Day 7 - Heroes, near misses and clubs.

Friday in Prague and I once again played hooky from the company visits. I visited a memorial to the bravery of the Czech people during WWII and the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich. Then I wandered downtown to do se shopping, picking up some goodies for my nieces at the Lego museum. More walking and picture taking followed, and then lunch of a gigantic baguette with tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, as well as a rustic French fry dish with some kind of cheesy gravy on top. I have no idea what it was, but it was delicious. Beer goes down so well with lunch!

The group came back from the company visit and people headed their separate ways for the afternoon. Tina, Judy, Robert, Anu and I went to Hard Rock Cafe because they wanted to continue their tradition. Since I had already eaten I just drank a beer and people watched. (only tina could get me to a hard rock cafe!) After lunch Robert and I headed downtown to rent bicycles at Bike Prague.


What an adventure! Cobblestone streets, narrow walkways, lots of turning around and switchbacks, and even one run in with a car. We were riding on a sidewalk next to a high courtyard wall as there was no space between the trolleys and the curb. Suddenly a Mercedes Benz wagon pulled out of an archway right in front of me. No time to really brake so I hit his front quarter panel and sent my bike askew. I stayed upright through sheer will. The driver was a bit freaked and Robert just about had a heart stack but all was fine. We kept going and rode all over lesser town. There was consideration given to traveling to the top of the hill to get to the miniature Eiffel Tower, but the hill was too much for our sad mountain bikes and rubbery legs. A set of statues at the park showed a man in varying stages with pieces missing, signifying the impact of Communism on people's lives. Next Robert and I hefted our bikes up over our shoulders and up the stairs onto the Charles Bridge, which dates from the 1300's. It is filled with artists and street vendors and is pedestrian only. Back to the hotel and off to dinner.

Fast forward two hours and the group took two cabs across into lesser town with the intention of eating Thai at Noi. Without a reservation we were subject to the wrath of a rather bitchy server. So we ended up at a Mediterranean place a few doors down, Luka Lu. We sat in a sort of treehouse suspended above a lovely courtyard. Several folks complained that the food was bland but I really enjoyed my risotto with chicken and sundried tomatoes. We wandered around as a large group getting gelato and trying to go to bars. Then things splintered. First we were sent to U Prince to wait for the rest of the group. Then Melissa and I joined David, Lauren, Wendy and Jessica in a basement bar with some graphic artwork, illicit smoke and lots of graffiti. Then we headed to Roxy in Josefov where we danced to house and trance music while watching young Czechs dance like maniacal zombies in worship of the DJ. I confirmed that I am too old to go clubbing. ;)

Day 8 - Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, boat ride and Boom

Morning broke on our bus ride with Merrick across the river into Lesser Town. At Prague Castle we started in the second courtyard and moved into St. Vitus' Cathedral. It was finished in the early 1900's and is an example of gothic architecture. The architects put themselves into the design as statuary.

Walked inside and saw the stained glass and the tomb of St. Wenceslas., made completely of silver. Then we walked into the Old Royal Palace, with its large reception hall used for everything from dinners to jousting tournaments. We also saw the room where the defenestrations took place that started the thirty years war. Then we moved into the gallery with portraits of the Hapsburgs including Joseph and his mother Maria Teresa (mother of 16). Out via the horse stairway and into the courtyard again.

Next came the shopping area called the Golden Lane. Rumor is that alchemists lived here but in reality people worked with gold. Later artists saved the area from being torn down. Frank Kafka lived in the blue house at #22. We passed through the little houses and displays to the courtyard with the statue of a naked boy. The whole statue is black except for his privates which are gold from people rubbing it for luck. After came the changing of the guard and lunch at Restaurant Vikarka, open since 1360. Schnitzel and mashed potatoes, soup and beer for me. Yum! Goulash for everyone else.

It was about 85 degrees as we walked down through the shops to the Charles Bridge, stopping to take pictures at the Lennon wall and the site that recorded floods. We walked across the bridge and about 75% of us decided to go for a boat ride, complete with ice cream and beer. Our tour guide spoke in English and german about the sites along the river. It was nice but between the heat and the late night, I nearly fell asleep.

We shopped through Indian stores and local fare like manufacktura for more presents for the family. Drinks in the lobby and out to Lemon Leaf for dinner.

We had a wonderful Thai meal with about 12 of us while Anu and Sal has the fish pedicure. Bob gave a toast and we gave Judy and Tina their gifts. The evening wrapped up at Boom with gelato and back at the hotel to watch soccer with about 75% of the group.

