Getting There is Half The Fun

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Getting there is half the funGetting there is half the fun

When you travel you have to keep in mind that getting there is half the fun. Day 1 of any of my vacations is always a travel day. So I remind myself that the journey is as important as the destination.  Since I was only going to Florida you’d think this one would be easy. Just a hop, skip and  jump down the east coast. Well, not quite. I never do anything the easy way. My flight is out of Logan (Boston) at 8:30 am. That’s a late flight for me but getting to Logan is an adventure in itself.

Park ‘n FlyJosh Gates adventurer

Turns out the easiest part of my journey was the Park ‘n Fly. It’s much more expensive than the Logan Express but my car will be better located for my dash to Lynn when I return. Yes, I got a ticket to hear Josh Gates speak and it’s the same evening I come back from Florida. My car needs to be handy or I’ll never get to Lynn on time. So Park ‘n Fly it is and they were great. Easy to get to and the shuttle to the airport picked me up right at the car.

Check in

Getting through security with my new hip was anti climatic. My Doctor said I’d light up the metal detectors so be sure to tell the TSA. Although I did let them know nothing happened when I walked through the metal detector. Not a peep out of those machines. The TSA operator asked me if my new hip was made of plastic because it didn’t set anything off. Wait til I see my Doctor again!

First Class Travel

As has become my habit I was flying first class. You get treated so much better that I’m willing to pay the extra if it isn’t too much. Today Delta really out did themselves. They made me feel like I was visiting royalty from the first person I saw in the terminal to the flight attendants in first class.  Thank you Delta. Another fine job.

The planes.

I had a layover at JFK in New York. What a huge airport. We landed in one terminal and had to take a shuttle to another one to board a different plane. That was fine with me. The first plane was a little plane with only 3 seats in each row. Very cramped even in First Class.  One seat was in the left with a window the other two were on the other side of the aisle. I had the left window seat. So I got to sit alone. When we changed planes we had a bigger plane with 4 seats per row, 2 on each side of the aisle and the seats were bigger.

Getting there is half the fun

The flight attendants on this plane were great. They were attentive, funny and always smiling even when a child passenger had a major meltdown.

MIA

MIA does not mean Missing in Action although the Miami airport does look like it went through a war. The People Movers are moving walkways that are meant to make it easier and faster to get through the airport. I’ve used them elsewhere and they do help but not in Miami. Very few of the walkways were working so I took off trudging with my luggage trailing behind me for what seemed like miles to find the car rental section of the airport. After a ride on a tram and more trudging I final spotted the Hertz counter.

It’s a Banner Year for Fall Colors

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Fall Colors Abound

The fall foliage colors are amazing this year. Being in southern New England they just started turning this week but they began peaking last week in the more northern states. My cousin got to head north  to Maine and New Hampshire and shared some beautiful video on Face Book. If you have a minute you can check out her video here.    https://www.facebook.com/kathy.collins.7127/videos/10214903348962786/?t=0        In Southeastern Massachusetts we’ve had a no’reaster sitting off the coast of Nantucket all week. Lots of rain and high winds have made leaf peeping locally a bit of a challenge. Now if you like taking pictures in the rain- go for it. I’ve been a little too busy to mess with rain gear but it hasn’t stopped me from admiring the color changes.

Last Chance for 2019

Just as my cousin headed north for her vacation I’m heading south. I’m heading to the Florida Keys so today is the last chance I’ll have to get any fall foliage photos for this year. It looks like it’s stopped raining so maybe I’ll get lucky.  I think I can spare an hour to go poking around before I finish my packing. What do you think of these?

Leaf Peeping locally

I didn’t plan my vacation very well but it was the only time I could get in at the resort I wanted. Sometimes you just have to take what you can get. The newscasters have been talking about the colors along the Mohawk Trail this year and out toward the Berkshires. I won’t have time to make that drive but these photos from Raynham and Easton aren’t bad if I do say so. This is what I get to see everyday as I commute to work. Not a bad view. Of course I had to swing by the Norton Reservoir. That was always a pretty spot. It used to be on my drive when I worked in Foxboro.  I do miss that. I guess that’s all for now. Catch you all on the weekend.

