Friday, October 23, 2015
A Big Hello to Myron!
This is for our friend Myron... hello to you!
Background info here... The three of us (sorry, Tank!) belong to the Happy Chef Birthday Club. You could go to a local restaurant (Happy Chef) for a meal at any time in the month of your birthday. They will discount the meal a percentage equal to your age, for example I would have a 67% discount on the price on my meal this coming December if I was there... Myron and I would always joke that when we go on our 101st birthday, they would have to pay us!
Anyway, when Karen came to live in Amboy 2 years ago, we expanded the Birthday Club to three members. Myron in March, Karen in June, and me in December. We joked that we needed someone with a September birthday to fill out the rotation.
So anyway, here's to you, Myron! Miss you!!
Background info here... The three of us (sorry, Tank!) belong to the Happy Chef Birthday Club. You could go to a local restaurant (Happy Chef) for a meal at any time in the month of your birthday. They will discount the meal a percentage equal to your age, for example I would have a 67% discount on the price on my meal this coming December if I was there... Myron and I would always joke that when we go on our 101st birthday, they would have to pay us!
Anyway, when Karen came to live in Amboy 2 years ago, we expanded the Birthday Club to three members. Myron in March, Karen in June, and me in December. We joked that we needed someone with a September birthday to fill out the rotation.
So anyway, here's to you, Myron! Miss you!!
Two enjoyable outings to report today...
The first was an all-day outing to Mohonk Mountain House near New Paltz, NY. Karen's brother Mark and his wife (and better two thirds, Lydia), and friend Rich.
Biked on carriage roads through the woods for several hours. Lots of uphill rides (quivering quads!!) and fall colors. Photos to follow. Then sandwiches from the deli, at trailside. Nice view!
Followed up by a quick walk-through of the Mountain House itself! Amazing what a few stacks of money can buy!! It started as a rather humble lakeside snack shack in the 1860s, bought up by the Smiley brothers and "added on to" to say the least. I think Karen got a photo of that... we'll see. It's Huuuuuuuge!! Lots of oak wood work on the inside. I did inquire just for giggles, and the "most reasonable" room was $5-600 dollars a night, meals included! We joked about all 5 of us being able to rent a room, and that would maybe fit our budget! Looked like plenty of people have the ways and means...
Then we went on the "Scramble"!! This was somebody's twisted idea of fun... one of those things that ignorance gets you in to, then you go through for whatever reason. The huge granite cliffs around the lodge had had several landslides, leaving huge piles of boulders on the shore opposite the lodge. Somebody of sound body and questionable mind had scouted out a maze through the boulders. It took about an hour or more to get through. Spray-painted red arrows showed the way, and short wooden ladders or bridges helped us through the tougher spots. For me, it called to mind the passage where Tom and Becky got lost in the cave, with their candle giving out. At least we were in broad daylight. There were times where you had to have a good handhold then haul yourself up to the next boulder, times where you had to bend way down and squeeze under a huge boulder, and times when you just had to stop and admire the view. The finale was the Lemon Squeeze, a vertical of probably 25 feet, with 2 or 3 short ladders involved, then out onto a table top high above the lodge and lake.
Rich had the bloody shin to show for the day...
We finished the day off with a delicious pizza in New Paltz.
Last night Karen and I, as well as Karen's younger brother Eric and his partner Francine, played a few songs at an open mic at the Guthrie Center in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. This is the church where they filmed the movie Alice's Restaurant many years ago. What a treat! A beautiful little lutheran church now owned by Woody Guthrie's son Arlo.
Small tables with candle light have replaced the pews. Great acoustics!! A small but appreciative audience. Karen and I are looking for opportunities to further our experience, and this was a sweet one. A nice evening... Mark, Lydia and Rich made the hourlong drive to hear us. Thanks!!
The first was an all-day outing to Mohonk Mountain House near New Paltz, NY. Karen's brother Mark and his wife (and better two thirds, Lydia), and friend Rich.
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| Mohonk Mountain House |
Biked on carriage roads through the woods for several hours. Lots of uphill rides (quivering quads!!) and fall colors. Photos to follow. Then sandwiches from the deli, at trailside. Nice view!
Followed up by a quick walk-through of the Mountain House itself! Amazing what a few stacks of money can buy!! It started as a rather humble lakeside snack shack in the 1860s, bought up by the Smiley brothers and "added on to" to say the least. I think Karen got a photo of that... we'll see. It's Huuuuuuuge!! Lots of oak wood work on the inside. I did inquire just for giggles, and the "most reasonable" room was $5-600 dollars a night, meals included! We joked about all 5 of us being able to rent a room, and that would maybe fit our budget! Looked like plenty of people have the ways and means...
