The swallows of Capistrano return every year on March 19. Nobody knows why on that particular day but they do.
The Divi Little Bay resort in St. Maarten is our Capistrano. Around this time every year my friends are getting ready to leave for their pilgrimage to this place. With most of them this has been going on for several decades while with some newbies maybe one and a half decade.
To do this every year without interruption is habit forming. Several friends say at the end of their stay that this was the last time, it was getting boring and next year they would try some other place.
Talk is cheap and the following year all the swallows return!
There is something to say about familiarity. The place is almost like going home. It is not a five star resort, it is not a perfect resort but it is familiar.
The staff is friendly and many of them are long time friends. So, going back each year is something everybody look forward to.
I will not go this year. I am sorry we are not going but my fiancé and I decided to try something different. While our friends will fly south we will fly west. We will be going to Las Vegas. Neither of us has been there before and we are very excited about our upcoming trip.
Since we will be together I'm sure we will have a great time.
Friday, August 7, 2015
Thursday, August 6, 2015
UFO
Do any one of us believe in aliens?
According to some internet entries today and yesterday there is a video clip showing a Virgin Atlantic plane being overtaken by a UFO over new York's Kennedy Airport.
It happened on July 7 but only hit the internet yesterday and today.
I don't know what to believe. I do believe that there is intelligent life out there, somewhere but I also believe that it not somewhere nearby. The Universe is too large to assume that we are the only ones living like the way we live.
We call ours intelligent life but to some others we may be simple and backward and uncivilized. We claim that according to the laws of physics certain strange thing are not possible. The laws of physics are ours and other civilizations might have different laws.
What is hard to believe is that after all the UFO sightings people talk about they still remain only sightings. Why they do not want to meet with us?
Maybe they just observing Earth while waiting for us to kill each other and then they can take over the planet without any problem. I'm sure they have all the time in the world.
According to some internet entries today and yesterday there is a video clip showing a Virgin Atlantic plane being overtaken by a UFO over new York's Kennedy Airport.
It happened on July 7 but only hit the internet yesterday and today.
I don't know what to believe. I do believe that there is intelligent life out there, somewhere but I also believe that it not somewhere nearby. The Universe is too large to assume that we are the only ones living like the way we live.
We call ours intelligent life but to some others we may be simple and backward and uncivilized. We claim that according to the laws of physics certain strange thing are not possible. The laws of physics are ours and other civilizations might have different laws.
What is hard to believe is that after all the UFO sightings people talk about they still remain only sightings. Why they do not want to meet with us?
Maybe they just observing Earth while waiting for us to kill each other and then they can take over the planet without any problem. I'm sure they have all the time in the world.
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Tuesday
We are extremely enjoying the nothing to dolifestyle. This morning we woke up and decided that this decadent lifestyle will continue.
But since we have to eat we went over to New Jersey and had lunch in a very picturesque waterside seafood restaurant. Waterside meant it was on the shores of the Hudson River with an unobstructed view of Manhattan.
And, Manhattan from afar looks pretty good.
We had some drinks and naturally fish for lunch. I have to say the food was good and we had a great time there.
Then we came home and spent the afternoon on the computer watching St. Maarten videos and YouTube airport landings around the world.
Now we are planning tomorrow's program. That should be very easy and it would not take more than two minutes.
Maybe if the weather is nice we might go to the beach or we might not go to the beach.
Abigail is in Florida and as far as we know she is enjoying herself with her siblings. I said as far as we know.
As far as we are here I do know that we are really enjoying ourselves!
But since we have to eat we went over to New Jersey and had lunch in a very picturesque waterside seafood restaurant. Waterside meant it was on the shores of the Hudson River with an unobstructed view of Manhattan.
And, Manhattan from afar looks pretty good.
We had some drinks and naturally fish for lunch. I have to say the food was good and we had a great time there.
Then we came home and spent the afternoon on the computer watching St. Maarten videos and YouTube airport landings around the world.
Now we are planning tomorrow's program. That should be very easy and it would not take more than two minutes.
Maybe if the weather is nice we might go to the beach or we might not go to the beach.
Abigail is in Florida and as far as we know she is enjoying herself with her siblings. I said as far as we know.
As far as we are here I do know that we are really enjoying ourselves!
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Monday
Today is Monday and we had a great day. An early morning phone call (at the ungodly hour of 8:30) woke us up and from then on it was just one thing after another.
In reality we didn't do a damn thing all day long. Actually we did. We talked about the things we should be doing and decided to do them at a later date.
