Category Archives: Uncategorized

It is still noisy

Holly Doyne Posted on by

Both at home (where they are almost done blasting out the foundation. I will try to post the “completely hollow” pictures tomorrow and at the game.

It was a fireworks night. George came along, we drove and were able to escape the noise and madness actually rather easily. Unless going with a group that actually wants to see fireworks – it was a much better option than either leaving early before the BART overpass is closed or attempting to catch the shuttle busses which turn out to take longer than just staying for the fireworks. Of course, my decision might be easier if I wasn’t sitting in the bleachers which have to be cleared prior to the fireworks start.

Anyway – there were actually over 30k worth of fans, at least a third of which were rapid Yankees types. With the exception of one complete dick. Aaron Judge tossed a fly ball that he caught into our section of the RF Bleachers. An “adult” looking somewhere in is 30s grabbed it out of the hands of a young kid of about six who was looking just totally stunned with happiness. There was no question in our minds he took it away from the boy. His excuse that he wanted it for his son (aged 2) just didn’t fly. Security attempted to get him to give it back, then they invited him to leave when he refused.

Will, one of our regulars, had caught a ball during batting practice. He dug it out of his bag and gave it to the young man. It wan’t the same, but much better than going home without anything. Another ball tossed up, caught by a Yankees fan was traded for the batting practice ball. The Yankees fan was perfectly fine with the replacement ball for his nephew; it was fair to him that the boy who had actually caught a ball should have one that was thrown.

Yankee fan – terrific kudos. Will – always generous and long standing member of the Right Field Bleacher Die Hards. The As fan who grabbed the ball? Needs to find a moral compass. It is one thing to tussle with your peer group over a ball. And completely something else to steal from a child.

Oh – the As actually won 7-6! And Cassilo managed to actually hold off the Yankees in the top of the ninth.

Slip Sliding

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Would you believe it is raining? Here in California where we never see rain between early in the year and Nov/Dec? When someone yesterday told me the forecast, I had a tough time believing it. To tell you the truth while the rain might be good for the plants and gardens the reality is appalling.

You remember me talking about construction right?

We have this gaping hole where the lower level/basement used to be. The guys have been good about hauling away dirt and debris on a regular basis. Nevertheless, the local version of dirt which turns out to have a moderate amount of clay has taken to hanging out on the drive way. Wet, it becomes extremely slippery.

Alex and I carefully made our way down it this morning proving that not fun is a more than apt saying. I have more errands to run (post office for packages going on, weaving supplies to drop off, library books to return, socks to exchange, BART pickups x2 plus used books to sell).

I may wind up putting off all but the BART runs till tomorrow….

And where do you want to go

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If you are from a country where the merchants want to charge you $1.50/AU skein for embroidery floss? Why shopping at JoAnn’s of course. There is something fairly pleasing about paying $0.40/US instead. I had made a list of the colors of which I was short. Jill had her list. We had decided that these couple of days were going to be low key, low stress and sight seeing only on this side of the bay.

And so it was that we spent a few pleasant hours both looking for things we really didn’t need, relaxing with cross stitch. Well, mine is relaxing, Jill’s – at 350×350 is a much more challenging fractal…

Jill’s complicated cross stitch

 

They had dinner with Dani and Alex as we had a business dinner obligation.

ConRad 22 – Day 2

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Feeling a bit less stupid today (many lectures relating to Epidemiology or science that didn’t feel too futuristic) I enjoyed both morning and afternoon sessions. Plus there was the fun of poster sessions. 

Doesn’t mean that a nap was any less welcome or that I didn’t have a quiet evening listening to Graphic Audio’s  Eric Carter: Broken Souls.  Think gritty Urban Fantasy with a pretty messed up protagonist. 

And then there is my traveling stitch project- of which I will photo upload later. 

ConRad 22, Day 1

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My brain is no longer used to having to concentrate for multiple hours in a row. There were four panels today, each with 4-7 presentations. All were technical, loaded with jargon and data heavy slides. Coffee breaks insuredthat my eyes stayed open, but I am really not sure that I wanted that level of detail. 

Tomorrow will be more of the same + posters. Most of those with whom I worked have allretired andthose young researchers and officers seem really young. 

Since my internet access is only through my phone, mailing out won’t be possible for a few dats yet. 

And here I am in Bavaria, and I don’t drink beer!     

All’s quiet

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At the SanAk for a Monday. Classes are in session so platoons are marching here and there while NCOs grab meals on the fly. 

I wandered over to the Conference Registration this morning to be greated by a couple of the civilian staff I remeber from previos conferences. Paid my fee which now includes a whopping 38€ for the four nights billeting. Ah, for the old free days when I was active duty. Don’t miss it a bit.  Still, when I compare the cost of a hotel room, a private bath is just not worth the difference. 

