A Lovely Day in the Elegant City of Savannah, GA (GART - Stop 4)

The latest road trip stats:

Charleston odometer mileage: 93,765

Odometer mileage at destination: 93,902

Miles driven to destination: 137

Total miles driven to date: 913

States driven through: South Carolina and Georgia

I think I'm in love... with Savannah, GA! If I were in the market for a new place to make my hometown, Savannah would definitely be on the short list. Filled with friendly people, plenty of activities, and mild winters make this city a pleasant place to visit and, according to locals, a great place to live.

Savannah is Georgia's oldest city and was founded by General James Oglethorpe, a British general, in 1733, who created a unique design for the city. The city's historic district has 22 park-like squares, surrounded by 4 residential blocks and 4 civic blocks. For me, the design makes the city seem more homey and comfortable. Also, Savannah has many significant historical landmarks; such as the birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low (founder of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America), the Georgia Historical Society (the oldest continually operating historical society in the South), the First African Baptist Church (one of the oldest African-American Baptist congregations in the United States), Temple Mickve Israel (the third oldest synagogue in America), and the Central of Georgia Railway roundhouse complex (the oldest standing antebellum rail facility in America) - just a drop in the bucket of some of the amazing things to see in this city of 140,000 inhabitants.

My day in Savannah was fabulous! It started with a 90-minute trolley tour around the 2.2 square mile historic district, which was a great way to get an overview of the city and for me to make decisions on which sites were "must sees". The trolley did make one quick 10 minute stop at the Catholic cathedral, which was a perfect amount of time to dash in a take a couple of photos. When the tour was completed, I made my way to the first site that I wanted to see:

Owens-Thomas House, which is considered by architectural historians to be one of the finest examples of English Regency architecture in America. The house was designed by an English architect William Jay and was completed in 1819 for a cotton merchant, Richard Richardson. After suffering financial losses, the house was sold and went through several different hands before it was donated to the Telfair Museum of Art. The tour of the house was interesting and actually a little weird and awkward because I was the only person on the tour. The house is beautifully decorated with early 19th century period pieces and is an elegant reminder of simpler times. (Photography is not allowed inside of any of the historic homes or museums.)

Next I walked around town, taking random photos, including a photo of identical houses built side-by-side by a father for his identical twin girls. His intent was to address their constant fighting over everything, but inadvertently, the twins ended up fighting over who would get what side. Oops.

I finally meandered my way to the one place that was on the top of my list to see: the Mercer Williams House Museum. If you're familiar with either the book or the movie, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, then this house should ring a bell. Designed by John S. Norris for General Hugh Weedon Mercer (great-grandfather of the songwriter Johnny Mercer), construction of the house began in 1860. Construction was interrupted by the American Civil War, and finally completed around 1868 by a new owner, John Wilder. For a period in the twentieth century, the building was used as the Savannah Shriners Alee Temple. It then lay vacant for a decade until in 1969, Jim Williams, one of Savannah’s earliest and most dedicated private restorationists, bought the house and restored it. Today, the house is privately owned by Mr. Williams' sister, Dorothy Kingery. This house quickly became one of my favorite places that I have visited (including Europe). I'm not certain why I was so charmed by this house. Maybe it was the personal touches. So much of the house was meticulously restored by Mr. Williams and he had the most exquisite taste! It could be that I love it because this house is still a home. It's not just a museum. I don't know but if you get to Savannah, see this house.

On my way to my next stop (Telfair Academy), I took a slight detour past Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room, a unique restaurant. Generally, there is an hour to two hour wait to eat lunch at this family-style restaurant where strangers eat along side each other. The hairstylist I went to in Charlotte recommended this restaurant, but sadly, it is closed for the entire month of January. I'm not a fan of waiting an hour or two for lunch anyway. A few minutes later, I arrived at the Telfair Academy of Art and Science, which is a historic mansion turned into an art museum. It houses some interesting artwork by artists of which I have never heard. There were a few that were pretty memorable, but I especially liked a painting entitled La Parabola (A Parable), painted by an Italian artist named Cesare Laurenti. It's difficult to describe the painting, but feel free to click the link to see it.

My last stop was across the street from the Academy: the Jepson Center for the Arts. It's Savannah's modern art museum. I'm not much of a modern art fan, but I wanted to go to the museum because it houses a sculpture that I wanted to see: Sylvia Shaw Judson’s Bird Girl (the sculpture from the book cover of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil). The sculpture used to stand in Bonaventure Cemetery, but after the release of the film, people were flocking to the cemetery to see the statue. There was a fear that the sculpture might be stolen so it was permanently moved, first to the Academy and now the Jepson. She is quite remarkable and I'm so thrilled I got a chance to see it.

It was time for some dinner, so I headed back to my hotel and found a local restaurant. While eating dinner, a question ran through my head: are green beans still considered healthy if they contain bacon and ham? Of course, I suppose the point is moot if you're eating fried chicken and mac and cheese with the green beans. Ahhhhhh, you have got to love the South!

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Savannah. She's a beauty!! Check out all my photos of Savannah on my GART photo site! 

