PETA convert

I love what the group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) stands for but their Nazi antics are sometimes a little much to stomach. The latest hair-raiser, however, is not only a statement of epic gravity it's hilarious. They've offered to relieve Octo-Mom's financial woes and save her house from foreclosure under one condition... that she agree to plant billboard on her front lawn in favor of neutering your pets that reads, "Don't Let Your Dog or Cat Become an Octomom. Always Spay or Neuter."
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!

"Give me liberty, or give me death"

It was 235 years ago today, incidentally, that Patrick Henry shouted these famous words. I can't help but recall them now on the day that President Obama signed the senate health bill into law. I vehemently believe that all people have a right to quality, affordable health care. Moreover, I believe that freedom overrides all other basic rights and that's exactly what we've sacrificed here today. I don't think people really understand the magnitude of the government intervention that will undoubtedly follow. This is another way for the feds to intrude on our lives. I know it can be argued that without good health liberty is moot and death is eminent. I think a better use of time and tax payer money may be to focus on insurance company abuses and excesses rather than strong-arming the American people - people who do not have a right to MY money.

I have not read through the bill, which I fully intend to do, so I can't comment with authority on what's good and bad about it. What I can comment on is that I think competition is the answer to quality, affordable insurance. When we're in the market for any other product - a fridge, a car, auto insurance, a dentist - we shop around for the best value; the best price, quality, attributes, etc. Competition inspires innovation and commands attention to consumers' demands otherwise you're snuffed out. It also spurs more efficient operations. Being able to buy insurance across state lines is a good place to start. It's absurd that you currently can't! I'm sure there are plenty of stories out there but I personally know a self-employed guy who pays $600/month for insurance with a $1700 annual deductible. He needed an MRI and had not met his deductible for the year. He asked the clerk at Cedars Sinai how much they would be billing the insurance company for the procedure and they said $6000. He then inquired what the price would be if he paid them in cash without going through insurance and they said $700. Of course the insurance company wouldn't have paid the fee that the hospital was asking but let's say they would approve $2500. It was cheaper for him to pay them directly than to have his insurance company bill him $1700 and still pay $800, $100 more than the procedure actually cost. If he had shopped he may have been able to save even more.

Reform is absolutely necessary but maybe we should redefine the function and limitations of health insurance. What I mean is to consider using insurance only for catastrophic events; i.e. hospital visits, surgery, cancer treatment, expensive procedures and drugs, hypothetically. If a doctor's visit cost say $50 rather than $300 for 10 minutes, people may be able to pay out of pocket as opposed to involving the insurance company, thus cutting some of the costs. You could liken this to a door ding you might have dent wizard repair versus going through insurance. Eliminating waste by eliminating the layers between the doctor and patient and the insurance company is another way to significantly reduce costs. Perhaps a concoction of various program elements could be tailored to each individually insured, including health savings accounts. For instance, my employer offers health insurance but they only pay a small portion of the premium and I am responsible for the remainder. Since I do not visit the doctor very often I opt to pay a lower premium each month and a higher annual deductible. The unused portion of my deductible is banked for the next year and rolls over saving me and the insurance company a whole lotta dough.

I also believe focusing on health and wellness and holding people accountable for their own life choices would be a general benefit to us all. If I'm paying any portion of someone's health insurance I want to be able to say they can't smoke, drink soda, go sky-diving or any other lifestyle choice that could tap my pocket-book when they have to use insurance that I'm subsidizing. This is not the kind of totalitarian country I want to live in and yes, personal freedom, choice and, consequently, responsibility is the baseline of being American and for me the most important right above all else.

