December 11, 2015: Barnes & Noble Gang Christmas Party

I had my 2nd annual Barnes & Noble gang Christmas party at my house.  Rhonda was the first to show up followed by Dale Christensen, Thelma & Ron Prather, Kay Tobey, Karen Scraver, Nancy, Barb, Diann & Michael, Olivia Buxton, and her brother Josh Buxton.

I had to laugh at Josh's ugly sweater he got at a Goodwill along with a scarf and orange earmuffs he found in a parking lot.    

The presents of the night was the Fifty Shades of Chicken cookbook which Josh got on Amazon and the mug I got which he got that had Chevy Chase on it that said "Not the Brightest Bulb".  

Everyone seemed to enjoy good conversation and fellowship with one another which is the greatest Christmas present of all.

October 27, 2015: In Memory of Maggie Victoria Gonyo

Maggie Gonyo was the child I never had.  She was born November 30, 2003 under a computer desk at my friend Betsy Floyd's house.     Betsy gave her to me in January 2004 and my life changed forever.    I remember looking up names for my new dog and the name Maggie stood out.     

The first day I got Maggie, she was only 3 pounds.      I remember the neighbor kids on Lawnel Avenue, Cody and Conner, came over to see her.  She would run and hide under the lazy boy or behind the refrigerator.  Patty and Matthew also came over that day to meet her.    She was always a bundle of joy.     The first day, I remember calling Betsy as Maggie was hiding behind the refrigerator and I was so afraid she would get hurt.  I had never had a dog before so this was all new to me.     The first night, I put Maggie in the crate, which she hated.   She threw up two times that night in the crate.   Ever since then, she never would go in a crate, no matter how hard I tried to get her to go in there to rest.      I would even try to put peanut butter in balls and put it in the crate, but she was sneaky and would walk around the crate to try and get it, without going inside.  Sometimes, she would make sure to keep one paw out of the crate so she could escape.

I used to dress up Maggie in cute outfits, such as swim suits, sailor outfits, jean skirts, sweaters, etc.  She always looked cute in them, but never liked wearing clothes.    I wonder why?    

I had birthday parties for her when she was 1, 2, and 3 years old.    I had my friends come over with their dogs and we played dog themed games such as the Best Kisser, fastest dresser, fastest runner, etc.    I had doggie ice cream and cake for humans.   I also gave each dog a treat bag to bring home, just like you would for a child's birthday party.       We all had a good time at those parties.

She loved to play ball especially with men. She would go crazy when she would see a man in the house.  She gave you endless kisses and licks over the years and had the softest fur of any dog I have ever seen.  She truly was a princess in my eyes.    

I took Maggie on several trips, including Chicago, Mackinaw City, Indiana, Jamestown, NY, Grand Rapids, and Ann Arbor.      She always went with us up to Baldwin on Memorial Day weekend to see Peggy and get some Jone's Ice Cream.   She would lick her chops when she would see the vanilla ice cream.

She had some tough times during her life, too.  She fell out of my bed one time and hit her eye, which made it partially pop out, which needed surgery.  She was attacked by a dog at our first apartment, Hamptons Court, which she overcame.   She had a toe amputated due to cancer.  She had pancreatitis in June 2012, which was the same week we moved into the condo. She had to go to Grand Rapids to the vet to get treated.   Not sure what happened recently, but she was sick for about 3 weeks and could barely jump onto my bed, and spent most of her days laying under the bed.     It was not an easy decision to end her life, but I did not want her to suffer anymore.     I was surprised how fast the procedure went and how quickly she left us.  I do believe she is up in heaven with my dad, grandparents, neighbors, etc, and that one day I will be back holding her in my arms.

Thank you Maggie for the 11 years of life you gave me.  You helped me through some tough times, but also brought me much happiness which was such a blessing.  I will miss you, dear Maggie, but look forward to holding you once again.

October 9, 2015: National Cathedral and Flight 93 Memorial

Today, was our last day in Washington D.C.     We went to the National Cathedral which was simply magnificent. We had a nice tour of the cathedral with is Episcopal.  We drove by Sidwell school which is where the Obama girls attend school.   It is a Quaker school and costs around $37,000 a year.    

Stopped at the Flight 93 memorial in Pennsylvania which was interesting.   The terrorists chose a flight that was less crowded and was staight through as it would be full of gas which would cause the most damage.   If it weren't for these passengers being so brave and trying the stop the terrorists,  there may have been an even greater tragedy.   The new visitors center just opened in September 2015.

We stayed at a hotel in Pittsburgh for the night.  

