5,150 MILES - 12+ DAYS

(Above - Goodland, Kansas)
July 12, 2013 – After 12+ days, driving 5,150 miles thru 7 States, it was so nice to wake up in my own bed, drink coffee in my own kitchen and didn’t have to pack everything into the overnight bags, looking around the hotel room to make sure important items were not left behind, once again getting back on the road, driving 400+ miles to another city/state.

Our 2013 Westward Adventure began on Friday, June 28^th.  We started driving from St. Louis at 2:30 p.m. (it was Ralphie’s turn to have Friday afternoon off during Summer schedule).  At 9:30 p.m. we arrived in Salina, Kansas.

Saturday, June 29^th - We were on the road at 7:15 a.m. then stopped for breakfast in Hays, KS.  We got to Aurora, Colorado around 2:40 p.m.  We had a nice visit with Ralphie’s brother and his wife. (More about the visit in future posts)  The weather was so comfortable that we spent the whole evening in the patio.  We attended 8:45 Mass and had a nice, relaxing day on Sunday, June 30^th.

Monday, July 1^st – We started early leaving Colorado at 6:30 a.m. after coffee and muffins.  At 11:30 a.m. we stopped for lunch at Penny Dinner in Yompa, CO.  By 1:51 p.m.  we were ready for a break in Rock Springs, Wyoming.   We finally arrived in Wendover, Utah (take one step west and you would be in West Wendover, Nevada!).

Tuesday, July 2^nd – On the road around 8:07 a.m. – filled up gas tank after seeing the sign “The next gas station is 130 miles”!  Lunch at Mitzpah Hotel in Tonopah, Nevada.  Arrived at the resort in Mammoth Lakes, California at 5:30 p.m. 

Wednesday, July 3^rd – After breakfast, we drove to Yosemite National Park and spent the whole day there.  Overnight in Fresno, CA (Home of California State University Bulldogs).

Thursday, July 4^th – Arrived at Sequoia National Park around 9:43 a.m. - saw General Sherman and all of his cousins.  Stopped in Three Rivers, CA for lunch and filled up the gas tank before getting into San Francisco.  Checked into Lombard Motor Inn at 7:30 p.m.  Found a good spot for the Mustang and left it there the next two days.  We rode the bus and the cable cars to get around town and a lot of walking (up and down the steep hills).

It was a perfect 4^th of July celebration watching the fireworks from Fisherman Wharf.

Friday, July 5^th – After breakfast, we walked to Fisherman Wharf, took a boat ride, lunch at Pier 39, walked around town and then to nice Italian dinner.

Saturday, July 6^th – After a visit to the Golden Gate Bridge, we rode the Powell-Hyde line to Chinatown for Dim Sum.  We spent the afternoon in Union Square (since I hate shopping for clothes, we only walked around taking pictures).  We went back to Chinatown for 5:00 p.m. Mass at Old St. Mary’s Church.  For dinner, we decided on Vietnamese banh mi (sandwiches) and red bean (che dau do) drink for me.

Sunday, July 7^th – It was time to say goodbye to San Francisco.  Big Sur (above photo), here we come!

Monday, July 8^th – We were a bit behind on our schedule for a visit to President Ronald Reagan Library (photo below) but at the right time (11:00 a.m.) before a school bus and a bus load of tourists arrived.  After the Library, we began our eastward trip toward St. Louis thru Arizona.  We managed to see the new bridge at Hoover Dam (Nevada/Arizona).  We did not get to Kingman, AZ until almost 10:00 p.m.

Tuesday, July 9^th – After breakfast at the hotel, we were on our way to Monument Valley, UT (photo above).  We stopped for lunch in Cameron, AZ but did not realize that we were on Indian Reservation.

Wednesday, July 10^th – Originally we planned to spend a day in Santa Fe, New Mexico on our way back but after 10 days on the road (we were running out of clean underwear – haa haa), we decided to see Arches National Park, UT instead.  After Arches N.P., we began the long drive home, stopping only for gas, cold drinks, bathroom breaks, and sandwiches to eat on the road.

(Above - Arches National Park, Utah)

Thursday, July 11^th – I did most of the driving from Burlington, CO thru Kansas (it was easy driving on I-70 with corn/wheat fields on both sides).  Stopping for gas in Quinter, KS, then lunch in Junction City, KS and filled the tank up again in Paxico, KS, we finally got back in St. Louis at 7:30 p.m.  Whew!

Our original plan was for 14+ days from June 28^th thru July 14^th.  I was glad that we came home early so my husband could rest (since he did most of the driving, probably 4,000 miles) before he had to go back to work on Monday.

I took me two whole days to finish the laundry and another day to sort thru all the photos and put away all the items from the trip.  It was another wonderful adventure and we were blessed with good weather and did not experience any major problems.  I will be posting photos and share interesting stories from our 2013 Westward Adventure.   

