tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15383209917444011372012-02-16T09:43:54.591-08:00JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comBlogger1051100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-23028710681425930722009-01-01T01:02:00.000-08:002009-01-01T01:10:16.643-08:00

Bubba is in Tennessee and I’m in California. What a distance apart for this New Year's. No bubbly drinks or kisses at midnight. He saw 2009 two hours before me. We whispered well-wishes to each other over our cell phones at our respective hours. Bubba asked if I made any '09 resolutions. Perhaps it's the onslaught of age or perhaps it's having spent so much personal time with a retired career

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-5938936533762950192008-12-29T19:54:00.000-08:002008-12-29T20:01:52.950-08:00

Christmas was such a blast.I returned to SF late Saturday night, after spending a week at the enchanting home of Bubba's extraordinary sister, her boyfriend and three cats. We drove through icy sleet and rain from Tennessee to Indy.The weather hovered in the low 30s.Bubba's mom and his siblings all made the trip and made it into a very memorable reunion-like gathering. The choker for me was

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-8731901838687035592008-12-22T17:56:00.000-08:002008-12-22T18:36:12.682-08:00

It has already been one full year since Bubba and I did our 'tropical' escape, having spent our entire mele kalikimaka December on the isle of Oahu, eating snow cones and roaming around in tank tops and flip flops on hot island sand. This year, I am wrapped up in thick insulated gloves, binis, earmuffs, scarf and boots. I made it here to Tennessee. The temps are in the teens...but with the

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-43519553068022012162008-12-18T18:25:00.000-08:002008-12-18T19:16:01.913-08:00

I saw flurries today! I flew into Denver this morning, a generous business trip paid for by my company so I can partake in their annual holiday party get-together. I arrived to 13-degree weather and even though I was bundled up, I could feel my body temp rapidly dropping as I stood at the airport curbside waiting for my ride.Weighed down with a jacket, a turtle neck sweater and boots, I

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-59883086218891396382008-12-11T16:42:00.000-08:002008-12-11T17:03:45.866-08:00

I still cannot believe that I live here.Everyday, I wake up, I am treated to this bird's eye view. I feel like I'm on top of the world, literally and figuratively. I'm finding it unusual that I am having to repeatedly remind myself and readjust myself to my amazing, new surroundings. This is my new home. And even though, I'll be living here, at least for the following year (we signed the required

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-43813785247751183252008-12-09T18:12:00.000-08:002008-12-09T19:26:20.917-08:00

How embarassing! I've returned. I can't readily recount in one blog entry everything I've experienced in the last few months. -Just that I'm finally surfacing for air and ready to try this again. The last I reported, I was in Colorado training with a new job. I am still at this job and back in my town. There's been a lot of trial and error but I'm figuring out my own style. I get to make up a lot

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-21091396984328224452008-08-25T23:19:00.000-07:002008-08-25T23:49:21.644-07:00

What an incredible night! K, the server I befriended at the Crêpes’n Crêpes, while having supper solo last Friday night, called and invited me to have dinner with her and her boyfriend tonight!It’s interesting the friends we meet at the most unexpected corners. Who would have thought even just a month ago in cold and dreary San Francisco that I’d make it out this way to the azure skies of

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-43728111767034289602008-08-24T20:47:00.000-07:002008-08-24T21:15:41.938-07:00

A warm, sunny Sunday at 81 degrees, I went out to explore that bike/jogging trail that my boss had pointed out to me earlier this week. I found my way down to the Cherry Creek Trail from my condo, with the help of a local. (Media people, delegates, politicians and proud Democrats are swarming the city...protestors, too!)The trail snakes and winds and moves from paved concrete to gravel and sand

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-3468690465518218922008-08-24T00:45:00.000-07:002008-08-24T01:37:43.536-07:00

They’re here. DNC delegates from all over the country are descending upon Denver and it is getting crowded. Denver’s neighboring counties have all sent half of their police force to help with patrolling and pulling security. Uniformed bodies can be seen on every street corner and even on rooftops in the downtown area.I scratched my plan to go the Cherry Creek Mall today. This mall is supposedly

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-25343203646168568192008-08-23T00:13:00.000-07:002008-08-24T01:45:15.947-07:00

I'm ecstatic. My social experiment continues...and I made a new friend tonight!This evening, after work, I decided to enjoy my prelude to the weekend by shopping along 16th Street Mall. I found my way to Cook's Fresh Market, after reading about it in a shopping guide. Owned by the same folks who founded Dean and Deluca, I figured this was the only place I can get some real groceries, since there

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-86194064527044205622008-08-21T22:11:00.000-07:002008-08-21T22:25:41.244-07:00

Denver is a very walkable city. I continued my urban exploration today but already had to put in some overtime at work and its only day two, but it was an easy gig. I was also looking forward to my next social experiment...seeing who I'd come into contact with next. I discovered that there is a free shuttle bus that runs along the 16th Street Mall, a corridor of commercial shops and restaurants

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-67927609754353772032008-08-20T22:19:00.000-07:002008-08-20T22:31:38.628-07:00

I'm in rocky mountain country. It has been quite a journey to here.After a half-hearted and intermittent, though sometimes laborious and hopeless search for what I would deem an 'acceptable and appealing' job...I am now reporting from Denver, Colorado. No, I'm not here as a delegate in the upcoming DNC. And, no, I haven't been relocated, though this is not such a bad place to be. It is 9PM and in

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-71476272934578324542008-07-27T21:43:00.000-07:002008-12-13T19:27:26.262-08:00

