Flint to Detroit to Portland to Home! - May 24, 2010

I had set my cell phone alarm for 7:00 a.m. just to make sure that I was up in time so that I would not miss my flight. No need to worry. I was up at my usual time around 6:00 a.m. I jump out of bed and run downstairs wondering if the latest Dr. Who episode was downloaded to my I-Tunes. Oh, it was downloaded alright. Woo Hoo! Syncing to I-Touch was completed and coffee brewed. Another day being a happy camper is good!


Another peaceful day. Birds are singing and turkeys in the field are gobbling. I am sitting here drinking my first cup of coffee of the day, checking Facebook to see what is happening on the outside world and thinking about my vacation. It was not a worldwind adventure but it was an adventure filled with love and happiness. I do get homesick at least once when I am tired but Kelly makes me laugh. We all need laughter and good memories to sustain us as life moves forward. When I met Kelly in Ohio in the earlys 1990s, we became fast friends and inseparable. You just got to love her. She is very open and friendly plus she knows how to have a good time! Okay, so I could never be a hermit and live in the woods. I need communication with people to keep me going.

Hugh, Kelly and I leave for the airport sometime after 8:30 a.m. Here is the final leg of this adventure. Destination is home! The weather will be in the high 80s today so they will need to stay cool somehow. Hugh will be off for a bike ride for a few days. Kelly has to work. Oh well, there will be more days ahead to enjoy whatever adventures they will pull together.

After I check in with my carry-on luggage and my briefcase with my computer, I find a location at the departure gate near a plug-in to charge my computer as I sit here and update this blog as well as check my Facebook and my email. Some people are traveling alone and some are in pairs. I wonder if Detroit is their final destination today or if they have a connecting flight. Some are on computers, in conversation with others or just sitting there waiting for the 10:40 a.m. flight to Detroit. It is always good to keep yourself busy while waiting. Well, I think so anyway. Some sort of construction is going on over near my departure terminal. A wall is being put up. They are screwing nails with an electric drill and whatever else is necessary to construct this 8 foot tall wall. I wonder why they are doing this but I guess it really does not matter. They are certainly keeping busy.

It is too early to think about having a Bloody Mary so water and an everything bagel with cheese is in order for the moment. I have had three cups of coffee at least prior to leaving the house so I am high on caffeine for now. It may be a different story in a little while. We are getting ready to board the flight soon so I have to sign off early so that I can pack everything back into my briefcase. It would not be good to forget anything!

My flight from Flint to Detroit was every eventful. My co-passenger was a saleman on the road to Pennsylvania. We gabbed and gabbed all the way. He had a short layover so he decided he would join me for a drink at the local Detroit 500. I really was not kidnapped this time but went willingly for further conversation and entertainment. After he left to catch his flight, I wandered down to the Martini Bar for panini lunch and a cold beer as I had a 2.5 hour layover here before my flight back to Portland. The bartender was very friendly. Business was slow at the moment so she was thrilled to see me and anyone else who shows up. My flight leaves at 1:40 p.m. so I have time.

The flight from Detroit to Portland was great because I did not have a co-passenger this time. I was getting tired. Dr. Who's Vampires of Venice was played on my I-Touch followed by an I-Tunes music selection. I let it shuffle so that I did not have to choose. "Almost home, almost home" were my thoughts as the plane touched down in Portland just a little after 3:30 p.m. With my briefcase on my shoulder and my carry-on luggage in tow, I found my car in the parking garage. No wandering around trying to find my car this time because I remembered what aisle I parked in when I had arrived to depart. Yes, I was very happy about that event! It was smooth sailing the rest of the way home. I stopped at Boyton's to grab something light for dinner as I was too tired to think about what to cook.

This adventure overall was worth every minute of being tired at the end. It always is worth it. I really do love traveling but home is where my heart is. My mother always worries that I will find another state that I would rather live. I am not sure why she thinks that at all because I cannot think of another place that I would live without my family and friends. Adventure adds positive things to our lives to help us move forward and enjoy life. We all much live and enjoy life. Oh, and do not forget the laughs too!

Ciao for now!

