With all the trips that I make to the beach, in addition to those made by friends, I figured its time for a beaching scorecard:
1. Coastline: Points are given for dipping your toes into the waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and the Gulf Coast.
1 point for one body of water
2 points for two bodies of water
5 points for three bodies of water
10 points for all three and one of the Great Lakes
2. Items lost in the surf:
1 point for sunglasses
2 points for swim bottoms
5 points for swim top
10 points for all three
3. Tattoos:
1 point if you thought about getting one at the beach
5 points if you got one while at the beach
10 points if you got that beach tattoo removed
4. Fun in the Sand:
1 point if you have taken a picture of your toes in the sand
2 points if you have been buried in the sand
3 points if you have made a sand angel
5 points if you have lost a piece of jewelry in the sand
10 points for all four
5. Water Water Everywhere
1 point if you have peed in the surf
2 points if you have peed in the hotel pool
5 points four both
6. Skinny Dipping
1 point for skinny dipping in the hotel pool
2 points for skinny dipping in the surf
5 point four both
7. Birds and Sea Life
1 point if you fed the sea gulls
2 points if you picked up a shell with a crab in it
3 points if you went crabbing and caught some
5 points if a sea gull scored a poop bulls eye on you
8. Sun tanning
1 point if you got blistered the first day
2 points for hitting the beach before 9 am
3 points if you had a stranger rub lotion on your back
5 points if you met a new friend at the beach
9. Foodie
1 point if you brought lunch to the beach
2 points if you cooked a dinner meal in the Condo/Hotel
3 points if you ate every meal in the Condo/Hotel
5 points if every dinner meal was at a restaurant
10 points if you had you first raw oyster at the beach
10. Romance
0 points for not even getting to first base
1 point if you kissed a stranger you met at the beach
2 points if you got a phone number from someone of the opposite sex during your trip
3 points for a night of love making
4 points if your honeymoon was at the beach
5 points if your wedding was at the beach
Feel free to share this scorecard with your friends. Hey, why not post your score in the comments!
Retired in 2012. I'm trying to out run old age and boredom. So far, I'm winning the race!
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Blowfly Inn
After watching one of Walt Grayson's Mississippi Roads episodes about the Gulf Coast on ETV last week, I had the Blowfly Inn on my mind for days. My opportunity came Monday when I went on a coastal run with the Spousal Unit. She had two meetings, one in Biloxi and one if Gulfport. I'm the chauffer and she works on her laptop using her fancy internet box.
The Blowfly Inn is one of the few restaurants that still serve flounder. Not sure what the deal is. This fish is a bottom dweller, is somewhat thin, with a considerable amount of bones. The fish has a mild taste, that once it is cooked right, is this fish lover's delight. Some restaurants do serve it, but it is usually filets deep fried. My preference is either stuffed or broiled.
Ole Walt's show featured the stuffed flounder. Gotta admit, it made my mouth water. Once I get something into my head, especially food, there is no stopping me until I get a taste! We went to the Blowfly early in hopes of missing the crowds.
The parking lot was the first indication that our wait time would be short. Up the ramp we went, and onto the porch deck. There was a couple dining outside, since the temperatures were lower than normal for a late July afternoon. Noticed a couple of new signs had been posted, warning folks not to feed the local gator population. Sign said big fine and possible jail time..... Inside, the restaurant was only half full, yes! Time for flounder!
Got the usual questions, drink order, appetizer order, and or are you ready to really order? The Spousal Unit got the half and half, part shrimp, and part oyster, all deep fried. I asked for the stuffed flounder. Waitress looked at me all sad face, paused, then hit me with "I'm sorry sir, but we just sold the last one". WHAT????? It wasn't even 7:00 yet, only 6:50 for God sakes!!!!
Turns out, that the seafood truck comes on Tuesday and Friday. This was Monday. There were softball and baseball tournaments this past weekend, and the specialty of the house was in hot demand. So, no stuffed flounder for this ole boy that drove 3.5 hours to get it!