I’ll spend the rest of the day listening to audiobooks, reviewing the program and capturing a goid night’s sleep. 

Go out and about in Munich? I could do that. But then I would have to deal with the cold, wet drops falling from the sky to splop on my head. The forcast might have predicted 10%, but the reality isbinary. I will be a comfy cat instead; staying warm and dry thank you very much.     

Arrived Munich

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It was night, it was morning but it was really afternoon. It was still breakfast on offer.  The flight was fine, my friend was at the airport to pick me up. 

I am now headed to the SanAk to sleep. 

ANZAC Day

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For those of you from neither Australia or New Zealand, let me just remind you that this day was originally in remembrance of the Gallipoli Landing under the Brits in 1915. Since then, starting with a Dawn Service, it has become “in US terms” a Memorial Day.

I was all set to write about participating in several services while on Transatlantics or TransPacific cruises and time spent with good Aussie friends. But my life sort of got over taken by events as so often is the case. My SIL starting having some post-op issues and we will be spending the late evening and probably into early morning at UCSF ER. I am sure that they are going to keep him. Dani is at work (and she doesn’t drive anyway) and I am not about to send him off by Lyft.

At least it is past rush hour and I know how to get there!

Civilized

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Breakfast in the main dining room ran until 0830. Our transfer to the airport was to depart at 0945 (all of those with flights after 1600). It was a pleasure not to have to be up and out of the cabin at 0600. OTOH, this is not Pier 29 at Port Everglades where the ship using that terminal is first in (oh, lets say about 0400 in the morning) and last out due to safety and positioning.

Makes all the difference in the world. So does, as it turns out, having a port which is still using a tent. The nice guy behind the immigration table said that until San Pedro has a building that can be wired they won’t be using mobile passport. The physical set up may also explain why luggage pick-up was after immigration rather than before. Then there were more than one pup happily sniffing its way through people and luggage.

We road the nice coach bus to Terminal 1 and headed to the full service line at Southwest. With more than eight hours before our flight I didn’t see any other way to potentially dump our luggage. There was an earlier flight in just under two hours and the cost difference was well within the range of what I was willing to pay.  I guess I am permanent TSA preCheck tho I have no clue why. I suspect it has something to do with profiling (gender, age and race); I am still not turning it down.

We arrived at OAK to rain and the information that the As game had been cancelled. It was certainly nice to be home….

Maztalan

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Actually, since this is not a tender port we got off ship. Since this is a comercial port, there was this small trolley type vehicle to get us to the port edge. 

From there, in spite of the almost constant harrasement from taxi drivers, we managed to walk a short while. The old town is 3 miles and just beyond my current capabilites. 

Following this internet break, I’m headed back to the ship for a nap. 

yes, sounds a lot like whining

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It’s been a quiet day punctuated by the occasional yelling fit on the part of yours truly.  I have to remind myself that not everyone has my priorities.  The current hissy fits are related to items that I requested of various family members over a week ago that have still not be done. I can’t say “not completed” because of them, although simple, just were forgotten. I read that as blown off. Acknowledging that what I really meant was “tasked D to do this and N to do that and G to never, ever leave me with a car running on fumes….”

But hey, I’m not in the army. I’m not the drill sergeant, I don’t get to task. I’m just the mom and would really like to have some of the projects  that have been underway for a while completed. Not to hard to ask, right? Reasonable? Of course I am. All I want is 1) an acknowledge that the mission has been accepted 2) a time frame in which it will be accomplished 3) the %*&^%*&^ thing actually done.  Most of the items are simple: move a couple of things, clean up the kitchen, fill the car with gas, empty the dishwasher. And it is never the same person…. I’m feeling like it is all of them. I’m also reminding myself that it is more than reasonable to thank household members for completing boring, routine tasks. Everyone deserves thanks. But weeks late? I’m working on it.

Believe it or not, I am being up front with the stressed card. Not the guilt card, mind you. Just saying that I am stressed and need peace, quiet and order around me so that I can better handle these next three or so weeks. Alex took Gwen along when he left this afternoon for a week with his family. They are safe and sound now in New York.

There is a trip to Martinez in on the morning’s  horizon so am off to sleep early.

BCN

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Barcelona, as you may remember is the largest city in Catalonia, which at current time is still part of Spain. It was disembarkation day for everyone. Not a few passengers became disgruntled when they finally realized that they weren’t going to get late check out. No one was getting late check out. Everyone was going to be off the ship by 0900. No exceptions. In fact, all signing off ship’s crew were under the same constraint.

The ship sails for dry dock at 1100 which is being performed in the shipyards near Cadiz. Since this is on the other side of Straights of Gibraltar, you can understand why the Captain is anxious to get under way.

