My Water Post For Today.
Back to last years visit to Phoenix, Arizona.
We visited the Botanical Gardens, which puts desert cactus next to water features.
This is one of them, a pond with river rocks in it.
Peaceful, with dripping water happening over all the edges.
On a hot, (over 90 degree) July day, it hits the spot.
I hope you enjoy.
I am writing this at 4:30PM. I don't know anything more than something terrible happened at a rally in Butler PA.
So pardon me if I give you an emergency pallate cleanser.
I wish I still had a cannoli right now, I could really use it.
Times are so weird.
How our Anniversary went.
We normally do our food shopping on Friday, so we did that.
After my Husband showered, we went over to Grand Panda, for lunch.
They have a pretty good lunch deal, with Egg Flower Soup, Chinese Chicken Salad, an Egg Roll, Fried (or white) Rice, and an entreé of your choice. I had Mu Shi Pork, and my Husband had Cashew Chicken.
Mine was $12.55 and his was $12.75, which I thought was a good deal for all that food.
I forgot to mention we also got Har Gow (Dim Sum shrimp dumplings) for $6.99.
My big expense was 2 cannoli's at Italia Panetteria and Deli. It was $3.99 each for a cannoli. I thought that was a little expensive, but worth it.
Not a perfect day, since as usual, it was hot.
On to number 45.
******************************44 Years Later, Still In Love************************
4 1/2 years after these photos were taken, I am still glad we are here to celebrate our 44th Anniversary.
The past 4 years after COVID-19 have not been easy, but we have managed to visit some places, and see some of our family, but it is not the same.
The photos harken back to a more innocent time, that came crashing down on the world, just 1 month later.
I am hoping that travel will happen as the Fall season comes to us, but each time is a crap-shoot, health wise.
We usually do our best travel in "shoulder" season, so maybe late September or October.
No matter what, we will enjoy ourselves this anniversary, by not going anywhere.
Last Fall we had to replace our old air conditioner, and the entire HVAC system.
We had bought it and it worked for years, but the entire system had a leak that made our AC person come out every year, to refill the refrigerant
When the heater went, that was it, we spent a fortune to replace the entire system.
After getting past winter and turning on the new AC, we thought it was good, but the real test has been the past 2 weeks when the outside air temp has been over 100 degrees. It is holding up well, keeping the house at 78 degrees.
Thank you very much Nicholas Air Systems.
The Amerigo Vespucci is Italy's most senior naval vessel.
It is nearly 100 years old, and considered the most beautiful ship in the world.
It docked in the Port of Los Angeles through July 8th, and as my Son said, this photo was the money shot. (Apologies, I have no idea where he found it, or who took the photo).
I heard there were problems getting tickets to board the ship, but even just seeing it on our local news, brought this Italian some good feelings.
Have a wonderful world tour.
My Son's housemate is moving back to Santa Clarita next week.
As one of her last trips in the area of the world that they both live in, Michigan, she asked if they could drive to Niagara Falls.
So the day after the 4th of July, away they went, via the Canadian side of the Great Lakes.
From what I heard on our Facebook conversation, they had a good time, saw lots of stuff, even fireworks on both the American side of the falls, and the Canadian side. Double the fun.
Now they have to pack up her car for the drive back to California. That happens this weekend.
My Water Post For Today.
I was watching a video that my family sent me.
It was a journey to New London, Connecticut, from Orient Point, New York.
In honor of that fact, I found a photograph from 2010, when we went to Greenport, Long Island.
On our way back, we passed a beach with houses and Long Island Sound.
If I wasn't flying back, I would have taken a piece of the driftwood.
I hope you enjoy.
My Train Travel Help website was created as a part of my Master’s Degree in Strategic Communication.
As of February, of 2024, I have achieved my goal and received my Master’s. A very happy state of affairs for me.