Day 6 - wandering in the rain in Praha

Started the morning with a run down to the water. It was quiet and overcast. Once again I ran to the bridges then got a bit off track, only to find myself in front of the Lego museum! I sprinted through Wenceslas Square and back to the hotel in time for breakfast with some colleagues. A few envied my playing hooky. I spoke to Merrick, our guide, to find out where we would be headed to for our full day tour on Saturday. We agreed that Old Town and the Jewish quarter would be a good place for me to visit today. A quick shower and out into the rain to go explore.First I headed to Tesco to get chocolates for our friend Caleb (he taught English here a while back). It was huge, basically a department store. I tried to take a photo in the grocery section and got busted by security. When I came out of the front, I found myself back at the Lego museum so I did some browsing.Fast forward through 20 or so minutes of walking, I was finding Prague and the weather a bit dismal (sort of like London on Boxing Day). I was enjoying getting lost but taking very few pictures because it was raining too hard and I was handling my umbrella, backpack and guidebook. (International access on he iPhone would have helped here). Hot chocolate and free Internet at au gourmand in old town and I was refreshed and ready to go.Bought a ticket and climbed all the way up into the old Clocktower. I was able to see all sides of Prague, as well as be there for the playing of the trumpet at 12 noon from all four sides of Clock tower. W would have really liked to see this. I took photos of some British tourists and they returned the favor. Afterwards I paid the equivalent of 10 cents to use the WC and almost got stuck inside with an unwieldy lock. Then I continued to wander through Jewish town and went into the old new synagogue. There was no photography allowed inside. It is amazing that they're today less than 6000 Jews left in Prague after all of the progroms from the end of the 19 century through World War II. These ancient pieces of history all around the Jewish quarter are surrounded by high-end stores like Elie Saab, Gucci, Marina Rinaldi, and more. Odd. Everything is negotiable in Prague, exchange rates, tour fees, everything. I got rid of my Euros and change and got 500 off my audible tour guide through the museums by accident. Went to two money exchanges near the clock tower to get three different rates that ranged by 200 czn or $10. It's crazy how the prices increase as you near the museums. There are lots of street vendors. I had to navigate through them while visiting the many areas that make up the Jewish History museum. More later on the museums...I sobbed at the exhibit of children's art from the camps. Things are so different when I put things in perspective as a parent. It also made me miss my boys. That and seeing all of the little cutely clad munchkins wrapped up against the rain today.Visited a store that had some cute art of cats and picked up a present for someone in the family. Actually met the artist too! On to visit some of Zane Lamprey's haunts....poor W....so wish he could be here. U Vejvodu - home of the beer hall and the stinky cheese. I walked in to find two crusty guys at the bar. They referred me to David, the designated English speaker. He questioned my ordering of beer cheese informing me that it had a "strong smell." Bring it! Yummy! Cheese, onions and mustard, big farmhouse bread and a large Pilsner Urquell. Writing my blog and people watching. Walked back to the hotel to catch up with the group just getting off of the bus.

Day 3: Yamamay, shipping, Duomo and dinner

Day three in Milan found our group visiting the first of many companies. Yamamay is an Italian company that manufactures swimwear and underwear for women, children and men. Gallarate is a small town about 45 minutes northwest of Milan. The company headquarters are housed in a 10 story or so, modern building in the middle of suburbia. Reportedly most Italians don't come into work until around 9 AM so we were a bit early for visit. We waited in the lobby for about 20 to 30 minutes until all of the marketing and public relations staff arrived. We were escorted into a small very modern training classroom that houses the YamAcademy, and also has a small training display store. Company professionals with varying degrees of English language mastery walked us through the marketing plan, impressive 10% year on year sales growth, and production capabilities. Afterwords we walked through the design studios and met with employees and interns. Interesting to note that the company says it was inspired by Victoria's Secret, but many of their bath and body products bear a striking resemblance to what is currently offered in the Pink line.

We left Yamamay at a little after 11 and headed back on the bus with our tour guide Barbara. Back at the hotel it was a tossup between exhaustion and hunger, but hunger won out and five of us walked the short distance to a small café that served pizza, Panini, and sushi! We had a bit of a problem with the language barrier but overall it was a good experience and we left the restaurant refreshed and ready for the next adventure. Anu, Melissa and I wandered around shopping at Zara, a toy store and Yamamay. Then we headed back to the hotel to meet up with the group to try and plan our evening.

Robert, Bob, Anu, Melissa, Ashley, Mark, and I put on our walking shoes and headed towards the Duomo. While on our arrival day we had gone inside the Duomo, today our goal was to go climb up to the top of it. For seven euros you could climb the 260+ stairs, or for €12 you could take an elevator all the way to the top. We chose the former. The view overlooking Milan was absolutely stunning. We took pictures from lots of angles, and wandered along the center top of the roofline. Tina had challenged us earlier in the day to do something completely different and this was definitely it! Afterwards we bought gelato and wandered around shopping.  Some of the group went back to the hotel so that they could get ready for the opera at La Scala.  Melissa and I went on a hunt for a jacket at the Zara across town.  While it was successful, we got caught in the rain on our way back.  With no umbrellas, we were soaked by the time we reached the hotel.  

After cleaning up, we headed back to the same restaurant from our first night - Restaurante Romani. Bobo saw the six of us (Tina, Bob, Mark, Judy, Melissa and I) and immediately began taking care of our table. It was a very different experience from the prix fixe menu from Sunday.  Bobo started us with prosecco, calamari and caprese salad.   We ordered family style and shared risotto Milanese, gnocchi, a veal dish,  spaghetti, and grilled vegetables. Um wow! We had to order seconds of the spaghetti and gnocchi.  Dinner was filled with raucous laughter that had a few of the Italian patrons shooting death stares at us.  Tina felt so full that she took off her belt and placed it on the table, eliciting lots of commentary.    The meal was complete after some homemade limoncello and cherry vanilla ice cream, both on the house.  We tipped Bobo generously while confusing the heck out of the woman ringing up the checks.  I also apologized to our English neighbor for causing such a ruckus.   Back at the hotel for a drink and then off to bed.

Day 2: Como, Bellagio and Lugano

Day two of the trip found us with a wonderful breakfast at the hotel. It had everything from antipasti to yogurt to mountains of Nutella.

We departed on the bus from the hotel at 9 AM. It took us approximately 1 hour to drive to our ferry stop at Lake Como. Highlight of the morning: getting yelled at by an Italian for being stupid Americans; we were on a pier taking pictures and weighed too much. We grabbed waters and coffees at an overpriced café right on the waterfront and then stood in line for the ferry.

What came next was several hours that I never expected to experience, traveling up the Western side of the lake, stopping at quaint vacation spots and drooling over villas tha could only be described as the Italian version of Newport. Our destination was the seaside town of Bellagio, where we ate lunch of white fish and pizza at Baba Yaga. The town is set on the side of a hill and lined by cobblestone streets. Shops beckoned but the gelato won out. The bakery owner gave me a postcard with a picture of his father on it. The store opened in 1919. Then most of the MBA class stood in line in a small, single owner shop that sold cheap scarves and amazing leather bags. We panicked at the time, flying to catch our boat, only to have our guide Andrea deadpan 'boat is gone.'

