Well, that was some exciting travel blogging, don't you think? What? You missed it?
I would have liked to post once or twice, but obviously that didn't happen. In the end, the deciding factors were time and Internet access. We had a high-speed connection in Paris (once Michael figured out how to connect to it on about day 3), but our priority was to stay out doing things until we had to sleep. After Paris we had a little more leisure, but no internet access. I guess I'll be doing a France retrospective.
We were scheduled to arrive home late on Friday night, but we didn't make the connecting flight in Seattle and ended up back in Juneau on Saturday morning. I won't bore you with the full saga of our baggage. I can't honestly identify the genre: mystery, thriller, comedy? I'll cut to the happy ending: our last straggling suitcase came home this morning, wagging its tail behind it.
Despite our general exhaustion, we stayed up all day Saturday so we'd be able to sleep Saturday night. We made it until about 8:30. We got up this morning around 5:30 and were doing spiffy until noon, which was 10 p.m. in France. It's been a struggle to stay conscious ever since. Fortunately we had the University's Commencement ceremony to keep us busy all day. It's after 8 p.m. now, which means we stayed up all night from a French perspective. Can I go to bed now? Please?
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Monday, April 16, 2007
So Ya Wanna Go to Paris...
So, Mel sent this to me today in an email and it was just too good not to steal.
--Go to Google.com
--Click on Maps
--Click on Get Directions.
--From New York, New York
--To Paris, France
--Then read line #24.
Happily, according to the conversion chart, this would add about 785,874 steps to my current count on StartWalking: Orient Express. Added to the 74,496 steps I've logged so far, that would get me to Kecskemet, Hungaria and well on my way to Serbia.
All the same, I think I'll stick with British Air.
--Go to Google.com
--Click on Maps
--Click on Get Directions.
--From New York, New York
--To Paris, France
--Then read line #24.
Happily, according to the conversion chart, this would add about 785,874 steps to my current count on StartWalking: Orient Express. Added to the 74,496 steps I've logged so far, that would get me to Kecskemet, Hungaria and well on my way to Serbia.
All the same, I think I'll stick with British Air.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Rainy Easter Sunday
I am having a lazy Easter, listening to the happy sound of rain dripping outside. This is what Spring in Juneau is supposed to sound like.
We had Ellie & Bob over for dinner last night and stayed up way too late playing games on the PS2 they loaned us. I had forgotten how much fun I had playing Crash Bandicoot (and how sore it makes my thumbs). For the record, I am a terrible player and spent a lot of time trying to get my car turned around the right way after crashing into things, falling off cliffs, etc. Fortunately I provided my own entertainment value--watching me play is apparently quite amusing to my family. I am much better suited to playing on a Wii because I tend to play with my whole body even when that's really not helpful. Yes, I am a spaz!
I've signed up for the University's StartWalking III program. For reasons of "brand loyalty" I'm posting a separate blog for my participation in UAS Online. Here's the URL, if you're interested: https://uascentral.uas.alaska.edu/online/portfolio/JNJPC/Orient_Express
We had Ellie & Bob over for dinner last night and stayed up way too late playing games on the PS2 they loaned us. I had forgotten how much fun I had playing Crash Bandicoot (and how sore it makes my thumbs). For the record, I am a terrible player and spent a lot of time trying to get my car turned around the right way after crashing into things, falling off cliffs, etc. Fortunately I provided my own entertainment value--watching me play is apparently quite amusing to my family. I am much better suited to playing on a Wii because I tend to play with my whole body even when that's really not helpful. Yes, I am a spaz!
I've signed up for the University's StartWalking III program. For reasons of "brand loyalty" I'm posting a separate blog for my participation in UAS Online. Here's the URL, if you're interested: https://uascentral.uas.alaska.edu/online/portfolio/JNJPC/Orient_Express
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Gastineau Avenue Fire
On Tuesday night, while downtown having dinner with the UA Staff Alliance, I casually pointed out an apartment building on the hill and mentioned that I used to live there.