October 8, 2015: Arlington Cemetery and Mount Vernon

Today, I thought would be less walking than the day before, but I was wrong.   I walked over 13,000 steps today.

Our first stop was to Arlington National Cemetery where over 400,000 people are buried.  They have around 20-30 funeral ceremonies each day.   The military person, his/her spouse and child can be buried here.   If you get just the white stone, it is free.   We went to the Changing of the Guard.  I remember having to dress up for this ceremony back in 8th grade in 1989.   Now, the kids wear any ole thing.  I overheard this guy telling the kids in the ceremony they had to wear closed toed shoes.  One girl was wearing flip flops and a short skirt while a guy was wearing sneakers.  Sneakers are not allowed either.

Saw where the Kennedys are buried.   

Next, we went to the Jefferson Memorial, Franklin Roosevelt Memorial, and the Mrtin Luther King Memorial.

Our last stop of the day was to Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington.     We toured his home and saw where they are buried on the property.    We had a turkey dinner at the restaurant on-site.    

October 7, 2015: Washington D.C. City Tour

The bus drove us in from Woodbridge, VA to get our step on guide.   I was shocked by all of the traffic coming into the city.   I would use public transportation as it would take you 1 1/2 hours to get to work.  

We had an excellent guide, Helen.    Our first stop was going to see the White House but as our group walked to the square where you can see the home, the Secret Service said we couldn't as they were closing it off so we had to see this later.      

We went to the World War II memorial which was gorgeous.   16 million served in World War II but about 400,000 were killed.   All 50 states were represented in this memorial.    

We also saw the Korean memorial.     

The Vietnam memorial was very nice. All the names of the deceased or still missing were engraved on this memorial.  We found my mom's classmate, Dennis Lanore, who died in 1966.    They had a book with the names that told you where on the memorial it could be found.   

The Lincoln Memorial was massive and was built like the Parthenon in Greece.   

We had lunch at Au Bon Pain inside Union Station.   

Then, we took a tour of Capitol Hill.   We went inside the rotunda which was being restored.   They have underground tunnels and public transportation.     Saw the Supreme Court and Library of Congress.   

Went back to see the White House as well as the Blair house which is the Presidential guest house.  George Washington was the only President who did not live in the White House as it hadn't been constructed.   The Oval Office is in the East Wing and Michelle Obama's office is in the East Wing.   The Obama's live in the upper floors.  

We had dinner at Smoky Bones back in Woodbridge which was next to our hotel.  We had to wait for our food for over an hour, then the server lost our order and they got our order wrong.   Other people had to wait forever.   I complained to the manager and we got our meal for free.

October 6, 2016: Washington D.C.

We took about 3 hours from our hotel in Somerset, PA to Washington D.C.   The GW Parkway is very scenic and crosses the Potomoc River.  Drove by the White House,  Washington Monument, and the Smithsonian museums.    Mom and I decided to go first to the Holocaust Museum.   It was very interesting.  I didn't realize the Jews were put in ghetto groups and forced to do slave work and many died within 2 weeks.  Others were gassed or shot just because they were referred to as an inferior race.  About 2/3 of the Jews were killed.   I thought the whole thing was very sad.  You could easily spend 3 hours in this museum.

Our 2nd museum was the American History Museum.  We saw the original United States flag and saw the First Ladies exhibit.   Mom wasn't too impressed with Michelle Obama's inaugural dress.  It had Swarovski crystals on it.    

The third museum we saw was the Museum of Natural History where we saw the Hope Diamond.   Neither one of us had been to Washington D.C. Since we were in 8th grade.  For me, it was about 27 years ago.

We had a delicious dinner at Carmine's Italian restaurant.  We had salad, garlic bread, penne pasta, chicken Marsala, egg plant parmigiana, and cannolis for dessert.   I would highly recommend this restaurant.  

We did a quick twilight tour and then headed for our hotel in Woodbridge, Virginia.

October 5, 2015: Heading to Washington D.C.

Mom and I decided to take an Orchard View Traveler's trip to Washington D.C. as neither of us had been there since we were in 8th grade.   The trip was $800 which is pretty cheap for transportation, hotels, some meals, and entrances into the tourist places.

We have 51 people on the bus and I am the youngest one.  

Had a nice lunch at the Cracker Barrel near Toledo, Ohio and then dinner at Ruby Tuesdays in Somerset, Pennsylvania.    We are trying to keep our meal spending as cheap as possible as neither of us has much money these days.   My car payment of $537 a month is killing me.  I'm hoping to refinance the car in a year or two.

