Saturday, we attended one of our precious grandson’s 4th birthday party at Choo Choo Bob’s in St. Paul, a delightful toy train store, an ideal location for a birthday party catering to both young and old train aficionados.
A bevy of youngsters full of boundless energy reveled in the overly stimulating environment, hungry for the delivered pizza, clawing at the freshly cut fruit, devouring the crunchy chips while thirsty for the low sugar juice sippers, while caught up in a frenzy of wonderment as they scrambled to get their hands on the next train display within reach.
We couldn’t wipe the smiles off of our faces, watching three of our total six grandchildren darting about Choo Choo Bob’s. As they scurried by they’d look our way with sparkly eyes and wide smiles hankering for a moment’s approval from their Grandma and Grandpa, pleased to have us there with them as witnesses to their childish frivolity, as we were pleased to be there with them.
The two hours flew by in a blur. A few of the adults, friends of son Greg and daughter-in-law Camille were obviously aware of our upcoming adventure, asking questions and offering much welcomed tidbits of travel wisdom.
As Tom and I sat side-by-side in our two well-placed chairs with thighs touching, we had full view of the festivities. From time to time our eyes would meet and we’d smile at one another, the little crinkles around our eyes accentuating our advancing age.
It was a mixed bag, this day of celebration of this little boy, full of energy and curiosity, already a unique personality of adorable quirks and mannerisms with the ability to chatter on endlessly about the simplest topics. He could talk about “ants” for an hour, tilting his adorable little head to emphasis a point which invariably provokes a guttural laugh in the listener. It was his day. He deserved it.
But..all the while the aching reality looms over me. We will miss many of these milestones in their lives over the next number of years. How long? We don’t know at this point.
Many retiring baby boomers move to warmer climates throughout the US such as, Florida, California, Arizona, North Carolina and more, often to senior communities, far away from family. Many seniors move to tax free states to increase their spendable income in these tough economic times.
They find a way to work it out, to spend holidays together, to show their love and to continue to be a vital influence in the lives of their grandchildren, that which we relish on yet another special day, today…Mother’s Day.
May all the mothers and grandmothers find today a memorable day filled with love, purpose and fulfillment.
Our Las Vegas vacation home! Photos included…
After searching the various vacation home websites for several hours, we found this house in the Green Valley Ranch area in Henderson Nevada, a highly desirable location, about 20 minutes (10.5 miles) to the Las Vegas strip and about 10 minutes (5.6 miles) to the airport.
Based on requesting a rental for this prime season dates, December 21 to December 28, 2012 (our “vacation within a vacation” since we’ll still have the Scottsdale condo, soon to be posted), we didn’t make any effort to negotiate the price.
Why did we choose a vacation home as opposed to a hotel room on the strip? Cost was the major motivator. Also, its more conveniently located to our family and friends, great shopping at The District (.4 miles), restaurants and theaters, all of which we will particularly enjoy during the holiday week.
There were few affordable homes available in this prime area during the holiday week due to the fact that many owners preferring to spend their holidays in their own vacation property.
Although not as exciting as many of our future rentals, this house will serve our needs, provide room for our visiting family members and keep us from the necessity of dining in restaurants each day.
Here are the estimated costs for one week, house verses hotel, assuming the nightly rates are the same:
Vacation Home____ __________Hotel___________
Rent: $1,330.00 Rate: $1,330.00
Groceries: 600.00 Hotel Taxes & Tips: 332.50
Dining Out: 275.00 Valet Parking: 280.00
Total: $2,205.00 Dining, Tax, Tips: 1,820.00
Total: $3,762.50
Total Potential Savings: $1,557.50
Having calculated dining out for two dinners for the two of us, we factored in the cost of groceries for five of us (or more) including the additional expense of Christmas Eve (traditionally, steak and lobster) and a special (yet to be determined) Christmas Day dinner.
Yes, there is the ease of staying in a hotel with the prospect of feeling pampered. As we plan for the future, our desire to be pampered has “wafted” away as we look forward to our world travels over the next number of years.
Both Tom and I have thoroughly enjoyed pampering one another over these many years together and this, I assure you, we’ll continue to do so wherever we’ll live.
Did I mention the $1000’s we’ll save without easy access to the gambling tables and slot machines???
Charming House with Pool, Spa, Bbq, Wireless InternetGreen Valley, Henderson, Nevada Vacation Rental by Owner Listing 301335http://www.vrbo.com/301335
Pool and spa- Master bedroom
- Living room
- Casual spot
- First bedroom
- 2nd Living room
- 3rd bedroom
- Pool Table
- Kitchen
- Living room
Saying goodbye to “stuff”…
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| Hand painted coffee table in our living room |
This table was purchased at an art fair in our town of Excelsior in the summer of 1993. Over the years, I roamed about the annual event always on the prowl for additions to our lodge like home. Lo and behold, this perfect table appeared. Barely able to negotiate due to my excitement I couldn’t pay for the table quickly enough.
