Saturday, June 30, 2007

Amazing Arizona Vacation, Day 3, Part 1

The day started early as I had to be up by 6 to be ready to go on my horseback riding adventure by 7. Jim opted not to go because he says that every single horse he has ever gotten near has tried to bite him; including the ones he's owned. He stayed behind and did some laundry (housewife!!!). My adventure started at 7 and we got to the ranch around 8. My horse's name was Beau, a Pinto, and believe it or not, it was quite fun and easy. I was as relaxed as a stringed puppet whose strings aren't being pulled. I learned how to steer the horse, get it to stop and start. It was a 2 hour ride (1 hour would have been plenty) and while there was no fast trotting; Beau did very quickly trot up one hill. I was almost tempted to yell "heeyaw" to get him to move ahead of the rest of the riders. All in all there were about 20 plus two leaders and two wranglers to make sure everyone stayed in line. It's really surprising how many people we've met who aren't from here. The first person I've met so far who is a native was one of the wranglers.

This afternoon we drove to Grand Canyon and tried to check into our hotel around 2:45. We thought check in was 3 but it was 4. The woman was not helpful and there were no non-smoking rooms available; even though that's what we asked for when making the reservations.

With almost an hour and a half to kill, we decided to drive around and look for gifts for our pet nanny. We came across this Native American sale with a Native American dancer. After the dancer finished his dance he invited others to join him for another dance. I went out but Jim didn't. Why am I always the adventurous one?

At 3:45 we went back to the hotel to try and check in again. By the time we got to the front of the line it was 3:55. This time a young man by the name of Stefan, who appeared to be Slovakian, told us again that our room wasn't ready. It had yet to be cleaned. I asked, trying to remain calm, "Do you know why the maid hasn't cleaned the room yet if check in is at 4?" Stefan didn't know but he said he would tell the maid to get right on it. That's what the first girl should have done as we were seeing people left and right get keys to their rooms.

I decided to walk around the city a bit while Jim did computer stuff. Finally, at 4:40, Stefan came over and said our room was ready. I have advised Jim very strongly to never book a hotel at Best Western again; especially not in Grand Canyon. Of course, if we had been smart we would have stayed in Sedona one more night and just driven to Grand Canyon today to do the glass walk and driven back to Sedona. Then instead of driving 4 hours to Scottsdale, we would have only driven 2 hours. Oh well!!!! Next time.

By the way, I don't like the town of Grand Canyon; it appears way too touristy and people are just plain rude. At least in Sedona, it didn't appear touristy and people were really nice. Sedona is a New-Agey, alternative, upscale place but it's really nice.

We are in for the night and will read and just veg. Tomorrow is the big grand canyon day.

More later,

paul

AA vacation, Day 2, Part 2

This evening Jim and I took a wildlife tour. Another jeep ride and more off road fun. We did get to see some deer mule (they have really long ears, kind of like a mule, hence the name). We also saw some elk. Sadly no bobcats or mountain lions. But we did see a jack rabbit. At one point, the first time I saw a deer mule, I yelled out, "Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh!" It was very similar to what Horshack from Welcome Back Kotter sounded like. Everyone got a big kick out of that and from time to time someone would yell, "Ooh, ooh, ooh!" Jim and I have decided that we really like off-roading. The vehicles certainly take a beating every day. At the end of the tour, the moon had started rising in the east while the sun was still setting in the west. The moon at one end and the sun still up on the other end. Then it just so happened last night was a full moon and the sight of the moon with the huge mountains and rock formations in the distance was incredibly beautiful. Don't worry I'll post some pics. Just wanted to keep you all updated.

According to one of the guides, celebrities that either visit Sedona or have homes there include Kurt Russell & Goldie Hawn, Al Pacino, Ted Danson, and John Travolta.

By the way, after both adventures Jim and I were covered in dust and dirt. We both ran a finger along our faces and the dirt was at least an inch thick. Our clothes and hair too had dust in it. It's really amazing how these guides do this every single day. Dust bowl indeed!!!!!!

One really disheartening thing is that even in the picturesque hills and back roads of Sedona, Arizona, one can find a Busch beer can and discarded Wendy's container. There was really a lot of trash in some areas. People camp there and have no regard for nature. It's really appalling. And since, according to the guides, it hasn't rained in two-and-a-half months there are signs everywhere saying, 'No Campfires.'

Tomorrow I'll be horseback riding. I'm definitely going to get some pics of that. Jim has decided not to go with me so he'll probably stay at the hotel and do some laundry. And I thought I was the homebody.

peace,

paul

Friday, June 29, 2007

Amazing Arizona vacation, Day 2

Our second day in beautiful Sedona started out with a continental breakfast. We then sat down with the concierge to decide which activities we wanted to do while we were here. The horseback riding that I wanted to do is still up in the air. This morning we had a 3 and a half hour Sacred Wheel Tour. This tour was a tour of some of the most remote places in the desert in Sedona and Coconino National Forest It was my first time ever in a jeep and it was only Jim, myself and the guide. He took us on some of the most rugged dirt roads I've ever seen. Huge rocks jutting up from the ground. We drove down and drove up these roads. It was quite bouncy at times and totally wild. During the tour we even saw a road runner. They really do move the way the cartoon road runner moves; very fast and agile. They aren't quite as big; in fact I was surprised how small it was.