I took a deep breath, made a big sigh, then began to relook at the menu, one more time. The waitress quickly spoke up. "Now, if you want, I can get you a broiled flounder with our crab cakes on the side. Its the same crab meat stuffing that goes into the flounder". Ok, I'm good with that, sounded like one heck of a plan B!
The Spousal Unit's food was fried to perfection, with a baked tater on the side. She likes her oysters small, and coated with cornmeal and these were made to her order! My plate was a slice of heaven, flounder broiled to perfection, and an appetizer plate of crabcakes and a baked tater on the side!
The flounder was scored in a diamond pattern to insure even cooking. Not sure what it was basted in, but I'm sure it had plenty of butter and lemon juice in the sauce. The thing about eating a flounder it to remember to "flip it" when you finish the top side. While not real pretty, the bottom side is just as tasty! Here is a pic:
The manager came by to check on me, since her heard how badly I was wanting that stuffed flounder. My stomach was full and she could tell I was happy from the look on my face. The combination was a little more than the stuffed version, but to be honest, I just might start eating it that way from now on!
Had a nice chat with the manager. Of course, food was the topic. We both thought it was weird that more restaurants don't serve broiled or stuffed flounder. Occasionally she has diners that suggest that they filet and fry it, like at other places. She grinned and said, "they just don't realize how much of the menu specialties are sold! She says they try to anticipate how big each weekend will be when they order their fish, but they tend to sell out of the flounder no matter how much they buy. I know why!
We also talked about their shrimp dishes. She said the right way to do shrimp is with head on. Boil in hot water until done, then hit them with ice to stop the cooking process. They would pull the heads and leave the tails on for presentation. They had so many requests for "tails off" that they have gone to that, and also use a smaller size shrimp so that more are served on a plate. Omg, I could have talked food with her for hours!
We mentioned that we would probably be back by in a few weeks, since we were headed to the beach again now that the "off season" was almost upon us. She said that's when their off season begins too! She asked us to suggest to our friends that they come by too, they like the company.
We finished our meal off with a slice of one of my favorite desserts, carrot cake, and our dinner was done. You can't go wrong with the Blowfly Inn, during any season of the year. If you've never been there, give them a try!
The Blowfly Inn is one of the few restaurants that still serve flounder. Not sure what the deal is. This fish is a bottom dweller, is somewhat thin, with a considerable amount of bones. The fish has a mild taste, that once it is cooked right, is this fish lover's delight. Some restaurants do serve it, but it is usually filets deep fried. My preference is either stuffed or broiled.
Ole Walt's show featured the stuffed flounder. Gotta admit, it made my mouth water. Once I get something into my head, especially food, there is no stopping me until I get a taste! We went to the Blowfly early in hopes of missing the crowds.
The parking lot was the first indication that our wait time would be short. Up the ramp we went, and onto the porch deck. There was a couple dining outside, since the temperatures were lower than normal for a late July afternoon. Noticed a couple of new signs had been posted, warning folks not to feed the local gator population. Sign said big fine and possible jail time..... Inside, the restaurant was only half full, yes! Time for flounder!
Got the usual questions, drink order, appetizer order, and or are you ready to really order? The Spousal Unit got the half and half, part shrimp, and part oyster, all deep fried. I asked for the stuffed flounder. Waitress looked at me all sad face, paused, then hit me with "I'm sorry sir, but we just sold the last one". WHAT????? It wasn't even 7:00 yet, only 6:50 for God sakes!!!!
Turns out, that the seafood truck comes on Tuesday and Friday. This was Monday. There were softball and baseball tournaments this past weekend, and the specialty of the house was in hot demand. So, no stuffed flounder for this ole boy that drove 3.5 hours to get it!
I took a deep breath, made a big sigh, then began to relook at the menu, one more time. The waitress quickly spoke up. "Now, if you want, I can get you a broiled flounder with our crab cakes on the side. Its the same crab meat stuffing that goes into the flounder". Ok, I'm good with that, sounded like one heck of a plan B!
