Gale Pearson

The Last Tour Bus Ride I hope to take

2011-10-29T10:17:00.000-07:00

Most of you may be aware that I have a fear of many forms of transportation. Airplanes, Trains, other peoples driving automobiles and yes, Tour Buses. After the great Tour Bus debacle in Tuscany a few years back, I had hoped not to take another bus. ...but how could I refuse. I am here in Montego Bay and I have the opportunity to take a tour bus ride of the west part of the island with Milo, his conference buddies and their wives..(all of which are now my new friends).As I saw it, I could take a xanax and be fuzzy around the edges, skip out on the tour, or WOMAN UP- and conquer my fear. I chose to conquer my fear. The bus was lovely and blissfully airconditioned (until it became Ice Station Zebra), but I had a sweater. Our first stop was to be breakfast. I guess I expected eggs to be served, so I was not prepared when we pulled into what I guess is the Jamaican equivalant of Mickey D's where the primary breakfast food is beef and cheese in a dough pocket. I don't eat red meat and when I heard it was spicey, well I chose a veggie pocket called a Callaloo. It is thick bread with "amaranth" leaves, similar to a tasteless spinach. yum.Back on the bus where we drove for 3 hours on winding roads through excessive poverty and rain forest. I must take a moment to say that though the poor people of Jamaica are really really poor, they are happy and smiling. I spent a great deal of that 3 hours reflecting on how we should appreciate what we have, large or small and just love life...back on said bus, still bumping along, many of us green in the gills. By the time we arrived at Appleton Rum Factory several of us wondered how we would ever get back on that bus. Not being a rum drinker, I didn't think that drinking into oblivion would be helpful and perhaps even harmful. However, our delightful excellent guide gave those of us with the "queasies" a shot of Appleton Berry Hill rum. It had allspice in it and it really settled the stoach, with no adverse effects. After the really pleasant tour, we realized we would not have time to see anything else that day considering it was a 3 hour ride back to the resort and we insisted on a few stops this time. We drove back and stopped twice. Once for lunch at a unique seaside restaurant where I ordered the fish. So help me, I didn't think his face would be intact. Yet, there he was, staring at me. I tried covering his head to avoid eye contact, but lets just say that the rice and beans was delicious.One more stop on the way home to stretch our legs by a beach, then back to the hotel for a late fun-filled dinner. Many friendships were made on that bus even though language was a barrier for most of us. I guess a common queasy stomach breaks down many barriers.

British Pub Night

2011-10-26T19:24:00.001-07:00

A Few Photos from Opening Ceremony

2011-10-25T05:26:00.001-07:00

Opening Ceremony

2011-10-25T05:23:00.000-07:00

The World Forum of Catastrophe ProgrammesDr. Simon Young, CEO Caribbean Rish Managers Ltd - Ms. Desiree Cherebin, Caribbean Catatsrophe Risk Fund, Board member - Mr. Devon Rowe, Director General, Ministry of Finance, Jamaica - Dr. Warren Smith, President, Caribbean Development Bank - Mr. Milo Pearson, Chairman, Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Fund - Host

Thunder and Lightning and Friends

2011-10-24T05:40:00.001-07:00

It's Monday morning in Paradise and the skies are blue and the sun is shining. Each evening has been filled with thunder and lightning. Tremendous "booms" that shake the building with light shows to rival Disney. They are fabulous. Most of the time there is very little rain as the storms circle the island. Last night I sat on the veranda and watched the show for hours.We met Simon and his wife Margaret and their daughters Zoe and Mia for dinner last night. Fun fun evening. I may join them on the swimming beach today. The beach in front of our place is not a swimming beach, but you can wade out for quite awhile. Just lots of rock and seaweed. Most of the folks for Milos Forum are arriving today so I will probably run in to some old friends and make some new one. I am looking forward to it.

You can dress 'em up.......

2011-10-23T13:45:00.000-07:00

Last evening we went to dinner at a very nice Italian restaurant here at the resort. As we were leaving this amazing outdoor area scattered with twinkle lights and people dressed in their fancy eatin' clothes....my skirt began to fall off. Really.It was too big to begin with, with an elastic waist, but my wardrobe is not condusive to a new dress for dinner every evening. (One does NOT wear shorts or capris to dinner in the Caribbean). But, I digress, as I was trying to hike my skirt up nonchalantly while still holding on to my doggy bag, I turned my ankle. It was quite the spectacle. Today my ankle has a bump on it the size of an egg, and I have a very pronounced limp. I can hardly wait for dinner tonight to see what will happen next. Good grief.