What a cute town Lake Tahoe is!Although it is a renowned winter ski resort town, it can be a wonderful summer retreat.At Kat’s unrelenting request to camp out, Bubba made reservations for us at Campground by the Lake this last week. The drive to get there took about 4-hours. This was my first time up there and I was moved by the scenery. The drive is pretty much all uphill, once past the town of

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-19940529656745162072008-07-21T20:57:00.000-07:002008-07-21T21:06:25.505-07:00

I forgot how dreary summer is in San Francisco.The saying, "the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco," is ringing, oh so true, in my ears.Waking up to the gray skies and cool temperature is such a downer on the mood. I have been trying to get motivated with my projects. No luck on the writing front...I have just been letting the days go by with ideas brewing and swimming in

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-40467504527532960702008-06-27T17:26:00.000-07:002008-06-27T17:54:33.620-07:00

Be cohesive.Know the difference between real values and perceived values.Just do it.Live your dream.My brother was probably trying to pass on words of motivation and wisdom, but the delivery was more like a lecture during our phone conversation yesterday. I am still reeling from his words today. My brother and I, though only a year apart, are very different people. He has always been a genius his

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-57360755327550528892008-06-25T21:59:00.000-07:002008-06-25T22:11:53.181-07:00

Bubba is becoming a whiz maneuvering around in his wheelchair. It’s like an extension of him. It has been four-weeks since the tarsal tunnel surgery on his foot and he is still not capable of bearing weight on it. As mentioned, he is in good spirits. We had unusually incredible weather for a few days last week and I set out a lounge chair in the backyard for him so he could absorb some sun rays.

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-64796506508718804062008-06-16T23:35:00.000-07:002008-06-25T22:13:20.370-07:00

"There are infinite joys in the world – but where? If you're stuck on how to get back to the carnival ride that is your life, take a walk down memory lane. ..See? You know how to be happy. Now do it again."Though, I’m not an absolute subscriber to astrology, I like reading my daily horoscope in the newspaper. I let the string of words stew about inside my head. I cut out all the ones that leave

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-67385020738839697502008-05-24T23:47:00.000-07:002008-12-13T19:27:26.523-08:00

More on life and insights to come...I'm squeezing every minute of my birthday to the very last drop. It is almost over. Happy to report that I am typing on a NEW, superfast laptop computer that dearest Bubba bought me.Had laughter, a big home-cooked meal (with family by my side), well-wishes from everyone who couldn't join me in my festivities today...and a nice, hard morning run to prove this

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-50957259578330331532008-05-14T00:11:00.000-07:002008-05-14T00:31:43.491-07:00

I am so disillusioned with my current routine but the unrelenting workload suppresses my inner voice. I plug away at my pile of projects...oblivious to all else. Today, my neighbor, the ivy-league girl and I found a few minutes to happily distract each other with a little banter in between our sighs of frustration. She talked about her brother starting his own recycling business and how she came

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-36503814818287335282008-05-11T23:45:00.000-07:002008-05-11T23:59:34.467-07:00

Bubba is in Vegas for the weekend. He started his drive there last Thursday night to go meet with some of his former Army students, one recently returned from a tour in Iraq. Bubba also wanted to catch a gun show happening there.I spent my Saturday blissfully perusing used books and bought a few titles with a French theme: Into A Paris Quartier and Paris to the Moon. I conversed with an older

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-42643005370511301942008-05-08T23:35:00.000-07:002008-05-08T23:52:41.897-07:00

So, lately I have been setting myself up to find a new best friend...and what happens?! I run into my former best friend while out on my evening jog. I suppose it sounds rude to label her as such...but somehow we've drifted apart. We haven't been in contact at all since the end of last year. What with my whirlwind cross country trips and travels, we simply lost touch. I must admit that in the

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-85441252239613047372008-05-06T23:20:00.000-07:002008-12-13T19:27:26.957-08:00

I hit the 90-day mark at work, but somehow, still find myself wrestling with a love-hate relationship. I am definitely getting better at what I have to do but a sense of unfulfillment lingers. There’s too much to do, not enough time nor help and too much finger pointing, no matter how subtle.I lament my break with my creative process—I haven’t blogged in a few weeks. I am guilty of being lazy and

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-88790754748084605472008-04-20T22:39:00.000-07:002008-12-13T19:27:27.244-08:00

I’m savoring every minute of my weekends as my workweek can be intense, riddled with must-do projects and deadlines, sometimes cutting into my lunch hour. For now it’s paying the bills, polishing my foreign language usage and the hours are affable. I can’t complain. I still get plenty of daylight at the end of the day…to squeeze in a jog, to make a meal and to consume the print news of the day.

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-33778200253586211262008-04-09T22:37:00.000-07:002008-04-09T23:27:59.368-07:00

Work remains a challenge (never ending spreadsheets, data processing, foreign language correspondence and looming deadlines) but my attitude improved after an informal one-hour telephone conference with a tele-commutin' colleague today. I came up with a laundry list of specific questions pertaining to the workload in my queue. My colleague helped me to understand my job so much better.