Gotta give to get

I'm pleased to report that so many people are socially conscious these days and creating all kinds of things out of their love for mother earth and all things recyclable and selfless. I came upon this cool site Echoage, a birthday party invitation outfit with a twist. While I do not have children I have been to many a party where obscene amounts of gifts are lavished on children who have enough toys for lifetimes of children. Echoage has partnered with a number of national charities which would appeal to kids and the idea is that your birthday kid chooses one he or she would like to give a gift to. Echoage helps you choose your party date, an invitation and reminders and then sends them out to all your invitees who log on to donate an amount of their choosing toward your kid's birthday gift. After a nominal fee is deducted 50% of the raised funds go toward one gift for the birthday kid and the other 1/2 is donated to the charity of the child's choosing. A tax receipt is provided for the charitable gift and the kid gets one good thing he's been coveting with the aggregate dollars chipped in rather than a bunch of chotchkies. It is a wonderful opportunity to teach your kids about sharing what you have with others.

"When I think about you I touch myself"

The Korean spa experience, of course. We have a large Korean population in Los Angeles thus warranting a section of town devoted to the heritage, aptly named Koreatown. For years I've heard of a cultural bathing ritual and been curious to indulge myself at one of their spas. I generally don't mind doing things alone but I suppose I felt a little intimidated and wanted the comfort and familiarity of a friend. The difficulty in finding such a companion is that no bathing suits are allowed in a Korean spa. Yes, you and everyone else, all females, parade around in the nude. I have never been overly modest and vanity was a thing of the 1st quarter century of my life. But, not everyone is like me. Many people have serious body and/or modesty issues which I fully appreciate and respect. Admittedly it takes some getting used to to expose yourself to anyone let alone strangers. Luckily I have a friend who is as adventurous as me.

Our appointment for the "Goddess Treatment" was set for 10:30am. They suggest you arrive 45 minutes before your appointment in order to enjoy a whirlpool bath, steam and sauna. I arrived ahead of my friend so they whisked me in so as not to miss a moment. As this was my first visit they gave me a little orientation tour. Shoes in one locker, clothing in another. You will be
addressed as needed by your locker number, it is considered impolite not to shower before using the facilities and (thankfully) here's your smock. So I got myself situated wrapped in my little cover up and went off to the showers. The "bathhouse" is arranged with a hot mugwort tea bath on the left and another mineral pool beside it. On the right is an open room with 6 massage tables and a wall just high enough to give the impression that it's semi-private from the baths. Showers, a jade steam room and mineral sauna round out the perimeter of the room. Adjacent the pools is a shallow kind of trough filled with water and tiled edges. As I emerged from the shower and contemplating where to go first I caught a glimpse of what I will henceforward refer to as the monkeys. The monkeys are four aged Korean women sitting on the edge of the trough with a little tote in front of them which cradles their bathing paraphernalia. They intricately scrubbed every nook and cranny as they chatted and howled without awkwardness. I had a hard time averting my eyes because it seemed so social and natural and utterly disturbing as a Westerner where privacy prevails.

Then I moved into the jade steam room where I could only sit for about 5 minutes before I thought I'd melt. I decided it must be getting close to the time when Cindy would be arriving so I moved out into the common area where there is a heated jade stone floor for sitting and relaxing. I grabbed my library book (Stones into Schools - see another post for details) and found a spot on the floor. The experience with the monkeys left me feeling a little squeamish and wondering if this was going to pan out. I was certain that we goddesses would be on display in the room with all the massage tables. I was leery but what I immediately liked about his spa was its lacking pretentiousness. The Korean women invited us to participate and indulge in a special cultural tradition and I felt grateful. I could tell Cindy was equally uncomfortable when we entered the mugwort tea bath. By this time it was getting busy so we were practically touching other naked women in the tub. This is the antithesis of the American spa experience where it's all about you, to which we are both accustomed. We decided to try out the charcoal heated sauna. It has teak tatami-type mats that get so hot you can't walk on them and we couldn't talk but otherwise it was really nice. Number 19 was called so I was up for my treatment.