The Spousal Unit's food was fried to perfection, with a baked tater on the side. She likes her oysters small, and coated with cornmeal and these were made to her order! My plate was a slice of heaven, flounder broiled to perfection, and an appetizer plate of crabcakes and a baked tater on the side!
The flounder was scored in a diamond pattern to insure even cooking. Not sure what it was basted in, but I'm sure it had plenty of butter and lemon juice in the sauce. The thing about eating a flounder it to remember to "flip it" when you finish the top side. While not real pretty, the bottom side is just as tasty! Here is a pic:
The manager came by to check on me, since her heard how badly I was wanting that stuffed flounder. My stomach was full and she could tell I was happy from the look on my face. The combination was a little more than the stuffed version, but to be honest, I just might start eating it that way from now on!
Had a nice chat with the manager. Of course, food was the topic. We both thought it was weird that more restaurants don't serve broiled or stuffed flounder. Occasionally she has diners that suggest that they filet and fry it, like at other places. She grinned and said, "they just don't realize how much of the menu specialties are sold! She says they try to anticipate how big each weekend will be when they order their fish, but they tend to sell out of the flounder no matter how much they buy. I know why!
We also talked about their shrimp dishes. She said the right way to do shrimp is with head on. Boil in hot water until done, then hit them with ice to stop the cooking process. They would pull the heads and leave the tails on for presentation. They had so many requests for "tails off" that they have gone to that, and also use a smaller size shrimp so that more are served on a plate. Omg, I could have talked food with her for hours!
We mentioned that we would probably be back by in a few weeks, since we were headed to the beach again now that the "off season" was almost upon us. She said that's when their off season begins too! She asked us to suggest to our friends that they come by too, they like the company.
We finished our meal off with a slice of one of my favorite desserts, carrot cake, and our dinner was done. You can't go wrong with the Blowfly Inn, during any season of the year. If you've never been there, give them a try!
Saturday, July 26, 2014
This Retirement Thang
Well, its been two plus years since I got the news that I was retired. Sure doesn't seem that long ago.
You spend a life time thinking about it. You day dream about it. Then suddenly its your turn. You think, ok, I can handle this. How hard can it be? Well, there are a few adjustments that you have to make.
Spending. Unless you have an unlimited source of funds, spending implodes. At first, you think its no big deal. You payoff what you can, and continue to live your current life style. Then, at the end of the month, you realize, hey, no more paycheck. Whoops, time to cut back. Clearance sale shopping was a hobby, now its full time.
Friends. Remember all of those work friends you have/had. Doesn't take long for contact with them to evaporate. Most were overnight. The really close ones are the dearest, with you to the end and beyond. Some days you wonder, will it ever get to 5:00? Time for the working people to come home and play!
Hobbies. If you don't have one, get one. They certainly help make the time pass by. Me, I'm into bucket gardening, canning, and of course cooking. A spring break project with son#2 has turned into a cottage industry. I have lost count on the number of ice chest cooler boxes I have made. Just finished two, and starting on another. Baking doggies treats, cheese straws, and cookies for resale have also become part of my resume.
Job Hunt. Did it for two years, as part of the weekly unemployment routine. After applying for over 200 jobs, I had two interviews. You know the drill: overqualified, over paid, and over age. Face it, the younger bucks have the inside track, as they can handle standing on their feet all day, work for lower pay, and grew up already knowing the in's and out's of paperless ecommerce. Get to travel with the spousal unit a good bit, driving her on her appointed rounds while she is in the other seat working on her computer as we pass from one cell tower to the next.
A job! finally found some 1099 contract work. Get to be my own boss, and work when I want. Makes traveling with the spousal unit a whole lot less complicated. I work in several movie theaters putting the cardboard standees together. Some are a bit challenging! Also doing assembly work at Home Depot and other stores. I just thought I knew how to put things together!
Volunteer: make good use of your time. sitting in your chair or laying on the couch ain't gonna cut it. I volunteer and work at Stewpot Food Pantry through my church. I was driving the church bus on Wednesdays picking up the animals for choir practice. The part time jobs have taken over that free time.
