into my record and read the MRI results to me (nothing to worry about). She was thorough, thoughtful and easy to talk with. We agreed I’d do a round of Prednisone for the sciatica and see a physical therapist for some exercises I can do. Setting up much more is pointless since I’ll be gone. I see her again after I’m back from PA.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tomorrow lunch with two St. Paul Companies friends Jan and Sue. Jan and I go to Gay Men’s Chorus on Friday, and I’m taking my sister to <i>West Side Story</i> at the Ordway on Saturday. In between, some conference calls related to the changes at the Center in Sandomierz — Halina is retiring, and I just learned so is Halinka. What a hole in institutional memory that will leave.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Coffee on the deck one day ... </span></i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An a couple of days later ... argh!</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">10 April</b><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Had a great time with Alijah today. He spent the afternoon with me while his dad/my nephew Craig went to a work meeting. I took his car seat so we could go to Costco, where he was perfectly behaved. He ate all of the lunch I fixed, and we played car for a while. Practice for Thursday when Glenn and I will take care of his younger granddaughter Emma, 2.5 years old, for much of the day. I leave Wednesday for two weeks in PA.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>13 April, Mount Pleasant PA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I have a new name. We were in Glenn’s living room, Emma was playing, Glenn was on the computer and I needed a bathroom break. Emma noticed that I was gone and said something to Glenn, which he didn’t catch. Then she repeated, “Where’s Gramma?” I am happy to accept the the moniker.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Emma exhausted herself mid-afternoon and curled up on the floor for a nap. We woke her two hours later so she’d be ready for bedtime later. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>14 April</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Lots of shopping and prep for Easter dinner at Glenn’s on Saturday. He hosts the family on Saturday as the daughters go to their husbands’ families on Easter. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC2oDhmN7dtoXyIHIizfwXmNYwchavGqNVCAx9K7GAqIqFT15DifN6tiT-Bg4gRdI9MN6Fsv4qlg72Oc9L7UKNtdvHqw2I9_lvRREZSHGq49qujDF-7j_ag6SAxdoNkpdLKLwie7RUb-E/s1600/Pappy%2527s+girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC2oDhmN7dtoXyIHIizfwXmNYwchavGqNVCAx9K7GAqIqFT15DifN6tiT-Bg4gRdI9MN6Fsv4qlg72Oc9L7UKNtdvHqw2I9_lvRREZSHGq49qujDF-7j_ag6SAxdoNkpdLKLwie7RUb-E/s320/Pappy%2527s+girls.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Glenn's granddaughters Emma & Sara</i></b></td></tr>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">16 April, Easter Sunday</b></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Whew!</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">A very hectic weekend, but good times too.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Glenn’s brisket was fantastic, along with the rest of the meal her prepared.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">The granddaughters got so many gifts it was like Christmas.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Glenn’s younger daughter Jen put together a Barbie Dream House for niece Sara, quite a feat as was getting in home in the car, I’m sure.</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today we were with older daughter Michelle’s husband’s family. Reminded me of holidays at 714 when I was a kid — people and tables everywhere, enough food to feed an army and lots of good cheer. It was thoughtful of Michelle’s mother-in-law Mindy to include us. Mindy does an Easter egg hunt for her granddaughters — dozens of plastic eggs filled with trinkets were hidden in plain sight all over the huge back yard. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzb5NhGW6kMmGdimuhw4PmVXug1D3nIUMX8A8tcnNNXmBYa3KFMcXlOZoRJpMB08hcYiY-5lFLpwRkSYhJCEODgnPHXep8dSjs2nVodjdQW9nAJGGBFCppVWzCw4GM_GXIPI5kFbRqjuw/s1600/Easter+egg+hunt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzb5NhGW6kMmGdimuhw4PmVXug1D3nIUMX8A8tcnNNXmBYa3KFMcXlOZoRJpMB08hcYiY-5lFLpwRkSYhJCEODgnPHXep8dSjs2nVodjdQW9nAJGGBFCppVWzCw4GM_GXIPI5kFbRqjuw/s320/Easter+egg+hunt.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Cousins ready for Mindy's Easter Egg Hunt</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>19 April, State College PA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn has a meeting at Penn State tomorrow; something related to his membership on the board of the Ag Extension Service in his county. So we drove up tonight after taking our friend Suzie out to celebrate her birthday. The restaurant she picked was in Johnstown, where Glenn and I took Sara to a movie a few weeks ago. You may remember Johnstown for its famous flood. The restaurant was at the top of the hillside above the city and next to the incline that brings folks up the hill from below. Not only was the view spectacular, the food was also very good — just too much.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>21 April, Alexandria VA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">While Glenn was at his meeting yesterday, I played tourist in State College and nearby Boalsburg. Had lunch in a colonial tavern/inn, did some souvenir shopping, enjoyed the sunshine and fresh air.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Visited the Military Museum in Boalsburg PA</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">We’re staying with Glenn’s cousin Donald and had dinner in Old Town Alexandria with Donald and his girlfriend Kristin.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Tomorrow it’s dinner with my friend Inga and her new beau, Craig.</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>22 April</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">OMG — Inga has a contract to sell the house! It wasn’t back on the market, but someone who’d seen it earlier decided to make a bid, then accepted Inga’s counter. Hurray!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">PS I like Inga's beau Craig.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>23 April, Mount Pleasant PA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">A bit of trial by fire for Glenn before we left DC area. Madhouse of conversation during brunch with two of my friends Aideen and Regina and their sons Mickey and Roan. Glenn managed very well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>25 April, Minneapolis MN</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Home again, home again, jiggetty jig” — or home for a while longer. I’ve settled on an apartment in Squirrel Hill — one bedroom, not far off Murray Avenue which is the commercial street, easy access to the Parkway and roads to Glenn’s (only an hour away and no security lines!). I will learn to love walking up steps, I will learn to love walking up steps, I will …. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Spring is finally springing in Minneapolis</i></b></td></tr>
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Hello All from Suzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671732878857293499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9006197434431279213.post-43644806850988859692017-03-25T18:34:00.003-05:002017-03-25T18:34:42.078-05:00<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Apple Chancery'; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Some interesting twists along life’s highway ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>2 February 2017, Groundhog Day, Minneapolis MN USA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">And yes, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. Six more weeks of winter. Aren’t we lucky?</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>7 February</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Been busy, lunches and dinners with friends, theater and such, and getting organized for Glenn’s arrival this morning. I picked him up at the Hump (Hubert Humphrey Terminal) this morning. An info fellow saw me waiting and directed me to the doors through which he’d exit security, so I waited there instead of baggage claim. It is soooo great to have him here at last. We had a quiet dinner here tonight because the next few days will be hectic. Tomorrow he meets my family and closest friends, and Friday we leave for the California desert, where my brother and his wife are escaping winter.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Glenn pumps at Costco</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>8 February</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Breakfast at the Original Pancake House this morning with my niece Michelle and nephew Christopher. I picked it because Glenn had eaten at one in Pittsburgh and liked the menu, plus Chris and I meet there often. Then Glenn and I drove around Lake Minnetonka under beautiful clear blue skies and single-digit temp. Poor guy. He’s definitely not used to this weather, but he’s enduring well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Finally at the end of the afternoon, we met my extended family at Punch Bowl Social in the West End — Barbara; Christopher and Jennifer; Tomery; Craig, April and boys; Jan; Jodi, Gary and the girls — in phases as folks completed work and arrived. They all loved Glenn already because they could see how happy I am; now they love him because they see what a wonderful, warm, smart, approachable guy he is. And he held up well, even seemed to be enjoying himself. After everyone left, we walked next door to Cooper for a quieter dinner alone. Could not have asked for a better day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>9 February</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today with the temp at about 3F, I introduced Glenn to the Skyway system. We walked to the nearby convention center, then walked all the way through the parking garages to the North Loop area at one end. Back into the cold, we walked a few blocks to the newish Hewing Hotel for a break. We sat comfortably in the bar, Glenn sipping wine and I, hot tea (me) before we walked home via street and skyway. The evening was homemade beef burgundy stew with garlic toast and packing for California.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>10 February, LaQuinta CA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">What a difference a day makes! We landed to beautiful warm weather and a very crowded Palm Springs Airport. Lots of snow birds! After retrieving the rental car and setting up Glenn’s GPS, I called my brother to say we were stopping for an In-and-Out Burger (Glenn’s never had one), and we would arrive at PGA West in a couple of hours. The burger was as good as I remembered, and the fries — perfect. While we were there, a fellow went up to the order-taker and requested a chicken sandwich and learned that burgers (plain and cheese) are all In-and-Out sells. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We stopped at Target for some meds for Glenn’s cold, and he discovered you pay for plastic bags here now. After we settled in at Dan and Ann’s, we had a quiet evening enjoying the good company, food and weather. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>13 February</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Great weekend in LaQ: Love having my morning coffee outside each day. Heaven, especially since Glenn’s there too. We took a long walk around PGA West with Dan on Saturday. No mountain sheep sightings. Dan said they have been moving between Silver Rock and PGA West where we are. A trip to the mountain visitors’ center included a hike along the entire trail. Nothing had flowered yet but it was a nice bit of exercise. We drove back down El Paseo and saw some bunnies. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKh9zuFhTBOUFSdj3_buy_Db5NeE7uJl1Yf0DSfitpQCQAKbJdsYNwHFpPTjyYnTGKnRwLIWinQ9ixrewg5vEGtYNL34zc5SmWKc2LZ-vc8K0WCNNR8jReytcvs1beDddm8G-M7vZ38zE/s1600/bunnies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKh9zuFhTBOUFSdj3_buy_Db5NeE7uJl1Yf0DSfitpQCQAKbJdsYNwHFpPTjyYnTGKnRwLIWinQ9ixrewg5vEGtYNL34zc5SmWKc2LZ-vc8K0WCNNR8jReytcvs1beDddm8G-M7vZ38zE/s200/bunnies.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Dinner with Dan and Ann and their friends Randy and Helen at Trilogy.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Heaters made eating outside perfectly comfortable.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">How I enjoy all this fresh air.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Later we sat by a fire outdoors at R&H’s, and Glenn heard grad school and travel stories.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Randy also talked so enthusiastically about a book on a serial killer who operated at the same time as the Chicago World’s Fair that Glenn borrowed it. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Sunday Glenn and I took Delli, my Peace Corps friend Bill’s widow, to brunch at the date palm place in Indio. Delli is so hurting and lost since Bill’s death. I need to keep in touch with her. She’s continuing her nursing studies and coping with her niece who’s becoming a typical teenager. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today we drove up to Temeculah to take Dan, Ann, Randy and Helen to lunch. We took the slow route so Glenn could see the metal sculptures. I photographed a road runner that his son-in-law might like. Lunch at Callaway was as delicious as always. We stopped at SouthCoast Winery where Dan and Randy picked up wine club selections. Then we drove to San Diego where we’ll be two nights.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later, San Diego CA</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Having had a big lunch and long drive, we decided against supper in San Diego. But we were still a little hungry. I spied a Ralph’s Supermarket down the street from our hotel, and we walked down there, picked up a few single snacks and checked out with the help of two cheerful, chatty teenaged girls, one at the register and one bagging. The bagger asked what brought us to San Diego, and with a straight face, I replied, “We’re on our honeymoon.” I wish I’d had a camera to capture their faces — nothing short of total disbelief. Then Glenn smiled and she said, “You’re joking, right?” I said that yes, we were on vacation, and we all laughed. And Glenn and I laughed for the rest of the evening.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>14 February, Valentine’s Day</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I wanted to see the famous San Diego Zoo but our trip to Balboa Park, where it’s located, offered other sights too. After parking, we took a shuttle to the museum area and found much to see there instead. We visited the Timken Museum of Art, then I saw a sign for a model train museum. I LOVE model trains, still have my brother’s though I haven’t used it since my late son was a kid. And Glenn’s son in law is also a model train person. We schlepped to the model railroad museum for a look-see. It’s the world’s largest so we easily spent the rest of the afternoon there. Four huge set ups are planned, built and operated by four different clubs. They’re all different rail gauges and depict railroad scenes in the Southwest. A separate display features items that can be purchased — a fire station where a fireman slides down a pole, the garage door opens and the fire truck exits; a working McDonald’s drive up window; a drive in movie theater with a vintage cartoon playing on the screen. And lots more.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI345hOpLE4rS9TFsN3-wZm-90hYOCm6F5Vb98C-BE58TEU4trla4KESc94rqWETNRo8lkT_2Y9w2mNXixqHnq7MW3UFf_KKPwWDEo2WkRObJg5sDxPJXrLGXHq3IIg4mjFNTZF-XFRpE/s1600/trains.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI345hOpLE4rS9TFsN3-wZm-90hYOCm6F5Vb98C-BE58TEU4trla4KESc94rqWETNRo8lkT_2Y9w2mNXixqHnq7MW3UFf_KKPwWDEo2WkRObJg5sDxPJXrLGXHq3IIg4mjFNTZF-XFRpE/s320/trains.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Model Train Museum</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">In the evening, we took a taxi to/from the Italian restaurant in Old Town that I’d booked from Minneapolis through OpenTable, always a risk but this one was excellent.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Food, service, ambiance.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">We sat outdoors, of course.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">After dinner, we walked around Old Town before returning to our hotel.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">My best Valentine’s Day ever!</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>15 February</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Dan recommended the USS Midway and Randy recommended Blue Water Seafood Market & Grill, and before leaving San Diego, we experienced both. We got to the Midway early and explored the adjacent park which has a huge statue copying the famous kiss at the end of World War II and a monument to Bob Hope who entertained troops around the world in war and peace. The Midway is an aircraft carrier that operated for 47 years, though the first Gulf War before becoming a Navy museum. We used our two-hour parking limit to see as much of the ship as possible, and it was incredible. Retired Navy personnel were stationed around the carrier to add details and “color” to the self-guided tour.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Tribute to Bob Hope at USS Midway park</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCSISMxVli_trINLuVYQhyphenhyphenyMOVqGMqyDYmXJDujh8jQPSAXTj54o5jk4bAT62SwUS0tyWQgcsPXd_kH8MJSq-upXOFPBi-mvFaTmucM-MKuGHh9TwmrG92AH50aQ31KoJyWpXKN6y718U/s1600/kiss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCSISMxVli_trINLuVYQhyphenhyphenyMOVqGMqyDYmXJDujh8jQPSAXTj54o5jk4bAT62SwUS0tyWQgcsPXd_kH8MJSq-upXOFPBi-mvFaTmucM-MKuGHh9TwmrG92AH50aQ31KoJyWpXKN6y718U/s320/kiss.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>First a photo, now a statue</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We put the address of Blue Water into the GPS and thought we’d made a mistake. The location is right up against the freeway on a one-way street. Parallel parking was a challenge that I successfully met, and the long line at Blue Water was Glenn’s. He got our food, while I snagged a table. The food was as good as Randy said. Glad we found it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later, LaQuinta</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Dan and Ann’s neighbor invited us all to a cocktail party which we joined on return to LaQ. Then packing and preparing for tomorrow’s departure. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Those are real big horns, not statues</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>16 February, Minneapolis</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">A few months back, friend Marilou and I ordered tickets to hear a favorite author, Lee Child, as part of the Hennepin County Library’s PenPals series. This week I got Glenn a ticket so he could join us today … and in the lobby, we ran into Lynn from water ex. Glenn is handling all of this very well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The talk was lovely — Lee Child’s a Brit which I don’t recall knowing, and Lee Child is a pen name, also a new fact. He’s famous for the Jack Reacher novels, and in my mind Reacher is Tom Selleck in his prime — tall, rugged man of few words and studied actions. Neither Marilou nor I can fathom how Tom Cruise came to play Reacher in the movies. We wanted to ask that question but didn’t get a chance. ugh!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The pen name came about back when Le Car was introduced by Renault. It was a family joke to mispronounce “le” as lee and when his wife became pregnant, the expected baby became “le child,” and a pen name was born.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn missed part of the talk due to an emergency at home — the ceiling fan on his porch was in pieces on the floor, per a neighbor. His daughter Jen checked and no one had broken into the house. She put the piece inside and arranged for an electrician to disconnect the hard-wired fan. Lunch with Marilou at Punch Bowl was a hoot. She, the non-cook, loved getting cooking tips from Glenn, the consummate cook. Marilou likes pickled cauliflower and some other veggies, and Glenn told her how to make those herself easily (keep pickle water and add veggies). </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tavern on Grand was the only restaurant request that Glenn made. He’d seen a piece about its walleye on a Food Network program and wanted to try that out. While we waited for Sabrina, Mark and their son, we ran into other friends of mine, Ted and Mary. We all enjoyed walleye dinners. Glenn said it easily met this expectations. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>20 February</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn flew back to PA this morning after a lovely weekend — dinner at Monello with Janet and Ed on Saturday, Sunday brunch with Susan at Tavern on Grand, and a long Skyway walk and drinks Sunday evening at Hewing Hotel with my sister. The condo seems very empty. Good thing I have lots of appointments. I’m off to the dentist now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>28 February</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">When Glenn was here, I told him that I’d decided I’d move to Pittsburgh in the fall. Needless to say, he’s a happy fellow and so am I. Lots to do to prepare — like rent my condo and find a place there. Life does take some wonderful twists.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Dreaming from Minnesota</i></b></td></tr>
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Hello All from Suzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671732878857293499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9006197434431279213.post-35902413478855915892017-02-21T14:12:00.001-06:002017-02-21T14:12:28.514-06:00<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;">
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>If at first you don’t succeed …</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b><i>I am re-posting November-December because “followers” don’t seem to have received it. You’ll find those after this post. My apologies to those getting repeats.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>1 January 2017, McHenry MD</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">What a wonderful way to start the new year. Good fun with good friends last night, making pork and sauerkraut supper with Glenn and enjoying it with the same good friends today. I’m really glad we decided to join Inga, Benia et al. for this weekend in the Deep Creek area. Tomorrow we drive back to Pennsylvania. Hope we have good driving weather.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ-l-kB28O6hWrr2EdzfqgqQOol6a6Kk4DmWT2HJjFuAedLgtEuBq9fuZijWvuR6Fv5Djf_4v47-UWJVkMaNhrCJ0Z_EoY8eIFDhd8VjAzz0mgJtkqFXHMpOH6ytWMdPMQTDj4UURJa1A/s1600/puzzle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ-l-kB28O6hWrr2EdzfqgqQOol6a6Kk4DmWT2HJjFuAedLgtEuBq9fuZijWvuR6Fv5Djf_4v47-UWJVkMaNhrCJ0Z_EoY8eIFDhd8VjAzz0mgJtkqFXHMpOH6ytWMdPMQTDj4UURJa1A/s320/puzzle.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<b><i>Left, Glenn, Benia and Paweł concentrate on finishing the 1000-piece puzzle. Glenn and Benia finally found the last elusive piece.</i></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgswrweN42RYsYHpyb82OOVNR5Lf_KcumgDv-W3YYyOwhgZ7PKP6vtu2P5FDMtBQe_4P4l-ze5fXGZIMV69WG3uHwepFzvIJFTGg8iyEhzVV8x9L6dZjDyyFt7nKlW79nJIKDLaT2o22-Y/s1600/winners.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgswrweN42RYsYHpyb82OOVNR5Lf_KcumgDv-W3YYyOwhgZ7PKP6vtu2P5FDMtBQe_4P4l-ze5fXGZIMV69WG3uHwepFzvIJFTGg8iyEhzVV8x9L6dZjDyyFt7nKlW79nJIKDLaT2o22-Y/s320/winners.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>4 January 2017, Mount Pleasant PA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">When planning the trip to PA, I talked to friend Suzie about getting other high school friends together. Last minute and holiday time, but what the heck. I sent an email and posted the lunch date on Facebook, and we had 15 people in all (13 classmates and two spouses). We’re going to have another lunch when I’m back in March for the hockey game.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn and I had our official “coming out” to the Class of ’63 since many didn’t know we are dating. We all got a laugh when Eileen said, “But you two have been good friends and in touch all the time, right?” And I replied, “No, we hadn’t seen each other for 50 years.” No wonder this whole thing is so amazing to us and everyone.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>5 January 2017</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Snow coming, predicted to be heavier on the eastern side of the mountain where Suzie lives. So we’re leaving after breakfast to drive over to Somerset. Suzie and I are going to have an old-fashioned hen party, and I’ll stay overnight. Tomorrow Glenn, his daughter Michelle and her family, and I drive to the Farm Show in Harrisburg.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later</i>, Somerset PA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The snow really came down hard and fast today. Suzie and I decided on lunch out and an array of snacks with a movie in tonight. We watched <i>Sully</i> which enlightened us on all the travails of the USAir pilot-hero who successfully landed a plane in the Hudson River with no casualties. It was so lovely to spend a quiet evening chatting, enjoying wine and nibbles with Suz and watching the beautiful snowfall in her backyard.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Suzi's patio looked magical.</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>6 January, Harrisburg PA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">What a day! Glenn met me at Suzie’s at 8. She was shoveling snow as we left.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Suzie shoveling path</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">We went to breakfast, then picked up Michelle, her husband Seth and daughter Sara to go to the Farm Show here. Glenn has an apple pie in a competition, and Michelle wanted to see the rabbit judging. Sara wanted to show me everything at the fair. And that started today. We took her with us part of the day, and it was obvious who was in charge. I gave Sara the hat that I knitted for her, and she liked it. Whew. Tonight we all had dinner tonight at a great steak house. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Didn’t get to see much of the city but the fairgrounds is a big, impressive complex. And the Farm Show is equally big and impressive. Everything from prize bulls and show rabbits to quilts, home canned foods, artisan cheeses and PA wines, and much more. And the food reminded me of the MN State Fair in its range of offerings. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>7 January</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn’s pie made the first cut (no pun intended) but didn’t win. But he was happy to have attained that — top 25 out of 78 pies. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Glenn's apple pie</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My mom would've loved all of the<br />gorgeous handmade quilts.</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">10 January, Minneapolis MN</b><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Nice to be home but also not. When Glenn and I were deciding on the length of my stay, we thought two weeks could be stretching it. It’s been a long time since either of us has had another person around 24/7, and we talked frankly about our concerns. Then it got time for me to leave and two weeks seemed very short indeed.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Glenn fills a jug</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Yesterday we drove up to Linn Run State Park where it had snowed quite a bit. When we arrived, a couple were filling what looked like at least 50 jars and jugs of assorted sizes, shapes and colors with the icy cold mountain spring water. We drove around a bit, then returned and filled only four gallon jugs, great for making coffee. I remember my parents doing this after we all left home. Mostly when we were kids, we went to Linn Run for picnics, hiking, falling in the creek. I call it my spiritual home, a place I need to visit regularly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">On the way to the airport, today we stopped to visit a high school friend Janet. We talked for a while, met her husband for the first time. Then Glenn went to his uncle and aunt’s house, and Janet and I had time to catch up over lunch. I was glad to see how well she’s doing and hear her plans to attend the Women’s March in DC. Later, Glenn picked me up and off to PIT we went … hours early as en route I learned that my flight had been delayed due to bad weather in Minneapolis. Glenn had a meeting so dropped me; I wandered the airport and had a light dinner there. Flight finally took off at about 7:30, and wonderful “Minneapolis Janet” gave me a ride home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>11 January</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Great day — getting my hair done this afternoon. Hurray!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>12 January</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Maddi, the other PA transplant in my water ed classes, hosted breakfast for the group this morning, and we more than filled her dining room. Nice to see everyone away from the pool and have a chance to talk when we aren’t in a hurry. I took Marilyn to the airport, then drove straight over to Maddi’s, arriving while she was in the shower. Every gracious Maddi, let me in and I read <i>National Geographic</i> while she finished getting ready, then I helped with final arrangements. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>14 January</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Jan and I belatedly celebrated our birthdays at Eastside restaurant tonight. Her choice since she’d never been there, and I enjoyed the food when my sister, nephew and I had been. We got dressed up, and I wore my mink coat. And I had lamb, the best I’ve had in a long, long time. Mmmmm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>17 January</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Before leaving Sandomierz last month, I gave Hala a small padded envelope full of śliwki, chocolate-covered prunes, to be mailed to Glenn the Monday after the board meeting. It finally arrived today … exactly a month after the Polish stamps on the envelope were cancelled. And tonight at the Friends of the Minneapolis Central Library Board meeting, our VP Bob told me that he and Carol had just gotten my Christmas card from Poland, sent a couple of days before Glenn’s package. Talk about snail mail!