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-68925884370725577302008-04-06T22:20:00.000-07:002008-04-06T22:23:18.067-07:00

It’s a Sunday night. I am rewiring my mindset to feel more positive about the coming workweek. After witnessing the recent exodus of employees, I am starting to picture myself jumping ship. The problem is the training, or the lack thereof. No dummy projects, no formal manual, not even a brief overview. Although, we have samples bursting at the seams in our computer database, it is so time

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-34524786403212138612008-03-31T22:58:00.000-07:002008-03-31T23:27:28.982-07:00

It’s been two weeks and I’ve adjusted a little too well to this solo act. I have been sleeping sprawled out on our queen bed, with the windows cracked open for fresh air (even though the temps can dip to the low-40s in the mornings). The TV has been completely off and I’ve been reading myself to sleep every night. Bubba returns to me tomorrow night and I’ll have to get use to sharing our space

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-473283201434908642008-03-24T23:01:00.000-07:002008-03-24T23:20:32.070-07:00

My favorite tapioca shop of all time closed its doors Sunday night. I greedily ordered two cups of my ‘regular.’ I love their green milk tea with lychee pieces and soft, sweet, chewy tapioca pearls. The delightfully fragrant and floral jasmine tea is blended with cool refreshing milk, a few spoons of their homemade caramelized brown sugar syrup, crushed ice and then shook up by hand. The

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-67904664100706401072008-03-23T09:52:00.000-07:002008-12-13T19:27:28.062-08:00

My arms, neck, body are sore and my wrists are hurting from my painting marathon, yesterday. I'm going to spend today rehabilitating these wrists. I stuck with the orange and white walls for my mother's shop as planned. It has a nice cream-sicle effect. I happily found usage for the sky blue by painting the exterior of her shop door this color. Not wanting to see the gallon of cherry red paint go

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-32128912608192644572008-03-18T23:00:00.000-07:002008-03-18T23:08:41.713-07:00

Bubba made it to Florida tonight. I booked this flight for him a few weeks back when the prices were extra reasonable. However, I overlooked one slight detail, there was a whopping 3-hour layover in North Carolina.He had a rental car waiting for him at the airport. When he stepped out of the airport, he asked me to guess the weather over the phone.He hinted by alluding to the nightly walks we

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-37501120480969384772008-03-09T22:16:00.000-07:002008-03-09T22:38:10.391-07:00

Where does the time go? I will be braving my second week of work, already. Training has been informal but progressive. The work involves a lot of data-processing. Luckily, I’m not having any trouble waking up early. I happily hop out of bed and make my daily commute downtown without objection. The days of roaming free are just a memory now.As I plug away at work, I dissect and analyze each moment

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-15723784618571796012008-03-01T22:53:00.000-08:002008-03-01T23:21:13.417-08:00

Ahh...Renouncing Routines...I enjoyed it while it lasted. (I may have to change my title.) It is with a most heavy heart that I have to admit I will be back on a work schedule. With my rapidly evaporating savings in mind, I made the choice to pawn my skills and labor for a steady income. Globetrotting sure doesn’t come cheap...neither does anything else.The bright side to this ‘routine’ is that I

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-76847906075114581022008-02-24T00:05:00.000-08:002008-02-24T00:37:02.656-08:00

We spent Friday afternoon with our Spanish friends, enjoying their company one last time. They departed for Spain this weekend.They chose to meet in the city of Berkeley near Cal, where they once lived. Going by memory, they adroitly navigated us around town. We stopped at their favorite taqueria for lunch. We mused and joked happily as we worked on our generous portions of tacos and burritos. I

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-40426228482754011442008-02-21T22:47:00.000-08:002008-12-13T19:27:28.285-08:00

Thanks to visiting friends from Spain, Bubba and I have been playing tourist in our own backyard, visiting unfamiliar sights. It feels good traipsing around our own neck of the woods. Our friends from Spain are a young couple that Bubba met five years ago. Through a network of friends, Bubba was introduced to them. The husband was working on his MBA and the wife was working as a teacher at an

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-85799446291413811462008-02-18T22:05:00.000-08:002008-02-18T22:29:03.191-08:00

I was dismissed from jury duty on Thursday. My name finally made it into that randomly selected list late in the afternoon.The courtroom was filled with 92 of us and 18 people were placed into the jury box on day one. (The jury panel is really composed of a dozen citizens with two alternates.) The pool of potential jurors rapidly dwindled over the course of the two days. By the time I made it to

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-19111304668128479352008-02-13T22:09:00.000-08:002008-02-13T22:28:26.186-08:00

If I were to count all the days since my initial Jury Summons’ date (which includes the standby) tomorrow will be: Day 7.Yes, I have to report for yet another full day of what is beginning to feel a lot like monkey business. (At least, I learned that all jurors are paid when they report for their second day of jury duty, so I made a whopping $17.50 today.) I say, ‘monkey business,’ because there

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-86858847742027079482008-02-09T00:00:00.000-08:002008-12-13T19:27:28.489-08:00

If it weren’t for receiving those red envelopes filled with money, or finding everything in my mom’s house fastidiously washed and cleaned and seeing a variety of fruits and candy displayed on the kitchen table, I would have completely forgotten that it was Chinese New Year’s on February 7th. It is such a serious holiday in the Chinese culture filled with festivities. In China, celebrations last

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-86807737915317465562008-02-03T23:26:00.000-08:002008-02-03T23:42:36.573-08:00

That web design book I bought is torturous. I’m baffled by the slew of acronyms and terminology: HTML, Bandwidth, RAM, FTP, scripting…etc. I’m learning that it’s merely computer speak—programs and codes to tell the computer what to do but I’m overwhelmed.In the midst of pulling out my hair, I confessed to my cousin that I couldn’t even begin to visualize this website thingy. What was I thinking?!