The mountains and rock wheel we saw were amazing. A rock wheel is just stones in the ground in the shape of a circle. Jim and I were both asked to walk around the wheel three times and then stop on one spot. That spot was supposed to correlate to where we were in our lives right now; and it did. Jim stopped in the NW part of the circle and I stopped exactly North. The guide was very informative and when we were at the top of one mountain (4000) feet up he played a flute song as Jim and I took in this natural wonder in Arizona.

We just finished lunch at Judi's. Yes, we went back and it was still fabulous. This evening we are going on a safari tour to see some of the wild animals. I don't have the cord to download pics with me but I will be putting them up as soon as we return. It's a wonderful 101 degrees in Sedona right now as we settle in for a quick nap.

peace,

paul

AA vacation, Day 1, Part 2

The rest of the day was spent just chilling. We got back to the room after driving around a bit and finding a store that we can buy some water and snacks. Jim spent most of the evening on the balcony of our hotel room and I was inside the cool room (still getting used to the dry heat) reading. I did go out at one point to see the bats flying around. How cool!!!!!

Tomorrow we will do some adventure stuff in Sedona.

peace,

paul

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Amazing Arizona Vacation, Day 1, Part 1

Well, the big day has finally arrived and we started the day at the un-godly hour of 3:45. Yes, that is AM!!! We arrived at the airport for a 6am flight and had no major problems with check in, screening or the first flight to Atlanta.

We arrived at Atlanta on time and had about an hour to wait for our flight to Phoenix. Again that flight was uneventful (thank you travel Gods!) although we were in a three seat row and the woman on the end threatened to talk our ears off. Thankfully we had books AND headphones to listen to the plane's XM satellite radio. She still tried to start conversations but with one word answers and just a few grunts, she stopped trying. Take a hint, lady!

We arrived in Phoenix way ahead of schedule. We were supposed to land at 11:40 but got there at 10:20. There is a 3 hour difference from NY to AZ.

The Phoenix airport seemed to be an endless taxi from landing to getting off the plane. I thought we would never get there. It was a loooooooong taxi. So after we got off our bags just happened to literally be the first two on the carousel and we booked across the street to catch the shuttle to the car rental place. That was a 10-minute drive.

When we arrived at the car rental place, Jim had his Emerald Club card and we were told by one of the employees to take our pick from 3 different cars. No check in or anything. Nothing to sign, no forms of ID to show. We could have chosen a Pontiac V6, Toyota Camry, or a Toyota Corolla. We chose the Corolla. It's exactly like mine except the color is black. We were in a parking garage and drove to the exit where they finally asked for our id's and gave us the paperwork.

We drove through mostly hilly and barren landscape with lots of cacti, palm trees, and shrubs and lots of red dirt. When we got into Sedona there were plenty of red rock formations. Simply amazing!!!! The hotel room wasn't quite ready so we asked where there was a restaurant. There was one right next door to the Best Western Sedona and it was called Judi's.

The food and atmosphere was inviting, cozy and lovely. I had grilled cheese with 3 cheeses and lace fries. Jim had potato tacos (no meat) and salad. When Jim was done the waitress actually asked Jim if he wanted another one, much like a mother would ask a son if he wanted more to eat. Both of us were shocked because we've never had that happen. For dessert Jim had bread pudding and I had carrot cake. Jim said it was one of the top two best bread pudding and my carrot cake was absolutely the best. I also tried a hot butter rum. I wasn't sure I'd like it and Jim was sure I wasn't but it was terrific.

So now we are at the hotel and ready to crash for a while. We'll nap and then mosey on around Sedona, take some pics, and enjoy ourselves. By the way, the heat is oppressive but I'm actually not sweating. It's so dry and not humid at all. It's very bizarre. Jim says it's exactly the same in Baghdad where he lived for 2 years.