We are staying at the Hampton Inn Hotel in Somerset, Pennsylvania.    The room is nice and they gave us free cookies, chex mix, and popcorn.  

October 3, 2015: Maggie and Lunch with Aunt Charlene

For the past day, Maggie has been hiding under the bed and not eating.   I was so worried that she got pancreatitis again and that I would have to put her to sleep.     Took her to the vet and they checked her out.   The vet thinks she has arthritis or a muscle spasm as her back seemed to scrunch up when the vet checked her.  They are going to give her a steroid shot and some anti-inflammatory medication.  She will stay at the vet until we come back from vacation.

Then, went to Grand Rapids for a belated birthday lunch with my Aunt Charlene.  I wanted to go to Founder's Brewery and see my former co-worker, Josh Maitner's art that he submitted for Art Prize.   I saw his painting but we didn't eat there as it was a zoo there both inside and outside.   That is sure a big restaurant.   It's about a city block long.   My friend, Tony Dragel, who was my cube mate at my job in Chicago, said they sell Founders beer in the Chicago area.

I decided we should eat somewhere else so  suggested the City Market which I have always wanted to see.   We had some authentic tacos there and saw a wedding going on there upstairs,    We got some delicious cookies from the bakery that Steve likes.   We took the cookies home and had tea and great conversation.    

September, 26, 2015: Art Prize 7

Today, we went to Grand Rapids for Art Prize 7 which was started by the Devos family seven years ago.   We've been to this for the last 5 years or so.   This year, I thought the best displays were at the Gerald Ford Museum and Devos Place.    Usually, there are some nice displays at the Bob and Amway Grand Hotel but I wasn't too impressed with them this year.  

August 8, 2015: Ken Baker’s Memorial and Rose Carlson’s Wedding

What an interesting day!   Mom and I drove up to Baldwin for Ken Baker’s memorial.    He died in Sarasota, Florida in December.     We got to Peggy’s store there, but they had closed it for the memorial so we weren’t able to shop.        The memorial was at the VFW just north of Baldwin on M-37.     George and Marianne were the first ones I saw there.    Then, I talked with Nicole Gauthier Flores, who is Peggy’s granddaughter.  I hadn’t seen her in years.   Her daughter is 8 ½ and son is 6 ½.  They were at the babysitters so I didn’t get to meet them.    I met Ken’s 2 sons, Ken Jr. and Brian.      Ken Jr. lives in the northwest corner of South Carolina.  Ken Jr’s mother was Ken’s first wife, Mamie.      Brian’s mother was Carol.   Brian lives in St. Petersburg, Florida, with his grandmother.      Carol works at Goodwill and is 71 years old.  Brian works at an auto parts store.     I didn’t realize Ken had 3 half-sisters.     Saw Al and Johnny Morrison.    Al and Johnny are brothers. Al lives in Rooster, Michigan and Johnny lives at Grandma’s farm in Brunswick.      Dave Katt came up to me and said he’s my facebook friend.  He’s Peggy’s son, who lives in Petoskey.  He will be taking a new job in Charlevoix soon.  I got to see Peggy’s daughter, Cheryl, too.   It was very nice seeing everyone.

The memorial was very nice.    They did the 21 gun salute.    A pastor, who lives a few doors down from Ken’s home on Gifford Lake, gave the sermon.      I didn’t realize Ken was so spiritual.        I only saw Ken on occasional trips up to Baldwin on Memorial Day weekend.       My last remembrance of Ken was he and Peggy taking us out to this Tiki restaurant near Venice, Florida.   I wish I had spent more time with him.

The following is Ken’s obituary:    “Kenneth Baker, 80, of Baldwin, passed away in Sarasota, FL on Sunday, December 14, 2014.  Ken was born August 26, 1934 in Fremont to his father, Kenneth E. Baker and his mother, Pauline Morrison, both deceased.    Ken worked at several jobs in his younger days, but his claim to fame had always been being a pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer for Pan American Airlines.  He loved Pan Am, flying and the traveling it provided him.  He had been around the world several times and lived in wonderful places throughout his career with Pan Am, including, Hong Kong, Australia, Guatemala, Hawaii, and California, to name just a few. He was proud that a little boy who had grown up on a farm in a small Michigan town could rise to this achievement and make his dreams come true.  Ken also spent four years in the U.S. Air Force which he was very proud of.   He tried to encourage other young men to sign up for the military and described the pride they would feel after serving their country.   Ken was loved by so many.   He spent a lot of time helping others.   He never received much recognition for his kind deeds as he did them anonymously much of the time.   He is missed by everyone who knew him.  Ken is survived by two loving sons, Kenneth Bolt Baker and Brian Baker; Peggy Katt, his loving companion who walked by his side for nearly 37 years; three sisters, Susan (Jim) James, Amy McCarty Baker, and Zaida Bradley.   He also leaves behind numerous grand and great grandchildren whom he loved and enjoyed very much.”