Montego Bay Jamaica October 2011

2011-10-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

This is our second full day at Half Moon Resort and other than a few posts on Facebook, I have been too busy to post...and by too busy, I mean laying on the beach or by the pool. Our flights out were uneventful which is a very good thing. We spent our first night in Dallas and had a really nice upgraded room. The exterior wall was floor to ceiling windows, with a lovely night view of the parking garage. Ah haha. It was actually a very nice room.
Two flights later we arrived in Jamaica at Montego Bay airport. Milo tells me this is far preferable than going to Kingston. After a long but efficient line at customs, we zipped through immigration and our baggage was waiting for us. The baggage area is surrounded by little waiting rooms labeled with each of the resort names. I felt ours was the nicest, but I could be partial. We signed in and were made comfortable in overstuffed chairs and sofa. And, by golly, I looked up and there was Elmo. Yes THE ELMO. Evidently he moonlights for one of the other resorts who specialize in family entertainment. Who would have though we would run into Elmo in Jamaica?
The Half Moon Resort had a van pick us up. It was just us and another couple with 3 small children. They were delightful children and it turns out they are staying just a few doors down from us so we see them often. They fill us in on their adventures so that we know what to do next. So cute.
Once we were checked in, in the oppulent open air lobby with an amazing view of the ocean, we were taken by golf cart to our "room". I should mention that the entire resort is very British Colonial and huge. (400 acres)We have a private enclosed entrance with a spiral staircase. When the door to the room was opened, Milo and I were in shock. The girls who made our reservations had us upgraded and wanted it to be a surprise. It was one heck of a surprise. It is truly an apartment, except for the kitchen which is just a galley type kitchen. The bedroom and bathroom are larger than ours at home and are elevated from the living room. We need stairs to climb into the BED! The entire front room is made up of window paned doors that open to the veranda. The veranda is just above the most amazing view of the Caribbean Sea we have ever seen. UNBELIEVABLE. We are still pinching ourselves. Just outside the back door is the swimming pool (one of 52 on the property). It is small and available to only 5 or 6 of the villas so we are basically alone. Same with the beach. It is not a swimming beach, that is just down the road a piece, but it is fairly private. Today I was the only one there all day.

Last Day

2011-02-26T07:03:00.000-08:00

It's our last full day in St. Lucia and I am certainly not ready to go home. I suppose I should be catching you all up on what we have done for the last few days, so here it is.....lay on the beach, go to dinner. That about sums it up. Dinner here ( as well as any other meal or service) takes at least three hours. Really,it's just the way things are done here. When making 7 pm dinner reservations, have a snack before you leave and prepare to enjoy the company of others. I have been included in all of the dinners with Milos board and it has been fun. Even though most of the conversation is about island politics, insurance or hurricanes, I find them all interesting and entertaining. They are all pleasant and always include me.
The weather has been unbelievably windy and mostly cloudy. Remember, one can still burn like a French fry with the overcast skies. The wind and shade has kept the humidity down. When it rains it pours, then goes away as quickly as it came.
I am enjoying it all. I can sum up this trip in three words. WINDY - LAZY - BEAUTIFUL.

I have never had a vacation where i did nothing..it is hard to adjust to, but I am managing. :) Milo has joined me on the beach today, had to drag him down here, he is already worried about airport delays tomorrow and Monday...trying to teach him to enjoy the journey, his biggest joy in life is being home.

Back to the wind and beach ahhhhhhhh.