Vacations. Yep, everyone needs a vaca, even retired people. We bought into a couple of timeshare units. Learned how they worked, then bought more days on the "after market". Spousal unit loves the beach, so now, if we work it just right, she has up to four weeks in her (and mine) spot in the sand!
Insurance. What a sticker shock that was. Under COBRA my family coverage was gonna be $1750 per month. And my term group life insurance that was $250 per month, was gonna be another $1750 per month once it was converted to the only option, a whole life policy. Thankfully the spousal unit had coverage at her employer. Never had to fool with Obummer care.
College tuition: Got one out of school, and one that just started, now a junior. Fortunately, with his scholarships and the money we saved for it, all is covered.
Got birthday number 58 coming up in September. You can begin drawing funds out of an IRA without penalty at 59.5. Hopefully my funds will last til then. I think I can, I think I can, Hell, I know I can!
Advice to Others: Sorry, some things you have to figure out on your own, just like me.
You spend a life time thinking about it. You day dream about it. Then suddenly its your turn. You think, ok, I can handle this. How hard can it be? Well, there are a few adjustments that you have to make.
Spending. Unless you have an unlimited source of funds, spending implodes. At first, you think its no big deal. You payoff what you can, and continue to live your current life style. Then, at the end of the month, you realize, hey, no more paycheck. Whoops, time to cut back. Clearance sale shopping was a hobby, now its full time.
Friends. Remember all of those work friends you have/had. Doesn't take long for contact with them to evaporate. Most were overnight. The really close ones are the dearest, with you to the end and beyond. Some days you wonder, will it ever get to 5:00? Time for the working people to come home and play!
Hobbies. If you don't have one, get one. They certainly help make the time pass by. Me, I'm into bucket gardening, canning, and of course cooking. A spring break project with son#2 has turned into a cottage industry. I have lost count on the number of ice chest cooler boxes I have made. Just finished two, and starting on another. Baking doggies treats, cheese straws, and cookies for resale have also become part of my resume.
Job Hunt. Did it for two years, as part of the weekly unemployment routine. After applying for over 200 jobs, I had two interviews. You know the drill: overqualified, over paid, and over age. Face it, the younger bucks have the inside track, as they can handle standing on their feet all day, work for lower pay, and grew up already knowing the in's and out's of paperless ecommerce. Get to travel with the spousal unit a good bit, driving her on her appointed rounds while she is in the other seat working on her computer as we pass from one cell tower to the next.
A job! finally found some 1099 contract work. Get to be my own boss, and work when I want. Makes traveling with the spousal unit a whole lot less complicated. I work in several movie theaters putting the cardboard standees together. Some are a bit challenging! Also doing assembly work at Home Depot and other stores. I just thought I knew how to put things together!
Volunteer: make good use of your time. sitting in your chair or laying on the couch ain't gonna cut it. I volunteer and work at Stewpot Food Pantry through my church. I was driving the church bus on Wednesdays picking up the animals for choir practice. The part time jobs have taken over that free time.
Vacations. Yep, everyone needs a vaca, even retired people. We bought into a couple of timeshare units. Learned how they worked, then bought more days on the "after market". Spousal unit loves the beach, so now, if we work it just right, she has up to four weeks in her (and mine) spot in the sand!
Insurance. What a sticker shock that was. Under COBRA my family coverage was gonna be $1750 per month. And my term group life insurance that was $250 per month, was gonna be another $1750 per month once it was converted to the only option, a whole life policy. Thankfully the spousal unit had coverage at her employer. Never had to fool with Obummer care.
College tuition: Got one out of school, and one that just started, now a junior. Fortunately, with his scholarships and the money we saved for it, all is covered.
Got birthday number 58 coming up in September. You can begin drawing funds out of an IRA without penalty at 59.5. Hopefully my funds will last til then. I think I can, I think I can, Hell, I know I can!
Advice to Others: Sorry, some things you have to figure out on your own, just like me.