Das corraled us under the trees while we waited another 25 minutes for another ferry to take us across the water to catch our bus. The road was made up of 45 minutes of switchbacks and insane passes and the journey ended in Lugano, Switzerland. We only had an hour to visit but we are the only MBA class to make it to three countries in one trip! All of the stores were closed at 4:30 on a Sunday. Instead we admired dogs, the Mojito bar, francs, and watches. (BTW...you need a password to get into the restroom in Burger King).We climbed in the bus and most everyone slept the entire hour back.

 For dinner we went to L'isola del Teatro for Italian food. Lots of confusion and some interesting interpretations of food later (including my dinner smiling at me). We wandered home to bed.

Day 1: off to Milano

Although I recently graduated from the MBA program at Elon, the program allows you to travel for the international business trip for the following semester after graduation. I took this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and decided to go with the group to Milan and Prague. Currently searching for jobs right now so why not. The only downside of this trip is being away from the boys for 10 days.

We took off from RDU airport at about 215 in the afternoon, 15 of us including our trip adviser, Judy, and our professor, Tina. We flew to JFK airport and then departed for Milan Italy at 6:15 at night. For the most part it was an uneventful eight hour journey over the ocean, punctuated only by rude talkers in the middle of the night. Despite two glasses of wine, two Benadryl, and the movie The Vow, I slept about an hour. Our bedraggled crew landed in Milan at about 830 in the morning and met our tour guide Andreas. It was about a 45 minute ride into downtown Milan. We parked our bus by one of the largest, oldest castles in Italy, and walked over to a café to get some breakfast. Then it was off to the Duomo, which was overwhelming and its size and its beauty. We had several hours off in the afternoon we walked around in small groups, most of us getting gelato and a sandwich along the way. The gelato here is absolutely amazing! Our small group went to a museum where we had the chance to see many of Leonardo da Vinci's drawings as well as several famous paintings. Then we met up with our group to see Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper. I was very surprised to find that it wasn't actually a painting hanging on the wall but was a mural painted on a wall in a crumbling church. The church was bombed during WwI, but luckily two walls stayed standing including the one which contain the Last Supper.

At 4 o'clock in the afternoon we finally made iabout he Hotel Dei Cavalieri about two blocks off of the Duomo Square. The rooms are small but functional and very clean. Our room looks out over the square and a large statue of a man on a horse. After checking one of my colleagues and I went for a run around the castle and through the park. We stopped to take pictures at the Arch and then ran back. It was great dodging people and running on cobblestones and just feeling light and unencumbered by luggage. After shower I feel like 1 million bucks. The group then walked across the street to a little Italian restaurant where we were served very capably by Bobo. Most of the group declined the sodas that were included with the meal, so the server substituted in wine without any extra charge. Bonus! I was treated to some of the freshest, most wonderful pasta I've ever in my life. A glass of wine later and it was off to bed.

2011.1.9 Travels with C - Day 4

Our last full day in the Keys! We joined Butch, Raye and Wendy for breakfast at Galley Grill on Summerland. C ate an entire pancake to the shock of the family. (We're used to it!)

2010.1.8 Travels with C - Day 3

C slept all night and woke at about 6:30am, ready for food. We once again lolled in bed for half an hour, giggling and rolling with the man. Breakfast saw him chowing scrambled eggs, banana and English muffin. He is so wound up and interested in all that is going on that he really doesn't want to nap here. He finally fell asleep around 10am while I was out on a run. W had to walk him up and down the hall until he was sleepy.

Once he woke up, we all got on Butch & Raye's boat for a cruise out to Picnic Island. It's a teeny tiny island in the Atlantic that offers a few feet of beach, some greenery and a nice place to park a boat. We stopped so that C could dip his butt in the ocean, eat some sand and watch dogs play in the water. We snacked on cheese and crackers and cracked a bevvie. C's favorite part was sitting in Butch's lap and pretending to 'drive' the boat. While he didn't mind it on the way there, the slightly-oversized life preserver bugged him to no end on the way back. Raye kept him occupied, as did some multi-grain cheerios!

He was exhausted by the time we arrived home and fell asleep feeding. ;)

2010.1.7 Travels with C - Day 2

C slept all night last night! Thank heaven for small favors. It wasn't really expected as he only took about two hours of his normal four hours of nap yesterday. But he woke us up at 6am with a hungry belly. I fed him and we lolled about in bed for forty-five minutes before getting up and greeting the family for breakfast. C amused everyone with his banana eating (or demolishing.) Then W took off with Butch for a round of golf at the Key West Golf Course and I went out with C in the Bob for a 3 mile jaunt. He stayed awake for the entire run around Summerland Key, as well as the mini-mart stop for some refreshments. (No caffeine-free diet coke...rats.)

Despite the lull of the stroller and the overlong period between sleeps, the man would NOT go to sleep this morning. Grandma had to sit on the porch to stop herself from going in to get him. Finally after a feeding, he fell asleep.

It's about 70 and partly sunny here. Can't wait to get outside again. Must see things on this visit (limited time and options with C - but we'll find a way)...

• Shopping at Summerland Sandal
• Dinner at Parrotdise
• Drink a 'green thing' or two! from Jimmy at the truck bar at Sunset Ceremony (see photo)
• Lunch at Hurricane Hole
• Lunch or Dinner at No Name Pub - Try to see some of the elusive Key Deer on the way to or from
• Open some Christmas presents! The tree is exploding with gifts!!!

After some good napping for C and some time on the front porch, Raye and I took off to meet the guys at Hurricane Hole in Key West. (Wendy had a job interview.) C downed some mahi-mahi fish bites while we waited for the boys to finish their golf game. Then he proceeded to eat half of my quesadilla and a couple of sweet potatoe fries from Raye's plate. Butch took him on a tour of the marina so he could look at the pelicans. Then we went back home for more nap time.

