Holidays with Family in Maui

Turns out it was a fun idea to vacation in Maui!   We were all able to get vacation time that week, lucky !

Joey flew in from NYC, a very long flight.  Kristina from Switzerland, Amanda & Todd from Phoenix and Ed & I from DC.  Whew! Travel plans all worked out!

We were on the 5th floor here, nice views of both the pool and the ocean. That is a little ice skating rink in the upper right corner, in case anyone is longing for cold weather activity.  Don't think I saw anyone use it. For me, I didn't pack ice skates, but I did pack that trusty old snorkel mask, hot pink, of course!  

Perhaps I booked too much stuff, but I could have booked lots more!  

  Arrive Saturday. 

1.  Monday - Old Lahina Luau

2.  Tuesday - dinner at the lovely Mamma's Fish House

3.  Wednesday -  Slack Key Concert. 12 string guitar, but with a twist and da ukulele boys

Add to this Amanda's photographer on Baldwin Beach Monday morning early.

And Amanda, Todd and Ed on a Snuba/snorkel trip!   

Mamma's Fish House

Slack Key Concert

Snuba demo in the pool.

See Ed and Amanda, sitting on edge of pool?

In addition to our plans, we found time for lots of other neat stuff.   Checked out the Harley Davidson shop in town.

Tried out Teddy's Bigger Burgers

There was paddle boarding, 

and surfing, 

and spotting whales, 

swimming with sharks, 

eating foot long hot dogs,

eating poi, and some ahi,

Ed fixing our breakfast,

And sitting in the shade reading my kindle,

Enjoying drink of the day, except that my arthritis meds preclude alcohol, so mine were virgins.  

Still fun. 

View from the Sea House Restaurant in Kapili.  

Sunsets from our balcony were lovely. 

 Maui rainfall makes the place lush, and has the added benefit of producing rainbows. 

Very thankful this Thanksgiving

Acela got Ed and I to NYC in just a few hours.  we arrived at The Hotel Giraffe on Tuesday, Amanda and Todd arrived on Wednesday very early in the morning.  The hotel let them check in very early, so that was really convenient.  It is a very nice small hotel.    The weather grew REALLY cold and pretty windy, although we had no rain or snow, so that we great!

Tuesday evening, Ed, Joey and I enjoyed a Broadway play, Motown!  It was a lot of fun, great songs and good to learn the story. It's a old theatre with little leg room though. Small seats too. 

In keeping with a hip kind of southern theme, we had dinner at B. Smith's, complete with fried green tomatoes!

Wednesday evening we all (Todd and Amanda too) went to see the Rockettes, which was good too.  Seats were better!

Dinner was at STK (a steak house) which was excellent. 

Thursday was, of course, Turkey Day!  We ate at Friend of a Farmer.  We enjoyed the company of an old friend from Concord, Jessica and her friend, Erik. It was funn and just a touch unconventional as a restaurant. 

This was the walk to the restaurant from our hotel, through the Murray Hill section of Manhattan. Note the Chrysler Building!  Nice to walk in the city.

Friday was our day to visit miss Liberty, which involves a subway ride and a ferry boat. 

This was pretty cold, but nice to see. Our wait in line for a boat to leave the island was unexpectedly long (two hours standing), which made it memorable. 

We dropped into the very first place we came to for a warm meal, The White Horse Tavern.  It was a cute old tavern owned by a nice Irish guy. Friendly people and typically bar food. Nice meal. 

Saturday was time to go to the 9/11 memorial. It isn't quite finished, but was good to see. The security is very tight. There are a ton of people in line (took over an hour to clear security, even with advance tickets in hand.). Line are outside in the cold weather with no facilities (bathrooms).

Enjoyed breakfast at Anthony Boudains place, Les Halle's. Victorian is style, good food. 

 

Other fabulous meals included Dos Caminos, my favorite. (Good margaritas!)

And

Hillstone, with Rudi, a friend of Joeys.  Great conversation and good food all around. 