The minute I post this blog, I hit the road -- heading to my brother, Tim's house in Boca Raton, FL. More from the Sunshine State where I hear it's 80 degrees.

The twin houses

 

A Brief Visit to Charleston, SC (GART - Stop 3)

Here are the stats for Stop 3:

Charlotte odometer mileage: 93,559

Odometer mileage at destination: 93,765

Miles driven to destination: 206

Total miles driven to date: 776

States driven through: North Carolina and South Carolina

Due to a later start than planned, my half day visit of Charleston was more like a couple of hours. Sad. Why the 2 hours delay in leaving Charlotte? A haircut! I admit: it wasn't the best date and time to get an appointment because it put me way behind schedule. I departed Charlotte around 11:15 and arrived at the visitor's center in downtown Charleston at 2:45. 

Founded in 1670 as Charles Towne in honor of King Charles II of England, Charleston is the oldest and second largest city in South Carolina. Thanks to the slave trade, Charleston was soon one of the wealthiest cities in the colonies.  

The visitor's center had a ton of information what to see in the city, much more that I could possibly fit into my short time here. Therefore, I decided that arriving so late in the day, I could only pick one thing to do. A tour of Fort Sumter was out of the running because the last boat tour is at 2:30. I decided I would choose one of the fabulous historic homes to explore. The Edmondston-Alston House seemed a good choice. I jumped back in my car and drove to the house, only to find that it was closed for yearly maintenance. ARGH! I checked the map to see if there might be another home close by and lo and behold, the Nathanial Russell House (see photo above) was a mere 2 blocks away - and, even more important, it was open for tours!

Completed in 1808, the Russell House is a Federal style townhouse which was built by Nathan Russell, a wealthy Rhode Island merchant, and the house is widely recognized as one of America's most significant neoclassical dwellings. The interior of the house is gracefully beautiful with a front rectangular room, a center oval room, and a square room in the rear. The rooms are tastefully decorated with period pieces. It is definitely worth a visit if for no other reason that to see the magnificent free-flying (or floating) staircase. As with many houses, photography is not allowed inside, so I cannot show you how interesting and beautiful this home is. If you ever get to Charleston, this house is a must see. 

After touring the house, I decided to have an early dinner. Before leaving Charlotte, my cousin, Martin recommended that I head over to Sullivan's Island and have dinner at Poe's Tavern. I am glad that I took his advice. The tavern is named (and themed) after the great American author, Edgar Allan Poe (one of my favorite authors). Interestingly, after a brief stint at the University of Virginia, Poe enlisted in the army under the pseudonym Edgar Allan Perry, claiming he was 22 years old (he was 18 at the time). Poe was stationed at Fort Moultrie at the western end of Sullivan’s Island for thirteen months beginning November 18,1827. This restaurant pays homage to Mr. Poe and it's magnificent. The food recommendation from my cousin and his wife were to either get a burger or the fish tacos. I went with the recommendation from my server: The Sleeper - a burger with roasted garlic blue cheese and Buffalo fried shrimp. Yep, it is aptly named because upon eating said burger you are immediately put into food coma! It was worth every single calorie.

That sums up my very brief visit to Charleston. I wish I could have spent a little more time there, but at least I feel I did well with the time I had. Check out the Stop 3 photos on my GART photo site!

Hitting the road - with a new 'do.

Time Spent in Charlotte and Asheville, NC (GART - Stop 2)

Here are the stats for arriving at Stop 2:

Richmond odometer mileage: 93,248

Odometer mileage at destination: 93,559

Miles driven to destination: 311

Total miles driven to date: 570

States driven through: Virgina and North Carolina

As I prepare to head off today to Charleston, South Carolina, I would like to reflect on my time in the Greater Charlotte area and my visit to Asheville. Mostly, this visit was about spending time with family. Unfortunately, the weather in NYC and business appointments kept my cousin, Martin, from home, but his lovely wife, Trish, and my amazing nearly 90-year old aunt, Jo, more than made me feel welcome and at home. I won't bore you with the details of time spent with family - but we did look at a lot of old photos. Really fun!

What do you know about Charlotte, NC? Not much? Yeah, me either. I just assumed that it was all about the banking industry with the headquarters of Bank of America and Wells Fargo located here, but Charlotte has a surprisingly vibrant culture. The city center (called "uptown") is heavily concentrated with museums, theatres, sporting venues, shops, hotels, restaurants, and bars. NODA, another neighborhood in Charlotte, is a popular arts district, with galleries and other entertainment venues. I didn't get much time to explore either one of these neighborhoods. My cousin's wife gave me the 10 cent quick overview car tour, but I would like to come back and check it out in more depth.