Peggy’s granddaughter, Nicole, gave a memory about him, along with his grandson, Ken Baker.    Another grandson’s memory was about Ken teaching him how to pick up girls, which he was so good at.

After the memorial, Mom and I drove up to Manistee for my former college roommate, Rose’s wedding.     We got there right when they were starting to eat.  Rose looked very pretty in her dress and her hair was very cute.     The theme was Mickey Mouse and roses, which was on her cake and on some of the balloons.  They plan to take a honeymoon to Disney in 1 ½ years.  She got a new job at Munson hospital in Traverse City. They plan to move up there by Christmas.   She looked very happy.     Her husband told about how they met.  Back when she was 21, he asked her out, but she said “No”.   Ten years later, he asked her out again, and again, she said “No”.    Then, 2 years ago, he came into the hospital in Manistee where she worked as a registration clerk, and she saw on his paperwork for a colonoscopy, that he was single, so gave him her phone number.      After the procedure, he looked in his pants pocket and saw the number and remembered she had given it to him. He called her up for a date and they went down to the boardwalk, and the rest is history.  

It was a very busy day, but was very nice.      I am glad I was able to attend both of these events. 

August 1, 2015: Tanger Outlets in Byron Center

Both my Mom and I were looking forward to going to the opening of the new Tanger Outlets in Byron Center.       It cost them $71 million to build this outdoor mall.    Traffic was not good around the mall.  Their were police patrolling the entrance.  You could not go in the parking lot so we had to go to Byron Center High School to get a shuttle to take us to the mall.   The signs were not too good to guide you to the high school. I was not too happy about that part.     

We were impressed with the stores here.   They have:   Old Navy, Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Converse, Toys R Us, Nine West, Talbots, Kate Spade, Bath N Body, Nike, Columbia,   Gymboree, Corning Ware, Brooks Brothers, H&M, Polo Ralph Lauren, Aunt Anne's, Vera Bradley, etc.       I thought the outlets were nicely designed with flowers, places to sit, and a modern feel to it.
I bought a purse from Michael Kors and some pants at Talbots.  Mom got a little purse at Michael Kors and some tops at Talbots.    She bought some casserole dishes at the Corning Ware store.     

Then, we went to the Grandville mall to Younkers and then came home.     

July 31, 2015: The Real Housewives of Amish Country

Today was my mom's 69th birthday.    She saw this tour in the Orchard View Travelers Brochure tha she thought would be fun for her birthday so we signed up.    It was called "The Real Housewives of Amish Country".    We left around 7 am for our day trip.

We picked up our guides in Middlebury, Indiana, which was named after the Middlebury in Vermont.    Our first stop was at Schlerger's Kettle where we saw a kitchen where they make all kinds of jams, salsas, etc.    We got to try a bunch of samples of jams, chocolate peanut butter, salsas, etc.   

Our next stop was the Bender Camel Dairy Farm which was in Shipshewana.    The owner of the farm, an Amish man, told us about his trade.     He wanted to make something that others in the area did not make, so he bought 16 camels for $16,000 a piece.   He milks them 2 times a day.     Here are some interesting facts about a camel.

Camel gestation is 12 to 14 months.   They can survive up to 40-50 years.    There are 15 million camels worldwide and 90% of them are Dromedaries which have only 1 hump.    The hump stores fat which can be broken down into water and energy.   They can drink 30 gallons of water in 13 minutes.   They grow a shaggy coat in the winter.   When walking, camels move both legs on one side of the body at the same time.    Their nostrils can close and they have bushy eyebrows and 2 rows of long eyelashes to protect them from dessert sands.  

Camels have big, thick footpads to help them navigate the rough rocky terrain and shifting desert sands and can run up to 40 mph.    

Camel milk is rich in vitamins, minerals, proteins, and insulin.  Compared to cow's milk, it is lower in fat and lactose yet higher in potassium, iron, and vitamin C.   It is closer to human milk than any other type of milk available.  It can readily be made into a drinkable yogurt called kefir that is great in fruit smoothies.  

Camel milk is a natural source of Alpha-hydroxide acids which are known to plump the skin and smoothes fine lines.   It may even have been the original milk bath of Cleopatra fae.   