In the evening we went out for a very long walk. Walked all over the neighborhood, stopped for some ice cream and after an hour and a half came home. Can't say that I'm not tired because I am but it did feel good. As much as it is inviting to sit on the sofa and watch TV or snooze it is very pleasant to go for a good walk.
My friend and I walked enormous distances in Stockholm and Budapest and at the end we just collapsed. But that was different.
Two "middle aged" men don't have to play macho front of each other. But my case is different. I have a beautiful young bride and I want to keep up with her in every way possible!
In reality we didn't do a damn thing all day long. Actually we did. We talked about the things we should be doing and decided to do them at a later date.
In the evening we went out for a very long walk. Walked all over the neighborhood, stopped for some ice cream and after an hour and a half came home. Can't say that I'm not tired because I am but it did feel good. As much as it is inviting to sit on the sofa and watch TV or snooze it is very pleasant to go for a good walk.
My friend and I walked enormous distances in Stockholm and Budapest and at the end we just collapsed. But that was different.
Two "middle aged" men don't have to play macho front of each other. But my case is different. I have a beautiful young bride and I want to keep up with her in every way possible!
Monday, August 3, 2015
Sunday
Today is Sunday and we had a pretty full day. A good and full day. Even though our day didn't start until around noon but we still made the most of it.
I'll start at the end.
Microsoft introduced Windows 10. I had Windows 8.1 and I was pretty happy and comfortable with it. But did Mr. Gates care about that? No, he didn't! They still introduced Windows 10.
Now, my computer knowledge is limited to turning the thing on do a few things then shut it off. But thanks to my fiancé's son who is very versatile and knowledgeable about computers Windows 10 was successfully installed tonight. And he wasn't even here in New York. Did it remotely. The whole installation and cleaning up files and rearranging stuff took about three hours but now I can start to familiarize myself again with this new thing.
Who the hell needs all these changes? Just about when one gets comfortable with a system these computer Nazis decide to change things just to make our lives more complicated.
Everything is rearranged and I was very happy that I was able to find my blog. It wasn't easy but I did it.
Before tonight we decided to go into Manhattan. There was no traffic and we didn't go there in a long time. We went to the Midtown Macy's for a look see. Parking was easy and nearby so we just strolled in. There were about three million people in there but we still had a chance to walk around a bit.
After Macy's we drove Uptown and went to the Hungarian pastry shop for a little nourishment. It was a real shock that when we walked in around 4:30 in the afternoon the place was totally empty. As a matter of fact the young lady who worked there told us it was like that since around 11 in the morning. I have been going to this place for many years but never ever saw it this desolate.
Maybe its B Health Department rating had something to do with it. But Anyway we ate our two chestnut purees and left. I must say that the chestnut puree was fantastic. I had some in Budapest on my recent trip but this was as good as any I had there.
I'll start at the end.
Microsoft introduced Windows 10. I had Windows 8.1 and I was pretty happy and comfortable with it. But did Mr. Gates care about that? No, he didn't! They still introduced Windows 10.
Now, my computer knowledge is limited to turning the thing on do a few things then shut it off. But thanks to my fiancé's son who is very versatile and knowledgeable about computers Windows 10 was successfully installed tonight. And he wasn't even here in New York. Did it remotely. The whole installation and cleaning up files and rearranging stuff took about three hours but now I can start to familiarize myself again with this new thing.
Who the hell needs all these changes? Just about when one gets comfortable with a system these computer Nazis decide to change things just to make our lives more complicated.
Everything is rearranged and I was very happy that I was able to find my blog. It wasn't easy but I did it.
Before tonight we decided to go into Manhattan. There was no traffic and we didn't go there in a long time. We went to the Midtown Macy's for a look see. Parking was easy and nearby so we just strolled in. There were about three million people in there but we still had a chance to walk around a bit.
After Macy's we drove Uptown and went to the Hungarian pastry shop for a little nourishment. It was a real shock that when we walked in around 4:30 in the afternoon the place was totally empty. As a matter of fact the young lady who worked there told us it was like that since around 11 in the morning. I have been going to this place for many years but never ever saw it this desolate.
Maybe its B Health Department rating had something to do with it. But Anyway we ate our two chestnut purees and left. I must say that the chestnut puree was fantastic. I had some in Budapest on my recent trip but this was as good as any I had there.
Sunday, August 2, 2015
Saturday
Today is Saturday, the first day of August. Time is flying at such a speed that it is staggering. Just a little while ago it was still May, the beginning of the summery weather and now we are complaining about the above 90 degree heat.
Wait until February when we will complain about the cold and will try to think back to today's heat wave.
We are never satisfied, that's the truth.