A couple breakfasts at Sarabeths too, awesome pumpkin waffles. 

Empire State Building!

Chrysler Building a little better view. 

Flatiron Building, near Eatily.  Hey, I almost forgot about having lunch in Eatily, which is Mario Battaly and Lidia Bastion. It was amazing and huge and interesting. 

 

And the Fat Lady sang

I absolutely hate having my staff photo taken, drives me nuts.  But, this one is OK.  Since I'm the "Tech" person in our office, I was able to crop out my ugly shoes, which shouldn't matter to anyone, but it does.   
Anyway, this is Lisa, Me, Kiara, Angela and Renee.   They made Lisa stand down a step, she is really a tall woman. Oh well.   
And so it goes, here is the conclusion of yet another year.  We're staring into the maw of 2014 already.  I'll be 62 in 2014, which is a good thing from a retirement perspective. 

Just for fun, here is last year's staff photo, which I didn't much care for. 

Fall in North Bethesda

It is truly a beautiful day here in North Bethesda!

Yesterday was great also - not too much cold at once, just dipping into low temps and then raising the temps by afternoon, lovely!

The government shutdown 2013 is in the rear view mirror.  We await the pending shutdown of January 2014 now.  It was all much ado about nothing - and everything too.   Our country is changing and it some ways it is not for the better.   Many of my co-workers are displeased with the way things went, even though we got paid.  We know some of our contractors / co workers did not recover pay.  I didn't get to take my much anticipated vacation with loved ones and that makes me sad.  I was really looking forward to it.  In general, I don't feel very appreciated at work.  Although, I remain grateful to have a job, and thankful it has benefits and decent pay.  Still...respect?  The whole debacle was dismaying.  

I'm looking forward to starting to feel better.  Somewhere in the shutdown days I got a really bad cold.  I've missed work and stayed in bed for 3 days at least --- my weekend shot.   Its Tuesday and I do feel better - but still stuffed up and coughing.  My friends say the coughing lasts the longest.  I'm fairly miserable.  Have a DR appt. on Monday.  

Some days you just "show up" and that's as good as it gets.  I think this is one of those  days for me.   

I do love this time of year here.   It is nice and cool and lovely.  Comfortable!

Day 15 - Government Shutdown

Sadly, Glacier Park (and countless more relevant things) remains closed today.  It is Day 15 of an unbelievable shutdown.  

Personally, this has disrupted my life.  It has cost me money, wasted my time, created stress in my life, necessitated the cancellation of a much anticipated vacation, and, most important, cost me time spent with family I love.  

This is a beautiful time of year at Glacier. But, as shown in the photo above, now the road to the beautiful lake is blocked off, the flagpole barren, the little restaurant prematurely closed, the teaming visitors gone. I feel lucky to have found this webcam even operating for this moment.  That was yesterday, but today the site just has words. Words describing what parks might be open and for which dates. 

There is something fundamentally wrong with our system.  We're broken.  

October 2013 - Fall begins here - Snow on the ground in Montana

Today in Glacier Park, 9/30/2013, via our Webcam, I can see they have a light coating of snow on the ground!  I often see evidence of snow on the high peeks, but now we can see it down in the valley on the ground.  We can even see tracks in the snow here in this view.   (You can click on the photo to make larger.) Note, it is still above freezing there.  Many of the lodges have closed now for the season, they will not reopen until June 2013.  Our world is still a pretty amazing place, in spite of all the troubles we hear on the nightly news.  I love our National Parks. 

On this, the eve of a possible government shutdown, I'm glad to have the escape from my reality.  It is very valuable to me.  What do you do just for pure fun? 

I accidentally ran Ed's Blackberry through the washer yesterday.  Oops.   Oh well.

So, how is fall looking in your corner of the world?
 

 Today, 9/30/13 at Logan Pass on Going to the Sun Highway. 

Have a good beginning for Fall

Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park

Wow!  It looks like an absolutely awesome day in Glacier Park.  Wish I were there!  I have made my reservations for June 2014 to be there.  Yay!