The "Goddess", exclusive to the Olympic Spa, is a treatment almost 2 hours in length and designed to renew. A short, blubbery Korean woman dressed in a scant black bra and panties uniform greeted and escorted me to the open massage room. Fluorescent overhead lighting and the echos of cackling women permeated the room as I was lead to the table covered in floral vinyl and ordered to slip off the smock and lie face down. I was cold, exposed and regretful - I'd already paid my money. And then it came. The glorious feeling of warm water doused over me from bowls resembling bed pans. Jung, the masseuse, then started scrubbing. I was praying that one of the monkeys hadn't hurled her scouring pad over the wall. Initially it felt like she was using steel wool on my rough, sun damaged, 40 something year old body. She scrubbed every little crease and fold until the upper dermis of my skin was lying on the table next to me. YUCK!!! Twenty minutes later more water and a slap on the butt cheek...time to turn over. So there I am, in all my full frontal nude glory, with a napkin over my eyes and Jung's blubber suffocating me. And let me just say that it was bliss. I did not feel pampered. I was not the only woman in the room. But I was getting my money's worth. Jung was working her fat sausages for fingers to the bone and this was exactly what I needed. When the front of me was done she squeezed some cleanser in my hands and told me to lather it into my face and go rinse off in the shower. I paraded out into the bath house with neither a stitch nor a shred of self consciousness.

A gorgeous, silky oil with the fragrance of meyer lemon was smoothed all over my back side with long, firm strokes as Jung laid her body over mine to reach to my feet. I have never had a more thorough massage. I am a harsh critic and very disappointed if my expectations aren't met. This little woman clawed at my muscles with such determination as if to pull every fiber apart and make them supple again. There were moments where I wondered if we'd ever tortured the Koreans during the war 'cause it felt a little like payback. On the flip side a luxurious emollient was applied to my face to wake it up for the cool mud mask that was painted on with the touch of an artist. She finished massaging my limbs, boobs and inner thigh as she cocked my leg to side for easy access. I was very happy she didn't have a speculum. She massaged by scalp with aromatic essential oils before washing and conditioning my hair and slathering a glistening cream to my renewed skin.
AHHHH!!!!!!!

Jung re-wrapped me in my sheath and sent my wobbly body back out onto the jade floor with radiant heating and a cup of tea where I caressed myself (I haven't been this soft since infancy!) while waiting for Cindy to share our experiences before heading off to a Korean lunch. We decided that our preliminary assessments were borne of a lack of cultural reference. We individualistic and private Americans do not have these types of social customs as other cultures do. I have to reiterate how grateful I am to live in a place where ethnic diversity abounds and I get the opportunity to sample it whenever I want.

My radio station, my friend

I am a subscriber and huge fan of KCRW, a local radio station that is my mecca for cultural affairs, my news source and wellspring for new music. It is on these airwaves that I learned of Daniel Merriweather, an Aussie singer from down under with haunting, soul-revealing pipes. I've noticed that Australia tourism has been ramping up efforts to get people into the country as evidenced by all the bulletin boards around town. As part of the campaign KCRW hosted a private, intimate concert for members with Daniel Merriweather on the rooftop of the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills. It was a Saturday afternoon, one of those awesome LA winter days where large white clouds hang like cotton candy on a brilliant blue background in the crispy air. We entered the Paley center, which was adorned with slideshows depicting Australia's beauty and loads of tourism propaganda and headed for the rooftop. There was a host bar offering flights of Australian wine and gorgeous woman serving equally gorgeous hors d'oeuvres. As the sun gave rise to the moon and twilight turned the sky that stunning shade of mauve and charcoal with the Hollywood hills as the backdrop, the artist took the stage.