Yesterday, Trish, Aunt Jo and I traveled to Asheville, NC where the Biltmore estate is located. The Biltmore House (photo above) is the largest privately-owned house in the United States. The house was completed in 1895 and is a spectacular house. It rivals all the great palaces of Europe with is splendor. Still owned by the Vanderbilt family, the house has 250 rooms, including 33 bedrooms for family and guests, 43 bathrooms, 65 fireplaces, three kitchens and 19th-century novelties such as electric elevators, forced-air heating, centrally controlled clocks, fire alarms and an intercom system. It has a indoor swimming pool, gymnasium, and male and female changing rooms. Unfortunately, photos are not allowed in the residence, but trust me when I say it is stupendous. I would like to go back for another visit to the Biltmore House, because from Feb 5 to May 25, they are having a special event: Dressing Downton. Visitors will be able to see more than 40 costumes from Downton Abbey. There were already a few scattered around the House as a teaser.

All in all it was a fun 3.5 days, but it's time to move on. Check out the limited photos taken from Stop 2 at my GART photo site.

A Stop in Historic Richmond, VA (GART - Stop 1)

Sorry for the delay in posting my first blog of my Great American Road Trip but I've been having fun actually spending time with people! Unlike the Grand Tour of Europe, I will not necessarily post every day, but most likely will post when I've completed a new stop (perhaps a little more in between if I'm anywhere for awhile or saw something mind blowing). This posting is about my travels from Philadelphia to my first stop (Richmond) and what I did while visiting.

Starting odometer mileage: 92,989

Odometer mileage at destination: 93,248

Miles driving: 259

Total miles to date: 259

States driven through: Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virgina (circled around DC)

I awoke Saturday morning to see 2 inches of heavy wet snow all around Philadelphia and was happy that I had the forethought to load the day before nearly everything in my car that I needed for my road trip. Additionally, I was ecstatic to be getting away from the snow and the cold and heading toward the warmer southern states. I readied myself, said "ciao" to Tom, hopped into the car, and by 9am was making my way south on I-95 jamming to music. I was heading toward Richmond, VA where I was to visit with one of my dearest high school friends (Paige) and her husband (Rich). Let me say, that I really love driving. Getting out on the road and feeling the pavement under my wheels, there's nothing like it. There are things I hate about driving. Mostly, other drivers. They really do not know how to drive anywhere; for instance, he person who weaves in and out of traffic, the driver who decides that turn signals are optional, the person who drives 10 miles below the speed limit. These and others all try my patience. I've decided if I start to feel murderous towards others drivers, I'll just take a break. Now onto my trip from Philly to Richmond.

Before reaching my destination, I made a Starbucks stop in Delaware, a pee break in Maryland, and a bit of refueling in Virginia. By 1:30 pm, I was pulling up in my friends' driveway. I greeted Paige and realized that I had not seen her in the 30 years since we left high school. While we had communicated over the years, we physically were not in each other's company. It was time to make up for lost time. Originally, the plan was to have some lunch and then perhaps go to a museum or some other cultural/historic site before dinner. Alas, the plans changed a bit...or, you know, a lot!

After meeting and greeting the two beautiful cats of the household (Krache and Byrne), the three of us headed out for a...ummmm...hoppy kind of beverage. You see, Richmond has a bevy of microbreweries and Paige and Rich were eager to share them with me. What started out as a historic look at Richmond, ended up being more of a pub crawl. And it was incredibly fun! 

Brewery #1: Strangeways Brewery. This funky brewery has some of the strangest eclectic artwork and some crazy and delicious beer flavors. The names alone are a reason to visit this place, names like Phantasmic East Coast IPA, Woodbooger Belgian-Style Brown Ale, Gwar Blood, and such. We tasted a couple of brews and then decided to get some food. On our way to a late lunch, we drove down Monument Avenue where several monuments to some losers...um, sorry, Southern heroes from the Civil War (i.e., Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, Stonewall Jackson) and (oddly) tennis great Arthur Ashe and Montane Maury (an oceanographer) are placed. We also drove by the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University and the State's Capital - so we did a little historical sightseeing. Lunch was at Bottoms Up Pizza where Paige and I shared a State Fair pizza (Guldens brown mustard, sausage, caramelized onions and roasted red peppers). YUM! Then it was onto Brewery #2: Triple Crossing Brewing, so named because of the three owners and the brewery's location. My favorite beer of the night was here: The Proposition (a DIPA beer). They also have Nightmare Canyon, Diabolical Tutor, and Falcon Smash. Fun! The last stop on the pub crawl before heading to dinner was: Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, which is probably Richmond's best known and loved brewery. Due to the fact that they were releasing a new brew (The Milkman - a chocolate milk stout), the brewery was packed and it was a party with live (and quite loud) music. Finally, we ended our night with dinner at a local Vietnamese restaurant, Mekong, which strangely is also known for its beer selection and a brewery next door which was recently opened up by the owner of Mekong. They do like their beer in Richmond.

We concluded the night with relaxing back at Paige and Rich's house and watching Robin Williams: Live on Broadway (2002) (video). It's still as hilarious today as it was 12 years ago and was a sad reminder of the great talent that has been lost with Robin's death. Then it was off to bed. 

I awoke the next morning where we chatted a bit, before having breakfast, and then I headed out at 10am for my next destination (Charlotte, NC).  Okay, I'm a moron because I neglected to bring my camera with me on our pub crawl and my cell phone was dying so I couldn't take photos. I had to steal the couple of pictures that Paige took. So my online GART photo site is a little lame, but feel free to check it out. It won't take you very long.