Camel milk has been shown to be effective in treating the following illnesses:  autism, diabetes, Crohn's disease, cancer, tuberculosis, hepatitis, liver disease, milk and food allergies, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, fibromyalgia, depression, and immune system disorder.

We got to feed the camels carrots which was kind of fun.  They sure liked those carrots.        This farm used the camel milk to make soaps and lotions.   

We stopped at an Amish family home and had a nice lunch called Haystacks.  It was family style dining.    On the bottom of your plate, you put crushed crackers, followed by lettuce, rice, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, hamburger, crushed Doritos, and this melted cheese.  I thought it was very good.   It is a typical meal to serve a large family, which often the Amish have.
They had some homemade bread and some of this sweet peanut butter spread made with peanut butter, white sugar, brown sugar, marshmallow crème, and butter.  

Then, we went to another Amish home overlooking a lake.  Her name was Carolyn Yoder.   She showed us how to make peanut butter pie. We had a slice of blueberry and a slice of peanut butter pie.   Both were very good.

We learned several things about the Amish on this trip.     In this area of Indiana,  about 90 percent of the Amish work in factories such as Jayco, which makes campers.       Only about 10 percent of the Amish in this area actually farm.
They go to a one room school house and go through the 8th grade.   In the state of Indiana,  it is allowed for the Amish to have just an 8th grade education.  They have to follow the same guidelines as a public school.

If an Amish person gets divorced, which rarely happens, they are not allowed to remarry.     
Their weddings are a big affair.    Sometimes, they have up to 1,000 guests.  Schools are closed so the teachers can attend the weddings.    

We stopped at Sonshine Baskets which was run by Anna Yoder and her daughters.  There were over 50 styles of woven baskets.  You could tell they were very good quality.  I got a small one for holding my mail.    

It was a very interesting day filled with some good eating.    I would recommend this trip.     Glad my mom was able to do something fun for her birthday which I know she will always remember.

July 4, 2015: Abi & Lakeshore Art Show

My mom’s friend, Abi and her fiancé, Tom, came to visit us in the morning.     We had never met Tom so that was nice to finally meet him.   Mom, Abi, and Tom went on a walk on our trail.     After their walk, I gave them a glass of wine.    I had received several bottles of wine from my supervisor, who used to own a winery in downtown Muskegon.     She was trying to get rid of the bottles of wine from the business.

We went to the Farmer’s Market late in the afternoon and had pizza at Whistle Punk Pizza, which tasted delicious.   Then, we wandered around the Lakeshore Art fair, which we always like to do.     I saw a booth where you could do your own canvas art, so I paid the $5 and spent 45 minutes doing my own painting, which is something I have wanted to do.     Usually, the canvas painting costs about $35 at other places.   It is a larger canvas, though.        

Found a new spot to watch the fireworks this year.  I remembered driving down Grand Haven Road into Ferrysburg and turned by the fire department.  Went to the Ferrysburg side, across from the Grand Haven Coast Guard Station and watched the Grand Haven fireworks.    It was a great place to go, as you didn’t have to deal with the traffic jams after the show. 

July 3, 2015: Downtown Rockford

It was nice to have the day off of work for the holiday.   Mom and I drove to Rockford to meet Betty & John Westra.  We had hot dogs for lunch. It was one of their favorite places to eat.     I got a Reuben dog which wasn’t too bad.      Of course, I love to eat at Arnie’s.     Then, Betty, Mom and I went shopping in the stores.    I found a cute orange purse at this boutique called Jade.       I had been looking for an orange purse, too.    They have some nice stores in their downtown.      We took Betty home and stopped at Aunt Charlene’s house to pick up the Tupperware order I placed for my mom.    It is my mom’s early birthday gift.  Then, we went shopping at Woodland Mall and the Younkers store in Grandville.        

June 27, 2015: Seaway Run

I walked with Mirelda Tokarczyk, her 2 daughters, and niece in the Seaway Run.  They had a community walk that was 3.5 miles. I was proud of myself for making it in 1 hr 6 minutes.      I think a good goal would be to run the 5K.   I met Mirelda and her daughters at Tim Hortons on Norton Ave.   We had nice fellowship for about an hour.   In the evening, we went to a potluck with our neighbors at Stillwater Springs. The food was all very delicious.  Mom and I brought our gigantic plates which many of the people thought was funny.     My body was pretty tired by the end of the day.