Just another day in Paradise

2011-02-23T06:40:00.000-08:00

Another beautiful day in paradise. The wind is still blowing harder than is usual, so I'm told, but it's a nice sunny day with quite a rough surf. It knocked me over yesterday, then again as I was trying to get back up. Being the graceful person that I am, my legs were thrown in every direction and I came up laughing so hard, that I only drew more attention to myself. Milo was mortified. Most of the people, but not all of them, are our age or older (like Milo LOL). I think they were jealous that I was even out in those waves.
Last night we met one of Milos coworkers, Desiree. She is a delightful woman with a quick smile. She lives in Barbados and works with all of the governments of the eastern Caribbean in some capacity. I will get more info about her later. Today they are at a meeting with another coworker, Simon, and are visiting the offices of the Eastern Caribbean states. I have several hours to myself so of course, i am reading on the beach. The iPad is the greatest travel instrument ever. I have 6 books downloaded and just waiting for me. Facebook, email, Internet all at my finger tips.
I almost forgot, let me tell you about our dinner experience last night. We went to the high end restaurant with Desiree last night, here at the hotel. We were given a sofa and chairs vignette in the waiting area. Complimentary glass of champagne ( a weakness of mine) and the menu were presented. We chose a first course from one side of the menu and an entree from the other. Milo asked me to pick the wine. We stayed in that little area, which was so comfy and pretty, until Our meal was ready. We were escorted to a table surrounded by fun art and sheer white curtains on red walls. Very nice. Our dinner was truly superb, wine was excellent and when all was said and done, we were there for 3 hours. We were told that is their practice, to make a full evening of it. There were only 2 other tables of diners so they wanted us to take our time. Milo says it was a unique dining experience that we will remember forever. I think it was nice that Desiree was with us, or we would have run out of things to talk about for 3hours. Yes, it is possible,that i could run out of things to talk about.
We are still unable to send emails, but we are receiving them.
Well, I really need to get back to doing nothing. I am the luckiest person right now and wish all my family and friends were here with me.

We're here

2011-02-22T07:30:00.000-08:00

Finally sitting on the beach in St Lucia. So, let's get all of the complaining (minor as it it's) out of the way so I can enjoy the rest of vacation. Our flight to Dallas was uneventful which is always a good thing. unfortunately, we had to pick up our luggage, go outside and take a long ride back to another terminal to go back inside to our hotel because of security.if we had checked out luggage all the way, we could have gone directly there. The hotel in the Dallas airport was beautiful as always, but we woke up to no hot water. Bit on the grumbly side there, but a quick wash, a ponytail and away we go.
Our flight leaving Dallas was an hour late, no big deal, but we had to scramble to catch our Miami to St. Lucia flight. We made it without too much stress but forgot to active the global phone before leaving the country.
The flight to st. Lucia was really pretty and I photographed a few islands from the air. We wisked through customs, luggage was there and had a pleasant one and a half hour cab ride (Lexus SUV) through the rain forest. The contrast of amazing scenery and raw poverty was indescribable. (but I am sure I will find plenty of words later).
we arrived at the hotel after dark and had a quick bite to eat. I actually drank a beer (Peton of course). I think we're in trouble because I really liked it.
We slept like rocks and woke late, for us. It took me quite sometime to get the global phone connected while Milo got his computer up and sorta running. We can send, but are not receiving emails.
The leaking toilet should be fixed by the end of the day, so here we are. On the windy beach with my I pad, sunscreen and a view to knock your flip flops off!
Please excuse typos since I am posting from the iPad. I may be able to load a few photos from Milos computer later on. The vacation is officially ON.

On our way

2011-02-21T04:56:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note while we sit in the admirals club in Dallas. Beautiful flight over the snow covered Rockies yesterday. Breathtaking. Just a few bumps as we approached Dallas. We had a nice room at the Grand Hyatt in Dallas, although next time we check our bags all the way through. We had to go outside after baggage claim and take a bus to the hotel. The hotel is actually in the airport and would have been easier to go straight from our arrival gate to the lobby.
this morning we woke up to no hot water. They promised to make it up to is on our return stay...we'll see. However the bellman from the hotel took us down to the check in and checked our bags for us. He was very attentive.
Right now in the admirals club watching the early flights take off with a cup of coffee in hand. Heading to our gate to begin our next leg of journey now. Catch you on the flip side :)

I'm baaaaccckkkk

2011-02-16T12:25:00.000-08:00

Well, it appears that once a year I write on this blog. I keep telling myself I will be better when I retire...or actually, when Milo retires, since I work with him. :)

This Sunday we leave for St. Lucia so I hope to blog regularly about our trip. I will be using my Ipad which is fairly new to me, so I don't know that I will get any photos uploaded until we get back home on the 28th.
Milo has board meetings to attend for the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Fund, where he is the Chairman of the Board. Once a year I try to pick a spot in the Caribbean and travel with him. This will be my first time in St. Lucia and I am looking forward to the Peton Range and the rain forest for a new experience.

I hear that communications and signals can be poor in St. Lucia, so if anyone needs to contact us, we hope to get email. If not, call 916-225-0618. We will have a "global loaner phone" that uses Milos cell phone number. My will not work there.

See ya on the flip side.