Stay tuned for all the exciting events from Charlotte.

New Oncologist and Latest CT Scan (Cancer Update)

When I got back from Europe, I knew it was time to find a new oncologist. I didn't think it was efficient use of my time to travel 6 hours to Newburyport for doctor's appointments and tests. I researched the Philadelphia oncology centers and decided to go with Fox Chase Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center research facility and hospital, and about 4 miles from my brother's house. The location makes it terribly convenient. FCCC has a good reputation and is ranked as the second best cancer center in Philadelphia. (Number 1 is University of Pennsylvania.)

The first week of January, I went through a rather lengthy pre-screening call with a nurse and was given an appointment time last week with a doctor. I'll call her Dr. J (not Julius Irving). Last week, Dr. J and I met to discuss my history and suggestions for the future. During our appointment, we both agreed that chemotherapy was not useful, but she wanted to wait until my next CT before making any possible recommendations. I told her that I was not really interested in any treatment at the moment, but I will listen to her suggestions and then make my decision. For the record, I really like this doctor. She listens and doesn't judge.

This past Wednesday, I went back to FCCC for the CT scan, which Dr. J said that she would call me with the results. I had indicated that I was leaving for my road trip and if she could call me before I hit the road, I would appreciate it. I waited around yesterday and today, waiting for a call that didn't come. I even called FCCC around noon today to ask the nurse if she could remind Dr. J about calling me with the results. 

Here's the interesting thing about FCCC. They put all medical records online where I can freely look at them. While I think this is great, it also sets a bad precedent if they post medical records before the doctor has a chance to review them with the patient. For instance, I decided to log into my FCCC account and check to see if the test results were there and lo and behold, there they were. So while there was nothing terribly earth-shattering in the report (nothing that I didn't expect), it's probably a bad idea for a patient to look at the test results before reviewing them with the doctor. But since I've already looked at the results, here's what I found out:

For some reason, they compared the results with my February 2014 scan and not my August 2014 scan. The largest lesion in the right lower lobe measures 3.1 x 2.7 cm (which is three times what it was in August 2014). The right middle lobe metastasis measures 2.7 x 1.9 cm (about twice the size). There a new large pleural effusion on the left side. A left pleural based metastasis measuring 3.3 x 2.4 cm which is new.  Plus some smaller nodules. In addition to the growth and new nodules, there is a new node in the pelvis which measures 2.1 x 1.2 cm. Oh joy!

Like I said, nothing surprising. I fully expect there to be growth in the nodes. I expect that the doctor will probably call me some time next week when I'm on the road. If she says anything that is reportable, I'll post it. Otherwise, time to hit the road, spend time with friends and family, and do some US sightseeing. 

Don't You Just Hate Anniversaries...

Or is it just me? 

I can hear the responses: "Oh, I love celebrating with my husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend/lover the anniversary of our ______" (fill in the blank; i.e., wedding, first date, engagement, first Talk Like a Pirate Day together, etc.). Well, folks - I don't have such happy anniversaries. The anniversaries in my life are all painful and terrible, so I don't look forward to certain dates on my calendar. Today - January 21st is the worst of them all. Today is the 5-year anniversary of when my world tilted on its axis and descended into hell. Okay, that's not entirely true. My life was already in hell but it descended into a lower circle of hell 5 years ago and I have never recovered. 

It's funny but each time January 21st rolls around, I have the strong desire to travel to New York City and slap a 6'4" hulking leprechaun in the face. You see, this leprechaun asked for a seemingly innocuous favor (to go to dinner with some clients) and my world has not been the same since. Sadly, even though I'd like to slap the aforementioned leprechaun, he's one of the few people from my last couple of years in NYC that I actually like -- even though I haven't seen or spoken to him in nearly 4 years. Therefore, he will remain "slap-free".

I suppose it's good that don't have too many of these heartbreaking anniversaries. Four to be exact - this one, a couple in October, and a brand new one in September. So how to get through these horrendous days? For the most part, I have three solutions that get me through these days. The first: work! When I was working, getting through these days was fairly easy. I went to work and worked very hard, in order to get through the bulk of the day unscathed. Second, when I'm not working, I employ a tactic which I called immersion therapy. I spend the day huddled under some covers, watching every sad movie I can find, and eat a quart of ice cream or plow through a package of Oreo double stuff cookies. I cry and gnash my teeth and get all the emotions out. Sometimes it's better to let them out, then keep them bottled up. The last way that I get through these days is listening to music. As the saying goes, "music has charms to soothe the savage breast" (William Congreve, The Mourning Bride).

Clearly today, I could not employ the former as I'm not longer working, and I could only sort of employ my immersion therapy. You see, I stupidly made an afternoon appointment for a new CT scan today. I needed to fast 4 hours before the test at 3:30 - so there went my ice cream/Oreo binge. I had a few sad movies that I could have watched, but knowing I needed to go out, I didn't want to be an emotional mess. Therefore, I couldn't really do the full immersion therapy.

