Scoping out Expo 2015

One of the reasons we are spending a couple of days in Milan is to scope things out for next summer when the World's Fair, Expo 2015, will be in Milan. We are planning on visiting as part of our round the world trip celebrating my son's graduation, our 30th wedding anniversary and my 60th birthday. But do we need a reason to plan a great trip?

The coffee company Illy has commissioned four designed cups for the Expo. I bought a set yesterday at the big department store laRinascente. I figured that it might be easier to take them home now rather than next trip. 

The bad news is that after we decided that the hotel we are staying at would work for an extended visit, they announced they were all booked and to monitor the web site for cancelations. The rooms are going for three times the current price, more than the fancy chain hotels!

We are re-thinking our strategy. In the meantime, I will be enjoying my cups.

Knitting in the lobby

Our room is just off the small lobby. I know that my husband spent hours through the night sitting here and reading while I slept. We have now switched places as breakfast time passes into the day. I knit as Mozart on "Music through the Night" from back home streams into my earbuds. "Buongiorno" and "Chio" are exchanged between the front desk and departing guests.

Last minute

I have a pattern of what to do last minute before we leave on a trip. It often depends on the time of year and length of stay.

So I have to turn down the thermostat and take out the garbage, but not before everything is thrown out.

I've loaded the dishwasher and it's started. I decided I'd better wipe the counters. Then I stare into the refrigerator. We'll be gone six days. What do I have to throw out or put into the freezer? These are hard decisions. Do I really want to conduct the experiment of leaving it until we get back? Is it wasteful to just throw it out? So often it's triage: can I put off dealing with it right now?

Yuck, took out the garbage before emptying the coffee grounds.

All this while thinking about the storm we will be driving through. No snow here yet. Looks like the airport is fine. The plane we are taking is now over the Atlantic coming in from Frankfurt, scheduled to be 14 minutes late. Not too bad.

Assembling a bag of fruit and graham crackers for the car.

Off to gas up the car.

My husband works until noon. I hope we can get off sooner.

SSI called

That's Survey Sampling, Incorporated. They wanted my opinion on financial institutions. They asked for me by name. I answered a few preliminary questions. When we got to the point of asking me about my employment, I hesitated. I answered "currently not working" rather then "retired". They ended the call. My opinion wasn't needed.

My thinking is evolving on my state of employment. Maybe I should say I'm retired. If a good job comes along,  I'll say they enticed me out of retirement.

Happy Thanksgiving

Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.

- Aesop

An afternoon at the McNay

On a grey day in San Antonio, we visited the McNay Art Museum. Some of these pictures are from the special exhibit, "Intimate Impressionism".

If you can't view the slide show, click through.

A gift

I like this:

Diabetes offers a gift: a real reason to take care of yourself. Slow down, eat right, exercise, and treat yourself like the treasure you are.

-Diabetic Living, Winter 2014

It didn't stay put

In the ongoing chronicle of the strip of land in my front yard, here is what it looks like now. The yard crew and wind blew off most of the nicely piled leaves.

In search of a German restaurant

We left my son for the day at Trinity University. My husband and I decided to take the bus out to a German restaurant that he had found online. We made it to a second transfer point when we arrived as the bus was pulling out. We decided to chase it with hopes that it would be slow in traffic for a short while. We came close but didn't get it.

So we decided to walk. Google maps had the walk at 3 miles distance and one hour time. There was miscommunication. My husband thought it was a mile.

Walking allows time to talk. It was a pleasant temperature and partly sunny, so we weren't uncomfortable. Well, except that I wanted to find a place to stop.

You can follow our progress using this Google earth video. You need a plug-in for your browser. You can stop it and use the tools to pan around the location. 