They have installed a new HD webcam at the park, and I'm really enjoying the views.  Do you see the tiny kayaker in the right hand side?  I would love to be in that kayak.   (and yes, I do know how to kayak and have done it, although it is admittedly more fun in a double kayak with Ed doing the heavy lifting.)

In other news, Ed and I traded in the old trusty Chrysler Pacifica.  We've made 3 cross country trips in that good old car.  With 10 years and over 100,000 miles, we felt it had served us well.  After a lot of debate and lots of research, we selected a Jeep Grand Cherokee. 

We are hoping for many many safe and happy miles in this new car.  Can't wait until our first road trip to Myrtle Beach to visit with John and Pam in October!  Really looking forward to it.  

No Summer Time Blues here!

Glacier National Park - Webcam at Apgar Mountain 11/14/2012

Glacier National Park - Webcam at Apgar Mountain 8/8/2013

Remember, you can click on the photos to enlarge. 

Checking out the webcams of places I would rather be has become my hobby!  I have seen the neatest things - caught "in the moment" on those webcams.   

This particular webcam is in Glacier National Park.  I've been monitoring this one occasionally ever since Ed and I took that drive up the dirt road to the less visited Western side of the park.  This one shows a gorgeous view of the distant mountain range.

However, it does require a pretty substantial hike, over 3 miles one way, with an 1800+ elevation gain.  That works out to about 7 miles for a round trip.  I would have done it without a second thought 10 years ago, but sadly, I'm not there today.   However, I can still enjoy the heck out of the webcams!

Usually when I check this particular webcam, I see amazing views, sometimes weather related fun stuff.  Occasionally I catch a deer there.  

Imagine my surprise and my delight to catch these intrepid hikers looking at the webcam!  I doubt they could see me waving at them, but I was delighted to see them at the lookout.  They are obviously webcam watchers also - that lady knew the webcam was there.   I wonder if they were waving at their grandkids back home in West Virginia, or Oklahoma?   Has she called her sister?  She might not get a cell signal there, did she call before they started the hike and agree upon a target time to be in front of the webcam?  
I bet they never imagined they would delight a poor government worker stuck in a windowless underground office, reliving her days in Glacier Park!

When we were on vacation in the Caribbean Islands one year, I remember standing in front of a webcam near the beach and Brenda phoned her Mom to go to the URL and see us!  Such fun!

So, have you ever stood in front of a webcam, and called a loved one to go to the URL and watch you wave at them?

New Glasses

Then (1966)

Now:

It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood,

Lots of changes in my neighborhood.

 It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood,
A beautiful day for a neighbor.
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?... 

(Fred M. Rogers, 1967)

Just a quick glance at what its like in my neighborhood.  Can you see the red arrow on the photo?  That's where Ed and I live.  Not the utility pole, but the condo building.  

All the new construction just down the street is something interesting to look forward to.  There will be restaurants and an new movie theatre to look forward to.  (Along with a whole lot more condos and apartments and traffic.) 

On a positive note, I'll be happy to have another shopping area within walking distance and it will be great to have walkable eating establishments too.  

AND - it will help increase the value of our condo!  Yay!

 
It's a neighborly day in this beauty wood,
A neighborly day for a beauty.
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?...

I've always wanted to have a neighbor just like you.
I've always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you.

So, let's make the most of this beautiful day.
Since we're together we might as well say:
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?
Won't you be my neighbor?
Won't you please,
Won't you please?
Please won't you be my neighbor?

What Inspires You?

This is my inspiration shelf in my office. 

 What keeps you inspired? It isn't always easy to get yourself mentally geared up and ready to spend the day in an office.  A while ago I happened to see a photo of Amanda's office someone posted on Twitter, and it was so neat and cute!  Even had a pretty lamp.   

By contrast, my own office is admittedly cluttered.  I seem to have a lot of "Stuff".

My Inspiration shelf in context of my larger space. (Photos are clickable for better view.)