This kid is sooo easy on the eyes! His persona nods to a bygone era with a chivalry and irreverence about him all at once. When he opens his mouth he is well spoken, funny and real. And when he sings he manages to let you see inside his soul. His voice is sultry even a bit rasp and he sings with a maturity that not many his age can or do. His band consisted of a female bassist, and lead guitar player who totally rocked it, a lounge lizard looking guy in a bow tie on keyboard and a youngster working his arse off on drums. The band is super tight and the singer sings sweet melodic songs about social consciousness, love and war, incidentally the name of his newly released released lp which I encourage you to run out and purchase. He does a very cool cover of the The Smith's Stop Me worth listening to.

After an hour long concert my boyfriend, Daniel, was briskly whisked away as if he were a superstar - presumably another gig - so we finished up our refreshments before heading to dinner. From Australia to Russia all in one night. We ate at a delicious Russian restaurant in LA and sampled the garlic infused Vodka toasting a lovely, eclectic afternoon.

Trapeze School?

I have the greatest, most thoughtful and generous friend in the world. We have shared innumerable amazing moments together from sky-diving to birthing her children. We fulfilled childhood dreams of going to Africa and now she's topped even herself by taking me flying.... trapeze flying!

Flight school is held on the Santa Monica Pier 7 days a week for 2 hours each session. After signing your life away and listening to a few rules the staff of really personable people - Ryan especially - go through some brief simulations on the ground. It's a lot to take in so he does a demonstration so you can visualize what to do in the air. When it's your turn you scale the ladder to a platform 20+ feet in the air. I was surprised at how heavy the bar actually is and jumping off the 1st time is a little nerve-racking. The trick we were supposed to do was to put our knees over the bar like we did on playground monkey bars as kids and swing until you are told to land. But since I am so challenged I could never quite make that happen. Since childhood I have struggled athletically. I will try anything but I'm usually lousy at everything. It's probably really easy but I could never lift my legs in unison at the right time to capitalize on the momentum of the swing and get them over the bar. There are instructors shouting commands throughout to help with that timing but I'm a tard. Depending on how many pupils in class determines how many chances you get to try. The capstone flight is one where you take what you've learned and leap through the air to the arms of a catcher on another trapeze. What fun, right?

Even considering the fact that I missed most of what I was supposed to do I had a blast and will try again until I get that maneuver down and can actually call myself a flyer. This is a highly rated activity on the fun scale.

UnBELIZEable !!!

For those of you familiar with the Caribbean you know that it's hard to find picturesque scenes like that anywhere else. Clear azure water in shades of sapphire and turquoise laden with a kaleidoscope of colorful fish make this tropical vacation paradise. Twelve hours riding in autos, planes, trains and vessels lands you in San Pedro, Ambergris (Am-BER- griss) Caye, the largest of 200ish islands off the coast of Belize. You have to fly - at least from LA - to Belize City and then take a little prop plane over to the island. Its only about 15 minutes but all the while you can see fish popping out of the water and the 2nd largest reef in the world. The air is warm and breezy and the skies are clear.

I met family at the small air strip where we waited quite a while at the taxi stand. The roads in San Pedro aren't paved and most people travel by bicycle, motor bike (mopeds), golf cart or on foot. There are very few cars, in fact only the taxis. It is busy and chaotic downtown and since the roads are dirt and the rain is abundant you can image the potholes! It wasn't too far to the dock where the ferry awaits but they close the roads to cars on the weekends to make it safe for pedestrians and we had to take the back streets. This alone was an adventure dodging people, bikes, and dogs.

The ferry ride to Captain Morgan's resort is about 15 minutes from town. By now it was pitch black making each of the billions of stars visible to the naked eye and other boats nearly impossible. In fact, there was a fatal water taxi accident the same night I arrived probably minutes after we passed by. C.M. is the location of one of those lame, debaucherous reality shows. It is also rumored that Tiger Woods has his own golf course on the island. Stepping off the boat onto the dock you just immediately relax as you meander through the sparingly cleared coconut palm groves over sandy, moonlit paths. The accommodations are well-appointed (flat screen and wi-fi) yet beachy with tile floors, thatched roofs and a colorful mix of Mexican influence. The kitchen serves up mostly local seafood like conch but some local flavors are featured too like jerk chicken. The local beer is a delicious and light refreshing lager called Belikin. There is a nightlife on A.C. if you desire it but we were more interested in watching the sun rise over the eastern horizon which happens right around 5am. It's blazing hot by 7 am so the cool air of the early morning is welcome.