College Students in the Hallway to Frankenmuth - May 23, 2010

Well, it is Sunday morning. After I woke up around 7:00 a.m., I find college students lining the hallway outside my bedroom door. I tiptoe quietly down the stairs with computer in hand so that I do not wake them up. With my computer all booted up, I make my first pot of coffee. Yes, this is my usual routine of the morning. Coffee, computer, coffee, computer, coffee, computer. However, I do get to mix it up with sitting outside for awhile. The sun is really shining brightly, the birds are singing louder than yesterday, and a rooster is waking us up somewhere in the distance.


As no person is stirring, I decide that I should start cleaning up the garage to get rid of all the party leftovers. This way we will be able to begin our activities for today earlier than if I waited for others to join me in this endeavor. Hugh finally gets up and we continue to clean the garage together to get rid of the leftovers. Kelly gets up around 9:00 a.m. to join us after the clean-up is now done so that we can admire the view.


Sausage, biscuits and gravy as well as fried eggs is the order of the day! Kelly is busy making this concoction. Oh my! Spicy sausage just makes the gravy taste so much better! Gravy is not my favorite but this was unbelievably tasty! The college students are all now up so we all dig into this delight until we cannot eat anymore.


Around 2:00 p.m., we traveled to Frankenmuth to see what we can find to keep ourselves amused today. We missed the beer festival that ended yesterday but that is okay. I am sure we can find other things to do when we get there. They do have their own brewery and know that they have some fabulous chicken dinners. Well, I have heard the stories anyway. I will not know until we arrive to actually experience the whole affair. I am sure we are in for a grand time. We always do anyway! It will certainly unfold as the day goes on. The best part? The temperature is in the 80s and very sunny! Woo Hoo!

In order to realize our final destination, Hugh drove through an old covered bridge in the downtown section of Michigan's Little Bavaria called Frankenmuth. As we found a parking space in the lot of the Bavarian Inn Restaurant, we could hear polka music. A tent was set up with two people playing music and others sitting around watching. Oh what fun! I remember doing the polka as a young kid at one of the campgrounds that we used to go to during the summers. After listening to the music for a short time, we wandered into the restaurant to head down to the gift shop. Nothing was purchased but the gift shop had a wide variety of tourist items. As we were leaving the building, we noticed that music was playing near the clock up above. A seat was found on one of the benches to the side. Oh my. What is that? The Legend of the Pied Piper is played out with characters coming through the doors on a rotating wheel or some such structure above the clock. This happens on the hour every hour of the day. I had forgotten the story behind the pied piper so it was interesting to relearn this bit of historical knowledge. Oh, the other best part?? People watching.



After watching this piece of history, we wandered down the street looking around at the different shops as we made our way to the Frankenmuth Brewery. Evidently, this brewery was established in 1962 but this is a new building. It is huge!! There is a wide selection of their beers. Kelly and Hugh decided to try a 4 ounce sampling of each but preferred the lighter beers over the red or the dark ale. I had ordered a Red Ale that was to my liking a lot. As a side note, Frankenmuth's founding fathers brought the traditon of brewing to the Mid-Michigan forests in 1845.



Our next stop was Tiffany's on the deck to try another sampling. I had another Tiffany's Red Ale and Hugh and Kelly sampled the very spicy Bloody Marys. What a gorgeous day it was to sit outside. Many other people had the same idea. The place was packed!



Food was next on our minds. Kelly and Hugh's favorite place is Zehnders that is known for the greatest chicken dinners. This place has been around since 1856!! Of course, we sat in the bar as opposed to the restaurant. There was so much food that we all had our favorites - Soup (Chicken Noodle), Appetizers (coleslaw, cranberry salad, liver pate, bread and cheese, coleslaw, cottage cheese), Entree (fried chicken, buttered noodles, mash potatoes, green beans, gravy, stuffing) and Dessert (orange and vanilla ice cream or chocolate ice cream). Let's just say that I sampled most of this list but not all. However, we were definitely stuffed by the time we left. This means that we never did go to try the Reuben Eggrolls. I bet they make their sauerkraut with beer. Those eggrolls just sounded fabulous. It will be on the list if I ever come this way again. Zehnders was our last stop of the day.



After arriving back home around 7:00 p.m., we made ourselves comfortable for awhile until we were ready to play Wii Sports - Bowling, Tennis and Baseball. I wonder what we will do. Oh, it is bowling! Hugh and Kelly play on a bowling league so I thought that this would be amusing. Anyway, I did not do too bad considering that I am a beginner. I won one game out of six but got a lot of spares and strikes along the way. A lot of laughs were had during these games. Kelly and Hugh are now playing tennis and are having a ball. I am leaving them to continue their competition while I hit the pillow. It is almost 11:30 p.m. and my flight leaves tomorrow morning.