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-1350543600424757212008-01-31T12:15:00.000-08:002008-01-31T13:16:37.594-08:00

My irritating cough has exited my system, finally.On Tuesday, glimpsing the sun after so much rain, I motivated myself to hit that outdoor jogging trail here. Bubba followed me by car to keep an eye on me in case of an encounter with hungry wildlife. The off-road trail was very wet and muddy but I still got 3-miles in. I only did part of the circuits dotted along my winding trail, which included

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-49453309995856285712008-01-24T21:47:00.000-08:002008-01-24T22:48:47.066-08:00

We hibernated and napped intermittently all day, blinds closed, with the television on. We’re not on a schedule.I’m still sick. I can’t seem to kick this incessant spasm in my lung and tickle in my throat, forcing me to convulse and cough all hours of the day and night. Bubba has been rubbing Vick’s vapor all over my chest and back and I have been taking homeopathic stuff but it may soon be time

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-46750253974861928952008-01-22T16:00:00.000-08:002008-01-22T16:21:57.777-08:00

-The weather has been wet and dreary. (The temps are still dropping.)-I caught a cold (getting worse, lost my voice today). -Bubba and I had a lovers' spat. Altogether, these events have spoiled my mood to write.It has already been a week since we returned from our Hawaiian paradise vacation. It felt unnecessary and unnatural having to come back to 40-degree weather, after we’ve enjoyed a month

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-75410480253976552492008-01-17T01:05:00.000-08:002008-12-13T19:27:28.705-08:00

We had a celebrity sighting yesterday at the Honolulu Airport. We saw Gene Simmons and his partner, Shannon Tweed. Gene is best known as the vocalist/bassist member of the band, KISS. As a couple, they are more recently known for their reality show, Family Jewels.Bubba and I arrived at the airport a few hours early. I wanted to work on my two bottles of water and an orange, things I would not be

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-76356526773147355362008-01-14T23:53:00.000-08:002008-12-13T19:27:29.480-08:00

We are preparing to leave this tropical paradise for cold and dreary skies.I think I’m going to get sick. We spent today sunbathing one last time. Bubba and I have achieved a nice, golden tan, which will hopefully last until spring. Our glow will serve to remind us of this happy place.In reviewing our 30-day vacation here, we have learned a lot. We learned that time flies when you’re having fun.

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-42954538162091610972008-01-13T20:05:00.000-08:002008-12-13T19:27:30.506-08:00

We will be leaving picturesque O‘ahu in a few days. I will miss walking around scantily clad in tank tops and shorts or in a bikini and a sarong. Bubba and I expressed our enchantment with island life, dismissing any notions of having ‘island fever,’ when asked by his student (the recent bride). In fact, we could stay on long-term and become beach bums, he told her. Having a rental car during the

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-76555096902443616222008-01-10T01:58:00.000-08:002008-12-13T19:27:31.678-08:00

My cousin left today. Within the five days she stayed, we hit the ground running with our must-do list. The highlight, besides the sunbathing and frolicking on the beach (it’s 80 degrees here!), was definitely our visit to the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC). Of all the people I’ve known, who returned from a Hawaiian vacation, no one has ever mentioned this place. Fortunately, it was

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-37423309497315271012008-01-05T02:28:00.000-08:002008-12-13T19:27:32.318-08:00

Our schedule is picking up the pace now. My cousin flew in from San Francisco after New Year’s for a one week vacation. Now that she is here, we are ready to plunge into the role of full-fledged tourists.We bought our tickets for the Polynesian Cultural Center for tomorrow and it will be an all day activity, from noon to 9 PM. We will hopefully be able to squeeze both the ‘swapmeet’ and Pearl

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-65011856867020558492008-01-02T02:36:00.000-08:002008-01-02T03:04:34.429-08:00

We rung in the New Year’s with our friends in the suburbs of O‘ahu and discovered that when it comes to fireworks, the islanders don’t mess around. The fireworks display here on New Year’s is said to be more intense than that of the 4th of July on the mainland-the term the Hawaiians use to refer to the continental US. The only way I can describe the show we witnessed last night, for a period of

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-60770536082219109602007-12-30T21:40:00.000-08:002008-12-13T19:27:32.617-08:00

If one is in Honolulu for a short stay, there are three must-see places on the island. They are: the ’Iolani Palace, the Polynesian Cultural Center and Pearl Harbor. This was according to the docent we met at ’Iolani Palace yesterday. After waking up to another gray, drizzly morning, Bubba still thought we should explore. (I don’t have a problem staying indoors, in our view-friendly high-rise

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-31564907079819972872007-12-28T21:40:00.000-08:002008-12-13T19:27:32.974-08:00

We woke up to two days of gray skies here in Oahu but the temps are still in the high 70s. We are still walking around in flip-flops, shorts and tank tops. The rain was heavier yesterday but it subsides quick. Bubba and I are getting better acquainted with everything around us. Although, we are not in Waikiki, we are discovering that we are strategically located. We are in the heart of the

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-8204294331065245672007-12-25T23:10:00.000-08:002008-12-13T19:27:33.184-08:00

The wedding we came to Hawaii for has passed. The ceremony and reception took place at the Hale Koa (pronounce: holly ko-a) an impressive military-owned and operated hotel in Waikiki. We have been so busy attending parties leading up to this wedding. It was the marriage of two of Bubba’s top Army students. The bride, who is a Hawaiian native, spent four years studying in San Francisco and was

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-80880588366224239452007-12-21T12:06:00.000-08:002008-12-13T19:27:33.657-08:00

We flew into Honolulu on Monday, almost a week already. Bubba and I have been bitten by the ‘Polynesian-Paralysis’ bug, as my native-islander friend, Lou would term it. The weather is so warm and inviting and I wished I brought more summer clothes. Bubba likes how the heat feels on his body and remarks often how clean the air is. We took a taxi and found our way up to our condo with ease on day