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Day-brightener & page-breaker <br />photo: Sara and her Pappy</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>21 January</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">On this ugly, rainy, cold day tens of thousands of women, men, children showed up at the state capitol in St. Paul for the Women’s March. That included Marjie from water ex and I. We took the Light Rail both to and from St. Paul, and it was jammed, filled to capacity — and so was the capitol lawn. In both places, any movement was next to impossible; lots of stepped-on feet and pushing in order to move. And yet I didn’t hear an unkind word. No cursing or name calling. No negativity. Just solidarity. Later I saw news on Facebook and heard on the radio about all the marches all over the US and the world, in small towns and big cities, some like DC organized well in advance, other ad hoc. Not a political blog, so that’s where I’ll stop.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>22 January</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">And the winner is … me! I won two items in an online auction supporting the Westmoreland County Rabbit Club. I mainly joined the auction to help raise the bids to support Glenn and his daughter Michelle’s organization. Each item was a basket with two bottles of wine and snacks and treats. After I won, I told them I only wanted the four bottles of wine, and Michelle could pick what she’d like of the balance. And she already took dibs on the chocolate-covered strawberries which wouldn’t travel well. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>24 January</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">In keeping with my 2010 return-to-the-US resolution to broaden my network of contacts and eventually, hopefully friends, I attended a Northwestern alumni mixer tonight. Met some interesting folks, mostly much younger, but a nice way to spend a few hours.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>25 January</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Actually love seeing the snow fall this morning, even if it means driving will be a bit harder. It has covered up all that ugly, dirty stuff that’s piled everywhere.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>26 January</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Dark overcast skies again, just like 18 days out of 26 so far this month, according to the state meteorologist this morning, and a record I could’ve done without. No wonder I feel so tired.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Lots of articles on Mary Tyler Moore, who died this week, especially about the influence of her ‘70s television program that took place in Minneapolis. Mostly written by women, of course, but some interesting pieces from men too. I certainly remember watching every episode of <i>The Mary Tyler Moore Show</i> and having friends over to watch the final one. Although she was a bit late for inspiring my journalism career, she seemed very authentic and her experiences very real, echoing some of my own. And I’d previously enjoyed her in <i>The Dick Van Dyke Show,</i> recalled her legs in the <i>Richard Diamond</i> series and vividly remember her Oscar-nominated role in the film <i>Ordinary People</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>27 January</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Hurray! Sunshine today. What a surprise and relief. These gray days were getting me down.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Ran a load of errands including a stop at Janet & Ed’s to print itineraries and a few other items. Just in case I can’t get my new printer to work. I checked several places and online sites and finally bought one at Costco. I also enlisted their son Thom to help install it. So …</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">At various times my nephew Christopher, Thom and I all had tried to get the old printer to work with the new internet but no luck. Ironically when I was at Glenn’s earlier in the month, his laptop wouldn’t work with his printer but mine would. Now my laptop actually talks to my printer. So I printed my Red Lobster gift certificate. And am ready for tax organization time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>28 January</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back to dark, overcast skies. But lunch in Northfield with Lois and Deborah, a friend of hers, helped raise my spirits. Deborah thinks Lois should write a book about her life … actually I think she could fill half a dozen books. We agreed to look for themes in the many stories Lois has told — I have quite a few already written and now have six or seven DVDs with interviews on her family history that her daughter Sarah made a few years ago. I’m going to transcribe some of those and see what floats out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>29 January</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Sunshine and blue skies today. Hurray. Yes, it’s cold out there but what a treat to see the sun again. Off to Susan’s tonight for dinner and to watch the SAG Awards … welcome respite from organizing income tax documents. More of that to do this week. Yuck.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I am so happy that <i>Hidden Figures</i> won the cast award, and that so many of my other favorites also won. And while I’m not an Ashton Kutcher fan, I did enjoy his opening.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>31 January</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">End of a long, dreary, cold month … no surprise as to Minnesota’s rank in this from <b>Thrillist.</b> Check it out. <a href="https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/states-with-the-worst-winters-worst-us-states-for-winter">https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/states-with-the-worst-winters-worst-us-states-for-winter</a></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lake Harriet</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Repeating December and January 2016 … but without photos</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>1 December 2016, Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam, Holland</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I do hate the 3:14 pm to AMS. It arrives at 6-ish in the morning and I never get any sleep. So here I sit, half awake as I await my Warsaw flight. Glenn, if I didn't sleep last night, does it count as a “sleep"? Time for a walk.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later, Warsaw, Poland</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">As usual, Dorota's lovely mother in law was waiting for me with the kettle on the stove and cake on the table. She left me a key, then returned home. I'm going over to Marta's later to get clothes that Hala got out for me (I still have a lot stored at the farm). In the meantime, Iza is coming over and will get her clothes that she ordered online for delivery to me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>2 December, Einsiedeln, Switzerland</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Smooth travel so far although I am still not in this time zone. Flight on Swiss today was on time, and Federico, Maura's husband, was waiting for me as I exited Immigration. We took two trains and a taxi to arrive in Einsiedeln, south of Zurich, in time for one of Maura's fantastic meals. Cannot get over how much Oscar has grown. He's 11, so it has been a few years. Maura and Fed look just the same. And they have a dog -- an Australian Labradoodle, so Maja's smaller than Honey, John and Lauri's Labradoodle. Equally playful though.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>3 December</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Oscar and a school friend Daniel took a cooking class today at what is called Europe's oldest vegetarian restaurant. We dropped Oscar at the school and left after he had his picture taken in smock and toque. Fed went to the office for a bit, Maura and I shopped. I remember that she's dangerous to shop with -- I always find things I want and buy them! But I stuck to small gifts from Switzerland for the grand-nephews and -nieces. Found KinderEggs for Jonah and Spike but will probably mail those from Poland; the post office is more convenient. Also got post cards for my kids’ list and will need to make time to write and mail those. Since I have Swiss stamps, I'll need to be sure and mail those before I leave.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV20-7riMbOEQerb1DlVRmrO-ZnPvdXdy18GQwGDeZqo3jrn0M9_hnFuYPaLeHYrFDfhA3AJ6Ytg5AtQzxK4LYIkuO8BAdXN6pMxRbYvKBuw-yQj-vfbU8WHCz4W2_jmXJLVBQrkDyiWI/s1600/Chef+Oscar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV20-7riMbOEQerb1DlVRmrO-ZnPvdXdy18GQwGDeZqo3jrn0M9_hnFuYPaLeHYrFDfhA3AJ6Ytg5AtQzxK4LYIkuO8BAdXN6pMxRbYvKBuw-yQj-vfbU8WHCz4W2_jmXJLVBQrkDyiWI/s320/Chef+Oscar.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Chef Oscar</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>4 December</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Such a gorgeous day forces a long walk onto one's agenda. We drove to a spot where we could park the car and hike the hills without traffic. We did a big loop for about an hour -- lots of up hill in the first half, then mostly down hill until just before the parking lot. We'd downhilled farther than we'd uphilled, so it was up again. Amazingly I kept up and wasn't winded. Thank you, water ex instructors! Saw a few farm animals, including a cute baby goat. Heard the sound of a Swiss horn coming from a nearby mountain. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tonight Fed has to go to Italy on business, tomorrow I will go to see Oscar's school at the end of the day. Maura and I will get groceries and shop a bit more, of course.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>5 December</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Oscar and I took Maja for a walk tonight. He showed me how to get to the lakeside path, which we managed despite the rapidly decreasing daylight. Then back up the hill to the side road. At the top is a farm with two donkeys, and the farmer was just finishing feeding them as we arrived. Oscar stopped for a chat in Swiss-German. He is a very outgoing kid and already is fluent in English, German and Swiss-German. The visit to his school was really interesting -- very small with individualized lesson plans for each student. Oscar gave me a tour, explaining the purpose of each room (art, library etc.) as well as of the student's art and other projects. They made a treehouse out of branches.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>6 December</b></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View from my room</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">While Maura took Oscar to school (a 45-minute trip), I had coffee, then walked Maja. I had thought of taking a short walk so I'd showered etc. when Maura returned ... but Maja had other ideas -- she immediately led me to the lake. At a distance up ahead on the lake path were two dogs, off lease, until their owners noticed us. When we met, I said 'good morning' in English so they'd know I didn't speak German. The dogs, including Maja, were pretty well behaved, to my great relief. One woman recognized Maja and said something that included "hund" (dog) and Maura, and I nodded yes. We encountered them again on the upper road and the smaller dog, Ramona, was off lease and determined to play with Maja. Uncertain what to expect, I instructed Maja to "stay" and she did! Meanwhile, Ramona was running in circles, then running close to Maja and retreating until her owner finally arrived on the scene, leashed her and said good bye. Maura was home when we arrived, so we had breakfast and decided on the day. Fed returns tonight.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>7 December, Sandomierz, Poland</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I feel like a vagabond. I walked with Fed to the bus, which took us to the first of several trains and me ultimately to the Zurich airport. Flight to Warsaw was uneventful, driver from the Center was waiting, and we waited for the other US-based board member Steve in the wrong terminal. I'm not sure why Piotr keeps insisting Steve's landing in the old terminal; he's done this before. Steve borrowed a phone from a British woman and called me. Like me in Scotland last summer, he discovered that UK SIM cards expire if they aren't used within a few months. Anyway, it was dark and damp, a typical Warsaw winter day, and rush hour had begun when we set off for Piaseczno, then Sandomierz. It was after 9 pm when we finally arrived here, and since they'd kept the restaurant open for us, we both felt obligated to at least have a bowl of soup. So that's what we did.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Imprezja, where we always stop to check out the latest in Bolesławice (Polish pottery), has an ungodly number of new patterns again. And none of them to my taste. The original designs and those few that followed were crisp, simple, mostly geometric designs with bold colors. Easily mix-and-matchable if you preferred that to a one-pattern set. The newer designs are garish colors and busy with flowers and such. They had some basic pieces in the old patterns (plates, cups, mugs) but not much else. I did manage to find one casserole dish in the peacock pattern for water-ex friend Cassandra.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>8 December</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">What a long day! After breakfast, Steve joined me in a walk to the New Town. I needed to get shampoo and some cosmetics and check out the price of śliwki (chocolate-covered prunes). The price (PLN 33/kilo -- about $3 per pound) was right -- I bought two kilos. Despite the yukky weather of another typical Polish winter day, the walk felt good. We were mostly standing still and eating indoors the remainder of the day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The opening of the kitchen incubator went well. Although standing on solid concrete floors for a couple of hours did my back no good, my heart was raised when I saw a smiling Jadwiga. A former employee of the USAID project that established the Center, Jadwiga went on to a successful career as an entrepreneur. Now she's turned her food-processing businesses over to her kids and in retirement took a short contract with the Center to help set up the incubator. Took a photo with Jadwiga to send to friend Johanna in PA. When Johanna, her husband and kids were in Sandomierz, Johanna and I used to go out to Jadwiga's farm.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">J<b><i>adwiga demonstrates<br />new equipment</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After all the speeches, we had to eat; this is Poland after all. A lovely buffet was catered by the same company that did Hala's son's wedding reception last May. I only had bigos and Polish potato salad, two of my favorites and both excellent.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">From the incubator, we re-boarded our bus and visited three clients who'd gotten assistance from the Swiss program. Guido, a new head of program in the Swiss Embassy, and his colleague Domenika went along, as did several other dignitaries with an interest in the Center's work. Our first stop was an old warehouse that we'd visited once before to see a language and tutoring school. Now a young woman has opened a fitness center that is designed mainly for women (she has one room of equipment for men or really serious body builders). Besides offering work out equipment, yoga and aerobic classes of all sorts, she has an on-site childcare center! Not only does it have all kinds of things for youngsters to do while mom is working out, it is staffed. One of the women from Warsaw was in a swoon -- she said there was nothing like this place there. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">A small, well appointed regional museum in Zawichost was our next stop, then a winery where we not only did a wine tasting, but I bought two bottles (one red for Dorota's husband Jacek and one white for Glenn and me). Both were wines we'd tasted and incredibly drinkable. The red was the most surprising as Poland is not a place to produce red wines and those I've tried before have been plonk. And even some of the whites have needed way more work. But these were lovely and though dear compared with what I'd pay in the US, worthwhile.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>9 December</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Another full day. We had to leave at 8 am for Kielce where the closing conference for the Swiss program was held. Hala said Steve and I didn't need to stay all day, and we did duck out at about 1 pm. Despite head sets and good translators, sitting on hotel chairs for hours is not easy. My rear was numb. So we walked around the hotel which has a few small shops; I bought a sweater, my Christmas present to me. Then after coffee, we returned to the conference to find everyone lining up for lunch. More food was something neither of us needed. Despite a very overcast, drizzling and a bit chilly day outside, a long walk seemed in order, and that's what we did. Kielce has a nice pedestrian mall that started near the hotel, so we walked and talked the length, stopped occasionally to shop for small Christmas things and I found a post office to mail a card to Glenn. We got back just in time for the end of the conference and the long ride back to Sandomierz. Tomorrow we have our formal board meeting, then back to Warsaw.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Halinka, me, Hala, Steve in<br />Hotel Basztowy lobby</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>11 December, Warsaw, Poland</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Rain, rain, go away. It’s pouring which meant no walk after brunch with Ula and Iza at a new spot, Hala Koszyki, another of those old buildings that’ve been renovated. This is now a shopping/eating/entertainment space. And it’s been done beautifully, incorporating the stunning brick of the past with lots of light and glass. We had brunch at a crepe restaurant where Iza and I had crepes (mine raspberry, hers apple) and Ula had American-style pancakes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Dorota’s back surgery was moved to Friday, and she’s already walking! She may come home on Tuesday, but unfortunately I’ll be in Amsterdam. She sounded good on the phone. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>12 December, Amsterdam, Holland</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">A flight to AMS at a sane hour, now that’s something new. I’m usually on the 6 am; today I took the midday. Took a cab to friends Ana and Art’s flat; their car is in the garage. Now Ana’s cooking dinner, with occasional help from Art. I had to take a photo as no one will believe Ana cooks — I didn’t believe it the first time she prepared a meal. Ana is my friend who asked a London real estate agent if it was possible to get a flat without a kitchen since she didn’t intend to use it. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Ana & Art preparing dinner</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>14 December</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Two full days of marginal weather and maximal good times. Yesterday I walked over to De Halles, old railroad barns that were literally falling down when someone had a vision of something useful. They were beautifully renovated into cafes, shops, movie theater. One building has a large bar under a sky light at its center and a couple of dozen 12’ by 12’ food establishments representing the diversity of ethnicities in the city. I bought a lamb tikka wrap at an Indian place, got a diet Coke at the bar, and sat there to eat. Then I wandered the buildings before setting off for the Museum District. Spent the rest of the afternoon at the Rijksmuseum, then walked back to the flat. Definitely made my step goal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today I walked nearly 20,000 steps before I stopped for a pedicure. I went the wrong direction out of Ana and Art’s in search of the Hermitage Museum, recommended by Art. And it was impressive when I finally got there, after almost 90 minutes of walking. Along the way I passed a Tom’s Shoe Store and replaced my old, ruined black Tom’s. At the museum I only did the Catherine the Great exhibit which was fascinating — she was fascinating. Lots of lovers, lots of intrigue. Then lunch and another long walk to Ana and Art’s office. Went through the Asian section as well as the flea market along the shoreline and finally dockside. I cabbed back to their neighborhood and got the pedicure. I was Skyping with Glenn when Art’s son Tom arrived, then Ana and Art. So all said “hello” and invited him to visit. Then we four went out to dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant. I have a Polaroid of us from my first visit, and the photographer returned and I have another of this time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tomorrow it’s back to the USA. Have had a wonderful trip, have been able to Skype with Glenn regularly but it’ll be nice to be back in Minneapolis. Then only 14 sleeps until I go to PA.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>16 December, Minneapolis MN USA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Returned to cold and snow and forecast for even more. So grateful to friend Janet for doing airport duty and picking me up. Return trip was uneventful once we took off. Amsterdam was experiencing a pea-soup fog, a rarity according to Ana. Departed an hour late because of a mechanical problem with a cargo door, unsettling but not much I could do. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After I landed, nephew Craig sent a text about possibly postponing the planned drive to Brainerd due to weather. We’re going to do early Christmas with the Brainerd Hagens. And that’s what we’ve done. I walked to town to get last minute gifts for the grand-nephews and -nieces, then to the post office to mail cards and finally to Susan’s for a short visit. Now I’m home, wrapping presents and binge-watching television programs I missed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>17 December, Brainerd MN</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Chaos, total chaos … and wonderful. That’s what you get with a house full of exuberant Hagen grandchildren, from 3 months to 12 years. Times like this make me so grateful that the Hagens and I have stayed connected despite the divorce. The summer of the separation, my mother-in-law said we’d been family for too long to walk away from each other, and I agree. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Craig, April, Jaiden and I drove up to Brainerd this morning … I slowly made my way over still-snowy streets to their house, then April did the excellent driving that got us here safely and sanely. Alijah was already in Brainerd with his grandparents. We met Craig’s parents, my former brother- and sister-in-law Steve and Elyse, at the Brainerd YMCA where their oldest granddaughter Evie was playing basketball. And quite a player she is. Not only a full-court hustler but a sharp-eyed shooter — five baskets, the most of any player on her team and she’s the only girl!. Rules are loose, no one keeps score and the kids have fun, just as it should be.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back at the house we enjoyed some snacks while waiting for David, Heidi and Sam to return from Sam’s hockey game in Moorhead (John and Evie were already with us) and John, Heather, Ruby and Hazel to arrive (I hadn’t met Hazel yet; she was born in September). Steve fixed a whole ham on the grill and Elyse made the trimmings — scalloped potatoes, pureed sweet potatoes with pecan crust, creamed cabbage (from her late mom’s recipe and one of my favorite holiday treats), pistachio “salad” (another rarely eaten holiday favorite) and corn casserole. Heather made a decadent brownie-peppermint dessert. I need to walk for at least three hours … as soon as the temp gets above zero Fahrenheit!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Once everyone was fed and dishes cleared, the kids tore into their Christmas presents, taking turns and remembering their “thank yous.” Then the adults rolled the dice and picked and swapped from their grab bag. By the time we’d finished, everyone was pooped except the kids who were running on sugar. I went home with Heather and John, sleeping in the “cowboy room” in their lower level. Had to show my PA cowboy all the decorations during our Skype call. Heather is an amazing decorator using mid-century modern, especially comfortable for someone who grew up in that era and decor. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>18 December, Minneapolis</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back in my quiet, empty condo. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I woke up at 4 am in Brainerd; still adjusting to my new time zone. Around 7:30, I went upstairs to make coffee and found Heather in the rocking recliner with Hazel who had some head congestion and needed to sleep upright. I took over and got some quality baby snuggling time, a real treat. Once Ruby was up and dressed, she brought me a book to read to her, so more quality kid time. I sent her photo to Inga in DC because Ruby looks so much like Tosia as a small child; Inga agreed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Many of us went to church this morning to see Evie in the Sunday School Christmas pageant; she was a shepherd. Then back to Steve and Elyse’s for lunch before we Minneapolis Hagens drove back. Now I’m making shopping lists and soup and soon will take off for the store.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>19 December</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today was my annual holiday meltdown, when everything seems to hit at one time no matter how much I think I’ve prepared. Start with the usual: I am trying to do too much and feeling guilty for not doing enough. Every other Facebook post is a friend who’s baked something yummy for the holidays, and in my nightly calls with Glenn, I know he’s baking/cooking up a storm for Christmas Eve. I used to bake lots of family recipes for Christmas, sharing them with friends as well as my family but have gotten out of practice. Next come the losses that are more vivid during these family-oriented holidays — firstly people: my son in the main but also my parents, Granny and extended family, notably Karen, my NU roomie and KD pledge mom, and the other Karen, another roomie and sorority sister, Brunch Bunchers John, Suzanne and Sharon. And the loss of what isn’t but “should” have been, like fighting with my ex over who gets the grandkids for the holidays and visiting my aged parents. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">And then, there’s the one really good change that’s occurred in my life, starting a relationship with a wonderful man. Long distance, no less. How’s that for stress. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I did what works best for me on days like this — got it out of my head via my fingers (this blog) and mouth (talking to friend Susan and dear Glenn. I’ll be fine tomorrow, once I get some baking done!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>20 December</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">So, the baking is done. Susan has sampled the raisin squares and deemed them delicious. Three Hungarian pastries have baked and cooled. And I’m off to the Friends of the Minneapolis Central Library monthly meeting and after party to say “good bye and thank you” to Art, our VP who is retiring from active service on the board.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>23 December</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Friend/neighbor Maryanne and I celebrated her 70th birthday with dinner at a favorite restaurant that’s closing, Ling & Louie’s, then the George Winston concert at Orchestra Hall. A lovely evening. I also shared my śliwki and homemade pastries with her in advance of Christmas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>25 December, Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">One of those rare years in so many ways, but the convergence of these two holidays is a nice one. Another rarity is this weather. I can hear the wind and rain as I write this. It’s 25 December for goodness sake — where’s the snow? </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Dinner was delightful, leisurely and delicious. I used a new recipe for the prime rib, and it came out perfectly medium rare. Made lots of mashed potatoes so Barbara had plenty to take home with some leftover meat. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>27 December</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Janet & Ed’s son Thom and I got a bunch of little repairs done today. He made new screws from the all-thread wire that I got at Home Depot last month, and replaced my bedroom closet doorknobs. I now have two globes that I bought in Frederick MD in October. He repaired the broken foot on Mom’s cedar chest and clamped it to ensure the glue sticks. Then we moved furniture in the small room again. I wanted to have both chairs on the same side of the room for when Glenn comes to visit in February.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Early dinner today with Marilou at Redstone which has moved to Ridgedale Mall. Good food and service but the place is much larger than the original, losing some of the cozy ambiance. Then home to finish packing for PA. Niece Michelle picks me up at 8 am for my flight.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>28 December, Mount Pleasant PA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Despite leaving 20 minutes late, the plane arrived on time and Glenn was waiting for me in Baggage Claim. Before coming here, we stopped in Homestead to visit Glenn’s uncle and aunt, a delightful couple with a few interesting quirks. I’d been forewarned about his aunt’s potential for inappropriate questions but found her to be quite restrained. We went to dinner at a seafood restaurant at The Waterfront, a huge shopping-dining-entertainment complex along the Monongahela River where a once-thriving steel mill was located. They seemed to like me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>29 December</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We agreed no Christmas presents, but no one said anything about souvenirs, something I love to bring back with me from overseas. So I had gotten a couple for Glenn, and he told me he had something that I’d like. I was overwhelmed — it’s the copy of “The Joy of Cooking” that he gave his mom in 1963. He really pays attention. I had told him about getting a copy as a high school graduation gift. It was always my Bible for guidance on basics as well as recipes like THE best Caesar salad dressing. Unfortunately the cookbook was “lost” in my divorce, and I’ve had to make do with a more recent paperback version that is now being held together by large rubber bands. Glenn’s huge cookbook collection had led me to tell him about my copy of Joy when I was in PA in November. And he remembered! Extra points for this guy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We’re meeting my friend Inga and two other couples in Deep Creek MD for New Year’s weekend. So today we went shopping at DeLallo’s for cheeses, cold cuts etc. for Friday evening when everyone arrives. Talked to Suzie and Janet, high school friends, about getting together next week. Had an early dinner of homemade ravioli (two kinds: cheese and sweet potato) in homemade sauce. Deliciosi! Love a man who cooks for me. Spent some time organizing what we need to take with us tomorrow, then googling Augusto, a relative of Glenn’s in Italy who had died. Another relative sent info from a local obit and Glenn wanted to find the source. To you who think I am a total Luddite, I actually found the obit. Then we spent an hour or so looking up obits of other possible relatives to add to Glenn’s genealogy trove. Really interesting and lots more fun than it probably sounds. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>30 December, McHenry MD</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Made it to Deep Creek safe and sound. Lots of snow all the way, one sideways slide but Glenn’s a great driver. Everyone arrived almost at the same time along with enough food to feed the Polish army. We contributed to the largesse with the exception of the prosciutto I promised Inga, other cold cuts and cheeses. Guess who forgot to pack them when she filled the cooler bag? Moja wina.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Unexpectedly, two little girls are along for the weekend: Carina who’s 6 and Gabby who’s almost 3. Both have done well so far with a houseful of adults and already love Pappy Glenn. His patience astounds me … he’s playing a <i>Frozen</i> game with Carina now and Gabby’s perched on his knee. Glenn’s getting a chance to expand his gustatory range as he tries bigos, śledź, pasztet and other Polish foods. We’re making pork and sauerkraut (his recipe) for dinner on Sunday — a good-luck must in several cultures.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>31 December</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn and I took a late morning ride around one end of Deep Creek Lake, a chance to be alone and talk. He’s enjoying his first travel adventure with me. Whew! Bodes well for more to come.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Now everyone’s getting ready for tonight — the table may collapse under the weight of food. Champagne and other wines are on the porch cooling (refrigerator has no room). What a lovely way to end a lovely year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>3 November 2016, Minneapolis MN USA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Took the car in for an oil change and came out with new brakes. Pok, the mechanic who’s worked on my cars off and on since I moved to this neighborhood, called to tell me the brakes were “pretty thin” and should be replaced. Considering nothing more than adjustments have been done in six-plus years, and that I drive an hour on the freeway to Northfield most weeks, I agreed with him that replacement was in order. Ka-ching.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>6 November</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I love it when an event I think may be boring turns out to be otherwise. Such was last night’s celebration of the 10th anniversary of the gorgeous Minneapolis Central Library building. Designed by Cesar Pelli, the library is a landmark that was built while I was overseas. To its and the city’s credit, Pelli attended the sold-out gala. He spoke at one of three “spotlight” events and needless to say, it was standing room. Marlon James, Man Booker prize winner who teaches at nearby Macalester College, and noted soprano Maria Jette were the other spotlights. The Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus did a piece at the beginning of the official ceremony and “Walk Hand in Hand” at the end.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I and others in our Friends of MCL group volunteered to help, and I had thought it might be a long five hours. But it turned out to be great fun, well planned with plenty of food and drink, excellent speakers and music that filled the stunning atrium. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>8 November, US Presidential Election Day </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I’m exhausted and will soon go to bed not knowing for sure the outcome of this monumental US election season. But I had a great day. As an election judge in the very diverse Whittier neighborhood, my task was registering new voters. And a happy task that was. I got to register scores of immigrants from East Africa and Latin America who believed in the goodness of my country to choose to live here and believe in our political system to register to vote. I registered a young man who only turned 18 in September and was among several under-20s proudly voting for the first time. So, whether or not I like the election’s outcome, I feel good about how I spent my day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>9 November, the day after</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">This isn’t a political blog so my commentary on yesterday’s election will be limited. Back in college, my History of England professor talked of cataclysmic events that occur in the world after which the world can never be the same again. For me, this US presidential election falls in that category. What the road forward for my country will be very much remains to be seen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>11 November, Veterans Day in the US</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">A grateful thanks to all who have served our country, including but certainly not limited to my late dad and uncles, late friend John, late husband Bob, and Lois’ son Mark, Jean’s son Mark, as well as my now-serving niece Dyana.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I had started out thinking what a good day this would be — sun shining, nice temp, easy drive to Northfield to see my friend Lois, 91. Mark joined us for lunch. A Vietnam vet, Mark had just visited two schools where four of his grandchildren attend to take part in their Veterans Day events. Had a lovely time and caught this photo of Mark and his wife Joan. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Then I got home and started getting texts and Facebook notices. Nothing but bad news:</span></div>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Nancy, Sue’s wife, succumbed to her pancreatic cancer. I’ve known Nanc since Sue’s and my St. Paul Companies’ days and still owe her 15 minutes with our late shrink Diane. The world lost a wonderful human being today, someone who will be missed by everyone who ever had contact with her.</span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Rosie, another TSPC friend, had knee surgery on Monday and is still in the hospital.</span></li>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I sent Glenn a text requesting a hug, and as he texted back, Aideen called with good news. Hurray. She has put in a bid on a house and is putting her condo up for sale. My fingers are crossed for her and will keep positive thoughts going in that direction. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>12 November</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">A wonderfully fun day at the water park with Craig and the boys, Alijah and Jaiden plus Jaiden’s friend Brady. I climbed up to the 10th floor “family tube” four times and the double tube on 7th floor once. Alijah and I rode the double tube since they wouldn’t let Craig join us. Got home and was thoroughly exhausted but with a big smile on my face.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>13 November</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"> “Orange” was premiered at Mixed Blood this afternoon, and I decided to go alone. The play’s name reflects the color, the fruit and the county where the play takes place and the obsession of the autistic young woman who is at the center of the play. The other two actors, one male, one female, play all the additional roles with great skill. And all three offer their story sensitivity and humor as well as reality. Glad I went.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>14 November</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Coffee this morning with Patrick who used to work wth me at TSPC. His wife Diane has finally retired and finding the transition easier than she expected. Wonder if their trip to Paris had anything to do with that? Pat continues to do his thoughtful blog on communications and the insurance industry.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>15 November</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The one day that couldn’t be changed. When Glenn and I were comparing calendars, I said I absolutely had to be here today — it’s when I get my hair done. Connie only works a couple of days a week and is leaving tomorrow for a long weekend in London with her son. So, off I went to Minnetonka and back I came with new hair. Hurray.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After water ex this morning, I made a quick trip to the eye doctor. I thought I’d gotten something in my eye. Turns out I didn’t, rather my very dry eyes get so dry they can adhere to my eye lids so when I awoke and opened my eyes, a small wound was created on my left eyeball; the right was okay. I now have new eye drops to use before bed as well as two to three times a day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Off to board meeting for Friends of Minneapolis Central Library.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>16 November</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Lovely breakfast with nephew Christopher this morning, then he and Jen were going off to a couples massage. Way to go, Chris. I returned home to get a few things done. Then happy hour at Ling & Louie’s with Maryanne. We’re going to miss that place. I had two glasses of wine (a twofer) and Maryanne one of their special cocktails, and we shared Asian nachos (deep fried wontons instead of tortilla chips) and lettuce wraps. Excellent dinner and great price too. Now to Skype with Glenn.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>17 November</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Lunch with Marilou is always fun. I had a coupon for Olive Garden, which we both enjoy. And tonight I enjoyed volunteering at Play by Play, a lecture and exhibit at the library featuring the defunct Negro Baseball League. Frank White who has written a book, They Play for the Love of the Game, organized the event which the library hosted.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>18 November</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Winter has finally arrived in Minneapolis. Rain, then snow, blew horizontally from late afternoon in the evening. I forgot to bring in the deck furniture so it’s all covered with icy snow. Lunch at the HyVee in Eagan with Lois and her son Mark from Northfield and her old friend Judy from St. Paul was cancelled this morning due to impending weather, and I didn’t go to Northfield. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Long conference call with Hala and Steve in prep for the board meeting in Sandomierz next month. The meeting will be longer than usual as it’ll include the closing program for the Swiss Program, the five-year-long tourism development program the Center managed. Steve and I will attend with Hala on Thursday, which is usually my day for a mani-pedi. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>19 November</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Since my flight to Pittsburgh isn’t until tonight, I have time to change bed linens, do a few loads of laundry, finish packing and generally get organized for the trip. Janet’s picking me up at 6 pm and Glenn will meet me at PIT at 11 pm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>20 November, Mount Pleasant PA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Busy day with Glenn, playing tourist and eating Glenn’s delicious caplets in chicken broth, both homemade by his hands! We went to Overly’s Christmas Village in the evening. A farmer started this light-spectacular on his farm in 1956 for his children. His big, fanciful light display delighted them and many others. Over the years it expanded, added animation and attracted many visitors. One gave him a dollar in thanks for his efforts, thus unknowingly starting the Village’s support of children’s causes, especially Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital. The display became so popular that it caused road blocks and in 1991, it was moved to a local amusement park and later to the county fair grounds where I enjoyed it. Not only is the village quite spectacular but it’s raised millions for Children’s. You can both drive through and walk through, which we did despite the cold and wind. Hot chocolate with lots of mini-marshmallows for me helped warm up before our “sleigh” ride — although the ground was covered in snow, it wasn’t enough for a sleigh with runners. Wonderful end to a wonderful day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>21 November</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Up at 5 am for a pre-dawn walk today. I did five miles, Glenn continued for another. We waked part way with Bill and part way with Donna, two of the regular early morning walkers. The third, Frank stopped by to wish everyone a ‘happy Thanksgiving’ before heading south. Despite the freezing temp, I wasn’t cold. Did my ‘Minnesota thing’ and really layered. My toes usually freeze but my feet were okay. My bum was cold because I didn’t have my long jacket.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We’re hoping to catch friend Suzie for dinner tonight in Somerset. In the meantime, we’re off to breakfast and then Linn Run State Park, my spiritual home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>22 November, Minneapolis MN</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Not much fun going to the airport in Pittsburgh today but necessary. Glenn has Thanksgiving dinner to prepare for his daughters and their families … and I leave for my board meeting in Poland on 30th. I’m doing Thanksgiving dinner with Barbara, Tomery, Chris and Jen at Windows on Minnesota, the restaurant atop the IDS Building. It’s not generally open to the public, so when I saw a sign advertising midday Turkey Day buffet, I reserved. I think I’m the only one of us who’s actually been up there already.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>23 November</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Winter’s definitely here. We got about three inches of very slushy snow last night. I’ll have to shovel the decks later … first I have to find the shovels in the storage closet downstairs. Took deck chairs down to storage. Dusting Divas, my cleaning service, brought them inside and placed them on the hearth for me, as I’d requested. I was in PA when they cleaned.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Decided to see a movie, <i>Almost Christmas</i>, after I completed running errands (groceries etc.) But when I got to the theater in Roseville, it wasn’t listed as it had been in the newspaper ad. The ticket seller checked, and it wasn’t even on the cancelled list. A couple arrived looking for the same film, so the ticket seller gave us all a free admission to the movie of our choice. They went to <i>Bad Santa 2</i>, and I saw <i>Rules Don’t Apply, </i>which has Warren Beatty as Howard Hughes and a host of other “old” stars — Martin Sheen, Matthew Broderick, Annette Bening, Oliver Platt. They are why I chose the film, which was only so-so and too slow. But it was free.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>24 November, Thanksgiving Day in the USA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I’m so glad I decided to attend this year’s ecumenical service presented by the downtown houses of worship annually on Thanksgiving. It gives me a modicum of hope for my country in this time of uncertainty, strife and incivility. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Twelve senior clergy took part:, four were women. The faiths represented in Minneapolis were represented in the service — Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Islamic, Native American. The messages acknowledged the meaning of the day while speaking in many voices and languages.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The minister from Westminster Presbyterian and pastor from Church of All Nations, a Native American spiritual community, gave a moving and meaningful sermon. The former told of Jesus’ trip through Samaria, where as a Jew, he was unwelcome and where he encountered 10 outcast lepers whom he cured. Only one took time to thank him. Three of the others were too busy, three were too afraid and three felt too entitled to the good fortune. The latter clergyman, a Mohican whose formerly NY based tribe now resides in Wisconsin, mused on his attending a service in a Congregational church named Plymouth. And he told of the original Thanksgiving. The two Indians and colonists had a mutual aid pact. So when the Indians heard gunfire from the area of the colonists’ village, they went to check. On arrival the Indians realized they had crashed a party: the gunfire was in celebration and the food on the tables would barely feed the colonists. They went hunting, returning with seven deer and assorted other foods to share, and thus the first Thanksgiving was born.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJ3FVoSOjTTpLUqmSjYFSqun_xtn1hgbgg_yDstcZHR6vaWCK7X364jK2RnbIJAJy6RdJD69r4u0q0_KVlxdnNXdoksSKBfj2CPdAaQ6_qpJqTPMxCFe8gQ-HAzcu2UWXk1ciM5CA3gk/s1600/Family+at+Tgiving.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJ3FVoSOjTTpLUqmSjYFSqun_xtn1hgbgg_yDstcZHR6vaWCK7X364jK2RnbIJAJy6RdJD69r4u0q0_KVlxdnNXdoksSKBfj2CPdAaQ6_qpJqTPMxCFe8gQ-HAzcu2UWXk1ciM5CA3gk/s320/Family+at+Tgiving.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My family: front row, sister Barbara, nephew Christopher <br />and in center, Jennifer; back row, me and niece Tomery</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>26 November, the day Fidel Castro died</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Talk about the end of an era! And yet his passing is somewhat of a non event. He hasn’t been a real factor for years. Since my junior high days, Castro has embodied Communism, sitting off the USA’s shores, even as the Berlin Wall came down almost two decades ago. To steal a paraphrase from the late President Nixon, we don’t have Castro to kick around any more. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Lovely dinner tonight with friend Mary from my St. Paul days and three friends of hers. Nice to converse with like minds on topics of interest to all. Mary had us all do introductions, and we discovered so many overlaps. Fun evening.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>27 November</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Skipped water ex this morning and went to the synagogue with friend Jan. After the morning service, she gave a presentation on her late father Myer's life, which started in my late ex-husband's hometown. In fact, years ago Aunt Sylvia told me her family and Myer's lived next door to each other. Jan and I were friends for several years before we discovered that we shared DL -- she and Bob even went to grade school together. Enough of that, Myer was not only a successful retailer and consumer-supporting utility-fighting lawyer, but he was also an accomplished figure skater.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Did a walk to Nicollet Mall in lieu of the pool. Got out of Target for under $100; that has to be a first. And lugged everything home in my new tote. Took niece Michelle to the airport, then drove over to Woodbury to see friend Rosie, from my St. Paul, days at the transitional care center. She had several unexpected complications following her knee surgery. Her husband Rudy was there and very attentive. I hadn’t seen him since he retired from elementary school teaching. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>28 November</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn was planning to go deer hunting today, and I was keeping busy so I wouldn't worry (worrying is the nature of this beast). Walking with Linda and Desi, coffee with Maryanne, checking to be sure my docs are still within my health insurance network next year, lunch with housebound friend Ted, stopping at Janet and Ed's to print documents since my printer and laptop won't talk to each other, laundry and packing and cleaning to get ready for my trip. You get the idea. Then I learned he hadn't gone. Good thing I wasn't worrying. Met Ted's wife Mary for coffee and to pick up tickets to <i>The Curious Incident of the Dog in Nighttime </i>at the Orpheum. Mary still works part time at an ad agency and got last minute freebies. Janet's going with me; like me, she's always up for a last minute adventure. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>29 November</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Water ex and coffee with the Swimmin' Women from the Y. Our group is getting bigger, and we now have a reserved table. Nice. Had a late lunch with Marilou, then we went to Costco where I wanted to get a fleece-lined flannel shirt-jacket and was going to get her Christmas present. Somehow we got to talking about bed sheets, and I mentioned my snuggly fleece sheets purchased by mistake (I was looking to buy flannel). Best mistake-purchase I've made -- they're soft and warm and reasonably priced, just what one needs in a MN winter. We found some for her Christmas present and ended up at a checkout where Christopher's girlfriend Jen was working and Chris came by. He opened the package so Marilou could verify that she'd like them, which she did.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tonight Janet drove to the theater where we met Mary and her friend Barb. The play was intense, another of those that required thought, but well acted and a really intriguing set. Glad to have gone; glad I didn't spent $80 on a ticket.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">More last minute packing and travel prep.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Well, here I am once again, waiting for my flight to AMS. Janet picked me up and then a short detour to her place to pick up my boarding passes (my printer still won't talk to my laptop), and time to rearrange some of my packing. Now I'm finishing lunch and heading for a walk. Still two hours to go.</span></div>
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Hello All from Suzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671732878857293499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9006197434431279213.post-80290720579053736172016-11-05T12:20:00.001-05:002016-11-05T12:20:08.813-05:00<i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">October Surprise</span></span></i><br /><br /><b>1 October 2016, Minneapolis MN USA</b><br />Today was the annual fall meeting of the Friends of the Hennepin County Library, and I attended along with Carol and Bob, also of our Friends of Minneapolis Central Library board. And I’m mentioning it because hands down it was the best organized meeting I think I’ve ever attended. We not only started on time, we finished on time. Lots of people participated both in the small group discussions as well as in the larger group … without the usual deadly pauses or droning I-must-be-heard commenters. <br /><br /><b>2 October</b><br />Have been trying to get together with my sister Barbara for a while, but we keep zigging and zagging. Today I hit the right note — lamb chops. The chops were perfect as was the evening.<br /><br /><b>3 October</b><br />Thought friend Ted had forgotten about our lunch today, but he was just an un-Ted like 15 minutes late. Always good to see him and talk current events, books, travel. Unlike I, he actually still reads five newspaper and watches a bunch of television news programs a day. <br /><br /><b>6 October</b><br />I get a regular feed from MEDIA REDEF which leads with a photo from an old film and a quote. Today’s is especially fitting …<br /><br /><i>“To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.”</i> ALDOUS HUXLEY<br />
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<b>7 October</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Friend Lois' retirement facility hired goats to "mow" the lawn!</b></i></td></tr>
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<b>9 October</b><br />Haven’t seen nephew Craig and his family for a while. When he texted about Jaiden’s soccer game in Woodbury today, I was definitely up to join them. GPS got me there and texts and calls with Craig helped me actually find them in the multi-field sports complex. Since it was a break between games, Jaiden and Alijah made good use of the playground. Unfortunately Jaiden’s game was cancelled, so I didn’t get to watch him play. Will see them for Halloween.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Jaiden & Alijah</i></b></td></tr>
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<br /><b>10 October</b><br />Boston had its Big Dig. Minneapolis apparently is having a Big Build. I don’t recall seeing the extensive renovating of Nicollet Mall so labeled before. But when Maryanne and I wended our way through the many detours due to the extensive construction, we saw placards with that identifier and a logo. The placards showed what various areas of the mall would eventually look like and explained the leaf pattern in the new curvy concrete sidewalk we traversed past Orchestra Hall and Westminster Church at the south end. I think it really will be spectacular when it’s done … it’s just the pain of the process.<br /><br /><b>12 October</b><br />After water ex, I drove to the western ‘burbs for breakfast with nephew Christopher. Been a while since we’ve been able to keep our Wednesday date. Good golfing weather took its toll! So I was very happy when he was available. We tentatively set a date for the annual trip to Pittsburgh for a Penguins hockey game. I’m planning to go this year.<br /><br />Since I had a mammogram scheduled for 1 pm and a 3:15 hair appointment, all ‘out west,’ I ran errands after breakfast and in between appointments. Got lots done. Then home to make a meatloaf for future meals and corn muffins to go with tonight’s defrosted homemade bean soup. <br /><br />Aideen called, and it looks like I will be watching Mickey for a few days when I’m in DC. We’re trying to work around my current travel schedule. And she said I can get a babysitter for my birthday dinner with childhood friend Glenn. He has said he’ll come to DC to help celebrate and stay with a cousin in Alexandria. Wow!<br /><br /><b>13 October</b><br />Winter’s really settling in. I awoke at 1:37 am, per the digital alarm clock, and was cold despite the flannel sheets and nightie. So, I turned on the furnace. Now I have to pay attention because some furnace motor thingie is going to die on me at some unknown point. It’s “running long” according to my semi-annual visit from the heating/AC folks, but not badly enough to replace now. Mark my words, it’ll die in the depths of winter! <br /><br /><b><i>Later</i></b><br />Because one of my favorite hand-knit sweaters from Poland acquired a moth hole last summer when I’d used cedar chips on my woolens, I decided to bite the bullet and use good old fashioned moth balls this year, horrible odor and all. The plastic boxes that held my clothing managed to encase the smell all summer. Today I opened the boxes. Yuk. The package said that airing clothing for a day should dispel the odor. So for most of the afternoon my back deck was strewn with an assortment of sweaters, turtlenecks, socks, tights, leggings … you get the picture. They are now generally odor free and in their drawers. But now my condo smells more than faintly like moth balls. I plugged in a room deodorizer. Hope it works.<br /><br /><b>14 October</b><br />Bob Dylan, mainly known for his music, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. And an editorial in today’s New York Times says, “The news offers something else, too, specifically for New Yorkers, for whom Mr. Dylan is close to a native-son, homegrown laureate. Mr. Dylan invented himself here, plugged into its creative artistic grid here, and here came face to face with his greatest early influence.” However, Mr. Dylan is a native son of Minnesota: born in Duluth, raised in Hibbing and started his career in Minneapolis at the University of Minnesota.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Newest great-niece Hazel with big sister Ruby</i></b></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<br /><b>15 October, Happy birthday, Glenn</b><br />Picked up helpful friend Thom to help me rearrange furniture in the small bedroom/TV room. I’m having a new Internet service installed next week and wanted to move the TV and rearrange chairs and cabinet. All done. Then dinner with Kathy, in town from Tennessee to run a half marathon, with her friend Katie from Atlanta, and my sister Barbara. Small world — Katie is good friends with friends of mine in Atlanta, Mike and Jan. We dined at Red Stag, and I contributed my $50 Open Table certificate to the tab. A good time was enjoyed by all.<br /><br /><b>17 October</b><br />Well, I didn’t need to move the TV. The Internet signal is strong enough to leave the router in the living room; it’s sitting on the floor beside the cabinet where the line enters the condo. But Saturday wasn’t a complete waste; I like the way the furniture is now. Plus it was good exercise. Now for the provider to get the line from its box by the sidewalk out front and into our building’s box in the garage.<br /><br />Off to DC tomorrow. Looks like I won’t have to babysit with Mickey, although I’m leaving that open. Have made lunch dates with a few old friends and organized a Booz’r evening at John and Lauri’s for Sunday. Also Glenn is coming in from PA later this week to help me celebrate my birthday. We should also celebrate his. I did manage to get a couple of birthday cards off to him and on time.<br /><br /><b>19 October, Bethesda MD</b><br />Wonderful to see Inga and Antonia and strange not to have Franciszka around. She’s doing well at UGA. It’s like fruit basket upset bedrooms-wise since Inga has a full house. A Polish friend Tomek is staying in “my” old room; Peace Corps friend Larry is renting the lower level while he works on a contract in DC. Antonia is in Franciszka’s old room, and I’m in Antonia’s. <br /><br />Today I took the Metro to Dupont Circle and met Larry for lunch near his office. Lots to catch up on. And on the way back, a stop in Friendship Heights to do a spot of shopping. Lord & Taylor has great sales.<br /><br /><b>20 October</b><br />Had lunch with Peggy, who was a freelance reporter in Poland when I met her. Since we were both going out to dinner, we ate lightly but well at Lauriol, our usual lunch spot and had a good catch up about Polish and US politics and more.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>With Peggy after lunch</b></i></td></tr>