After C's nap, we loaded up two cars and headed up to Little Torch Key and Parrotdise. C was once again the man for protein, eating a bunch of W's fish, as well as veggies and pasta. Parrotdise has a great happy hour so we had a few beverages and enjoyed watching the water, the people and the little man. Back at home we finally opened Christmas presents! Raye finally discovered the joys of online shopping this year and had completely outdone herself. C got his new carseat, TONS of baby Patriots gear, a Patriots hat and some onesies. W was given a bunch of nice shirts and a set of cuff-links from Charles Tyrwitt. And I have some great stuff coming to the house from Boden!

Off to bed for more adventures in the morning!

2010.1.6 Travels with C - Part 1

Each January for the past ten or so years, we've journeyed from wherever we are living to visit W's parents in the Florida Keys. They live in Summerland Key, which is at Mile Marker 25. For those who haven't visited the Keys before, MM 0 is in Key West and the mile markers ascend the further you go up towards Miami. So when you tell someone you live at MM 25, they know you live about a half an hour up the Keys from Key West.

Last year when we were here at this time, I was about thirty weeks pregnant with C. And although I enjoyed the visit, it was rough not being able to enjoy the Key West lifestyle. Kayaking was awkward, running was a chore and the Duval 'crawl' was...well....dry. I did get a lot of great pictures last year, including one of the 'Southernmost preggie lady.' And W always had a designated driver!

Yesterday we took off from home at about 8:30am to take C to the airport for his first plane ride and visit to the Keys! We were armed with a bottle, paci, toys, blankets, the Bob, the Ergo, and with wild hope that all would go smoothly. Getting through security was a breeze and the Southwest terminal was calm. C played on the floor and flirted with ladies and other little kids. When we boarded, their were enough empty seats to give C and his carseat a space with us. He was happy while we waited to taxi. Then the captain announced that there was a sensor going off. About an hour later and a bad alternator later, we had to deplane back to the terminal. The Southwest team did right by us and got us all on another plane in under forty-five minutes. Still all calm from the C man!

We took off about two hours after our original departure. C was happily munching on a banana and some O's. Then with a little coaxing he fell asleep for an hour and fifteen minutes. He played in our laps while we descended and never let out a peep. No ear issues. No crying. Wow - I hope it's always that easy!

We landed in Fort Lauderdale, changed the man while waiting for luggage and scooted out to the rental car area. Then into the SUV for a three or so hour drive down the Keys. The man ate O's and some cheese and chilled out for 90% of the ride. The sunset over Marathon was gorgeous. It looked like someone was painting rivulets of pink and orange water in the sky. C started getting fussy at about 20 miles to go. It didn't help that I gave him a bottle of water that was not closed correctly; he was soaked when we arrived! Poor baby.

But eventually we reached the house on First Street and got lots of hugs from Grandma and Pop and Aunt Wendy. C got cleaned up and then we all ate spaghetti dinner. Raye rented a highchair and a crib from a local outfit in the Keys, which worked out great! C is sleeping in the laundry room and so far it works!

Spring Break 2009 - Day 4

March 29th, 2009

Sunday was our last day in the mountains and as the weather finally cooperated, we decided to head back to the Cascade waterfalls off of the parkway. It goes without saying that the view was completely different!












Great trip overall! Thanks to Phil & Susie for the use of the cabin...

Spring Break 2009 Day 3

March 28th, 2009

On Saturday, we woke up to somewhat clear skies so we decided to head to Grandfather Mountain. This is a privately owned mountain that mimics a national park, complete with bears, river otters, deer and eagle preserve. We did stop and visit with the bears. It was so foggy and wet that you could barely see them atop a bunch of boulders! Then we stopped at the store for some fudge.

By the time we finished with the bears, it was pouring down rain and blowing at about 60mph...not really conducive to exploring atop the Mile High Bridge! You can see my photo at left. Click on this link to see what it looks like when it's clear! W braved the winds to cross it but I had to turn back at about a third of the way across - the winds and the lack of visibility caused some serious vertigo. Next time....

We slowly made our way back into Blowing Rock, passing by 'Forrest Gump' curve on the way down. (Check out 2:53 - 59 in the clip.) Too bad we didn't have the Mini!

We warmed up and dried off at Six Pence Pub while watching Maryland get...um....hosed by the official during the MD / UVA lacrosse game. That would be the nice way to put it. A little shopping downtown and we headed back to the cabin to check up on the puppies. It was still raining but we saw a ton of waterfalls on Route 105 on the way back. This is definitely an area to return to for great photos!

For dinner we tried Peppers in Boone, an unassuming restaurant in a shopping center. It came highly recommended as a cool little bar which was non-smoking and had live entertainment. (Non-smoking is a rarity in the High Country unfortunately.) We hung out and listened to the band for awhile, then satisfied our sweet tooth at Marble Slab, rented a movie (Wanted) and headed back to the cabin. Magic Hat and Oreo's on the futon while the puppies played ball.

Spring Break 2009 - Day 2

March 27th, 2009


Ah, the joys of sleeping in! Friday found us sleeping late and working on some school projects for several hours, while the puppies explored both the cabin and the countryside. After perusing the guidebooks in the house and inquiring at the Boone Visitors' Center, we decided to set off for the Cascade Falls trail. It was an interesting drive out on the Blue Ridge Parkway out of Bamboo Gap, as every other sign warned us of the impending closing of the road. Luckily it ended at the Cascade falls parking lot! (Despite the instructions of the Visitors' Center staff.)


It was EXTREMELY foggy and ours was the only car in the parking lot. We followed the path down a wooded trail with markers for various indigenous trees and plants. As we reached the top of the falls, it began to to rain gently. By the time we descended a steep set of stone steps to the main waterfall, it was simply pouring. Nevertheless, we took some interesting shots.