June 26, 2015: A Day in History: Supreme Court’s Decision on Same Sex Marriages

I thought this would never happen in America.    The Supreme Court voted 5-4 to allow for a federal law that homosexuals could legally marry.    Nancy Waters, the County Clerk in Muskegon County, spent $40 of her own money and bought roses and corsages for those same sex marriages that were performed.     I saw in the parking lot at the Hall of Justice that Wood TV8 and WZZM13 were there interviewing the homosexual couple to get married.     They were two young college girls who were the first to be married.   Nancy Waters waived the 3 day waiting period and had a minister there to perform the marriages.    There were 5 marriages that day.     

Also, Pat Krehn, the nursing supervisor at the health department, was having her retirement party.    Brenda let me go to it.   It was nice to see so many former retirees there such as:   Sharon Mack, Barb Prior, Jean Buckmaster, Carolyn Warren, Roberta Dress, and Mary. I told Pat she was one of my best supervisors I had there and hoped that she would have a nice retirement.       It was nice to see the present employees there, too.   They had sloppy joes, crackers, cheese dip, cheese, and Rykes cake.    It was all tasty.    Went shopping at Younkers and then to Barnes & Noble to see the gang.   Most of the gang wasn’t there. The store was pretty slow.

June 14, 2014: From Concert to Moving Upstairs

I didn’t plan for the day to turn out the way it did.     Becky and I were supposed to go to the B-93 Birthday Bash, but it was cancelled due to the flooding.     They had a lot of the past few days.     I had my parking pass which cost me $60 for the 2 days. Luckily, my friend Missy Gallegos gave me $30 as she used it yesterday.   Missy said that at one point they had to tell the crowd to go back to their cars as the rain was so bad.     Missy wore some cute beige shorts which got all muddy at the concert.   She said she had fun, but the people there were quite crazy. She didn’t think she would go again.

On Thursday, mom and I moved the twin bed back downstairs as I felt bad that she had given me the master suite.  Well, mom decided she liked that twin bed and wanted it back, so that started a day of moving.  Becky and I picked up her step-daughter, Jazzy Stowe, in Grand Haven and we all helped with the move of all of the furniture from downstairs upstairs.  We put my downstairs sofa in the 4-season room.     Brought the twin bed upstairs to what was the office.     Moved my clothes back upstairs to the master suite.       Moved the entertainment upstairs to the living room, as I was going to have the 55 inch TV remounted in the living room and then put the 46 inch TV in the master bedroom.   Becky had me send pictures of some of the furniture I was selling to her mom, who said she would buy most of it.   Luckily, our neighbor, Mr. Labash was outside in his golf cart, so he and another guy brought the entertainment center from downstairs on the golf cart and brought it up to the front door.     The Lord is always at our rescue.   We worked most of the day moving furniture all around.   They were all a big help.   I bought us pizza from Dominoes. Becky, Jazzy, and I went to the movie “San Andreas Fault” which was pretty exciting.  Like I said, what started out to be the day to go see a concert, ended up to be a completely different day.

June 13, 2014: Shopping in Grand Rapids & Becky

I was looking all over the stores last night for cowgirl boots that weren’t too expensive. I found some at DSW shoes in Muskegon; however, they didn’t have my size.    Mom and I were going to Grand Rapids shopping so we stopped at the DSW Shoes there.  I found a cute pair for $60. I wanted to wear them to the B-93 Birthday Bash. I hadn’t been to the bash since it was held in Ionia.    Met my friend Becky Stowe at the Macy’s in Grandville mall. I hadn’t seen here in a while. She was going to go with me to the bash tomorrow.     We had a nice dinner at Cracker Barrel and came back to my house.  Becky stayed over our house.

May 25, 2015: Memorial Day Weekend

I was so excited that my new Apple I-watch was going to be delivered on Friday.   Unfortunately, my mom was on her walk when UPS came, so had to go at 6:30 to pick it up from the UPS facility.   We had dinner Friday night at Fricano's in Muskegon.  I love their pizza.

Saturday, we had a funeral to go to in Kalamazoo for my mom's friend, Diane Kobza Skiba whose husband passed away on May 7th.      Judi and George Zubrickas were there.    Judi had a crush on Diane's brother, Tom, back when she was 13 so she was telling him that. It was funny.  Judi was telling us about George smoking pot and drinking in college.     I was surprised.  I thought he was an upstanding citizen.  :o)

Mom and I drove by to see where Diane lives as I had never seen it.    She lives on Austin Lake in Portage.   Then, we drove around Western Michigan University to see what changes have occurred. They are building a new dining hall in the valley dorms and there is a new Sangren Hall and some other new dorms.      Every time I visit WMU, there is something new.  Drove by my apartment at Dover Hills Apartments on Drake.   It all brings back good memories.  