Then we went on the "Scramble"!! This was somebody's twisted idea of fun... one of those things that ignorance gets you in to, then you go through for whatever reason. The huge granite cliffs around the lodge had had several landslides, leaving huge piles of boulders on the shore opposite the lodge. Somebody of sound body and questionable mind had scouted out a maze through the boulders. It took about an hour or more to get through. Spray-painted red arrows showed the way, and short wooden ladders or bridges helped us through the tougher spots. For me, it called to mind the passage where Tom and Becky got lost in the cave, with their candle giving out. At least we were in broad daylight. There were times where you had to have a good handhold then haul yourself up to the next boulder, times where you had to bend way down and squeeze under a huge boulder, and times when you just had to stop and admire the view. The finale was the Lemon Squeeze, a vertical of probably 25 feet, with 2 or 3 short ladders involved, then out onto a table top high above the lodge and lake.
We finished the day off with a delicious pizza in New Paltz.
Last night Karen and I, as well as Karen's younger brother Eric and his partner Francine, played a few songs at an open mic at the Guthrie Center in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. This is the church where they filmed the movie Alice's Restaurant many years ago. What a treat! A beautiful little lutheran church now owned by Woody Guthrie's son Arlo.
Monday, October 19, 2015
One of the biggest thrills of traveling without an agenda is having the opportunity to stop in on old friends at a moment's notice. Yesterday, I took the train from Dover Plains to Katonah, where Tricia and her son Ali, picked me up at the train station. We proceeded to buy a few bottles of wine and drive to Barbara and Chris Keanes. All high school friends...and Chris whom I've known now for 51 years...since Saints John and Mary in third grade! Of course, Barbara put out a spread of country style BBQ ribs, chicken, homemade macaroni salad and another corn salad...WOW! Though only a few hours together, it was truly rich...as it always is!
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| From left to right: Ali (Tricia's handsome son!), me, Chris and Barbara Keane and Tricia...so fantastic to still have all of these awesome, wonderful peeps in my life!!!!! |
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| Found this under a tree at our campsite in Acadia National Park! We left it there for the next inhabitants and decided we would do the same at our next campsite. K |
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| King and Queen of the Road! |
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| The Vavreck gang (and Tank) at a Jim Jam gig at Indian Island Winery back in Minnesota. One of their last gigs before we hit the road. |
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Now that we've gotten some info about our travels into the blog, this will be a little more of an overview...
I did a similar trip 22 years ago (the book Road School by the Marousis family, available for CHEAP through Amazon and a good read I think), and at that time most of the friends we visited were focusing on relationship issues and how to raise their children, with thought given to growing careers as well.
And now the children are grown and on their own (and what a blessing and joy that is!!!). Relationships are still a concern, and just as varied in their types and outcomes. A major issue is now ending or modifying those careers... How much is enough money? What about retirement? Social security, now or later? How to keep meaning in your life's activities? How about physical and emotional health? Quality of life...
And the often unstated underlying question: Was the career I chose meaningful and important?
Surely friends are the bedrock of emotional health. And here's to the friends that have made our trip so special. Love you all!!
On a more nitty gritty detail, the van (a 1999 GMC Safari) continues to need TLC. A new sway bar in MN, a new battery in Boston, and now intermittent starting here in Millbrook, NY. Possibilities are a faulty starter or new fuel filter (hopefully!) We are going to talk with Jay, the local mechanic, tomorrow morning. More later...
I did a similar trip 22 years ago (the book Road School by the Marousis family, available for CHEAP through Amazon and a good read I think), and at that time most of the friends we visited were focusing on relationship issues and how to raise their children, with thought given to growing careers as well.
And now the children are grown and on their own (and what a blessing and joy that is!!!). Relationships are still a concern, and just as varied in their types and outcomes. A major issue is now ending or modifying those careers... How much is enough money? What about retirement? Social security, now or later? How to keep meaning in your life's activities? How about physical and emotional health? Quality of life...
And the often unstated underlying question: Was the career I chose meaningful and important?
Surely friends are the bedrock of emotional health. And here's to the friends that have made our trip so special. Love you all!!
On a more nitty gritty detail, the van (a 1999 GMC Safari) continues to need TLC. A new sway bar in MN, a new battery in Boston, and now intermittent starting here in Millbrook, NY. Possibilities are a faulty starter or new fuel filter (hopefully!) We are going to talk with Jay, the local mechanic, tomorrow morning. More later...
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