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Tonight it’s dinner in Old Town Alexandria with Glenn, his cousin Donald and Donald’s girlfriend. Kristin He’s picking me up at 6. Not only did Glenn pick me up at the airport in Pittsburgh for our high school class’ 71st birthday party, but he is wading into rush hour traffic to pick me up tonight. This guy gets extra points!<br /><br /><b>23 October</b><br />What a great weekend. Well, a great long weekend, starting on Thursday with dinner in Alexandria. Then on Friday morning, Glenn picked me up to drive to Frederic MD to meet Donald and Kristin. Kristin was familiar with something called The Barns, five farmsteads that host antique dealers, artisans and others one weekend a month. We drove to two of them where I bought a few things. I saw a real honest to goodness, and in pretty good shape, ice box that I’d’ve bought for old times’ sake if I had a spot for it and knew how to get it back. We had one of those when I was a kid. The ice man cameth three times a week. Afterward the Barns, we had lunch, then Glenn drove back to PA for a rabbit show, and Donald and Kristin brought me back to Inga’s. Glenn’s returning Sunday night.<br /><br />Friday night some of Inga’s Polish friends joined us at a restaurant in Arlington that only serves Polish food on Friday nights. And was it worth the trip — excellent grilled kiełbasa, pierogi, gołumki, and more. Then back at Inga’s. I baled at 11 while the conversation continued in Polish until almost 3 am. <br /><br />Saturday morning I met friends Alexis and Marcus for breakfast at The Original Pancake House in Bethesda. Very different menu than the chain’s Plymouth restaurant. But good breakfast food — I had half of a waffle, the first in years and worth every calorie. I was anxious to hear about their trip to Iceland, a belated honeymoon. From their description, it’s going on my “to be visited” list, perhaps a stopover en route to a board meeting in Poland some time.<br /><br />Then Saturday evening, I took the Metro to my Peace Corps roommate Stacey and her family in the District. Daughter Abby went to babysit while Ada and a friend worked on Halloween decorations, and husband Michael continued as head chef. I enjoyed Michael’s excellent cooking initially when we were all in Peace Corps, and he’s only gotten better. Lots of time for Stacey and I to talk.<br /><br />Sunday Aideen and Mickey picked me up at 4:30 to go to John and Lauri’s for a Booz’r potluck. Because she was working on three proposals and Mickey had missed too many Sunday guitar lessons, they only stayed long enough for hello. John (and Lauri), Maury, Regina, Edwige, RoseMarie are all Booz Allen friends beginning with our days in the Balkans, and we toasted Kim, the project manager who brought us together. Maybe Kim, who lives in CA now, and I can coordinate a DC visit for another Booz’r gathering. Glenn called on his way back from PA, around 8 pm, but said he was pretty tired and furry (from the rabbits); we decided he should go straight to Donald’s rather than stopping to drive me back to Inga’s. We’ll get together tomorrow.<br /><br />Regina drove me to the Metro in Arlington, but when I entered, an announcement about Red Line outages came over the PA. I exited and called an Uber. For under $10, I Uber’d to Inga’s.<br /><br />After this weekend, I may have to go on an extended cleanse when I’m back to MN — all I’ve done is eat too much and drink wine.<br /><br /><b>24 October</b><br />Inga and I worked on insurance questions and such for a couple of hours this morning. I feel bad for her trying to understand them in her second language. I have trouble and English is my first, plus I used to work for an insurance company. But I think we got things sorted before she drove me to Friendship Heights for lunch with Nancy.<br /><br />Haven’t seen Nancy in a couple of years. We worked together at a St. Paul hospital in the mid ‘70s and have stayed in touch irregularly. Glad we were able to meet today. She’s doing well, and so is her dad who lives with her. Her sister took over his care while Nancy got a much-deserved vacation to Hawaii. Nancy dropped me at a Metro and I took the train to the end of the Yellow Line where Glenn picked me up. We drove to Old Town, took a long walk-and-talk, then had a dinner at a seaside restaurant. Afterwards, more walk-and-talk and a way-too-big ice cream cone (coconut and dark chocolate for me, coffee chocolate chip and coconut for him) before heading back to Bethesda and a sit-in-the-car-and talk. Tomorrow’s my birthday and Glenn says I’m the boss all day until midnight. Hmmm. <br /><br /><b>25 October, the best birthday ever</b><br />How did I get to get to be so old? Well, that’s a frequent query that is only answered, one day at a time. And as I remember from an old George Carlin nightclub act, which I am paraphrasing, everything I have ever been or done has brought me to this place in time. And it’s a nice place to be. <br /><br />After Glenn picked me up this morning, we settled on the Smithsonian Museum of American Indians which we both wanted to see … and believe it or not, we found a free (available and no charge) parking place half a block away. Of course I forgot to take any photos, including of the young man using two replicas to explain wampum to us and another couple. The museum was very impressive but a bit overwhelming. I got post cards to send to my kids’ list this week, and Glenn got some gifts for his granddaughters, ages 2 and 4.<br /><br />The day was beautiful — clear blue skies, sunshine, windy and somewhere between cool and warm temp wise. Good walking temperature. Since we were both wearing long sleeves, we left our jackets in the car and took a long walk down the National Mall. After a light lunch, we walked to the East Wing of the National Gallery — modern art from Picasso and Jackson Pollock to Monet and Van Gogh and a lot of artists that I didn’t recognize. I wanted to have us on the road to Bethesda before rush hour, and we made it. More walking and sitting and talking in beautiful downtown Bethesda. We both agreed we’d been eating and drinking way too much, and we had birthday cake awaiting us at Inga’s, so dinner was SweetGreens salads.<br /><br />Inga and Tosia bought a gorgeous and delicious chocolate mousse cake and added raspberry tartlets to the mix. Tomek gave me a bouquet of mixed flowers. We enjoyed the cake and good times telling stories, many of them about early days in Poland with David, Inga’s late husband and my dear Peace Corps friend. Glenn enjoyed himself and has definitely “passed the Inga test.” Tomorrow I fly back to MN, and he drives back to Western PA.<br /><br /><b>26 October, Happy birthday to my niece Dyana</b><br /><br /><b>27 October, Minneapolis MN</b><br />Busy day. This morning I drove up north to Susan’s cabin with her. She wanted to close up for the winter since her health precludes using it again. Close up only took an hour, then back to the city. Lots of phone calls to talk about the DC trip and organize belated birthday lunches or dinners. Then off to Nomad World Pub in Cedar-Riverside to meet Wade, one of my late son’s friends. Wade’s living in Colorado now and was home to participate in a family wedding and reconnect with friends. He did a “ya’ll come” on Facebook for tonight, and since I haven’t seen him or the other “boys,” I moseyed over. Ole, Ray and Mike arrived before I left — great to see all of them and get hugs. <br /><br /><b>28 October</b><br />When we were in DC, Glenn said he sent me flowers for my birthday, to be delivered yesterday when I’d be home. Since I knew I was going to be gone much of the day, I had friend/neighbor Maryanne on the look out … but by 4:45 pm, she’d found nothing. When I talked to Glenn last night, he said his receipt said they were delivered at about 5:15 pm. Weird — I was even at home then! I said I’d check with other neighbors to see if anyone saw the flowers. However — I awoke at 4 this morning for a trip to the bathroom, and as I tucked back between my flannel sheets, it hit me. I hadn’t been in the entry of my building since Susan dropped me off at 3-ish. Donned bathrobe and shoes, grabbed my keys and down I went … to find a huge flower box addressed to me sitting next to the elevator. They are gorgeous, but you can judge for yourself. Am I a lucky woman or what?<br />
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<br /><b>29 October</b><br />This was in MEDIA REDEF a week or so ago and seems most appropriate now: <i> “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” </i>T.S. Eliot<br /><br />To all you eagle-eyed friends and family, yes, Glenn and I have embarked on an adventure together and decided to see where it goes. Hence, all that walking and talking in DC. We’re 71, so no time like the present. You’ll see his name here often. But this blog was started to share my adventures in world travel, and only tangentially covers personal adventures. So don’t expect too many updates on the latter.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>With Glenn in Maryland</i></b></td></tr>
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<b>30 October</b><br />Another thoughtful night of theater. Although “Aunt Raini” won’t be on my list of best or favorite productions by the Minnesota Jewish Theater Company, it did offers food for thought. The play is fictional but based on issues surrounding Leni Riefenstahl, the German film maker whose documentaries on Hitler have in some (many?) minds made her culpable in the Third Reich. The central figure is a fictional niece in New York struggling to reconcile the aunt she loves, who raised and nurtured her after a horrific family tragedy, with the horror of how others view her aunt’s films and thus her aunt. A kind of Catch 22. <br /><br /><b>31 October, Happy Halloween</b><br />Off to Craig and April’s to carve pumpkins and go trick or treating. Will try to remember to take pix. In the meantime, here’s one from last year.<br />
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<br /><br /><br />Hello All from Suzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671732878857293499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9006197434431279213.post-44253868399249796052016-10-08T21:19:00.000-05:002016-10-08T21:19:11.254-05:00<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; min-height: 13px;">
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Fall has fell, sort of</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>1 September 2016, Minneapolis MN USA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">A new month with lots of possibilities, including my high school class’ collective 71st birthday celebration mid month. I really love a chance to go home and see old friends. And yes, Pittsburgh is home and always will be no matter how long I live in Minnesota or anywhere.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>2 September</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Well, one of those possibilities is allergies. My late Peace Corps friend David said many folks acquire pollen allergies just by being in DC because there’s such a huge variety of flowers and greenery. I think I’m one of those people. Never had an allergy in my life until I started going to DC when David was ill. Now … I think all the sneezing, sinus drainage, coughing are from allergies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>4 September</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">What a lovely way to spend the long Labor Day weekend … in bed with a very bad head cold. Yep, not allergies as I decided when my temp hit 102 last night. I had my sister Barbara on alert in case it was still high this morning, but Tylenol and sleep brought it down to just over 99, practically normal. Now, back to bed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>5 September, Happy birthday to nephew Craig</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Craig was born on my late son Peter’s birthday, so my late husband and I were named his God parents. I like to do something with Craig and his family on this day to reinforce that it’s <i>his</i> day. He’s working today so we’ll celebrate tomorrow. And since he requested steak, we’ll go to Outback where an active three-year-old will be welcome. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today I continue to recuperate. My sister Barbara dropped DayQuil and NyQuil outside my door yesterday morning (my request so I didn’t pass this on). It’s helping.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>7 September, Happy birthday friends Marilou and Spike (Larry & Karen’s son)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Had a delightful lunch with Marilou at the restaurant at Nordstrom’s/Ridgedale to celebrate her birthday. Good food and fun flirting with our old hippy waiter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I always remember Spike’s birthday because I was in London when he was born. I’d taken his older brother Jonah to Regent’s Park Zoo on Peter and Craig’s birthday. That was a nice memorial to Peter who had loved the zoo when we visited.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Since I was feeling better today and no longer contagious, I kept my coffee appointment with former colleague Rob. We were both “enterprise facilitators” (he in Richfield, I in Northeast Minneapolis, four other EFs in city and suburbs) in a unique pilot program to support new and existing entrepreneurs as they wanted. This was in 1998, right after I returned from Poland the first time. Our “fearless leader” as EFs was Ernesto, who developed a “hands off” approach to entrepreneurial support which he then tested in rural Australia and applied in rural South Dakota. Ernesto wasn’t terribly happy with how we adapted his model to address our urban setting, but we all had our successes even if funding dried up. That’s when I started looking for overseas assignments, and Rob eventually went to Minneapolis Consortium of Community Development.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Another highlight of the day was my monthly hair appointment with friend Connie. I love having someone else deal with my hair. It was disappointing that we couldn’t have dinner as we often do but fun to see her and hear about her and Tom’s coming trip to Bali.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <b><i>Drying old baggies for reuse.<br />Once a PCV, always a PCV.</i></b></td></tr>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">10 September</b><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I think I walked 20,000 steps yesterday and that doesn’t include my morning water ex class. Before meeting friend Susan at her condo to go to a night Twins’ game, I walked from home to Macy’s to pick up some cosmetics on sale. Then Macy’s to Susan’s, Susan’s to Target Field and back again. Twins lost, which was disappointing since they were actually winning at one point. I walked to the bus stop … it was 11 pm and my next bus was due in 30 minutes. Rather than sit on a bench and wait, I walked home. I was so keyed up that I watched television for an hour before hitting the sack.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>15 September, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">SuperShuttle arrived Johnny-on-the-spot at my condo at 4:35 am. Now I wait for my 6:55 flight to Pittsburgh for my high school class’ joint 71st birthday celebration. We’re having a picnic in Stahlstown in the mountains on Saturday. Before and after, I will enjoy being home among old friends.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">This has been a busy week over all — book club at Nan’s on Sunday night, dinner here with friend Judi on Monday, coffee with friend/former accountant Karen (preceded by a long walk) and drinks with Northwestern U. rep Rob on Tuesday, lunch with friend/neighbor Maryanne at a new Jamaican restaurant in the neighborhood on Wednesday. Maryanne and I have coordinated calendars for mail pick up this winter. Let the travel begin!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later, Somerset PA</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">For four years of my corporate life, I flew into far-flung midwestern (Canada to Mexico, Minnesota to Utah) airports and cabbed to my hotels once or twice a month (some weeks I was in a different city every day). Seeing a friendly face at the airport was a rare treat, including on my return. I could rarely get my then-husband to pick me up … so when my friend Glenn offered to meet me at PIT today, I was overjoyed. Glenn and I not only graduated from high school together, we started out in the same first grade class. He had a 75 minute drive just to get to the airport and was sitting at baggage claim when I arrived there. What a treat. On top of that, Glenn was willing to stop at Allegheny County Courthouse so I could try to get some documents. I had to order them since they’re in storage somewhere in the hinterlands.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We stopped for lunch half way to Somerset and arrived at Suzie’s mid afternoon. Suzie is another friend since grade school. Her husband Lance, our class president, died of cancer in mid July, so I wanted to spend time with her in addition to the reunion-picnic. I’m staying in her guest house until Tuesday.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Childhood friends Glenn & Suzie</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>16 September</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Suzie, Glenn and I had a wonderful day playing tourist. Glenn drove, another treat, and we went to the Flight 93 (9/11) memorial since he hadn’t seen the completed area. Suzie, Lance and I had done a fund-raising walk there last September, so I’d experienced the entire memorial. It’s overwhelming. Afterwards, in discussing where to go next, I learned that one of my childhood landmarks is no more: The Ship Hotel on Route 30. We drove to the site which still has a spectacular view and I took some pix. Then on to Bedford for a bit of shopping for Suzie and me (Glenn chose otherwise) and finally dinner at Jean Bonnet Tavern. The stuffed hot peppers that I ordered were definitely hot in all ways, but very good. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>View from Ship Hotel's location</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>17 September</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">High school friend Janet was back “home” (Elizabeth Township) and offered to join Suzie and me for breakfast at Suzie’s even though she couldn’t go to the picnic. Her energy flags as the day wears on. Despite all the chemo treatments, Janet looks great and said she feels pretty good too. She brought fresh muffins which we ate while caught up. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Glenn said he’d drive me to Linn Run State Park tomorrow on our way to meet our mutual friends Gary and Johanna, so Suzie and I drove straight to the picnic. Well, after a stop at a grocery to get our contributions to the buffet. I had baked and brought oatmeal-raisin-chocolate chip bars from MN (yep, put them in my suitcase), but we needed some snacks. The picnic was at classmate Pinky’s sister’s place — a gorgeous lakeside meadow in a forest. Her facilities include a huge barn where we set up food and beverages, music, tables, and along with the Class of ’64, had a great time as you can see in the slide show.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Greenock School Alums</i></b></td></tr>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">18 September</b></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Linn Run is supposed to be about 15 minutes from Somerset … and 45 minutes after leaving Suzie’s, Glenn and I arrived at my favorite spot.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">We took the scenic route, rather than Route 30, on purpose.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Then we hit a single lane, dirt path where we were to turn right … but it was closed to traffic. Glenn’s GPS took us back toward Somerset, but eventually between his Garmin and my i-Phone, we found the back way into the park and my favorite spot. The creek had a lot of erosion and wasn’t full, but it’s still “belongs” to the Kanyr family.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>My creek today</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The day was fabulous — relaxing and fun. We tasted some surprisingly good wines at two wineries. At the first we sat outdoors lakeside and listened to oldies, and at the second, the heavens opened while we sipped on a covered wrap-around. Then we drove to dinner at an amazing Italian restaurant. It was in a commercial office park, so we’d’ve never found it without our gustatory leader Glenn. Great choice, Glenn. We all had delicious and way-too-big meals.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Johanna & Gary</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>20 September, Minneapolis MN</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Home again. Suzie and I spent yesterday in Ligonier, wandering this quaint colonial town, checking out shops, having lunch. Then drove to Mt. Pleasant for dinner with Glenn who took me to the airport this morning. Took the Light Rail, then a bus home to the condo. Shortly I have a Friends of the Minneapolis Central Library board meeting. So off I go — on foot!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>21 September</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Spent some time today doing follow up for the Center’s trip to Ohio. The team leaves Sandomierz today for Warsaw and New York. They’ll spend two days in Upstate New York, then a day in the city before flying to Ohio. My fingers are crossed that everything goes well. It was nerve-wracking making arrangements in a places I haven’t been in many decades with people I’ve never met and organizations I’ve never visited. Trying not to hold my breath.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83YRtb5fWFSwJKvgcm2FtrFNNWf1SpJAWQRUBePbfwHkcTKz1aWEcTQBHOMNPLxu_3kGETx7sBXC5L81BGAbDFgfq3_O1Za2AKL17OcPNv5UxbpGVf67hMv9JYJLT6oVTl1awbk0SJD8/s1600/Lake+Harriet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83YRtb5fWFSwJKvgcm2FtrFNNWf1SpJAWQRUBePbfwHkcTKz1aWEcTQBHOMNPLxu_3kGETx7sBXC5L81BGAbDFgfq3_O1Za2AKL17OcPNv5UxbpGVf67hMv9JYJLT6oVTl1awbk0SJD8/s320/Lake+Harriet.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">24 September</b></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Saw the Beatles' documentary with niece Michelle. Could not sit still or stay quiet although I was very restrained in both.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvPRqeRyGkFHePcUlvFDt4vPb7sYAMiDs_KcNBip4RUUVDURb1l5lXxkKbI6ps51KR0GJbDXycV6LDoakSexYYMglpmkQkI1AtWhVHCmvSuHcP7_A63I5FV1eNwBqcTJtNJa-v3wXazzg/s1600/Beatles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvPRqeRyGkFHePcUlvFDt4vPb7sYAMiDs_KcNBip4RUUVDURb1l5lXxkKbI6ps51KR0GJbDXycV6LDoakSexYYMglpmkQkI1AtWhVHCmvSuHcP7_A63I5FV1eNwBqcTJtNJa-v3wXazzg/s320/Beatles.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>26 September</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Finally found and scheduled a painter. Thank you to Pam from book club for the rec. Tom the painter arrives Thursday morning — hurray!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>30 September</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Busy week — Kelly’s “divas” cleaned on Monday, brunch with Jan and Rosie on Tuesday and dinner and Jungle Theater with Mary that evening, lunch with Sabrina on Wednesday, painting and pre-winter furnace check on Thursday, visit with Lois in Northfield today plus a stop at former client Julie’s Antiquified antique store for the pre-Halloween event.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqlAdQCEa5QJzwtDWUhL4s9PeQ8iuHJFBQtQXY4e8wpdAQKDPyfqMlKBMeMbac7xML_JoK60E31GO7UhlksTUtSk4JhDEgmfsIJ1qQ_UkcW688RbLzq64ov6kjD1IXfHCnAS0wPYDJuQs/s1600/Halloween+at+Julie%2527s+store.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqlAdQCEa5QJzwtDWUhL4s9PeQ8iuHJFBQtQXY4e8wpdAQKDPyfqMlKBMeMbac7xML_JoK60E31GO7UhlksTUtSk4JhDEgmfsIJ1qQ_UkcW688RbLzq64ov6kjD1IXfHCnAS0wPYDJuQs/s320/Halloween+at+Julie%2527s+store.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Two guests at Julie's event</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">It’s been a good, if often wet, month. Several awesome thunder-and-lightning storms (love ‘em) and way above average rainfall. Fantastic time in Pennsylvania. Lots of good times with friends here, there and everywhere. What more could a gal want?</span></div>
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Hello All from Suzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671732878857293499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9006197434431279213.post-14673528795568085862016-09-13T20:32:00.000-05:002016-09-13T20:32:48.085-05:00<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(35, 35, 35); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #232323; font-family: 'HanziPen SC'; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">August: Hot, wet. ‘Nuff said.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>1 August 2016, Minneapolis MN USA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">New sliding glass doors and window installed!!! The guys from Wellington arrived at 8 am and by 4:30 pm were done. The screen slides in its track effortlessly. There’s an extra security lock on the sliders. The condo is sooo quiet when everything’s all closed up. And they did a nice job of cleaning up after themselves. I am doing my happy dance. Painter comes next Monday, and I have appointments to order a new shade for the living room and new carpeting. The ducks are aligning. Hurray!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>3 August</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">This morning I took friend Susan to her day surgery, then we went to the Galleria in Edina where we could eat at a favorite spot and Susan could exchange something. Great lunch — incredible gazpacho. Susan did her exchange at Fawbush … and we both bought something, of course. I hate — and love — that store because no matter when I go there, virtually always with Susan, I see something that I love and I buy it. And it’s rarely on sale. I trust Susan’s taste, and she thought I looked smashing in the outfit, so … I am going to wear this outfit to the August Birthday Dinner later in the month and will have a photo taken and you can decide for yourself. I’ve made reservations at Capital Grille to celebrate the birthdays of Jen, Barbara and Tomery. And I may take it to the EFHS Class of ’63 birthday bash in September. It’s linen, a good transitional season fabric.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Dinner with Marilou and lunch with Diane on the calendar for this week. Haven’t seen either of them in a while. I’ll give Marilou her birthday present early and have something from </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Poland for Diane.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilg9Uxf0nd9gt3QsiGQ7LpEaRClPeBg1XlKV754qA8WLKcurrTWsCqjqgzIXabc86QkqfLt-B-F1BUYlEuNrm6dC486znZMQPWMMPYzpZBnaS30rxQOzj2mQ-9-d4mTQ1Kb2TA3ENzb0I/s1600/Setting+sun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilg9Uxf0nd9gt3QsiGQ7LpEaRClPeBg1XlKV754qA8WLKcurrTWsCqjqgzIXabc86QkqfLt-B-F1BUYlEuNrm6dC486znZMQPWMMPYzpZBnaS30rxQOzj2mQ-9-d4mTQ1Kb2TA3ENzb0I/s320/Setting+sun.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>View from my deck</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>5 August</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Early water ex, quick breakfast. Then Amy arrived from Costco’s flooring vendor. So many choices, so many alternatives to consider. But I decided and ordered new carpeting for the living/dining/hallway areas. The current carpet is 15+ years old and definitely seen better days. I drove to Northfield to visit Lois, who turned 91 on Monday. We went out to lunch and ran a few errands. It was a gorgeous day for that, not as excruciatingly hot as it has been. Instead of returning home, I drove to St. Paul to have dinner with friend Sabrina. We ate in the garden at WA Frost, a perennial favorite. Been a while since we managed to connect. Sabrina, Mark and their son Christopher have been camping a lot, and “the boys” are at camp now for a few days. Shortly after they return, the whole family takes off for southern Africa. So I’m glad I could at least connect with Sabrina before that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>6 August</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Lots of great exercise today. Did morning water ex, then nephew Craig and family (April and Alijah) arrived for our afternoon at Minnehaha Falls. Michelle stopped by to say hello to them, then went up north for the weekend. We picked up food at the Wedge deli. Amazingly Craig found a free parking place at the park and we had a wonderful afternoon exploring. I haven’t really spent any time in the park for ages, just a brief stop when Iva and Marija were here in chilly, rainy April. Alijah had fun wading and splashing in an area below the falls set up for that. Of course, I forgot my phone and couldn’t take pix, but Craig got a few.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>8 August</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today’s <b><i>Strib</i></b> (<b><i>Minneapolis StarTribune</i></b>) included a piece by Andy, one of my water ex instructors. On vacation in Munich, he and his husband had been out to dinner during the 22 July shootings. Here is an excerpt of what he wrote, something to keep in mind during these negative times:</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><i>… “Munich had gone into lockdown. All public transportation stopped: buses, subways, trams, taxis. It was night, and raining, and we were a long way from the hotel. (Imagine having had dinner in downtown Minneapolis and finding out that you had to get back to your hotel near the airport on foot — at night, in the rain and in a different language.) So we walked and walked, somewhat aimlessly, for what seemed like hours. Eventually, we stopped at a border guard station and asked for help. The guards tried to call us a taxi and contact our hotel: no luck. Finally, a guard took pity on us and generously brought us back to the hotel. He was a Syrian man working in Germany; he had no reason to help a Jewish/Catholic middle-aged gay American couple, but I am very glad he did. It sticks in my memory that he mentioned that his cellphone was filled with messages from his Syrian family worrying about his safety — striking to me because they were calling from one of the most war-torn countries on the planet….”