Friday, July 25, 2014
Summer 2014, where the hell did you go?
I know, its only July 25th, but all the signs say the end is near!
When you go to Wally World and the stacks and stacks of school supplies are staring you in the face, you know the other and is near.
When you start seeing the count downs til college footfall begins, you know the end is near.
When the New Orleans Saints have already reported to camp, you know the end is near.
When Lowes and Home Depot no longer stock garden and bedding plants you know the end is near.
When all those summers clothes you bought are now 70% off, you know the end is near.
When your tomater plants have given up from the heat, you know the end is near.
When you get bombarded with last minute beach vacation deals, you know the end is near.
When you son gets his MTAG award notification for the next school year, you know the end is near.
But, all is not lost! I've got one more beach trip on the calendar in less than three weeks. The farmer's market still have veggies to put in the freezer. And Wally World still has the marine coolers on the shelves! Time to build more coolers! Freeze and can! And start packing my flippers for one more beach run! Summer, you ain't dead yet! And the Fall, you can just wait a little bit longer!
When you go to Wally World and the stacks and stacks of school supplies are staring you in the face, you know the other and is near.
When you start seeing the count downs til college footfall begins, you know the end is near.
When the New Orleans Saints have already reported to camp, you know the end is near.
When Lowes and Home Depot no longer stock garden and bedding plants you know the end is near.
When all those summers clothes you bought are now 70% off, you know the end is near.
When your tomater plants have given up from the heat, you know the end is near.
When you get bombarded with last minute beach vacation deals, you know the end is near.
When you son gets his MTAG award notification for the next school year, you know the end is near.
But, all is not lost! I've got one more beach trip on the calendar in less than three weeks. The farmer's market still have veggies to put in the freezer. And Wally World still has the marine coolers on the shelves! Time to build more coolers! Freeze and can! And start packing my flippers for one more beach run! Summer, you ain't dead yet! And the Fall, you can just wait a little bit longer!
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Blogging
Well, guess what! Its been a little over a year since I started this blog of mine. With blogger.com you get some interestimg statistics.
This post makes number 179. Quite a few topics, but mostly related to trips I've taken with the Spousal Unit. Gotten some feedback, but not a lot. The funniest thing has been questions about "how come.....". I then have to remind these folks that the blog is named " The World Through My Eyes"!
I post links thru Facebook and Google+ The total number of reads has been over 18,300 thru yesterday. That averages to around 100 reads per post. One post got over 700 reads, "Things Your Momma Might Say, Or Maybe Not!". Not sure how that happened.
Here are some surprising numbers: 32% of the readers use their IPhone, 19% use their IPad, 29% use their windows based laptop, and only 13% come from the Android. Go figure...
Readers come from over 20 countries, mostly from the U.S., Canada, and Russia. I'm guessing the foreign readers find it in Google+. Figured I'd have more from those sexy women countries like France and Italy. Must be the language barrier!
My parents have received a lot of feedback. " where did he get his humor from?". "I don't remember him being this funny when he was growing up". The mother in law even commented that she didn't know I could write! Me either fmuchhat matter! I'm just pleased to find that most people enjoy it!
I sometimes worry that I will run out of things to write about, but then I will see something, experience something, or just have a run of the mill conversation with somebody, and the next thing you know, there is another blog posting.
Sometimes I have these little chats with my lady friends that go down odd roads. They begin telling me these stories, then will interrupt themselves mid sentence and say " now don't put this on Facebook or your blog". They eventually finish their tale, and so far I have honored their requests. Thankfully no one has asked me to put one on here!
To those of you that help initiate a story, thank you very much! Occasionally I take "literary license" to spice it up some, but for the most part, the versions of events are as I remember them.
As long as somebody is reading, I'll keep posting. Thanks for the readership!
This post makes number 179. Quite a few topics, but mostly related to trips I've taken with the Spousal Unit. Gotten some feedback, but not a lot. The funniest thing has been questions about "how come.....". I then have to remind these folks that the blog is named " The World Through My Eyes"!
