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Tag Archives: vacation


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An Empathy Boost and Reminder

628x471Way back when, I started this blog with a post about an inspirational young man named Ryan, whose story I watched on Extreme Weight Loss.  In a nutshell, he was in an accident and lost an arm. He lost confidence, gained weight, and ended up working with Chris Powell on the show to get healthy and fit. It’s a great, uplifting story.

The take away for me was if he can do it, so can I. Great message, but I still haven’t done it. Then again I don’t exactly have Chris Powell as my roommate, but that’s another post for another day (or maybe not).

Fast forward to my recent vacation in Hawai’i. On our cruise there was a couple that we bumped into several times. They were at least a decade older than me, and they got married in Maui on the second day of the cruise. They were a friendly, outgoing couple clearly in love with life. They did have to do some things a little differently though, because, as he said, in a match of motorcycle vs. semi, the motorcycle seldom wins. One of his legs was prosthetic and the other was horribly damaged. It was clear where large areas of tissue had been removed. Hawai’i is warm this time of year, and, like most everyone else, this gentleman wore shorts.

We went on several excursions and these folks were there with us. He used a scooter for long distances, but could walk short distances and up and down the steps of busses and vans. Yes, it took a little longer, and I imagine that there was a fair amount of frustration and even pain involved to get and out of vehicles and around to different sights, but there was always a smile and a joke.

I think the universe is trying to remind me. I saw it before. I got the message. I just haven’t acted on it. I have all my parts in reasonably good working order. These men that I admire do not. Do they let that stop them from being active and achieving goals? No. I shouldn’t either. Thanks, universe, I needed that reminder.


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2014 Kickoff – I’m Back!

1525393_758185304211037_445543185_nJust rolled in last night from nine days of R and R. Peace and quiet. Sun and sand. Tours and tropics. Food and beverages. Love and laughter. Just got back from an amazing trip to Hawai’i. That place is unreal.

I actually slept right through the transition from 2013 to 2014. It was a busy day on our trip, and the three of us were in bed by midnight central time. That’s okay, I can have champagne any time I want.

Right now I’m dealing with a teenager who is having trouble coping with the time difference (tomorrow his dad gets to wake him for school, glad I won’t be there for that), a bunch of laundry, and the harsh realization that tomorrow the party’s over. It’s back to work and school and routine. As always, there’s too much to be done, but now I have a more relaxed outlook. We’ll see how long that lasts.

Most of the trip was spent on a cruise. I loved it. It did make me think about certain things, like how to live in a small space. My home is a mansion compared to the stateroom that I shared with my mother and son for the past week, but we were quite comfortable and had what we needed for the situation.

I have so many other thoughts swirling through my head, but I can’t write much more now. I have to go drag the boy out of his nice warm bed so he can get ready to go to his dad’s. Then real life begins, with some meal planning, shopping for decent food (there is currently canned cheese in my house, this isn’t good, my sweetheart needs nutritious food too), and last minute school work.

I hope your 2014 has begun well with reasonable expectations, a positive attitude, and hope for a bright future.


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Walking My Feet Off in Canada

DSC00061I’m on holiday with my teenage son and my mother, who is obviously a generation older than I am. She is a dynamo. She takes us on a trip once a year to interesting locales full of cultural sites and other points of interest. Together the three of us have visited New York, Boston, and New York again. Our current trip finds us in beautiful Toronto, Ontario.

These trips are invariably short, generally three days, two nights. This one is the same. In a way, I’m glad, because I don’t think I could keep up with my mother for much longer. She starts the day early, while my son and I are still in bed. It’s the time change, mostly, but she would be up ahead of us even if we weren’t three hours behind her.

DSC00136_2Then, after we finally gear up, it’s off to the sights. We generally walk or take public transportation. None of us was raised on public transportation, so for us it’s truly challenging. Especially for me, since I usually am the one left to figure it out. I’m finding Toronto’s system more difficult than either New York or Boston, even though it doesn’t seem as extensive.

Last night the woman at the traveler’s aid desk in the train station (I kid you not, this exists) was clearly so lonely that she talked our ears off for half an hour. I still had no idea how to take the train (or the bus). We walked. It was a beautiful evening, and everyone assures me Toronto is a safe city. I’m glad, because it’s time to head out again. My poor tired feet are killing me.