FRIDAY SKY - NAVAJO (ARIZONA)

THURSDAY RAMBLINGS - NOT THE REAL THINGS

HAPPY MONDAY

ONE STEP AT A TIME

I did not really pay much attention to any daredevil performances before or anyone who tried to set world record by doing something extreme (i.e. sitting in a box suspended in midair for 7 days or climbing a tall building).

I watched Nik Wallenda walked across the Little Colorado River gorge near Grand Canyon because the Grand Canyon was one of the most amazing places I have been to.  We were there in 2009 during our Route 66 Adventure.  It was so majestic and incredibly beautiful.  I especially was glad that we stayed at a hotel right at the Grand Canyon and got up real early in the morning and had the whole place all for ourselves.  No crowd, no heat and seeing the Canyon in the morning sun was absolutely glorious.

I am not afraid of height but got ozzy when I looked down at the Colorado River, even from behind the rail.

The lesson I learned from watching Wallenda walking across the Grand Canyon was (1) just take one step at a time towards your goals; (2) you must have steady feet and concentrate on what or where you are going; (3) draw your strength knowing there are others supporting and cheering you on; (4) most importantly, trust in God for He will always provide what you need.

FRIDAY SKY - PONY IN ARIZONA

HAPPY JULY 4TH - 2013

I pledge allegiance to the Flag, of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty, and Justice for all.

Let Freedom Ring.  God Bless America.  God Bless our servicemen and women.

SURPRISE

I love green pepper, (and also black/white pepper).  I usually add green pepper to my salad and always as a topping for pizza.  I was treated to a "tiny" surprise when I cut open this green pepper.  The little "offspring" tastes fresh and not bitter as I expected (I thought it would be for being not yet fully growth).  I am a simple person and it does not take much to make me happy!

FRIDAY SKY - ARIZONA HISTORIC ROUTE 66

A LAZY SUMMER MORNING

Today, all I need to know to enjoy life by watching the rabbits in my backyard - they were laying down on the grass, in the shade, simply taking it easy on this glorious day, a lazy summer morning.

 I learned that you should try to do your best at whatever tasks you were working on, but also remember to "stop and smell the grass".

Have a wonderful, safe and enjoyable summer!

B-CYCLE

Hey Qap, this license plate is perfect for you - either riding bicycle or recycle.  (BTW, are you no longer interested in license plates?  Perhaps you have not found one that was clever or worthy to share.)

BENJAMIN AND BENJAMIN

Benjamin found his long-lost twin when we were at an estate sale last Sunday.  It was so comical when my husband and I both yelled out, "Look!  Benjamin's long-lost twin" - (not really loud but enough for those around us to hear).  So we had to explain our (strange) excitement upon seeing a smiling yellow beanie baby.
Even though they are identical twin, we could tell which one is Benjamin NYC and which is Benjamin STL.  NYC has longer "hair" and leans backward, unable to sit up due to "an accident" (being dropped while TOTA was walking across a five-lane road - at Manchester and Ries).
STL has shorter hair and still has the same pose for when he used to play hockey for the Boston Bruins.
Talk about the Bruins - I am still stunned that the Bruins lost game 6 last night.  I did not really care whether the Hawks or the Bruins won the Cup.  As a hockey fanatic, I could not believe that the Bruins, leading the entire game, yet could not hold on - how long is 1 minute and 26 seconds?  It is less than a minor (2-minute) penalty.  The Hawks scored 2 goals within 17 seconds in the 3rd period and won the Cup because the Bruins fell apart!
My husband suggested that we get a cake to celebrate both Benjamin NYC and STL "unofficial" birthday and also the Hawks winning the Stanley Cup.  I think Ralphie just wanted to eat cake!

TRIPLE CASH

What kind of gambler are you?  The last time my husband and I went to a nearby casino was four years ago.  I don't know how to play cards (poker, blackjack or whatever else) and never learned to enjoy the slot machines.  We usually allowed ourselves the maximum amount of $20 when we visited the casino (after the New Year for a change of luck).  Once we lost the $20, we would go home.

Instead of buying lottery tickets, I decided to purchase these scratch tickets.  I don't buy lottery tickets for every drawing.  In fact, I forgot to get them until someone mentioned that it was over $100 million.  Of course, I contributed my $5 to the recent $590M which the winner was the little old lady from Florida.  (I thought it was the Lone Gunman and hoped that he remembered I was nice to him - haa haa).  If you purchased these scratch tickets, do you scratch off the winning numbers first, then your own numbers and if you did not have the winning numbers, you would not care to know the prizes that you DID NOT win?

Or do you scratch off the winning numbers first, then the prizes and slowly scratch off your own numbers to find out if you have the winning numbers, then going from the excitement of possible winning to disappointment (and get depressed) because you DID NOT win (and lost your hard earned money)?

Or do you scratch off your numbers first, then the prizes and slowly scratch off the winning numbers to find out if you have won, again, going from the excitement of possible winning to disappointment (and get depressed) because you DID NOT win (and lost your hard earned money)?
What kind of gambler are you?