Meanwhile, yours truly joined a couple of other passengers who had a really late flight and shared a cab to their hotel. While they went in for their day check, I caught the hotel’s free shuttle to the Airport. BTW, Barcelona Airport Hotel has great rates (much lower than the city) which can include breakfast and transfer to the cruise terminals….

Any who, BCN is definitely not like Rome. Yes, I was really early, but Brussels Airline let me check in anyway. The flight leaving in 40 minutes was full or they would have put me on it. Security let me through. The WiFi in the lounge is reaaallllly slow, but it works.

Plane change in Brussels, then on to Vienna. Where, after taking the tram to the city I will be all set for my meeting which starts in the morning.

Extra Innings

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That’s what you call it in baseball right? When the game goes beyond your standard nine innings.  Not overtime, like fußball with ties not allowed like in many other sports. The terminology finally came back to me, but not because I figure it out, but because a baseball announcer provided it as I was listening on the way home. There were some really amazing moments. Like getting tagged out because you are parading the baseline. Hint, it was a double – not a home run. A few stolen bases here and there, an error on both sides.  Lots of pitchers.

It made for a long day. A very long day. 

Oh, and Oakland actually managed to pull it off. First tieing the game in the bottom of the ninth

He took me out to the ball game…

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Oakland A’s vs Detroit Tigers. Actually, we were given a pair of tickets for tonight and George and I seemed to be the only people around to use them. So we hopped on the BART at North Berkeley and got off directly at the Stadium.

The A’s are not doing well this year as they so aptly demonstrated tonight.

the final score

the final score

In spite of that – I took some pretty good pictures and had a great time.

and then there were the batters. With shots from both teams, some hitting the ball, and some not

and then there is

an umpire brushing off the plate

an umpire brushing off the plate


and
some kind of entertainment involving oversized bobble heads running 1/2 way around the field.

some kind of entertainment involving oversized bobble heads running 1/2 way around the field.

It was obvious that some who were attending were mainly interested in junk food and talking continuously. Which made for very interesting people watching. As George reminded me; not only are these the least expensive games anywhere in Major League Baseball, but no one expects you to dress up.

It was all good.

Up and Down in Wellington

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It was our first full day in Wellington.

I love the Logo - a windy city

I love the Logo – a windy city

We went up the funicular to the Botanical Garden, the Cable Car Museum, and made a stop at the Rose Garden.

The Alison

The Alison

where all the roses which have been gifted to the city have been planted. There is also an indoor section of Begonias and more types of Coleus than I ever knew existed.

We drove around a bit, even I can see how much repair and change there has been since I was here in Oct 2013.  That time I didn’t get out to distant points or the Byrd Monument.

from the high point on the hill

from the high point on the hill

He is important for scientific expeditions – not just the “oh look at me! I got here first……

yes, there are Southern Lights as well (Aurora Australias

yes, there are Southern Lights as well (Aurora Australius

The Kiwis make a big point of talking about how far south they are. Almost 45*, give or take a bit.

Just as a comparison, Heidelberg is more than 49* N, Honingsvag is 70*58′ (Norway in case you hadn’t guessed. For that matter St Paul, MN is 44*56’N

The nearest southern neighbor? Seals, whales and penguins

The nearest southern neighbor? Seals, whales and penguins

Ok, there isn’t much between Wellington but 5300 km of open seas and the pole but still….. The main weather effect is winds blowing up from the south….

Round and about in Adelaide

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There are a few hours of time zone change from UAE to here in Adelaide, not including that pesky 30 minutes of offset that South Australia has from the Eastern Coast.  What I keep forgetting, as an obvious non-Australian, is that Adelaide has to be in tune and time with the rest of SA. This taking precedence over convience for all of us poor tourists. Since I have already have had to deal with the insane 45 minutes offset of Nepal, this should be a piece of cake? Right?  Shall I mention that daylight savings time goes away tonight and I still haven’t convinced my Fitbit to adopt the current time.

Our frolic and detour today involved Port Adelaide, or at least an area near there.  I was treated to traveling memories and a view of both the house my friends had lived in as children and that of their one set of grandparents.  Talking about the history of the area was fun. Along with a stop at Sarah’s Sister for a late lunch followed by a visit to Pets & Garden convienently located a couple of doors down. 

I chatted with Stella (a macaw) along with a couple of her mates, one of whom like saying “hello” without further commentary.  I looked at fruit trees nearing the end of the season.  Remember, all you fellow Northern Hemisphere types, that it is autumn here with winter on the horizon.  This must explain those two lovely pomegranate trees just full of fruit in Helen’s front garden.  I suppose I should really think about eating something else one of these days…

Flying Etihad

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My ride to the airport took almost an hour with traffic as insane as always. My timing was good as the Etihad counter had just opened and I was able to check in. The lounge in Kathmandu is “run by the Radisson” I would recommend running – far away and fast. It wasn’t that the carpet needed cleaning or the food looked a bit strange. It was the bright shiny carapace on the 5 cm long cockroaches that convinced me there were better places to wait in the airport.

