Razzmatazlady

Category: Travel Commentary

  • A Little News Flash…

    A follow-up to my post about visiting the Titantic exhibit. I just found out that my grandfather, William Coburn, WAS one of laborers who worked on the Titantic!

    He was a brass fitter. I’m so excited about that! This is an actual picture of the Belfast dock workers – I can just imagine Grandpa Coburn – he would have probably been just a teenager – going to work on the ships in the Harland and Wolff shipyard.

    The brass fittings included the Titanic’s bells and Gothic patterned windows for the ship’s bars and dining rooms and much more, of course.

    Off to Sedona, today, with my sister and her husband who are here in Phoenix on business. But the “business” doesn’t start until tomorrow so we’re doing touristy stuff, today. Yesterday was a trip to Tucson and lunch at El Charro, the oldest Mexican restaurant in the country! We had a chance to see their son, Tim, who was in Tucson on business, as well. I’ll post more about our adventures

  • A Worthwhile Exhibit and a Worthwhile Link

    The Titantic Exhibit at the Phoenix Science Museum was just wonderful. We first watched the IMAX movie Titantica and then went to the exhibit.

    That was definitely the way to do it because the items that were recovered from the ocean floor were so much more meaningful after seeing them on the ocean floor in the movie! It took the two little submarines 2 1/2 hours to reach the ocean floor! Unbelievable.

    http://www.freerice.com/

    As for the worthwhile link, Michael Werner of Dream Jobs Dialog posted a bit about a terrific website that is both fun and worthwhile at the same time. Click on this link and check it out! I was fascinated You’ll learn something, for sure!

  • Jumping Ship!

    It’s gorgeous and sunny this morning. I’ve got to get this written and get myself ready for today’s adventure. We’re meeing the Davidson’s (neighbors from home) to go see the Titancic Exhibit in downtown Phoenix. I’ll tell you all about it tonight (or tomorrow). Should be very interesting.

    Then it’s back to business…I have to figure out this new blog/website stuff so, for the next few days I’ll concentrate on that. I refuse to think that I have bitten off more than I can chew. The good thing about documenting this stuff is that it will hold me accountable and that’s something that has always stopped me in my tracks in the past…not being accountable. Making a decision to do something and then, when the going gets a little tough, packing it in.

    Hopefully, I won’t go down with the ship…

  • A Sunny Day

    This is a photo of the pretty patio at the house in Mesa. I took it this morning. That’s an olive tree with terra cotta lanterns hanging in the branches. It has the most interesting twisted, artsy trunk. It is a very cool place to hang out.


    This orange tabby cat pops in now and then and, although he/she doesn’t seem to have a permanent home, is obviously well-fed! I don’t know it’s name. Not sure if anyone does. It’s very tame.

    The weather, until yesterday, was so nice. Cool but comfortable. It rained almost all day but that was okay with us. Arizona has been in the throes of a drought for several years. Today is beautiful and sunny. I am going shopping for provisions for a party which we are having Thursday evening. Still trying to decide what to serve.

  • Updates – Travels and Dream Job


    We are in Arizona. Mesa, actually, and staying with our very good friend Michael. It’s been relaxing and we have no “agenda”. Probably won’t as long as we’re here except to enjoy our visit. I took this picture on a trip in September. The desert is very beautiful.

    I can say with some assurance that I did not win the Dream Job contest. Not that any notification has been issued – it’s just that the semi-finalists were to be interviewed in December and December has come and gone with no notice of any sort. I checked the website which has a statement that there were thousands of entries. I take considerable comfort in that. I sure would have liked that shiny new computer prize. A computer of my very own that I wouldn’t have to share. I’ll just have to earn it, I guess. Nothing wrong with that. Earning it will make it more special. Right?

    In any case, I’m working diligently on my own. I am determined. I have zeroed in on a domain name and I know where I’ll register it. Then I might just create another blog. I might not even need a website. There are so many great blogs that are making a difference in lots of ways and that actually earn money.

    It’s going to take a concentrated effort on my part. I really should be working on this several hours a day. Just realizing that is a big step forward. On the other hand, it’s more difficult because we’re traveling. Here’s the thing…I want to do this because I want a business. But I want a business that I can do anywhere I am. Just because it’s not off the ground is no excuse for not working on it. I am taking baby steps, here. Putting one foot in front of the other. No excuses.

  • Christmas Eve 2007

    I took this picture of the sunset from the roof deck, last night. Looks like an abstract painting, I think. It was so calm and peaceful up there on the roof. No wind and not too chilly.