Oral Surgery - Piece of Cake (or should I say Pudding)

2010-02-03T14:34:00.000-08:00

All that fear, all that worrying and nothing. I will not go into detail, since Cousin Judy is squeemish about this sort of thing, but pulled tooth, bone graft, gum graft and a frennectomy (don't ask)...and nothing. I heard numerous horror stories about the pain I would feel in the roof of my mouth....and nothing. I have enough vicodin, motrin and tylenol to endure limb removal...and nothing. OK, so where the stitches are below my front bottom teeth, it can be a bit tight if I smile. (I'm told not to - can you imagine?) With the lack of pain, that's all I want to do..smile. The plastic stent that covers the roof of my mouth is a poor fit and I am tired of applesauce and scrambled eggs, but the ice cream is wonderful. Can't wait until I can put the cherry on top!

Is it really 2010?

2010-02-01T09:55:00.000-08:00

Well, It is well into 2010. February 1 to be exact. Where did 2009 go? So many of my friends were glad to see it go. Milo and I had a pretty good year and hope that 2010 will be even better. Hasn't started off quite right; nephew got really sick, oven broke, cousin had knee surgery and wound up in a terrible care facility, oven still broke,niece is on bed rest so baby doesn't come too soon, mother in law fell, and I have major dental surgery TODAY. I'm not supposed to move my lower lip for 4 days, which mean limited talking. I'm told I won't feel like talking anyway. Always encouraging!
On the positive side, the oven is fixed (although it rattles a bit), Scott is getting good grades in school, we have the potential to make more income this year than last year, we have a bit of sunshine today and tomorrow the dental surgery will be over and the vicodin will kick in.
Since my speaking will be limited for a few days, maybe I will find the opportunity to "blog" a bit more. Limited speaking???? Is this a test of some kind?

Topsail Beach

2009-08-24T05:49:00.000-07:00

Our travels this summer now find us in North Carolina in a beach house on the ocean. I flew to Buffalo last week and visited with my family. We drove 14 hours to Topsail Beach on Saturday (and I use the term "we" loosely). I drove most of the way, but my brother-in-law, David drove a few hours...and thank goodness Cheryl stayed chatty to keep me awake. My "nephew/dog", Sketch road with us. It was Sketch's first trip to the beach. He slept most of the way along with my niece Melissa. The photo shows exactly what Sketch thought of the beach.

My nephews Eric & Ryan, along with Shannon, Eric's significant other....are here with Ryans dog Pogo. Wish our Scott could be here as well, but he is home being responsible and going to school. Check out my facebook page for more photos.

Tempus fugit

2009-07-18T12:11:00.000-07:00

Well, time flies with barely a chance to talk about the fun time in OC with my sister-in-law and the rest of our delightful family. Now it's time to head out to Twin Falls Idaho with my husbands dad and that side of the family. (We hit my "sides" of the family in August). It's been quite the year for travel and other than the neglect to our garden, it's been lots of fun, with more to come.
I read my niece Kathy's blog today and she listed the 5 things that she likes more than most people...so here's my list.
1) Time with Family - I'm so lucky to love them ALL!
2) THE BEACH
3) travel
4) pizza - unreasonably so!
5) reading fiction
Do you have a list?

Anticipation

2009-07-01T12:22:00.000-07:00

I am sitting the the Sacramento Airport anxiously awaiting a brief flight to Orange County. Affectionately know as The OC. My loving sister-in-law is celebrating a landmark birthday (which will remain uncounted for now) this weekend and I can't wait to be a part of the festivities to honor her.
Not to be one to miss a few minutes of frivolous free WiFi time, I took a few minutes to review my nieces blogs. The antics of my grand nieces and nephews always make my day, so I thought I would start a mini-saga for the weekend. Stay tuned for what is sure to be a visit filled with hilarity and most of all, the love of a family who accepts me for who I am. A very rare treat indeed.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAN!

Back in the swing

2009-06-01T15:26:00.000-07:00

I find it so difficult to get back to normal since our vacation. I find myself daydreaming about parts of the trip. Today I needed an escape from the drudgery of month end accounting, so I re-visited Brugge. One of my favorite places. See how happy I am? Ahhhhhhhhhhhh

EIFFEL in love again

2009-05-19T10:29:00.000-07:00

You CANOLA believe half of what you hear..