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-43886895691591771862007-12-12T20:59:00.000-08:002007-12-12T21:15:24.218-08:00

Bubba’s recent neuro-cauterization procedure on his feet at the VA Hospital (which entails the burning of nerve endings to eliminate chronic pain) will be a regular part of his medical routine. In my last five years with Bubba, I am guilty of being rather lackadaisical in my attitude towards his degree of ‘pain and suffering’. During these years of cohabitation, waking up at night to find him

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-8180222027841996202007-12-09T19:05:00.000-08:002007-12-09T19:38:39.325-08:00

In between the wrapping of knick knack Christmas gifts and card writing (to a list of global recipients) and daily runs to the UPS counter, I have managed to avoid writing anything at all on my blog. This whole weekend was also committed to overseeing a garage sale solo, without Bubba. (He's resting after a neuro-cauterization procedure on his feet.) At first, I didn’t like the idea of manning a

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-47202505833689128492007-12-02T16:44:00.000-08:002007-12-02T17:21:07.074-08:00

We celebrated Bubba’s birthday yesterday. I was able to pull off a nicely cooked Korean meal of bulgogi and side dishes consisting of rice, pickled cucumbers and bean sprouts. A few of Bubba’s Army students came over to join us in the celebration. We picked up some take-out of fried rice, chow-mein, fried drummettes and kimbap to round out the smorgasbord of goodies. While prepping several dishes

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-5311984658230125442007-11-27T11:27:00.000-08:002007-11-27T11:43:52.610-08:00

Kat left for Tennessee on Sunday. She is more and more womanly each time we meet. She arrived on a Wednesday night in skinny jeans and high platform heels…her teen years finally affecting her sense of fashion. I was a little taken aback by her grown-up image. She looked like a young woman rather than a girl. There are some moments I detect her flaunting this teenage hubris and it is intimidating,

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-8875239988068437582007-11-23T11:32:00.000-08:002007-11-23T11:50:11.112-08:00

I finished reading, Eat Pray Love. Then I went a few days literature-less. I had to let the story sink in. I didn’t want to impede my mind with any other images after having joined the author on her whirlwind journey. I found myself liking the idea of consuming more Elizabeth Gilbert, though. She wrote another book called, The Last American Man where she chronicles an actual man (Eustace Conway)

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-61409778735075248512007-11-18T12:01:00.000-08:002007-11-18T12:34:07.688-08:00

I am still reading the book, Eat Pray Love. I am towards the tail end of Gilbert’s story. The last chapter covers the time she spends in Bali, Indonesia. The second section was on her four-month pilgrimage to an ashram in India. It took a while for me to digest her heavy and heady descriptions of her spiritual experiences. Now I am coasting along with her in Bali, meeting a slew of characters and

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-68297647237417941092007-11-17T11:50:00.000-08:002007-11-17T12:15:33.520-08:00

Come to think of it, I’m not a real routines-renouncer right now…I still have a daily set of rituals. Everyday, I wake up at 8:30 am. I put on a pot of coffee and I sit down in front of the computer to read the daily news on MSN. If something strikes me as interesting, I will spend the next few hours reading related, peripheral articles. If not, I will turn on the radio and hula hoop with music

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-47751312992120532352007-11-11T22:47:00.000-08:002007-11-11T22:58:07.960-08:00

The sun was out today, after a week of gray skies. We had another garage sale. Today was a good day. We sold off more clutter, especially the bigger things that have been taking up space. We sold a wheelchair (we had 3, now only 1) and two large pieces of exercise equipment. We found buyers for our inversion table and our Gazelle. Perhaps the new owners will treat them much the same way we did,

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-74145529025109083792007-11-09T11:44:00.000-08:002007-11-09T12:14:37.977-08:00

After being revisited by the memory of my nanny job in France, I realized that I must take better notes, ample notes. It’s disappointing that I merely file these special memories away into a vault somewhere inside my cranium. I suppose that is why I haven’t succeeded at being published, yet. I don’t take enough notes and the notes I do take, they discriminate. I won’t be forgetting any time soon

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-15671203914399824002007-11-08T16:04:00.000-08:002007-11-08T16:42:16.624-08:00

I finished reading the book French Lessons yesterday. Suddenly, stark images I haven't recalled for years, played out before me while my eyes were still open: a tastefully furnished room with stone-tiled floors and an antique-looking gold-rimmed mirror hanging above a fireplace. There were window doors all around letting in bright light. I was sitting in this room with little Pierre, the boy I

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-49278762499157801902007-11-05T20:38:00.000-08:002007-11-05T20:52:58.623-08:00

Bubba was busy tending to his vehicle this weekend so we didn’t have a garage sale as I had hoped. I wanted to sell off more clutter. It’s entertaining watching passerbys browse our goods and decide to buy things they may not necessarily need, such as a propane lantern with a tripod or a router saw. I get flustered with those who talk prices down even though we are already selling for bottom

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-85134625667124844502007-11-04T11:43:00.000-08:002007-11-04T12:09:35.919-08:00

The weather here has been swinging. Cold and hazy one day, warm and bright the next... makes for calamitous moods. My spirit is dampening, as I await the next big adventure. There’s been friction going on in my world. As much as I find myself missing San Francisco, I somehow can’t keep myself contained here. I spent years past escaping it. I’ve trained and traveled all over with the military. I

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-75248977158698220512007-10-29T10:11:00.000-07:002007-10-29T11:03:09.428-07:00

We made it back to foggy San Francisco a few days ago. Our detour to Nevada didn’t solve the service engine light problem. The dealer shop there came up with a different fix but they actually did it by the book by calling the corporate tech line. The problem was diagnosed as an impaired fuel pump. The part we needed would take two days. Even though the lights of the Las Vegas strip were beguiling