I can only describe this place as seeming like it's the end of the world. The expanse of blue skies and inviting blue sea calls to you from the lanai overlooking the swim-up bar. This morning we set out to collect sea shells. The best part is you actually can allowing me to reminisce of Southern California in the 70's. We found lots of unique shells and coral in the bath-like water at the shoreline before setting off with a guide for the afternoon to snorkel and catch dinner. He picked us up on the dock and we went miles out just shy of the reef and dropped anchor. Jumping into the water was like falling through a rabbit hole into another world. I've been snorkeling before but this was an extraordinary experience. Stingrays and nurse sharks are abundant as are psychedelic fish of every size, shape, color, stripe, polka dot, stripes with polka dots - you get the drift. We saw the deadliest fish in Belize and even a sea cucumber (I've never even heard of that). Other interesting sightings include the spotted lobster (prolific, and popular fishing) and lion fish. It was so beautiful and peaceful and since I have an underwater camera I videoed a few minutes of the experience. It was on this trip that I wish I could dive and fully intend to learn some day. Diving in Belize is supposed to be some of the best viewing in the world. Swimming with these gracious animals and just gazing upon the brilliant coral reef was really incredible but we had to catch dinner so we replaced our masks for poles and sped off to a spot where we could hunt snapper and yellow fin.

Fishing is a mainstay in Belize and a big draw for tourists (particularly lobster fishing) but we didn't have the greatest luck this day. It was late in the afternoon and they just weren't biting. Kylie was the big winner of the day catching 3 edible fish and I caught the largest of the day but only one. Our dinner was much more sparse than we had counted on but it was a lot of fun trying. John filleted the fish on board for us while the sea birds stalked overhead. Physical activity, sun and endless days take a lot out of you by sundown so collapsing is almost a rule.

The next morning we took the resort's bicycles into town for some homemade coconut ice cream at Manelli's. The 4 mile one way trip is is made - ideally before it gets blazing hot - on the hard pack sand "highway" running adjacent the beach. This is the road the locals use to go back and forth to work on the resorts from San Pedro. There was a slight breeze at our backs pushing us through the powder white sand under the low hanging palms at water's edge as other resorts and private residences recede in our wake. At the edge of town the sandy road ends so we cross into the back roads and bump and warble over the pot holes along the lagoon surrounded by brightly colored condos before crossing over a toll bridge. The recently constructed bridge hovers over a recent hurricane created river and promises a bustling center town. Since tourism is a primary industry artisans line up there goods in the town square. Jewelry and wood carvings are among the most popular items. I purchased a zericote wood carving that was lovingly honed and sanded many times over before applying a protective coat of beeswax for sheen. It was here that I met Capine. I first noticed him riding a bike while I was chatting with some young school children. Capine is a very special and talented cyclist riding the handlebars with confidence and ease. What's so interesting about Capine is that he is a RACOON! I have never seen such a thing. He is a gentle and friendly beast who let me pet him and even took the money out of my hand. We made a couple detours to the market for some fresh and relatively inexpensive food before grabbing a Mojito for the ride back. A refreshing dive in the pool upon return was critical to beat the afternoon humidity.