2009-05-17T06:18:00.000-07:00

Ahhh Paris in the spring time. While on our tour bus driving through the Parisian countryside, we noticed fields of yellow plants. Mutterings of "mustard grass" and "goldenrod" were heard amongst us tourists...but "no, no no," said out Nazi tour guide..."that is canola. How you say canola oil like for when cooking." Well, imagine that. For the next 20 minutes, we learned all you wanted to know (or not) about canola. So, if you have any questions about canola, ask me when you see me next...oh, but don't ask Milo. He tried to tell us that the farmers held canola birds and squeezed them in rows.....

Monk-e business

2009-05-13T01:42:00.001-07:00

Off road Jeep trip to Sintra in Portugal (outside of Lisbon)..Highlight of the trip so far. It started out very rainy and turned into a fog, which according to our guide was unusual (of course - Murphy again)! We arrived at the top of the mountain which was thick with trees & fern and the fog lent a surreal quality to the day. AMAZING! There was a surprise lunch set up in the thick of the lush forest where a fairly small young lady in a long,hooded brown robe served us homemade breads, cheeses olives and cherry liquer. Just delicious. I made such a fuss over how cute she was in her little hooded robe and mentioned that it felt like something from The Hobbit....why did Milo wait until we got back in the jeep to tell me that she was some sort of monk?

Who is Murphy and why did he make such a stupid LAW?

2009-05-10T00:03:00.000-07:00

Captains Log, May 7th, today Milo and I got stuck in an elevator.
Ok, so it was for about a minute and a half, but stuck is stuck. LOL!!

Wine or Swine

2009-05-09T23:53:00.000-07:00

Cinco d' Mayo...some party! I woke up in the wee hours "sick as a dog" as they say. We're talkin' Great Dane, not chihuaua. Obviously couldn't get off the ship, and was quanantined to my room. The obvious question was swine flu or bad food? When I was able to walk, I finally headed down to the Medical quarters where the Dr. said I had a virus....but no swine flu. He also said it wasn't the wine or the food. I think it was the trauma of my "near death experience" on the bus. It lowered my resistance and I caught the first germ that headed my way. After 2 days in the cabin (of constant sleep)...I was released. It took another full day to feel human, but here I am. If I had to get sick, that was the place, I have so many more fun things coming up!

The people on the bus go up and down, down, down

2009-05-06T02:05:00.000-07:00

Many of you are aware of my unreasonable travel phobias. What you may not know is that topping that list is actually buses. I knew that when I signed up for this cruise that most or all excursions would involve some sort of bus transportation. I also knew that the buses in Europe are far cleaner and much more beautiful than those buses in the US that drive 85 miles an hour on the way to the casinos...so I reasoned that if I wanted to see the world, I could do it on a bus. Our first day in Monaco & Monte Carlo was great. The bus driver was patient and drove slowly so we could soak up the sights. We even got to drive the race route! So it was with much bravado that I boarded our bus the next day to Pisa and Tuscany. Tuscany was probably my most "looked forward to" excursion. The driver again was patient and cautious. The ride to Pisa, interesting. The we headed up a one lane road to the top of the hill in Tuscany where we were to enjoy lunch and wine at a farmhouse/vineyard. A very long story short, the bus could not make the hairpin turns, of which there were many. It often took us 10 point turns to get around the corner. Unfortunately there were cliffs behind us. For every inch we made forward, the bus slid back a foot. It was harrowing to say the least. Finally one lady totally flipped out and insisted that she be let off the bus. I was right behind her with 6 others. The clutch was burning and smelled horrible, the brakes were smoking and the back wheels were inches from going down hill. Our valiant driver managed to get the bus around the corner, only to find out we had gone the wrong way and he would need to turn around somewhere. We walked part of the way up the hill even though our tour guide wanted us back on the bus. 8 of us refused. My entire body was shaking so hard, I couldn't get the xanax out of the bottle. Finally we flagged down a little bus (they are blue here, not yellow) and made it to the farmhouse. I could barely eat, while others drank themselves into submission. I had eventually gotten the xanax to my mouth so I didn't have more than a taste of the wine....but it was amazing. Worth the trip? Not sure...glad I saw Tuscany and it was all I hoped it would be. I would like to go back again, but maybe in a limo? In case you are wondering, the driver found a straight route down the hill that accomodated the bus and we had an easy ride back to the ship with all 40 people singing "Volare" and "when the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie..."