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-54809479469195778802007-10-23T13:34:00.000-07:002007-10-23T14:48:01.648-07:00

We should be in California today, but we’re in Nevada instead. Had we continued on our I-40 route, we may have witnessed the So-Cal fires. My heart goes out to those displaced. I have family there. They said the fire is visible all around but their area of Orange County is thankfully unaffected. This Nevada detour is due to car problems. Our ‘service engine soon’ light came on in Oklahoma. We

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-71000610604104045942007-10-22T09:28:00.000-07:002008-12-13T19:27:34.543-08:00

The winds have been fierce on our drive through Texas into New Mexico. The weather is extremely cool and crisp now. The sun is still out and the skies are blue, but the wind feels icy. We made it in to Arizona and didn’t realize we are already in the Pacific Time Zone. We’ve been driving through all the time zones this summer. We’ve gained time and lost time.While we were driving against high

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-57583095774564268202007-10-19T22:10:00.000-07:002007-10-19T22:17:29.200-07:00

We started on our journey westward today. It feels as if the party is coming to an end and I’m sad. Though Bubba and I have our month-long Hawaii trip, the prospect of having to commit to a possible work schedule, next year, even temporarily, is unsettling. I love the open road. I love seeing our country and recognizing the history that occurred on the very soil of each state. I am discovering

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-87744559500921294112007-10-17T16:22:00.000-07:002007-10-17T16:38:57.925-07:00

We are still in Oklahoma, enjoying the lazy life in our friends’ castle. We saw severe thunder storms and heard tornado warnings this week. I have yet to see a floating, swirling wind funnel but I’m excited at the prospect of chasing one with my camera. Bubba and I were able to catch a few bolts of lightning on film. We were waiting patiently out in the back porch, listening to rain pelting the

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-64989926410230453502007-10-13T21:11:00.000-07:002008-12-13T19:27:34.693-08:00

Oklahoma has been a wonderful Midwest host and it will also be our gateway west. We plan to take Interstate 40 back towards California this coming week. We will make our way through northern Texas into New Mexico, then Arizona and finally California. It will probably take about one week. I asked Bubba for a stop through Holbrook, Arizona to buy beautiful crystals and stones I remembered seeing at

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-24322113590280136482007-10-11T22:17:00.000-07:002008-12-13T19:27:35.205-08:00

I have developed a better understanding of football, our big country and children since beginning our road trip this summer.Having sat through Kat’s high school’s football games, tapping Bubba continuously for insight, I have since gained a good understanding of the sport. We headed westbound this week with Kat in tow. We made a small detour over to Memphis to visit Elvis’ Graceland estate. There

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-2614224503010352502007-10-09T15:17:00.000-07:002008-12-13T19:27:35.660-08:00

Since we’ve been driving across the country for the last four months, we’ve learned a lot about lodging and long-distance driving while on the road.I’ve learned that whenever we drive into a new state, all of the exits are numbered according to the mileage distance of the state (on that particular interstate). The numbers descend as we approach the next state. So whenever I see exit # 1, I get

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-64050488861423449062007-10-07T22:32:00.000-07:002008-12-13T19:27:35.833-08:00

My country experience is getting more and more priceless. Bubba’s brother presented me with a surprise yesterday morning. In the very jar that I carried around the day before, requesting him to catch and fill with a skink for me, contained a mouse-sized chipmunk. Bubba’s brother said he had rescued it from the preying claws of his cat.I studied the frightened chipmunk in the big plastic Miracle

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-24891473872828607632007-10-05T16:07:00.000-07:002008-12-13T19:27:36.194-08:00

We will be leaving here tomorrow. I’ll miss the natural scenery that surrounds me here. City life won't be quite as educational. Yesterday, a friend of mine sent me an e-mail commenting on my discovery of Snowball’s deafness, the white cat that has been visiting me. He said studies show cats, especially with white coats and blue eyes, are likely to have a genetic defect that leads to deafness. I

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-3349215996969645592007-10-03T13:10:00.000-07:002008-12-13T19:27:36.897-08:00

We haven’t left the East, yet. Bubba’s younger daughter, Kat has a week-long autumn break from school coming up. We will take her on our drive westward and fly her back to Tennessee from wherever we stop. Bubba says kids grow up too fast and therefore we must relish our time with them while we can. I still think of Kat as the way I met her at 9-years old, a charming girl who held onto my hand

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-32516137966286713212007-09-27T16:30:00.000-07:002008-12-13T19:27:37.281-08:00

Our road trip is winding down to one more weekend on this side of the country. We want the advantage of having Kat once more before we head west. We are in Indiana now at Dina’s (Bubba’s sister) enchanting home. (I had devoted a blog entry to her.) She’s quite a marvel. She lives in an upscale neighborhood outside Indianapolis and has transformed her home into a work of art. There is such a

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-21309444350506997152007-09-25T14:56:00.000-07:002008-12-13T19:27:37.984-08:00

I got my wish. Bubba took me to see Niagara Falls. Mapquest indicated that the drive to this natural wonder would take about 8 hours from Ohio so we left Bubba’s mom’s house to take the northernmost route. We cut through Cleveland, Ohio into Pennsylvania and then onwards to New York, driving along the skirts of Lake Erie on I-90. Niagara Falls, I learned, is a natural outlet from Lake Erie to

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-73917524661494235162007-09-19T23:42:00.000-07:002008-12-13T19:27:38.304-08:00