I post links thru Facebook and Google+ The total number of reads has been over 18,300 thru yesterday. That averages to around 100 reads per post. One post got over 700 reads, "Things Your Momma Might Say, Or Maybe Not!". Not sure how that happened.
Here are some surprising numbers: 32% of the readers use their IPhone, 19% use their IPad, 29% use their windows based laptop, and only 13% come from the Android. Go figure...
Readers come from over 20 countries, mostly from the U.S., Canada, and Russia. I'm guessing the foreign readers find it in Google+. Figured I'd have more from those sexy women countries like France and Italy. Must be the language barrier!
My parents have received a lot of feedback. " where did he get his humor from?". "I don't remember him being this funny when he was growing up". The mother in law even commented that she didn't know I could write! Me either fmuchhat matter! I'm just pleased to find that most people enjoy it!
I sometimes worry that I will run out of things to write about, but then I will see something, experience something, or just have a run of the mill conversation with somebody, and the next thing you know, there is another blog posting.
Sometimes I have these little chats with my lady friends that go down odd roads. They begin telling me these stories, then will interrupt themselves mid sentence and say " now don't put this on Facebook or your blog". They eventually finish their tale, and so far I have honored their requests. Thankfully no one has asked me to put one on here!
To those of you that help initiate a story, thank you very much! Occasionally I take "literary license" to spice it up some, but for the most part, the versions of events are as I remember them.
As long as somebody is reading, I'll keep posting. Thanks for the readership!
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Vaca 101
In the little bit of traveling that i have done, I've picked up a few tricks along the way. Most are pretty simple, some are "well duh", and others you just learn along the way. Here are some of them that might come in handy.
1. Pack light. Luggage fees get steep once you cross the 50 pound limit. If you are close to the weight limit, put heavy stuff and a grocery store shopping bag in one of the outer pockets of your suitcase. Chances are, somebody in your party can carry on one more bag if the scales don't tip in your favor. The spousal unit can pick up a bag and tell if it is over 50. Must be from toting those babies around all those years ago.
2. Carry your medicines in a carryon. Might want to include some personal items in case you luggage doesn't arrive with you. Nothing worse than traveling with someone that needs a bitch suppressant pill every six hours and they don't have that pill!
3. Make sure that everything you need is in the car with you before departing for the airport. Do not depend on someone else. The spousal unit called me from the airport, no suit case. It was in the wee morning hours. She thought son#1 had put her bag in the car. They get to the airport, and no suitcase. I made it there with no red light interruptions and three minutes to spare.
4. When traveling out of country, turn off your smart phone features. You can get discounted minutes for international travel, but the media charges will eat you alive. Use the hotel's internet service. I ended up with a $400 cell phone bill on a company trip to Canada.
5. Try out the paperless boarding passes. Instead of having to find the hotels business center, you down load your boarding passes to your phone. TSA has a scanner that reads the barcode off your phone. Pretty cool. Remember to have that phone charged.
6. During a layover, or just waiting to board, take advantage of the available charging stations. I now carry a compact Nexis instead of the bulky laptop, which is not needed in retirement!
7. Take the right shoes. Remember, shoes come off at the airport. Had a woman on the USS Midway last night at a reception that was wearing 3 inch heels. Her calf muscles were about to pop after climbing ladder stairs on a short tour of the carrier island on top!
8. If staying several days in a high end hotel, make a stop at a local market to pick up soft drinks and water. There should be a frig in your room.
9. Do not panic if there is no slot in the door to scan your plastic room key. There is now a sensor near the handle that reads the card.
10. Bring some paper money for cash only purchases and tips. Believe it or not, but most cabs have GPS's and credit card readers, even the bicycle taxis! But, there is still the valet parking guy and the luggage guy to take care of.
11. Most high end hotels supply all the toiletries you will need. The Hyatt even had toothpaste along with the soap and shampoo!
12. Watch out for that high priced breakfast buffet. On this stay its $24. They have a small deli where a sweet roll and juice is $7.