</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Wayne the painter came early and did the living room, dining room and hallway. I love the colors, and he did a beautiful job although he left his shoulder mark on a wall near one of the vents he put back. He’ll fix that when he returns to do the bathroom, after nephew John and brother-in-law Steve replace the vanity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>11 August</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Mary and I went to see <i>Disgraced</i> at the Guthrie tonight. I have to find some less serious, thought-provoking theater to see. On the one hand, it is fantastic to consider the issues in a new format, see different perspectives, hear other voices, etc. On the other, it doesn’t make for a good night’s sleep when the play is that intense. To put it succinctly, the play was about the devastating fallout to all involved because of the well-meaning meddling of a privileged white woman, like we are. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The <b><i>New York Times</i></b> has discovered Minneapolis is a nice place to visit. They ran one of their “36 hours in …” pieces on my city. Here it is in case you missed today’s edition. Copy/paste into your browser and see for yourself:</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/08/11/travel/what-to-do-36-hours-in-minneapolis.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Ftravel&action=click&contentCollection=travel&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0">http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/08/11/travel/what-to-do-36-hours-in-minneapolis.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Ftravel&action=click&contentCollection=travel&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>12 August</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Spent the day in Northfield with Lois, then Marianne and I walked up to the opening day of the annual Polish festival tonight. Weather didn’t look promising so we took rain gear. Good thing. It poured while we noshed on Polish sausages and watched the dancing. Great combo playing oldies dance music. By the time we walked homeward, the sun was out of course.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Googling again. Sometimes I google my birth name to see what I find. This time I found this one — <a href="http://www.kanyrpharma.com/">http://www.kanyrpharma.com</a> Hmm. Maybe I should have some stock in this company.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>19 August</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Busy and fun week of meeting with friends and getting things done. John and Steve arrived early and did a great job replacing the vanity. Then we went over to check out my sister’s bathtub. We found there’s no access to the plumbing, a code requirement. John said once that’s in place, he can fix the tub drain. He couldn’t do it from the tub side.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">This morning I had breakfast with Larry, a friend from my Peace Corps days, who was here for a final job interview. Before taking him to the airport, we drove around to see some neighborhoods in case he gets the job and they move here. That would be so cool.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>22 August</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">No Wayne. Called him twice yesterday before buying the paint, no answer. Called this morning before going to breakfast with old St. Paul Companies’ friends, Jan and Rosie. He’s been very reliable — got the referral from Marilyn and he did my sister’s condo. Oh, well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>24 August</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Jen and Chris came over to help me move furniture for the carpet layers, then we had dinner at Nicollet Diner. I remember Janet had a BLT with avocado there so tried it. Delicious.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>26 August</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">New carpeting — hurray. It’s a bit darker than I expected but looks lovely. And I love the feel under my feet — incredibly soft. And the two fellows who installed were great. I was getting really nervous as Amy, the saleswoman, said they’d arrive closer to 8 am than 10; they arrived at 9:30. Later I learned that someone was to be here at 8 to do the rip-out. When they didn’t show, the installers did that and did the Kilz. (I had had a bad cat odor from many years ago and had had Kilz used on the underlayment then. Figured a re-application might be a good idea just in case.) Slowly but surely getting things done. And Wayne called. He had been hospitalized for a severely infected blister that he didn’t even feel. We’ll talk next week and settle on a new date.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>27 August, Palmer House hotel, Chicago IL USA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">A very, very long day. Janet picked me up at 5 to drive to the airport for my just-before-7am flight to Chicago. Easy flight, upgrade to first class is nice even if only for an hour. Friend Aideen and son Mickey arrived from DC shortly after I landed, and we connected in baggage claim. Then off to the L’s Blue Line and the Palmer House. Aideen had gotten a good rate at this elegant old Chicago landmark — huge room with two beds and within walking distance of lots to do. The walk from the L to the hotel was just a couple of blocks. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I’ve always loved the Chicago L (shorthand for elevated which it originally was; later underground routes were added). When I was a kid and we visited Aunt Bobbie in Oak Park, we kids were sent alone on the L into the Loop for an afternoon’s entertainment! The Blue Line is actually underground in the Loop. Don’t know when the lines got color names; I don’t recall those from my college days when I took the L between Evanston and the Loop with some frequency. I used to be able to recite from memory the train change announcement at the Evanston-Chicago border. College friend Barbara and I often did History of England class research at the Chicago Public Library, then went to Marshall Field’s Oak Room (?) for a treat. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back to this trip. After breakfast near the hotel, we walked over to the Art Institute where I got a duplicate membership card and we entered for free. Spent a few hours wandering around, saw the new exhibition on American art in the 1930s, interesting era. Then we walked over to Millennium Park where Mickey enjoyed the cloud sculpture and longed to get wet in the fountain sculptures. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPjdP7Qz_lElyIXV1PABjdYoTH2OdPi3Z-qovjbTAkYBv0VDfW33BqDudwS7rYIUeqtJnRAnb5Void_CHAyhvIaZTOoNJ_25yMyPLzg7tfGfdGYXbjlCE_JTxpgNPq2rMbhZEGpM-2Cm0/s1600/Cameroon+hat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPjdP7Qz_lElyIXV1PABjdYoTH2OdPi3Z-qovjbTAkYBv0VDfW33BqDudwS7rYIUeqtJnRAnb5Void_CHAyhvIaZTOoNJ_25yMyPLzg7tfGfdGYXbjlCE_JTxpgNPq2rMbhZEGpM-2Cm0/s320/Cameroon+hat.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Headdress fro Guinea</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-UIP8sv476x_gEp4DEcWnQyxHkNZyl8woq82NAIar2ZEOT2UT-8MM3RBPPXuxPMhuzo-VtozWBQULRbI0tFfrpMApDUJUwBAEPoiImladHN54_ndzU3vHpNRcrJSHwNTLj49U5YkVYdM/s1600/Ethiopian+Bible.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-UIP8sv476x_gEp4DEcWnQyxHkNZyl8woq82NAIar2ZEOT2UT-8MM3RBPPXuxPMhuzo-VtozWBQULRbI0tFfrpMApDUJUwBAEPoiImladHN54_ndzU3vHpNRcrJSHwNTLj49U5YkVYdM/s320/Ethiopian+Bible.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Illustrated Ethiopian Bible</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwcPfYK0DGqGvi53fOiGTI-ZRVGTqAbTY_KK5QXan-JaXK69b8YXo6pD5i-OO7zG4LcYAuv-1EuXG7Kk86G_aRyjfVspF5nqe5TAmlbwqgSFGexJhCpFSEJFelpjsNuZsUXmLrw56uuuQ/s1600/Headdress+Guinea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwcPfYK0DGqGvi53fOiGTI-ZRVGTqAbTY_KK5QXan-JaXK69b8YXo6pD5i-OO7zG4LcYAuv-1EuXG7Kk86G_aRyjfVspF5nqe5TAmlbwqgSFGexJhCpFSEJFelpjsNuZsUXmLrw56uuuQ/s320/Headdress+Guinea.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Hat from Cameroon</b></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Using Open Table, I found the Farmhouse up on Chicago Avenue. We cabbed up but discovered an L stop across the street for the ride back. The restaurant reminded me of some new one in Minneapolis — lots of good locally sourced food. I had delicious lamb chops, Aideen a thick steak perfectly cooked. We stopped at Baskin & Robbins where Mickey and I got ice cream cones for dessert. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Mickey and the bean (or cloud)</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Mickey at the fountain</b></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>28 August</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Another long but fun day. The Museum of Science and Industry is my favorite museum in the world. I was about Mickey’s age the first time I went there, and while much has changed, a lot is the same. Mostly it’s become more interactive, even more kid friendly. And I think more exhibits require a separate fee. Mickey picked one that he and Aideen visited. Friend Marija who trained in from the south suburbs and I wandered around the free exhibits. Marija couldn’t stay for dinner due to the train schedule, but my cousin’s daughter Rachel joined us at Beacon Tavern which she’d recommended. We cabbed there but walked back after another excellent meal.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Marija at Museum of Science<br />and Industry</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Took the Blue Line to breakfast with Rachel at a cute outdoor cafe, Lula’s. I vacation-treated myself and had a bagel and lox, excellent. Then we walked around that neighborhood a while before I got back on the L to the airport. I was really early, but it was too hot and muggy to be outdoors too long, dragging my roller bag. Great to see Rachel who’s interested in a family trip to Scotland which I’d also like to do again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Sitting near my gate, the rain was so gentle that I didn’t notice it until a crack of thunder and lightning flashed so brightly that it seemed right next to me. That was almost seven hours ago. First my flight was diverted to Milwaukee. After a second storm hit, it was cancelled. In the meantime, Aideen and Mickey walked over and we had a short walk and visit. Their flight was later than mine and they’d stayed in the city long enough to do a hop on/hop-off bus tour — and decide they definitely want to return. Back at my gate, I stood in line with everyone else for rerouting. So relieved that I got on to a flight tonight, not in the morning as posted. We’ll board soon … and I’ve been upgraded again. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later, Minneapolis MN USA</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Home at last. Took the Light Rail, then a bus and got here at 10 pm. I am pooped, but a good kind of pooped. Had a fantastic weekend. And I returned to a clean condo. Marianne let Kelly and crew in for my monthly cleaning. Tomorrow dinner with old friend Randy that I don’t get to see often, and volunteer work at People Serving People (addressing envelopes for their gala is becoming an annual thing). Busy week and month ahead.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>31 August</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Breakfast with Sue and Nancy today, and we had a chance to catch up. They had a relaxing time on Mayne Island, BC. Nancy’s in a bit of a holding pattern re treatment until test results are available. Nancy and Sue’s travel blog has morphed and updates what’s happening. <a href="http://sandcat33.blogspot.com/"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; line-height: normal;">Sandcat33.blogspot.com</span></a> </span></div>
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Hello All from Suzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671732878857293499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9006197434431279213.post-6906208099120115442016-08-21T15:30:00.000-05:002016-08-21T15:30:38.106-05:00<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;">
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Scotland, Poland, Minnesota — </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>A Study in Contrasts</b></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>1 July 2016, Białogóra, Poland, on the Baltic Sea</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Gorgeous weather, beautiful seaside and white sand beach, fantastic fish dinners. I’m so glad that I decided to come here with Dorota and Franio. I’ve even been riding a bicycle for the first time in about 30 years!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The night we arrived Dorota insisted I try the fish and chips and compare them with what I’ve had in Scotland. No comparison. Sorry, Scottish relatives, but I liked the Białogóra fish better; it was lighter and wasn’t deep-fried so not greasy. And the chips (French fries for my American friends) were above average although the ketchup came in small packets and I had to get six. Tonight I tried the baked fish with a leek sauce … delicious. I had the baked fish because Dorota said THE best ice cream place was opening tonight. If long lines are any indicator, it definitely must be the best. And I have to say, from a taste, composition and quantify point of view, it is. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>3 July, EIC Train between Gdynia and Warsaw</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Dorota and I were up really early to drive back to Gdynia so I could catch the train back to Warsaw, where I’ll spend the night. Tomorrow I’ll take a bus to Sandomierz.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Before we left for the seaside, I asked Dorota’s husband Jacek to help me make a train reservation because of the music festival in Gdynia the last couple of days. It was called “Open-er,” a play on words: Opener (the first-of-the-season) and Open Air (Polish pronunciation of “er”). I was sure the train would be mobbed on Sunday morning; Jacek thought everyone would sleep in and leave later. He managed to get me a middle seat in the first class car on the 9:30 am train, which was fine with me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Well, when Dorota and I arrived at the train station, it was wall-to-wall slumbering festival goers. And the corridor of this car is lined with standing-room passengers and a few floor sleepers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>4 July, PolskiBus to Sandomierz, US Independence Day and my brother Dan’s 69th Birthday</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Jacek is a Godsend. Early this morning he helped me get an 8:30 am reservation on this bus to Sandomierz. Sent Hala a text message re arrival time. This is my first trip on this private bus line that leaves from a transportation hub not far from Jacek and Dorota’s apartment. He and I drove over there last evening to scope it out but didn’t reserve my seat as I wasn’t sure if I could be up and out for the earliest departure. But as usual, I was awake at 6 am, so plenty of time since I had packed already. Free wifi, toilet on board that works, comfy seats. I could get used to this!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later, Hala’s farm in Czermin</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Hala met me at the bus, and we came back to the farm. I’m staying in the new guest house which is almost complete. My room has a double bed and a gorgeous yellow bathroom with a window. Only overhead lights right now, but wi fi that’s as good as at the main house.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>8 July, Sandomierz</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Relaxing week. Had a mani-pedi at my favorite spot on Wednesday. Worked with Hala on the study tour to Ohio that’s planned for September. Worked on June blog. Got in a couple of days of lap swimming. A bit of shopping and lots of walking. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today I spent the day rambling around Sandomierz with Amanda, who was in Poland from Queensland, Australia. Amanda moved to Sandomierz to teach English at the glass factory just after I arrived to work with the Center in ‘94. We met in an aerobics class and became friends. She returned to Australia a few years after I returned to the US. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Old Town Square in Sandomierz, in<br />contrast to construction site (below) <br />next to Hotel Basztowy a few blocks away<br /></i></b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13Tap-OBk-wDrQQpNjAf6AeuA-oM0X4uAXvvHNesVHyYlwdUHmOzQwgMBbLA2gONeGdtnshjHjdhh7ECe2qRwd3gQTg6F5Lgl2C69XWVGcbCou9G4YqZyubfnvy8He2g4aBt0BJYekUs/s1600/Basztowy+constr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13Tap-OBk-wDrQQpNjAf6AeuA-oM0X4uAXvvHNesVHyYlwdUHmOzQwgMBbLA2gONeGdtnshjHjdhh7ECe2qRwd3gQTg6F5Lgl2C69XWVGcbCou9G4YqZyubfnvy8He2g4aBt0BJYekUs/s320/Basztowy+constr.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Hala’s daughter Marta and granddaughter Tosia arrived for some respite away from construction. An air conditioning unit is being installed in their Warsaw flat. Unfortunately Tosia isn’t feeling well and is running a temp. Hala and Marta think it’s a cold. I suspect teething. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>10 July, Back on the PolskiBus, heading for Warsaw</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Hala got up early to drive me to the 6:15 am bus back to Warsaw. Tonight at the Marriott Courtyard across from the airport and fly out on Monday at the crack of dawn.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Pałac Kultury i Nauki<br />Always says "Warsaw" to me</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Stopped at Dorota’s apartment to pick up clothes, etc. that I’d left. Got everything repacked, then called Jacek’s mother who came over to get the key. After settling at the hotel, I bused into town and had an early dinner with Gina. I’m on the 6 am to AMS … again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>11 July, Minneapolis MN USA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Home sweet home. Back in my own bed at last. Whoopee!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>12 July</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back to water ex and re-connecting with folks I haven’t seen in six weeks. My calendar is filling. One sad item — Roz’s funeral on Thursday. Roz was a water ex friend who was Polish. She was in her late 80s and had been in/out of the nursing home for several months. But she was a feisty lady. I’ll miss her.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>13 July</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Got my hair done today. Connie cut it shorter than it’s been in years. Will be good for summer, wash-and-wear hair. Hurray!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Lots of theater scheduled for this month: <i>Calendar Girls</i> at Park Square Theater with Jan and Marilyn, <i>The Mikado</i> at Lake Harriet Bandshell with water ex friends Cassandra and Marjie, <i>Le Switch</i> at Jungle Theater with lake-walk friend Linda, production of Summer Institute at Penumbra Theater with Mary, friend from TSPC days.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tomorrow I have election judge training after Roz’s funeral. Cassandra sent an email while I was in Poland saying the city needed election judges, so I signed up: It’s a way to contribute something and a chance to meet more people in my neighborhood.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>16 July</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">St. Paul Saints’ baseball games are always fun. It’s why I immediately said “yes” to friend/neighbor Maryanne’s suggestion that we go to a game again this summer. Tonight was the night. We took the Light Rail, had a great time at the game despite a bit of rain at the end. We were going to Uber back until I couldn’t access the app … just as it started to rain hard. We schlepped up to The St. Paul Hotel and got a taxi back to our building.</span></div>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">19 July</b><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Argh! Why didn’t my laptop Contacts update onto my phone? I was supposed to call Mary when I arrived at Moose & Sadie’s for coffee this morning. (This friend Mary is Ted’s wife, not TSPC days’ Mary.) Parking’s awful in that area. I took the first spot I found within walking distance so I wouldn’t be late. Went to call Mary and no phone number, just email. Tried Ted and no answer. Double argh. Squelched my Contacts panic when I remembered that Mary’s office is in the same building as the coffee shop. Phew. We had a nice visit over coffee. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tonight I took part in the Friends of the Minneapolis Central Library annual meeting and monthly board meeting, went home for a quick supper, then drove to the airport to pick up niece Michelle who’s in town for the rest of the summer, off and on. Always fun to have her around. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Walking back from the library meetings I had a almost surrealistic experience. And while this isn’t an issues discussion blog, I can’t let this go. It was well after 8 pm, dusk was arriving and I was walking on Nicollet Mall through the ever-present construction. As I wended my way through the hugely messy area in front of the Hyatt Hotel, I noticed a young woman ahead of me, head down and eyes probably on her cell phone, not my favorite public stance anywhere but least of all while walking around in this mess. Because I walk fast, I had almost caught up with her when I noticed a man coming toward us. To be honest, what caught my eye was his sweat-slick, shirtless gut actually jiggling over his belt. He didn’t seem threatening, just funny. Then, as he passed the young woman, he said loudly, “Black bitch,” and kept walking past her, past me. I was stunned. I stopped, turned around and said to his back, “What did you say?” You know my vocal volume so he had to have heard me, but he kept on going. I wanted to catch up with hie and slug him but thought better of it. I took a few quick steps to walk beside the young woman and apologized that she had to endure such talk. She shrugged her shoulders and said, “That’s America today.” I replied, “Unfortunately that’s true, but it doesn’t make it ok to do what he did. I am so sorry that this happened to you. I hope the rest of your evening is better” and moved on. Perhaps that man would’ve said what he did at any time in his life, maybe he even has. But when presidential candidates disrespect women, people with disabilities, anyone who’s different from them, many people, especially men, feel they’ve been given permission to voice and act on their basest instincts. America is already a great country, but as that kind of incivility spreads, it is becoming a country I don’t recognize anymore.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>22 July, “Up north” at Jean’s cabin on Sturgeon Lake</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">When Janet and I travel, together, we always have an adventure, and this trip was no different. Her grandson had left his iPad in her car in Minneapolis, so we traveled to Jean’s via Brainerd to return the iPad rather than Janet having to mail it. The detour wasn’t going to take that much longer than our usual travel time … NOT.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After a brief visit with Janet’s son and grandson, we headed over to Highway 169 which would take us toward Jean’s cabin. We stopped at a lovely cafe for lunch, I got an iPad question answered at an Apple shop that was adjacent in the same building, we used the facilities and off we went with Janet at the wheel. An hour-plus later of bumping along Hwy. 169’s patched surface, we’d gone through Grand Rapids and just passed Coleraine when I decided to get my mobile from my purse in the back seat so that I could call Jean and update her on our ETA. I was un-seat-belted and rummaging in the back seat when Janet said she was pulling over. Flashing red and blue lights in the rear view mirror. I figured it was me not being in my seatbelt until the police officer told Janet she had been speeding. She hadn’t slowed down quickly enough when the speed limit changed (and neither had the five cars in front of us). After checking her record (spotless, needless to say), he let her go with a warning. Before we pulled out, I checked again for my mobile. No luck. Using Janet’s, I googled the cafe, then called. Yes! My phone was there, in a drawer for safe keeping. I said we’d be back ASAP, then called Jean to tell her we had to make another detour.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back we went to Aitkin, got my phone and some iced coffees, gave huge thanks to the cafe staff and off we went again. This time we took a different route that didn’t involve Grand Rapids and Coleraine. And we managed to find the correct turn off 169 toward the lake (unlike last summer). However, our four-hour drive took closer to eight.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>27 July, Minneapolis MN</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Delightful and relaxing long weekend at the lake with Jean and Janet. Decent temperatures, only a bit of rain at night. We enjoyed Jean’s first venture with a crockpot — short ribs. I made BBQ’d beef for Sunday lunch with the leftovers. Took a long walk with Jean to get the Sunday paper. We drove to Cook near the south edge of the Boundary Waters (not much happening there) and to Bear Creek (absolutely nothing there). I got some post cards for my Kids’ List. And we did our annual walleye dinner at Gramma’s in Hibbing. An all ’round lovely weekend.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today, on the other hand … annual “clean the storage” day with Maryanne and it’s one of the hottest days since I returned. Christopher and I had breakfast, my treat in exchange for his help moving heavy things out/in, so I got an early start. We sweated like the proverbial stuffed pigs as he schlepped heavy boxes and the pallets out, helped me Shop Vac the floor, walls, shelves, ceiling and then put the heavy stuff back. I did some tossing and sorting as Maryanne completed her storage cleaning. Then we took a break and walked through the Skyway to the Hilton Hotel lounge for relaxation and libations. Thank God for Skyways! Lifesavers on hot days like this one, as well as cold winters.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>29 July</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">David, a friend from my Women for Women days, and his wife Nara were in town to visit family and friends, including me. I saw them last a year ago in Paris, where they now live and work. We walked down to Minneapolis Institute of Art for “Seeing Nature: Landscape Masterworks from the Collection of the Paul Allen Family,” both extensive and awesome. Several Monets that, needless to say, I hadn’t see before, including what looked like a dusk-time painting of the water lilies. And paintings of Venice by many artists. Lunch at my favorite Thai restaurant and a nice walk back to my place for coffee before we parted. Next year in Paris?</span></div>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">30 July</b></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Not sure what I can say about tonight’s performance at Penumbra.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">It was definitely powerful, sometimes overwhelming, meaningful to contemporary issues, limited in some ways and longer than expected.</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Penumbra is an Afro-centric theater where I’ve seen many wonderful August Wilson plays among others focused on Africa-American experiences. The two-part program tonight was prepared and performed by the graduates of the theater’s Summer Institute, a four- or five-week educational program for young people interested in activist art and theater. The make up of the students was very diverse. With all of the police shootings of African-American men in the news, that was a key part of both productions. The second-year students’ presentation incorporated other experiences, especially women’s issues, which muddied things for me. I’m not a “dance person” and for me, some of their dance sequences just seemed to lengthen the program taking place in a packed and very warm theater. On the other hand, the vehicle used by first-year students sharpened the focus, and I connected with it immediately. They opened with a piece around whom we love and in whose shoes we’d like to follow. The audience had been given cards to answer those questions on. The cast members individually identified theirs, then asked the audience to collectively identify their own responses In the second part of their presentation, they were instructed by their “teacher” to <i>be</i> any item or person involved in the recent police shooting of a black man in St. Paul and write about what that object or person saw and felt. The bullet, his heart and other objects verbalized their piece of the experience. Some pretty incredible writing by some of the students. I would’ve liked to see a little more processing of the issues by both groups. For me, that would have added more breadth and context to the discussion, but it was a valuable experience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>31 July<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Preparation for the BIG DAY</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tomorrow’s the big day. Sliding glass doors and window replacement begins … and ends. We were told they’d get it done in one day. Hurray! As you’ll see from the photos, I’m living in chaos and it’ll be this way at least until the painter is done next week. Not sure when new carpeting will be installed; meeting with Costco rep on Friday morning. </span></div>
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We'll see what August will bring, right Franio?<span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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Hello All from Suzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671732878857293499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9006197434431279213.post-31977671886474874322016-07-17T22:11:00.000-05:002016-07-17T22:11:09.375-05:00<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'HanziPen SC'; font-size: 36px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>June is bustin' out all over ...</b></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>1 June 2016, Bethesda MD USA, Graduation Day</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today’s the big day — Franciszka’s was graduated from high school. Mike and Jan were here from Atlanta, Kim came in from New York, Tomek, Inga, Antonia and I were all there to watch her. </span></div>