I imagine we all suffer with some form of what I'm describing here, whether it is an office setting or some other setting.  I spend inordinate amounts of time here in this 10 x 10 office.  It is huge amount of my waking time and a lot of the time I have energy.  

Do you ever get home from wherever and feel too tired to appreciate your home, or too tired to do the things you might need or want to do at home?

I have dreams that in retirement I will still have enough energy left to enjoy the things and people I love.  I hope I don't spend my most productive energy here in this 10x10.  

Well, given this mindset, I have made one small change.  

I've stopped taking the Metro to work!   

Not much, you're thinking?  Well, I didn't think it would impact me so much, but really it makes a huge difference.  I'm so much more happy arriving at work in 15 minutes instead of 30.  I arrive dry in the rain, calm and not sweaty in the heat and humidity.  It is AWESOME to know that if I need to, I can just step outside and get in my car and drive home.   Is it independence?  I'm not sure, but I really like it.  

Downside:  I lose the supplement that paid for Metro.
Upside:      Parking is free at my agency here. 

Downside:  Have to wash the car much more often.  
Upside:      Keeps Ed busy.

Downside:  Have to buy gas.
Upside:      It is only a 4 mile drive.

July ~ Flying by already

Devil's Tower - Wyoming July 2003

We're past July 4th already here in the big city of North Bethesda.  I'm posting photos from our trip to South Dakota, back in 2003, before we moved back East.
We didn't do anything exciting this July 4th, except get a new bed.  Our first king sized bed, and our first Tempurpedic bed.  So, we will see if we like this experiment.    

Ed in South Dakota, 2003, July

Our daughter and son-in-law Todd have reminded us how much fun it was to travel in the U.S.A.  Can't believe it was 2003 when we did this trip.  Seems like it was just a little bit ago.  Where did the time go?  Can it really be that we were there 10 years ago? 

Mt. Rushmore, SD

In my head, I had written the story of this trip, but I don't see it anywhere.  It was before this blog.

I had broken a tooth in the Denver airport on the flight to Rapid City, so I found an old dentist that was willing to work on the July 4th weekend, and he fixed my tooth.   Great guy and neat to talk to. 

We saw the most awesome fireworks there, it was beautiful.  We had so much fun, I liked the Pigtail bridge highway (I think you have to be there.)  Pigtail Bridge on Iron Mountain Road in SD
Anyway, it was fun to see and to drive.  
We loved Custer State Park.  I remember this is where I first saw Reidel wine glasses.  They had some nice wines.  We had a great dinner at the State Game Lodge
and stayed in the State Game Lodge Motel adjoining it.  We drove through

Ed on the drive through Needles, SD 2003

Needles - lots of granite to see.

We visited Wall Drug Store (I bought a rose gold ring) and got to see the Badlands.  (Lovely, like delicate artwork.)

We drove through Deadwood and saw the setting for some movies, some casinos too.  Lots of beautiful America.   We got to see a lot of animals also.  

My favorite bear - In the drive-through animal park!

 

June means some cool Birthdays!

June means some cool Birthdays!  
I always love birthdays!

June is a good birthday for my nephew Patrick; I actually got to see Patrick and give him a card in person this year!  Patrick is all grown up and in college.  Looks like a very dapper young man.  He is handsome and looks a lot like his Dad.  Thank goodness for Weddings, I got to see him at his Aunt Mary's wedding! Awesome!

Its a great birthday for my niece Zoey!  I'll have to celebrate her birthday virtually, but mailed her a little greeting this AM.   Hope to see her someday soon.  Her photos keep me up to date though, and I feel like I know her.  She is so cute!

Ed and I'll be heading out to Ocean City to celebrate this time.  I'm looking forward to it, looks like it should be nice weather.  

Unfortunately, I needed to have a tooth crowned, so I'm in a little discomfort.  Nothing like last birthday, when I had minor surgery and was in quite a bit of pain.  Last year was Myrtle Beach though, and that was fun!

I've decided next year, I won't allow any surgery or dental procedures!

