Author: Peg

At this instant, there is no cell service. And, this train doesn’t have wifi. So,act of faith that I don’t lose this entry.

Day started when I woke up at 6am. The train was parked in the Tucson station. But my car had a pot of coffee ready and waiting. In good time, I had breakfast and settled in for a morning of looking out the window, napping and very little reading.

We are stuck on the train until 1 ish when we get recess in El Paso. It looks the same as the last time I was there. I made sure to be on the train when it left the station.

The afternoon was spent much like the morning. Skipped lunch. Being a slug doesn’t burn any calories. At 5pm we got another parole, this time in Alpine, Texas. A splendid little town. With much Wall art. But I was sure to be back on the train in time.

Oh, I had dinner last night and breakfast this morning with a woman from New Mexico. She is my age, old, and had been an iron worker. She was from a Native American family and all the men were welders on bridges and skyscrapers. She is the only girl in her family to pursue that trade she said she was the best welder in her generation, but she never made as much money as her brothers and cousins. She had worked mostly in California, but moved back to NM when she retired. And, that is one of the fun parts of taking the train.

Of course I would find men in skimpy outfits dancing. With in easy walking distance of Los Angeles Union Station. I have 8 hours to kill here. 4 down 4 to go. I am tired, so I plan on curling up in a chair and reading for a while.

As practice for my RTW trip, I have put my iPad and computer away for the rest of the trip. I want to minimize the amount of stuff that I haul around 25,000 miles.

Traveling makes me hate stuff. I have to pack it, lug it, and guard it.

All in all, I had a fine time in Santa Barbara, The Sunset Limited across the southern border should be interesting. Or at least restful.

I hope the train arrives in New Orleans somewhere near on time. And that my health gets better or at least reminds stable.

Union Station – Los Angeles.

Still cloudy and cool. But not raining. So, according to Shamu the Phone – who is now in charge of counting my steps and miles – Shamu says I got 19,811 steps and almost 8 miles. Not too shabby for an old woman with a sinus infection/cold/rhinovirus/whatever. 

Went to breakfast and to the grocery to replenish my emergency rations kit for the next part of the trip. Then, to avoid shopping temptation (I bet that Chanel jacket was still there) – I decided to go to the Santa Barbara Zoo. It is a modest but very well endowed zoo. Exactly what you get when you have a bunch of rich people and a really good “donor development” person. Most towns with a population of 100,000 would be hard pressed to have a really nice zoo. There is no evidence that they are big time into species survival or any such thing. They just have animals that visitor like. And, nice play areas for kids. Oh and farm animals – so kids can see cows and sheep etc. 

After I got back to the temporary old bat house, I was going to nap and rest and enjoy poor health. Having another dinner of granola bars, pistachios, wine, and chocolate. But, heck, I wasn’t going to feel any worse if I went to find the Mexican restaurant that James and Julia Child recommended. La Super-Rica Taqueria. According to Google, it was 1.6 miles away. It is apparently really busy – but I guessed that 4:30 might beat the rush. Off I went. To the “real” Santa Barbara. 

The plates are plastic, the roof is canvas, the food is outstanding. It helps to remember how to count in Spanish. They call the number out in Spanish first when your order is ready. If you don’t show up to pick it up – they say the number in English. Fortunately, I remembered, cuarenta y seis was 46.

Now, I guess I should get things ready to go tomorrow morning. I should have time to do it in the morning – but – if this sinus infection/cold/rhinovirus/whatever gets worse overnight. Well, that is the wreckage of the future as Carlton would say. It could get better.

Next stop LA and The Sunset Limited to New Orleans.

It has been 55° and drizzly all day. When I made it back to the temporary old bat cave – I was ready to call it a day. I napped most of the afternoon. When I woke up – it was still 55° and drizzly and I had no interest in going out and rounding up dinner. It is a good night for Room Service. But wait, Room Service is out of order at this hotel. Well, how about Grub Hub? This hotel isn’t Grub Hub friendly. I would have to go to the lobby – which is a block away – to collect my order. Which means I would have to get dressed and go out in the chilly drizzle. Let’s see, what do I have to eat: Wine (lagniappe from the hotel since there is no Room Service), tangerines, pistachios,  half a cookie, chocolate, Luna Bars, coffee and tea. Sounds like dinner to me. There is also the minibar. But, it doesn’t have much more than I have in my little “survival kit”. 