I hope everyone has had a great day too!

More Party Preparation & Danny's 21st Birthday Party - May 22, 2010

The day started with me waking up at 6:00 a.m. This is my usual wake up time anyway. As soon as I wake up, I am up out of bed and ready to tackle whatever the day brings! No lounging for me in bed. I just cannot seem to do that. If I am awake, I am up! My usual routine is to turn on the computer to check Facebook to see what has been happening in the outside world. It is fascinating to read what others are doing to keep themselves busy and active. I know that people have downtime too so it is good to know what they are doing to relax.

My first obstacle of the day was overcome as I did find the coffee and brewed my favorite morning beverage. While the coffee is brewing, I sit outside to take in the sights and sounds of a glorious morning. With 56 acres before me and no neighbors in sight, I gaze out across the backyard with its pond and fields. I wonder what wildlife I will see as I take in what is before me. The birds are singing their hearts out to whomever will listen to their brilliant sound. It is certainly quiet. No one else is up yet so I sit in silence. Sometimes this is hard for me but I make do. You just have to adjust and go with the flow.

Hugh gets up first, relaxes for a bit, then he is out the door by 7:30 a.m. to work on things outside the house. He always keeps busy doing whatever needs to be done. He lives on a farm with a lot of acres so there is much to do. However, there are additional things that he will need to do to get ready for the party later tonight. Kelly stirs around 8:00 a.m. so now I have someone to talk to besides myself and the computer. Sitting outside in the fresh air is the order of the moment. Oh no, it is raining lightly. The radar on the news told us that the rain should not be around all day. Hugh still gets on his riding lawn mower to mow the lawn. Nothing stops him at all when he is on a mission. His ultimate goal is to be finished with all his chores so that he can join the Thunder for Hunger later this afternoon. There will be about 1000 bikers or even more. Riding is his passion. We should all have a passion for something in our lives.

Activities will need to be completed around the house but sustenance is needed. We are hungry! Scrambled eggs with peppers and onions plus toast is on the brunch menu. Eggs are my favorite breakfast item. I could eat any variation of eggs for any meal. I have even had them for dinner

My last episode of Dr. Who's Flesh and Stone has been completed. No more on the I-Touch. I will have download tonight's episode later on in the weekend so that I have something to watch on the flight back to Maine. Well, that is if I can wait that long before I watch it. One never knows with me. I could change my mind. George Clooney and Michele Pieffer movie, One Fine Day, is also on the television. A very nice romantic comedy on this rainy afternoon

It is around 2:30 p.m. so we are off and running to do more errands. We cannot forget the batteries for the radio for down near the firepit. The stereo will also be set up in the garage. Cleaning out the garage and setting up the tables is the next activity. Nothing really eventful to note at the moment except that the rain has stopped and the sun is coming out! Woo Hoo! Guests will not arrive until much later. The party does not start until 7:00 p.m.

While we were out and about, food was on our minds. A stop at Subway was in order to tied us over until the troops arrive for the party later on. As we are waiting around, I have put on the Travel Channel to watch people at the beach - extreme sports, surfing, kite surfing, tattoos, bathing suits, speedos or not to wear a speedo, PDAs. They are showing people how to surf on Waikiki Beach. If I cannot go boogie boarding this weekend, then it is great to watch surfing and wish for the ocean water even though it is cold back in Maine. I would love to live on the ocean!

The birthday party started around 7:00 p.m. with the first arrivals starting soon thereafter. All our preparations were completed. There were many friends and family of all ages attending this extravangza. Food plus beverages were had by all. Oh, and a Banana Cake was just fabulous. Yummy! The night progressed with great conversations with some of my old friends and new acquaintances. The best part? A bonfire followed by a hayride in the woods. A whole group of people loaded onto the hay wagon that was pulled by Hugh driving the tractor with Kelly upfront guiding the way. Many times people yelled "Duck" because trees were coming over the hay wagon. If you did not duck, then you would be clobbered with branches. Oh my. We almost got stuck on the trail. I think there may have been too much weight for the tractor to pull. Many of us were relieved that we did not have to walk back to the house. Phew!! The next thing on the agenda is smores made at the bonfire. I just love them! Well, it may be a long night so I am signing off now and will see what tomorrow brings for excitement.