I experienced my own version of Friday Night Lights while attending a high school football game at Kat’s school. It was our weekend to have her so we have been migrating around Tennessee to be closer to her. When we arrived at the host high school for the Friday night game, the scene was extraordinary. The parking lot was packed and bustling with kids spraying and finger painting their faces,

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-37284256022400566942007-09-13T16:24:00.000-07:002008-12-13T19:27:38.667-08:00

I feel like a pioneer woman, hanging out on this property nestled in the woods, surrounded by dogs and cats and other wildlife. I participate in composting and this ‘living off the land’ phenomenon. Bubba’s brother comes back from his garden with ripe bell peppers, tomatoes and melons and we incorporate them into our daily meals. Life is definitely laid back, but a little too slow. If I so choose

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-74950765109279761182007-09-08T15:31:00.000-07:002008-12-13T19:27:38.901-08:00

We drove 40 miles down from our plateau neighborhood to visit with Bubba’s retired aunt and uncle, my first time. Aunt Jan is the sister of Bubba’s late father. When Bubba’s mom became a widow, Aunt Jan played a big role in helping out with her kids. I studied her dark brown hair and deep blue eyes and envisioned how her features would resemble that of her late brother. I was treated to several

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-35378850252740396742007-09-05T19:04:00.000-07:002008-12-13T19:27:39.123-08:00

We’re in the backwoods now. We are in the heart of the Bible Belt. We’re staying in Bubba’s step-dad’s house. It is a 4-bedroom, 3-bath ranch home surrounded by 5-acres of land in the southeast portion of Tennessee. We are a few hundred miles from both Georgia and North Carolina.I was here once before a few years ago. I can remember my indifference when being introduced to 4-wheelers, dirt bikes

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-72706140075777839532007-09-01T22:12:00.000-07:002007-09-01T22:41:29.974-07:00

We are spending Labor Day weekend at Bubba’s mom’s in Ohio.The weather today was exceptional. It was breezy and sunny with no humidity. Bubba described it as akin to a very nice day in San Francisco.We will have a barbeque tomorrow. Dina drove down from Indiana and Kat is with us. We actually pushed the whole 7 hours yesterday, driving from Tennessee into Ohio. I spent today watching the History

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-42048770155221389682007-08-27T23:09:00.000-07:002008-12-13T19:27:39.354-08:00

Just one more day left in San Francisco and I’m dreading leaving this cool weather behind. But, gotta get back to my universal man, Bubba. I have been gorging myself on just about everything I won’t be able to get my hands on over there: banh-mis, pad see-ew,chow fun, fresh sushi and my tapioca teas. Bubba said they finally had a nice, long-awaited rain storm today and he went and scrubbed his

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-37962085626058733862007-08-22T20:33:00.000-07:002008-12-13T19:27:39.530-08:00

I’m back in lovely San Francisco for the week. The sky is especially blue and sunny this time of year. It’s a refreshing change from the humidity of the East, where we sweat through our shirts, standing outdoors in a mere few minutes. Here, it stays fresh and brisk all day long.So, with the gracious invite to walk down the aisle as a bridesmaid at my darling cousin Liza’s wedding this Saturday, I

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-61461212317671010002007-08-17T20:08:00.000-07:002008-12-13T19:27:39.925-08:00

It feels so archaic to still have the smoking or non-smoking option out here. What an unusual experience to come out of the stifling heat and humidity for some welcome AC relief, and to find indoor areas reeking of heavy, odorous fumes. Some counties are beginning the indoor ban but tough enforcement is still lacking. We left Ohio yesterday and drove through a mild thunderstorm. The rain cooled

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-2590481431866163442007-08-13T12:57:00.000-07:002008-12-13T19:27:40.116-08:00

My entries of late have been so text heavy, so here is an image, taken from a moving vehicle, of what I get to see in this part of suburban Ohio. Corn-fields and soybean fields. I awoke this morning to a call from my older brother. He is a Wall Street guy and a genius. While we were growing up, he excelled in all of his Math and Science classes. He participated in national competitions, won

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-78690606184442872102007-08-12T20:34:00.000-07:002007-08-12T22:50:56.132-07:00

With my foot and knee still in recovery, I have been hibernating. The family took me out for a day to a mall so I could get some daylight and air. The mall ran out of courtesy wheelchairs so Bubba talked me into riding in a shopping cart. He pushed me throughout the mall. Bubba said that babies in their strollers stared at me in jealousy and awe.I can see how much my left calf has shrunk. I can

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-73102166983223527242007-08-09T18:57:00.000-07:002007-08-09T21:06:07.384-07:00

My Canadian cousin has been following my blog and commented that I should add tons of imagery to give her an idea of the scenery during our drive. She said she would even be interested in pictures of the highways we drove on. I admit I haven't been disciplined in creating an adjoining Flickr account. The thought of loading and labeling over 500 pictures we have is daunting!I started to examine my

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-17594430855342688782007-08-07T22:17:00.000-07:002007-08-07T22:59:15.484-07:00

Now that I know for sure that I have a few dedicated readers to my blog, I feel a responsibility to post some kind of entry, no matter how mundane my day may have been or how uninspired I am feeling. (Thank you for reading!)I have still been nursing my foot or rather Bubba has and have started walking more with the splint he made me. The bruising is receding towards my toe and ankle. The raw

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-48755377434289971842007-08-05T21:26:00.000-07:002007-08-05T21:53:07.159-07:00

A blossoming penchant toward existentialist philosophy has been creeping over me these last few months and has since increased while on the road. I am beginning to concur with the adage of living in the moment. Last month, I came across an eloquent newspaper article on Roz Savage from the UK. Her claim to fame was successfully rowing solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 103 days in 2006. Her story