    We did go to the Farmers’ Market in Santa Monica. It was great! Bought vegetables for our Christmas dinner. There was a long line for omelets and a bit shorter line for crepes so I had the crepes. I ordered the “England” filling of butter, lemon juice, powdered sugar and coconut. It was delicious and not too filling. Quite likely that the Weight Watchers points were off the charts! Oh well.

    Our Christmas Eve repast will include cold shrimp cocktail, cocktail meatballs, clam chowder and a very nice hot artichoke dip with fresh vegetables and crackers. Snacky stuff. Tomorrow we’ll have our little Christmas away from home and probably make some Christmas phone calls. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night…

  • A Trip to the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market and a Couple of Bargain Websites

    Today we’re going to the farmers’ market in Santa Monica. We’ll be getting fresh veggies for our Christmas dinner of Roast Prime Rib with Yorkshire Pudding. Jen tells us that there are all sorts of great offerings at that market so it’ll be fun. Will post more about that adventure later.

    I found two noteworthy websites while “surfing the net”. Is the phrase “surfing the net” even cool, anymore??? I probably should bone up on the lingo. (Lingo? Is that even cool anymore? Is “cool” even cool?) Got a lotta learnin’ to do…

    In any case, these both have to do with saving money and who doesn’t want to do that? The first one is CoolSavings and the second is CouponMom. Check ’em out! I think I’ll reference both of them on my “real” blog/website when I get it up and running. BTW, I’m still working on the domain name thing.

  • Life is Good!

    Ah, there’s nothing like a good night’s sleep and then waking up in Sunny California (or anywhere sunny, for that matter) to give a person a new perspective on life!

    I just read my post for yesterday – depressing. Sorry about that. But I was so tired and felt so crummy. It was raining when we got here Tuesday night and was a little drizzly yesterday morning which didn’t help my mood. Today is another story entirely!!

    We’re housesitting at what I call my favorite “gig”. Jack says it’s not a gig but it really is. I love the location; I love the house (newly remodeled – I love what they did to it); I love the dogs and I love the weather. And I love being able to see daughter Jennifer. This is a picture of the view from the street.

    I’ve set a goal for choosing a domain name for my website by Monday the 24th. I even posted it on the Dream Job Dialog website so I’m committed. Am concentrating on it, today – we’ll take the dogs for a nice long walk along the ocean which will be perfect for “thinking”. I might even ask Jack and Jennie for an opinion.

    It’s gonna be a great day!

  • Why I Will Never Ride The Train Again

    So we boarded Amtrak some time after 11:00 p.m. on Sunday night. It was already running a couple of hours late out of Chicago. Found a couple of seats together across the aisle from each other and settled in with our pillows and fleece blankets. Jack slept like a log and I didn’t sleep at all. Not a good start.
    Monday was fine. We both read books and I worked sudoku. We spent some time enjoying the scenery from the observation car. I took this picture of the sunset through the window. Had an o.k. breakfast in the dining car. Lunch and dinner were not so good.
    Then we stopped in Gallup, New Mexico. About 50 additional passengers boarded so I had to give up my seat and Jack and I had to share. Let me tell you, it is truly impossible to be more uncomfortable than we were that entire night.
    Then the unthinkable happened. The train stopped and the conductor announced that there had been an accident and that we would probably be there another four hours or so while it was being investigated. We mercifully fell asleep. Tuesday we learned that someone had decided to throw himself in front of the train. Since it was dark and we were traveling close to 80 mph, the engineer couldn’t possibly have stopped in time. Everyone was horrified, of course.
    So we were supposed to arrive in Los Angeles at 8:15 a.m. Tuesday morning. By 8:15 we still had another eight hours to go. We actually arrived at 4:45 p.m almost five hours late. I’ll need an awfully good reason to board another train in the future.

  • On the Road Again…

    Yesterday we had phone problems which translated to internet problems; therefore, no post.

    However, I took these photos from our bedroom window. We haven’t cleared a path in the snow around the house so I couldn’t walk back there. The trees and shrubs were absolutely magical looking. They were covered with a deposit of ice crystals so thick that it looked like snow. It’s called hoarfrost. Beautiful.
    Today we drove to Kansas City. There was a terrible ice storm a few days ago that spread from Oklahoma to Chicago. Driving south through Missouri we could see the trees heavy with ice bending toward the earth. Some were bent so low that they looked like large shrubs. Some of the bigger trees had branches that just snapped off. It was late afternoon and the sun behind them made them sparkle like diamonds. It was eerie but pretty, too, in a way. Mother Nature making a statement. Winter in the upper midwest.