Relaxing this afternoon poolside with pantie rippers (rum and pineapple juice) was the perfect prelude to an intoxicating conversation with Joe. I met Joe when I wandered down to the beach to have a few minutes away from the chatter of New Yorkers. Local Joe was propped up by a tree with a backpack full of hand carved goodies. He hobbled over to my chaise and collapsed on the one next to me winded from the 10 foot walk dragging his leg behind him. Joe walked with a severe limp and pronounced himself a craftsman and herbal healer. He pridefully extracted each of his art pieces from the bag one by one and shared the story behind each one telling me of how he went deep into the rainforest to find the perfect logs, some weighing 200 pounds, and his painstaking effort to get them home. He described the labor-intensive process of of chiseling and carving and sanding over and over to achieve the perfect piece. He also told me of the moon's role and how important it is to cut the wood between 3 days before and after a full moon and the wood will last over 70 years. He said it was the same for the thatched roof construction; if cut in keeping with the moon's cycle it will withstand hurricanes. I learned that the national flower is the black orchid; the bird is the toucan; tree is mahogany; and the fish is the angel fish. He was a wealth of information and fascinating to talk to. After a while I felt comfortable enough to ask what happened to his leg. He said he had been the first child on the island to have contracted polio. Later we learned that he told someone else a tree fell on his leg in the forest. So now I feel as though any unverifiable thing we discussed is b.s. The world is full of characters.

The evening ushered in a beautiful breeze so we took to the beach volleyball court with some of the local kids. The kids live in the neighborhood behind the resort and they are very sweet and respectful so the resort staff allow them to hang around and fraternize with the guests. My niece and nephew have basically grown up with them over the last 5 years and look forward to playing with them each year. Two of the kids were sent home from school early today - one of them blew out his shoes and the other his pants. It is a strictly enforced policy that children have shoes and proper attire in school. The mosquitoes made us forfeit the volleyball game at sundown. It was Belizean Culture night at Captain's. We decided to forgo the festivities which were rather lame and walked the shoreline instead. The sky was especially clear and the stars were innumerable and gazing on them is magic. Sadly in order to enjoy the beautiful balmy nights around here you'd better balm up on the bug repellent.

I awoke to see the sun rise up over the horizon but found the blood letting from the bugs at that hour just not worth siting outside so I moved indoors and watched from the bed with my steaming cup of delicious Belizean coffee and homemade fig and coconut muffins. Not quite the same but gorgeous anyhow to watch the sun's rapid ascent over the Northern Hemisphere. Today we're adventuring to Caye Caulker, another nearby island. It's a very Jamaican inspired, relaxed, bohemian, artsy vibe on Caye Caulker and I absolutely loved it. The island is walkable from end to end. We meandered around the center of town for a bit seeing the health office/post office/library building across from the grocery/hardware/sell everything department store. A golf cart taxi driver offered us a cheap ride to "the split" so we took it. The split is a cut in the island made by a wicked hurricane in the 60's. There is a cabana style bar there - and not much else - surrounded by a decimated cement wall, great for diving into the crystal clear water and coupling as a protective environment for oodles of fish. A weathered old captain had docked his large sailboat next to the bar and I forget the woman's name the vessel was named after, Lucille or something, but it had Seattle, WA painted on it. So I climbed aboard to discover what the trip was like from Washington State on the Pacific coast and how he got to the Caribbean. I was expecting an Ernest Hemingway tale but the guy was a honest to goodness dud saying he had purchased the boat from Florida and sailed from there. We rented snorkels from him and spent the day snorkeling, swimming, sunning and indulging the bartenders creative whims. An Oregon ex-pat was walking around selling homemade pizza which was literally one of the best I've ever had. Since food is so expensive and fresh food not readily available you have to get quite creative and she did. Yum! A French man traveling through Mexico and Central & South America, Jean Luc, was pleasant company at the bar and listening to him recount his adventures was fun. He was perturbed at the fact that the bartender wasn't serving coffee. Later, we sauntered back into town to catch the ferry back to San Pedro stopping to chat with many friendly and beautiful families. Time ain't nothing but a thang on the islands and our ferry arrived well past it's schedule. The resort has their own shuttle service to and from town but again it's spotty and not terribly reliable so when we finally made it to San Pedro we had to wait over 2 hours for the water taxi back to the resort. A storm was blowing in and it was getting rather cool on our sunburned bodies. It was a wonderfully relaxing day and should I return to Belize I will definitely spend some lazy days on Caye Caulker eating conch ceviche and jammin' to reggae beats at the split.