Anxious to see the table in front of the sofa and stone fireplace, I called Tom asking him to come to the fair to bring the table home.
For days, we walked around the table admiring how perfectly it fit the spot while reveling in the fact that it so well depicted our lives of fishing off our dock enjoying Mother Nature’s bounty each and every day of our lives.
Now almost 20 years later, on October 27, 2012, the weekend of our estate sale, we will say goodbye to this table while we make every effort to graciously say goodbye to many more of the treasures we’ve accumulated over the years.
Goodbye, table! Goodbye, “stuff.” Yesterday afternoon, a harsh reality hit us when Jim Anderson from Caring Estate Sales met with Tom and I to discuss the disposition of our “stuff.” Our estate sale will commence on October 27, 2012.”Stuff” has become the cavalier word we have begun to use to disassociate ourselves from the accumulated treasures of our lives, many possessing a memorable story.
When new guests came to visit our 92 year old peninsula home for the first time, we’d offer a tour sharing the endless morsels of history, whether ours or the item’s as we wandered from room to room, smiling from ear to ear.
Its in our nature to share the stories of our possessions all the while sensitive to the the delicate balance of story telling as opposed to annoying bragging. Surely, the caveman brought the victory of his first hunt to the tribe, again smiling from ear to ear, anxious to share in his treasure, not only as a source of food but a sense of “pride” a word often frowned upon by some.
“Pride” is defined as: “A feeling of pleasure from one’s own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is associated, or from qualities or possessions.”
Deny this feeling and we’d stop planting flowers and mowing our lawns for our neighbors to see. We’d stop matching our shirts to our pants, stop cutting our hair, stop polishing our toes, stop wearing jewelry and stop buying sports cars. We’d live our lives of necessity only, getting by on the minimum, for safety, for convenience and for function.
Yes, we are proud of that which we have acquired in our lives; our homes, our possessions, our cars, our awards, our popularity, our accomplishments and even, our children.
And yes, many take it to extremes in unrealistic ways as we observe in the media. But, that is not any of us. We are proud of the more simple things we’ve acquired over the years that tell a story of who we are, who we’ve been and who we’d like to become in the future.
What?…Booking Las Vegas?…
Las Vegas has never been my first choice for a vacation. We are not skilled gamblers, our feeble attempts often resulting in angst producing losses.
However, Las Vegas does possess a draw for us with a son, a highly experienced real estate professional and a sister in Boulder City. Plus, my dear cousin Phyllis, from Boston will be visiting Las Vegas with her two adult daughters during this upcoming Christmas season.
We’ve planned a “mini” family reunion before ultimately leaving the US only a week later, departing on our first cruise from San Diego on January 3, 2013 to the Panama Canal.
Planning our future travels these past months with the first two months beginning in Scottsdale, Arizona, arriving on November 4, 2012, ending on January 3, 2013, it appeared logical to drive to Nevada during the holidays, not only to see family members but, also our funny pug “granddog,” Mont d’Willy d’Honk, aka Monty.
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| Granddog, Monty. |
This trip will be a “vacation within a vacation” due to our commitment to pay rent in Scottsdale until January 3rd, while we’ll either stay in a hotel or rent another vacation home, this time in Las Vegas.
It was poor planning on my part by not anticipating this leg of the trip well enough in advance to avoid the additional one week cost. This overlapping may occur from time to time, as the “unknowns” present themselves. We need to be flexible and accept this reality.
Now the goal is to find a good price on a vacation home in Las Vegas, roomy enough to accommodate family members as well, to hopefully make up for this loss (which we will post here as soon as we lock in a house). We sure won’t make it up the difference at the poker table!
Saturday, feeling better..
Fluish? Yes. Better? Yes. If I can make it until Monday without the flu-like symptoms worsening, I may be out of the woods from my recent Yellow Fever Vaccine.
Most side effects of the Yellow Fever Vaccine statistically occur by the 5th day, Monday in my case. The vaccine definitely is doing its job of forcing the body to produce antibodies to Yellow Fever. Experiencing some side effects appears to be good indicator that the vaccine will be effective based on the literature I’ve read over the past month.
Those with a compromised immune system may not be protected after receiving the vaccine and also run a higher risk of a more serious reaction.
Now, if it doesn’t worsen, I will dispense with any further discussion of my physical state and get back to the discussion of the planning of our upcoming world wide travels. Thanks for “listening.” Happy Saturday night!