And, my sinus infection from January is trying to come back. But, that isn’t what is keeping me indoors. It is the 55° and drizzle that is keeping me inside. 

In Kona, palm trees are dedicated to sport fishermen. Here they are dedicated to dogs. Was this Maggie Girl’s favorite tree? Speaking of dogs. A huge standard poodle on a very long leash pranced into the restaurant where I was having breakfast. The dog was very handsome (as was his owner). I am guessing the owner was showing off how well trained his dog was. The dog was surely tall enough to help himself to anyone’s breakfast. Guess Santa Barbara is a very dog friendly place. (Google says there are 79 dog-friendly restaurants in Santa Barbara.)

Did some additional window shopping today. And, I stopped off at CVS for cough drops, mucinex, etc.  I wandered around Nordstroms. Didn’t find anything that I wanted or needed. I must be slipping. It was a little strange not to have anybody back home to buy naughty underwear for. I used to always buy something risque for me for Carlton. 

But yesterday I did find a Chanel jacket that I “needed” at a consignment shop. I didn’t get it. Don’t think I’ll live long enough to amortize the cost down to something reasonable! Also not sure I could just wad a Chanel jacket up in a ball and stuff it in my backpack – like I do my Virginia Hospital Center jacket. And, I am positive I couldn’t toss it in the washer. So, no Chanel jacket for me.

Time to finish up the wine and pistachio course and move on to the Luna Bar and  tea course. I’ll finish it up with coffee, chocoate, tangerine and half a cookie. A 3-course feast.

Tomorrow – hopefully, do outdoor stuff. Run down a restaurant recommended by my brother and Julia Child. It was closed yesterday and today. And, get everything organized for the train adventure which resumes on Friday morning.  

 

I rather like this tree. According to the sign – a sailor gave a cutting of it to his girlfriend. A couple of years later, she left town as girlfriends are want to do. And, the sapling was transplanted to its current location near the Train Station. 

In some ways, Santa Barbara is like Kona. The Pacific Ocean, a pier, a beach. Surfing. A goodly number of homeless people. Young Latino men in tight black pants selling Preparation H repackaged as $500 “eye treatments”. etc. But, in other ways, it is very unlike Kona. For example:

Had a great day. Walked over 6 miles. Checked out the local grocery store, farmers market, and thrift shop.  And the bus system. Santa Barbara seems to hate cars as much as Arlington. Which is alright with me.

A great town. I could live here. But, I live at The Asylum. I think this is why Carlton wanted me to move to The Asylum. Because left to my own decision-making process – I would have started out on an “Endless Winter” adventure. A worldwide search for the perfect place to die.

Three things could have been really bad. But weren’t.

1. On the flight home, my seat mates are a modern family. Two men and their sons. One son is 4 going on 5 and the young guy was 16 months. This could have been really really bad. But, the kids were put into jammies and they slept like babies. So did the Dads.  Me, I sort of became unconscious. But, I wouldn’t call it sleep.  
2. I was going to check my bag. I figured I had plenty of time to get to the train station. And, there wasn’t going to be any change of plane. So, what could go wrong? Well, fortunately, I did not check my bag because there was nobody in the TSA PreCheck line. Me and my bag zip through TSA. Much later on the plane, while the boys were being put into jammies – the pilot announces take off was delayed because the checked bags were all on a plane going to Seattle. Except for the ones that were waiting to be loaded on an Alaska bound plane. They were trying to get it sorted out. But, the Seattle plane had already taken off. I got lucky. 
3. As soon as I got off the bus at the LA train station – I bring up my Amtrak info on my phone. YIKES. My train to Santa Barbara was canceled.  After about 30 minutes of searching for a Plan B and a large coffee,  that one worked out too. 

Now, I am exhausted and my legs hurt. But I am glad to be here. And grateful that all those potential major annoyances broke my way.

But no whales. Maybe next year. 

I am more or less packed. Charging up all the gear. For the next 9 hours, I’ll just try to soak up enough Kona to get me through the next 8 months.  Think of that as my version of “charging up”.

If everything goes somewhat according to plan – the next post will be from Santa Barbara. 

 

Well, it’s really happening. I will go back to “america” tomorrow. For a little while. To celebrate #75. To get my chipped front tooth fixed. To get my taxes to “the tax guy”.  To see my Asylum Sisters. Then back to Adventures Before Alzheimer’s. 