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The speaker was José Andrés, a chef who lives in Bethesda and owns a Jaleo restaurant there. That’s about all any of us knew. Then he started to speak, and it was clear why he was such a great choice: He talked about the forces of exclusion and inclusion. He said even when you can't hear or like him understand all of the words, you an tell by the behavior of a crowd whether the speaker is an included or an excluder. Those listening to an excluder exhibit anger and other negative emotions while those hearing the words of inclusion seem happy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">An immigrant from Spain, he talked about arriving in New York City with virtually nothing but what he saw as a world of opportunities. "American included me from the very beginning," he said. An award-winning chef credited with introducing the concept of small plates to the US (per Wikipedia), throughout the speech he always referred to himself as a cook. A successful entrepreneur of Jaleo restaurants and many others around the US, he is also a social entrepreneur who helped start LA Kitchen to reduce food waste, provide job training and improve access to nutritional food. And he started a project in Haiti not only to feed people but to teach cooking skills. "The more people I could include, the happier I was," he said.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>2 June, Somewhere over the Atlantic</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Syncopation, coordination, just plain good luck … I left DC as the sun rose to fly back to MSP. Wonderful friend Janet picked me up for a short respite at their house — shower, reorganizing suitcases, printing boarding passes, double checking everything. Then she drove me back to MSP for the flight to AMS and onward to Poland. We got to MSP early in expectation of the dreaded long wait at TSA — only I zipped right through. Plenty of time to walk around, eat lunch, use facilities. Now to watch “Concussion,” a film that I’ve been wanting to see but missed at theater.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>3 June, Sandomierz, Poland</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Concussion” was excellent, and I also enjoyed “Joy.” Those plus a bit of Kindle reading saw me through the long night. Transfer through Amsterdam went smoothly as did the flight to Warsaw. Piotr, the driver from Sandomierz, was waiting for me, and I nodded off during the three-hour trip. Steve and his wife Kim are driving up from Kraków tomorrow, and we’ll all go to Marcin’s wedding. For now, I’m going to sleep.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>5 June</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">You’ll never be fed so much, dance so much, enjoy yourself so much as you will at a Polish wedding. They are the greatest fun on earth. Steve, Kim and I finally called it quits at 2 am and returned to the hotel. The church ceremony was at 4 pm on Saturday, then a short drive to the reception in Dwikozy and the eating/drinking/dancing began. Four different meals were served PLUS all the food on a central buffet table AND on the table where we sat. I refused the second and third servings so as not to waste food. All the leftovers were going to Hala’s; apparently in Poland food is the contribution of the bridegroom’s family. The bride’s provides booze and beverages. The only time the vodka stopped flowing was when your glass was upside down to indicate no refill. I had three shots all evening plus a couple of glasses of wine with no appreciable effects today. All that food and dancing helped. Sober drivers were provided for everyone as there’s still no-tolerance for drunk driving (or even with the smell of booze on your breath).</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">One of the things I’ve always loved about Poland is that the men, old or young, actually dance, slow or fast, and rarely do they need prodding. The dance floor was busy all evening. Marta, Hala’s daughter, took a short video of me and her aunt doing the twist and wants me to add it to this. Zobaczymy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>8 June, Puławy, Poland</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Recovered from the wedding. Steve and Kim returned to Kraków for a few days, and I came to Puławy to spend some time with our friend and translator, Ewa. She recruited me to speak to her English classes again. One group down today, another on Thursday morning before we leave for Sandomierz. I have to admit, it’s fun. I’d taken photos of odd signs, and we discussed what the signs meant to the students as well as the intent of the sign maker. One of the signs was from the Communist era — something that ended before these kids were even born.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Ewa's students interview me to practice their English<br /> and test my knowledge</i></b></td></tr>
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Speaking of signs, I noticed the traffic signals were dual purpose — the regular signals for autos and trucks and another for bicycles, easily identified by the bicycle on the lights. I walked all over Puławy and never once saw a cyclist run a red light. Can’t say that about Minneapolis.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Bicycle traffic signal</b></i></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">A special treat this trip has been that Ewa’s daughter Olga has been cooking.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">And she’s quite good.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">She finds recipes on the Internet and tries them on us guinea pigs who, as a result, have been very well fed.</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>10 June, Sandomierz</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Long day of visiting Center clients, meeting a Board candidate (one of our members has become a vice minister in the government so had to resign), and of course, eating and drinking. Enough said.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>On the way to Warsaw, we waited<br />while traffic was stopped because of this accident</i></b></td></tr>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">12 June, Edinburgh, Scotland</b><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Why, oh, why am I always on the 6 am flight to Amsterdam? Driver brought Steve and me into Warsaw yesterday afternoon. His flight to London was later in the morning. He’s meeting Kim there to attend his sister’s wedding. In AMS, I transferred to the EDI flight easily, got a bus to the city center and a taxi to the hotel although I was told it was a short walk. Short, yes, but it was up a very steep hill to the Royal Mile, then down another to Grassmarket Square — all on cobblestone streets and dodging tourists as well as locals.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Looking from Grassmarket <br />to Edinburgh Castle</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Love the hotel’s location. I can see Edinburgh Castle and easily walk to the train station, which I did just to check it out. Christopher and Jen arrive by train from London tomorrow afternoon. Also I did a bit of shopping — got a new pair of Wellies (tall, rubber boots) that fit. The ones I bought in Ayr last year are too short for my feet; walking any distance is painful. The new ones require some heavy socks, which I also bought. I walked back to the hotel in the them and by legs and back were okay. And boots and socks were on sale.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>13 June</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">An Uber driver cancelled out after accepting their call plus lots of London traffic resulted in Chris and Jen missing their train. But someone at King’s Cross Station helped them rebook, and they arrived, weary but glad to be in Scotland. We did a wander in the hotel’s area tonight, had pizza for dinner and now to bed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Oh, I picked up the car at the airport, a four-door Volvo, and with the help of my iPhone, found my way back to the hotel. Let me just say that between narrow one-way streets, hills and such, this is not an easy city to drive any car in, but especially a full-sized one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tomorrow Chris and Jen visit the castle while I pack the car, then we head to St. Andrew’s for the day and Dundee for a couple of nights. Unfortunately the forecast is for rain most of the week. Argh!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">1<b>4 June, Dundee, Scotland</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We decided to take the scenic, non-highway route between Edinburgh and St. Andrew’s. If it hadn’t been for the pouring rain, we might’ve enjoyed the scenery. The rain and narrow, windy roads made the driving stressful but manageable. Wandered around St. Andrew’s, bought a Scottish cow cover for my brother’s golf club, had coffee, then hit the road for Dundee. Fairly easy drive. The Tay Bridge reminded me of the Bay Bridge to the Eastern Shore in Maryland, very long although Tay isn’t high. Our hotel was on the harbor, literally two easy right turns off the bridge. We stayed in for dinner since it was raining. Tomorrow …</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Oh, leaving the hotel, I followed the GPS which took us up a couple of steep two-way streets with parking on both sides, leaving room for one car. Thankfully no one was coming the other way. But at the top was a construction zone next to the University of Edinburgh and a no-right-turn sign. GPS said turn right, so I did anyway. No cops around.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>15 June</b></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Thankfully Chris didn't bring his<br />golf clubs or he'd've been playing<br />in the rain </i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Lovely day despite the rain. We drove over to St. Andrew’s, and while Chris got a shave and a hair cut, Jen and I wandered around. I bought a pair of Clark’s summer walking trainers for days when it’s not pouring. On sale and they’ll dry faster than my leather walking shoes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">About Chris and the shave. He vowed to let his beard grow until the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team won Stanley Cup. Thank God they did. He was looking a bit scraggily to say the least. The barber did a great job — hot towel shave (his first) and haircut.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We drove around so Chris could see the Old Course where foursomes were tee’d up in the rain, stopped at the clubhouse, did a bit of shopping and had lunch. On the way home Chris noticed a cute village but the turn came up too quick. I used the roundabout by the Tay Bridge to get to a riverside road and off we went on another adventure. We drove along the river road for several kilometers. Chris and Jen were continually flabbergasted at the narrow streets. As often happens here, cars were parked on both sides leaving little more than one drivable lane. But, as usually happens here, cars took turns pulling aside so others could pass. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">After a walkabout in one village and cup of hot coffee/tea, we went in search of dinner. Of course it started to pour again. Since I didn’t want to try to park in downtown Dundee, we drove some of the river highway on the city side of the Tay Bridge, passed the airport and a couple of restaurants. After a bit of round-abouting, I was able to get to one where we finally ate.</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>16 June, Ayr</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Cross country adventure driving from Dundee to Ayr via Livingston mostly in the rain. I was desperately in need of a bathroom break and the only place I could find was a giant outlet mall near Livingston. We parked and hustled to the restrooms, then to get some coffee before continuing. But first, it seemed, I had to prove Christopher right.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Chris often says, “You’re turning into Gramma, Aunt Suzi,” meaning I am doing or saying something reminiscent of my mother. And of course he’s right, all the more so in Livingston today. After using the restroom, we walked over to another building where the kids went for coffee while I went to change some money. Not. I discovered that I didn’t have my purse (read: passport, driver’s license, credit cards, money). Long story short, I’d left it in the ladies and some honest Scottish lass found it and turned it into the information desk, where I found it, totally in tact. Heart no longer in my stomach, I met Chris and Jen and told them what had happened.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i><b>Aside: </b></i> Years ago my mother left her handbag, complete not only with money, credit cards and driver’s license, but also titles to the car and house, in a restroom near my brother’s in Peoria. My sister had stopped to fill up before driving back to MN, and Mom made a pit stop. An honest local turned it into the attendant, and my brother was able to retrieve it for her.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We arrived at Miller House, and it is the place where Sabrina and family stayed last year and the only B&B where I could find a long bed for Chris. After getting settled, Jen and I went for a walk to the seaside and around town, then I got my coconut ice cream cone at Ronaldo’s Ice Cream Parlour. Dinner tonight at my favorite Ayr restaurant, the Tree House.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>One of the many golf courses we saw, this one<br />minus the rain!</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Having fun at Alloway</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>18 June, Glasgow</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Busy couple of days. Saw a few golf courses, including Trump Turnberry, where we had high tea, Prestwick, and Royal Troon where the British Open will be soon held. Went to Alloway so the kids could see the Robert Burns museum etc. And did a quick stop in Mom’s hometown where we had tea. Not really much to see there but Chris got a feel for where part of his genes came from. Weather has been a bit better, far less rain and more sunshine. Chris and Jen enjoyed their “full Scottish” breakfasts; said the host was quite a good cook. Oh, and I’m apparently turning into my dad too. When we stopped for gasoline, I was in such a hurry that I didn’t realize I’d walked into the men’s room until I exited the stall and faced a line of (thankfully not currently in use) urinals. When my late son Peter was 10, he and my dad went to Budapest with my brother and his wife. When they went to dinner, Pop left for the men’s room and accidentally went into the ladies. After all, he said, the sign read “herr-en” (the other was “da-men”). Pop told that story on himself many times.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We checked out of our B&Bs in Ayr, packed up and headed up the coast to Ardrossan. It was a gorgeous sunny day with a bright blue sky and a few big white fluffy clouds. We parked and took the ferry to Arran where we enjoyed walking and having lunch, then ferried back and took the freeway to Glasgow. I’d made reservations at a small hotel not far from the train station. Chris and Jen have a mid morning train back to London tomorrow. The hotel has a nearby parking garage that it uses but, I learned on arrival, it would not be possible to exit between 6 am and 2 pm tomorrow. Streets in the neighborhood will be blocked off for a road race. Thankfully I found a spot right in front of the hotel for free as it was after 6 pm on a Saturday; meters become operative again on Monday morning. But tomorrow … I need to be in Edinburgh by 1 pm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>19 June, Edinburgh International Airport</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After a wander around Glasgow, a quick stop at the train station and dinner, I said good night and good bye to Chris and Jen. I knew I’d have to leave before they got up. And I did — at 6 am. Following a recommendation of the hotel’s night manager, I took an alternative to the main Glasgow-Edinburgh motorway … and must’ve missed something. I was getting way too close to Carlisle, two hours south of Edinburgh. I pulled off the highway onto a smaller road and found a lay-by, turned on the phone and wended my way over small roads using the GPS … past Livingston … to the Edinburgh Airport. My 70-minute drive had taken more than two hours, but even then, I was waaaaay early. I had planned to check my bags and take the bus into town for a while. Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible. I walked around the airport, dragging my suitcase and two carry-on totes, stopping for breakfast, coffee, lunch, computer time, magazine/book browsing. Put in a lot of steps. Now I’m waiting for my flight to be called.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Dorota’s wonderful husband Jacek was waiting for me when I landed in Warsaw. I’ll stay with them a week or so, then head to Sandomierz and perhaps Kraków if Inga decides to come to Poland.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>26 June, Milanówek, Poland</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The week has gone fast. I finally visited the war museum, another well done high-tech exhibition. It’s in an old electric power plant. Lunch with Gina, then she came for dinner at Dorota’s one night. I took Dorota, Jacek and Franio to our favorite middle eastern restaurant to celebrate Franio’s completing second grade.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Two days I was Franio’s nanny for part of the day. One afternoon we played soccer at a nearby park — 45 minutes, then went for ice cream. Another day we went to see “Angry Birds” at a nearby cinema, in Polish of course. At home I watched Zootopia with him on DVD as well as the latest Star Wars, which I saw in English so had some idea what was going on. While he’s still a bit shy about using his English skills, he does his best to grapple with my bad Polish. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Now I’m in the suburbs with my friend Maryla, her husband Staś and son Tomek. Almost as long as I’ve known them, they have been renovating this old manor house. It’s been too long since I’ve had time to come our here with them for a long weekend. It’s as relaxing as my friends’ cabins in north woods of MN. In fact, both Maryla and I fell asleep in our lounge chairs on the back patio this afternoon. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Maryla & Stas' house is on walking tour<br />of manor houses in Milanówek</b></i></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Lots more work has been completed since my last visit.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">“My” bathroom is an elegant masterpiece complete with claw-footed tub.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Staś is a sculpture and perfectionist.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Speaking of which, he received a commission from the Sejm (like Congress) to do a relief of the head of the late President Kaczyński (not to be confused with his twin brother, the former prime minister).</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">I saw the well executed drawings, and Staś submitted a clay version for approval.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Now the two main political parties, PiS (the Kaczyńskis’ party) and PO (the opposition) are arguing over what verbiage will accompany the final marble piece.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Thankfully Staś was paid for his sample because I cannot imagine those two parties will ever agree on language.</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>26 June</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After a perfect-weather Saturday and much of today, we’re now having a terrific thunder storm, lots of wind and rain. Oops, there goes the power. More later …</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>30 June, Białogóra, Poland, on the Baltic Sea</b></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Dorota & Franio are ready to go</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After talking to Hala, who said temps were close to 90F in Sandomierz, I decided to travel to the seashore with Dorota and Franio. We drove up yesterday using the new motorways that EU money helped to build. What a difference they make. We’re staying in a guesthouse where Dorota’s rented before. I’ll be here until Sunday, then take a train from Gdynia back to Warsaw. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After we arrived yesterday, we walked over to the beach. The infrastructure is incredible for such a small village, so small there’s no postoffice! A wide asphalt rode for bicycles and “rickshaws” (bikes that push seats) — no cars — and a separate brick path for pedestrians lead to a boardwalk to the beach. Today we rented me a bicycle … and I actually stayed upright, a bit shaky at first but I managed to get around. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The fish here is fantastic. I tried a local version of fish and chips that was out of this world — no heavy, oily breading, just a light coating. And tonight I tried a baked fish in a leek sauce, equally delicious. Food wise I’m in heaven. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Franio</i></b></span></td></tr>
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Hello All from Suzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671732878857293499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9006197434431279213.post-57138639127623388452016-07-17T22:06:00.004-05:002016-07-17T22:06:41.068-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">A few May photos, at last</span></i></b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Marija, Iva & I on a rainy tour of Minneapolis</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Mar at the beach</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Captain Dan steers the tour around Chincoteague <br />and Assateague Islands</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>An old friend remembered</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<br />Hello All from Suzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671732878857293499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9006197434431279213.post-38488647173308179732016-07-17T14:08:00.001-05:002016-07-17T14:08:11.141-05:00<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;"><b><i>Hello All: Not only am I very late, but for some reason I cannot insert photos into the text. I'll keep at it ... maybe when I upload June, it'll work. </i></b></span><br />
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>A BELATED MAY REPORT</i></span></b></div>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">21 May 2016, Minneapolis MN</b></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The month is nearly over and I haven’t written a word. No excuses. And also no travels so far, other than to St. Paul (and contrary to local beliefs, that is not a different country requiring a passport or visa). Mostly I’ve been enjoying family and friends, lots of outstanding theater and opera, watching my food and beverage intake more carefully, volunteering with Friends of the Minneapolis Central Library (MCL). A quick and dirty synopsis:</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I started the month on May Day at friend Sally’s 80th birthday party. You’ll recall Sally from Acapulco in the old days and Greece more recently. Among her 100 or so nearest and dearest family and friends, I got to reconnect with a number of folks that I haven’t seen in years.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Friend Judi, with whom I saw “Minions” last year, and I saw “The Jungle Book.” An incredible 3D animated re-telling of the Kipling book with some of my favorite actors/actresses voicing the animals. The 3D was so incredibly realistic that I’m not sure it was really a movie for kids.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Chris and Tomery treated their mom/my sister Barbara and I to the best buffet luncheon I’ve had. We went to Beacon Public House in St. Paul, a restaurant we hadn’t tried before. i gave Barbara a platter of “curr’ cake” (Moms recipe for raisin squares); she gave me a gorgeous floral bouquet in a Mason jar, ala Mom. And we treated Chris to supper at Shamrock’s Tavern in St. Paul for his 31st birthday. My youngest nephew is now a 30-something. Argh!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">On 8 May, I marked the 17th anniversary of my son Peter’s death. Friend Susan and I did our annual trip to Temple Israel to say kaddish for her mother and my son on the 9th. I love this Jewish tradition and find it very comforting, even though my quiet recitation of the Hebrew is atrocious. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Darryn (we trained for our first marathon in the same group) wasn’t able to attend the Minnesota Opera’s production of Stephen King’s “The Shining,” commissioned as part of the opera company’s New Works Initiative. He gave me his tickets, and friend Mary from my TSPC days went along. Not sure what opera added to the story (or vice versa); they generally just sang the dialogue. But it was interesting and fun. And the staging was the most imaginative I’ve ever seen. I’m glad to see the Ordway supporting new operas even though I still prefer the occasional aria or two.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Mixed Blood’s “Charm” about an etiquette class for transgender youth, and Minnesota Jewish Theater’s “Bad Jews” were both outstanding productions that I found not only well acted but especially thought provoking. Just too bad this will arrive in your inbox after both have closed. I wholeheartedly recommend season tickets to both to all of you. Have attended both for years and I haven’t seen a bad production at either. And they always give one something to think about afterwards, regardless of your race, religion, gender etc.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">MCL Friends hosted its annual staff appreciation event this week with a larger-than-anticipated. Board secretary Bob and I had to run over to nearby Whole Foods for more refreshments. Despite cheating and having not only cake but also frosting scrapings and cheese. However, yesterday I got my follow up cholesterol test, and I’m well below the norm. Hurray! And on my weekly weight-in at the Y this morning, I hit my goal for pre-travel weight. Double hurray!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>23 May</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Busy weekend. Still organizing my two trips. Talked to Mar about logistics when I arrive on Wednesday and her thoughts on things to do, all of which sounded perfect. And finally caught up with Inga who’s been dealing with all the ups/downs of a house that’s for sale. Took hanging bag of dress for wedding & suit for board meeting plus a small suitcase of Poland-bound gifts etc. over to Janet & Ed’s — things that I won’t need in DC. Still sorting the main DC and overseas bags, then tomorrow the overseas one also goes to Janet & Ed’s. Janet’s taking me to the airport on Wednesday morning, and she’ll pick me up on 2 June (my flight leaves DC at 6:30 am). I’ll get to change and shower at their place, then she’ll deposit me back at MSP in time for my mid-afternoon flight to AMS. Whew! Even I get tired thinking of that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Had a lovely time with Craig and his family; my sister joined us too — an early celebration of Alijah’s third birthday. Can’t believe he’s that old, but he certainly has left the “toddler” behind and is rapidly becoming a little boy. Always full of fun and laughter. Jaiden did a blondish swath to the front of his hair. I should’ve taken a photo. Different but suits him. He referenced our London trip next summer, so I need to stay on top of that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>26 May, Eastern Shore in Delaware</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Lots of last minute get-togethers before I flew out Wednesday for Baltimore airport. Mar picked me up and we drove toward the Eastern Shore, stopping near the Bay Bridge for my first fresh -seafood meal — crab cakes with minimal filler and crab gazpacho. I tried the latter just for the fun of it and decided that I need to try it at home (if I can find fresh crab).</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Mar and Norman live on a prong of Herring Creek, and it all reminded me of where we stayed in St. Michaels, MD, a few years ago. Lots of woods, beautiful serene water, perfect spring weather. Two rescue dogs and two cats share the acreage and lovely big house with large deck facing the water. I stayed in the guest cottage, a lovely efficiency apartment above the detached garage.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>29 May, Bethesda MD</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I was so busy seeing the Eastern Shore that I didn’t sit down to update you. Here goes: </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Mar and I drove into Lewes one day for lunch and a bit of shopping. It’s a cute small town, not as touristy as Rehoboth Beach where we went a few days later. One evening we visited friends of Mar and Norman’s who live in Rehoboth Beach and have a guest house with more friends. Since Mar and Norman are both lawyers, so are many of their friends — often from Georgetown Law or the several legal services agencies where they’ve worked in the past. Interesting people and nice time talking about everything, especially politics. Mar and I returned to Rehoboth Beach the next day for a walk on the boardwalk and light breakfast before setting out along Route 1 to the southern tip of the peninsula — Ocean City, MD. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After so many years of living in Minnesota, it feels strange to drive such a short distance and be in another state. We got up early and went to Chincoteague/Assateague, two islands on the Virginia coast. Captain Dan who drove and led our two-hour boat tour was incredibly knowledgeable about local history. Mar had previously toured with him on recommendation of her Rehoboth friends. Definitely a good choice. Assateague is a national park where the wild ponies live without any human inhabitants or unauthorized visitors. Local lore says the ponies came to the area from a ship-wrecked Spanish galleon, and recent DNA testing has shown that to be very likely. The ponies are owned by the local volunteer fire department. Annually they are herded together and swim to Chincoteague for check ups with the vets and an auction where some, mostly foals, are sold to both cull the herd and raise money for their care and the fire department. About 150 ponies can be sustained on the island. Besides several small groups of ponies, on the tour we saw three eagles and several dolphins. An incredible array for such a short period.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">This morning Mar drove me to Inga’s, then went to visit a friend who lives nearby before returning home. We crammed a lot into a short time because who knows when I’ll get back that way … but all that sightseeing has convinced me that I definitely need to return.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Oh, one short note for my overseas friends who think Americans are obsessed with bathrooms. (You know who you are.) I was amazed at the number of Eastern Shore towns that have public restrooms — clean ones that I didn’t mind using. In my experience, you just don’t find those, at least in the Midwest where we’re forever sneaking into McDonald’s because we know the restrooms are usable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I finished the day chowing down on kielbasa that Inga contributed to a barbecue at friends Mary and Brandon’s house. Way too much food, all of it too delicious to pass up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>30 May, Memorial Day</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Inga, Tosia and I went to David’s grave today for a visit. The cemetery added fill and new sod where the ground had sunken. Inga cleaned up the headstone, replaced the candles and planted some flowers. We wondered about Beekman Winthrop, the man next door with the rabbit on his headstone. I noted that Winthrop is a very old colonial name, and ever the teen attached to her phone, Tosia googled him. Indeed, he was the 11th generation of direct descendants of the first governor of Massachusetts. He was an award-winning journalist whose work writing about the murder of 18-year-old black youth in small town South Carolina led to the indictment of two white men. The obit said his work had been made into a “highly fictionalized” book and movie by another reporter but didn’t name either. All in all, a great neighbor for David.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Lunch with Aideen and Mickey. Mickey’s doing really well, especially with his music. Once school’s out, he’ll make his annual summer trip the UK to see his dad, and in August they will make their annual trip to MN.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>31 May</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tomorrow’s the big day — Franciszka will graduate from high school. It’s hard to believe that 18+ years have passed. She such a smart, compassionate, lovely young woman; I know David is looking down at her with great pride. She’s off to the University of Georgia in the fall, but first graduation, then “beach week” with her high school friends and a summer job in Atlanta where she’ll stay with her uncle and aunt, David’s brother Mike and his wife Jan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Inga hosted dinner tonight in lieu of a graduation party tomorrow. Jan and Mike flew in from Atlanta, Kim trained in from NYC, Chris joined us. Hail, hail, the gang’s all here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>PS from early June:</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://trillist.com/">thrillist.com</a></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> ran this piece on Eastern Shore places to visit … and I was surprised to realize that when I visited Marilyn, I saw all of them. Check them out:</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.thrillist.com/travel/washington-dc/best-maryland-delaware-beach-towns-ocean-city-rehoboth-beach-bethany-beach-fenwick-island">https://www.thrillist.com/travel/washington-dc/best-maryland-delaware-beach-towns-ocean-city-rehoboth-beach-bethany-beach-fenwick-island</a></div>