I hope everyone had a great day too!

Lazy Day & Party Prep Day - May 21, 2010

Oh, this is certainly Friday! The first full day of vacation. I wake up at 7:00 a.m. to a quiet house. No one else is stirring, not even a mouse. Of course, I forgot to ask Kelly the night before about the coffee. I am too foggy to remember how to make a whole pot of coffee. No internet access until Kelly comes alive. What to do, what to do?? The outside world is beckoning me to come and visit. The deck chair is calling my name. The birds are singing. No other sounds at all. I am restless but I have no choice but to be still. Maybe this is a good thing. I have some access to Facebook on the my cell phone but then I lose it. Is there a message here? I am going through withdrawals. Uh oh.


Kelly and Hugh finally stir around 9:00 a.m. so coffee is made and internet connection is established. I am so thrilled. I wonder what is going on in the outside world. After that has been established, more coffee is required. My body is tired from all the traveling and the margaritas last night. A new remedy for what ails you is dandelion root in your coffee. Tastes yucky but is all natural and good for you so I give it go. We will work through it as we have a long day doing whatever we want to do. However, the sky is opening up to cry. I guess they even get rain here.


Sustenance was needed to give us energy for this day's activities. Scrambled eggs with peppers and onions, toast and bacon. Oh yummy bacon, how I have missed you lately. Activities are not exactly planned yet but Kelly is last minute much like me. It will be whatever moves us. Lists need to be made to prepare for tomorrow night's birthday party for Kel's 21 year old son Danny. All parties here are interesting and filled with music and great conversation. Revelrie will be the order of that evening. I cannot wait to see everyone again. Always a great time!

Lazy day so far this morning and into the afternoon. Thankful for the downloading of Dr. Who through my I-Tunes. I watched the Victory of the Daleks. Dr. Who is just brilliant! I love the characters and the writing. Oh, and the sets are phenomenal.

Our To-Do-List is made so we are off to the store around 1:30 p.m. The sun is out and shining brightly but the wind is high. Woo Hoo! Old rock and roll is playing on the radio station. We are just grooving to the music.

Our shopping cart at Meijer's grocery store was overflowing with all the needs for the party. As we do not know exactly how many people are coming, Kelly loaded the cart. Someone else is making the food so we did not have to worry about purchasing food items for the party so we had room for what is required for a successful party.

We pulled into the driveway around 3:30 p.m. and unloaded the car. My first order of business was to take out my contacts for awhile so that they could soak in solution. My problem? No eye glasses were packed so I am not functioning at high capacity. I cannot really see what I am doing at all. As I am updating the blog, I have to lean up close to the screen so that I can read what I am actually relaying. I am sure there are errors but they are easily fixable. Another activity before dinner? Another episode of Dr. Who - The Time of Angels. Only one more episode left on my I-Tunes. I may have to see if there are others for me to download for my trip back to Maine.

Around 5 p.m., Hugh, Kelly and I drove to the Eagles Club/Bikers Hangout to partake of the steak fry/bbq with all the fixings including a delicious chocolate cake with chocolate frosting! Oh, and I cannot forget the beer. The best part is that everything is inexpensive and the members were very friendly and hospitable. Oh what fun! Next on the agenda? Going inside the club to play Keno. I always need a refresher. Of course, I got a few numbers right but I did not come out ahead and neither did Kelly. However, she did get a few more correct than I did. As it was still early, the place was quiet with less than 20 people but we figured that people would be coming later. We keep forgetting that this is Friday. The sky is crying even harder now than earlier today. The sky is also angry as it is making noises once in awhile. Hopefully, this will not last long. Tomorrow is another day. We shall see, we shall see!

Oh my. The food lady is here with all the goodies for tomorrow including a fabulous birthday cake. As it looks so nice, you wish you did not have to cut into the cake tomorrow. Oh well, the cake is made to eat and not made to look at for long. We decided that it will be a low key evening with no margaritas in sight. This means that it is almost time to watch the season finality of Grey's Anatomy that we missed last night. As this will end our evening of festivities, I will be calling it a night soon after that episode ends.

I hope everyone else had a great day!