One of the things I was looking forward to doing was zip-lining in the rainforest. This excursion is rather expensive though and my family had already done it so I'll need to make sure to do that next time before leaving Belize City. I also learned about cave tubing for which apparently you strap on a miner's light and cruise down the river into pitch dark caves. Thrilling! I didn't know until the day I left (Friday) that they have tours leaving from the resort on Thursdays to do these activities. I wish I had because we just hung around C.M. on Thursday anyway. It's nice to offset fun-filled days with relaxing ones especially since the sun and heat can zap your energy.The weather was slightly inclement on Thursday and we decided to just mellow out on the beach and explore some of the surrounding area and local creatures. Lizards are the size of dogs around here and they hang out everywhere. All day is happy hour so sea breeze in hand I listened to the birds squawk overhead and the palm fronds rustle with the wind as schools of fish dart around our toes in the gentle surf. This was the type of holiday where it seems to go on and on. I was in Belize for 4 full days and it felt like 3 weeks! Bliss. Later we decided to venture down the beach for a nice meal. We ended up at a beautiful spot and dined under the blanket of stars having the island version of paella and a yummy glass of wine. It was a gorgeous night although rather windy and a lovely stroll down the beach worked off our meal. A night cap at the resort as the live entertainment was winding down was a good ending.

Well it's my last day but I didn't have to book until 2pm to take the ferry to meet the cab for the airport. We'd been waiting for the opportune time to take the catamaran out but the wind just wasn't cooperating. This morning our luck changed... sort of. So the Griswalds all take our positions on the rig docked at the shore and Dave pushes while running through the slimy reeds operating the sails and trying to get behind the wind. The wind pushed us right into the dock. We all got off, drug the cat through the slime, found the wind and crashed into the dock. And repeat. By the 3rd time the staff came charging over to save their expensive catamaran and told us that the expert would be right over. You could feel the pity coming at us as he agreed to commandier the thing and take us for a ride - although we lost 2 of our passengers to disgust. Wow! It was so fun. He took us out by the reef where the water was a little bit rough and wavy for over an hour. He told us all kinds of stories about hurricanes, the moon and the island in general. By the time we returned I had to rush. You never know what customs and immigration will be like in 3rd world places so I had to hang around the airport for hours but this is where I discovered plantain chips. OMG they're delish rounding out the many wonderful memories I have about Belize. I hope I will return someday to explore the mainland and delve into the history of an incredibly beautiful place.

Did I mention I like to travel?

In fact, I LIVE to travel.
I leave Sunday for Ambergris Caye, Belize.
Just bought a waterproof camera...
I'll keep you posted.

Artsy Ventura

Living on the pacific coast with over 800 miles of coastline in California makes for a lot of seaside towns. Each one offers something unique and charming in it's own right giving us lots of opportunity for exploration. It's a daunting task to visit them all but not impossible. Believe it or not we had never stopped to visit Ventura on any of our many trips up north. I read in the paper that Ventura was to host their annual art walk last weekend so off we went on Sunday. We arrived just about noon as the morning marine layer was rising from it's slumber over this quaint little town. Sure, Ventura is sprawling like every other southland town but the downtown area is a well-preserved slice of days gone by, flanked at either end with gorgeous parks and nestled in by the beach to the west and a stunning hilltop City Hall in the Beaux Arts architecture to the east.

