What I have been up to

Ok, I know, it has been far too long since my last post. Sometimes I can't even keep up with my own life. When we last left off, I was in North Carolina. Since then I flew back to Chicago to get my car and far too many belongings for the trunk of my car and began the next part of my journey: finding the "next thing" (for now).

It took me to Indianapolis where I visited my good friend Carmela and her family where I:

Checked out the very cool downtown area

Explored the super cool high technology and amazing library

(you do remember I am a 'geek', right?)

Went "surfing" with the boys in front of an excellent waterfall

I am surfing left-footed in case you can't tell.

Then I headed up to Grand Portage Wisconsin which is about five miles from the Canadian border. My favorite quote along the way was from a motorcycle man at a gas station in Two Harbors Wisconsin. He pulled in behind me as I was filling my tank. I was washing the massive amounts of dead bugs off my windshield and debating getting my jacket on as it was only 60 degrees F (15 degrees Celsius) outside when the man walked by me. He looked at me and said "the bugs really come out in this hot weather and I am just not used to it". That's right, he said HOT weather. I had just returned from Romania where it had been close to 100 degrees F (37 degrees Celsius) and couldn't help but giggle.

Life really is all about perspective, isn't it.

Pretty, isn't it?

A lighthouse turned bed a breakfast - my retirement gig.

Why did I go there you ask? I went to see my friend Sherene, from Jamaica, who is working there for the next year. I figured it was now or never - no regrets here. I had the great honor of meeting all her new friends there and seeing where she is living and working.

Not bad for a self photo!

We had fun as we explored a bit of the area, did my laundry at a laundromat(exciting I know) where I with great reluctance and paranoia (I am used to high crime areas) left my clothes while we:

Giggled on the swings

Explored the frontier exhibit.

Sherene thought this should be my new home.

We also took a drive to the Canadian border, just to see. Hard to conceptualize what a land border would look like if you have never been to one before. Sherene has that photo on her camera.

After a very tearful good-bye I began making my way to Seattle. Ok, it actually took me three days to get there. On my way I stopped in Billings Montana and reconnected with some old friends. Well, they aren't old chronologically, just old in the sense that I have known them a long time. It had been almost 10 years since I had last seen them.

While on the road I passed by this sign

Needless to say I called my brother Terry to ask him why he wasn't anywhere to been seen in one mile when the sign promised he would be. I had to take a detour a check out the town. The high school mascots are the "Terriers". And I couldn't find the ice cream shop that was so boldly advertised. My brother must have eaten it all when he passed through this town way back in the late 80's or early 1990's. Progress is slow in very small town America.

Then I headed to Coeurs de A'lene Idaho

I was trying to catch the sun rays streaming through the clouds

Lake Coeurs de A'lene

My friends "talking trash".

I could resist this photo as they were taking the green trash bin to the curb for pick up.

I am now in Seattle WA and there is much more to write about what I am doing here and what projects I am working on. That is for another blog update.

For now, I just know I have been incredibly blessed again by the people I have gotten to see and the roads I have traveled. I did miss my friends in Romania alot, and still do. One day, I will be back there again. Right now, I will embrace where I am today - in Seattle with over four days of Sunshine in a row! Not bad for a city known for having only a total of 100 and some days of sun.

The next blog will be posted this weekend.