I immediately decided to make a trip to the East Coast, and picked up my son in Detroit, on the way over. That involved 4 flights for me, a new record, post pandemic. Some of them I traveled alone, and others I traveled with my son.
After surviving this journey, I have decided to continue riding Amtrak, if possible. The way you are treated by the airports, airlines, and the flying public, make it the most inhospitable environment, and a real turn-off to a vacation.
A calm journey via train, is so much better (if no major problems are encountered), and you arrive home rested and happy to have made the journey. How many times do you remember with fondness an airline flight, the people you meet, or the staff who “serve” you? I go with never.
I will mention that certain times of the year, are more prone to problems on trains, but the bottom line is: trains run 24/7 365 days of the year. They know how to keep the Country running, tornadoes, hurricanes, snow, ice, heat, extreme weather, yes, the railroads will get you to your destination…eventually.
I will continue to update my Train Travel Help blog, as I travel by train, and give hints for doing so safely.
Covid-19 is still out there, and those hints within the blog still work.
Who wants to come home from a vacation, sick, or give Covid to family and even strangers? I certainly don’t.
A little prevention, is worth it.
Hope to see you sometime, riding the rails.
I admit I was upset when this flight got stopped 15 seconds before launch on Monday, then moved to Tuesday, and then moved to Wednesday.
So I did not expect it to go up on Wednesday, but amazingly, it did, and what a show it put on.
I love the 2 lights at the front of the rocket, that look like eyes. A very unusual occurance, compared to SpaceX.
Glad we got to see it.
I have no idea when the next launch is.
I guess I should keep track of them a bit more, since they seem to be happening constantly.
Here it is, in its location on our counter. Our new air fryer. (Ignore the produce waste container, also on our counter, due to ant problems.)
Recipes keep mentioning using one for cooking, and this one was only $34 at Costco.
So we have arrived at the 21st Century, cooking wise, I guess.
We don't have a toaster oven, so this will help crisp up things we normally heat in our microwave.
Now to learn how to use it. :-)
Happy 4th of July to all Americans.
In honor of the day, I went to the effort of baking a cake in 101 degree weather.
Thank goodness our brand new air conditioner works like a charm.
As to celebrating, we have no idea what we will be doing, but I am sure the cake will be part of it.
Maybe hamburgers, or hot dogs. How traditional is that?
Enjoy.
My Husband and I have had unusual dealings with 2 banks recently.
One bank only posts your interest at the end of the year.
I have found that to be unacceptable, and decided to allow the bank to foward it to another one, where we also get a good interest rate. Not the best solution, but at least I can keep track of the interest.
Another bank closed our CD without giving us any notice at all. At least I found it within a day, when I went into the account to track the interest, and found it gone!
After a panic stricken few seconds, I saw it was deposited into our normal savings account. The account does not have a good interest rate, so it is definitely not a place where I would want that money parked for any length of time.
We immediately went over to the bank and opened a new CD with a wonderful rate.
Problem solved, at least in the short term. Though we did inform the bank that it would have been good of them to let us know in advance, so we did not have to go through all the hoops we went through.
See us next year, for our second maturity with this bank.
I had to drive down to Mission Hills on Monday, for my pre-colonoscopy appointment.
I did not mind too much, since I was just going to hear my options, this time around.
It ends up that I have to drink the two half gallon liquids again.
A much better option than the one gallon all at once option, I had to endure the first time.
He looked over my last colonoscopy, and said I did not have major problems last time, so he feels all should be good to go this time.
Let's hope he is right.
The procedure is scheduled for September 16th.
There goes my thoughts for a September vacation. Darn...
My Water Post For Today.
It is the 4th of July week, and summertime in Oswego, New York, and it is always worth my time to showcase the Harbor Light, at the mouth of the Oswego River.
People who own boats, and visitors wanting to take the Oswego Canal to the Erie Canal, pass by this area of Lake Ontario.
The absolute best time to be in Oswego, and yes, I miss it.
I hope you enjoy.