We going to Yellowstone in June 2014 to ride the Yellow antique tour buses and stay in 3 of the lodges.  Should be quite a trip and I'm looking forward to it already.  For me, half the fun is planning and thinking about the trip.  We've been to Yellowstone once, but, hey, it is a big place.  We didn't see enough.  So we'll go again!

I still am enjoying that trip to Glacier, that is a really special place.  Hope you all go there someday.   I check in at Glacier's web cams occasionally, just to see what's the weather like there.  Think I want to go there again!

Not that anyone wonders what I'm doing at work, but: This week I'm beta testing some software for the library.  We're thinking about how our systems will work (or fail) with IE version 10.  I'm also working with some virtual meeting software, Adobe Connect.  We are increasingly relying on that for our meeting, as everyone is somewhere else these days.  It is a cost saving tool as well.  We'll be having some important meetings in the coming few months relating to the libraries out there across the nation that my office manages, so that will be fun and challenging.  

I'm also on a working group that is examining inter-library loan of articles for medical scholarship.  How it might be improved or be done more efficiently. We will be writing that report this month.  

I've done some website edits and updates too.  

Ed and I've rejoined Water Aerobics at the Kennedy-Shriver Aquatic Center for the summer months.  Its a lot of fun, my instructor has MS and uses a walker, can't get in the water.  But she is really good and gets us moving.  She is inspiring. 

The month of May equals MLA in our house. My SCD.

MLA 2013 was in Boston.

We always look forward to the month of May in our household.  For the last 20 years, May has nearly always meant a trip to MLA for me.  Ed has joined me on a lot of the trips, whenever he could.  This year, it was to Boston.  Ed was able to come only for the weekend, but that was really nice.  I had never been to Boston either, so it was a great opportunity to view yet another one of our nice cities.

Ed at Chart House

By the time he got to Boston, I had already dealt with two full days of meetings, where I was responsible for the technology pieces and all that could go wrong (or right) with the meetings.  We had 8 different presenters, with 8 varying demands on me.  Both those days of meetings were about 12-15 hour days for me.  I coordinate our needs with the hotel and vendor staff.  But, I managed really well.  

I was ready for a glass of good wine and a hug, let me tell you.  I had arranged a business dinner with my staff for early that evening.  That went so well, it was fun with Joey and Ed both with me.  They all know Joey anyway, as he worked with them for 4 years.  It turned out so nice, much better than I could have hoped.  There were about a dozen people at the dinner.  I was relieved when it was over.  Don't' know why I stress so much about stuff like that.  But, anyway, I do.  Must be an introvert!  

I think Ed really enjoyed the Boston Tea Party museum and exhibit.  I did too, it was really very nice.  We kept saying to each other, Oh Patsy would love this! All the young people were in period costumes and such.  It was kind of a reenactment.  Well done!

  

We took a trolley tour of Boston to get the overall feeling of the city, saw the Old North Church (One if by Land, Two if by Sea!)  Beacon Hill;  Freedom Trail; Hancock Building;

My very favorite part of Boston was the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.  

(other than the discovery of the Grilled Cheese food truck) 

Grilled Cheese Truck!

I picked a day that didn't have too much scheduled, and went to the early "sunrise" session, which was from 7AM to about 9.  After that was done, I went to the MFA. It was so cool to see all the Impressionists and many others, like John Singer Sargent (American artist!).  Not only that, but all kinds of art, the Samurai exhibit, 

Samurai Exhibit

the Egyptian collection, the American Folk Art Glass pieces - that place is huge! And amazing.  I loved it.  

 

Blenko Glass, handmade in WV

We were so blessed, the weather was amazing and it didn't even rain until I was on the train heading back to Union Station.   

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Now to my SCD.  The Service Computation Date is the employee's date used to determine eligibility to retire (among other things, such as leave.) 

So TODAY

May 16, 2013

is actually my 20 years of Federal Service.

Because I am 60 with 20 years in, I am now OFFICIALLY eligible to retire.   Hurrah!!