Ode to Rocky- Leavin’ on a Jet Plane

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Rocky this one’s for you

All my bags are packed I’m ready to go
I’m standin’ here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin’ it’s early morn
The taxi’s waitin’ he’s blowin’ his horn
Already I’m so lonesome I could die

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you’ll wait for me
Hold me like you’ll never let me go
Cause I’m leavin’ on a jet plane
Don’t know when I’ll be back again
       Oh babe, I hate to go

It’s Always Hard

As much as I like to travel it’s always hard to say goodbye to my loyal companion, my furry four legged baby, My Rocky-Poo. I know it sounds stupid. He’s just a cat but he’s been with me for 18 years. He trusts me and no matter what the pet haters say, I believe he loves me. Animals don’t understand. You can say you’ll be back in a week as many times as you want but they don’t understand. As Rocky has gotten older I’ve fretted more and more each time I leave. Thankfully we have a great pet sitter. She’s been taking care of Rocky for 13 years. He loves her as much as he does me.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

So Rocky-poo this one’s for you. I’m on that jet plane off for adventure but I’ll be thinking of you. I’ll miss your fuzzy body curled up next to me. I’ll miss your evening snuggles and your morning demands for breakfast. But hang in there because I’ll be back. Trust me when I tell you that you are better off at home than riding with me on my annual adventure. You’ll be pampered and fussed over while I’m away. You’ll be so spoiled you’ll never miss me. So be good little kitty. I love you bunches and will see you soon.

Another Saturday Weigh In

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It’s Weigh In day

It’s time for another Saturday weigh in. I bet you were all hoping I’d forget. Or maybe I’ve gotten sick of this weight loss stuff. Chalked it up to another failed attempt at the impossible but Noooo. I’m still plugging along. I’ll admit that this week was discouraging. I am faithfully logging my food. I’m weighing and measuring. I am making sure its healthy and low carb but my daily weigh in’s weren’t too promising. The scale and therefore my weight  has been up and down all week. Of course the only weigh in that counts is today.  Depending on what the scales tell me this morning I may have to cut out the fruit. I dropped grapes last week…too much sugar in them. That leaves apples. They have been  my go-to snack all week. I don’t think my body liked that. I figured it was better than candy but we’ll see. Here goes nothing!

Saturday Weigh in Results

Come on scale you are breaking my heart. Yesterday I was down another .4 lbs (Celebrate!) but this morning you’re back up .4 so in other words- No Change. Maybe it’s water weight. I ate fish yesterday and fish like the water right? Ok maybe that’s a stretch but this is really frustrating. Good Bye Apples. I’m going to have to give you up for now. Maybe I can bring you back next year. What can I put in for snacks to take the place of the apples? Maybe rice cakes? They worked before but they are all carbs. Dried fruit is all sugar. Ugh Got to think about this.

Next Week’s Weigh  in  is Canceled

Next Saturday you can feel safe to come by. No weigh in next week. I am going on vacation so I won’t have my scale to weigh in on. I firmly believe that weigh ins only count when they are done on the same scale.  Since I won’t be here to use my scale no weigh in will count even if I have access to another one somewhere else. Thanks for letting me vent. I’d go kick the scale but then I might break it or my toe and I don’t need to do either. 

No Change!

 

A Sure Sign Of Fall

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New England Colors 2018

Its a Sure Sign Of Fall

Turkeys behind the office- Canton MA 2019

A sure sign that its fall in New England isn’t just the colorful foliage. Its the return of the turkeys. Some communities have reported the turkeys all year ’round but I usually see them in the fall.  How brave these birds are …or maybe stupid…to show up right before the big day. You know the one, pie, stuffing green bean casserole and oh yeah, that big bird in the middle of the table ready for carving. Do you suppose these wild birds know that we use turkeys that we grew just for the purpose of eating? 

Wild Turkeys Canton MA Oct 2019

Wild Turkeys are Mean

The wild turkeys we have around here are bold and aggressive. They have been known to trap motorists in their cars. They are either stupid or very brave as they show no fear of humans. Me, I’m kind of on the fence. I’ve been threatened by more Canada Geese than I have Turkeys. I like to photograph them. Now that I know they are back I plan to bring the good camera with me instead of relying my cell phone camera. I love when the males start strutting around, fanning their tails and displaying for all the lady turkeys.

Strange Turkey Behaviors

There was a turkey video that made it on to an Animal Planet show and I recently saw it again on “Strange Evidence”. Filmed in Randolph MA it seems to show a satanic turkey ritual. Why not? Randolph Is  only  a hop skip and jump from Salem MA. Why not a Coven of Turkeys?

Watch Out Turkeys

So all you Turkeys out there whether wild or witches BEWARE.  Turkey hunting season is upon us. Yes here in MA we can start defending ourselves on October 22. There are still some folks who prefer a wild turkey rather than domestic turkey for the center piece of their Thanksgiving table.