Sue Arnouts came over as we were going to Shari Resnick's daughter, Julianne's wedding at 5:30. Julianne had a beautiful day for a wedding.  It was sunny and in the 70s.    She had an outdoor wedding behind the Trillium Banquet facility and then the reception was inside the facility.     She had a pasta bar for dinner and Ryke's cake. I took 2 pieces as I love Ryke's.     Met some nice people at our table.  They were friends of Shari's.     Her hairdresser and her friends Jackie and Vivienne were at our table.      They had a photo booth there which was fun.  Sue wouldn't do it, but Shari and I did some funny poses.

Sunday, we had breakfast with Judi and George at Toast N' Jams, then went to Grand Haven with Maggie and walked towards the lighthouse, but only went about half way as it started to rain.    We went to Judi's favorite clothing store there called Clothes Time.    I bought a cute top there.      

Then, went to the movie "Age of Adeline" in the evening.

Monday, Maggie and I walked in the Lakeside parade representing my friend Mirelda's husband's business, Tokarczyk Services, which does snowplowing and lawn care.      Mirelda had put together 1,000 treat baggies with business cards and we handed them out to the spectators.  Saw a high school friend, Jon Huizenga at the parade as well as Candace Fox, mother of Dave Fox.

Mirelda and Frank took all of us who walked in the parade out to a nice lunch at Pizza Ranch.      

I think Maggie had a good time walking in the parade.  I heard people remarking how cute she is.       Maggie is now worn out from a busy weekend.

February 3, 2015: Belize City, Belize

Our next stop was in Belize City, Belize.      In the 1700's, Belize City was actually founded by former pirates.  When a group of British buccaneers decided it was more lucrative to harvest lumber out of Belize's wooded interior.    With tropical hardwood in great demand, the town grew rapidly.  Thousands of African slaves were brought in to float the logs and load the ships, and before long, the European population had exploded as well.   The two groups and their descendants began to mix, ultimately creating the Creole culture so prevalent today.

Though no longer the capital, Belize City remains at the heart of the country---its gorgeous Caribbean coastline and rich cultural life a magnet for residents and tourists alike.   Home to a lush tropical rain forest and the longest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere, it's also the gateway to adventure.  From jungle treks to cave tubing to scuba diving, the opportunities are endless.   And also fascinating is a tour of the ancient Mayan city of Altun Ha, once a major trading center long before the Europeans arrived.

We went on a cave tubing excursion which was alot of fun.      We had to carry tubes down into the dark caves, barely being able to see where you walked.    Our group had to hang on to each other's tubes so we stayed together.      The water was pretty warm.    There were bats roaming around way above in the caves.     We did a little walking around the caves, too.     I was surprised that this was my mom's favorite tour on the trip.

All of us had drinks and dinner in the main dining room. The food is always so good on the cruises. I usually gave 5-8 pounds on each cruise.   This may be why I can never seem to lose weight, as I have been on too many cruises with good food.

February 2, 2015: Roatan, Honduras

Our first stop was in Roatan, Honduras.  Dive shops about Roatan. Home to the world's second-largest coral reef, this diver's paradise is teeming with colorful marine life.  Though just as colorful are all the characters that have passed through the sandy shores of this beautiful Bay Island. Roatan has a long and tangled history of Paya Indians, Spanish conquistadors, British pirates, rebel slaves and more recently, European and North American expats. But it's not just the underwater wonders that have lured foreigners to lay down their roots here.  Roatan has a very unique cultural identity unlike anywhere else on the mainland of Honduras.  Everything here has been perfectly seasoned with Caribbean flavor---from the music and local cuisine to the laid back island lifestyle.

At 31 miles long and no more than five miles wide, Roatan is the largest of the Honduras' Bay Islands.

Mom and I signed up for the zip line tour.    I have wanted to go zip lining so convinced her to go along.     We had to put on a bunch of equipment in order to zip line.      They had to give me extra because of my weight, which was so embarrassing, yet brought us a bunch of laughs.        

I was scared the first time I went, but it ended up being lots of fun and I did pretty well at it.    Mom went by herself on the first couple of traverses, but then went with the guide for the rest, as it made her nervous. I thought it was a blast.         Of course, I got a bunch of photos of us.   There were 12 traverses all through the jungles of Roatan.       If you are afraid of heights, I probably wouldn't recommend this tour.

After zip lining, we got to hang out with some monkeys. I had one on my shoulder, who tried to climb over my head. It was quite funny.      

