Category: vacation

Loneliest Study Abroad Ever

Posted in church, college, friends, humor, Iowa State University, memoir, relationships, restaurant, Spain, travel, vacation1 Comment

After three months in South America and six weeks of student teaching Catholic high school girls, I headed to Burgos, Spain, with 30 students and a handful of professors from Iowa State and the University of Iowa. It would be my way of earning the final credits of my dual degree. Linda, a high school… Continue reading Loneliest Study Abroad Ever

Say What in Santa Cruz

Posted in California, college, dating, friends, helpful strangers, high school, marriage proposal, relationships, Santa Cruz, siblings, vacationLeave a comment

Jennifer met Brad at San Leandro High school. She wasn’t allowed to date, but she was allowed to go to junior prom. The next year Brad asked Jennifer to Senior Ball. It was in San Francisco, and afterward, they went to Pier 39 with everyone else in their limo. Brad had gotten blue contacts for… Continue reading Say What in Santa Cruz

Happily Never After

Posted in attitude, best, boyfriend, California, conflict, dancing, dating, divorce, dogs, Facebook, friends, girl friends, humor, love, marriage, relationships, travel, vacationLeave a comment

There it was on my Facebook feed. A writer friend I barely knew saying the best day of her life was the day she met her husband.  And a chorus friend telling her spouse “Love you, Babe” on their 30+ anniversary. It stings a little. It used to sting a lot. While going through an… Continue reading Happily Never After

Grizzly Bear!

Posted in Alaska, bears, California, church, friends, grizzly bear, guardian angel, guns, hunting, nature, relationships, travel, vacation, worst1 Comment

(re-run) An Amazon robot punctured a can of Bear Mace, sending 80 employees to the hospital before Christmas. It reminded me of this true account told to me at a holiday party. In 2008 you take your wife, Liza, and your teen-aged kids to Alaska. You stay near the Princess Lodge in a fishing cabin… Continue reading Grizzly Bear!

The Land of No Internet

Posted in books, contractor, deer, DVD, fawns, fog, internet, newspaper, phone call, raccoon, Tiger Woods, U.S. Open, vacation, waves, weeds, WIFILeave a comment

In the land of no internet, you have time to do things that normally get sucked up by the time you spend on Facebook. Weeding by hand Reading a book Watching a DVD or two Sorting a drawer Visiting with relatives Having a phone call with your youngest The land of no internet has neighbors… Continue reading The Land of No Internet

Grizzly Bear!

Posted in Alaska, bears, California, church, friends, grizzly bear, guardian angel, guns, hunting, nature, relationships, travel, vacation, worstLeave a comment

(re-run) An Amazon robot punctured a can of Bear Mace, sending 80 employees to the hospital before Christmas. It reminded me of this true account told to me at a holiday party. In 2008 you take your wife, Liza, and your teen-aged kids to Alaska. You stay near the Princess Lodge in a fishing cabin… Continue reading Grizzly Bear!

Skipping Work for Woodstock, 1969

Posted in bands, best, helpful strangers, historic, humor, live music, Long Island, nature, outdoors, pig, postal service, rain, relationships, small town, vacation, vintageLeave a comment

In 1969 Max Yasgur’s pig farm in upstate New York sounded like the place to be for three days and three nights. Frank had been delivering the Woodstock tickets for weeks on Long Island at his job as a summer letter carrier for the U.S. Post Office. He and the other summer carriers knew it… Continue reading Skipping Work for Woodstock, 1969