After returning to the cabin to dry off and warm up, we headed back out on the road to Banner Elk Winery, which we became familiar with during our last two visits to the Blue Ridge Wine Festival. The Garmin had a mind of its own and directed us along the most winding, roller coaster, switchback road we have ever seen...otherwise known as Route 194. Through Valle Crucis and west into Banner Elk, we were happy to finally arrive! So we drank some wine, bought some wine, crashed some random guy's 30th birthday, inquired of the locals how they survived in High Country year-round (specifically the winter?!?!) and general stuff that wine makes you do.



We stopped back at the cabin for a visit with the puppies and turned right back around again to go shopping at the outlets in Blowing Rock. The fog was so thick that when we arrived, we couldn't see the opposite end of the small shopping center from our car. Some serious damage done at J. Crew, we headed to Twigs for a casual dinner at the bar. Then off to sleep in the mountain air.

Spring Break - Boone, NC

March 26th, 2009

It's Spring Break 2009. We had planned to finally take a vacation up to Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia. The cabin was booked and W and I were ready to tackle a snowboard and possibly some skiis. Unfortunately Snowshoe decided to close a week early due to poor temperatures and rain in the forecast. Our kind cabin owner refunded the deposit but we were back to square one. Lucky for us, I work for a nice guy who, along with his wife & family, owns a cabin in Boone, NC!



So this morning we took off from Mebane on our way to the High Country. We decided to take a little detour due to a chance encounter in July of last year with the owner and brewmaster at Catawba Valley Brewery. We drove to Morganton, NC to pay Scott Pyatt and one of his employees, Tate, a little visit. Despite our visit occuring outside of normal serving hours, Scott met us at the brewery for a tour, tasting and some lunch! We left with three growlers, some pint glasses and full bellies! What a better way to celebrate being on vacation than having beers before noon. If you are ever driving to or from Asheville, it is worth the two mile detour off of the highway! It's an interesting old warehouse filled with art, a stage for live music and what else, beer!!! Favorite beers? Try the Whiskey River IPA, Farmer Ted's Cream Ale or the White Zombie Wheat.




A half an hour later, we took another detour in the Pisgah National Forest to view the Linville Falls. Guinness and Harper had the chance to stretch their legs (and get REALLY muddy) on our .8 mile walk down and back. Took some pictures and headed back down the trail. We dried them off as best as possible and hopped back into the car for our final, super winding, drive into Boone. We settled into the cabin and just relaxed.


The weather this weekend is forecasted to be rather dismal, with mostly cloud cover and some rain. But driving over to Boone for dinner, the clouds broke and gave us a great view of some farmland covered in fog.






For dinner we decided to try a local spot called Black Cat Burrito. Great food and beer, but no TV's, an unfortunate circumstance when it's the middle of March Madness! Despite a valient effort to find a non-smoking bar with a television, we wound up back at the cabin for some DVD watching and relaxing. (Not without a trip to the store first for hot-cross buns, oreos and a Magic Hat mixed case.)

First day of Spring Break? GREAT!!!

Key West - Day 5 & 6

Day 5


On this trip to the Keys, we tried to focus on doing a few 'new things' like eating at new restaurants, trying new touristy type stuff, etc. So today we went on a kayaking and snorkeling trip with Lazy Dog Outfitters out of Hurricane Hole. This is not snorkeling in the Carribean with giant fish and wide open ocean. It is like snorkeling in a rain forest that is two feet deep, where you are looking for little fish among the coral, sea grass and mangroves, when suddenly a channel about ten to fifteen feet deep opens up below you to reveal schools of rainbow fish and a huge grouper or two. It can be quite unsettling when a hole opens below you that is about 3 feet across but an unknown amount of feet deep. Some run down and then turn under the mangroves. We eventually reasoned that my discomfort with them was due to my fear of heights. There is a definite ledge and what can be perceived as a 'fall' down into the hole. Odd but understandable once our guide, Robin, explained it to us. Along the way, we learned about the three different types of mangroves, played with starfish, sea cucumbers and anemones, saw a nurse shark and tried to avoid stepping on coral. We even saw a sea turtle observing us from his underwater perch as we kayaked by!

In the late afternoon, we returned to the site of the 'hot iguana lovin' to try and go fishing on Butch's boat. We succeeded in getting out of the Summerland Key channels but some problems with the engine stopped us from getting out into the deeper areas. We headed back in and cleaned up before our trip back to No Name Pub.

A trip to the Keys is not complete without a visit to this local's pizza place and pub. Decorated entirely with news stories about the former brothel, bait shop and general store, as well as at least 30,000 single and five dollar bills, this restaurant serves the best pizza in the Keys. (Plus it's fun to drive through Big Pine looking for Key deer sitting on the front lawns of homes. We saw three on this drive.) Great pizza, cold beer, and good company with Raye & Butch and our trip to the Keys came to an end.

Day 6 - Travel Day
On our final day in Key West, we tried to get a little exercise before our hours of airline travel. W and I ran down to the end of Summerland and back for a little under a mile and a half. Then we headed next door for a swim at a neighbor's pool. Unfortunately a mama crab got a little lost looking for the ocean and ended up in the pool, with all of her babies on her back. W spent about a half an hour fishing them all out!!! We swam around a little, gathered our belongings and said farewell to Summerland Key.

Butch, W and I met up with Raye downtown and had a leisurely lunch at Hurricane Hole. Much of the conversation at lunch centered around the prospect of opening and running various businesses in the Keys, bars, health clubs, marinas, etc. Raye is planning a wedding for a friend of the family in April and is looking for a photographer....hmmmmmmmm. Maybe we'll be back in Key West sooner than we thought!