Oh no! Yellow Fever side effects hit…
Yesterday, I felt great, optimistic that the potential side effects of the Yellow Fever Vaccine had bypassed me. One in six, especially in patients over 60, experience some side effects: general malaise, lethargy, aching joints, low grade fever and flu-like symptoms.
When I awakened this morning at 5:45, my legs felt heavy when my feet hit the floor, so heavy that I wavered momentarily before standing. I dismissed this uncommon feeling, attributing it to a poor night’s sleep or from arising too quickly.
Making the bed seemed an insurmountable task; the normally light and fluffy covers feeling like lead in my hands. Preparing my usual mug of coffee, the normally inviting smell sickened me. I turned off the coffee machine instead guzzling a huge glass of ice water.
Of course, running through my mind was every possible Yellow Fever Vaccine side effect I’d discovered perusing through the CDC’s website. Yes, I was experiencing side effects, my worst fear.
There’s no doubt that I am a worrier when it comes to medical procedures. After a several unpleasant reactions over the years, I am skeptical about any invasive treatments. One could easily surmise that I am overly cautious.
The biggest problem is my continual desire to be educated about health and wellness in an effort to maintain the highest possible level of fitness. Each week, I read a multitude of scientific studies from reliable resources which include Harvard Medical School, Mayo Clinic and major universities.
In the past several weeks, I have be reading and re-reading The Smarter Science of Slim by Jonathan Bailor, based on 1000’s of scientific studies surrounding a healthful diet and the HIIT exercise protocol which I have since incorporated into my routine.
Many may find these topics tedious and boring. For me, as my friends and family will attest, its more fodder for my guarded manner of approaching traditional medical by occasional musings on Facebook.
Information is power. Medical information is vital to maintaining one’s long term health objectives.
But…its a double edged sword that wields a sense of apprehension and mistrust by the continuing contradictions handed us via the media, over and over again.
Are vaccinations safe? Did we really need a Yellow Fever Vaccine to go on a week long safari in Kenya (no Yellow Fever is documented in South Africa) while living in a guarded ocean side resort community? Probably not, but “they said” and “we” believed them, myself included.
Today, I took Ibuprofen every four hours, which greatly reduced the achy fluish symptoms. The onset of the worst of the side effects may occur on the 5th day after vaccination. Tomorrow is day #4. Hopefully my feet firmly hit the floor tomorrow and Sunday morning! I’ll keep you posted!
A Belize Solution…
We originally booked the cozy beach house in Belize from February 1 to March 31, 2013. Based on our cruise from Miami arriving in Belize City on January 29th we felt confident we could easily find a hotel for a few days until the first of February which proved not to be so easy.
At the end of our Belize trip, our cruise departs from Belize City on April 9, 2013 presenting us with another eight nights for which to find housing, as mentioned in previous posts.
We’d hoped the owner of the cozy beach house could accommodate all eleven nights, prorating the rent accordingly. At the time, she suggested we wait and see if the beach house would be available.
We’d been waiting to hear from her when I made the request this past weekend. Fortunately, she was able to accommodate us for the earlier dates for which we are thrilled and appreciative but, the later dates in April were booked.
These eight days put my fingers to work online searching for a hotel. The options were few. Apparently, we had waited too long to solve this dilemma. Of all the available hotels in Belize, most were booked or were running about $300 per night plus the requirement of dining out for all meals, adding substantially to the overall cost.
Although we only needed a hotel for eight nights, this cost would be comparable to the cost of the two months rent for the cozy beach house! This would not only throw our budget out of whack but result in frustration that we hadn’t planned this leg of our travels more carefully. Live and learn.
With this reality, I became all the more determined to find an affordable alternative that would fulfill our objectives of the following: a full service kitchen, a location near the ocean, conveniently located to avoid the necessity of full time auto rental, plus…be attractive, clean and if possible, charming.
Unable to find a hotel befitting our objectives and available for these dates, I wandered back to one of the sources of our worldwide home rentals: HomeAway.com, to execute a search for a short term rental. Success!
This is the property we locked up for the eight nights, for half the cost of a hotel room and with a well equipped kitchen, allowing us to eat in, located on the island of San Pedro in Ambergris Caye, a highly desirable location. The owner was fabulous to work with as are most of the owners of vacation rentals.
A year ago, if all we were planning was this eight day trip to Ambergris Caye, San Pedro, Belize to stay in this lovely casita we would have been delighted. Who knew that this would be but one small part of the so far 949 days booked to experience the world.
Transportation will be our next challenge. Placencia is a three hour drive from the port in Belize City. The above property is located on the island of San Pedro in Ambergris Caye, requiring a water taxi ride from Placencia. We could fly in little airplanes to get around, hauling those bags. No thank you!