So adding commentary with times on the video:
:04 bus transit center
:19 We were tired of the pedestrian unfriendly roadside and decided to head through the more residential area. Note: the orange and white roof on the Whataburger at the corner. We don't have them around us now. We often stopped when we lived in Texas. They had great Christmas trains in the kid's meal when my son was young and really into trains. Second note: Should have stopped there.
:33 big Catholic school complex
:46 finally stopped
1:00 Note: we had to walk through parking lots as there was no good sidewalk
1:02 We really wondered which way to go. This section was a river wash which we could walk, but we couldn't see if there was a deep water crossing. The bridge at street level had very little room on the side of the road and no place to jump.
1:04 There was a nice park at an historical ranch sight on the other side of the bridge.
1:06 On the other side of the road was a very good looking Mexican restaurant specializing in chiles rellenos, one of my husband's favorite dishes. It was tempting to stop.
1:08 This intersection was so new, the pedestrian crossing signs were up, but not working yet. The new road construction was more pedestrian friendly. The next section had several gated communities.
1:19 There was a entrance to a large commercial sight on the right. Turns out it also fronts on the perpendicular street that our destination was on.
1:23 A city water sight with limited access so we crossed the street.
1:25 The big building is a Hobby Lobby.
1:26 We made it before the lunch specials went off and just as the drink specials came on.

We found a table with good access to electrical plugs to recharge our devices. My husband had roladin and I had a reuben with fried egg, mustard instead of thousand island dressing.
We had coffee and one Germain chocolate cake with two forks for dessert.
I had no guilt. I had earned those calories.

Table rock

Above my husband's college is a formation called Table Rock. I've been up there a couple of times. With most of the leaves gone, the view is fully open.

I'm going to have to work on finding gloves/mittens that work with my walking sticks. My hands were cold.

I'm taking better care

An advantage of not rushing out the door to a job every morning is that I can take time to take better care of my teeth. The dental hygienist gave me a good report.

A night walk in the snow

It was a lovely walk in the lightly falling snow. I walked in the park where there was plenty of light from the street lights. No one else was out. I had to tuck my phone into my pants pocket so that it wouldn't get wet. I was able to stream my local PBS station the entire time. The heavy coat of many colors that I made twenty years ago get me warm and dry. I was sure footed with my walking sticks. I walked 2.21 miles in 51:55 minutes.

My glasses fogged up.

Couples walking together

My window overlooks the street which often has pedestrians on their way to the park or coming back. There are many dog walkers and young families with strollers.

I am drawn to the couples walking together. It isn't easy to adjust the pace to keep together on our narrow sidewalk. I do often see couples with the woman often several steps behind.   Once I winced when there was a man yelling over his shoulder at the women behind him.

I smile when I see couples who are able to hold hands and carry on a conversation.

MoM's 79th, November 18, 2006

Miss you, dear sweet MoM.

Sisters

We had a sister weekend. This wasn't the picture I posted to Facebook.
I needed time to reflect and delight in it.

Can you see the resemblance?
The black pants rolled up to the same height?
The marked flesh recently released from tied shoes?
The big toe curving in?
The next one as long as it?

And our differences?
Her polish?
My unshaved calves?

For too short a time our waves intersected.

Live-blogging a day of travel

7:00: I have posted on the blog. Took my pills. Downstairs to have breakfast and clean up the kitchen.
Got side-tracked: watered my plants.
Laundry folded and put away.

8:30: Finish packing. Trying to do just carryon so I must limit myself: 3 days = 2 changes. One will be clean enough to re-wear. Room for my walking shoes - got to protect my feet.

9:10: Shower and dress.
Stopped to listen to Elgar's Enigma.

9:52: Doing some online work, like uploading my meter readings. Checking mail and FB.

10:15: My husband went to check on some things at work. My son and I are trying to figure out when to eat.

10:18: He's back and we're ready to load the car.

11:45: We're on the road. Sunny and clear.

1:00: On parking bus.

1:25: At gate. Flight delayed. Our connections are tight. We'll see what happens.

2:15: Plane is here with maintenance issues. 

3:05: On board. About 40 minutes late. 