Portland to Detroit to Flint - May 20, 2010

My flight boarded just prior to the 12:10 p.m. departure schedule. The flight from Portland to Detroit was quite interesting, to say the least. My co-passenger was a kid who was traveling to Detroit and then on to Toronto. He had the gift for gab so we entertained each other with stories about travels and his precarious life through boarding school and several schools until he graduates in June. In addition, I also watched some Dr. Who on my I-Touch. Season 5, Episode 2, The Beast Below. New Dr. Who and all. He just might grow on me. Great writing, great characters and get sets.


The flight had landed in Terminal C so I had two and a half hours to keep myself entertained. It was not long before that was established. My new airport friends Roger and Rose kidnapped me to go to a sports bar to have some beer and salad. This means that we had to go from Terminal C to Terminal A. Terminal A is about 20 minutes away. After hanging out for awhile, I wandered back to the gate to wait for departure. However, I must say that it took me longer than usual because I neglected to notice the connecting tunnel from Terminal A to get to Terminal C. I ended way down the other end. This means that I had to reverse direction and find my way back. Oh my feet were tired. Ouch, ouch, ouch. I could not wait until I could sit down. It is unclear to me who designed the connecting tunnel between the terminals but they really must have been impaired. There is music and lights that change color. It seemed like a psychedlic world. Is it supposed to make you happy and move fast? This was not my experience. It was just bizarre. There was 30 minutes prior to departure by the time I found the correct gate and an empty seat. Phew!!!


To my delight, I had an aisle seat and no co-passenger. I stretched out and made myself comfortable for the 30 minute flight to Flint. With my eyes closed, I mused about the day and everything that I was thankful for in my life. Kelly was waiting for me as I came through security. All the passengers exited the plan around 5:40 p.m. Big hugs were given then we headed to the baggage claim. Oh no! My bag is not here. There were three other passengers waiting for their bags too. We wandered down to Delta check-in to find out where our bags were located. Praise to the Fly-Kings for keeping my bag safe and actually behind their ticket counter. Phew! I wondered what I would do without my luggage. Now I do not have to know.

After arriving at the house and leaving the baggage in my room, Hugh had steaks ready from the grill as well as corn on the cob. The food was fabulous! I love just about anything on the grill. It must be that time of year again. Oh, I just love it!! Oh, I cannot forget that Kelly made margaritas. They were delicious and very much needed after this long day of travel. Great conversations and just plain fun was head by all. Around 11:30 p.m., I found my way upstairs to hit the pillow to be off to dreamland.

I hope everyone else had a fabulous day!

Pre-flight Activity - May 20, 2010

Well, I can certainly say that there has been an interesting twist to this adventure. This morning I had entered my pre-flight status activity onto my photographic blog as opposed to my travel blog. Oh my. Well, I did get up at 5:00 a.m. I think I was a little excited to get going. Also, I did have to pack!!

All packed and ready to go, I do have my red boots on to make this glorious trip. Oh and I do have all my electronics - computer, I-touch (for Dr. Who) and cell phone. After leaving my house, I stopped at Slates Bakery for a scone and water before I headed off on this big adventure. There were several people sitting outside in the parking lot so I joined them for conversation before hitting the road. Around 8:30 a.m., I hit the road and traveled down to the jetport. The jetport was in sight before I realized it. There is construction going on around the terminal area so we had to go to the parking garage in a roundabout way. The garage was pretty full so I parked several floors up. As directionally dysfunctional as I can be at tmes, I will have to write down what level and row that I parked my car so that I am not wandering around when I can back to Maine. Ok, I know that would be a sight to see. It has happened to me before! Will I ever learn? Probably not.

Anyway, all is well here at the Portland Jetport. Self-check in was completed, one bag checked and one bag/briefcase with computer with me for this flight. I saw Judy who works downstairs from me outside the jetport. She is going to Florida. How nice is that? The weather will certainly be nicer!

Security was uneventful except for the fast pace they were putting you through. They really wanted to get people through to the waiting area. I was in no hurry as i always get to the airport early anyway so that I can hang out and people watch.

After that I found my favorite location in the Shipyard lounge, I ordered an early lunch as I probably will not eat until much later anyway. I thought about having a beer but decided against that and just had a turkey sandwich on ciabatta bread. Even though I must say that the beer that the guy had next to me looked really good. Couldn't I just reach over and take a sip? I think he might have a problem with that idea. Oh well.

It is 11;50 a.m. and they are ready to get people on board. This means that I am signing off for awhile. I hope everyone has a great and eventful day. Please make the most of it!

Cio!