A little shopping downtown on a slightly rainy Duval Street and then we headed to the airport as the wind and cold moved in. We left Key West as Fight Night and Boat Week were beginning, which our usual time to visit. Our trip boasted the warmest and most sunny weather we have ever had on a January trip. Perhaps it was the timing in coming down a week earlier? The forecast for Boat Week is cloudy, windy and high of barely 65....brrrrr!

The Key West airport is under major renovation and we sat in the Conch Flyer restaurant for perhaps the last time, talking with the local bartender Mike, a New England native and HUGE Patriots / Sox fan.

It was a painless trip home to Greensboro, except for the 20 degree weather that greeted us!!!!

Send us an email if you plan to go to the Keys - we can definitely give you some referrals on restaurants, bars, activities and places to stay!

Key West: Days 3 & 4

Day 3 - Key West Shorthand (hey, we're on vacation!)

• worked out at the gym


• walked around trying to find a donut...went to Bad Ass Coffee instead for a bagel sandwich


• rented bikes


• went to Camille's for lunch (thanks Lisa & Tim!)


• rode to South Beach


• rode by Southernmost Point (super crowded)


• got vertigo climbing up into the Key West Lighthouse, saw all the way around the island, dropped W's sunglasses off of the top, found them at the bottom (unscathed),


• decided NOT to go into Hemingway House for about the 10th time...I love Hemingway but the house just doesn't look that interesting


• rode past Higgs Beach to Smather's Beach - took photos of kiteboarders at the beach...decided to ride all the way around the island...then did. Odd to ride bicycles where the brakes are just rotating the pedals backward!


• had a drink at the Conch Republic Seafood Company


• went back to Sunset Ceremony at Mallory Square...took LOTS of photos, had more 'Green Things' from Jimmy and a pretzel


• ate dinner at Half-Shell Raw Bar, had drinks at Island Dogs Bar, finished up the night at Irish Kevin's
  

Day 4
Sunday morning we woke up early to take some pictures. We rode the bikes down a completely empty Duval Street (with the exception of the streetcleaners) down to South Beach to watch the sunrise. We weren't alone! About 5 different photographers were out to take in the gorgeous sunrise. We took in Duval Street, Southernmost Point and several other attractions on the very quiet morning. W and I did a little shopping at Montage for some new signs to add to our Key West collection on the second floor. Then we met W's parents at the Bistro for brunch.

After checking out and heading back to Summerland, Raye, W and I headed to Bahia Honda State Park for a little beach time. We explored part of the old bridge, spent a little time in the water and on the beach. When we were done at the park, we travelled south to Big Pine and searched for Key Deer. Success! We caught two in front lawns and two out in the wild! I feel like a staffer for National Geographic!!!

Annual Trip to the Keys 2009 - Day 1 & 2

Each year in January, W and I make a pilgrimage through Miami down to the Florida Keys to visit W's parents for a late holiday celebration. Part family visit, party holiday recovery, part vacation, it has become a tradition. This year, we will stay at the Bixby's home on Summerland Key for two nights, then head downtown for two nights, and then finish up our stay on Summerland.

Travel Day
Not bad actually. We left the house at about 5:45am when it was a balmy 60 degrees. Fast forward 35 minutes and it was about 35 degrees and pouring rain in Greensboro. An uneventful flight brought us to Miami where we sat for a few hours listening to New Yorkers argue with the American Eagle staff about the injustice of their missing their flight to Nassau due to airline regulations and flight 'closure times.' Karma is always ready for you...shortly after we got on our plane, the pilot realized that the number two engine wouldn't turn over. We deplaned, took the bus back to the gate and sat around for another 45 minutes until they found us a new plane. This time the blender worked and we took off for Key West at around 4pm. We landed safely and got our first taste of 80 degree weather. Finally, after years of being told that I brought bad weather (cold, rainy, crappy, you name it) to the Keys, we might get lucky!


We spent a relaxing evening at the house and had some fun getting caught in a brief rain shower. We giggled through Tropic Thunder with the Bixbys and headed to bed early.


Day 1
Our first full day in Key West was about 75 and sunny! We visited an old standby on Summerland Key, Summerland Sandal. I found a great new swimsuit and matching shorts. W picked up some new hiking / water shoes. We headed down to Hurricane Hole to rent kayaks, a frequent activity during our trips to the Keys. This was the first time we kayaked this far south in the Keys, and we were rewarded with a very interesting trip through a maze of mangroves, a visit to a saltwater pond behind the airport, and several specimens of wildlife, including a great blue heron and two rather grumpy iguanas.

Afterwards we relaxed at the house and then took a walk down to the end of Summerland Key. It's great to just check out the styles, sizes, prices and colors of homes in the Keys.


That night we had dinner at Parrotdise (home of Big Pecker Wines and some fervent Ohio State fans) with Raye & Butch. Tomorrow we head into Key West!





Day 2
On the second day of our visit, we spent the morning tooling around Summerland Key and its canals on the Bixby's pontoon boat. W and Butch spent 20 minutes trimming a tree that overhung the canal at our put-in point. It belongs to Claire, a friend of the family.

Once out of the water, it was low tide, which presented some challenges navigating the coral. Towards the end of our trip, we passed a tree that contained about five iguanas of different age, color and size. This was nothing compared to what awaited us back at the put-in point, the home of the Bixby's friend Claire. There we found two grown iguanas sunning themselves on the sea wall. Shortly after we put the boat up, one started to bite the other's tail. We expected a fight to ensue.....wow, were we wrong! As W's sister said later upon viewing the photos....hot iguana love! Nature day continued when we stopped at a small salt pond to feed some tarpon that had been trapped there during recent hurricanes. There are now at least a dozen living in a little impromptu wildlife preserve, along with pelicans, iguanas and turtles.