Next, we’ll get to work figuring our modes of transportation for this part of our adventure. But then again, that’s part of the fun; overcoming challenges, finding solutions and of course, planning well in advance, when possible. Doing so, saves time, effort and money, all of which is done in preparation for those unknown events, that are certain to occur along the way.
Yellow Fever Vaccine? Done!
Nurse Marcia wasn’t available today. They gave me a nurse I didn’t know.
Worrying about the effects of the live Yellow Fever vaccine preoccupied me to the point of not noticing her name on the blue name tag affixed to her pajama-like scrubs with little elephants all over it. Elephants, Africa, Yellow Fever, I thought. What a coincidence!
She explained that a doctor would see me prior to her injecting me with the batch of three immunizations: Hepatitis B (second in series of three), Polio (second and final) and…Yellow Fever. She would explain the risks and side effects.
Moments later, she entered the room, her eyes filled with compassion. I wanted to scream, “Stop looking so concerned!” She proceeded to explain the risks; one in 55,000 have an allergic reaction within minutes of receiving the injection; one in 125,000 have a neurological reaction days later that could result in permanent disability; one in 250,000 develop a serious illness resulting in organ failure from which 50% die. Reactions could occur up to 28 days after receiving the injection. Oh…I wanted to run out of the room. I stayed.
The doctor left the room as the new nurse entered. The three giant syringes were lying on the exam table, as they had been the case last time around. She plunged, twisted and released but, unlike the last round a month ago with Nurse Marcia, they weren’t painful.
“If you have an allergic reaction,” she stated, “it will be evident within a minute or two.” Nothing happened. Yippee! She then instructed me to wait in the reception area for 20 minutes. My eyes on the clock, I played with my phone, sent a few texts to friends, checked out Facebook and confidently dashed out the door after the 20 minutes passed. Whew!
Thanks for all the encouragement and prayers! Now, I can go back to worrying about the zip line in Belize.
They refused to give me the dreaded shots!
A weird thing happened to me yesterday. I usually write in this blog every other day but yesterday was a weird day, a very weird day and I didn’t post at all.
Upon awakening in a foggy blur, I felt unfamiliar in my own surroundings. The light filtering through the various window coverings in our home appeared eerie and muted.
As I mindlessly wandered off to the kitchen to perform a series of ritualistic tasks, a wave of uncertainty washed over me. As many of us old-timers, both Tom and I toss back a small handful of prescription meds each morning and a big handful of a variety of vitamins throughout the day.
My routine was broken, when I didn’t put in my contact lenses before going into the kitchen, a habit I seldom break, now thrown off by the peculiar feel of the day. Pouring a quarter cup of purified water into my usual plastic tumbler I emptied the dose of the Tuesday morning prescriptions, tossing my head back with one big gulp.
Something was wrong! My brain had taken a quick snapshot of the handful of pills and in an instant, I realized that the chunky pills drifting down my throat didn’t feel like the usual sensation. Eyes blurry with no contacts, I looked at the one week pill case and realized I had just taken Tom’s pill, not mine!
My heart began to race as I ran into the bathroom to insert my contacts, made difficult by my shaking hands. I needed to look again to confirm I had taken the wrong pills. I had. Oh, dear.
Since I am the official pill case packer in our household, familiar with all of Tom’s meds, my mind raced through the possible consequences of having taken his medications and the possible side effects.
OK, nothing horrible will happen to me I deduced upon deciding against taking another single pill the remainder of the day, letting these medications work their way out of my system.
By the time I arrived at the Immunization Clinic, I was experiencing full-blown side effects: dry mouth and gurgling stomach. In jokingly explaining to the nurse what I had done, I was sent away. No live vaccines on the day I was having side effects of Tom’s drugs. Ha! That confirms how dangerous this yellow fever vaccine really is. I have not worried needlessly!
I was disappointed and relieved at the same time. This temporary relief was short-lived when they made another appointment for today at 10:45.
As I sit here two hours before my appointment in my usual chair, writing this blog, surprisingly I am less terrified than I was yesterday.
Most likely neither Tom nor I will become ill from our immunizations. Most likely, we won’t get bit by malaria or yellow fever carrying mosquito. Most likely, we won’t get mugged in Mombasa, Kenya, or anywhere else in the world.
Most likely, a warthog won’t attack us in our kitchen in Marloth Park in South Africa. Most likely, we won’t have to pay $1400 for each of two extra bags when we fly on Emirates Airlines. Most likely, all of the properties we’ve rented all over the world will actually exist when we arrive.
Most likely, I will still be writing this blog, 28 days from today, when the risk of reaction to the yellow fever vaccine has passed. Whew!