13. When flying, pack some snacks and ear phones. You can only eat so many peanuts and pretzels and peanuts. Longer flights usually offer music and videos, but the headsets are not free.
14. Don't panic if your suitcase gets blowed up! Eventually, if you travel enough, its gonna happen. The airline sometimes will get you a small allowance for a replacement. However, you may be on the wrong side of the security line to buy one at the airport, then you can panic!
15. Use Google maps to find out how far a restaurant or venue is from your hotel. It may be in walking distance. It can be a good tool in dealing with cabbies that like to take you the long way.
16. Do some research before your trip. Taxis might be cheaper than a car rental, depending on your proximity to places that interest you. Or, a rental car may be a better fit. The cost to go to an animal safari by taxi on this trip would have been $90 each way. That just got saved for another trip.
17. If you are traveling to a new destination, ask your social media friends for suggestions for restaurants and entertainment venues. The suggestions I got off Facebook were very helpful for my first trip to San Diego!
18. If you are traveling out of country or out of your normal pattern, let your credit card company know in advance. This keeps them from putting your card on hold when you have charges come through from places far from home.
19. Use the internet to purchase your tickets to shows, amusement parks, and ball games. Even when "on site" you can either print the tickets at the hotel or do a will call pickup. Usually there is a discount for buying online.
20. Have the man carry a small backpack. Great for storing ponchos, dry socks, and snacks. And don't forget a zip lock bag for dry storage of cell phones and other loose items. Both are life savers!
Hope you found these to be useful. Good luck in your travels!
1. Pack light. Luggage fees get steep once you cross the 50 pound limit. If you are close to the weight limit, put heavy stuff and a grocery store shopping bag in one of the outer pockets of your suitcase. Chances are, somebody in your party can carry on one more bag if the scales don't tip in your favor. The spousal unit can pick up a bag and tell if it is over 50. Must be from toting those babies around all those years ago.
2. Carry your medicines in a carryon. Might want to include some personal items in case you luggage doesn't arrive with you. Nothing worse than traveling with someone that needs a bitch suppressant pill every six hours and they don't have that pill!
3. Make sure that everything you need is in the car with you before departing for the airport. Do not depend on someone else. The spousal unit called me from the airport, no suit case. It was in the wee morning hours. She thought son#1 had put her bag in the car. They get to the airport, and no suitcase. I made it there with no red light interruptions and three minutes to spare.
4. When traveling out of country, turn off your smart phone features. You can get discounted minutes for international travel, but the media charges will eat you alive. Use the hotel's internet service. I ended up with a $400 cell phone bill on a company trip to Canada.
5. Try out the paperless boarding passes. Instead of having to find the hotels business center, you down load your boarding passes to your phone. TSA has a scanner that reads the barcode off your phone. Pretty cool. Remember to have that phone charged.
6. During a layover, or just waiting to board, take advantage of the available charging stations. I now carry a compact Nexis instead of the bulky laptop, which is not needed in retirement!
7. Take the right shoes. Remember, shoes come off at the airport. Had a woman on the USS Midway last night at a reception that was wearing 3 inch heels. Her calf muscles were about to pop after climbing ladder stairs on a short tour of the carrier island on top!
8. If staying several days in a high end hotel, make a stop at a local market to pick up soft drinks and water. There should be a frig in your room.
9. Do not panic if there is no slot in the door to scan your plastic room key. There is now a sensor near the handle that reads the card.
10. Bring some paper money for cash only purchases and tips. Believe it or not, but most cabs have GPS's and credit card readers, even the bicycle taxis! But, there is still the valet parking guy and the luggage guy to take care of.
11. Most high end hotels supply all the toiletries you will need. The Hyatt even had toothpaste along with the soap and shampoo!
12. Watch out for that high priced breakfast buffet. On this stay its $24. They have a small deli where a sweet roll and juice is $7.
13. When flying, pack some snacks and ear phones. You can only eat so many peanuts and pretzels and peanuts. Longer flights usually offer music and videos, but the headsets are not free.