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Hello All from Suzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671732878857293499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9006197434431279213.post-78526889103719422712016-05-03T13:48:00.000-05:002016-05-03T13:48:02.920-05:00<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal; min-height: 13px;">
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Spring has sprung … we hope</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>1 April, Northfield MN</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">My oldest Minnesota friend is not doing well. Lois, 90, is having more pain in her knee and has had some periods of disorientation and confusion, probably due to all the meds she’s taking. Thankfully her daughter Sarah had already planned to be with her part of this week. Lois is now required to have someone with her 24/7 until an assessment of her faculties can be made. She also needs to have an MRI of her knee.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">When Sarah called, I readily agreed to stay overnight tonight until Lois’ niece arrives midday tomorrow to take over. I need to be home because I’m taking my sister Barbara to “A Night With Janis Joplin” at the Ordway tomorrow night. Lois’ pastor brought take out from a local Japanese restaurant for dinner and stayed for a while. Now that Lois is in bed with her Talking Book, I’m going to bunk down on the sofa.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>3 April, Minneapolis MN</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Janis Joplin” was awesome — the voices of the cast were incredible. And I learned a lot about her life and influences that I would never have guessed. Like her normal middle-class upbringing. Barbara, a Janis fan since the beginning, said the lead singer really caught Janis vocally. The “back up” singers were excellent too, especially singing individually as Janis’ inspirations — Odetta, Nina Simone, Etta James. Quite a bit of tie-dye and feathers-in-the-hair in the audience. Lots of clapping and singing along, encouraged by the cast, and a few spontaneous standing ovations with favorite numbers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Book club tonight at Ann’s. I actually read the book, an historical novel about the battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War. Interesting read though a lot more detail than I can tolerate for long; I just skip over that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I finally made a Genius Bar appointment at the Uptown Apple. I have got to figure out why my iPhone calendar won’t record new events when I add them. Thus, needless to say, they don’t show up on my MacAir or iPad. Double argh!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>6 April</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Calendar mystery solved. I use the “home” calendar but had not set that as my default calendar. As a result, my iPhone events were going to the default. The Genius fixed that and checked the iPad and MacAir to be sure all were in sync.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Must stop now as friend Jan’s coming for knitting and dinner. I’m making a big chef’s salad since I have a crisper full of fresh veggies and some leftover Costco rotisserie chicken. Think I’ll make corn muffins too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>7 April</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">My life is revolving too much around food! Met Elizabeth, my very first Polish teacher, for lunch today in Highland Park, St. Paul. That’s near where she works now. I wanted to give her the Polish texts from friend Dorota (my first Polish teacher in Peace Corps). Always good to catch up with her — her three sons are all adults now, one an engineer, one a doctor and the youngest still trying to figure things out. He was a toddler when Elizabeth tutored me pre-PC and spoke better than I did! He’s traveling to Poland with Elizabeth and her husband in a week or so.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tonight friend Marilyn and I are going to Market BBQ for ribs. She mentioned being hungry for that when we knitted last time, and it’s made me salivate ever since. I’m going to have the ribs for sure; last time I had chicken to lower my calorie intake and it was dry.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tomorrow friend Janet and I are driving to Brainerd. She’ll visit her son and his family, and I’ll go to my youngest great-niece Ruby’s first birthday party. It’ll be a good opportunity to see everyone up that way. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>9 April, Brainerd MN</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Had dinner last night with brother-in-law Steve and wife Elyse, their sons David and Craig, Craig’s fiancee April and assorted kids. Great to see everyone; it’s been too long since I got up here. Everyone seems to be doing well. Nephew Mark called from Fargo to talk with David. Mark seems to be doing well in his sobriety.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Birthday party was this morning, in between Ruby’s naps. Her mom (and nephew John’s wife) Heather is a wonderful party organizer. Her theme of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” was carried out all over the rec room, which was filled with aunts, uncles and cousins. Do-it-yourself subs made it easier to stick to my eating regimen, but I did eat the yummy chocolate cupcake.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiecM3AaNyG6aQh_-lqARmrQWIo9MTI2-0qZMwYoY2ShgkK-O6TadzMwtB4YJXtztAR9vMXwTclQyOL_z3vnu-l8CsQduTOVwORhDbniLx4dK5Lvvu969aZo8CyTeOoyCkgbvKtaK-4pss/s1600/John%2527s+family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiecM3AaNyG6aQh_-lqARmrQWIo9MTI2-0qZMwYoY2ShgkK-O6TadzMwtB4YJXtztAR9vMXwTclQyOL_z3vnu-l8CsQduTOVwORhDbniLx4dK5Lvvu969aZo8CyTeOoyCkgbvKtaK-4pss/s320/John%2527s+family.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Heather, Ruby and John </b><br /></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikWZYQm4inooGlq7nh_yr_FhY3EoP79ImH8AjLLy9EMLqV-qcqQ8lYYbDYqdG6dlvtjE_aQjkP19mDz9hmen93Oi5-AEhe8x33R-YCFTm7YV0KMHjyXiMfQhhwYX7JjI4LugEAcdA6q8U/s1600/Ruby+%2526+Heidi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikWZYQm4inooGlq7nh_yr_FhY3EoP79ImH8AjLLy9EMLqV-qcqQ8lYYbDYqdG6dlvtjE_aQjkP19mDz9hmen93Oi5-AEhe8x33R-YCFTm7YV0KMHjyXiMfQhhwYX7JjI4LugEAcdA6q8U/s200/Ruby+%2526+Heidi.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Ruby with Aunt Heidi</b></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghvgrOCbG2_yryEHB3QG5e9GOjtkBBpVD1PyqvF9kA3LekewEEt_aHuGbVj_ksg6bkA19pQQQ6ka34rgNN1C5UwZk00B1zc-DdN9j8pWiBY5BitVddG1VpYzYW0Qwj0NA0GU_kClmVZHM/s1600/Ruby%2527s+presents.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghvgrOCbG2_yryEHB3QG5e9GOjtkBBpVD1PyqvF9kA3LekewEEt_aHuGbVj_ksg6bkA19pQQQ6ka34rgNN1C5UwZk00B1zc-DdN9j8pWiBY5BitVddG1VpYzYW0Qwj0NA0GU_kClmVZHM/s200/Ruby%2527s+presents.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Ruby checks out her gifts</b></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>10 April, Minneapolis</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">My early Monday morning walk with Linda and Desi is so much nicer with a bit of sunlight and warmth. Ah, spring at last.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Dr. Bella, my new family doctor, wants me to continue taking Lipitor. I’ve agreed to take a half dose until I leave for DC, then have another cholesterol test. She also said I have a “tennis elbow.” That’s why it hurts when I move it sometimes during water ex. How I have an arm band that’s supposed to help. We’ll see.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>11 April</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">What a great day I had with Craig and Alijah. Craig says that Alijah loves “the city,” so we walked … and Alijah ran … the Skyways as far as we could, then finished on Nicollet Mall to the Minneapolis Central Library. I returned a book, and we took the glass elevator to the top and looked out at tall buildings, cars and buses and people through the floor-to-ceiling windows. We caught a bus down Hennepin Avenue to a lunch spot. Alijah’s first bus ride. And after lunch, a bus ride back to my place.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>14 April</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Jan and Marilyn came over for dinner and knitting tonight. It was fun to cook a meal; I made Cajun catfish, brown rice and beans, corn on the cob and salad. We had some Greek yoghurt cheesecake for dessert; it was leftover from Sunday dinner with Barbara and Tomery and still light and delicious. Must remember that for future dinners.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>15 April</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I get an email from Thrillist and occasionally find something of interest, like the most recent one which included a link to “every state’s most important food innovation.” Minnesota gave the world the Juicy Lucy, a calorie-laden and tasty burger. Here’s what they had to say:</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>“Minnesota</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Juicy Lucy</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Instead of forcing us to eat smelt-stuffed herring, the Suspiciously Nice Nordics of Minnesota gave us something much more wonderful: a burger stuffed with melted cheese. And though it’s only gained real national prominence in intense burger circles, or amongst those who like to pick a side in <a href="https://www.thrillist.com/eat/minneapolis/best-juicy-lucys-in-minneapolis-thrillist-minneapolis"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">the 5-8 Club vs. Matt’s Bar</span></a>, it's a cheesy, beefy gift, especially when you look outside and see 178in of snow.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">And here’s the link in case you’d like to check out your state:</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/every-states-most-important-food-innovation">https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/every-states-most-important-food-innovation</a></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>16 April</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today is the day I switched clothes: Spring and summer things are now in their rightful spots and winter things are either bagged in the closet or ready for the dry cleaner. It’s been so nice this week that I’ve had windows open, sun tea brewing on the deck and worn capris and tees instead of jeans and fleece.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Lois is doing better although she said she was unable to have the MRI. Her leg wouldn’t stay still enough. They’ll reschedule when she can be given an anesthetic. Next week her brother and sister in law are visiting. Her sister in law is a jazz pianist and playing a concert for her facility.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allah's new haircut</td></tr>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-align: center;">17 April</b><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Another glorious spring day.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Off to Target to pick up a few things like cedar chips and moth balls.</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Bullets Over Broadway” last night was good fun, not fantastic but a lovely way to spend an evening with friend Jan. Dinner at The St. Paul Grill before the play was delicious. And the weather? Well, it was perfect.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Saw a piece in the <i>Washington Post</i> about climbing an active volcano in Guatemala. It reminded me of my pre-dawn climb in August 2006 of a different Guatemalan volcano, Pacaya, which had had a lava flow a week or two earlier. Our group of mostly 20/30-somethings watched the sun rise over the three volcanos, then everyone but I did the optional climb to the top. My legs were killing me although my breathing had finally settled near normal. I had forgotten how far above sea level we were at the start, let alone the finish. But I’m glad I did the climb. It was an awesome sight and incredible feeling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>18 April, Patriot’s Day</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The day of Paul Revere’s midnight ride to warn the Massachusetts Colony of the impending British invasion “by land or by sea” … and of this year’s Boston Marathon. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Boats are out at Lake Harriet</b></i></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Sitting on the deck having my coffee and protein shake this morning, the scent of freshly baking cinnamon rolls hit me.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Not sure if it was a neighbor in the building or the cook at Minnesota Teen Challenge, but it sure smelled good.</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>20 April, Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Happy birthday, QEII. The big celebrations are in June which is why Christopher had trouble getting a room in London.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">A day of good news. Halina received a positive response to her email proposal for a study trip for Center staff to look at US-based business incubators. It was a “blind request” to someone at an organization related to a former major donor to the Center. Moreover, her contact sent her message on the a key contact at the foundation to consideration.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">And the US will soon have its first female on paper currency — Harriet Tubman who replace Andrew Jackson on our $10 bill. Tubman escaped slavery to become a Union spy during our Civil War and an ardent abolitionist and humanitarian. Jackson, a war hero, was our 7th president. Initially there had been a proposal to replace Alexander Hamilton, founding father and secretary of the treasure, with a woman. But it seems the popularity of the new Broadway show <i>Hamilton</i> secured the $20 for him. Aside: Hamilton is a distant “shirt tail” relative on my grandfather’s side.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>21 April,</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I’ve been wanting for have a massage for ages and finally bought a Groupon for one at a place that’s near where my niece Tomery lives. I think I’ve found a replacement for Ann-Elyse, the massage therapist that Janet and I love and who moved to Florida several years ago. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Returned home to find no Internet (called Comcast and it’s working again) and a message from Susan that Prince (the Minneapolis-native singer-songwriter-etc, etc.) had died unexpectedly. She called because the Mixed Blood Theater fundraiser we’re attending in May was to be at Prince’s Paisley Park. Price was a music icon and genius who just happens to be from Minneapolis. While I can’t say I’ve ever been a big fan of his music, I’ve watched his career since the beginning. Two teenaged sisters who lived across the street from our house in Crystal (back in my early married days) hung out with him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i><b>Later</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I ordered an el cheapo step counter from Amazon to give it a try. Took a while but finally got it working, synced to my iPhone and counting my steps. Zobaczymy, as we say in Poland. We shall see.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>22 April</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Busy day that ended in 4,500 steps from my condo to Spoon & Stable restaurant where we celebrated Jen’s five years of sobriety. My counter seems to be working. I have more than 9,000 so far, and that doesn’t include water ex.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrnu1SWNkbU6ayKOSqWozFe3PI_q_ptoFbEXEoRObwT4bZPOgNARMrCvEigH72fJsArbTvTd-F5xOjm0EBUWV-kSVhNRV3D3ipg6vbi44jHliz1JKAVIjsd7l2aQGt3RM7gyel4WEUMsw/s1600/Wild+turkey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrnu1SWNkbU6ayKOSqWozFe3PI_q_ptoFbEXEoRObwT4bZPOgNARMrCvEigH72fJsArbTvTd-F5xOjm0EBUWV-kSVhNRV3D3ipg6vbi44jHliz1JKAVIjsd7l2aQGt3RM7gyel4WEUMsw/s320/Wild+turkey.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Wild turkey in Janet & Ed's backyard</b></i></td></tr>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">23 April</b><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Angelique Kidjo was marvelous. She has an awesome voice and incredible back story. When Mary invited me to go, I had no idea she is a Grammy-award winning vocalist-songwriter-activist who was born in Benin. Her musical influences range from traditional African to Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin and Jimi Hendrix. She did a tribute to Prince too. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>24 April, Chicago IL USA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">At 6 am, Janet and I departed for the Windy City to spend a couple of days, then bring two friends from Macedonia back to Minneapolis. We traded off driving every two hours and made it with ease, having missed rush hour in Chicago too. We had dinner with my college friend/sorority sister Barbara at Fig & Olive, a Mediterranean restaurant near our hotel that I found on OpenTable and definitely recommend.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tomorrow Iva, who lives in Skopje, and Marija, who has moved to Chicago after winning the green card lottery a few years ago, will join us for breakfast, then we’ll sightsee while Janet heads for the exurbs to visit an old friend.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>25 April</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Did you know that Van Gogh painted his bedroom in the Yellow House in Arles three times? None of us did. The Art Institute of Chicago has an exhibition of “Van Gogh’s Bedrooms,” featuring all three. Interesting, comprehensive exhibit — and educational! The original is in the D’Orsay in Paris and because it was done in a hurry, sustained water damage. The other are at AIC and the Van Gogh in Amsterdam. When you seem them side by side, you can tell they are different most easily because the paintings on the wall by the bed are different in each. They are miniatures of Van Gogh portraits and helped date the bedrooms.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRkP1B7zalUVu09VCIPMU3Bo-7RQjeK_lNzMJJPhFYHs37eNzSBFmAm5V1pPzjkcduvojfZsJx8hRt7x7abpnGeZ-aUsiqV1bVooPseNwHkmO-K6Sin0t1R57QBE8cyGpkEBGkzIbh2R4/s1600/Iva+%2526+Marija.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRkP1B7zalUVu09VCIPMU3Bo-7RQjeK_lNzMJJPhFYHs37eNzSBFmAm5V1pPzjkcduvojfZsJx8hRt7x7abpnGeZ-aUsiqV1bVooPseNwHkmO-K6Sin0t1R57QBE8cyGpkEBGkzIbh2R4/s320/Iva+%2526+Marija.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><u>Marija & Iva, dressed for the weather</u></i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">What a day! Windy and cold but such fun. After Iva, Marija and I finished with Van Gogh, the Impressionists and Contemporary Art, we walked back toward the hotel and lunch in the John Hancock Building (lower level). Dinner was at Pelago, an Italian restaurant a couple of blocks from the hotel; I’d eaten there a few years ago when I met friend Kathy B. in Chicago. Janet’s friend Joana who works for the EPA joined us. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/anyone-in-the-midwest-will-tell-you-things-in-this-country-arent-so-bad/2016/04/27/9b8bc7c8-0c9f-11e6-bfa1-4efa856caf2a_story.html?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_opinions">https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/anyone-in-the-midwest-will-tell-you-things-in-this-country-arent-so-bad/2016/04/27/9b8bc7c8-0c9f-11e6-bfa1-4efa856caf2a_story.html?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_opinions</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Our waiter was from Serbia and he had the chef pull out all the stops for our Macedonian guests — sample appetizers, sample pastas before our mains. After all that food, I was glad I’d only ordered the risotto starter. We shared a cannolo, one of my favorite desserts, and delicious as it was, two bites was enough.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Oh, I walked more than 18,200 steps today ... off to bed!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>27 April, Minneapolis, Rain, rain, go away.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Despite numerous GPS devices with directions, it took a bit to get on the road from Countryside IL where Marija lives. But we made it and had a routine freeway drive all the way to Minneapolis. Stopped for early lunch at an Oasis, the Illinois Tollway’s service plazas that span the highway. You can eat and watch cars speed below, a big thrill when we were kids.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After settling Marija and Iva in their hotel, I gave them a general tour of the city and out to Costco in St. Louis Park to fill the gas tank. Then we met my sister at her favorite eatery, Red Cow, and Marija and Iva got to taste some local brews.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>28 April</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">More rain. A good day to hit the Mall of America. ‘Nuff said.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv65gUIE1SLQP4eoO3j1kOnpBafqmYj60HqBV4QYjN_CWjs-Lwx-pyvNEC_dqSiDlm2qBrVvDMkbFhMSPra8ju1TwF9R0BEwCPqyO38ZyQPTBaPyJMyUVl6pb1gklydGkAlfMI4vMEe-A/s1600/Minnehaha+Falls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv65gUIE1SLQP4eoO3j1kOnpBafqmYj60HqBV4QYjN_CWjs-Lwx-pyvNEC_dqSiDlm2qBrVvDMkbFhMSPra8ju1TwF9R0BEwCPqyO38ZyQPTBaPyJMyUVl6pb1gklydGkAlfMI4vMEe-A/s200/Minnehaha+Falls.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Took Marija & Iva <br />to see Minehaha Falls</b></i></span></td></tr>
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<br /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Many of you know I’m not a Garrison Keillor fan; he’s the creator of A Prairie Home Companion on Minnesota’s and other public radio stations.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">But his op ed in the </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Washington Post</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> yesterday was spot on, offering New York refugees a place to stay in Minnesota when the NY water system crashes.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Enjoy:</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/anyone-in-the-midwest-will-tell-you-things-in-this-country-arent-so-bad/2016/04/27/9b8bc7c8-0c9f-11e6-bfa1-4efa856caf2a_story.html?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_opinions">https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/anyone-in-the-midwest-will-tell-you-things-in-this-country-arent-so-bad/2016/04/27/9b8bc7c8-0c9f-11e6-bfa1-4efa856caf2a_story.html?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_opinions</a> </div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>29 April, Sunshine at last!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After visiting Janet and Ed at home and walking with them around part of Lake Harriet, we drove to Northfield for lunch with Lois, who loved having the company. We returned in time to get them to the airport for their return flight. It took me an hour to drive home. Every freeway looked like a parking lot with construction zones everywhere causing detours.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Big news — Franciszka, my first adopted grandchild and the daughter of friend Inga and the late David, is graduating from high school on 1 June, and I’ll be there with bells on. She has chosen the University of Georgia after being accepted at four or five universities! Congratulations, Frankie!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Franciska during our visit to Penn State</b></i></td></tr>