5:11: Made it. My son stayed at the gate to pick up our gate checked bags. I raced ahead. They caught up with me just as we got to the gate. 

We really wanted to make this flight because we have business class seats on a dinner flight.

7:20: Watched Colin Firth in Woody Allen's "Magic in the Moonlight". Meal was a hit sandwich. Not so great.

7:10 CST: Knitting over Port Arthur, birthplace of my husband who is asleep beside me. 

8:00: Landed but no gate for us. Waiting for one to clear.  

8:33: Quick stop at the United Club.

9:00: First Class to San Antonio.

10:05: Landed. Waited half an hour for the hotel shuttle. Lineup at check-in.

11:30: I'm tired. Finally bed.

First snow

This is the early morning on our back deck.
It has been a lovely fall.
There was a notification on my weather app from Syracuse, which is not too far from us. A record latest seasonal 32 degree temperature and the longest growing season was posted. The last time it was freezing was April 29th.

Sanford library paste in the Utopian jar

An ad from the National Geographic Magazine from May, 1920, struck my fancy. To use the Utopian jar, keep the center well half-full with water. It will keep the paste moist and ready to use. 

Sanford is the largest writing products manufacturer in the world, including the Sharpie brand.

A big shout-out to Jennifer Kennard and her blog Letterology for background information about the product and a warning to those who may be tempted to eat it. 

Note to self: Go back and spend some time with this blog.

YMMV

I have been reading knitting instructions in vintage book and online downloads. I have noticed that most modern instructions include a disclaimer. I realize that it's not just an attempt to get you to buy the sponsor's yarn, but to prevent a lawsuit. My sister described such lawsuit inoculation as the corporate mindset. There are rules and you do not allow for individual variation.

I knit like I cook. I grab what is available and work it in as an individual, spontaneous expression. I ignore the rules.

So you are warned: YMMV, "your mileage may vary".

Searching for the Chinese restaurant on Youngman

I had a lovely hike this afternoon from the park over to the other side, away from the school where I usually walk. It was sunny and clear, no hint of the winter storm hitting the midwest, heading this way. I was determined to find the right path. I had heard that you could follow a path that ended up by the street where there was a Chinese restaurant.

With most of the leaves off the trees, the blazes on the paths are easier to spot. There was internal struggle as I got a mile up. Do I turn around and return the way I came or do I trust that I will find the right path? About that time, a fellow with a dog crossed in front of me. I waved. That must be the path done the other side. There was no sign of him went I got there. The path down was wide and easy. It must have been an old logging road.

I soon was able to see houses below and hear the traffic. And there it was. Youngman Street. I tucked my poles under my arm. I walked the rest of the way on the sidewalk. 

If you can't see the slideshow, click through to the album.

not-that-Carol

That's how I sign frequent emails. I don't think of my name as being so common, but in this technologically connected world, it doesn't take long to bring us all together.

Gmail started in 2004 by invitation only. I asked my brother to send me an invite. I looked back and my first message from Gmail is dated 11/22/04,

"First off, welcome. And thanks for opening a Gmail account. We hope that Gmail will become something you use everyday."

Ten years later, that hope has been realized.

The address I signed up for was of the form: carol.last@gmail.com. The period separating the names is unrecognized so that any mail addressed to carollast@gmail.com comes to me. I get quite a bit of it and not just from commercial email accounts but from real people trying to get in touch with some other Carol.

I have received photos of someone's great aunt and somebody else's kid on the soccer field. I am on the email list of a symphony in New Zealand. One Carol wanted to buy property in Georgia and one was car shopping in California. I get invitations to hen parties in Pennsylvania and fundraiser picnics at Lismore Castle. There have been notices that I rented a car in Florida. I was cc'd on an email giving Father Tom comments on the order of service for a funeral.

And the latest, if you care to look at the picture, the Royal Mail successfully delivered to me a package from FIVER LONDON LTD.

The sad thing is that I'd love to chat with the Carol in Pennsylvania or Georgia or California or New Zealand or England. I just don't know her correct email address.