In order to get through today, I mostly went with the third option - music. Most of this day was spent listening to my ever-expanding catharsis playlist. This music I find helpful when these emotions come crashing down. Which reminds me, the other day, my brother played a Bonnie Tyler's song, "It's a Heartache" (lyrics) and it's kind of perfect for how I'm feeling today - and has been added to the playlist. Sing it, Bonnie!

Packing For a Road Trip (GART)

Barring any unforeseen circumstances (i.e., getting unexpected results from my upcoming CT scan), I will be hitting the road this coming Saturday (January 24) for my Great American Road Trip. I've loosely planned the first three weeks - first stop is Richmond, VA where I will spend time with one of my dearest high school friends, before heading off to Charlotte, NC to see family (with a side trip to the Biltmore estate in Asheville). Next up will be Charleston, SC followed by Savannah, GA before heading to Boca Raton, FL where my brother, Tim lives. I'll spend about a week at my brother's - seeing high school friends and attending my niece's wedding. Then my brother, Tom and I will spend a week in Orlando visiting with Harry Potter and Mickey Mouse. After that I'm not certain where I'll head, but most likely Atlanta, GA, New Orleans, LA, and Memphis, TN.

Because this trip is getting mighty close, I've been contemplating and listing everything that I need to take for this trip. Packing for my GART is proving much more time consuming than packing for my trip to Europe, which consisted of a backpack for all my important and expensive items and a small suitcase for my clothing. 

First, there are the car essentials:

• emergency road kit 
• first aid kit
• a small cooler (for water and snacks)
• some bottled water
• snacks
• a gallon of water (for emergencies)
• iTouch with lots of music and podcasts
• paper towels, tissues, toilet paper, small garbage bags
• wet wipes
• road atlas (in case all electronics have a meltdown)

The car has been checked for roadworthiness and I have AAA for emergencies. That takes care of the car. But the list doesn't end there. There's my backpack and/or daybag which will be packed with:

• iPhone
• digital camera
• laptop
• Kindle
• chargers for all electronics
• a ton of batteries for the camera
• medications
• sunglasses
• credit cards/ATM card/cash

Here's where it becomes a little more difficult. What to pack in my suitcase? Europe was easy because I knew that generally the weather was not going to be all that different. But thanks to the size of the United States, I will be leaving the cold north with 30 degree temperatures and heading to warmer climes, like Florida with their mid-70s to 80 degree weather. Do I take shorts? I didn't need shorts in Europe. Plus I need a wedding outfit (which I'll probably purchase in FL). Do I bring heels or flats? Such a dilemma, but I think my clothing plan will not be all that different than Europe. Here's what I've planned:

• 3 pairs of yoga pants
• 4 long sleeve shirts
• 4 short sleeve shirts
• 3 pairs of shorts
• 2 sleep outfits
• 1 robe
• 1 cardigan
• a winter jacket
• hat, gloves, scarf
• a week's worth of panties and socks
• 3 bras
• 1 pair of sneakers
• 1 pair of ballet flats
• toiletries

Of course, I'll be wearing yoga pants, a fleece, a shirt, and walking shoes when I set off. Fortunately, there are stores all over the United States that if I need to supplement this wardrobe, it can be easily tackled. Then I'll hit the laundromat when necessary. I think I've got my bases covered.

I plan to divvy up my clothing into two bags. The bulk of my clothing will be in a medium-sized suitcase for those times that I'm staying longer than overnight. Additionally, I will have a small overnight bag for those quick 1-night stops so I'm not dragging my whole world into a hotel.

What do you think? Am I missing anything? 

Betty White is a Goddess...

The incomparable Betty White turned 93 yesterday. Yep, you read correctly - 93! And the woman is still going strong. If you haven't seen the recent reports, to celebrate Betty's birthday, there was a hula flash mob (video) on the set of Hot in Cleveland. I don't really watch the show much, but when I do, it's Betty White who steals the show every time. Ms. White has had a career which spans 8 decades and shows no signs of ending any time soon!

But I didn't always have a love of Ms. White. Truth be told, when I was growing up, I honestly wasn't much of a fan of hers. Maybe it was because when I watched Mary Tyler Moore Show in the 70s, I couldn't stand the character Ms. White portrayed (Sue Ann Nivens) and being very young when that show was on, I couldn't separate the actor from the character. As I got older, I definitely learned to appreciate how talented and funny this actress is. From the ditzy Rose Nyland in The Golden Girls to her hilarious hosting Saturday Night Live to the hip and conniving 'Gammy' in The Proposal, Ms. White can play it all. One of my favorite Betty White projects is the Super Bowl Snickers commercial from 2010 (video), which still cracks me up. (Plus the appearance of Abe Vigoda is classic!)

Below is one of the funniest interviews I've ever watched - Betty White and Ellen DeGeneres. Worth every second!

Here's hoping that Betty has another 93 years ahead of her!  Happy birthday, Ms. White!!

I Really, Really Miss Teaching!

People who have never taught probably won't understand this post, but all my teacher friends will. When I left teaching for medical reasons last September, I knew that I would miss my wonderful students and amazing colleagues immensely. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about both of these groups and how much I miss being around them. But since September, I haven't given as much thought to the actual job of being a teacher, that is until these past couple of weeks.