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Hello All from Suzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671732878857293499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9006197434431279213.post-48231364518796726092016-04-13T12:58:00.000-05:002016-04-13T12:58:30.578-05:00<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: STIXGeneral; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">March roars in like a lion …</span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>1 March 2016, Minneapolis MN</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">… I can only hope that it’ll go out like the proverbial lamb. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9esRycwMxNIkXoW8w6Kp3Kf9p4Qoj9cQOVKPKu_yq6dc20uOyhEUX1jyVhJgoQ9N_eQkHJjbl0VRs-9BuesGjQcgMgOE5dG3yfeXzEhKdAXyEPXT5Dwa5OFQ3T1nOTKfyWdjmTef38_c/s1600/snowy+chairs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9esRycwMxNIkXoW8w6Kp3Kf9p4Qoj9cQOVKPKu_yq6dc20uOyhEUX1jyVhJgoQ9N_eQkHJjbl0VRs-9BuesGjQcgMgOE5dG3yfeXzEhKdAXyEPXT5Dwa5OFQ3T1nOTKfyWdjmTef38_c/s320/snowy+chairs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Dusting of snow on cars this morning as I drove to water ex. Temp down to mid teens. Not complaining; just stating the facts. Everyone says we can’t complain because we had such a long, mild, lovely autumn for a change. But I am soooo glad to be leaving for LaQuinta CA tomorrow. My brother says it’s been high 80s, low 90s. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>2 March, LaQuinta CA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Arrived at Palm Springs Airport after a swing th</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">rough O’Hare. I’m using my American Airlines ticket from last year when I was supposed to travel here with my sister, who was on AA miles. I booked almost 90 minutes’ layover in O’Hare in case the gates were at a distance. Not. I left one gate from where I had landed … and a food court with Chicago ‘dogs was just across the way. The perfect dinner. Dan met me at the Palm Springs Airport, and at their house, Ann had the nicest array of nibbles ready for supper, including some lovely cheeses, and of course, wine. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>3 March</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After 30 minutes of exercising and swimming laps in a very cold, shallow swimming pool but under the bluest skies and warmest temps, I returned to the house for coffee on the patio: my idea of paradise. Think I’ll make this my new morning routine. Dan just returned from his hour-plus fast walk with his grad school friend Randy. Randy and his wife Helen bought a place at the other end of Dan’s street a year or so ago. I’ve heard so much about them over the years but we’ve never met. Nice to finally have the chance to get to know them.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Morning coffee on the patio = paradise</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>8 March, International Women’s Day</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Have had such a great week with Dan and Ann. We don’t get to see each other often enough. I’m glad I made this trip alone. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The weather’s been glorious. I’ve been sitting outside with my morning coffee every day. What a treat after weeks of frigid Minnesota. Did water ex a couple of times in the very cold swimming pool near the house. Then Helen invited me to her water ex class — an hour of exercise in a <i>warm</i> pool. Went twice. Thank you, Helen. Helen’s written a memoir about friends she’s made as she and Randy have moved around the US and the world. She said Dan is prominent in both the grad school and LaQ sections. Will order from Amazon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Randy and Dan are buying the house next to Dan’s as an investment and will use it as a rental once they’ve closed. It’s in like-new condition, nicely furnished, just needs a few odds and ends to be ready. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0hj3CsG0pP7fg4FfXuZoVFKh02lCfYcTsvlOmDZjyXyPc7JKQoZz1lcb31X9XgpF46_lN_tAb1-IvFq4REscqfT6WyLUk-v3ijyLZGM5v_b7XZKcJSK57_ITSPm6AwHwdC665qqJCjfM/s1600/Dan+at+the+laptop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0hj3CsG0pP7fg4FfXuZoVFKh02lCfYcTsvlOmDZjyXyPc7JKQoZz1lcb31X9XgpF46_lN_tAb1-IvFq4REscqfT6WyLUk-v3ijyLZGM5v_b7XZKcJSK57_ITSPm6AwHwdC665qqJCjfM/s320/Dan+at+the+laptop.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Dan's morning routine</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Dan and I went to the LaQuinta Art Festival one hot afternoon. An amazing collection of art of all kinds displayed on the grounds of the art center. My </span>college<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> friend Marcia who's an artist has exhibited there.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdl1yfKQwkrCFKB-G4H_-ntiY_OzumU9ddvVM8wbFdivxTUtJ3wwA0n27Bn_IaV-xS4A1fU9ESihg4od3vXeiKJ64l6uQMZgFGd6Fzws4I8o0Lc2svVUgXamqwQyIJrrx7dVII6SGN04/s1600/Blue+tote+discountmugs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdl1yfKQwkrCFKB-G4H_-ntiY_OzumU9ddvVM8wbFdivxTUtJ3wwA0n27Bn_IaV-xS4A1fU9ESihg4od3vXeiKJ64l6uQMZgFGd6Fzws4I8o0Lc2svVUgXamqwQyIJrrx7dVII6SGN04/s320/Blue+tote+discountmugs.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Fun stuff at LaQuinta Art Festival</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Ann and Helen joined us a few days later for a trip to the Palm Desert flea market … definitely not what most would think of as a “flea market.” Yes, a vast outdoor market, but lots more artisan stalls with jewelry, apparel, hats, plants, outdoor decorations than typical flea market stalls. Dan bought a safari-style hat for better protection from the sun when he’s golfing. Both he and Ann have had skin cancers removed recently, so they are very careful about sun exposure. I bought another long cotton summer dress, similar to one I bought at this market a few years ago. Very comfy for hot days and for trans-Atlantic air flights. Ann found a gorgeous handmade necklace to match a blouse she has. I got it as a birthday gift from my sister Barbara and me. Her birthday’s later in the month.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I managed to break even on our day at a casino. I do love video poker. Good thing we don’t have any really-close casinos back home; they are all way out of the city … although they <i>do</i> have free buses picking up clients. …</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">On the way to Callaway for dinner, we stopped at a metal sculpture’s display. Dan and Ann had found him at his original location and taken our nephew Christopher and Jen there last year. The artist does everything out of found metals and has a whole field full of dinosaurs, assorted animals, bandoleros, cacti, fountains … and the best of all, a Wells Fargo wagon out of the old west. Ann bought one of his cacti after they first found him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">One day we “bad weather” — we got a few sprinkles of rain on the patio. Mostly it was very overcast, windy and cooler. Dan, Ann and I went to the see desert blooms along the Randall Henderson Trail. Dan and I only walked about half a mile and saw an abundance of beautiful, colorful desert flowers, some on cacti, others on green-leaved plants. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>10 March, Bodega Bay CA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Rain, rain and more rain. I know California needs rain but on my vacation … It was already drizzling last night when Jean picked me up at the San Francisco Airport, and it was pouring most of our drive up here. We’re staying with friends of Jean’s who will arrive tomorrow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Jean and I went for a walk during what was supposed to be a two-hour break from the rain. We got just far enough away that it was just as easy to keep going than to return when the deluge restarted. I was drenched to my skin.</span></div>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">14 March, San Francisco CA</b></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Sunshine at last! It’s been a rainy week. On Saturday we returned from Bodega Bay in the morning, then met Jean’s daughter Lisa for coffee and shopping at an outlet mall, nice way to spend another rainy afternoon. Didn’t get to see my cousin Annie. She returned from a celebratory birthday cruise with friends, then went off to Southern California for work. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I helped Jean with some clean up at her late brother’s condo; it’s just a block from hers. What a mess. Her nephew went through his dad’s papers and what he didn’t want, he threw into a pile that was literally 3 by 5 feet. Not sure who left coffee and food on the kitchen counter; I’m surprised mice hadn’t invaded. We washed some of the towels that can be taken to a shelter; more of those to do. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Spent much of today visiting Marie in Alameda. Marie’s son Dean and my late son Peter went to school together, and Marie was part of our Acapulco group. Jean and I drove over to take Marie to lunch, a late celebration of her 80th birthday. Afterwards we took a leisurely walk around the park near Marie’s, then drove over to a new winery for a sample. Marie had sent me two bottles of wine from there for my birthday. I bought a bottle to bring back to my sister.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tomorrow it’s supposed to be sunny and warm again. Kate, Jean’s friend whose house we stayed at in Bodega Bay, is coming over for a walk and lunch. It feels good to be outdoors again without rain!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>16 March, Minneapolis MN</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Home again, home again. It may be cold but it’s home. I have switched back to the fleece sheets for the duration.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>19 March</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Brunch with Peace Corps friends Sabrina and Mark and their son Mark. They are planning a trip to southern Africa this summer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>22 March, First coffee on the deck</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">On Sunday, Christopher and Jen came for dinner, and we talked about our June trip to Scotland. Chris’ passport only took two weeks. Jen’s hasn’t arrived yet. After water ex, I had started to bring up the deck chairs, then got sidetracked into other things, including fixing dinner. So Chris helped me bring up the tables and storage boxes with pillows etc.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today, after I got back from water ex and coffee with the gang, I looked out at the sunny sky over my now-furnished deck and put on a fresh pot of coffee. After gathering up a couple of fleece throws (one to keep my tush warm on the mesh chair seat, one for my legs) and my book, I poured a mug of hot coffee and enjoyed that and my book on the deck for half an hour. Heaven!</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Unfortunately when I came inside the weather report was on, forecasting 3 to 6 inches of snow on Wednesday-Thursday and perhaps hitting Minneapolis but perhaps not. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Later</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Excellent theater is one of the things I most like about living in the Twin Cities. From Broadway road shows at the Ordway to established regional theaters like the Guthrie and Children’s Theater to smaller mission-driven venues like Mixed Blood and Minnesota Jewish Theater, you can always count on thought-provoking, well acted, professionally presented dramas and comedies, whether old or new. Tonight friend Linda and I saw Shakespeare’s <i>Two Gentlemen of Verona</i> presented by an all-female cast at Jungle Theater, our first production of the new season and new artistic director. And what an outstanding production it was. It took about 15 minutes to get used to the Elizabethan language, but from thence it was beautifully done — acting, costumes, setting. I’m so glad we keep getting season tickets.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>23 March</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I enjoyed a delightful lunch at a new restaurant with an old friend I haven’t seen in a while. Anne was my internal liaison many years ago when she was executive assistant to the general manager at the local Marriott (we only had one then) and I was acting account executive for Minda PR. We bonded over the many special events, promotions and publicity opportunities that mostly we conceived and she helped convince hotel staff to help execute. She started her professional career as a Northwest Airlines flight attendant and has written a wonderful memoir about those early days in flight. And she’s spearheading a local Northwest museum. One of the catching ups Anne and I did was over the recent death of our Marriott GM, which led to reminiscences about those early days of my PR career. I brought her a few NWA souvenirs for the museum or its next memorabilia sale.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">By the time I drove home, the predicted snow was falling steadily, It started as I left water ex, not sticking too much at first and later resting more permanently on my deck furniture. A good day to stay in and read … and I can’t believe that’s just what I did. I stretched out on the living room love seat (head on one arm, feel on the other) and read ALL afternoon. I lost track of time and finally got up to fix some supper at 8 pm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>24 March</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">A few snow-covered cars and partially snowy grass — remnants of winter’s last gasp (or so we’re told and hope). Friend/neighbor Maryanne and I are off to the Macy’s Spring Flower Show (a remnant of the old original Dayton’s department store that’s now a Macy’s).</span></div>
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A Northwoods setting at the flower show<br />
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Red hydrangeas at flower show<br />
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">27 March, Easter Sunday</b></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Been a busy week … mostly catching up with friends over dinners, lunches, coffee, and getting back into the routine of water exercise. None today; Y’s closed. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Family brunch at Heyday Cafe was lots of fun and good food too, although the service was slow. They definitely weren’t prepared for the holiday traffic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>29 March</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Friend Marilyn went shopping with me today to find a chair for my bedroom, something high enough to comfortably get out of after putting on my shoes and socks. The one I ordered from Target sat too low so I returned it. I’d seen some at Pier 1 and decided to try there again. Voila! Found one. Right size, nice travel-oriented pattern and perfect price. </span></div>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">30 March</b></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Maryanne and I saw the most interesting documentary at the movies today. “City of Gold” is about the food critic at the<i> LA Times</i>, a most unusual fellow who finds great, interesting food in the most out-of-the-way places. He said he visits a place as much as a dozen times before reviewing it. Gold doesn’t use disguises to be anonymous; he uses others to make reservations or shows up at the last minute to surprise chefs. We weren’t sure what to expect and both ended up enjoying the film. <b> </b></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Friend Hala in Poland is definitely a proud gramma. She has sent lots of photos of Tosia, her first grandchild.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>31 March</b></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Busy day — estate planning seminar and lunch at Schwab, knitting with Marilyn and Jan, dinner with niece Michelle. Sunny but cold. Guess that’s a “lamb-ish” as we’ll get. Ah, Minnesota.</span></div>
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Hello All from Suzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671732878857293499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9006197434431279213.post-53114873176447746122016-03-20T16:11:00.001-05:002016-03-20T16:11:22.836-05:00<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Seravek; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: large;">“And when short February’s done …”</span></div>
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<b>1 February 2016, Minneapolis MN USA</b></div>
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Welcome to Leap Month … nephew Christopher came over for dinner, and we laid out some plans for our Scotland trip in June. He made reservations for him and Jen to fly to London and stay there two nights before taking train to Edinburgh. I’ll fly from Warsaw and made my reservations plus two nights in an Edinburgh hotel.</div>
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This will be a month at home, enjoying the companionship of MN family and friends and planning future travel. Don’t get too bored!</div>
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<b>2 February, Groundhog Day</b></div>
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For the first time in years, Punxsutawney Phil didn’t see his shadow. Spring will arrive on time, sometime after the blizzard that arrived this afternoon. I had lunch with friend Ted today, overcast day when we entered Olive Garden and six inches of snow when we left. Took me 55 minutes to make my 20 minute drive home. Hunkering in. Did talk to my old boss Roland. I had hoped to invite him to coffee but with all the snow, we decided to postpone. He and Merle have moved into their new apartment, which is above the Lunds & Byerlys store in Northeast Minneapolis, a frequent stop of mine because it has off-street, indoor parking and sells Peet’s coffee.</div>
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<b>3 February</b></div>
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Our driveway was plowed and so was Third Avenue South, but it just didn’t look like a good day to head out for water ex. My paper had arrived, time for coffee and the paper. </div>
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By late morning I decided to go ahead and attend the house party for Chelsea Clinton. My concern that the snowfall might reduce attendance was unfounded. The place was totally mobbed. Didn’t see a soul I knew, but it was fun. She is such a poised, bright, warm young woman, and very articulate: not an “um” or an “er” in her prepared remarks and direct answers to all of the questions. I’m glad I went.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Chelsea autographs her book for woman next to me</b></i></span></td></tr>
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<b>5 February</b></div>
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Over lunch yesterday I finally caught up with Jan. We had lunch at the restaurant at Macy’s Ridgedale and set a date for knitting; she’ll contact Marilyn. Started the day with water ex and then stopped to see Janet; she and Ed had been in Key West for an economists’ meeting. They had the same windy, rainy weather that Inga endured in Miami.</div>
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Today I finally got to Northfield to visit with Lois. I took the freeway rather than Cedar Avenue in case the stretch south of Apple Valley was windy. It’s flat, open farmland with few houses and nothing to stop blowing snow. </div>
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<b><i>Later</i></b></div>
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Just before Chris and Jen arrived with Lily and Tomery texted that she was en route home, I had a text from nephew Craig. My nephew Mark in Fargo is hospitalized and in an induced coma. I sent a text message to Mark’s younger brother Jeff who replied there’s nothing to do but wait.</div>
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Took Tomery her “promotion” gift (she is now a senior regional something at LifeTime) — two funky bar stools that look like they’d fit her loft style. She had seen the photo I sent from TurnStyle resale shop and thought she’d like them. She can have the seats recovered (or her mom, who’s done some upholstery before, can do that). Glad she liked them.</div>
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Lilly’s already hiding under the bed. I’m keeping the TV room door closed so she can’t eat my computer cords. She loves to gnaw on rubberized cords. My vacuum cleaner cord has a swath of silver duct tape where she bit into it previously, and I’ve had to replace Mac cords due to her obsession.</div>
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<b>7 February, 50th anniversary of Beatles’ arrival in USA</b></div>
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A day that my generation will remember well. I have some great photos the women in my freshman dorm watching them on The Ed Sullivan Show. </div>
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Last night I saw <i>Jesus Christ, Superstar</i> for the first time. Kinda amazing that I’ve never seen it on stage or film, but I haven’t. Friends Darryn and Kim’s son Chase is in the production, and it was very well done. The theater was way out in Maplewood; I was delighted that Darryn offered to pick me up. Kim and their daughter Ella took Chase directly to the theater. The costumes and scenery were post apocalyptic; the dancing and voices were wonderful. All in all, a perfect way to spend a wintry Saturday evening.</div>
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Since yesterday, Susan’s been having cable and TV issues so she cancelled lunch. Instead my sister and I went to see <i>Hail, Caesar!</i>, the new Coen Brothers film. Loved it. I had seen so many of the films they parodied — from Esther Williams’ synchronized swimming extravaganzas to Gene Kelly dancing in New York, Paris, etc. to <i>Spartacus</i>. </div>
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Lily’s come out of hiding long enough to slink to the front coat closet, paw the bi-fold open and nestle in for a bit.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lily's new hideout</span></b></i></td></tr>
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<b>8 February, Chinese New Year, beginning of the Year of the Monkey</b></div>
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And a cold, windy wintry day it is. </div>
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Last night I cancelled walking with Linda today because I could already hear the roar of the wind while reading in my living room. High winds and single-digit temp were forecast for this morning. I stayed in bed a while, then showered (hot water worked!), dressed and met Pam for coffee. Afterwards, I walked to the IDS building and on errands midday instead. By then, the wind had calmed quite a bit and I knew that could always duck into the skyway system for relief. I’d’ve been out longer but I forgot to put my credit-card wallet in my purse and couldn’t get cash, buy stamps, you get the picture. This is why I hate to switch purses!</div>
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In the evening I attended a fund-raiser for Mixed Blood Theater with Susan, who’s a board member and past president. Chair reading of one act of a new play preceded by some great music and humor, all at Lush, a bar-nightclub in Northeast. Great way to spend a cold evening.</div>
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<b>9 February</b></div>
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MaryAnne and I saw <i>The Big Short</i> today. Very well done on many fronts but also very upsetting, angering to learn so much more about how the housing crisis happened. </div>
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<b>13 February</b></div>
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I want extra points for walking (yes, walking) in sub-zero temp to have brunch this morning with my niece Michelle, who also walked. We ate and caught up at the Hen House, a bustling cafe that’s about midway between her and Jon’s condo and mine. I had planned to take the Skyway system but without any real wind and with lots of layers of apparel, the walk wasn’t too bad. And I walked home via Barnes & Noble, a few blocks farther away.</div>
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Finally caught up with Sue and Nancy at brunch this week. Mary also joined us, and we were glad to see how well Nancy’s doing after starting chemo. (Mary, Sue and I worked together many moons ago.) She looks great and strong and beautiful with her bald head. </div>
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<b>14 February, Happy Valentine’s Day</b></div>
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Lily’s happy. </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Christopher is home and picked her up today. I miss her already. Chris said the weather in LaQuinta was fantastic — all sunshine and hot (80s) every day. I am psyched for my trip!</span><br />
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<b>15 February</b></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Nothing like an incredibly funny play to improve a cold and snowy day.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Marilyn and I went to Minnesota Jewish Theater Company’s production of </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> last night and laughed our heads off.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Sally Wingert and Linda Kelsey were better than ever as two of the three leads.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Kelsey plays the mother of Wingert who is the allergist’s wife. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span></div>
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Sent nephew Jeff in Fargo a text to get an update on his brother Mark. Docs are still trying to awaken him and wean him from the ventilator. </div>
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<b>17 February</b></div>
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Good news from nephew Craig about Mark. He’s out of the coma and being evaluated to determine what, if any, damage has occurred. And my friend Dianna got good news during her most recent cancer follow up in Boston. </div>
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And tonight I had another awesome theater experience. Mary’s season tickets to the dance series at Northrop at the U of M include special productions. Tonight was a screening of <i>The Triplets of Belleville</i>, an animated feature film done by a French group that won more than a dozen nominations and awards. While the film plays, an orchestra plays the music and does sound effects … reminded me of watching a silent film. The story is charming — about a grandmother’s love for and devotion to her grandson. She buys him a dog to keep him company, then a bike. She trains him for the Tour de France. When he’s kidnapped, she rents a pedal boat (20 min. for 1 franc) to take chase (with the dog) across the sea to Belleville. The drawings are wonderful caricatures. The triplets are a trio of aged, once-famous singers who house and help grandma and the dog rescue her grandson. The chase scene is a classic: lots of wrecked cars and “dead” gangsters, and grandma, the cyclists and triplets riding off into the sunset. The last scene is perfect — the pedal boat guy standing on shore looking at his watch and out to sea.</div>
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<b>20 February</b></div>
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More excellent theater. Marilou and I saw <i>A Chorus Line</i>, the third in my Broadway series tickets at The Ordway Theater in St. Paul. I was in awe of the ability and stamina of the dancers. And the story never gets old — the lives of people seeking their dreams.</div>
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Spent much of yesterday and today cooking for Sunday evening’s book club at my place. The book we read takes place in New Orleans so I found some cajun recipes to try. I didn’t go to see Lois because she had doctor appointments. But she didn’t sound good so I called her daughter Sarah who followed up. </div>
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<b>22 February</b></div>
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Nice morning for walking Lake Harriet. And a couple of times the lake cracked. It sounds a little like a rifle shot as the warming ice shifts. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lake Harriet at 7 am</span></i></b></td></tr>
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Off to the dentist this morning. Started to feel a tender spot near where I had an abscess when I was a Peace Corps volunteer. I remembered that past incident, lots of pain. Talked to my dentist on Saturday and Sunday; Tylenol and salt water rinses were helped. Yes, I have a small abscess from a dying tooth that anchors a bridge. Penicillin for the infection, more salt water rinses and on Wednesday, root canal. Oh, happy day. At least my dentist can do the work (no referral to a specialist) and he won’t have to remove the crown … bridge and other anchoring crown. Whew!</div>
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<b>24 February</b></div>
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Started the day with getting my hair done and closed with the root canal. In between, I did some laundry and picking up around the condo. Now to put my feet up, enjoy my homemade vegetable soup and watch some mindless television. </div>
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Connie did her usual wonderful job on my hair. Much shorter in back for easier care while I”m traveling. And the dentist did a great job on the root canal, pain free once the novocaine took over. He cleaned out the dead root, pushed in some meds and covered temporarily. I return after my trip to California for a permanent closure. Now to my easy chair.</div>
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<b>26 February</b></div>
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This isn’t a political blog but when my favorite retailer behaved very badly, I had to act. I won’t shop there ever again. Friend Ted sent an article that Land’s End, from which a huge percentage of my wardrobe was purchased, had pulled an interview with feminist icon Gloria Steinem from its website after receiving complaints from anti-abortion activists. Not a word in the interview about abortion. Oh, and Land’s End will no longer support an NGO that’s dedicated to women’s equality and on whose board Steinem sits. I am keeping the catalog which is probably a collector’s item now!</div>
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More fun theater last night as a bunch of us from water ex went to see Gilbert & Sullivan’s <i>Iolanthe </i>at a theater three blocks from me. Richard, a lap swimmer we meet in the hot tub many mornings, was among the House of Peers in the opera. Cassandra arranged for tickets. I hosted a light meal for those who could join me, then we walked to the theater.</div>
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Yesterday after lunch with Susan and Diane, Jan came over and agreed with everyone that the chair i bought online from Target is too low. (^**&*(#$% I love the pattern, the seat size and colors are perfect … but it won’t be easy to get up from. Sunday my sister will come over and help me schlep it to the downtown Target for return. </div>
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Just got Hala’s email that Antonia has made her entrance. No details on weight or length, but Hala’s pride as a new grandmother (babcia in Polish) shined through her voice.</div>
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<b>28 February</b></div>
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I got tickets to Children’s Theater for yesterday for Craig’s step-son Jaiden and me. He came in with Craig, April and Alijah for lunch and stayed over. You may remember that a few years ago he asked me when he’d get to travel with me and I said anytime. So we’re working our way up to a longer, overseas trip. And he’s actually had his first plane ride last fall.</div>
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Weather was great yesterday. We walked quite a bit, trudged through the convention center and took pix of the tiny houses for his grandmother, went to the Hilton for a Shirley Temple (Jaiden) and iced tea (me). Today we decided to see the mummy exhibit at the Science Museum. Somehow Iissed the forecast for today’s cold, windy and wet (rain AND snow) weather. It was drizzling when we left so I gave Jaiden a Gore-Tex windbreaker of mine and wore my rain coat. We took the light rail to St. Paul and were under-dressed. But at least we had rain gear, and though it was still cold and windy, it was dry on the way home. We caught the free bus to the convention center and ogled the tiny houses once again. If I were 20 years younger …</div>
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Jaiden has picked London for his overseas trip. We talked about him traveling with me to Poland summer of 2017, then we’d go on to London. </div>
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<i><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> Jaiden during one of our traipses through the convention center.</span></b></i><br />
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">29 February, Happy Leap Day</b></div>
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Years ago when I went to the Northwest Y for “Adult Fitness” at 6 am, the desk clerk was a woman named Jimmie, whose birthday was today. I was in my late 30s … she was approaching her teens.</div>
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Sunshine is back but in Minnesota, that only means bright blue skies and that it’s very cold outside. Oh, and it’s still windy. </div>
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Hello All from Suzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671732878857293499noreply@blogger.com0