Wednesday morning, my friend Heather, who was present at the dinner, called me from downtown to tell me that my old apartment building was on fire. It was quite a drama, with civilians bringing ladders to rescue residents, and firefighters vacating the building at one point for their own safety. Fortunately no one was seriously injured, though several pets are missing.
The story is covered in our local newspaper, The Juneau Empire.
The Staff Alliance is in town for their annual visit to legislators at the State Capitol. As usual we are working to persuade our leaders to provide funding for education in our state. I am not an Alliance member this year, but it was sure nice to see everyone!
Wednesday morning, my friend Heather, who was present at the dinner, called me from downtown to tell me that my old apartment building was on fire. It was quite a drama, with civilians bringing ladders to rescue residents, and firefighters vacating the building at one point for their own safety. Fortunately no one was seriously injured, though several pets are missing.
The story is covered in our local newspaper, The Juneau Empire.
The Staff Alliance is in town for their annual visit to legislators at the State Capitol. As usual we are working to persuade our leaders to provide funding for education in our state. I am not an Alliance member this year, but it was sure nice to see everyone!
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Counting Down to Paris
I got an email from vacationinparis.com telling me they've mailed me the keys to my Left Bank apartment. Wheee! I'm going to France!
Okay, I knew that, but this makes it more real. They also sent detailed information about the neighborhood, restaurants, bus lines and metro stops, etc. I could almost taste the pain au chocolat as I read through the details.
This will be my second trip to Paris, and Michael's third. We were there in March 2005. On that trip we split the time in Paris with a one-week stay in Cagnes-sur-mer. We enjoyed this vacation-in-a-vacation very much.
This time, to save one travel day riding the train back to Paris, we're flying an open jaw itinerary into Paris, and out of Nice. Our second week will be in Antibes.
We leave in 2 weeks and 2 days. Not that I'm counting or anything.
Okay, I knew that, but this makes it more real. They also sent detailed information about the neighborhood, restaurants, bus lines and metro stops, etc. I could almost taste the pain au chocolat as I read through the details.
This will be my second trip to Paris, and Michael's third. We were there in March 2005. On that trip we split the time in Paris with a one-week stay in Cagnes-sur-mer. We enjoyed this vacation-in-a-vacation very much.
This time, to save one travel day riding the train back to Paris, we're flying an open jaw itinerary into Paris, and out of Nice. Our second week will be in Antibes.
We leave in 2 weeks and 2 days. Not that I'm counting or anything.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
March 30, 1984
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
I Seek Dead People
Morbid, much? Not really. It's a hobby, not a fetish.
I'm an amateur genealogist. I came by this interest through the hard work and diligence of my now-deceased ancestor, Archie C. Talboy, who did a lot of research on one branch of my family back in the days when you really had to work at it.
A few decades later, it's all so much easier: internet sites, email, and online ordering for vital records makes the research so much more accessible. Fortunately, there are still so many mysteries to pursue that the scope of the project can expand to fit your available time and interest. In the unlikely event that you run out of relatives, you can always borrow someone else's!
So on the topic of honoring ancestors who are no longer with us, I suggest you check out this site: findagrave.com. Go to the non-famous search and type in a name. You might be surprised at what - or who - pops up.
I'm an amateur genealogist. I came by this interest through the hard work and diligence of my now-deceased ancestor, Archie C. Talboy, who did a lot of research on one branch of my family back in the days when you really had to work at it.
A few decades later, it's all so much easier: internet sites, email, and online ordering for vital records makes the research so much more accessible. Fortunately, there are still so many mysteries to pursue that the scope of the project can expand to fit your available time and interest. In the unlikely event that you run out of relatives, you can always borrow someone else's!
So on the topic of honoring ancestors who are no longer with us, I suggest you check out this site: findagrave.com. Go to the non-famous search and type in a name. You might be surprised at what - or who - pops up.
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