You see, when I quit teaching, I was so busy planning and then going on my Grand Tour of Europe that I didn't spend much time thinking about my former career. As I said, I do think about my students and colleagues daily, but not the actual process of teaching. Since returning from Europe, I've had a lot of down time to think about my teaching career and I realize that I miss it very much. I miss standing in front of a class of 30 students trying to get them interested in reading. I miss encouraging them to be thinkers and creators. I even miss grading terribly written papers. 

As I was beginning my third year of teaching this past autumn, I finally felt that I had a grasp on how to be an effective teacher. I finally got my classroom set up perfectly and I was excited to be teaching the Third Year English curriculum. My students and I were going to have a spectacular year and then came the news of cancer growth and my decision to stop teaching in order to explore the world. There are days that I wonder if I made the right choice. I love traveling and am so grateful that I could spend two months traveling Europe. I'm looking forward to my upcoming Great American Road Trip, which I hope to start late next week, but there are days that I want my old life back...

I want to stand in my classroom, explaining to students that reading is actually beneficial to them. I want to sit with my teacher friends and colleagues who became my extended family. I want all 130 students coming into my classroom where I could perhaps teach them something new. I want to sit in my classroom during my planning period and just smile at the student work hanging on the wall. I want to walk the hallways and greet the students with a smile and a laugh. I want to go home after a long workday to my sweet apartment in Newburyport. I want my amazing kitty, Lotta greeting me as I walk through the door.

Okay, perhaps I'm a little sentimental today and making it seem like my high school was the perfect place in which to work. It wasn't. There are no perfect places/jobs/careers. It was incredibly long and exhausting hours, lost weekends of lesson planning and grading, lots of annoying paperwork, and oftentimes disheartening. It was the hardest job that I ever had. But it was also the best job that I ever had and I miss it so very much. 

Let's salute every teacher out there who is fighting the good fight. 

 

Voices I Could Listen to All Day...

As I was watching a Keith Morrison report on Dateline the other night, I thought to myself, "I could listen to Keith read the phone book and I'd be a happy gal." His voice is one of the most amazing voices in the entertainment world. But his is not alone. There are so many amazing voices out there that I could listen to all day long. I'm strictly talking about speaking voices not singing. That's a completely different list. But which ones are the top of the charts?

Here's my top 10 list of the best speaking voices of all time, in no particular order:

1. James Earl Jones: C'mon the voice the Darth Vader, need I say more? Interestingly, when he was five, he developed a stutter so severe he refused to speak. "When he moved to Brethren, Michigan, in later years, a teacher at the Brethren schools helped him overcome his stutter. He remained functionally mute for eight years, until he entered high school. He credits his English teacher, Donald Crouch, who discovered he had a gift for writing poetry, with helping him end his silence. Crouch believed forced public speaking would help Jones gain confidence and insisted he recite a poem in class every day. 'I was a stutterer. I couldn't talk. So my first year of school was my first mute year, and then those mute years continued until I got to high school'" (Wikipedia). Check out this video. Yet, now he has one of the most famous and beloved voices of all time.

2. Sir Patrick Stewart: Most widely known for his television and film roles, as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films, Sir Patrick's voice is beautiful and eloquent. It also helps that his accent is English. <sigh> Love a good English accent (as you'll notice by this list)! Additionally, he has provided voices for many animated movies and TV series, such as Gnomeo & Juliet, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Simpson, and Family Guy - just to list a few.

3. Morgan Freeman: Well, his voice is the voice of God. There seem to be centuries of experience coming out of Freeman's larynx. Many of the voices here have character, but not all of them can boast the payload of history that Freeman has at his command. Apart from excellent range and a strange kind of natural vibrato, there's mellowness here, and enough depth to more than compensate for a relative lack of width. It feels like he's the voice of wisdom and that we must all pay attention to whatever he says. My favorite of his voice overs is the narration of March of the Penguins.

4. Keith Morrison: See above. My favorite Dateline episodes are always Keith's. If you want to hear a fabulous reading of The Night Before Christmas, here is Keith's version.

5. Samuel L. Jackson: Now we all know that Samuel L. Jackson has a love of saying "motherf***er" a lot in his movies (video of all of them). In fact, he has said it over 170 times in his movies. Even so, his voice is truly magnificent; there's a good reason why Capital One hired him as their spokesperson. I have a Capital One Visa which I'm sure is the result of his commercials...or maybe not.

6. Julia Roberts: Currently the spokesperson for Nationwide Insurance, Julia has a voice that is soft and feminine. Her speaking voice would not be labeled as strong and yet its strength lies in its beauty. Her voice has a calming quality that puts its listeners at ease, a unique and enviable trait. I loved her voice over work as Charlotte in Charlotte's Web.

7. Benedict Cumberbatch: Okay, the man cannot say the word "penguin" correctly (video), but that does not take away from his incredible voice. He deserves to be on this list if for no other reason, than for his voicing of Smaug in the Hobbit movies. In addition to Smaug, he has narrated numerous documentaries and audiobooks. Plus he has convinced me that I must purchase a Jaguar.