Porch pepper

I have two pots of peppers, with buds, still on my porch. I may need to get a greenhouse so that we can have fresh peppers through the winter.

Weighed at the doctor

I went to see my doctor last week. I haven't been on the scales in a couple of months.  It was good news: I have lost the weight that I gained while commuting over the last two years.

The doctor, a gynecologist, was able to read the computer record from my primary care physician, including the resent lab results. He expressed concern that my blood sugar levels were too high and stated that uterine cancer was higher in women with diabetes.  I resented his comments. I got out of there as fast as I could and am happy that I don't have do go back until next June.

I wanted chocolate, but I didn't. It wouldn't have hurt him at all and it would have hurt me.

I know there is reason for his concern, but I also know I'm making progress.

Gulasch suppe

I was introduced to gulasch suppe when I visited my sister while she was studying abroad in Austria. Along the way, I picked up a cookbook that has the recipe.

I've been thinking about traveling with my sister, so I decided to make it this week.

If you look carefully at this picture, you will see a yellow/orange tinge to the page. As I pulled down the fancy paprika in a small zip lock bag, I also brought down the turmeric which was in an adjacent bag with the zip not zipped. So the book, and my counter, has this lovely colored haze now.

I have been cooking with my pressure cooker lately, mostly making chili. It cooks the beans so much faster. So I decided to make the gulasch suppe with it.

Note to self: Don't cook baking potatoes in a pressure cooker.

It turned out more like reddish, lumpy mashed potatoes, just not suppe. It tasted really good.

I got a vest

I took the article "10 Ways to Get Killed When Walking After Dark" to heart and ignored number 5: "Reflective Gear Is So Garish".
I'm styling.

The unopened envelop

You may remember that we visited the lawyer to have our wills drawn up. He has sent them on for us to review.

The letter with two forever and two Abraham Lincoln stamps  remains unopened. Neither my husband nor I really want to face the next step. It took 30 years to go this far.

Maybe today.

New Island

I finally made it to New Island, an almost inaccessible land between the highway and the south side commercial development. I can't quite imagine how it is an island. After some research, I found that a local professor and his students published studies about it in 2002. One student documented how the river has changed course over the last few centuries. It was an island between the now-gone manmade Electric Lake and the Susquehanna River.

Most of the length of the trail is on the top of a railroad bed above wetlands. I wasn't able to find out when the railroad was used or abandoned, maybe when the bridge was washed out.

I have four pictures of the trail and bridge remnants. It's hard to understand what a between world New Island is.

If you can't see the slideshow, click here.

Walking in the dark

Often my day gets away from me before I do my walk. Sunday was the day we turned our clocks back so when I went out, at 5:30, it seemed like the middle of the night with the moon shining on empty streets.

The wailing sax

The name didn't mean anything to me: Raphael Ravenscroft died recently. The song he played on is memorable, Gerry Rafferty's "Baker Street".

Do you remember the summer you were 23? The sax, the guitar and the enigmatic lyrics were part of my soundtrack of the summer of 1978.

I was working at the gas company downtown, living in a fashionable, historic building, enjoying life near Belle Isle and the Pointes. The movie "Grease" was the date movie of that summer.

That summer sizzled.

It's embellished by fantasy but I would like to go back to meet the 23 year old I was then.

I was hot stuff living in the city. No, that's mixing musical metaphors. Donna Summer came out with that song in 1979.

I never tire

This meadow is at the end of my street. I usually approach it from from my house, but late the other afternoon I came in from this side on the way home. It was like a cathedral with pipes reaching up to the sky, carpeted with a tapestry of leaves.

Fabric memories

I saw a post about the benefits of young boys playing with dolls. I thought back to my son's doll, George, who was a constant companion. As I was digging in my fabric stash to find some felt to complete my son's Halloween costume, I came across scraps from the fabric I used for George's overalls.

Delightfully ugly fabric, isn't it? It was perfect for George.