We started the day at the Savory Cafe & Bakery. The ambiance itself could be described as sort of old world European furnished with antiques and other warm touches mashed with a laid back beachy vibe in an indoor-outdoor California style. We shared a large Tuscan table in the middle of the restaurant with other folks where they offer, amongst other savory dishes, create-your-own crepes with a litany of ingredients to choose from - I picked prosciutto, basil, caramelized garlic, and gruyere - and it was delish. Hand-cut pommes frites with a creamy garlic dipping sauce is sure to tantalize your palate.

As usual we didn't plan very well but it was all new and interesting to us so we just meandered around as we fancied. The Art Walk features stone-workers but other works like glass, paintings, photography, iron works, jewelry, wood-work and more were on display as well. Many of the downtown merchants use their shops and showrooms to host the artists' work and others open their studios for the event. There's a thrift store or antique mall on each block and Damon hit them all. It was late in the day when I decided to venture off on my own to discover the "art".

My favorite thing was a trio of metal works in a roots & branches nature series. At $1500.00 it was more than I was willing to invest at this time in history but I covet the simplistic design yet painstaking execution of the metal worker. I was also drawn to various stone carvings made from California materials in organic shapes. A wood carver was showing exquisite boxes he'd made from a variety of local woods beautifully constructed with precision. It was a wonderful day discovering new artists and another lovely California beach town.

Crisp, Clean, Green - Chicago!

I had the welcomed opportunity to visit Chicago to celebrate my dad's University graduation held at Navy Pier. I had been before many years ago and couldn't wait to return. But with so many places I haven't been and wish to go repeat visits require a compelling excuse.

A friend recommended a fantastic hotel in a perfect location right on the river at the Southern end of the Magnificent Mile. Vistas of the newly built Trump Tower and historic Wrigley and Chicago Tribune buildings filled the sight line from our room's window. As a destination city weekends are very busy and this was no exception since Chicago was hosting the marathon, one of the biggest worldwide because they do not limit the number of entrants. There were 45,000 runners just adjacent our hotel so we awoke to cheers audible 28 stories in the sky as they passed. And it seemed like every one of them was trying to get atop the (former) Sears Tower on the day that I was! Consequently, I didn't wait the 2 hours it would have been to view the city and Lake Michigan from the glass floor sky deck of the newly named Willis Building.

Unfortunately I arrived in Chitown with the flu. As the weekend progressed so did my cold. What misery being in a gastronomic mecca like Chicago with no taste buds! I did pig out on Chicago style pizza though and boy does it live up to its reputation. My dad wanted to see Jersey Boys, the musical story of the Four Seasons that's gaining accolades nationwide. In general I hate musicals but since the weekend was devoted to my dad I begrudgingly went along. The story itself was not captivating but the music was fantastic. Those songs were the soundtrack of my youth and it really took me down memory lane. The lead playing Frankie Valli was a replica of his distinctive, signature high-pitched voice.

The highlight of the weekend for me was the river architecture tour. It was a frigid 31 degrees on the uncovered vessel. Traveling along the Chicago river the guide gives a history of the skyscrapers that loom over the city putting into context the building, the era and the architect and the relationship they share with Chicago. It was a gorgeous sunny day, albeit cold, in this lovely lakeside town so my brother and I decided to venture down to museum park and visit the Aquarium. I thought it was a complete rip off, besides the fact that I have a problem with wild life held in captivity after having been in the wild. But we had an adventure anyway, met some really nice people and saw first hand why Chicago is considered one of the greenest cities in America.

Chicago has a public transportation system that's both efficient and effective- the metro, the "L" trains, buses and cabs - all reduce the carbon footprint in a city of nearly 3 million. In addition it takes top marks for being the best biking city in the US. Miles of lakefront bike paths equipped with bicycle cafes, repair centers, parking spaces, etc. really encourage this mode of transport/sport/exercise. One of the most obvious things I noticed was the flushers on toilets - up for water waste, down for solid - really cutting down on the amount of water used.

While I didn't get to do everything I wanted in Chicago, no matter what you do it's a good time in this vibrant, energetic city warmed by old fashioned mid-western hospitality.