8. James Mason: Here's a voice which commands without any real likeable quality of warmth, in terms of personality - and yet the gravitas and width of Mason's voice is such a work of art that one has to admire it by its own standards. There's a kind of attack in the faint rasp through which Mason's voice is filtered that both intimidates and intrigues. His voice is wonderfully villainous.

9. Kathleen Turner: Two words: Jessica Rabbit! "I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way" (video). Sultry and sexy, Ms. Turner's voice is wonderfully distinctive. According to Ms. Turner, she developed her voice using erasers. Yes, you read correctly - erasers from the top of pencils. She apparently placed the erasers "at the back of [her] back teeth and it forces a little more space. You get used to opening the oral cavity more and you get resonance" (Turner's Voice Secret). Bizarre, but it seemingly works.

10.  Matthew Macfadyen: A BAFTA award winning English actor, Matthew has a warmth and lovely voice. Check out his reading of Pride and Prejudice and see if you are not won over. He has supplied his voice to commercials, documentaries, audiobooks, and animation. One of my favorite actors who also has a magnificent voice.

I know this list is quite male dominated but what can I say. I find male voices to have more gravitas and are far more interesting than female voices. Sorry, ladies.

Honorable mentions (those voices that just missed the list): Walter Cronkite, Lauren Bacall, Marlon Brando, Vincent Price, Sir David Attenborough, Brian Williams, and Tom Brokaw.

America the Beautiful by Automobile (GART)

One of my long held wishes has been to complete a United States driving tour or as I term it the "Great American Road Trip" (GART), but it's never been in the cards. There were just too many things preventing me from completing that wish (money and time being the top two), but now I have a few months in order to complete on this desire. While I ultimately would like to be able to say that I visited all 50 of our beautiful states, I'm unsure if that's going to happen. As of right now, I have visited a mere 22 of the 50 states (see photo). The last 28 states in whatever time I have left might be a bit much for this slowly breaking down body, but I will do my best. Plus Hawaii and Alaska are a bit difficult to be a part of this road trip. They haven't yet built a bridge to Honolulu.

Unlike the ease of planning my Grand Tour of Europe, this tour will be slight more difficult to plan. My original idea was the drive across country to the west coast and then drive down and back across the southern sections before heading back north, but I think I'm going to rework that plan. I'll start with visiting the southeast before heading west along the lower part of the country and return via the central part of the country. Beginning around January 21st or 22nd, I plan to head south and hopefully miss much of the nasty winter weather.

There are some sites around the U.S. that are "must sees" for me. A partial list is, in no particular order: the White House, the Smithsonian, Arlington National Cemetery, the Biltmore house, Graceland, Wizarding World of Harry Potter (tickets have been purchased), New Orleans, San Antonio River Walk, the Grand Canyon, Redwood National Park, the Golden Gate Bridge, Pacific Coast Highway, Taos Pueblo, Mount Rushmore, Las Vegas, Mutter Museum, Rodeo Drive, Los Angeles, and probably a few others that I've missed. Good thing I have a few months to complete my GART.

But more important than seeing these sites and others is to spend time with friends and family as I wend my way around this country. It's my chance to spend some quality time with the people I love before that becomes a difficulty.  Friends and family, keep an eye out for me and my Saturn Ion. We'll be visiting soon.

Weird Marriage and Wedding Records

Last night, my brother and I watched the incredible Benedict Cumberbatch kick some serious arse as Khan in Star Trek Into Darkness. I'm not a huge Trekkie but I've been known to enjoy the occasional Star Trek movie. Invariably, our discussion turned to actors who have portrayed the various Star Trek characters throughout the years, which led to a discussion about Ricardo Montalbán - the original Khan in the television series and 1982 film (Wrath of Khan). After a quick Wikipedia read of Montalbán's biography, I learned that he and his wife had been married for 63 years -- from 1944 until the wife's demise in 2007. Holy cow! 63 years is quite a feat not just for a Hollywood marriage but for marriage in general. 

Naturally, this discovery turns into a blog post. I decided to check out some weird, but interesting marriage and wedding records. Enjoy!

Longest marriage

On 11 December 1925, Karam Chand married Kartari Chand in a rural village in northern India. Relocating to England in 1965, the Chands have eight children, 27 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren. Mr. Chand is 109 years old and his wife is 102 and will (hopefully) celebrate their 90th wedding anniversary next December. Goodness gracious!

Shortest marriage

In 2012, a Dubai man divorced his bride 'seconds' after the wedding. Just after he stepped out of the court where he got married, the groom stepped into another court next door and divorced her. When he was asked by the divorcing judge how long he had been married to his wife, he did not hesitate when he replied "just seconds". The reason he gave for wanting the divorce was that he was forced by his bride's father to allow her to keep her job. And you thought Brittany Spear's 2 day marriage was short. Although there's an even shorter Hollywood marriage: Rudolph Valentino and Jean Acker were married a mere 6 hours in 1919.