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-11880469828845287852007-08-04T19:44:00.000-07:002007-08-05T06:50:05.267-07:00

In order to stretch out our finances, we are relying on the generosity of family and friends. Back in San Francisco, we still have a furnished bedroom in my mother's house. My car sits in her garage and she let us put a storage shed filled with our life's belongings in her backyard. Here in the East, we are currently staying at Bubba's step-dad's and mom's in Ohio. They built a spacious, airy

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-39381937920334358032007-08-03T07:41:00.000-07:002007-08-03T08:56:23.291-07:00

Bubba's mom filled us up with delicious, ethnic food all week long. She cooked her signature Korean dishes everyday: japchae, bulgogi, vegetable tempura, rice noodle soup, gimbap...each meal was accompanied with a variety of homemade pickled sides such as cucumbers, radishes, carrots, napa cabbage (she made regular and spicy kimchee), moo (salted turnips), anchovies I sat at the dinner table

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-41679235620030216572007-07-31T12:23:00.000-07:002007-08-04T16:09:01.196-07:00

We made it into Ohio, to Bubba's mom and step-dad's place. Bubba spent the afternoon, in the humidity, working on his latest invention: home-made crutches for me. He measured me from armpit to ankle and used bamboo rods to build a set of crutches. The handle-rests for my palms are affixed sturdily into hand-carved holes Bubba made with a knife on the bamboo rods and held together with duct tape.

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-7683643119198556292007-07-30T09:52:00.000-07:002008-12-13T19:27:40.444-08:00

Spent the last three days nursing a major wipe out. I injured my left foot and ripped out a chunk from my knee during a run. While we were in Indiana, Dina took Kat and I out for a run on the Monon Trail, a 15-mile long path for jogging and bicycling enthusiasts. After running a mile, we started to add some variety...we did some lateral skipping, backwards jogging and I came up with a spin-jog.

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-6479047624570540002007-07-26T10:02:00.000-07:002008-12-13T19:27:40.749-08:00

Everyone of us knows someone that we admire, whether its for their style, their accomplishments, their confidence, their 'coolness...'There are quite a few people that I admire near and far for different reasons and Bubba's younger sister, Dina is one of them. We are staying in her home in Indianapolis. She lives in a beautiful neighborhood, where each house sits on half an acre surrounded by

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-77705962320475110542007-07-25T09:39:00.001-07:002007-07-30T10:50:19.278-07:00

On our last 40 miles into Indianapolis, Indiana, Bubba and Kat taught me a new game completely foreign to me. It is a game we could have played all along during our long drive. Bubba's late father, Dean, may he rest in peace, showed his toddler-aged Bubba this trick. When one is driving alongside a trucker on the interstate, one can signal the trucker to honk. All one has to do is to make eye

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-70772284461248356942007-07-23T18:24:00.000-07:002007-08-05T07:30:29.685-07:00

We arrived into the border of Missouri late last night. Today we made it through St. Louis within five minutes. Six different interstates converge into downtown St. Louis. I wanted to see the arch but only got a few snap shots of it while we drove on interstate 55. We crossed into Illinois where we will stay for the night and make it to Indiana tomorrow, home of Bubba's sister. During our drive,

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-27037351183311730282007-07-20T21:33:00.000-07:002008-12-13T19:27:41.004-08:00

We made it into Oklahoma. I love the greenery all around. It is a pretty state. The weather is in the high 90's but not quite as hot as the years before, according to our hosts. We are staying with Bubba's old Army buddy, Mark and his family. Mark and Bubba were stationed in Germany nearly two decades ago.Bubba was a platoon leader back then and Mark remembered Bubba as this exceptional,

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-27287963686623984572007-07-18T20:55:00.000-07:002007-07-25T10:25:19.676-07:00

Since renouncing routines, I have no concept of time. It is nice to just let this sense of time go. I put away my watch and cell phone and just rely on sunrise and sunset, hunger and nature calls to mark the passing of each day.We have been driving through Interstate 40, enjoying the scenery. We get a kick out of looking at license plates and today we saw a truck with the sentence, "Git-er done!,

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-74497513975334410162007-07-16T23:40:00.000-07:002008-12-13T19:27:41.338-08:00

Whether one is geologically inclined or not, the trip to the Grand Canyon should be made in one's lifetime. We spent two days inside the National Park that houses the Grand Canyon. There is a $25 vehicle entry fee, which allows a week of at-will entries and exits. We entered through the Southern Rim on Interstate 64. The view was indeed majestic! The deep canyon is breathtaking and amazing. It

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-37095249536812893592007-07-13T22:09:00.000-07:002008-12-13T19:27:41.800-08:00

We stayed in the Holiday Inn Express Hotel yesterday evening in Santa Nella, California. Bubba told Kat, this made us 'smarter.' Kat and I played around in the swimming pool for a few hours but the weather was in the low 80s. We raided the free continental breakfast first and then ran 2-miles on a treadmill in the gym this morning.Right now we made it into the town of Needles. Bubba and I shared

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538320991744401137.post-62267572612404542322007-07-12T23:55:00.001-07:002007-08-05T07:26:51.072-07:00

We marked our route permanently on our atlas. We are taking Interstate 40 across the country. This is due to our time crunch. We wanted to see the Northern states but we will have to take a more direct route to reach our final destination. We have to return Kat to her home in Tennessee by August 3rd. She will be starting high school this fall and her orientation is on August 6th. We asked her if

JetsetJuliethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362660297187052266noreply@blogger.com