In Barcelona

2009-05-01T10:10:00.000-07:00

Wow! We're exhausted already. I should mention that when our plane landed in Barcelona, they wouldn't let us pull up to a jetway. We had to walk down the stairs where we were met by inspectors wearing masks in case we had swine flu. Everyone was laughing and warning each other not to cough or sneeze, or they would quarentine the plane. They put us on buses to the terminal. I'm just glad it wasn't some sort of "showers".
The first night, we had dinner with 3 of the pilots, all friends of Rhondas. Holy cow...I'm glad we didn't "party" with them BEFORE the flight. Man they were fun. We ate outside at a cafe with them in the pouring rain. We looked like drowned rats by the time we got back to our rooms. It was a great memorable night!
We are on our second day in Barcelona and leave tomorrow by ship. I loved Madrid and now I love Barcelona. We are staying on Las Ramblas which seems to be the hub of all activity. Street performers, acrobats and clowns (not just Milo) fill the streets. It turns out that today is Workers Solidarity Day (Labor Day) so all of the stores are closed, but I really don't mind. Milo and I walked all over the place looking at parks, cathedrals and amazing architecture. Rhonda and Frieda started out with us, but I think we wore them out after a couple of hours. After all, Frieda is 86.....people here are friendly and helpful and of course most speak some English. I keep saying "Vino Tinto", my favorite spanish words. Rhonda is tired of Tapas and doesn't want to stay awake until 9pm for dinner. Milo and I are just soaking up the experience and taking lots of pictures. Two cameras and memory cards with a zillion megabytes of space. I'll bet you can't wait to see them! LOL I try and post a couple on here before I log off. Once we are settled on the ship we will update you some more. Adios mi Amigos

CRUISE COFFEE

2009-04-26T08:34:00.000-07:00

I didn't realize there were so many things to learn about cruises. Like coffee, evidently cruise lines are notorious for bad coffee. While not a coffee-holic, I do like a good cup of coffee in the morning. Milo on the other hand, depends on that jolt. I'm told the French Press is a necessity when cruising. Being too cheap to buy one of my own, I borrowed a nice thermal french press from our friends Stacey & Jim. Then of course we had to experiment with measurements of coffee and water. Now that we have it at a strength that is acceptable to both of us, I just spent the morning measuring 27 snack size baggies of coursely ground coffee from out local coffee house. They are all labeled (of course) and ready to pack. Not sure I'll have room for any clothing, but we will certainly be awake. Let's hope the TSA doesn't think it's contraband. The sniffing dogs will be wired....

COMING SOON: Travel update

2009-03-29T12:38:00.000-07:00

Be sure to flag our blog to keep up with our travels.
Milo and I are leaving on April 28th for almost 3 weeks, along with Cousin Rhonda and Cousin Frieda. We will be flying from San Francisco, to Barcelona where we will begin our Western European Cruise!
We will do our best to keep you updated on our adventures.
Bon Voyage!

Amy needs an update

2009-03-02T12:20:00.000-08:00

I am so inspired by my wonderful nieces who keep their blogs up to date. I love the entire family and I miss them terribly. It's a treat to keep up with the kids when I live so far away. My niece Amy, once said she stopped reading my blog because it never changed...so here's to change!
Last week I visited my sister Tammy who lives in Clearwater Florida. Sister Cheryl from the Buffalo area came too. I realized that if I ever start feeling old, all I need to do is call my sisters. We laughed the entire time. Every situation reduced us to tears, no matter how insignificant. They are all "had to be there" moments but I will try sharing one with you.
Getting ready for the beach is just as difficult without kids as it is with them. After loading the car with blankets, towels, chairs and tuna sandwiches, we all dog-piled in...seatbelts fastened without any scolding on anyones part this time. Tammy, who was the driver, couldn't get her car door closed. It was stuck on the curb. This alone was enough to send us into bouts of hysteria, but when we realized it was from all the weight in the car, it was even funnier. How much can four (Cousin Diane was with us) middle aged women weigh? OK, fair enough, one of us had to get out so that our tour guide could close the drivers side door. Being the gracious younger sister, Tammy bounced out of the car and gave a tug on the door. nothing. Now the question became "who's next"? Tammy, being slightly more diplomatic than the rest of us stood outside of the car waiting patiently and not saying a word. OK...I guess being the older sister, I should be the one to get out of the car. When I did it sprung back to it's original height and the car door closed effortlessly, humiliating me in the process.
....Now, you may not find that as amusing as we did, but lets just say not only does middle age add a few pounds, but it also takes it's toll on ones bladder.
Amy, is that what you wanted to hear?

