My great nephew turned 18 in August. He's a fine young man --very mannerly and respectful.
I asked him what he had planned now that he'd reached that magical age.
He replied: "I'm going to vote!
I was exhilarated. And last week, he texted me a "Thank you for voting" card.
He was so proud. But not as proud as me!
The Amtrak journey to the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons and more - turned out to be a disaster. I won't go into the details but it was so bad, Amtrak refunded me some of my money. And I was told they NEVER refund anything!
But with that out of the way, and with a resolve that I will do better for my next trip, I finally decided where I'd go.
And it's to:
JAPAN!!
WOO HOO!
I met Michelle Dunham over ten years ago. when she called Alpha Kappa Alpha for information about an event she wanted to attend.
I provided her with the info -- and she came. That's how I met her.
We clicked and became great friends.
She's an attorney and football player but a devoted friend.
My cat is dear to me and since my neighbor can no longer feed her while I'm away because she can no way, I've had to put her in a shelter. My late cat, Manny, died after spending a week there.I don't know if I can blame the shelter since Manny was a tad sick, but she died. I was reluctant to put my new cat Pearl, there. But she survived a week. But the second time, her eyes were red and needed treatment.
I went out of town for a week to the tennis championships in Mason, Ohio. I mentioned to Michelle that I didn't want to put Pearl in a shelter. She volunteered to come by and feed her. And she not only came by but also called to tell me how Pearl was doing..That was much appreciated. On the day before I would be home, I told Michelle that I'd be home soon and there was no need for her to come by. She said she had grown fond of Pearl and would come by that day and feed her and pet her a bit.
I was so touched and humbled and realized that Michelle is a true friend.
Chicago is abuzz because the Democratic National Convention is here. In my "past life" I would have been involved scurrying around making things happen and avoiding any faux pas.
So, what am I doing? I'm chillin', I'm relaxi' and I'M LOVING IT!
Well, instead of taking vacations to another continent, as I've done in the past, I decided to travel within the United States. To the West.
What better way than taking a vacation on Amtrak.
I had my roomette where I could have privacy but that is probably the best I can say.
The first issue was that they had no wifi...who doesn't have wifi? So, I had to use my phone to access messages. And when we stopped at hotels, I was able to catch up.
Amtrak hires companies for its tourist needs. One company dropped folks off at the airport and took my bags off the bus...even though I wasn't going there. When my bags were found missing, I was livid. Fortunately, the bags were there.
Then, in Salt Lake City, the restaurant I was supposed to dine at was closed for remodeling. Why didn't Amtrak know that?
I was so looking forward to San Francisco: Fisherman's Wharf, cable cars - positive vibe. We were supposed to arrive at 4:55 PM. Time enough to bask in the uniquely San Francisco ambience. But we didn't get there until 2:30 AM. Delays...delays...delays. Because I was on a tour the next morning, I never got a chance to enjoy San Francisco's ambience before we were on our way to Los Angeles.
There are many similar stories. But reliving them on this platform is depressing. So, I'll just sign off and vow never to take Amtrak again. And you shouldn't either!
Well, I got my implants done in Cancun. It was a success. My teeth feel spectacular... and I only spent $1200 or $2400 for two teeth.
In the US, it would have totaled $10,000.
The only thing I had to pay for was hotel as I had accumulated enough points that I got my airfare FREE!
My friends can laugh and mock me if they want. But they're spending $10,000 and I'm saving $7,600. Now who got the better deal?