More later my friends,

paul

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

some stuff about me

This was kind of fun. Enjoy and if you don't want to do it then just delete it. Here's some stuff about me that you may not have known.
Peace,
paul

Four places I have lived:

1. Houston, Texas
2. Elmira, NY
3. Sugarland, Texas
4. Dalton, NY

Four TV shows I love to watch:

1. Lost
2. Countdown With Keith Olbermann
3. The Office
4. 24

Four places I have been on vacation:

1. Hawaii, The Big Island
2. Orlando, FL
3. Canada
4. Las Vegas

Four of my favorite foods:

1. grape tomatoes
2. goulash
3. zucchini bread
4. angel hair pasta

Four places I would rather be right now:

1. sleeping
2. on the beach
3. in my car driving nowhere
4. watching tv with a glass of wine (oh, wait, I'm doing that now)

weekly post from June 23, 2007

Hello friends & loved ones,

It's a chilly 50 degrees in Western, NY this morning and the sun is shining brightly. The new movie Evan Almighty, a modern day retelling of Noah and his ark, with Steve Carell opens this weekend and while I think Carell is hilarious I have all the animals I need right here in the country. Of course we have our dog and our three cats (including one outside cat who has adopted us). We also have the numerous birds, chipmunks, squirrels (or as Jim and I call them tree rats; I don't like them one bit), and deer. In the past couple of weeks we've also seen raccoons, a raven and of course the nightly light show put on by the fireflies (my personal fav). All of the negative things about living in the country are wiped right out by the above. It makes me glad to be alive and want to cherish my life and live for today.

Speaking of living for today, if you've ever questioned doing that or how fragile life is then wait until you hear two stories that really affected me this past week. The first one involves a 16-year-old girl who was on a Superman Tower of Power ride at Six Flags in Louisville, Ky. In a freak accident, a cable on the ride came loose and somehow got under the car (it's a free fall ride) and hit the girl in the legs and severed both of them (I believe the report said it was just above the ankles). Unbelievable. Granted this doesn't happen everyday but just the thought that one is going along on a ride and, boom!, part of the body is just gone.

The other story involves a 24-year-old man in California. A driver in a car swerved to miss something sharp in the road (something many of us have probably done and it doesn't even have to be a sharp object) and the car ended up hitting a fire hydrant and knocked it loose from its moorings. The fire hydrant became airborne and hit a 24-year-old male in the back of the head. He was walking down the street with his wife. Boom! Gone just like that. Another freak accident, yes, but one that I listened to and realized that it really can happen anytime and anywhere.

So whatever you are doing this weekend please live life to the fullest. Laugh, love, smile, appreciate the beauty around you and hug or kiss someone you love or care about and tell them you love them. You never know when your life might change....or worse.

Stay safe, stay happy, and stay healthy.

love,

paul

Monday, June 25, 2007

Keith's kibbitzing

Keith Olbermann has offered his speculated outcome of the Harry Potter series less than a month before the book comes out. No one is allowed to read the book early so Olbermann's speculation is just that.

He claims that Voldemort and Harry will come to blows and Harry will destroy all but 5 of the horcruxes of Voldemort. The location of Voldemort's last horcrux.......Harry's scar. Brilliant. The only way to get rid of it is for Harry to kill himself. Just as he is about to, Professor Snape comes out of the shadows and tells Harry there is another way. He can destroy the scar and survive but his magic will not. He will be a regular muggle. He will live (everyone's happy he didn't die), Voldemort will be history and everyone lives happily ever after. And come to find out, Snape's not such a bad guy; greasy yes, bad no.

peace,

paul

update

The lawsuit that a US judge brought over a lost pair of pants has been completed. A judge ruled that Roy L. Pearson is not owed 54 million dollars for his lost pair of pants two years ago. And now Pearson is a pariah in the judicial community. He should have taken the settlement that the dry cleaners offered him which was thousands of dollars. Enough to buy more pants and then some.

peace,

paul

Saturday, June 16, 2007

movie minute

With Music Once More: In director John Carney's new musical interlude of a film, Once, guy meets girl, girl likes music guy makes and girl and guy make music together. What happens after that is the capper to a sentimental, bittersweet and feel good movie.

The guy in question is played by Glen Hansard, the lead singer of the Irish group Frames. Director Carney also used to play in the Frames. The girl is Marketa Irglova, a Czech-Republic musician who actually met Hansard when he visited the Czech Republic. The two leads are actually billed as guy and girl.

As the film starts, Hansard's character is busking (street performing) for money while playing his guitar. On the side he works at a Hoover repair shop with his father. When he meets Irglova's character, she expresses an interest in his music and come to find out she has a Hoover which needs to be fixed.

As the two develop their relationship we are treated to songs which both characters sing to express their feelings and thoughts. The film's soundtrack is one of the absolute best you'll hear this year. A few of the songs have already been recorded by the Frames and been included on their albums. As guy and girl rev up to record the songs the two reveal past loves which threaten to come between their future.

The acting has an improvisational feel; in fact some of the film was improvised and it's also set on the streets of Dublin. This movie has more feeling and passion than 97% of Hollywood movies and Once is a treat of a film to ring in the dog days of summer.

Bags of popcorn (out of 5): 4.5

paul
Check out this youtube link from Britain's Got Talent. This is simply incredible.

Enjoy,

paul


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA

Saturday, June 02, 2007

cool


A very cool picture. Can you imagine? Also a cool link. www.superdeluxe.com
paul