The flight itself was lovely with excellent food and the lounges here in Abu Dhabi are amazing. They include a huge range of food available 24 hours as well as some free spa treatments.

Yes, you heard me – 15 minutes of bliss with a choice of foot, head, back, shoulders….. and like everyone else in the airport – they are guest workers from somewhere else. In this case the Philippines.

So here I am, sleepy somewhere around 0400 in the morning with my next flight about 1000.

Oh, and thank Australia for me! Unlike in other countries, I can’t check my luggage through to my final destination. I have to claim it in Melbourne and then go check in and drop it off. Again. This is unlike the US where you claim luggage but drop it right back off as it was ticketed all the way through.

I am hoping my three hours between flights is enough…

UNESCO Sites and Earthquake damage

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I am sitting here reviewing photos from today and listening to the monkeys making more noise on the roof that I used to hear from the siebenschlafer in Heidelberg.

Since I had already done the Himalayan and Everest Viewing tour, I elected to not do it again. Not that it didn’t mean I wasn’t up early, but extra time to sort out ones things is always appreciated.

I have a couple of thoughts before I start sharing the photos. The first is that if you came here and didn’t know about the earthquake what you see would be interpreted as a country trying to restore monuments/temples/buildings that had seen wear and tear over the years. Other locations – Thailand, Greece, Turkey – have dozens of sites where bits and pieces (some weighing  tons) are piled up waiting for a building to be reconstructed. So old things needing to be put back together isn’t unusual and the fact that Nepal has the craftsman and the will is all the more to the good.

Of significant impact are the internal refugees/homeless. The government will restore public buildings – but in a country where the per capital is ~1200, if your home was destroyed you have a serious issue. No home, no money to repair/replace. I think it is worse for those in cities. In rural villages you have family and know your neighbors. Likely you are all in the same situation. In the city, you are in tents 8 months later while cars, motorcycles and trucks drive by on the road. You don’t have a garden, you can’t produce your own food

many still living in tents

many still living in tents

 

First thing in the morning we went up the steps to what I am thinking as Shiva’s temple hill.

There are dozens of small temples and shrines. There are holy men, tourists, Nepali come for blessings.

 

Coming down from the hill, we walked along the river back where all the cremations take place. It is daylight. I will spare you both the sights and the smells.

 

Bkaktapur

Also known as Bhagdaon, the Malla Empire crown city dates from 700 years ago and has been designated an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other names include “The City of Devotees” in case you are hunting around wiki for curiosity. The whole site is four square miles with Durbar Square as the center. Since this will be the third Durbar Square I have encountered this week, I hopefully will be able to find out the background of that obviously more modern name. The damage done by the April 2015 earthquake was extensive – with about half the historical buildings completely destroyed and most of the rest suffering damage. So, the reason for the big, heavy pieces of wood up against buildings should be pretty obvious.

You could also buy tons of beautifully made shawls for 1/2 the price as in India. Or souvenirs, or handmade paper or …. puppets – of many faces

Just as a heads up – tomorrow we fly to Pokhara and head out on a few days trekking. As should be obvious, I will have neither wifi nor internet access and will catch you up when I return from that hike.

 

Aerocity

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It must have been just a level section of dry dusty land which is now being transformed by steel, concrete and glass into a generic hotel and convention type area which could be located just about anywhere in the world.

Just one stop on the Metro from the Airport, it obviously accessible from the city by public transportation as well as being located at the convergence of a couple of multi-lane highways.

A number of the usual suspects have built shiny new hotels in the area – there is a JW Marriott, a Pullman, Ibis, Novotel, a couple of SE Asian chains and a huge four building complex called Worldmarkt.

As I get easily bored on treadmills, I walked around the several blocks more than once both yesterday and today. As I looked at the security fences, gates and guards I realized that none of it bothered me. Not like many of my traveling companions on the last tour. I am sure it has to do with having lived inside the wire on more than one occasion.

Gate guards? Whatever. Armed with mirrors to look under cars? Duh. Metal detectors? Yawn. ID checks? Ok. I don’t have to wear battle rattle and I certainly don’t need a clearing barrel.

Life is good.

The Himalayas

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I didn’t post pictures last night, so thought I should today. Taking off from Kathmandu, I was in seat 5F. I swapped my aisle seat for a window just in case. As it turned out, I picked the correct side of the airplane. The haze was pretty severe and the windows weren’t all that clean.

Without further ado – the pictures taken from both my D20 Powershot and the 5D (with 24-70mm lens).

 

019A6120 019A6123 019A6125 019A6127 IMG_2627 IMG_2628 IMG_2634 IMG_2636