We had lunch at Sugarloaf Food Company (best sandwiches and bakery north of Key West) and prepared to head into town. We checked into the Hyatt Sunset Harbor. Raye was able to secure us rooms thanks to her connections. Our first stop after arrival? Two 'green things' from Jimmy at the Bistro, a pretzel from the Key West Pretzel Man, and Sunset ceremony at Mallory Square. It was a weekend for both new and old traditions, so we tried out a new location for dinner, Caroline's on Duval Street. Mark the bartender introduced us to the Mark-a-Rita and his mangorita...yummy! The sandwiches and salads were huge and affordable, a great combination in a location that offers plenty of people watching.

In Key West, you do the 'Duval Crawl'...a long, leisurely and typically inebriated walk up and down Duval Street, the main drag that runs across the bottom third of the island from an area around Mallory Square and the cruiseship drop-off point down about two miles to South Beach. Along the way are t-shirt shops, restaurants, bars, galleries and more. As our next bartender Gigs said when we inquired as to the quiet night at Bogart's Irish Pub, most cruise ship passengers and tourists get about halfway down Duval, see less crowds or a rainbow flag, and think 'oh crap...I don't belong here' and turn around (or they just tire of walking). Unfortunately they miss many of the treasures of Key West, including places like Bogart's and bartenders like Gigs, a Brit and an ardent Red Sox fan! They also miss the 'girls' outside of 801 Bourbon, advertising the 9 and 11pm drag shows. (If you talk to Gigs, he'll tell you the tall girl in the really short skirt, Inge, is really a baseball hat wearing bloke named Brian.) We finished up the night in typical style at Irish Kevin's, drinking beer and listening to JMH and New York Pauly.

Mail Goggles

So Gmail is now offering a new service, which automatically asks you to answer some basic math questions before hitting the send button if you happen so send an email out during late night hours. It is designed to prevent what used to be called drunk-dialing, what now takes the form of regrettable late night emails and text messages. If you happen to send out stupide emails without thinking at all hours of the day and regardless of your level of imbibing, you can set up the service to be functional at all hours, thereby giving you the chance to really think about your choice of words and emoticons.

The question is, can this service be put on your work email? How many poor choices of words, sending of random chain mails and deriding of fellow co-workers could have been prevented with this service? Might a few people still have their jobs today?

Now can gmail apply this service to your cell phone? It might be the antidote to our culture of immediate gratification and online all the time status.

2008 Washington DC Breast Cancer 3-Day

This year I had the opportunity to see the Breast Cancer 3-Day from an entirely different perspective as a crew member on the route safety team. Here is a brief account of my participation in the event.

Crew Day

At about 11:30am on Thursday, October 2nd, my teammate and tentmate Danielle and I met up with most of the route safety crew for a get-to-know you lunch at Chili's. We had the chance to meet many of the 20 or so motorcyclists and 5 cyclists who would make up the Moto team. Our responsibility over the weekend was to direct walkers and traffic in intersections, call for sweep vehicles for walkers needing a ride or medical assistance and to ensure the overall safety of those on the event. The team consisted of quite a few veterans of the event, for one teammember who I had previously met on the Atlanta 3-Day, this was his 18th!

Later that afternoon, over 300 crew members gathered at the site for Opening Ceremonies at Potomac Mills Mall in Woodbridge, Virginia to participate in 'Crew Day.' We learned how to use Nextel phones, what to do in emergencies, learned the general route and more. Other teams had specific training in driving a MULE (little RV), setting up a Western shelter, unpacking a Pit Stop pod and more. Danielle and I reunited with our friends we trained with last year, Terri and Angel, as well as Larry, the writer of the now famous Underground Guide to the Breast Cancer 3-Day. Danielle quickly took off to the campsite to begin her work on the Camp Logistics Crew and I stayed for the remainder of my training. A quick dinner with some new cycling friends at Red Robin, a shopping trip for some quick laces for my running shoes and it was off to bed at the hotel!

Day One

Friday morning began with an early 4am call time. The moto-crew was tasked with directing traffic through the drop off lanes for three hours until Opening Ceremonies. Walkers began arriving around 5am and the ceremonies began at 7:30am. When the first walkers with the 3-Day flags departed the mall, I was in front of them on my bicycle. I slowly rode my way up to an intersection in front of Pit Stop 2 where I was assigned to work with Deb, a moto-veteran. Wow - what a new experience! Not only were we directing traffic, but stopping walkers from walking right into intersections with green lights in order to try and 'catch up' to their friends and teammates. It was also the start of the safety crack-down on iPods, headphones and cell phone usage while walking. (All are forbidden while walking. You need to stop walking to use the cell-phone. Route safety helps enforce this.) We danced walkers through the intersection to the sounds of Motown and Disco provided by little speakers and our iPods. About three hours later, all of the walkers had come through and I rode forward to find my next intersection. Along the way, I had to radio in to Command to direct sweep vehicles and one ambulance to walkers needing assistance. There was also a LOT of cheering walkers along the way.

My second stop was at an intersection with Repo, our crew captain, where I was sent on an errand to the Lunch stop for a meal for our police support. This was a lunch that as a walker, I would have skipped! Due to the early mileage (8.5), the walkers weren't very spread out. The ending result was a line about 400 deep. (Check it out at left.) My friend Larry the crew captain quickly adapted and the problem was fixed by Day 2. Luckily I could scoot around it as a crew member and get lunch for our officer. My lunch was another 'Uncrustable 'and some string cheese at the next Pit Stop.

The afternoon was spent at an intersection near Occuquan, where I saw the last 1200-1500 walkers move through. Lots of sunscreen, much dancing, and several hours later, the last walker came through and I was pushed forward to check on other route safety crew members until I reached camp at Occuquan Regional Park. This entailed riding on a very busy Route 123, through the hilly and charming town of Occuquan, across a footbridge and up quite a few hills, while continuing to check on walkers. All of route safety gathered at the entrance to camp to welcome walkers to their last half mile and to determine the route assignments for the next day. While as a walker, I was typically in camp at 1-3pm, as a crew member, we wait for the last walkers and the caboose (a staff member on a bicycle who stays with the last walker.) On Friday, we walked in with the last walker at around 7:15pm. After dinner and settling into our tent, it was 9pm and lights out.