SUCCESS TIPS

I believe these success tips are not just for students.  Everyone should get a student ID (for continuing education, taking classes to improve your skills etc.), enjoy community events (not just campus), and most importantly, eat healthy and sleep at home, not on the job!
Have a good weekend - don't forget to get some sleep!

RETURN TO SENDER

I found this letter marked "Returned - Deceased" while cleaning out my home office.  It was a Christmas card I sent to Vivian.  I knew Vivian when I started working for a manufacturing company in Michigan back in 1989.  I handled payroll and accounts payable for the Wall Products Division.  The previous employee already left and Vivian had to train me to process the timecards and how to submit the information to Home Office in Shreveport, Louisiana where Vivian worked as Accounting Manager.  I still remember fondly our first phone conversation.  I am not being disrespectful to Vivian but it was so comical as we tried to understand each other, even though we both were speaking English.
While Vivian had a very strong Cajun Creole Louisiana accent which I never heard of, she struggled to understand my Vietnamese-Queens-New York accent.  Vivian was kind and patient.  She never raised her voice or made me feel as if I was less than capable of learning what needed to be done.
A few years after I moved to St. Louis, Vivian retired, sold her house and moved to an apartment.  We continued to keep in touch.  Then she had to give up the apartment and moved into an assisted living facility.  From her Christmas card in 2010, I could tell from her handwriting that she has gotten weaker.  I did not receive a Christmas card from Vivian in 2011 but I continued to send one last December (2012).  I got the card back late January.
"Mesi, Vivian" for your kindness and friendship.  I was blessed to have known you.    

HOW ABOUT A HUNGRY BEAR?

When I first saw the above sign at a rest stop along Blue Ridge Parkway, I thought it reads a "federal" bear is a dead bear (so to be a live bear, it has to be a "state" bear)!  Usually the sign would read, "Danger - Don't Feed the Bears!" warning people not to make any contact with the wild animal.  Somehow each year there would be one person who managed to get killed while visiting a national park and thought the bear was cute and irresistible.  

We did not see any bears and did not try looking for any bearpen either.  Besides, we already got Mitchell and he is definitely cute and very harmless!

IM GLAD

I am glad, very glad, that I am done with Evidence, the only class I have taken for summer semester.  I like these 3-week, 1 credit class, fast track courses.  The final exam was last night and I was exhausted afterward.  We were allowed one hour and 45 minutes and I needed 90 minutes to complete all 50 questions, multiple choice, true or false, and written answers on Federal Rules of Evidence (FRE) and Missouri Revised Statutes (RSMo).
Here is a question on Hearsay and Exceptions.
QQ alleges that TOTA took his Lamborghini for a joy ride on April 1st and damaged the machine when she backed into a tree.  QQ calls the Lone Gunman as witness who testifies that LG saw TOTA driving the Lamborghini.  LG remembers this because when TOTA saw LG, she said, "Hey!  Want to go for a ride in this cool car?".  Is this inadmissible as hearsay?  Under which FRE exception if it was admissible?       

TOTA - MADAM PRESIDENT

I was elected President of the Legal Studies Club at a Club meeting this week.  I was really looking forward to a debate (or two) and had many ideas for a dirty campaign!  But I was the only candidate and no one dared, well, nobody was foolish enough to take on the responsibilities.  I founded the Club early this year and have been planning, conducting and overseeing all the meetings.  I nominated other Club members for the positions of President-Elect, Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer.  We were officially elected by acclamations for a one year term. 

I prepared a short acceptance speech that reads, "My dear Legal Studies Club members, Thank you for your votes.  I am humbled by your trust and support.  I promise you that under my administration, I will uphold the Constitution, protect our Freedom and Liberty.  I will never abuse the executive power to cover up my incompetency, no illegal surveillance, or targeting any particular groups for political gains.  I will do my very best to be a competent leader.  I will always tell the truth, so help me God.  Thank you again for your support.  God Bless you, our Legal Studies Club and God Bless America." 

I have a question, "As president, would I still be able to get a tattoo and ride a Harley to meetings, instead of using Air Force One?"  My first executive order could be no more expensive golf outings, overspending vacations and unproductive oversea trips.  That would save lot of money and cut down our federal deficits.

THE GREAT ONE

This post is not about Wayne Gretzky (even though he is known as The Great One).  This is about all the great Fathers who love and care for their families.  They accept the responsibilities of providing for their children and most of all, living a moral, honest and earning a living thru hard work (no entitlement, no accepting award without actually deserving it or blaming someone else for their mistakes).
This license plate is for you, all the great Dad - Happy Father's Day.

WILD, WILD ART WORK

At first I thought these were real.  Thanks to whoever came up with this clever idea placing the sculptures along the road (on our way to Flaming Gorge Dam in Utah)  There was enough space to allow us to pull over safely to take the photo. 

The above and below sculptures were outside an art studio in Rock Springs, Wyoming.

Also seen in Rock Springs, Wyoming.  I bet there are a lot of anger and resentment from the male deer community about this sculpture!