14. Don't panic if your suitcase gets blowed up! Eventually, if you travel enough, its gonna happen. The airline sometimes will get you a small allowance for a replacement. However, you may be on the wrong side of the security line to buy one at the airport, then you can panic!
15. Use Google maps to find out how far a restaurant or venue is from your hotel. It may be in walking distance. It can be a good tool in dealing with cabbies that like to take you the long way.
16. Do some research before your trip. Taxis might be cheaper than a car rental, depending on your proximity to places that interest you. Or, a rental car may be a better fit. The cost to go to an animal safari by taxi on this trip would have been $90 each way. That just got saved for another trip.
17. If you are traveling to a new destination, ask your social media friends for suggestions for restaurants and entertainment venues. The suggestions I got off Facebook were very helpful for my first trip to San Diego!
18. If you are traveling out of country or out of your normal pattern, let your credit card company know in advance. This keeps them from putting your card on hold when you have charges come through from places far from home.
19. Use the internet to purchase your tickets to shows, amusement parks, and ball games. Even when "on site" you can either print the tickets at the hotel or do a will call pickup. Usually there is a discount for buying online.
20. Have the man carry a small backpack. Great for storing ponchos, dry socks, and snacks. And don't forget a zip lock bag for dry storage of cell phones and other loose items. Both are life savers!
Hope you found these to be useful. Good luck in your travels!
Monday, July 21, 2014
USS Midway Museum
San Diego Harbor is the final home port for the USS Midway, built in 1945 and decommissioned in 1992. I could not pass up the opportunity to tour this grand ship.
This sucker did not look that big from the road as we first passed by it on Friday. This ship did not look that big from the hotel window. It did not look that big from the restaurant next door last night. But believe me, its BIG, coming in only 100 feet short of the current active carriers.
The cost of the tour was a bargain at only $20. They have two self guided tours, one adult and one family. For both, they issue you a set of headphones and a hand set. I took the adult tour.
They have several elevators on sight, but if you cannot climb stairs both up and down, you will be terribly disappointed. There are volunteer located throughout the ship to give you a narrative, or point you in the right direction. You start on the hanger deck, work your way to the lower decks and finish up on the flight deck.
Lots of aircraft that served during the time that the USS Midway was on active duty are on board the ship. The self quided tour includes conversation on all of these aircraft.
While during my visit, I was able to see two aircraft carriers at port. Having three of these grand ships in the same harbor was an awesome sight.
If you are a history buff, this definitely should be pon your "must visit" list. I chuckled a bit. There were a lot of Japanese tourists on board today. Guessing they don't have anything this grand in their own country since our Navy sunk most of them!
I spent a littler more than 5 hours on board. If you ever make it this fatr west, definitely put it on your list of attractions to see, even if you aren't a history buff! You'll be glad you did!
This sucker did not look that big from the road as we first passed by it on Friday. This ship did not look that big from the hotel window. It did not look that big from the restaurant next door last night. But believe me, its BIG, coming in only 100 feet short of the current active carriers.
The cost of the tour was a bargain at only $20. They have two self guided tours, one adult and one family. For both, they issue you a set of headphones and a hand set. I took the adult tour.
They have several elevators on sight, but if you cannot climb stairs both up and down, you will be terribly disappointed. There are volunteer located throughout the ship to give you a narrative, or point you in the right direction. You start on the hanger deck, work your way to the lower decks and finish up on the flight deck.
Lots of aircraft that served during the time that the USS Midway was on active duty are on board the ship. The self quided tour includes conversation on all of these aircraft.
While during my visit, I was able to see two aircraft carriers at port. Having three of these grand ships in the same harbor was an awesome sight.
If you are a history buff, this definitely should be pon your "must visit" list. I chuckled a bit. There were a lot of Japanese tourists on board today. Guessing they don't have anything this grand in their own country since our Navy sunk most of them!
I spent a littler more than 5 hours on board. If you ever make it this fatr west, definitely put it on your list of attractions to see, even if you aren't a history buff! You'll be glad you did!
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