I have been feeling kinda smug about my hotel, Ace Hotel – in New Orleans. The blue line is a major Mardi Gras parade route. Great location. But, wait. I was thinking like a 50-year-old. Not like a 75-year-old. No way I would survive 4+ hours of riotous parade watching. So, I ordered up “Grandstand” seating for myself in Lafayette Square. That is a definite old person move. My “grandstand” seating is for March 5 – AKA Fat Tuesday. There are 4 parades scheduled along that route on Tuesday. There are 2 parades on Monday night. I’ll just wing that one. But, I really want to see the Fat Tuesday Parade which involves 3 traditional krewes and one that is “trucks”. 

Two of the parade krewes have rather extensive web site.

And which krewe is under pressure to stop parading in blackface? You would be wrong. The Krewe of Zulu parades in blackface. 

Quote from the New Orleans Advocate:

About a dozen protesters Thursday evening held signs, chanted “Take it off” and tried to engage passing rush-hour motorists in conversation. Across Broad Street, about 40 Zulu members milled around the clubhouse, sometimes shouting back at the activists.

As the rally continued, a Zulu member ducked into his Bentley to hastily slap on the group’s signature face paint before flaunting it in front of the protesters. He then passed the makeup to another member, who did likewise.

emphasis mine – laissez le bon temp rouler

This is the culture that gave us Huey Long. And, my father.

. . . 

I am not a member of any organized political party.
I am a Democrat.
Will Rogers.

 

Alexa is packed up and is ready to go back to The Asylum. Now, who am I going to talk to? I know that I can fire up Alexa using the hotel’s wifi. But, that seems a little lame. I can talk to Shamu the Phone. OK Google, What time is it? But, Google isn’t as friendly as Alexa. On the other hand, I think Google might have better answers if you have a real question. 

My legs have been getting worse for the last week. Not good. But, today I realized that a week ago was when I started my silly exercise program of getting down on the floor and back up 5 times as quickly as possible without using my hands. So, this morning was the last time doing that. We’ll see if I get back to the better “new normal”.

A LITTLE REFLECTION ON BEING OLD

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Getting old is an adventure that I am not prepared for. I guess whatever happens is what Mother Nature, that bitch, planned for me! 

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. . . 

I am not a member of any organized political party.
I am a Democrat.
Will Rogers.

Just wanted to make sure that I am still able to update the blog from the phone. Seems like it works.

Tomorrow is laundry day. Saturday is packup day. Sunday, very late Sunday, is leave day.

Back at the Asylum two weeks from today.

And, my favorite.

So, the verdict is: the lens is OK. Not great. But a good solid OK. For landscape type photos – which I don’t do well – I think Shamu the Phone does a better job. Which is fine with me.

Other than taking pictures – I worked some at breaking camp and making ready to return to civilization. Or what passes for civilization these days.

Checked out “Things to Do in Santa Barbara”. Seems like: Farm Market, Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, Beach, and Shopping are about it. I can do all those things.

Oh, and I gave my hair it’s annual cut. 

. . . 

I am not a member of any organized political party.
I am a Democrat.
Will Rogers.

Well as promised the rain and my new inferior lens both arrived this morning.

I am happy with the rainy day, because – this place is a desert. And rain is a blessing. 

I am happy with the new lens. Well, my almost new lens. Except for underwater gear – I always buy used camera gear. So,  I never know exactly what I am going to get.  I was really surprised that this one came with a rather awesome hard lens case. Exactly the kind of case that the lens that cost as much as a car should have been in. But wasn’t.

As you can see the new one is tiny. But, all that extra weight and size made the old one great. The E-M1 really deserves better glass. The old lens will either be repaired or replaced. But, the new lens will most likely be a go-to travel lens, especially with the Pen-F body (which I understand is going out of production.)

A LITTLE REFLECTION ON BEING OLD

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The day I left the Asylum, my neighbor, Isabel, on the south side died. My neighbor, Ken, on the on my north side died yesterday. Half of my corridor-mates didn’t make it thru my winter escape. Ken was 94 years old. And, last fall, he was still taking his lady friend to dinner in our formal dining room most evenings. I am 74 for another couple of weeks. Ken’s death makes me wonder if I’ll make it to 2039. I think not.

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The new lens, with the E-M1  body is supposed to be rain-proof. I am not rain proof. So, I stayed indoors all day. I have run out of snacks and much variety for meals. Given the choice between peanut butter and bananas sandwiches and going out in the cold rain – bring on the PB&Bananas. 

. . . 

I am not a member of any organized political party.
I am a Democrat.
Will Rogers.