Something else.
I am not cheap. I am thrifty. If I can save a buck I will.
Case in point. E few weeks ago I bought myself at DSW a nice pair of summer loafers. The minute we got home there was a $20 coupon in my mailbox. To say that I was pissed is putting it mildly.
So what this recently bar mitzvahedrr Jewish boy do?
Today I returned the shoes and repurchased them again with the use of that coupon. To add to my satisfaction the cashier told me that I also have an additional $10 coupon in the mail but I really don't need the coupon I can use it right now. That was an instant $30 back!
Good country America!
Wait until February when we will complain about the cold and will try to think back to today's heat wave.
We are never satisfied, that's the truth.
Something else.
I am not cheap. I am thrifty. If I can save a buck I will.
Case in point. E few weeks ago I bought myself at DSW a nice pair of summer loafers. The minute we got home there was a $20 coupon in my mailbox. To say that I was pissed is putting it mildly.
So what this recently bar mitzvahedrr Jewish boy do?
Today I returned the shoes and repurchased them again with the use of that coupon. To add to my satisfaction the cashier told me that I also have an additional $10 coupon in the mail but I really don't need the coupon I can use it right now. That was an instant $30 back!
Good country America!
Saturday, August 1, 2015
Trip Prologue
I hate to dwell on things but I will dwell on my Florida trip.
Flying to Europe is a long and tiring process. I flew over the night and when we arrived to Stockholm we were pretty tired. Took a nap in the hotel and then we were good to go.
Pretty much felt the same way when I got to Florida. On the plane to Europe I slept very little and in the car I slept almost nothing. After we settled in our place in Florida we also took a short nap and that felt very good.
So now psychologically I keep telling myself that it is just like an overnight flight to Europe. And you know the second time this trip wasn't as tiring as the first time. I'm sure the third time it will be even easier.
Speaking about driving.
I love to drive fast but naturally in a safe condition. I95 down in the southern states is a dream. Straight as an arrow and the speed limit in most places is 75 mph. That means one can safely drive at a speed of 82-87 mph. And that is pretty fast. Yet, more than once we were passed by much faster going cars and trucks and even motorcycles.
Interestingly while one can hear news of accidents on the highways up here North we didn't see any on our trips on the way down and back. I guess those people drive better than the northern population.
I love to use the cruise control. When it was my turn to drive I just set it at 83 mph and let the car go. All I had to do was steer the car. I love to drive that way.
I love palm trees and I was excited about the prospects of seeing them again. Palm trees started to appear in South Carolina and slowly they became a regular appearance. Down in Florida they have much nicer palm than I ever saw in St. Maarten
Just a little funny note.
In the 1960s we took a vacation in Miami. I think it was in August. My aunt who lived in this country for a long time already said that going in August was not a vary good idea. It was too hot and the palm trees looked very tired. That's what she said very tired.
So, I told my aunt that since I never ever saw a palm tree in my entire life I couldn't care less if they were tired or not tired.
Flying to Europe is a long and tiring process. I flew over the night and when we arrived to Stockholm we were pretty tired. Took a nap in the hotel and then we were good to go.
Pretty much felt the same way when I got to Florida. On the plane to Europe I slept very little and in the car I slept almost nothing. After we settled in our place in Florida we also took a short nap and that felt very good.
So now psychologically I keep telling myself that it is just like an overnight flight to Europe. And you know the second time this trip wasn't as tiring as the first time. I'm sure the third time it will be even easier.
Speaking about driving.
I love to drive fast but naturally in a safe condition. I95 down in the southern states is a dream. Straight as an arrow and the speed limit in most places is 75 mph. That means one can safely drive at a speed of 82-87 mph. And that is pretty fast. Yet, more than once we were passed by much faster going cars and trucks and even motorcycles.
Interestingly while one can hear news of accidents on the highways up here North we didn't see any on our trips on the way down and back. I guess those people drive better than the northern population.
I love to use the cruise control. When it was my turn to drive I just set it at 83 mph and let the car go. All I had to do was steer the car. I love to drive that way.
I love palm trees and I was excited about the prospects of seeing them again. Palm trees started to appear in South Carolina and slowly they became a regular appearance. Down in Florida they have much nicer palm than I ever saw in St. Maarten
Just a little funny note.
In the 1960s we took a vacation in Miami. I think it was in August. My aunt who lived in this country for a long time already said that going in August was not a vary good idea. It was too hot and the palm trees looked very tired. That's what she said very tired.
So, I told my aunt that since I never ever saw a palm tree in my entire life I couldn't care less if they were tired or not tired.
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