Grand Cayman - smilebox

2009-02-05T20:30:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox postcard

2008-12-26T12:36:00.000-08:00

Where do I begin? I guess January would be the logical place. Milo and I had the chance to go to Grand Cayman where Milo had a business meeting. This job in the Caribbean is really paying off...in oh so many ways! We stayed at the Ritz Carlton and had a great vacation in spite of the fact that we are still paying for it.

February was filled with family and work...all of it good. Our son Scott's 36th birthday was a momentous (translate: traumatic) occasion for us.

March came in like a lamb and left with me another year older. Grateful for having those birthdays! Milo traveled to the Bahamas for more meetings....poor baby, and Milo Sr. came to visit with Mary. Always a lot of fun! Did I mention that Milo II & Milo III are clones? Wish we could have known Milo the first...wonder how that would be?

In April, my friend Patti, whom I have known since 2nd grade, came for a visit. We went to San Francisco and did all around girl things. What a great visit!

Milo left for a meeting in Barbados (did I already say "poor baby"?) and returned in May. Lots of fun things in May. My friend Marianne is the host of Good Day Sacramento and she asked me to join a few other girls for an "on air" lesson in scrapbooking. I'm not a great scrapbooker, so I think Marianne just needed to fill the room. I also went to Idaho for Maureens (my step-sister in-law) graduation. Don't you just love an extended family? I couldn't ask for a better one. We are really proud of Maureen for going back to school to get her teaching degree.

June gave Milo and I the opportunity for a long weekend in Mendocino wine tasting. One of our favorite pastimes. Milo alos went to Iceland for a business meeting.....ICELAND! Can you imagine? I'll need to figure a way to link the photos. One of the higlights of my life was at the end of June when we had a "girl-cousins reunion". All 6 of us girls here at the house. Milo was in his glory. That visit deserves a blog all it's own, but I will work on a separate posting.

In July Milo had a meeting in Miami. By now his frequets flyer miles are off the charts and the staff at American Airlines knows him personally. The last weekend in July found us in Idaho for our annual Pearson family party. Seems like we've added an entire new generation since the previous year. From Idaho I went to Orange County to visit with Milos mom while his sister went on vacation. Milo joined me after a few days and we had a nice visit.

August was a really busy month, with work and travel. Milo went to St. Lucia (need I say "poor baby" again?) and then joined Scott and I in the Buffalo area for a fun fun visit. He was supposed to go on to England (yes, for a business meeting) but came down with a horrible head cold and cancelled his flight.

Nothing spectacular happened in September, other than lots of work preparing for my event on October 4th for the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. Lots and lots of work. I had the opportunity to visit with Patti (you remember her from April) and 2 other girlfriends in Huntington Beach - my old stomping grounds. It was great. Lots of giggling and eating and walking. I had the opportunity to do an interview with KMAX in Sacramento about being a cancer survivor. They mad eme look pretty good! We had a small gathering at our house for Halloween. This year brought about 200 Trick-or-treaters. Usually we have closer to 400!!!

In November, Milo travelled to Tokyo and to Washington D.C. By now, he is pretty tired of traveling... but wait!...there's more to come before the year is out. Marianne and I made a few train trips to shop. We hit San Francisco and Berkeley and decided that, while not inexpensive, the train is a great way to go. My mother came to visit us for Thanksgiving. We had a good visit and good food and spent a wonderful day in San Francisco where we sampled most forms of transportation known to man/woman.

Which brings me to December. It's not over yet but at this point, Milo has been to San Francisco and Los Angeles for, you guessed it, business meetings. On the Monday before Christmas the two of us went to Orange County to celebrate with good friends and his mom's side of the family. We flew home late on Christmas Eve on a half empty plane, and drove home from the airport. Scott was here waiting for us. He spent the night and we had a peaceful pleasant Christmas Day with gifts and food. There are 6 more days left this year.....where will they take us? Stay tuned.

What's Important to me...

2007-12-23T11:59:00.001-08:00

My family, friends and good health are the most important thing to me. In the line-up is the enjoyment I get from taking pictures of everything and everybody. I have more pictures of the sunset from my back deck than you can imagine. I can't tell one from the other, but to capture the moment is a great thrill. Unfortunately, I like to share them with everyone, even those who don't care to see them. Hopefully I will soon learn how to make photo links to this page so that you can choose whether or not to view them. Expect to see plenty of family, friends and vacation photos in the future.