Most marriage vow renewals - same couple

Lauren and David Blair have wed 109 times since their first wedding in 1984. They have renewed their vows at a number of various venues, including Graceland's Chapel in the Woods for their 45th wedding; on the stage set of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet for the 50th wedding, at a Tennessee Titans tailgate party in Nashville; the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland; and even a funeral parlor in Kentucky. Freaks!

Most expensive wedding gown

At $12 million, a diamond encrusted dress is the most expensive wedding dress in the world (photo left). Laced with 150 carats of diamonds, this dress wasn’t even constructed for a bride-to-be. Put together for a 2006 bridal show at the Ritz-Carlton Marina del Ray, the dress was designed by Renee Strauss and Martin Katz provided the jewels. This gown has yet to find a bride, not surprising considering the cost. The most expensive gown that has actually been worn by a bride in a wedding is Kate Middleton's gown with the price tag of $388,088. In comparison, Kate's gown is a bargain!

Longest wedding veil

Last year, Fashion designer Hany El Behairy created a 3 mile long veil which was displayed at the "Perfect Wedding Show" in United Arab Emirates. Made from silk tulle, the veil weights about 15 pounds and is adorned with crystals and pearls.

Largest underwater wedding

The largest underwater wedding was achieved by 303 divers who attended the marriage ceremony between Ewa Staronska and Pawel Burkowski at the Koparki Diving Base, Jaworzno, Poland, on 27 August 2011. The wedding ceremony lasted around 18 minutes and was preceded over by Father Pawel Wrobel, a local priest and licensed frogman. The couple and the priest communicated with each other underwater by using water proof texts and a system of sign language.

Oldest divorcees

In 2012, a 99-year old Italian man filed for divorce after discovering letters from an affair his wife had over 60 years ago. "Antonio C" (as he is referred to in court documents) confronted his wife of 77 years, 96-year-old "Rosa C," about the letters and demanded a divorce. She reportedly confessed but was unable to convince him to stay, though she has not contested the divorce. Court papers indicate she wrote the letters during an affair in the 1940s. The couple has five children, 12 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Oldest wedding couple

A couple in Paraguay have proven that it's never too late to tie the knot. Jose Manuel Riella, 103, married his partner of 80 years, 99-year-old Martina Lopez in a religious ceremony at their home in Santa Rosa del Aguaray, around 200 kilometres north-east of the capital Asuncion in October 2013.

Most marriages

Baptist minister, Glynn ("Scotty") Wolfe holds the record for the most monogamous marriages in a lifetime having married a jaw-dropping 29 times! His shortest marriage lasted 19 days and his longest 11 years. 23 of his marriages ended in divorce. His final marriage was a publicity stunt as he married the woman with the most marriages, Linda Wolfe. She has been married 23 times. Wolfe died in 1997 at the age of 88 so there will not be a 30th wedding.

Largest wedding bouquet

The largest wedding bouquet measured 197 feet 1 inch long and was made using 1,500 flowers including roses and carnations. It was held by Canadian Christa Rasanayagam when she married Australian Arulanantham Suresh Joachim at King Catholic Church, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada on 6 September 2003. The bouquet also weighed 202.8 pounds and was made up of 500 roses, 400 carnations, 60 lilies, 200 daisies and 340 baby breaths. The couple used 79 bridesmaids and 47 groomsmen to assist them.

Largest wedding cake

Philippine couple Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera were wed on December 30, 2014 and might own the world's biggest cake to be used in a wedding ceremony to date (photo below). The cake, sponsored by Goldilocks, is 12 feet high, weighs 265 pounds, and needed ten people to transport it. It was also decorated with Swarovski crystals and was 3D-mapped for CG effects. According to Guinness, the current largest wedding cake was made by Mohegan Sun Casino in 2004, but was only utilized for presentation purposes; although it did weigh an astounding 15,000 pounds!

This Year's Winners Are... Top 10 Posts of 2014!

Welcome to 2015, everyone. 

It's that time of year again, when I take a look at which 10 posts from last year rated the most reads. 2014 was a crazy year filled with equally wonderful and distressing times. In 2014, I wrote 237 posts - the most ever in a year. Traffic increased to my site with over 9,200 visitors last year - a 51% increase over 2013. Astounding. I am humbled and amazed that so many people are reading my blog posts. Although it makes me think there are a lot of crazy, bored people out there.

Here are 2014's Top 10 blog posts for Sandi's Lament:

1. Lovers No Longer on the Run - Zakia and Mohammad Ali
2. 12 of the Most Unusual and Transparent Creatures!
3. The Never Ending Headache! A Cancer Update...
4. Lovers on the Run - The Continuing Story of Zakia and Mohammad Ali
5. "Rex Factor" is Royally Engaging
6. Longest Reigning Monarchs...
7. Decision Made - Next Steps (A Cancer Update)
8. Weighing Options - A Cancer Update
9. The Most Extreme Cases of OCD
10. A Sad Farewell to my Very Special Furry Friend...

Thank you to all my loyal readers. While there is a chance that I will not see the ringing in of 2016, I plan to keep writing as long as I have the ability and desire to do so. This year will be... um... well... hmmm... a challenging one.

Best,