Day Two

The next morning saw my fellow cyclists, Leslie and Sheena, and I departing camp around 6:30am. We helped set up patrols around the Lorton area, on a 19 mile out and back route that included about 5-6 miles of trails, grass and rough terrain. As the only member of the team on a road bike, I was assigned to entrances and exits of trails for much of the morning. I set up music, the pink sweatered teddy bear that W had sent to me in the hotel the first night, lots of chalked encouragement and began welcoming walkers to the '3-Day Obstacle Course.' Unfortunately uneven terrain exacerbates blisters and many walkers had to catch a sweep van or get medical attention at Pit Stop 1.

All afternoon, Sheena and I, along with Leslie and our friend Gary (wearing his pink Crocs, knee socks, kilt and pink ribbon cape) worked with local police to direct traffic and walkers on the very curvy and busy Lorton Road. We welcomed them to Part 2 of the obstacle course! We saw lots of great costumes and danced many walkers through the intersection. We saw walkers dressed as Fred & Wilma and walkers with multi-function bras! As the course was about 19 miles, we rolled into camp around 6:30pm that evening after our waterfront cheering station.

As Leslie and I rolled into camp, the emcee for the event announced the arrival of the last walkers into camp and the walkers and crew went out to the flagpole to greet them. When the crowd parted, a familiar face appeared. I pointed out the guest to Leslie, who turned to me stunned and asked me to repeat myself. "That is Nancy Brinker, you know....the woman who promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, that she would do everything she could to end this disease" I said. Since it was Leslie and I, we naturally rolled up with our bicycles and Ms. Brinker's 'handlers' introduced us and our roles in the event. Her son walkers in Chicago in '08 and she is very familiar with the event, but she did have a few questions about our route safety team. A quick chat, some tearful thank you's and she was gone. What an honor! Leslie and I each took a collective moment after parking our bikes at a crowd control barrier ironically placed at second base on the field where the dinner tent stood. That evening we were treated to a brief speech by Nancy Brinker, congratulating us on our accomplishments, and then the walkers watched the 3-Day Idol finals and had a dance party. The cycling group dispersed for showers in the 18 wheelers, went over our assignments for the next day and watched the staff dismantle most of the 3-Day cafe area, post office, New Balance, Pepperidge Farms and LaCroix tents.

Day Three

Danielle and I both woke at 4:45am on Sunday to begin packing up our stuff. Leslie, Sheena and I met up with the Sweep team at 6:20am for our rides to Pit Stop One. All of the walkers were being bussed into Abingdon to start their final 16 mile walk into Washington, DC. Due to some directionally challenged driving, my Rock & Roll van ended up leading the way into the Pit Stop and were directed to get out on the route. So I accidentally got a ride past the infamous Superman Hill (Walter Reed Drive) and was dropped off to start riding at the front at about mile 2.8.

I rode quickly to mile 5.7 and set up a station in front of the Arlington County Courthouse that entailed a double intersection, where I saw all 2700 or so walkers!!! I also saw my nerves stretched a little tight after my first run red light. Two later and I had the rhythm down to the intersection. By the 11th red light runner, I was confident but cautious.

No injuries or car accidents and four hours later, I was off to ride with Sheena into DC. We hustled out of Arlington and Fairfax and navigated some Army 10 Miler traffic to get to the Key Bridge. The pedestrian area was too congested so I stuck to the driver lanes. Shortly afterwards, we navigated church traffic in downtown Georgetown on M street and stopped quickly for food and necessary porta-potty breaks at the lunch stop. We gathered up what must have been our fifth or sixth Uncrustable of the weekend and headed downtown through Dupont Circle and lots of DC traffic to meet Leslie at our patrol in front of the White House. We spent the next several hours watching the walkers navigate through tourists and protestors. Our main role there was to watch out for walkers who needed assistance (it was mile 14) and to cheer them on. Our other role was as chief picture takers!

Our costumes attracted LOTS of attention. My wings and halo prompted pictures with foreign tourists, as well as a protestor dressed as Uncle Sam! It's hard to explain that you are an 'Asphalt Angel' to someone who doesn't speak English. I think they just assume you are an insane American.

The caboose finally caught up to us and we took off at a quick pace through Chinatown, in front of the Washington Monument and the Capital, towards holding and Closing Ceremonies at the City Center Lot on New York Avenue.

At Holding, the walkers and crew gathered to rest, grab their victory T-shirts, and wait for the final walkers to enter the area. At the end, we walked through a gauntlet of walkers to Opening Ceremonies. The tears flowed as walkers gave us high fives and hugs, and told us how we had made their experience a great one. (I was even told by one walker that he had his sunscreen on....I guess I did my job!) It was certainly the emotional event of the weekend for me.

Then the roles were reversed. The crew made a gauntlet outside of Closing Ceremonies and cheered the walkers coming through in groups of 6. It was about twenty minutes of cheering and blowing our whistles. My parents were trying to reach me throughout this, so I texted them to stay by the stage and watch the event. We would be difficult to miss in our orange shirts and pink blinking vests!

Closing Ceremonies was an emotional salute to those who are no longer with us and a celebration to those who are. The survivors circle included all age ranges and both sexes. Men do get breast cancer too, and due to social stigma and many late diagnosis, it is often fatal. Nancy Brinker announced that the DC 3-Day, the first to take place in that area since 2004, raised over $7 million dollars for Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund.

Miles ridden - 54

Events participated in - 4

Funds raised to fight breast cancer - Over $800
Amazing experiences - too many to count

Thanks for supporting me once again in the fight against breast cancer.