After the tour, we ran into Marianne, who said they had gone swimming and were now shopping. I went into the store where Joy and Kim where shopping.       Then, Mom and I walked over to this indoor flea market. She got a beautiful piece of pottery.      Then, we were going to walk around the town.  This little boy followed us around.    He was quite interesting.  Mom got scared so we turned around.  At the end of the walk, the little boy asked for money.  Mom gave him $5 but it was partly torn.  He said he couldn't accept torn money, so she gave him $1.  I guess he learned his lesson that ripped money is still just as valuable.      

February 1, 2015: Day at Sea

Between  the 1850's and the 1950's, millions of European immigrants sailed across the ocean to start a new life.   With the growing demand, shipping companies began building faster, more spacious vessels.  Then, in 1870, the Oceanic raised the bar altogether, adding electricity and running water to its list of lavish amenities.   Ocean travel has come a long way since.

We watched a group of passengers start to learn Michael Jackson's "Thriller Dance", which they planned to perform for everyone on the last night of the cruise.  It was fun to watch them learn the moves. I probably should have joined in, but knowing me, I am not the most coordinated person.

Went shopping in the stores on the ship. I wasn't too impressed with the shops on this ship, nor was I impressed with the other activities, like the ones on the other cruises we have been on.    

We all went for drinks before dinner.  I tried to get the drink of the day so I could get the glass.
Each drink was $7.95.

Went to watch the Superbowl game, which they aired in the main theater.   The New England Patriots played the Seattle Seahawks.   The room was crowded.  They served the traditional football foods such as wings, nachos, and hot dogs.

January 31, 2015: Royal Caribbean "Vision of the Seas".

Since they were having the Gasparillo festival, our group had to walk down with our baggage to a nearby hotel to get our shuttle.     It wasn't too bad of a walk. It was interesting to see everyone in their costumes.    

We got on the Royal Caribbean "Vision of the Seas".       Of course, the first thing we do when we get on the ship is walk around the ship to see where everything was located.      The pool area was very nice.  I like having an indoor pool for adults only.       Although, the regular pool area is great for people watching.   They usually have different activities going on at the outdoor pool area.

Marianne, Kim, my Mom, Joy, and I went down for dinner.   It was casual night which is nice, especially when you figure you may not have your luggage delivered to your room.

After dinner, Mom and I went to see the comedy routine of Wayne Cotter. He was okay.     

January 30, 2015: Michigan to Florida

We flew from Grand Rapids to Chicago, then down to Tampa, Florida, as we were going on another cruise with Marianne, Kim, and Joy. It was sure nice to leave the snow and cold behind us for the next week.     

It was so exciting for me to get to the Chicago airport and see a Garrett's Popcorn, so of course, I had to get some of the Chicago mix which is cheddar and caramel mixed.   It was about $5 which I didn't think was too bad.   

I sat by the Starbucks and spent some time typing up some old journal entries as I was behind on them for this past year.    

We took a shuttle to our hotel and were once again reminded of the traffic in the area. There were four lanes of traffic around the airport area going to Tampa.  Of course, I took a picture of it to remind us why we don't want to live there.     However, I do like the weather in Florida and would like to live in Sarasota, Wesley Chapel, or a suburb of Orlando.

I have kept in contact with my Florida friend, Todd Kramer, who lives in Brandon, FL.    I met him online on Plenty of Fish in 2008 and met him in person at a Barnes and Noble in Tallahassee in 2009.    I was pleasantly surprised when I got to our hotel in Tampa (Sheraton Riverwalk), that Todd was waiting for us in the lobby.    In fact, I was quite impressed.      

He now works for his father, who is an engineer.  His father makes prosthetic feet and Todd helps out with the business.

The Gasparilla Festival was going to be in downtown Tampa tomorrow, which is a big deal for them.   There are about 300,000 people come to Tampa to celebrate.     People come dressed up like pirates, eat, and drink.      

Todd, my mom, and I walked along the river walk over to the channel side district and had pad thai at the Thai Restaurant.  It was all very good.    I paid for Todd's meal since I was the one who invited him.   It was very nice to see him again.

January 29, 2015: Grand Rapids

We decided this time we would stay at a hotel in Grand Rapids and take the shuttle to the airport so we could save on parking at the airport.   Also, in case there was a winter storm, we wouldn't have to drive in it, as we have had bad experiences with that in the past.

Went shopping at Woodland Mall and had dinner at Olga's Kitchen.   Mom left her jacket at the restaurant and it was too late to go back to get it.  I forgot my jewelry so we are off to a good start.